Daniel Salzler No. 1325 EnviroInsight.org Five Items September 26, 2025
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1. Arizona Project Wet Resumes Water Festivals Source: U.of AZ Project WET Sept. 5, 2025As the new school year begins, Arizona Project WET (APW) is preparing for another exciting season of water festivals across the state. Each year, these interactive events bring students together to explore the science of water, discover the importance of conservation, and gain the knowledge to become future water stewards. Throughout the 2025–2026 season, APW staff and educators will travel to communities across Arizona, delivering hands-on STEM-based learning experiences that connect students directly with Arizona’s most precious resource. Water festivals offer a unique opportunity for students to engage in activities that make complex concepts both fun and memorable, while also fostering a sense of responsibility for protecting water for future generations.
APW water festivals wouldn’t be possible without the support of dedicated volunteers. who play an essential role by helping to guide activities, encouraging student curiosity, and supporting a positive learning environment. APW deeply values this commitment and recognizes the impact volunteers make in shaping the success of each festival. Volunteer opportunities will be available throughout the season, and APW invites community members to get involved. Those interested in volunteering can learn more by visiting APW’s website or reaching out directly for details on upcoming festivals and the various ways to participate.
Together, APW and its volunteers are building a community of water stewards who will help shape a sustainable water future for Arizona!
2. Summary Of The Sept. 2,2025 Agua Fria Watershed Meeting.Development Updates: Long Road Energy (www.longroadenergy.com/agua-fria; aguafria@longroadenergy.com) Application to County for review. Eventually design and application will be available to the public after Staff Review. Website updated with a lot of information and new draft design showing the arrays, setbacks from Agua Fria and Ash Creek. Longroad sponsoring Prescott Rodeo and Mayer High School Football Team. There was concerned about very narrow open space along some panel arrays. AZGFD which has worked all the wild life corridors. Mary Hoadley asked for clarification on if perimeter of project will be fenced. The response was “no”, to enhance connectivity. Any fencing will be adjacent landowners’ responsibility. No formal community meeting planned but Alyssa will attend the following meetings to answer any questions: Mayer School Board Meeting, September 10th, 6pm – Mayer High School Library. Spring Valley Community Town Hall, September 11th, 6pm – Spring Valley Community Church, Cordes Lakes Community Association Meeting, September 11th, 7pm – Cordes Lakes Community Center. Dee Jenkins Glad the application is moving through the process, looking forward to the Board of Supervisors receiving info about the project.
Black Canyon City Water Issues: ADOT (improvingi17.com). Should be completed by end of the year. Flex Lanes used for Labor Day weekend. Arizona Metals, Kay Mine No changes, no well data for August yet. There was concern about the Rock Springs RV Resort with Black Canyon City Water Improvement District in Level 4 drought emergency. Concerns that Chandler private water (on Black Canyon Creek) being sold. Many residents on small parcels may not drill wells because of ADEQ required setbacks septic tanks. Websites show monthly well level drops. Contacted Cold Water Canyon Water Company to see if their 400 clients were under a Level 4 rough emergency and if there are issues with their well levels. They claim no restrictions and well level info not available. Evidently there is a big difference between well levels on the east versus the west side of I-17 where levels are dropping. Black Canyon Travel Center on 22 acres on 4 parcels around Chileans by Planning and Zoning July 17 and BOS on August 20, 2025. P and Z and BOS do not have authority over water. DJ stated there is conflicting testimony at the BOS hearing. Some conditions added to shield residences from commercial lights and noise. Water for fire suppression part of building permit process. Tanya Baker noted concerns about truck traffic, parking. DJ: Signs will clarify Travel Center NOT Truck Stop, no commercial diesel. DJ: Entrance and road improvements on Cold Water Canyon Road dictated by ADOT and Yavapai County Public Works. Development Services permit work is public info and anyone can request info on the progress of the approval. Irene Brook: Will BCCWID be required to provide water to the Travel Center. DJ: TC has to prove it has water. BCCWID can only provide if it has the capacity. Desert landscaping and wastewater recycling to landscape water are possible ways to reduce water demand. Mary Hoadley MH: Big John 2 well drilled and only providing 6 gpm. Rock Springs RV Resort: Google and County application comes up: parcel numbers, plans: ADEQ General Permit for 25,000 gpd treatment; subsurface leach field effluent dispersal. #CSP24-00001.
TB talked with Brad Hogan at Development Services about the RSRVR wastewater treatment. clarifying it is only for this project. Brad meeting this week with ADEQ about setback requirements for well drilling from septic systems. If septic not used for 15 – 20 years is setback still required? Must septic be excavated? DJ: interesting concept and will keep posted on this issue. Water Use: Supervisor Jenkins will ask to get with the RSRVR developers to ascertain the proposed Water Plan. Brock Danielson, 602-881-8852, brock@brockdanielsonassociates.com.
