1. Feds Propose ‘Threatened’ Listing for Two Species of Western Chub
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing two Western minnows in the West as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The agency says human activity has caused the numbers of two chub species to dwindle. Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports. Fish and Wildlife says mining, livestock overgrazing and water pollution have shrunk roundtail chub habitat in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Also known as the Verde trout, it now occupies 18 percent of its historical range in the Little Colorado River and drainages of the Verde River, and other Southwestern waterways.
The headwater chub lives in some Verde River tributaries and New Mexico’s Gila River.
Wildlife officials say both chub species are vital to headwater ecosystems as well as local economies. Under the proposal, federal officials would work with Arizona and New Mexico wildlife agencies to establish recovery plans.
A “threatened” listing would ban catching the fish, and would also allow for the removal of non-native predator fish in some areas.
A public comment period on the proposal lasts until early December.
2. Hope For A Wet Rim Country Winter Continues To Mount. Forecasters See Chance Of ‘Super El Niño’ Snowpack. Source: Payson Roundup.
Payson received more than an inch of rain Monday with a 80 percent chance of showers forecast today, yielding to a warming trend and a 40 percent chance of rain on Wednesday. The collision of a warm front and a cold front in Northern Arizona produced heavy rains across the state’s high country, with more than 2.3 inches in Forest Lakes. The rains came just past the end of the monsoon season and could herald a wet winter
In fact, forecasters say a “Super El Niño” event could produce the most winter snowfall in Rim Country in years.
The forecasters now predict a 95 percent chance of a strong El Niño through next spring. Normally, that means heavy snowfall in California, Arizona and New Mexico. That could prove wonderful news for California, with hundreds of thousands of acres burning in the depths of an “exceptional” drought
Currently, the water in the eastern Pacific near Peru is roughly 4-12 degrees F hotter than normal (2-6 degrees C), according to the federal Climate Prediction Center.
Moreover, the warmer temperatures in the ocean have already started to produce unusual wind patterns, which will in turn drive storm tracks on into spring of 2016.
This year’s El Niño could even set records. The last time such a strong pattern developed in 1998, Los Angeles got 13.68 inches of rain in February — a whole year’s worth of rain for that arid region.
El Niño can also produce drought in Australia, the failure of the monsoon in India and dangerous flooding in Arizona and California.
But mostly, the prediction represents good news for Arizona, which has this year mostly emerged from “severe” drought and settled into either “moderate” drought or “abnormally dry” conditions. In the whole state, only southern Gila County remains in “severe” drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, maintained by the National Weather Service.
A wet winter would replenish hard-pressed reservoirs. Currently, the massive Roosevelt Lake reservoir has dwindled to 39 percent of its capacity, after three years of meager rainfall. The reservoirs on the Verde River have shrunken to about 51 percent of their capacity.
Lake Mead remains at record lows, about three feet below last year at this time and about 29 feet below the 2013 level for the same period. The lake continues to hover just above a level that would trigger water rationing for Arizona and Nevada.
3. Title: 13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet
Summary
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the posting of the Request for Applications, P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, with the goal to research, develop and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. This college student design competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward the three pillars of sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet – people, prosperity, and the planet. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability.
This year’s P3 RFA includes the following research topics:
Energy
Water
Built Environment
Materials and Chemicals
Supporting the development of sustainable methods is in line with the Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program. EPA’s SHC Research Program provides useful science and tools for decision makers at all levels to help communities advance sustainability as well as achieve regulatory compliance. SHC is collaborating with partners to conduct research that will result in science-based knowledge to guide decisions that will better sustain a healthy society and environment in America’s communities. The research is intended for decision-makers at the federal, regional, state and community levels.
Open date: 10/06/2015 – Close Date: 12/08/2015
4. Notice Of Oak Creek Meeting. October 9, 2015, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Sedona Public Library, Si Birch Community Room Meeting Agenda:
9:30 Welcome and introductions …Steven Estes OCWC Vice-Chair/ (replacement for day)
9:35 Operations Report …Marie McCormick (to be read by Vice-Chair in her absence)
9:45 Presentation by Natalie Brassill, Principle Investigator for the Settlers Rest Stormwater Grant on storm sampling progress 10:15 Q and A session
10:50 Round Table Status Reports
10:55 Friends of Oak Creek update, Bob Kampfe/ Dalton Zanetti
11:05 Update on Settlers Rest Stormwater Project, Ryan Matson 11:10 Update on Recreation Education and Awareness Project, Marie McCormick/ Ryan Matson
11:15 Old Business
11:20 New Business – next meeting in Hummingbird Room, Red Rock State Park: Friday, December 11, 2015 from 9:30 am – 11:30 am
11:30 Adjourn
5. Household Hazardous Waste Collection This Weekend. Do you have unused chemicals, oils or pesticides sitting in your shed or garage? The City of Tucson is hosting a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection tomorrow from 8 a.m.-noon at the Eastside Service Center, 7575 E. Speedway Blvd. Drop off at HHW is free for City of Tucson residents. There is a fee of $10 for each television and $2 for each monitor brought in without a computer.
