AWII 2025 Year in Review

Water is essential for healthy communities, thriving ecosystems and a growing economy in Arizona. The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative at Arizona State University addresses real-world challenges with evidence-based solutions that support decision-makers and residents alike to help ensure a resilient water future for Arizona.

The initiative is a statewide project led by the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory in collaboration with Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Through this initiative, we work with industrial, municipal, agricultural, tribal and international partners to rapidly accelerate and deploy new approaches and technology for water conservation, augmentation, desalination, efficiency, infrastructure and reuse.

For example, the Center for Hydrologic Innovations, led by Professor Enrique Vivoni, has partnered with farmers and private industry to demonstrate the water savings realized with an amendment that increases soil health. Southern Arizona chile farmer Ed Curry estimated that the MyLand algae amendment has helped him to reduce his water use by 10% for his chiles and pecans. Other

growers have documented a 15% water use savings in alfalfa and an increase of 24% water use efficiency for almonds.

Meanwhile, Professor Paul Westerhoff’s Global Center for Water Technology has worked with industry partners around the Valley to provide novel solutions for industrial operation ranging from food and beverage makers to semiconductor fabs. For example, researchers are working with industry partners to test and scale advanced technological solutions that reduce the amount of salty water, or brine, that needs to be taken off-site by tanker trucks, avoiding costly treatment and reusing water multiple times.

In addition, Professors Westerhoff and Vivoni are jumping directly into the work of developing water-efficient technologies with water technology start-up companies that address a wide variety of real-world challenges ranging from finding and fixing water system leaks to ensuring that forest management in upper watersheds is truly producing water savings as well. These startups are not only working to improve water sustainability, but also to provide workforce development and job opportunities.

There is no shortage of challenges when it comes to water in Arizona – the shrinking Colorado River, groundwater depletion and water contamination are just a few. Simultaneously, there are innovative solutions being developed, tested and implemented every day.

As Arizona takes major steps forward with technologies including Advanced Water Purification, Professor Claire Lauer and the AWII User Experience team developed an award-winning virtual reality experience that provided a tangible, interesting way for all Arizona residents to understand how this incredibly effective new process of purifying our water works, and why it’s safe to drink.

Cora Tso and Sarah Porter of the Kyl Center for Water Policy have developed helpful guidance on the evolving Tribal water settlements across the state that will both help to ensure water access for tribes, and increase certainty for all water rights holders. For example, the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement – which has important ramifications for the Colorado River amid ongoing negotiations about the Basin – and the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement are both waiting to move forward, and Tso has done important work to show why these settlements matter. Likewise, rural groundwater protection is a major challenge in Arizona as communities face land subsidence and dry wells. Susan Craig has been leading our work through the Impact Water – Arizona program to directly engage local communities across the state in finding solutions to improve their own groundwater resilience. From Sulphur Springs in southeastern Arizona to La Paz County in western-central Arizona to Coconino County in northern Arizona to Patagonia in southern Arizona, communities have requested rural groundwater workshops that help

them get a handle on the state of their groundwater, including the latest research on groundwater availability from Professor Jay Famigilietti. Communities are coming together to find solutions that work for them.

After our rural groundwater resilience workshop in Sulphur Springs, the community came together to create the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance, which continues to coordinate action in the area, and one of the biggest water users in the area –Riverview Dairy – reduced their groundwater use by 14%.

To help ensure that there is sustainable water leadership in Arizona, Professor Amber Wutich has been leading the development of the Water Leadership Institute through the Arizona Water for All program, which has already trained dozens of emerging water leaders in southern Arizona and will soon do the same in northern Arizona.

Throughout all of these efforts, the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative has addressed pressing, realworld water challenges with sustainable, real-world water solutions that have direct impacts on securing a resilient water future for Arizona residents. We look forward to continuing to scale these solutions through collaboration and partnership across the state.

Dave White

Principal Investigator, Arizona Water Innovation Initiative Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory™

Improving water efficiency and quality with technology

Revolutionizing water measurement, modeling and prediction

Introduction

Impact at a glance

Turning waste into opportunity: Closing the loop on wastewater

Tapping into innovation: Facilitating the growth of Arizona’s emerging water technology ecosystem

Cooling without waste: Reimagining industrial systemsof Arizona’s emerging water technology ecosystem

A water control center for Arizona: The Arizona Water Observatory

Tracking agricultural changes: From soil health to water shortages

Detecting change: Measuring how water and heat move in Arizona

Addressing critical Arizona water issues: Water recycling, reuse and technology

Advancing water security in Arizona’s most water-insecure households

Catalyzing community understanding, engagement and capacity

Building trust and practical solutions: Engaging water-insecure households in rural Arizona

Growing leaders from the ground up: The Water Leadership Institute

Empowering participation: Teaching community-based research methods

Rural Groundwater Resilience Workshops

Connecting communities through water literacy and creative collaboration

Addressing critical Arizona water issues: Groundwater

Building consensus on sound water stewardship

Convenings

Looking forward

Impact at a glance

5,000+

Emerging leaders participating in the Water Leadership Institute

25,000+

Students enrolled in classes taught by AWII affiliated faculty

Partners and residents engaged across Arizona at in-person and online events and community workshops

20+ Arizona state agencies engaged

36

Arizona industry partners engaged

289

Water professionals completing ASU Water Management Certificate

6

Global Center for Water Technology testbeds launched

Co-located with key industry partners including the semiconductor and food and beverage industries and focused on key topics including industrial water vapor recovery and brine treatment

7

10

Patents developed

3,887 Local, national and international media stories featuring AWII as a leading voice

31 B

potential readers reached via media coverage

Joint efforts to support tribal priorities including water settlement agreements

12

Spinoff companies in development or developed, stimulating a water innovation ecosystem

What people are saying

Governor Hobbs has been clear that Arizona’s success depends on wise management of our water supplies. Protecting our groundwater in both urban and rural Arizona, securing our Colorado River entitlement, and resolving tribal water rights claims are all priorities for the State and crucial for Arizona to thrive long into the future. The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative has been a trusted partner in this work, helping turn research and data into solutions that support communities across the state. The work of Arizona's water managers is never over, and it will take continued collaboration and vision to tackle the challenges ahead.”

Patrick J. Adams, Senior Adviser for Water Policy to Governor Katie Hobbs

Protecting Arizona’s groundwater — particularly in rural communities — requires innovative, science-based approaches and strong community collaboration. Through efforts like the Sulphur Springs groundwater workshops, ASU’s Arizona Water Innovation Initiative has helped bring data and dialogue together to build shared understanding of local groundwater challenges.

ASU is an important partner in advancing the tools, partnerships and policy innovations that strengthen Arizona’s long-term water resilience.”

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes

The research coming out of ASU is helping the semiconductor industry think more strategically about water reuse and energy efficiency. These advances support more resilient manufacturing, align with the industry’s long-term sustainability goals, and TSMC Arizona’s commitment to responsibly use natural resources.”

Paige Bensen, TSMC Arizona Water Process Engineer

Arizona’s water innovation ecosystem is rapidly expanding as the Global Center for Water Technology (GCWT), directed by Paul Westerhoff, leads efforts to develop and commercialize solutions that strengthen water security and support economic growth.

The center empowers entrepreneurs, startup ventures and university researchers who are transforming scientific discoveries into practical applications ranging from water purification and reuse to atmospheric water harvesting and industrial innovation.

