Apr
6
TGIF – Weekly Water News Summary, 31 March – 6 April 2012
April 6, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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Finally getting this week’s water news summary out.
A blessed Easter to my Christian friends and a wonderful Passover to my Jewish friends. All of you have a happy weekend!
Note: to access a story, click on the link beginning with ‘http://’, ‘is.gd’, or ‘bit.ly’. Clicking on a link beginning with ‘@’ will take you to that person’s Twitter account; clicking on a link beginning with ‘#’ will take you to a Twitter list containing Tweets about a particular topic.
Some items may not have a hot link to a story, which is fine – it may have been just an informational item or a personal message to someone. Or, I may have screwed up and forgotten the link!
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — Arthur C. Clarke
Apr
5
April/May 2012 AWRA President’s Message
April 5, 2012 | Posted by smcclung
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Water attracts tourists and supports a tourism economy worldwide. Many of this Country’s biggest tourist attractions are water features or landscapes shaped by water: the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, Niagara Falls, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes just to name a few. Water is also critical for tourist based industries such as skiing, rafting and boating, fishing, and snowmobiling.
There is ever increasing stress on the availability of water resources needed for these recreational and tourist activities. In some cases that stress results from changing climatic conditions or other large-scale hydrologic processes, but in most cases it is local weather conditions, local water-use practices, and local water-rights procedures that directly affect the tourist based industries. At AWRA we try to advance the dialog between all of the stakeholders when addressing complex water management issues. That means making sure that the farmers, the city-dwellers, the fishermen, the kayakers, the energy production companies, and the public land managers all participate in the integrated management of local water resources.
I am sure you all have your favorite local hydrologic feature which you enjoy visiting with family and friends. I have had the pleasure of visiting many interesting local hydrologic features in the past few years and I have listed a few below. I would like to start a new AWRA web page that lists sites like these. If you would like to contribute to this site please send me (president@awra.org) a note with the feature name, a link to a web site, and maybe a photo. The photos above are from Spout Lake near Cottonwood Pass in Colorado. The lake sits at 11,880 feet and appears to have no outlet and does not look like a teapot, so why the name? The other picture is the spout! It pours from the hillside 1000 feet to the east and 200 below the lake.
Barton Springs Pool, Texas – great swimming with an endangered salamander
Wakulla Springs State Park, Florida – great swimming with alligators
Mountain Princeton Hot Springs, Colorado – soak in a 104o river while it snows on you
Lake George, New York – 30 foot visibility and water clean enough to drink, swim with a perch
The Sip ‘n Dip Lounge, Montana – you’ll just have to ask me about this one
I promised a brief summary of our January 2012 AWRA Board of Directors business and strategic planning meeting, so here it is.
We approved a 2012 budget; decided not to change the name of the association; decided to hold specialty conferences in 2013 on agricultural hydrology, healthy forests, and hydrology and habitat; decided to develop collaborative relations with the Canadian Water Resources Association and the Clean Water America Alliance; decided to make significant updates to the AWRA webpage; decided to review how Herbert Scholarship funds are managed; heard reports from the staff on membership, competitive analysis with other associations, journal production, and conference participation; heard reports from the name change, interdisciplinary award, organized internship, electronic outreach, compelling vision, and National vision task forces; appointed board members and staff to an integrated water resources management, AWRA 50th Anniversary, webinar services, website and social media, National – State section communication, and communities of practice task forces; and finally reviewed and updated AWRA’s Strategic Plan.
Cheers
Bill
Mar
30
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 24 – 30 March 2012
March 30, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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Just as I said last week – it’s nice to be back home. I enjoyed my time at Virginia Tech. The hospitality was typical of the South: extraordinary.
Also had some fun with Hokie bottled water.
Click here to access links to the stories.
Note: to access a story, click on the link beginning with ‘http://’, ‘is.gd’, or ‘bit.ly’. Clicking on a link beginning with ‘@’ will take you to that person’s Twitter account; clicking on a link beginning with ‘#’ will take you to a Twitter list containing Tweets about a particular topic.
Some items may not have a hot link to a story, which is fine – it may have been just an informational item or a personal message to someone. Or, I may have screwed up and forgotten the link!
“Conceit may puff a man up, but can never prop him up.” – John Rusk
Mar
23
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 17-23 March 2012
March 23, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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Good to be back home in the USA! Enjoy the weekly water summary.