Household Hazardous Waste Program:
http://1.usa.gov/1dm4x4Y
Download the ‘My-Waste’ app:
http://1.usa.gov/1cOaDIO
6. 8 Hour OSHA Refresher Class. On October 12, an OSHA Refresher class will be offered in Glendale. To sign up for the class, respond to this e-mail or call 623-203-7178. Cost of the class is $75.00. Registration is mandatory.
7. My Turn: A 2-Step Plan To Meet Arizona’s Water Demands. The Arizona Department of Water Resources developed Arizona’s Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability, which provides a comprehensive water supply and demand analysis for Arizona. Recent studies have identified the potential for a long-term imbalance between available water supplies and projected water demands over the next 100 years if no action is taken. The Strategic Vision creates the framework for the development of potential strategies to address the projected imbalances. It provides context for maximizing the effectiveness of these strategies to address the needs of multiple water users across the State.
While, the State as a whole is not currently facing an immediate water crisis, Arizona is at a point where it must begin to face future water supply and management challenges. We are at the crossroads of having to decide what actions we will take to face those challenges. The Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability is a necessary next step in continuing to ensure that Arizona has sufficient and sustainable water supplies. Over the next 25 to 100 years, Arizona will need to identify and develop additional water supplies to meet projected growing water demands. While there may be viable local water supplies that have not yet been developed, water supply acquisition and importation will be required for some areas of the State to realize their full growth potential. The Strategic Vision is essential to guide and ensure Arizona’s future economic stability.
8 Artists Sought For Dumpster Murals. A Tucson arts group is seeking artists to paint murals on dumpsters at local businesses. In an effort to curb graffiti, the Tucson Arts Brigade is working with the City of Tucson’s Environmental Services department to put murals on five dumpsters. The pilot project will cost about $5,000. Each artist selected will be paid $850 dollars, and all materials will be supplied. The deadline to submit a proposal is Oct. 23 (link below). The City will study the project for one year to see if the murals help curb graffiti.. SourceL http://bit.ly/1Gyv8K7
9. Gov. Ducey Announces Arizona Water Initiative. Gov. Doug Ducey has announced a plan to ensure Arizona’s future water supply.
The new two-track initiative, which is based on the work published in the 2014 Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability Report, is designed to help maintain the certainty and vitality of the state’s water supply long into the future.
The first part of the plan focuses on identifying and prioritizing the 22 planning areas identified in the report, beginning with the rural areas.
Officials want to look at refining the issues that are causing supply and demand imbalances, identify strategies that are likely to be successful in each planning area and work together with local stakeholders to create solutions that Arizona can then implement to meet future water demands.
For the second part, Ducey will appoint a team to examine different strategies, as well as explore additional water conservation opportunities.
Ducey said the initiative is a continuation of ongoing planning to keep water in Arizona readily available.
“Thanks to more than a century of careful planning, sound decision-making and bold leadership from our predecessors, Arizona’s water supply, at least in the near-term, is in a better-than-expected position,” Ducey said. “Of course, vulnerabilities and uncertainties remain, and we must continue to be pragmatic and proactive, just like those before us in how we manage our water resources.”
10. FREE Biohazardous Medical Waste Seminar in Huachuca City, October 28th. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is offering a FREE Biohazardous Medical Waste Seminar on October 28th in the Huachuca City Town Chambers. This seminar will help you and your employees know what biohazardous medical waste is and how to deal with the waste. If you know people who are diabetics, have gone to the doctors or dentists, etc.. you should obtain this valuable information through this seminr. , Please ask that they contact me:
Daniel Salzler
AZ Dept of Environmental Quality
Solid Waste Unit
1110 W Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85302
E-Mail: ds2@azdeq.gov Phone: (602) 771-4119
Who Should Attend This FREE Seminar?
Biohazardous Medical Waste Rules overview that apply to hospitals, doctors offices, medical clinics, dialysis clinics, tattoo artists, dentists offices, police and fire personnel, emergency response personnel, veterinary offices, crime scene clean-up personnel, wellness centers, public works officials, public health personnel, biohazardous medical waste transporters. Call Today!
11. This Weekend ! Phoenix Botanical Garden Fall Plant Sale
October 9, 2015 – October 11, 2015
Members Preview:
Friday, Oct 9 | 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Open to General Public:
Saturday , Oct. 10 | 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 11 | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Celebrate the gardening season at the Fall Plant Sale. Fall is the perfect time for upgrading your home landscape with plants. The sale is a one-stop shopping experience featuring the largest variety of arid-adapted plants available in one location. With more than 30,000 plants onsite including cactus, succulents, trees, shrubs, groundcover, perennials, herbs/veggies, and other oddities, this sale is the best way to start your gardening season. There will be many new plant introductions and unusual plants of all sizes, including an emphasis on plants to create your own butterfly garden. Specimen-sized plants and delivery services will be available. Garden volunteers and staff horticulturists will be on hand to answer questions, assist in plant selections and offer advice. Members will receive a 10% discount on all purchases when they present their membership card.
No admission charge to enter the Fall Plant Sale.
We will not have a completely accurate list of plant available before the sale, but plant groups represented at the sale include Cactus, Agaves, Succulents, Trees, Shrubs, Penstemon, Perennials, Groundcover, Herbs/ Veggies, Collector Oddities, New Introductions, and Hanging Baskets.