Across the state, these technologies are reducing demand, recovering resources and redefining what’s possible in desert innovation. The Global Center for Water Technology continues to prove that with the right partnerships, ingenuity and speed, Arizona can lead the world in sustainable water solutions.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1

Turning

waste into opportunity: Closing the loop on wastewater

Associate Research Professor Shahnawaz Sinha is tackling one of the region’s most overlooked water challenges: the salty brine waste produced by industrial desalination systems.

With support from the Global Center for Water Technology, Sinha’s team is designing a mobile, closed-loop water recovery facility that can reclaim up to 90% of water from industrial brine and reduce the rest to crystallized salt.

For Arizona’s growing manufacturing sector—from food and beverage facilities to semiconductor fabs—this work could be transformative.

“By recovering previously unusable water,” Sinha said “we can support both industry and Arizona’s water resilience.”

The collaboration is part of a broader regional effort led by AWII and the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest, convening manufacturers, utilities and technology developers to address brine management challenges.

Industry partners note that benefits of partnering with ASU researchers include testing innovative approaches to water stewardship, as well as access to expert knowledge at ASU and workforce development.

Tapping into innovation: Facilitating the growth of Arizona’s emerging water technology ecosystem

Arizona is emerging as a global hub for water technology innovation through collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.

One example comes from Alireza Farsad, a postdoctoral researcher who founded AmorpH2O, a startup developing advanced filtration materials that remove toxic metals such as arsenic and lead from drinking water. His company’s early success—winning the Falling Walls Lab Arizona Pitch, securing seed funding and advancing to global competitions—illustrates the strength of the state’s growing innovation ecosystem.

Farsad’s work was showcased at the second Water Tech Showcase to highlight emerging solutions and foster collaboration. Speakers emphasized Arizona’s potential to lead globally in water technology, citing its strong research base, entrepreneurial talent and urgent water challenges.

“Why not have the same kind of ecosystem here that we see in places like Israel?” asked Paul Westerhoff, ASU Regents Professor and founding director of the GCWT, opening the event. “We have the research strength, the entrepreneurial drive and a clear need. All the pieces are here and it’s time to connect them.”

With venture capital investment in water innovation rising from a few hundred million dollars in 2017 to more than $1.6 billion in 2022, the sector is gaining momentum. Panelists stressed the importance of academic–industry partnerships, workforce development and commercialization support — key steps toward positioning Arizona as a creator of global solutions for sustainable water management.

Cooling without waste: Reimagining industrial systems of Arizona’s emerging water technology ecosystem

In the desert Southwest, keeping massive industrial operations cool has traditionally meant using millions of gallons of water each day. But a team led by Assistant Professor Nariman Mahabadi in ASU’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment is working to change that.

Supported by the Global Center for Water Technology, Mahabadi and his collaborators are developing ground-coupled heat pump systems that could dramatically reduce the water lost to evaporation in industrial cooling.

Unlike traditional cooling towers that evaporate water into the air, these systems circulate fluid through underground pipes, leveraging the earth’s stable subsurface temperature to transfer heat. Their research shows that the technology could provide

both water and energy savings for large-scale facilities such as semiconductor plants, data centers and hospitals.

“Our simulations show that the energy performance can even be better than conventional systems,” said Mahabadi. “But the real benefit is the water savings. That’s the game-changer in Arizona.”

The team is now exploring how to enhance heat transfer in Arizona’s dry soils using recycled metals and bioinspired microbial processes, in partnership with ASU’s Center for Biomediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics. Industry partners have already expressed interest in applying the technology.

“This project provides groundbreaking and practical strategies for reducing reliance on water-intensive cooling,” adds Westerhoff. “It could conserve hundreds to thousands of acre-feet of water per year.”

Looking ahead

research

The Global Center for Water Technology’s approach to advancing water technology extends far beyond research— it builds the ecosystem that turns ideas into industries. Arizona’s growing network of innovators, from university labs to startup founders, is proving that water sustainability can be both a public good and a powerful economic engine.

The team will continue to accelerate the transition from laboratory discovery to field deployment, ensuring that solutions like atmospheric water harvesting, waterefficient cooling and wastewater recovery become standard tools in Arizona’s sustainable future.

“The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative is bridging science and industry to ensure water security for the state’s future,” said Westerhoff. “Together, we’re showing the world what desert innovation looks like.”

Revolutionizing water measurement, modeling and prediction

No single individual or organization can solve our water problems, technology-aided collaboration is the way forward."

Enrique R. Vivoni, Fulton Professor of Hydrosystems Engineering Director, Center for Hydrologic Innovations

Accurate, accessible and actionable water information is the foundation of resilient water management. The Center for Hydrologic Innovations (CHI) is leading efforts to transform how Arizona measures, models and predicts water availability across landscapes and sectors.

Through open-source data platforms, advanced sensing networks and AI-driven modeling, AWII is turning streams of raw data into tools that empower decisionmakers, communities and industries statewide.

A water control center for Arizona: The Arizona Water Observatory

Imagine a “water control center” for the state — an open-source, map-based platform that integrates Arizona’s many scattered water datasets into one comprehensive system. That’s the vision behind the Arizona Water Observatory (AWO), an initiative led by CHI in collaboration with the Center for Geospatial Solutions at the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy.

Through workshops and technical partnerships, the AWO team is designing a tool that will bridge long-standing data gaps and streamline

how water managers, utilities and researchers access and apply information. In early stakeholder sessions, more than two dozen experts from 11 organizations worked together to define what features and functions the platform must deliver to serve users statewide.

“We asked participants to identify what data they actually need — real-time water use, groundwater conditions, flood risk and conservation metrics,” said Enrique Vivoni, director of CHI and AWII pillar lead. “Their insights are directly shaping how we build the system.”

The resulting design prioritizes interoperability and user experience. Water professionals will be able to visualize multiple data layers at once, compare trends and export summaries for modeling or planning. Real-time dashboards will give agencies and organizations like the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Salt River Project and the Central Arizona Project a shared picture of conditions across the state.

AWO is being built on an open-source framework, making it accessible for community groups, researchers and the public. “Access to trusted and up-to-date water data is central for water planning and policy,” said Shea Lemar, Deputy State Cartographer. “The AWO will make that information usable by everyone.”

By simplifying data sharing and analysis, the Arizona Water Observatory will help communities — from farmers to city planners — make better decisions about water use, drought resilience and infrastructure investment.

Tracking agricultural changes: From soil health to water shortages

Agriculture remains one of Arizona’s largest water users — and a critical testing ground for innovation. Two complementary CHI-led projects are helping the state’s growers adapt to both longterm drought and changing water supplies.

In partnership with MyLand and the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, with support from the Water Infrastructure Financing Authority, researchers are evaluating how native microalgae soil amendments can improve soil structure and retain water. Field stations across 2,400 acres of farmland track heat, moisture and carbon exchange in both treated and control plots.

“Our job is to measure whether these soil treatments actually help plants grow with less water,” explained Efrain Vizuete, an ASU researcher leading fieldwork.

At a recent field event hosted by southern Arizona chile farmer Ed Curry on his farm, he estimated that the MyLand algae amendment has helped him to reduce his water use by 10 percent. Other growers have documented a 15 percent water use savings in alfalfa and an increase of 24 percent water use efficiency for almonds.

Meanwhile, satellite-based analyses led by Shraddha Sharma are revealing how farms in central Arizona have adapted to Colorado River shortages. Using high-resolution Planet Labs imagery, the team compared irrigation districts with different water rights and found stark contrasts: farms with senior tribal water rights maintained full cultivation, while those with junior rights left fields fallow or shifted to low-water crops.