Note: to access a story, click on the link beginning with ‘http://’, ‘is.gd’, or ‘bit.ly’. Clicking on a link beginning with ‘@’ will take you to that person’s Twitter account; clicking on a link beginning with ‘#’ will take you to a Twitter list containing Tweets about a particular topic.
Some items may not have a hot link to a story, which is fine – it may have been just an informational item or a personal message to someone. Or, I may have screwed up and forgotten the link!
So click here for your displacement behavior!
“Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.” – Unknown
Mar
22
My Two Euros: The Sixth World Water Forum Needs Outcomes Assessments
March 22, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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A fitting post for World Water Day!
As promised, here is my typical stream-of-consciousness take on the recent 6WWF and the World Water Fora in general.
Here is a link to the World Water Forum (general concept); the page contains links to the previous fora.
What’s the main take-away? Outcomes assessments! Scroll down to the bottom heading, The Big Kahuna!
Disclosure and CYA Notice
I was involved in the 6WWF (as a session coordinator) as was my organization (AWRA), which sits on the board of the WWC, which organizes the WWF and is not affiliated with the United Nations. My AWRA colleagues Gerry Galloway, Jerry Sehlke, Ken Reid (AWRA Executive VP), Dick Engberg (AWRA Technical Director), Carol Collier (President Elect), and Ari Michelsen were also involved. Reid occupies AWRA’s seat on the WWC board and Michelsen was Coordinator of the IWRM suite of sessions. Ari’s job could truly be described as herding cats – cats who spoke different languages, came from all over the world, and had different perspectives on IWRM.
Shout-Outs
Thanks to all those who put so much time into this meeting. Let me single out just a few. Dr. Benedito ‘Ben’ Braga,President of the International Forum Committee, deserves a lot of credit. Braga, one of the smartest WaterWonks around, is a professor at the University of Sao Paulo and former head ofANA, the Brazilian national water agency. He can get things done. Another unsung person is Danielle (‘Dani’) Gaillard-Picher, the WWC’s troubleshooter, who kept things running smoothly. And I would be derelict if I did not thank Ken Reid and Ari Michelsen, my friends and colleagues.
I can’t imagine trying to organize and run a meeting as large and diverse as the WWF. It is easy to criticize; large, ambitious events usually are.
Observations
I enjoyed the 6WWF. I always meet new folks, some of whom are not ‘water professionals’ – all the better. I learn new things. I also see old friends whom I don’t see that often – usually at this triennial event. What I didn’t like about 6WWF was not the fault of the organizers. I just had too much I had to do and could not go to a number of sessions: ones on WaSH, Religion and Water, indigenous groups, etc. There is almost too much going on.
The pavilions/exhibits were quite impressive. I did not see strong evidence of a corporate presence, but then again, that would not get me too worked up. By far the most impressive of the pavilions were those of the countries (France, Mexico, Russia, China, Korea, Germany, Netherlands, USA, et al.) and some of the individual government agencies and NGOs. A number of the pavilions had dialogues and roundtable discussions; one-way conversations did not seem to be the order of the day, and that’s good.
The venue was not conducive to serendipitous encounters. The Forum was spread out among a number of large buildings so there was less chance that you would run into someone you knew or wanted to see. That was not the case in in Istanbul in 2009.
Groundwater was more prominent than in previous WWF but it still is not being integrated as much as it should be. It’s funny, dams seem to be on the table once again (WTF?) but I heard nary a word about aquifer storage recovery/artificial recharge. It is true that dams are multipurpose facilities (and more lucrative and impressive to build) but to me, this points up the neglect of groundwater and lack of concern over environmental and social issues. I’m biased, I know. I wonder if the Koreans will let me host a session ‘Groundwater: The Rodney Dangerfield of the Hydrologic Cycle’ in 2015. NOT!
Morons!
Release of the final program just 17 days before the opening was very poor planning and inconsiderate of the attendees. Some people did not know when their sessions were until just a few weeks before the opening, so they either decided to stay for the entire six days or risk being unable to get one of the (expensive!) hotel rooms if they waited until the last minute. And God help you if you had to get a visa or airline reservation on short notice. And of course, the early-bird regisration rate expired on 31 December 2011! There is no excuse for such dismal planning.
