Solutions for peak water use in Southwest

Popular Mechanics describes the “most intriguing” options for supplementing the flow of the Colorado River, taken from a recent study by the 7 states that draw water from the river.

1. Desalination along the West Coast in exchange for California’s or Mexico’s share of the river.

2. Pipelines to carry water from the Columbia River

3. Import Water by tanker or giant water bladders or towing insulated icebergs.

4. Kill water-using invasive shrubs like salt cedar

5. Conservation includes use of storm waters and treating waste water.

UA HiRISE camera spots Mars Rover

The UA HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a picture of the Spirit Rover on the Mars surface.

From the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) website:

Clear skies and low-angle sunlight are an outdoor photographer’s dream. On the shortest day of Martian winter, June 24, 2008, Spirit had both. Conditions were ideal for an orbiter’s shot of the Mars rover parked on the sunlit slope of a volcanic plateau. Shadows outlined shapes in the landscape, such as the upturned edges of the bowl-shaped plateau known as “Home Plate.” Shadows also reveal nearby ridges, slopes, and large boulders. Spirit is the dark “bump,” marked by a yellow arrow.

Detailed images such as this one will help scientists select a future path for Spirit. For plotting a path on Mars, a powerful orbiting camera, long shadows, and a clear sky are about as good as it gets.

Thanks to Tom's Astroblog for noting this. A more detailed picture is there and on the MER website.

Mediation on Rosemont copper mine

The US Forest Service has hired a mediation service to bring together all the sides in the Rosemont copper mine debate. This is in addition to the EIS being prepared. Some believe the issues are unresolvable, others hope the mediation may bring additional viewpoints to the process.

The mediator is report as saying in today's Daily Star that they are not expecting conflict resolution but conflict management.

I applaud the USFS for this. The EIS process results in a decision, but it doesn't deal with the conflicts that come out of it. Adding a mediation component at this stage of the process offers potential that regardless of the final decision on the mine, the community won't be as torn apart as it might be otherwise.

Water as a Western election issue

The UK's Guardian newspaper published a story this weekend about water a Western election issue in the presidential race. They opine that lack of water by drought and rising populations could fundamentally remake the West.

"Runaway growth in Nevada, Arizona and across the arid West are stressing scarce water resources. Use of water in the Colorado River, which flows into Lake Mead, is governed by a multi-state Colorado Compact. The compact was negotiated in 1922, and it's a politically sensitive issue. John McCain's state of Arizona never liked the compact and didn't ratify it until 1944. The League of Conservation Voters is running an anti-McCain ad in Colorado saying that he wants to take the state's water." The article included the youtube video below of the Colorado ad.

Nogales flood plain maps

Nogales is as concerned about new floodplain maps as they are about actual floods. City business leaders and officials are worried that a large part of the city including downtown areas are now in the flood plain, in part because of increasing runoff in the Nogales Wash from Mexico. [left, Morley Ave, Nogales, 7-12-08. Credit City of Nogales. right, Nogales Wash, 7-15-08. Credit Jesus Gomes, Nogales Fire Dept.]

Deconstructing geologic maps exhibit at Pima Co library

What does it take to make a geologic map, from start to finish?

AZGS set up an 8-panel display in the Pima County (Tucson) Public Library, entitled "Deconstructing Geologic Mapping of the San Pedro Valley with Joe Cook." The display walks the viewer through the steps of making a geologic map from "Getting Started" -- pulling together the aerial photos, previous geologic mapping and topographic base --, through field work and field hazards -- floods, rattlesnakes, dogs and No Trespassing signs -- to digitizing the field sheets in a GIS to the final published geologic map. The story is drawn from the real experiences of AZGS geologist Joe Cook.

[right, Deb Bock, Pima County Public Library librarian views the beginning panel]

Resolution copper land swap controversies

Two news items this morning affecting the proposed land swap needed for the Resolution Copper mine to move forward. [photo credit, Resolution Copper]

The Arizona Republic has a long analysis about environmental activist Bill Roe spending extensively to get additional lands along the San Pedro river near San Manuel included for preservation in federal legislation.

The second item is a report that attorneys for Rep. Rick Renzi want the corruption charges against him dismissed. Federal prosecutors allege that Renzi supported the land exchange for the Resolution mine only if they included land owned by a former business partner. That derailed the land exchange but it's been taken over by Sen. Jon Kyl.