“This study shows how water rights directly influence farmers’ options,” said Vivoni. “By combining field measurements and remote sensing, we can see how agriculture is changing in real time.”

Together, these studies demonstrate how innovation — from soil microbes to satellites — can help Arizona agriculture conserve water, improve resilience and sustain productivity even under tightening water supplies.

“This study is one of the first to demonstrate the quantitative effects of Colorado River delivery reductions upon central Arizona farms and to show the transformative effects of emerging satellite remote sensing technology,” said Andrew French, research professional at the University of Arizona’s Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, and part of the research team.

Detecting change: Measuring how water and heat move in Arizona

Understanding how heat and water interact is vital for adapting to a changing climate. In Phoenix, a network of urban flux towers run by ASU’s Southwest Integrated Field Laboratory and CHI is tracking how vegetation, soils and pavement influence temperature and moisture exchange across the city.

“We’re learning how lawns, trees and parking lots affect both heat and water use,” said Nidia RojasRobles, a hydrologist with the CHI team. “By measuring evapotranspiration, we can pinpoint where vegetation cools the air — and how much water that cooling requires.”

Each tower measures the movement of water vapor, carbon dioxide and energy between land and atmosphere, revealing how different land covers amplify or mitigate heat. These findings help city planners design cooler, more water-efficient communities.

In northern Arizona, similar innovations are reshaping how water managers understand the state’s snowpack — a critical natural reservoir. Zhaocheng Wang, a research scientist with CHI, and his team are combining Planet Labs highresolution satellite imagery with artificial-intelligence models to measure snow distribution and melt. Working with Salt River Project (SRP), they are translating these insights into improved forecasts of streamflow into the state’s reservoirs.

“We’re applying AI to hydrology so that managers can predict how much snowmelt will become available water supply,” said Wang. “It’s the kind of innovation that makes science directly useful.”

“A substantial portion of the SRP water we use in the Phoenix Metro area comes from Arizona’s high elevation snowmelt that feeds into the reservoir system,” said Bo Svoma of SRP. “Accurately understanding how much snow is on the watershed is also important for forecasting the timing of streamflow into our reservoirs, which is crucial for better managing water supplies.”

From city streets to mountain watersheds, these projects show how new measurement networks and data systems are allowing Arizona to monitor—and respond to— climate extremes more precisely than ever before.

Looking Ahead

By linking open data, advanced modeling and on-theground measurement, AWII is building a next-generation water intelligence network for Arizona. The Center for Hydrologic Innovations is uniting scientists, agencies and communities to make real-time water information a shared resource — powering decisions that safeguard both the economy and the environment.

“We’re creating the data infrastructure that underpins Arizona’s water resilience,” said Vivoni. “From the atmosphere to the aquifer, our goal is to make every drop measurable — and manageable.”

ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Water recycling, reuse

As Arizona confronts a future defined by reduced Colorado River flows and declining groundwater supplies, water recycling and reuse are moving from the margins to the center of the state’s water strategy. Advanced water purification and reuse are now widely recognized as reliable supplies that can significantly strengthen Arizona’s water portfolio. At the same time, new technologies, ranging from advanced treatment systems to real-time monitoring and decision-support tools, are reshaping how water is managed, reused and valued.

The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative plays a central role in this transition. By integrating research, policy support, technology development and public engagement, AWII is helping Arizona not only adopt water reuse, but build the trust, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem required to scale it responsibly.

Making reuse understandable and trusted

One of the greatest barriers to expanding water reuse is not technical — it is public understanding and trust. Advanced water purification (AWP) involves complex, multi-barrier treatment processes that are highly effective but difficult to explain with words alone. Recognizing this challenge, AWII led an innovative public education effort that brings water recycling to life through immersive storytelling.

In 2025, an interdisciplinary team led by Professor Claire Lauer earned national recognition from the WateReuse Association for an award-winning virtual reality project that allows users to explore an advanced water purification plant from the inside.

The experience — available in both headset-based and web-based formats — virtually transports users through each stage of the AWP process, showing how used water is transformed into exceptionally clean drinking water through technologies such as reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light, ozone, biologically active carbon filtration and advanced oxidation.

“The goal of this gamified storytelling project is to provide an interesting way for all Arizona residents to understand how this incredibly effective new process of purifying our water works, and why it’s safe to drink,” Lauer said. “AWP is a new generation of water treatment that represents a major leap forward, but people are largely unaware of its existence.”

Developed by AWII in partnership with municipal utilities, educators and community groups, the project reflects the Initiative’s commitment to inclusive engagement. Insights from the Arizona Water Survey and interviews

ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Water recycling, reuse and technology

with residents shaped the experience to address real concerns and misconceptions. By replacing abstract explanations with intuitive visual journeys, the VR project builds confidence at a moment when Arizona is poised to expand potable reuse statewide.

The timing is critical. In 2025, Arizona finalized and implemented new statewide AWP regulations, establishing a comprehensive framework to safely and reliably expand potable reuse. AWII’s education efforts help ensure that regulatory progress is matched by public understanding — a prerequisite for successful implementation.

Innovation as a water strategy

Beyond reuse itself, AWII is actively cultivating Arizona’s emerging water technology ecosystem — recognizing that long-term resilience depends on innovation that makes water systems more efficient, flexible and adaptive.

Through the Global Center for Water Technology (GCWT), researchers, entrepreneurs and industry partners are transforming water challenges into opportunities for economic growth. The annual Water

Tech Showcase at ASU’s Skysong campus exemplifies this approach, bringing together startups, utilities, investors and researchers to accelerate collaboration.

Paul Westerhoff, ASU Regents Professor and founding director of GCWT, framed the opportunity clearly: “Why not have the same kind of ecosystem here that we see in places like Israel? We have the research strength, the entrepreneurial drive and a clear need. All the pieces are here — and it’s time to connect them.”

That ecosystem is taking shape. Startups emerging from ASU research are addressing critical challenges, from removing arsenic and lead in drinking water to eliminating PFAS, improving semiconductor water reuse, harvesting atmospheric water and monitoring water quality in real time. Venture capital investment in water technologies has grown rapidly in recent years, signaling increasing confidence that water innovation is both necessary and scalable.

For AWII, this work is not just about technology — it’s about building pathways that help ideas move from lab to field.

GCWT and its partners are developing commercialization pipelines that guide researchers through intellectual property, business formation and deployment, ensuring that promising innovations can reach utilities and communities that need them.

ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Water recycling, reuse and technology

Turning research into practical tools

One example of this translation from research to impact is Tributary, a startup founded by Enrique Vivoni, director of the Center for Hydrologic Innovations. Tributary provides utilities and land managers with tools to quantify how forest restoration — such as thinning overgrown stands — affects water availability and wildfire risk.

“Clients don’t want to wade through equations,” Vivoni said. “They want to know: how much water will this project save each year? That’s the translation we provide.”

By combining remote sensing, AI and hydrologic modeling, Tributary turns decades of peer-reviewed science into actionable metrics for water managers. For utilities like Salt River Project, these tools help justify investments in forest health as part of longterm water supply and resilience planning.

Vivoni emphasizes that timing matters. Advances in AI, open-source software and remote sensing — combined with Arizona’s investment in water research through AWII — have created conditions where academic insights can now be deployed at scale. “In a sense, what we’re exporting is knowledge,” he said. “It’s taking what universities do best — long-term, rigorous science — and making it usable outside the campus walls.”