Up until the very end, the session coordinators and session chairs were getting emails from the organizers: do this, do that, submit this by such-and-such date, blah, blah, blah. I found it onerous, as did my colleague Ari Michelsen, whose task was made more difficult with all these last-minute missives. At least paper copies were not required, but I wondered who was really going to read all this stuff. As one wag commented, “They must not realize that we are volunteers.” Amen! I think the organizers’ credo was, “If a lot is good, more is best.” Skip the ‘better’. If the organizers are planning to measure outcomes on the basis of written material required, then they will conclude that they succeeded.
The Big Kahuna
So let me go right to the biggest complaint I have: outcomes assessments. The WWC does not make much of an attempt to engage in a retrospective examination of previous fora to determine whether the items discussed, the commitments made, the solutions proposed, etc. have had any effect. So as far as I can determine no one really knows whether the previous fora have done any good – other than providing a huge networking/showcasing opportunity. That’s not good.
The odd thing is that the WWC wants commitments from a variety of 6WWF players. But the WWC itself demands no such commitment from itself. It’s time to do so.
Outcomes assessments would be enhanced by having a more streamlined and consistent template of topics from forum to forum (here is the process, which seems to be the paramount concern). I get the impression the wheel is reinvented every three years because the new convenors want to put their imprimatur on their forum. That is one of the dilemmas with the fora: since a new group organizes it every three years there is a different perspective, which is very good. But that different vantage point can often diminish the achievements or effects of previous fora.
In any case, the WWC could do the water community a real service – something that no other meeting is doing on a global scale – by helping us answer the question: Is what we do working?
Upshot
One of the complaints I have heard about the WWF from well-respected WaterWonks is that it is pretty much a dog-and-pony show with little discussion of substantive issues. So what large international water meeting is not a dog-and-pony show? As for little discussion of substantive issues – that is probably more of a valid criticism. I did hear some controversial things being debated, but the debates may not have been occurring in the formal sessions.
I think the WWF has a place in the pantheon of water meetings. It is good that it’s done triennially. I would like the WWC to engage in serious OA and use the results to guide future fora. I would also like to see the meeting become a bit ‘edgier’.
My two cents.
By the way, here is the Ministerial Declaration. Beats me if it actually supports human rights to water and sanitation (which it should). Sure is verbose, but that is to be expected. How about a one-pager, guys?
Download Ministerial_Declaration_Final_EN-1
Will I attend the 7WWF? Give me two years to think about it. I’m tired now.
“You’re never too old to learn something stupid.” – Unknown
Mar
8
Use of Innovative Technologies in GIS and Social Media to Better Manage Water Resources and Water Related Emergencies
March 8, 2012 | Posted by admin
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Use of Innovative Technologies in GIS and Social Media to Better Manage Water Resources and Water Related Emergencies: First of its Kind Forum to Explore Potential
Rapid and timely response to large-scale water-related emergencies is becoming dependent upon the coupling of two things: the availability of advanced geospatial information services (GIS) linked to water and climate data, and the accessibility of social media tools for communication, collaboration and cooperation. “The challenge is about saving lives, saving communities, protecting the environment, and protecting the water supply all rolled into one,” according to Katherine Lins, Chief, Office of Water Information, Water Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey.
On March 26, The American Water Resources Association (AWRA) will address the challenge of advancing critical water resources decision-making including a special executive forum with experts from the Google Geospatial Team, Microsoft Research Connections, U.S. Geological Survey, Geomatics Canada, ESRI, and the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences. Managers and researchers from multiple federal, state and local agencies along with private sector firms will explore the potential for employing the most advanced technologies in GIS, water resources, and social networking.
The goal of this first ever event is to further improve emergency and strategic water related decisions at the local, state, national and international level. The theme is carried through from the plenary address on Mississippi flood fighting to the afternoon executive track with forums that explore new platforms and technologies from a decision-maker’s perspective. The session will take place on March 26 as part of AWRA’s seventh Conference on GIS and Water Resources in New Orleans, Louisiana March 26 – 28, 2012.
Significant damage brought on by hurricane Katrina, recent flooding in the Mississippi and the Red River, oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and the Yellowstone River in Montana, and the current Texas drought resulting in serious reductions in the Ogallala Aquifer, among many other events, are requiring U.S. and Canadian water resources managers and decision-makers to seek faster and better ways to assess surface and groundwater impairments, water shortages, and serious stormwater related conditions and risks.