Tim Flood TF: We need better ground water level monitoring well near confluence of Black Canyon Creek and Agua Fria, an area with lots of pumping, way more than just AZ Metals. Significant effects downstream, cottonwoods dying; increased ground water declines can wipe out the riparian habitat. We need to check with ADWR, ADEQ and YC Stormwater. TB: Why can’t Black Canyon City (BBC) become an AMA with growth heading north? Turns out entire sub basin would have to vote to become AMA; decide what ground water rises to regulate. TF: heavy lift to create an AMA. AH: AZ Legislature and particularly Gail Griffin have resisted efforts to regulate rural ground water. TF: Maybe we should ask the Attorney General to look at BCC to avoid ending up with growth but no water. AH: ASU Research found Buckeye did not have 100 year supply. Claire Lauer, ASU is researching and working on rural ground water issues. helped in Wilcox. Sarah Porter at Kyle Water Center. Claire working with Jay Famiglietti to get satellite ground water level info, sent him an Agua Fria Basin shape file. His study shows whole world over pumping, helping to increase sea level rise because of displacement to ocean. 25 x 25 mile pixels. More relative displacement north of BCC where higher population. More info when surface water data is available. In general .45 cm/year average depletion rate. Ann Hutchins in New River, wells being deepened; varies because of fractured geology. ASU Immersive watersimmersive.net focus group. In August 30 BCC residents, conducted mapping and timeline activity, tag memories around the river, celebrate what people love going forward. Irene, Tanya should contact Claire doing Wet/Dry and YBC surveys notice loss of access, loss of recreational access; CL: River and Riparian need to valued. Younger concerns: water demands of technology, dehydration education, population growth, disengaging events like ADOT improvements, 1978 flood that took out bridges, arsenic issues. Zoning as way to control density and population growth? CL is hoping to install exhibit at school by Oct 13; later decides to have a soft opening in November, finalize in January. Possible elements of Exhibit: 3D water model, vertical views, photos of people, places. Supervisor Jenkins BCC Community Meeting, 6 pm, Canon School.
Wildlife Connectivity: Central Arizona Wildlife Alliance (CAWA): Field trip Sept 20 (details in agenda); Pronghorn Film Festival in Prescott in October; exhibit at Prescott Library in August about Pronghorn. TF: CAWA and we are advocating for wildlife connectivity from Chino Valley east and across I-17 to Reimer Springs and down through Agua Fria National Monument. Historically used intensively. How to keep grasslands in good shape and maintain connectivity throughout state. CAWA sent letter to AGFCommission voicing these concerns. No reply; need to keep communicating this goal. TF will send copy of the letter to Hunter Watson <hwatson@azgfd.gov>. TB asks if Chino Winds NCD involved as she was on their board and knows they are concerned with grasslands health for cattle, wildlife and soil health.
FAFNM: Tim FloodTF: Wet/Dry Mapping; 40 to 50 miles in Monument and surrounding area; 2025 15/23 segments mapped by Tim and MH. Max Miller who did GIS work for The Green Ribbon Project last year is helping process wet/dry data and compile for history since 2008. For YBC: all segments monitored, counts down, tree die off near Horseshoe Ranch. MH:: Can Hunter Watson ask if Horseshoe keeps well logs to monitor groundwater decline. FAFNM Annual Meeting at Horseshoe Ranch September 27, 2025, 9 a.m.to 2 p.m.. Great Opportunity to see the ranch and learn its history. All Welcome, good to become a member; President, Vice President and Board Offices open. Conservation Lands Foundation only granting $5,000, half of last several years. BLM may pull back from activities as all must be approved by Washington leadership.
BCHP: Ahh Hutchinson AH: BCHP free website redo, monthly fee for maintenance, using Word Press. Earth Gives Day Oct 7. Workday, October 18, 2025. Fall Fundraiser TBD. Winterfest and Virtual Auctioning January 2026. BHCP depends on volunteers and grants. Renovating storage building to community center. Screening planned.
UAFWP Organizational efforts: Tabled. Mary Hoadley MH: Website in place before reaching out to green ribbon contacts? Review www.aguafriawatershed.org. Build on this site that was developed for the BCC Smithsonian Exhibit or start fresh? Main target audience? How to describe us? Are there sites we’d like to emulate? Critical info to include? MH: some ideas: Stakeholder Meetings, need PO Box, e-mail, establish committee to work on all these issues. TF: Committee good idea, willing to serve. MH: will look for more possible members. TF: we need a hydrologist and other technical expertise.
AZ XWN Lunch & Learn: State of Arizona Funding Opportunities | AZ Cross-Watershed Network
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will host a webinar for applicants to the newly released Southwest Rivers Headwaters grant program. This opportunity seeks projects that will restore, protect, and enhance aquatic and riparian species of conservation concern in the headwaters of the Colorado River and Rio Grande. Grant awards are expected to range from $100,000–$600,000, with 3–5 awards anticipated. See below for more information.