“The innovative work Enrique Vivoni, ASU and Tributary are doing helps SRP understand the watershed benefits of forest thinning,” said Elvy Barton, SRP manager of water and forest sustainability. “Tributary is providing key watershed metrics and data that allow SRP to clearly articulate the benefits of wildfire resilience and healthy forest projects to our partners.”

Integrating technology, policy and people

Technology alone cannot deliver water resilience. AWII’s approach explicitly connects innovation to governance and real-world constraints. Cynthia Campbell, AWII’s director for policy innovation, brings decades of experience navigating Arizona’s water institutions and negotiations.

Campbell stresses that reuse, transactions and technology must be embedded in systems that work for communities of all sizes. “When I talk about transactions, I’m not talking about buying and selling water per se,” she said. “It’s about getting water where it needs to be.” At AWII, she is helping explore platforms and tools that allow water to move more efficiently through infrastructure and agreements — especially for smaller communities that struggle to leverage existing portfolios.

Kathryn Sorensen and Sarah Porter of the Kyl Center for Water Policy agree that clarity and trust are essential. Uncertainty around supply, regulation or public acceptance can slow investment and innovation. By pairing technical advances with transparent policy frameworks and education, AWII reduces those barriers.

As Dave White, AWII’s principal investigator, has noted, empowering communities with knowledge and tools is central to long-term resilience. Through immersive education, startup support, applied research and policy leadership, AWII is helping Arizona turn necessity into opportunity — positioning the state not just to adapt to scarcity, but to lead in shaping what sustainable water management looks like in the 21st century.

Advancing water security in Arizona’s most water-insecure households

Ensuring safe, affordable water for every Arizonan requires more than technology — it demands community leadership, trusted partnerships and shared capacity to design and maintain solutions. Arizona Water for All (AW4A) brings those pieces together by training leaders, listening to communities and equipping residents and technicians with participatory methods that make water systems durable and equitable.

We believe access to safe drinking water is a right, not a privilege. That’s why we are honored to partner with ASU and RCAC on the AW4A project "

Olga Morales-Pate, chief executive officer for the Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Building trust and practical solutions: Engaging water-insecure households in rural Arizona

Technical fixes alone rarely solve long-standing water insecurity. Trust, local knowledge and culturally appropriate engagement are just as critical. AW4A’s work in Yuma County demonstrates the power of integrated socialtechnical approaches: teams of social scientists, water technicians and community partners are conducting household interviews, water tests and co-designing interventions to close gaps in safe water access.

Led by Carolina Jordão and Daniel Salcedo with strong partnership from the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), the project began with deep listening. RCAC’s local staff connected researchers to households and interviewers asked about water origins, treatment practices, bottled-water reliance and social networks that support resilience during crises.

“It’s how you talk with people and truly listen to their stories,” said Jordão. “That’s what makes the work possible.”

Residents expressed many concerns, ranging from the smell and taste of their water to the deposits left behind on shower heads and appliances to the safety and reliability of their water service.

For example, one resident said, “We started buying bottles of water because we're afraid to even drink the water.”

Many also commented on the color of the water and difficulty washing clothes, with another resident saying, “When they start turning yellow after two or three washes, it's easier for me to go buy a pack of T-shirts than to wash the clothes again.”

Field sampling revealed issues ranging from hard water to traces of metals and, importantly, provided many households with their first clear answers about the safety of their tap water.

Practical outcomes already emerging include tailored workshops, training plans for local plumbers and community college students, and modular, decentralized interventions: small-scale treatment systems, shared maintenance routines and educational materials designed with residents’ preferences in mind.

"At RCAP, we believe access to safe drinking water is a right, not a privilege. That’s why we are honored to partner with ASU and RCAC on the AW4A project,” said Olga Morales-Pate, chief executive officer for the Rural Community Assistance Partnership.

Growing leaders from the ground up: The

Water Leadership Institute

To steward water equitably, communities need leaders who understand local realities and can bridge technical, cultural and policy divides. The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) was conceived for that purpose: a co-created leadership program that brings together emerging leaders from across Arizona to learn, share and build networks for resilient, community-rooted stewardship.

Codesigned with partners including the Environmental Defense Fund, Water for People and local organizations like Reconciliación en el Río Santa Cruz, the WLI convened 50 participants in southern Arizona for a multisession program that combined Indigenous perspectives, transboundary case studies and hands-on field learning.

Over the course of its sessions, the Institute hosted more than 20 experts — nonprofit leaders, scientists, policymakers and Indigenous knowledge holders — and centered the voices of community members who live with water challenges every day.

“Ten years ago at Nogales High, I dreamed of opportunities like this,” said Jaynee Monarrez, a WLI participant. “The WLI helped me feel less alone and more equipped to lead water conversations in my community.”

Participants report that the experience was transformative — not only for individual capacity, but also for strengthening intergenerational and cross-regional networks. With early plans to expand programming to Northern Arizona in partnership with Northern Arizona University and others, AW4A is intentionally building iterations of the WLI that reflect local contexts and the leadership traditions of each region.

Empowering participation: Teaching community-based research methods

Community-driven data and participatory research turn residents from passive receivers of aid into active partners in monitoring and management. AW4A’s participatory water methods course — developed by Amber Wutich and her team and hosted through ASU’s Career Catalyst platform — trains water professionals to deploy community science ethically and effectively.

Inspired by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)’s long-running community science work under Meghan Smart, the course teaches practical skills: designing volunteer monitoring programs, integrating citizen-generated data with

formal analysis and co-creating solutions that reflect community priorities. The ADEQ model shows the payoff: volunteers have contributed hundreds of thousands of water-quality records, removed tons of trash from waterways and saved the state millions in monitoring costs.

“This innovative idea shows how community-driven data collection can lead to real-world solutions,” said Smart, “making a tangible difference in the environment.”

By equipping engineers, planners and publichealth professionals with participatory techniques, AW4A strengthens the social infrastructure that makes technical systems work.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3

Looking ahead

Advancing water security for Arizona’s most vulnerable households will require ongoing investments in leadership, trust and capacity. AW4A’s blended approach — cultivating leaders through the Water Leadership Institute, co-designing technical and social responses with partners and training professionals in participatory methods — creates lasting change.

“It’s not just about gathering data,” said Wutich, “but about ensuring that communities are truly engaged in the scientific process and that their insights are shaping the solutions we pursue.”

Next steps include scaling the Yuma pilot to more households across rural Arizona, rolling out additional WLI cohorts tailored to regional needs and expanding the participatory methods course to train more local implementers and technicians.

Together, these efforts show that water security is not only a technical challenge but a civic one — solved best when communities lead and institutions follow.

Catalyzing community understanding, engagement and capacity

Rural

Engagement, education and locally-led action are essential to building a water-literate and resilient Arizona. Through Impact Water – Arizona (IWA), residents, educators and civic leaders are building that understanding together with workshops, storytelling and hands-on projects that connect people to water in practical and creative ways.

By linking science, art, education and public dialogue, IWA is fostering a culture of water stewardship rooted in shared knowledge and community capacity.

Groundwater Resilience Workshops

Across rural Arizona, residents are translating concern into coordinated action. Impact Water – Arizona partnered with local champions to convene communitydriven rural groundwater resilience workshops in places as varied as La Paz County in western Arizona, the Sulphur Springs Valley in Cochise County, the Coconino Plateau of Northern Arizona and Patagonia in southern Arizona. These convenings blend local knowledge, state-of-the-art science and expert facilitation to help communities understand groundwater stress and identify locally appropriate strategies.