Recent innovations in geospatial technologies combined with those in water resources modeling and social media have the potential for enabling greater understanding and sharing of critical water data in realtime (streamflow, water quality, precipitation and groundwater conditions). This understanding and sharing provide the capacity for significant improvements in the long-term management of water resources as well as the mitigation of emergencies related to storm events, hazardous discharges, and changes in the water supply.
For more information about the integration of these technologies, the use of these technologies in addressing water related emergencies, and the executive session taking place in New Orleans on March 26, please contact Mary Ashton, mary@awra.org, 540.687.8390.
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Since 1964, American Water Resources Association has been dedicated to the advancement of water resources management, research, and education and a balanced approach towards solving water resources challenges. AWRA’s membership is comprised of professionals who share a common interest in working and learning across a wide range of multidisciplines focused on water resources policy, practice, and academic pursuits. Members include engineers, foresters, biologists, hydrologists, geologists, chemists, ecologists, GIS professionals, geographers, planners, soil scientists, economists, attorneys, planners, educators, students, community leaders and policy makers.
Mar
2
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 25 February – 2 March 2012
March 2, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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So sad to hear that Davy Jones, who rode the Monkees to fame in the mid-1960s and beyond, died on 29 February 2012 at the age of 66.
Listen to Davy’s best-known vocal as a Monkee, and arguably the group’s most beloved song, Daydream Believer. For decades, intelligentsia and hoi polloi alike have pondered and debated the song’s meaning. No matter, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
Now, do some daydreaming of your own with today’s water displacement behavior! Click here!
“Cheer up, sleepy Jean,
Oh what can it it mean
To a daydream believer
And a homecoming queen?”
– Daydream Believer written by John Stewart
Feb
24
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 18 – 24 February 2012
February 24, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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Here is your weekly water displacement behavior.
The cartoon (click to enlarge) is by Josh
Click here to get to the news!
“There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.” – Oscar Wilde
Feb
22
February 2012 AWRA President’s Message
February 22, 2012 | Posted by smcclung
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I went to AGU in December and I am sure some of you did as well. Here is something that you will not see at an AWRA meeting. It will be the real me, or the real Carol Collier, or the “one-an-only” Michael Campana greeting you near the registration desk, listening to your presentations, going on the fun-run, and loitering near the bar at the social event. At AWRA we are serious about being inclusive, and strive to provide equal opportunities for our old-members, new members, and non-members to interact with the leaders of the water resources community. FYI, the trees in Armstrong Redwood State Reserve near Gurneville, CA were much more interesting to meet than that cardboard cutout!
Speaking of members and membership, I hope that if you were a member in 2011 or before, you have renewed your AWRA membership, if you are a new member – Welcome-, and if you are not yet a member you will consider becoming one.
To me, membership in AWRA means many things and has many benefits. To be sure there are important tangible benefit like access to the JAWRA, and not only the recent issues, but all issues back to number 1; discounts on conference registration fees; and Impact. But these tangible benefits represent only a fraction of your membership benefits, and perhaps more importantly what you support by being a member. AWRA conferences and other events are great opportunities for professional development and networking. If you participate in one of our events I hope that you will notice that we are scientifically diverse, international, and inclusive to all participants. Your membership provides the resources that enable AWRA staff and board members to interact with community leaders, resource managers, and representatives of Federal agencies and international organizations promoting greater public awareness and appreciation of the value of integrated water resources management and the roles of water professionals like yourself. Finally, AWRA membership provides you with the opportunity to make a meaningful commitment to promote multidisciplinary integrated water resources research and management in the U.S. and abroad.
Feb
17
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 11 – 17 February 2012
February 17, 2012 | Posted by Michael "Aquadoc" Campana
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Here is your weekly water displacement behavior and the featured music video from 1978.
Enjoy one or both!
The picture of me was taken at last October’s OU WaTER Conference banquet. I think that’s Laurra Olmsted finding humor in my behavior.
Click here for the water news!
“This made him a grad student, and grad students existed not to learn things but to relieve the tenured faculty members of tiresome burdens such as educating people and doing research.” - Neal Stephenson
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