Next Meeting: October 7, 2025 at Mingus Springs Camp with Henry Dahlberg
Please visit theAgua Fria website at www.aguafriawatershed.org
3. U of A Scientists Tackle Water Challenges. In our state, where every drop of water counts, researchers at the U of A are driving innovation and understanding to secure Arizona’s water future. The development of a portable water recycling system is a good example of this innovation. Andrea Achilli, an associate professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the U of A, has developed the portable system through a growing partnership between the U of A Water and Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center and the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center. As principal investigator, Achilli is leading the U of A’s $10 million share of a four-year, $38 million Water Reuse Consortium, which also includes the University of Southern California and the University of Nevada, Reno. The research focuses on smart treatment systems, sustainable brine management, improved virus detection, and public engagement to advance water reuse and strengthen national security.
Scientists are also tracking the atmosphere, studying unpredictable weather patterns that challenge expectations about water availability.
Two recent articles in the Arizona Daily Star shared nsights from U of A experts on this topic. With another disappointing monsoon season coming to a close, Mike Crimmins, a climatologist at the U of A Department of Environmental Science, reflected on the season that dashed many Arizonans’ hopes for wetter conditions. Crimmins emphasized how unpredictable the monsoon can be, stating, “I’ve been here for a while now, and I don’t think I’ve seen a season where we went into it with a great deal of confidence about how it would turn out. We’ve had so many surprises.” Jennifer McIntosh, Associate Head of the U of A Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, noted that “it takes several big monsoon storms in order to get recharge” of groundwater in our aquifers. Wet years can raise the water table along Tucson basin washes, and, similarly, washes are also where we see the effects of prolonged drought. As of the end of August 2025, Tucson has received just 1.94 inches of summer rain, about half the average amount by this point. Much of Arizona is also experiencing below-average monsoon rainfall, with particularly dry conditions in Phoenix, Gila Bend, Yuma, and Ajo.
On August 27, the Salt River Project (SRP) announced a $2.9 million investment in 37 research and development projects with three Arizona universities. SRP will be working with the U of A on 11 of these projects, aiming to advance innovations that support SRP’s ongoing commitment to delivering reliable power and water to its customers and continuing its 40-year history of investment in university research. Financial support like this can translate into real-world advances.
Given substantial uncertainty in Arizona’s changing water conditions, U of A researchers are helping communities build more resilience. By combining innovation, collaboration, and long-term vision, scientists—and the funding sources that make their work possible—ensure that the state is better prepared for the water challenges ahead. Source: Water Resources Research Center, Sept. 5, 2025
4. Do You Know Of Someone You Would Call A “Snollygoster”?
NOUN “A shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician. ” Of German mid-19th
Century origin. Source: Word Daily
5. Toxic “Forever Chemicals” Found In 95% Of Beers Tested In The U.S. Date:September 12, 2025 Source:American Chemical Society
Summary:
Forever chemicals known as PFAS have turned up in an unexpected place: beer. Researchers tested 23 different beers from across the U.S. and found that 95% contained PFAS, with the highest concentrations showing up in regions with known water contamination. The findings reveal how pollution in municipal water supplies can infiltrate popular products, raising concerns for both consumers and brewers.
Infamous for their environmental persistence and potential links to health conditions, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, are being discovered in unexpected places, including beer. Researchers publishing in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology tested beers brewed in different areas around the U.S. for these substances. They found that beers produced in parts of the country with known PFAS-contaminated water sources showed the highest levels of forever chemicals.
“As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints,” says research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon. “I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours.”
PFAS are human-made chemicals produced for their water-, oil- and stain-repellent properties. They have been found in surface water, groundwater and municipal water supplies across the U.S. and the world. Although breweries typically have water filtration and treatment systems, they are not designed to remove PFAS. By modifying a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing method for analyzing levels of PFAS in drinking water, Hoponick Redmon and colleagues tested 23 beers. The test subjects were produced by U.S. brewers in areas with documented water system contamination, plus popular domestic and international beers from larger companies with unknown water sources.
The researchers found a strong correlation between PFAS concentrations in municipal drinking water
and levels in locally brewed beer — a phenomenon
that Hoponick Redmon and colleagues say has not yet been studied in U.S. retail beer. They foundPFAS in 95% of the beers they tested. These include perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two forever chemicals with recently established EPA limits n drinking water. Notably, the team found that beers brewed near the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina, an area with known PFAS pollution, had the highest levels and most diverse mix of forever chemicals, including PFOS and PFOA.
This work shows that PFAS contamination at one source can spread into other products, and the researchers call for greater awareness among brewers, consumers and regulators to limit overall PFAS exposure. These results also highlight the possible need for water treatment upgrades at brewing facilities as PFAS regulations in drinking water change or updates to municipal water system treatment are implemented.
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