La Paz County’s experience illustrates why these conversations matter. Longstanding concerns about deepening wells, land subsidence and large-scale agricultural pumping prompted county Supervisor Holly Irwin to request a workshop through Impact Water – Arizona.

In March, residents gathered for a two-day convening codesigned with a local steering committee and partners including the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, the University of Arizona’s Arizona Institute for Resilience, and Southwest Decision Resources. Participants mapped local water history, reviewed updated groundwater data and discussed legal issues such as transportation basins that can allow groundwater exports to urban areas.

“The workshop was very helpful and I am extremely thankful that La Paz County was chosen! I was impressed with how organized and enthusiastic everyone was,” Irwin said. “Everyone enjoyed the speakers and information that was provided to the group and how we broke out into groups to discuss.”

Community members described wells going dry and damage to foundations from subsidence. The workshop surfaced shared priorities — from incentives for drought-tolerant crops to improved local monitoring — and energized local leaders to keep working with state partners and the governor’s office to pursue reforms and protections.

“What stood out for me from the workshop is knowing that we are not alone, this is happening all over and many voices are finally being heard about water issues,” said community member DeVona Saiter. “It was great to see so many ideas come out of our discussions, to share stories and to learn more about the technology and policy solutions that exist. The workshop brought forth facts and resources, validated our concerns and reignited the fire for the cause!”

In Cochise County’s Sulphur Springs Valley, an earlier workshop convened farmers, ranchers, residents and technical experts and led to measurable outcomes: one of the valley’s largest users agreed to reduce groundwater use by 14%, and the group formed the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance to sustain coordination.

“This workshop brought people together in a way that doesn’t happen often,” said Katherine Hamberger, Sulphur Springs Water Alliance coordinator. “It helped spark ideas, build connections and push things forward in a way that still has an impact today.”

Northern Arizona’s Coconino Plateau workshop showed a different set of concerns — not immediate overpumping, but the need for proactive data, planning and tribal engagement. Local leaders, including Ron Doba of the Coconino Plateau Water Advisory Council and experts from Northern Arizona University, joined federal, state and tribal representatives to discuss hydrogeology, recharge potential and regional development.

“We talk about water a lot in Northern Arizona, but this workshop brought everyone together in a way that doesn’t usually happen,” said Erin Young, water resources manager for the City of Flagstaff.

Panelists emphasized that while the plateau’s groundwater is more dependent on snowmelt and recent precipitation than ancient aquifers, proactive monitoring and culturally relevant outreach are essential to prevent future stress.

“From my standpoint, it's very useful to bring people together,” said Michael Macauley, a rancher in Northern Arizona. “I think the most progress was made in the breakout sessions because we were able to get into specific topics and try to understand the different perceptions we all have.”

In southern Arizona’s Patagonia-Sonoita-Elgin region, community members, scientists and policymakers came together to examine issues such as contamination risks from mining and evapotranspiration pressures. Local leaders emphasized that sustainability must guide future growth and development.

“The town needs to learn how to be sustainable as best as we can,” said Patagonia Mayor Andrea Wood, reflecting the community’s shared commitment to balance water resilience with economic opportunity.

These workshops are anchored by a growing evidence base. New AWII-led research shows that groundwater declines across the Colorado River Basin are large and accelerating — findings that give urgency to local conversations and policy exploration. By pairing that research with locally driven convenings, Impact Water – Arizona helps communities translate complex science into practical next steps.

“The county is very excited that this is happening,” Santa Cruz County Deputy Manager Chris Young said. “Events like this are beneficial not just for participants but for the region as a whole.”

The program also emphasizes transferability: the team has produced a Rural Groundwater Resilience Toolkit and plans to generate a playbook based on lessons learned so other communities can host effective convenings.

“While rural groundwater reform remains uncertain, these workshops create space to share data, hear directly from those impacted and build the trust and momentum needed to activate change,” said Susan Craig, the director of Impact Water – Arizona.

Connecting communities through water literacy and creative collaboration

Empowering communities to understand and act on water challenges takes many forms, ranging from art and education to student innovation and professional training. Under the umbrella of IWA, a diverse suite of community-engaged projects is transforming how Arizonans learn about, communicate and care for water.

At the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center in South Phoenix, the Agua es Vida interactive exhibit blends science and storytelling. Co-led by ASU faculty Gilberto López, Francisco LaraValencia and JoAnna Reyes and supported by IWA and NSF Water SIMmersive, the exhibition

uses art to bridge cultural and knowledge divides, inviting Latino families to explore water quality, history and connection through bilingual, multisensory experiences.

“Art is deeply embedded within science. Scientific jargon can often be exclusive and intimidating, which becomes a disservice to the community,” said López.

Meanwhile, classrooms across the state are adopting the Water Literacy in the Desert curriculum, a K–12 collaboration between educators and ASU researchers that equips students to understand water’s local realities. Supported by IWA, the program helps teachers design hands-on lessons that align with Arizona’s standards. Teachers report that the curriculum’s interdisciplinary approach helps students see how water intersects with geography and culture.

“It’s not about blaming people for long showers,” one teacher participant said. “It’s about helping students understand the systems that shape water use and how they, as individuals, can influence those systems.”

In Camp Verde, student research with ASU’s Project Cities inspired the creation of a community rain garden — a living example of how academic partnerships can drive local solutions. Co-designed by ASU students and municipal staff, the garden captures runoff through barrels and swales, irrigating native vegetation and demonstrating rainwater harvesting as a pathway to groundwater recharge.

“The decreasing flow is not the end of the story, it’s a call to action,” Camp Verde stormwater specialist Patty Mancini said. “Through water conservation methods, rainwater harvesting, the use of raingarden techniques and capturing and using rainwater when it does grace our desert lands, we can add to the river, not just take from it.”

These projects are joined by four new community-driven initiatives funded through IWA, each designed to extend water literacy and engagement to wider audiences. For example, the Arizona Water Files, a video series by the Kyl Center for Water Policy, is making water policy accessible through short video explainers on social media. And the REAL Water Arizona project is modernizing continuing education for real estate professionals in partnership with the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE), ensuring accurate water information reaches homebuyers and communities.

“Arizona has a special relationship with water, and just like sunshine and saguaros, it plays a big role in what makes a property tick – and what it’s worth,”

ADRE Deputy Commissioner Mandy Neat said.

“Understanding the basics helps everyone involved. We are excited to be collaborating with ASU to ensure quality education to all real estate licensees.”

Together, these initiatives demonstrate what happens when creativity meets collaboration — when art, classrooms and civic partnerships become part of Arizona’s water infrastructure.

Arizona has a special relationship with water, and just like sunshine and saguaros, it plays a big role in what makes a property tick — and what it’s worth”

Mandy Neat ADRE Deputy Commissioner

Looking ahead

Impact Water – Arizona’s community work shows that resilience grows from local knowledge and engaged communities.

“These projects reflect the heart of Impact Water – Arizona: empowering communities with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate water challenges,” said Susan Craig, director of Impact Water – Arizona.

By combining cultural relevance with technical training and student-driven municipal engagement, AWII is broadening civic capacity for water stewardship across urban, suburban and rural contexts.

ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Groundwater

Groundwater

Arizona’s groundwater supports farms, small towns, big cities and thriving industries around the state, and this critical resource is facing complex challenges. Recent research led by AWII Director of Science Jay Famiglietti and postdoctoral scholar Karem Abdelmohsen shows that over the past two decades, groundwater losses across the Colorado River Basin have exceeded the entire storage capacity of Lake Mead.

