The Tohono O'odham (formerly Papago) Nation and the U.S. government filed suit in 1975 against groundwater pumpers in Pima County, seeking tribal water rights under the Winters doctrine. After extensive negotiations, Congress passed the Southern Arizona Water Resources Settlement Act (SAWRSA) in 1982, which called for the Nation to give up its Winters claim in exchange for 66,000 a-f of CAP water, 10,000 a-f of groundwater rights, and financial assistance in putting the water to use. Ten years and millions of dollars later, no water has been delivered, no long-term supply has been identified, no consensus has been reached on how to use the water, the lawsuit has not been dismissed, and Congress is being asked to amend SAWRSA. The most significant change from a decade ago is that today's conflict is not between the Nation and outsiders, but rather is within the Nation.

The cost of assuring clean water in America's public water systems is about to get a lot more expensive. And while the financial burden will be felt by nearly all water providers and their customers, small systems are especially vulnerable to the changing regulatory requirements.

Lake Pleasant behind the recently completed New Waddell Dam held some 150,000 acre-feet of water prior to the January-February storms. In early January, the Bureau of Reclamation asked the CAWCD to hold the elevation of Lake Pleasant constant for 30 days so the stability of the New Waddell Dam could be tested. Instead, the dam received a different, real-world test, as runoff from January- February storms increased the volume of Lake Pleasant to nearly 450,000 acre-feet. Reservoir capacity is 800,000 acre-feet.

The Central Arizona Water Conservation District's plans to promote indirect recharge (March AWR, p.1) have induced Central Arizona Project farmers to contract for the use of up to 237,500 acre-feet (af) of Colorado River water this year in addition to their normal orders. This boosts the total amount of CAP water that may be used this year by farmers in Arizona to 412,500 af. Actual usage will depend on other economic factors of putting land into production.

Major increases in the cost of Central Arizona Project water may go into effect by January 1994, Central Arizona Water Conservation District board members learned at their January meeting. Continued disappointing water sales might cause the current $52/acre-foot price for municipal and industrial water to be elevated into the $65-$125 range. Other revenue-enhancing options are limited. The CAWCD's property tax levy is at its legislatively-mandated limit, and the state's new super-majority requirement makes any tax increase a hard sell

Speculation abounded as to whether President Bush would sign the Omnibus Water Bill. He did so on October 30. Now Arizona and other western states are tallying their gains from this new piece of federal legislation.

The U.S-Mexico border is not only where two countries meet, but where different cultures face a common need for effective and sustainable use of the available resources. The management of resources and environmental hazards in this region is challenging. Agencies from both countries are addressing the challenge by participating in bi-national efforts to resolve the issues of water and air contamination, water resource allocation, and solid and hazardous waste disposal in the region.

Urbanization, channelization, ground-water depletion, irrigated agriculture, and a variety of other activities have significantly affected many of Arizona's rivers. This 12-page Arroyo issue looks at many river restoration and enhancement projects in Arizona and the issues, partnerships, benefits and water sources characterizing each effort.

The process of removing salts from water to produce fresh water is known as desalination. Available technology allows seawater or brackish groundwater, which can be found in large quantities, to be converted into clean, usable water. In water scare locations this has the potential to greatly increase the fresh water supply.

Preliminary proposals seeking funding during FY-1979 from the U.S. Office of Water Research and Technology (OWRT) Annual Allotment Grant are being invited by the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) at the University of Arizona.