Update on the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP): Santa Cruz and San Pedro Aquifers

Transcription

1 Update on the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP): Santa Cruz and San Pedro Aquifers Sharon B. Megdal, Ph.D., Director and Professor Water Resources Research Center The University of Arizona wrrc.arizona.edu/taap GCASE Milestone Workshop 2 20 November 2013

2 Providing updates to the Arizona- Mexico Commission 2

3 Effort got under way as a result of U.S. Public Law (2006) 3

4 US-MX Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) 4

5 The U.S. Team U.S. Geological (USGS) Survey Bill Alley (retired) James Callegary Floyd Gray Bruce Gungle James Leenhouts The University of Arizona Sharon Megdal Christopher Scott Placido dos Santos Prescott Vandervoet Anne Huth John Polle (web) And others at the UA and USGS 5

6 Working with and through IBWC- CILA With and through IBWC-CILA Cooperative Framework Facilitation Principle Engineers Antonio Rascón (CILA) and John Merino (US IBWC) US IBWC Gilbert Anaya and Hayley Goodstein CILA representatives Jesús Quintanar and others 6

7 The Mexican team CONAGUA Lucas Oroz, Roberto Sención, Hector Alvarez and others University of Sonoroa Ismael Minjarez, Rogelio Monreal, Francisco Grijalva, Elia Tapia Others 7

8 Web page: wrrc.arizona.edu/taap 8

9 Prepared bilingual materials 9

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11 Five-year report by USGS to Congress submitted 11

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13 Binational meeting - May 9,

14 Reports for both aquifers in Spanish Prologue, Executive Summary, followed by nine chapters 1. Introduction Background, Objectives, Prior Studies, Geographical Setting, Binational Socioeconomic Context, Water Use, Development Activities, Methodologies and Techniques Used 2. Physiography, Climate Physiographic Province, Hydrography, Hypsometry, Terrain Slopes, Regional Climatic System, Soils, Vegetation 3. Hydrology, Hydrometeorology and Hydrogeomorphology -- Climatological Analysis, Precipitation and Evapotranspiration, Surface Water Hydrology, Drainage Types and Maximum Stream Order, Land Use and Other Land Cover Types, Hydrogeomorphic Units 14

15 4. Conceptual Geologic Model Regional Geologic Context, Stratigraphy, Structural Geology, Geophysics, Subsurface Geologic Model 5. Piezometry and Hydraulic Parameters Comprehensive Inventory of Wells (and Diversions?), Historic Reconstruction of Groundwater Pumping, Analysis of the System s Piezometric Behavior, Pump Tests, Definition and Interpretation of Subsurface Hydraulic Parameters, Characteristics of Regional, Intermediate and Local Flow Systems 6. Hydrogeology Hydrostratigraphic Units, Hydrologic Basement, Definition of the Aquifer System 15

16 7. Hydrogeochemistry Hydrogeochemical Sampling, Water Quality, Determination of Dominant Water Types, Distribution of Major Ions 8. Conceptual Model of Hydrodynamic Behavior -- Geometry of the Groundwater System, Hydraulic Parameters of Hydrostratigraphic Units, Definition of Regional, Intermediate and Local Flow Systems 9. Conclusions and Recommendations 16

17 Status of the binational reports Major technical reports for both aquifers along the Arizona- Sonora Border have been drafted. This, too, is historic. Written as an integrated report, not side-by-side reports for the US and for MX (all written in Spanish first and now being translated to English) Major collaborative mapping effort Reviews will be completed before report is finalized and accepted for distribution by the IBWC Funding constraints on US side are hampering additional work 17

18 Where things stand with respect to funding and additional efforts The U.S. side has had no federal funding authorized for the TAAP funding since federal fiscal year We have stretched the University of Arizona portion of the funding through March 16, The five-year cooperative agreement expired at that date; no additional carry over of funding is allowed. US side would like to obtain additional funding so to continue the binational effort at modeling and additional analyses. Who are our champions? The September 2012 IBWC-CILA binational summit recommended additional funding 18

19 The global context What we have accomplished is exemplary UNESCO Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management Programme (ISARM) Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TWAP), Full scale project Attended Project Inception Meeting for the groundwater portion of the multi-year effort in mid-may, 2013, along with Randy Hanson of USGS. Santa Cruz and San Pedro aquifers will likely be included in the catalog of about 160 transboundary aquifers 19

20 The International Boundary and Water Commission (ibwc.gov) MX Commissioner Roberto Salmon US Commissioner Edward Drusina WRRC,

21 21 What is on the horizon for binational groundwater management? Several additional efforts, including work looking at climate change uncertainty and surface water-groundwater interactions, have been completed or are ongoing. Will the collaborative approach resulting in the preparation of the binational TAAP reports be helpful in managing the scarce groundwater resources in the border region, where there is less history of stakeholder engagement and joint management (no treaty)? Recognizing that some of the actors will differ, jurisdictions of different types/scales and/or addressing a different water sources (groundwater versus surface water) could benefit from the intensive and inclusive stakeholder engagement efforts employed for the Colorado River. Governance asymmetries make it difficult but not impossible to improve groundwater governance in this binational setting.

22 Some Lessons/Conclusions We all have complicated national water management situations that are more complicated by trans-jurisdictional boundaries. Commitment to resolving issues in a collaborative approach is important and was not always present in the past. There have been real changes in approach. Sharing of surplus and shortage through Minute 319 on a trial basis (five years) The environment is receiving more attention More involvement of different stakeholders The importance of drivers and stresses April 2010 earthquake Shortage conditions along the Colorado River The importance of institutional mechanisms for interaction and collaboration 22

23 Would like to build upon the collaboration, current information, momentum New NOAA Proposal, Submitted Iin partnership with HRC and the UA Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy on November 14, 2013: Addressing water resources challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border: an assessment of risk, vulnerability, and binational response capacity to drought Looking for opportunities to partner outside of the official TAAP congressional authorization 23

24 Thank you wrrc.arizona.edu/taap 24 24