In some of Arizona’s most stressed areas, including parts of La Paz and Cochise counties, aquifers are dropping by more than a foot per year. The declines are so extensive that they now rival — and in places surpass

— reductions in Colorado River flows, revealing a “double depletion” that threatens the state’s most fundamental reserve. Yet, with this deeper understanding comes an unprecedented opportunity: we now have the data, the science and the partnerships needed to act.

The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative is using that science to help communities chart their own groundwater futures. By integrating research, applied policy tools and locally driven engagement, the initiative is bringing together residents, leaders and researchers to develop practical solutions. The goal is not only to diagnose the problem, but to empower action by equipping Arizonans with the knowledge and resources to protect the water beneath their feet.

Addressing critical Arizona water issues

State of the science

Groundwater decline in Arizona is not uniform, but its extent is now quantifiable. Famiglietti and Abdelmohsen’s analysis found that the cumulative loss of groundwater across the Colorado River Basin since the early 2000s amounts to more than 30 million acre-feet. Their work shows that the largest overdrafts occur in Arizona’s southeastern and western regions, particularly in agricultural basins. According to data from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, groundwater levels in those basins are dropping at rates exceeding 12 inches per year.

Famiglietti and Abdelmohsen show groundwater loss now accounts for more than 70% of the basin’s total water storage decline, underscoring the quiet but powerful role that aquifers play in the region’s overall water balance. Within this broader basin-wide trend, Arizona accounts for nearly three-quarters of total groundwater loss.

The research also highlights that the pace of groundwater depletion is accelerating. Comparing recent data with earlier decades, the rate of water storage loss has tripled in the past ten years, largely due to intensified groundwater pumping and sustained drought conditions that have reduced natural recharge.

These findings carry profound implications for Arizona, where groundwater serves as both the foundation of rural water supply and the backup system when surface water from the Colorado River falters. With both sources now under simultaneous stress, the two systems can no longer be managed independently.

Not all parts of the state face the same challenges. In Northern Arizona, for instance, declines are driven less by pumping and more by changes in snowpack and timing of recharge, as warming temperatures alter the hydrologic cycle. Here, the vulnerability lies not in overuse but in the shifting patterns of nature itself — highlighting the need for regionally tailored strategies.

Taken together, these results paint a clear and actionable picture. The science shows precisely where losses are happening, how rapidly they are accelerating and what the primary causes are. Arizona now has the ability to move beyond broad warnings toward targeted, data-driven management — building monitoring systems, recharge projects and community partnerships that reflect local realities. The science is no longer about identifying a crisis; it’s about equipping the state with the information it needs to secure a more resilient groundwater future.

As Famiglietti noted, “We’ve made real progress in putting numbers to Arizona’s groundwater declines. We can now see where losses are happening, how fast and why. That means we can target solutions.”

Community-driven workshops and outcomes

With that knowledge in hand, AWII’s Impact Water –Arizona program has transformed data into dialogue and collaboration across the state. Rural groundwater workshops in Cochise, La Paz, Coconino and Santa Cruz counties have shown how science, policy and community voice can come together to drive action.

In Cochise County’s Sulphur Springs Valley, a workshop co-developed with the community led one of the region’s largest groundwater users to voluntarily reduce pumping by 14%. That event also sparked the creation of the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance, a resident-led coalition that continues to coordinate action in the valley.

In La Paz County, workshops hosted with local officials provided updated data that county leaders are using to advocate for groundwater protections. The workshops created a shared understanding of local groundwater challenges, increased awareness, empowered residents to voice concerns and helped inform community support for groundwater management efforts, including the new Active Management Area for the Ranegras Plain basin.

The workshop in Northern Arizona took a more preventative stance, emphasizing proactive management before depletion becomes critical. On the Coconino Plateau, participants examined the hydrology of their region — a complex mix of volcanic and sedimentary formations — and discussed how to strengthen monitoring and align land use with long-term water availability.

In Patagonia, a workshop developed with local groups brought residents, scientists and industry representatives together to address water quantity and quality concerns. Participants identified five priority areas for action including strengthening policy advocacy and expanding recharge efforts.

ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Groundwater

Policy tools

Scientific understanding and community engagement must be matched by sound policy. The Kyl Center for Water Policy plays a crucial role in translating complex groundwater law into accessible tools that communities and decision-makers can use. One focus has been clarifying Arizona’s groundwater transportation basins — areas where groundwater can legally be moved from one basin to another under specific conditions. These include Butler Valley, McMullen Valley, the Harquahala Irrigation Non-Expansion Area and Big Chino Basin.

Transportation basins are often misunderstood yet critically important for balancing urban and rural needs. Kyl Center research shows that while groundwater transfers can be structured to avoid increasing net depletion — for example, through

agreements requiring reductions in local irrigation — they also raise equity and governance questions for the rural communities where pumping occurs.

In addition, groundwater conversations in Arizona cannot be separated from tribal water rights and sovereignty. The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement (NAIWRSA) — the largest such settlement in U.S. history — remains a defining step toward balancing long-term tribal, regional and state water goals. AWII partners have supported dialogue and knowledge sharing around the settlement and its implications, emphasizing that durable groundwater management requires recognizing tribal governance, investing in infrastructure and ensuring that all voices are part of regional planning.

Shaping the future, with communities

From Cochise to La Paz, Northern Arizona to Patagonia, a new model for groundwater collaboration is emerging. While conditions vary — from overdrafted aquifers in the agricultural southwest to recharge-dependent systems in the north — the approach is consistent: combine the best available science, transparent policy tools and community leadership to design place-based solutions.

Arizona’s groundwater future depends on that combination of science, collaboration and trust. With detailed data, proven community models and growing statewide attention, the foundation is in place. The work ahead is to keep building — basin by basin, conversation by conversation — toward a resilient groundwater future for all Arizonans.

Building consensus on sound water stewardship

A durable water future depends on institutions that can translate research into policy. The Kyl Center for Water Policy plays a central role in AWII’s work to build consensus — convening communities, clarifying complex legal tools and offering practical policy guidance on a range of issues from tribal water rights to water rates.

The settlement reflects months of negotiation with local towns and utilities, and it demonstrates how infrastructure, law and local collaboration can align to protect both tribal needs and shared watershed values.

Tanya

Lewis, Chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation

Tribal water settlements

The Kyl Center has been leading work to explain Arizona's complex tribal water rights settlement landscape.

For example, the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Agreement aims to secure tribal water supplies while protecting the Verde River and surrounding communities. As explained by Cora Tso, senior research fellow with the Kyl Center, the deal combines infrastructure investments — like the proposed Cragin–Verde pipeline — with legal protections such as an instream flow right to preserve river health and cultural uses.

“The Verde River feeds all of us,” said Tanya Lewis, Chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation during a Kyl Center webinar. “The settlement reflects months of negotiation with local towns and utilities, and it demonstrates how infrastructure, law and local collaboration can align to protect both tribal needs and shared watershed values.”

Kyl Center researchers remain optimistic about reintroduction and eventual passage. The agreement is part of a broader set of tribal settlements — including the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement — that, if approved, would represent historic investments in tribal water security and regional sustainability.

Building consensus on sound water stewardship

Practical water policy guidance

Policy debates often converge on practical questions, including how to fund safe water and who will run the systems.

