A U.S. conservation organization that works with communities to resolve natural resource issues is involved in a community-based project in Mexico to improve conditions along the Santa Cruz River.

The University of Arizona is the lead institution in a new $16 million, multi-university center that will develop ways to efficiently manage water resources in semi-arid regions. Professor Soroosh Sorooshian of UA Hydrology and Water Resources will direct the new National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Center (STC). Researchers and students from several colleges at UA will be involved, as well as other universities, government agencies and private institutions.

With advantages seemingly outweighing disadvantages, constructed wetlands often are viewed as a win-win situation, promising much and delivering much, from environmental benefits to an inexpensive and effective way to treat wastewater.

Officials ponder the implications of the Arizona Supreme Court's recent ruling that Indians' rights to groundwater trump the state-granted rights of cities, mines and others. Most agree that the Indian water rights cause will undoubtedly be well served, but some speculate that the decision also will provide a strategy to expand enforcement of the Endangered Species Act.

Dropping groundwater levels are a major concern in Arizona, with laws and policies adopted to control the decline in various areas of the state. Yet where irrigation occurs, and groundwater pumping has either been reduced or stopped, rising groundwater levels can be a problem, in both agricultural and urban areas. Laden with salts and other chemicals, rising groundwater can threaten the productivity of the land and cause other problems as well.

The need to control groundwater use in Arizona had long been apparent, but the will to act was lacking. In 1980, various interests rose to the occasion and negotiated the Groundwater Management Act. Signed into law on June 12, 1980, 20 years ago this year, the GMA became the law of the land.

Governor Symington signed into law on June 1 a controversial private property rights bill that requires the Attorney General to draft guidelines for state agencies to analyze the impacts of new rules and regulations on private property use. When such impacts constitute a "constitutional taking" of private property, the State must compensate the owners.

Arizona will be participating in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency national survey of drinking water systems, set to begin this fall. The EPA study is to determine the investment needed to be made in the nation's drinking water systems to supply safe water and comply with current and future federal regulations.

Responding to the Town of Payson's sale of its Central Arizona Project (CAP) subcontract to a developer, the Department of Water Resources DWR) has proposed criteria for approval of future transactions. Payson exchanged its CAP Municipal and Industrial (M&1) subcontract entitlement with North Scottsdale Developers in exchange for money to be used to develop water supplies nearer to Payson. North Scottsdale in turn transferred the subcontract to the City of Scottsdale in lieu of paying the City's water resource development fee for water service to its planned development. The "exchange" was approved unanimously by the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) at its March 1 1 meeting.

News stories tend to occur in clusters, with several stories about a particular topic suddenly appearing. For example, a number of news stories about fish recently surfaced. With six or seven at last count, the fish stories are running in a school.