Tucson Audubon: Volunteer Shindig On Thursday

In the Face of Climate Change, the Drought-stricken Southwest Grapples with Water Management, Adaptation Policies
In the face of climate change, communities in the drought-stricken Southwest are grappling with how to respond and adapt to hotter and drier conditions. Not surprisingly, much of the ongoing dialogue centers around one crucial element: water.

The Arizona Daily Star reported on a recent panel that discussed the implications to our region from climate change, “Southern Arizona is particularly vulnerable to climate change, as temperatures rise, resources become scarce and those living in poverty are disproportionately affected, experts said Thursday during a forum at the University of Arizona. “Our regional temperatures have already increased and they’re projected to increase quite significantly over the course of this century,” said Gregg Garfin with the university’s Institute of the Environment. “Tucson’s temperatures in 50 years will be more like Yuma’s temperatures.” If the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted globally continues at the current pace, panelists said, climate change would bring a cascade of negative effects throughout the world. At the local level, tourism and agriculture will falter, energy costs will skyrocket as people struggle to keep cool, depleted soil moisture will lead to more forest fires and the health of more vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, will be threatened.“We also know that climate change is water change and with increased temperatures, future droughts will be more frequent, more severe and longer, and that will lead to a less reliable water supply,” Garfin said.”

The communities of the Rio Grande Basin face the same set of challenges. The Las Cruces Sun-News recently reported, “People who live in the Rio Grande Basin will have to take dramatic steps if they hope to have a future that involves more than just dust. Experts say the population in the region has swelled during unusually wet years, leading to growth and creating habits that tree rings and other scientific data indicate we shouldn't expect in the future. Stream flows measured at the Otowi Gauge on the Upper Rio Grande were well above historical norms between 1980 and 2000, when El Paso's and Albuquerque's populations respectively grew 42 percent and 38 percent. Add climate change — which an overwhelming majority of those who study it say is happening — and you have a future that might not be very promising for cities such as El Paso, Juárez, Las Cruces and Albuquerque. The expected effects of a changing climate are drier winters, a smaller snowpack at the Rio Grande's headwaters and faster evaporation — all punctuated by infrequent but violent storms.” . . . Some of the largest utilities and some of the smallest households are continuing to innovate ways to conserve water. By far, the biggest potential for savings lies in agriculture. In the West, 80 percent of the water is used to irrigate pecans, cotton, fruit, vegetables and water livestock. The rules that govern such use don't account for the future scarcity that scientists now predict. They arise from a tangle of laws, interstate compacts and treaties that were written at a time when the government saw the West as an arid wasteland in need of settlement.”

In yet another example of policy makers grappling with consequential water management decisions, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported on a controversial policy decision effecting the future of the Gila River, “New Mexico is one step closer to deciding how to manage its share of the Gila River now that staff with the Interstate Stream Commission has recommended taking advantage of federal funding to build a diversion and storage system along the river. The staff also recommended during Friday's commission meeting in Silver City that part of the money be spent on municipal conservation projects and other efforts aimed at stretching the region's water supplies. The recommendation calls for the commission to send a letter to the U.S. Interior Department saying the state wants to develop its portion of the Gila. The commission must weigh the recommendation and make a final decision before Dec. 31, the deadline imposed by the Arizona Water Settlement Act. At stake are tens of millions of dollars in federal funding and a new source of water that some see as a rare opportunity to bring relief to the southwestern corner of this drought-stricken state. Municipal leaders and farmers from southwestern New Mexico voiced support for diverting a portion of the river, which spans parts of New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Critics, including environmentalists and former commission director Norman Gaume, complained that the cost of building reservoirs and pipelines has been estimated at more than $740 million. That's more than five times the federal dollars that would be available for the project.”

Tucson Audubon will be hosting a panel discussion on December 8th for board and staff in order to learn more about water issues facing the Southwest, with the intention of transferring key information and recommendations on to our membership and policy makers. Our expert panel will include: Robert Glennon, Kathy Jacobs, Linda Stitzer and Claire Zucker.

Pima County FEMA Floodplain Residents Eligible for Up to 25% Discount on Flood Insurance
According to Julia Fonseca, Environmental Planning Manager with Pima County’s Office of Sustainability and Conservation and Greg Saxe with the county’s Regional Flood Control District, the county has exceeded National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements in its efforts to better protect residents from flood hazards and the other natural beneficial functions of floodplains. Programs that have contributed to this success include its Floodprone Land Acquisition Program and the implementation of the Conservation Lands System guidelines. Fonseca says that the “Community Rating System” used by the NFIP has placed greater emphasis on natural floodplain protection. As a result, Saxe says Pima County has been rated amongst the top communities in the Country. In addition to direct benefits, Saxe says the County’s high rating means that Pima County FEMA floodplain residents are now eligible for up to a 25% discount on their flood insurance. Saxe says the County aims to increase this to 30% over the next couple of years by continuing to improve their program and rating.

McCain Criticized for His Support of Resolution Copper Because of Ties to Iran

The Daily Beast recently reported, “Sen. John McCain, who once joked about bombing Iran, is now pushing for a bill that would benefit a company that’s in business with the Iranian government. The Arizona senator and 2008 GOP presidential nominee is leading the charge on Capitol Hill to hand over 2,400 acres of federal land in Tonto National Forest in Arizona to Resolution Copper. The land lies above what may be the largest copper deposit in the United States and ownership would make it easier for Resolution to fully exploit the deposits. In exchange, Resolution will give the U.S. government 5,300 acres scattered across the state that the company acquired nearly 10 years ago to facilitate this land swap. If the deal goes through, projections are that the mine could end up providing up to one quarter of the nation’s copper supply and create up to 1,400 jobs in an economically depressed corner of Arizona. But there’s something of a catch. Resolution is majority owned and controlled by Rio Tinto, a global mining conglomerate. And that conglomerate also owns nearly 70 percent of the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia. Another owner of the place is the government of Iran. This connection with the Tehran government has drawn scrutiny from those concerned about the Iranian nuclear program. And it’s put McCain—well-known as one of the most hawkish members of the GOP—in the unusual position of being at odds with some of his fellow neoconservatives.”