The Kyl Center’s report "Tap Water Affordability in Arizona" by Grant Heminger, Kathryn Sorensen, Sarah Porter and Manny Teodoro, provides a datadriven framework on water rates. The study finds that many utilities — especially larger systems — have room to raise rates gradually without pushing water beyond common affordability thresholds.

Yet small and tribal systems face unique constraints: fewer customers to share fixed costs, older rate structures and lower household incomes that heighten the burden of any increase. The report recommends phased rate adjustments paired with targeted assistance to vulnerable households so systems can invest in infrastructure without compromising access.

In addition, behind every rate decision are the operators who maintain treatment plants, repair pipelines and ensure public safety. Kathryn Sorensen, director of research at the Kyl Center, highlights the workforce pressures — an aging operator pool, specialized safety risks and growing expectations to manage emerging

contaminants and emergency responses. Strengthening training pipelines, elevating operator recognition and aligning funding with workforce development are critical steps to keeping systems running.

Groundwater represents a different challenge in Arizona but requires the same level of pragmatic guidance. For example, one of Arizona’s least-understood policy tools is the set of four transportation basins established under the Groundwater Transportation Act.

As Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center, explains, these basins – the Butler Valley, McMullen Valley, Harquahala Irrigation Non-Expansion Area and Big Chino – permit limited movement of raw groundwater under narrowly defined historical and legal criteria.

Porter’s analysis underscores important tradeoffs: transportation can augment urban supplies but may amplify stress in rural basins unless paired with local mitigation. She recommends increased transparency for prospective land and water buyers in transportation basins, clearer consumer disclosures at point-of-sale and stronger requirements that transfers include local benefits so that transportation does not become a conduit for inequitable depletion.

Looking ahead

In addition, Arizona’s housing landscape is shifting rapidly, and with it, the pressures on the state’s already strained water resources. At a Housing and Water Policy Summit, Porter outlined the intertwined challenges of growth, affordability and water security. A new Morrison Institute report shows that Arizona’s cost of living now exceeds the national average, with housing prices rising faster than income. These trends intensify questions about whether Arizona can sustainably support continued development.

Ultimately, Porter stressed that Arizona faces pivotal choices: “Do we grow denser, or do we seek more water to support outward expansion?” The state’s future depends on how these tradeoffs are navigated.

The Kyl Center’s role is explicitly translational: it converts complex legal frameworks and technical findings into accessible tools for elected officials, water managers, tribal leaders and community advocates.

“These are hard choices," said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center, "but they are not insurmountable when stakeholders sit down with data, neutral facilitation and a commitment to mutual benefit.”

As Arizona contends with an array of water issues ranging from the Colorado River to groundwater, water policy is more important than ever.

ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Colorado River

Arizona stands at a turning point in its relationship with the Colorado River. The river that built the state’s modern water system by supplying cities, farms and tribal communities is shrinking as climate change accelerates aridification and reduces flows across the basin. With the 2007 Interim Guidelines expiring at the end of 2026 and negotiations still unresolved, Arizona faces an uncertain future around

how much Colorado River water it will receive, how those reductions will be shared and what it will cost to adapt.

AWII researchers and experts are helping Arizona navigate this new era through research, policy analysis and practical, community-focused innovation. AWII’s work provides both clarity about the challenges ahead and tangible pathways for action.

Providing data-driven insight into shortage impacts

Understanding a shrinking supply

Colorado River flows have declined by roughly 20% over the past century, and projections show reductions of up to 30% by mid-century. These declines translate into real reductions in deliveries. When the first-ever shortage was declared in 2022, Arizona absorbed the largest share of cuts, more than 300,000 acre-feet, because of its lowerpriority rights for many non-tribal agricultural users. As a result, nearly all the reductions fell on the agricultural pool of users, which lost 65% of its allocation in 2022 and subsequently faced complete cutoffs in 2023 and 2024.

The uneven impacts of these shortages can shape which communities face the most severe constraints. As Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy, explained, “Not having clarity regarding how much water will be available over the long term could impact the state’s ability to attract industry. If there’s too much uncertainty about our long-term water supplies, then we’re not a good bet for investment.” For AWII, providing that clarity is central to supporting statewide planning.

To better understand the consequences of shortages, AWII’s Center for Hydrologic Innovations conducted one of the first quantitative assessments of how Colorado River reductions affect on-the-ground agricultural decisions. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, the team compared cropping outcomes in two irrigation districts: the MaricopaStanfield Irrigation and Drainage District (MSIDD), which holds junior Central Arizona Project rights, and the Ak-Chin Indian Community, which holds senior tribal rights.

The results were stark. MSIDD saw a roughly 30% decline in cultivated acreage between 2020 and 2024, with major reductions beginning after the 2022 shortage. Farmers responded by leaving fields uncultivated or switching to less water-intensive crops. Alfalfa acreage declined by 48% and corn by 70%, while barley — a low-water crop — increased by 159%. In contrast, Ak-Chin maintained more than 99% cultivation throughout the shortage period.

Enrique Vivoni, director of the Center for Hydrologic Innovations, highlighted the implications of this work: “Due to the more limited water supplies in the Colorado River, it will become increasingly important to carefully track changes in cropping patterns and agricultural water use as part of negotiated efforts to reduce consumption.” High-resolution monitoring helps water managers anticipate how different users may respond to cuts, which is essential for designing equitable and effective shortage-sharing agreements.

Supporting statewide planning and policy innovation

The initiative is also working to strengthen Arizona’s policy and governance capacity.

Cynthia Campbell, AWII’s director of policy innovation, brings decades of experience from roles at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the City of Phoenix.

Campbell describes Arizona’s situation bluntly: “We’re at a fork in the road. The cities of central Arizona are facing challenges we haven’t seen since the 1950s.”

She emphasizes that the assumptions underlying Arizona’s strong water portfolios — built through the 1980 Groundwater Management Act, assured water supply rules and decades of investment — are now under pressure as Colorado River supplies diminish.

One of Campbell’s priorities at AWII is designing a water-transaction platform that helps move water to where it is most needed through transparent, pragmatic mechanisms. This is not about speculative water trading, she stresses, but about enabling efficient, reliable and equitable operations.

Colorado River ADDRESSING CRITICAL ARIZONA WATER ISSUES

Illuminating risk and reducing uncertainty

A recurring theme among AWII experts is that uncertainty — not simply shortage — is one of the biggest threats facing Arizona. Kathryn Sorensen of the Kyl Center underscores this point, saying, “Not having a consensus agreement in place means we could go from relative certainty about the conditions of shortage to total uncertainty. What we don’t want is someone making those decisions for us.”

AWII’s policy analyses, scenario modeling and educational tools – including the Arizona Water Blueprint, a website that provides publicly accessible data and information about water resources and infrastructure – help water managers plan for a range of possible post-2026 outcomes, reducing the risk of unanticipated impacts on communities, utilities and industries.

Similarly, Porter emphasizes that uncertainty can hinder economic development: “Being in the dark about this situation could lead to higher prices. It could also lead to a disruption in economic development and the state’s prosperity.”

By helping translate complex negotiations, hydrologic data and legal frameworks into accessible information, AWII supports the transparency and collaboration needed to sustain confidence in Arizona’s water future.

A future shaped by adaptation and innovation

Despite the challenges ahead, AWII experts share a steady optimism grounded in Arizona’s long history of collaboration, planning and innovation. Vivoni sees actionable pathways in technology and monitoring. Campbell emphasizes governance tools that help cities and small communities access water more reliably. Sorensen highlights the region’s track record of adaptation. Porter points to the creativity and preparedness of Arizona’s municipal water managers.

While the state must invest, adapt and innovate to manage shrinking supplies, AWII’s work shows that Arizona has the knowledge, tools and institutional capacity to navigate this transition. Through science, policy and partnerships, AWII is helping Arizona confront a future with less Colorado River water with clarity, strategy and a commitment to shared resilience.

Convenings

The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative serves as neutral ground for many convenings related to challenging water conversations in Arizona.

Harnessing the air: The future of atmospheric water harvesting

Arizona State University hosted the second Atmospheric Water Harvesting Summit, organized by the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest and the Global Center for Water Technology, in February 2025. Led by Regents Professor and GCWT director Paul Westerhoff, the event brought together more than 150 participants, ranging from startup founders and academic researchers to major utilities like Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service, to shape a 20-year roadmap for the growing atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) industry.

Building on previous collaborations, the summit focused on key questions: How much water can realistically be drawn from the air? What are the energy and economic tradeoffs? And who will benefit from this rapidly advancing technology?

“We weren’t sure how we would surpass the success of the last summit, but based on feedback, we did,” Westerhoff said. “The diversity of voices at the table — from scientists to startup founders — made it truly special.”

Over the past year, the AWH sector has accelerated dramatically. More than 25 startups have secured more than $500 million in funding, with one launching on NASDAQ. AWH technologies are now being developed for use in data centers, biomedical labs, agriculture and rural communities. The market, valued at roughly $800 million annually, is projected to grow 8-12% per year.

“This year’s summit wasn’t just about ideas — it was about turning those ideas into reality,” Westerhoff said.

ASU Flow: Bridging research and practice in Arizona’s water community

Each October, hydrologists mark the start of the new water year, a cycle that mirrors the rhythms of Arizona’s water systems — from winter snowpack to summer runoff. To celebrate the 2025 water year, the Arizona Hydrological Society and the Center for Hydrologic Innovations hosted the third annual ASU Flow event in October 2025. Held as part of the society’s annual symposium, ASU Flow brought together water researchers, students and practitioners to exchange ideas and foster collaboration across sectors.

This year’s event featured more than 45 research posters from undergraduates, graduate students and scientists representing Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon University. Projects explored a wide range of topics — from Colorado River management and groundwater quality modeling to forest hydrology and climate impacts on streamflow. A highlight was the student poster competition, where students earned top honors for their innovative, policy-relevant research.

Beyond showcasing academic excellence, ASU Flow demonstrated how student-led research can inform real-world water management. The event’s open, grassroots structure created a space where emerging scientists and experienced professionals can connect, exchange insights and identify shared priorities for Arizona’s water future. Organizers emphasized that bridging the gap between research and practice, building the next-generation workforce and forging grassroots partnerships are key to sustaining progress.

As a cornerstone convening of the Arizona water community, ASU Flow exemplifies AWII’s commitment to translating knowledge into action. By uniting academia, government and industry around shared challenges, the event strengthens the pipeline of water professionals equipped to lead Arizona toward a more resilient and sustainable water future.

Arizona Water Innovation exhibit highlights a thousand years of ingenuity and connection

In Arizona, water and innovation are inseparable. From the ancestral O’odham canal systems that carried water from the Salt and Gila rivers to today’s cutting-edge community projects that help bring water solutions to rural homes, communities here have adapted and collaborated to sustain life in one of the driest regions in North America.

That long legacy of creativity and cooperation is at the heart of Arizona Water Innovation, an exhibit led by Arizona Water for All, a pillar of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative. The exhibit launched in November 2025 and explores how people across generations have

met water challenges through both technological and social ingenuity, and how those efforts continue through community-based research and partnerships today.

The idea for Arizona Water Innovation grew out of the Arizona Water for All’s desire to make their research, which is focused on addressing water insecurity with both social and technical infrastructure, more accessible to residents and communities.

Anahi Yerman, a graduate research fellow, led the project’s implementation and sees it as a way to honor both ancient ingenuity and present-day community resilience.

“The world we live in today is a culmination of thousands of years of human history here in Arizona,” Yerman said. “When I learned about the ancestral O’odham canal systems, I was in awe. Those waterways are incredible engineering, and we still use them today.”

For Arizona Water for All director and professor Amber Wutich, the exhibit embodies the team’s vision of connecting research with real-world impact.

“I’m so hopeful about the future of water innovation because in the last 10 years we’ve made enormous strides in understanding the problem of water insecurity and what sorts of things we can do to solve it,” Wutich said. “Projects like this one bring together sociotechnical solutions, linking technology and community knowledge, to create lasting change.”

Launching LABraries

For decades, many Arizona communities have lacked the resources, tools or funding needed to regularly test their groundwater wells or track trends over time. As a result, the state faces significant groundwater data gaps that make it difficult to plan for a future shaped by drought, growth and changing climate conditions.

To confront this challenge, two of ASU’s Arizona Water Innovation Initiative programs —Impact Water - Arizona (IWA) and the Global Center for Water Technology — partnered with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to launch a new approach to community

science: the LABrary. The first one opened in Patagonia in October 2025 with an event linked to a rural groundwater resilience workshop in the same area.

LABraries offer both advanced tools and more accessible activities, such as trash cleanups, watershed demonstrations and mock insect sampling, that build early curiosity and environmental stewardship.

In October, IWA held the Patagonia Rural Groundwater Resilience Workshop, where community members gathered to learn about tools available to test their wells and explore what long-term monitoring could look like for their region.

Bob Proctor, who leads the local nonprofit Friends of Sonoita Creek, noticed that there was a lack of water data in the area, in part because it is a relatively remote, rural community.

“I thought that it was really important to start collecting data on the quality of the water,” Proctor said. “Alongside a few local, retired hydrologists we started talking with ADEQ about what we could do ourselves."

ADEQ then reached out to Impact Water - Arizona and the first LABrary came to life in Patagonia, where the groundwater workshop coincided with the LABrary launch and helped to convene residents to view a LABrary groundwater sampling demo firsthand.

Looking forward

This year’s AWII accomplishments reflect a university community rising to meet one of Arizona’s most enduring and complex challenges: water. The projects, partnerships and ideas highlighted show how collaboration and a shared sense of responsibility can translate into meaningful progress on challenging issues. Together, they tell a story of momentum — one built on connecting research to practice, education to impact and innovation to real-world needs.

As Arizona’s water future continues to take shape, ASU’s role becomes even more vital. The past year built upon previous work that demonstrates how interdisciplinary research, practice and implementation can open new possibilities,

how researchers can be empowered to engage with complex systems, and how partnerships can extend the reach of academic work beyond campus boundaries. These efforts have not only advanced understanding but have helped chart a course for how ASU can contribute thoughtfully and constructively to the region’s water future.

The work underway reflects a commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation and supporting resilient approaches to water management. It also underscores the importance of staying adaptable — embracing new ideas, learning from experience and responding to changing conditions with rigor and imagination.

The years ahead will bring challenges and opportunities. Emerging technologies, evolving policies and growing collaboration across sectors create space for new solutions to take shape. ASU is positioned to help shape conversations, inform decisions and inspire action around water in Arizona and beyond.

The achievements of this year reflect a belief that complex challenges are best addressed collectively, through knowledge, partnership and a willingness to engage. As the water landscape continues to evolve, the university’s path forward will be guided by that belief — working to ensure its contributions remain forward-looking, impactful and aligned with the needs of the communities it serves.

Dave White

Principal Investigator, Arizona Water Innovation Initiative

Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory™