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NSF Science and Technology Center SAHRA Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas Final Report 8/1/00-12/31/10 Dept. of Hydrology and Water Resources The University of Arizona P.O. Box 210158-B Tucson, AZ 85721-0158 1 Table of Contents I. GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................................... 3 II: RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................................... 22 III: EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................................ 51 IV: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER / STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT .................................................................... 62 V: EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS ..................................................................................................................... 70 VI. DIVERSITY .............................................................................................................................................. 78 VII: MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................................................... 84 VIII: CENTER-WIDE OUTPUTS AND ISSUES ................................................................................................. 92 IX. INDIRECT/OTHER IMPACTS & INTERNATIONAL ................................................................................... 201 X: BUDGET (see following pages) ............................................................................................................. 206 Appendix A ..................................................................................................................................... A-1 Appendix B ...................................................................................................................................... B-1 2 I. GENERAL INFORMATION 1a. Provide the following general information: Date submitted 3/31/2011 Reporting period 8/1/00-12/31/10 Name of the Center Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) Name of the Center Director Paul D. Brooks Lead University University of Arizona Participating institutions Institution 1 Arizona State University (ASU) Contact (no change) Juliet Stromberg Institution 2 Desert Research Institute (DRI) Contact (no change) Joseph R. McConnell Institution 3 New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Contact (no change) Fred Phillips Institution 4 Northern Arizona University (NAU) Contact (no change) Mehrdad Khatibi Institution 5 Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Contact (no change) Chris Duffy Institution 6 University of California, Merced (UCM) Contact (no change) Roger Bales Institution 7 University of California, Riverside (UCR) Contact (no change) Jirka Simunek Institution 8 University of Colorado (UColo) Contact (no change) Eric Small Institution 9 University of New Mexico (UNM) Contact (no change) David S. Brookshire 3 1b. New faculty members. No new faculty members to report. 1c. Primary Contact for the Center: Name of the Individual Paul D. Brooks Center role Director Address SAHRA University of Arizona P.O. Box 210158-B Tucson, AZ 85721-0158 Phone Number 520-621-8787 Fax Number 520-626-7770 Email Address [email protected] 2. Retrospective Summary See following pages. 4 SAHRA MISSION & HISTORY he mission of the Science and Technology Center for Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and TRiparian Areas (SAHRA) was to promote sustainable management of water resources by conducting water resources-related science, education, and knowledge transfer in the context of critical water management issues of semiarid and arid regions. The Center was unequivocally successful in meeting this mission with a legacy of research, education, knowledge transfer, and international activities that continues both at the University of Arizona and at numerous partner organizations. Sustainable refers to the development and use of water resources in a manner that can be maintained in the long-term without causing unacceptable environmental, economic, or social consequences. As a university- centered effort, SAHRA sponsored research activities were focused around the physical and behavioral sciences. However, the power to define unacceptable consequences and to improve sustainability of water resources properly rests with society through elected officials, resource managers, and stakeholders at local, state, and national levels. Beyond research, therefore, a major focus of SAHRA was the development of effective mechanisms for synthesis, integration, education, and outreach, in support of better-informed decision-making. Consequently, SAHRA’s mission required two actions: • to conduct scientific investigation, in partnership with stakeholders and in a multidisciplinary context, of critical hydrologic knowledge gaps (as defined by the three integrating questions) and identify unresolved uncertainties that limit our ability to assess and achieve sustainable management practices; and • to continually engage in bi-directional exchange of advances in understanding with the decision makers and the public so that the sustainability tradeoffs involved in any decision can be better evaluated. Considerable effort was made to tightly couple these dual research and knowledge transfer activities. An evolving management structure, strategic partnerships, and direct scientist to stakeholder interactions were developed during four phases of the STC. Phase 1 focused on building infrastructure and developing collaborative multi-institutional and multidisciplinary teams to deliver the integrated research central to SAHRA’s mission. It also included building multi-level relationships with stakeholders in water resource management, particularly those tied to specific river basins; this approach promoted practitioner application of research results. During Phase 2, SAHRA built an academic legacy, resulting in comprehensive scientific investigations evidenced by an ever-increasing number of publications by multidisciplinary research teams. These teams were organized around SAHRA’s three integrating questions (presented below) to strengthen coordination and focus research on strategic goals. During Phase 3, the final years of NSF support, SAHRA demonstrated its success by delivering a pre-defined set of signature achievements and products. At the same time, the Center was committed to continuing its mission in the post-award period, and was engaged in identifying continuing opportunities and partnerships. The post-NSFPhase 4 builds on the foundations provided by the STC in research, education, and knowledge transfer. Major new research projects continue, performed in the highly productive and interactive center mode developed during STC funding, with former SAHRA investigators partnering with new faculty and researchers. Knowledge transfer and education continues with major efforts involving the development of transferable understanding that links SAHRA work to a broader geographical focus. Stakeholder networks built during the STC continue to serve as a vehicle for rapid dissemination to practitioners worldwide. 5 SAHRA SIGNATURE ACHIEVEMENTS AHRA has been recognized widely for its successes in innovative research, education, and Sknowledge transfer. Together these efforts have promoted the sustainable assessment, development, and management of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. As a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional organization engaged in stakeholder-relevant hydrology research, the Center integrated research, outreach, and education activities across departments, colleges, universities, and partner agencies. The following achievements reflect notable contributions made through these efforts, fulfilling the mission of the STC. RESEARCH to Develop New Multidisciplinary Understanding of Semi-arid Hydrology AHRA research developed new and improved Colorado Basin Sunderstanding of the complexities in, and impacts of, the interactions between physical, biological, economic, Salt-Verde and human factors in semi-arid hydrology. Results of Upper Rio Grande this research were disseminated through stakeholder engagement and long-term partnerships with resource managers throughout the semi-arid western United States and beyond. The majority of research was focused in the Colorado and Rio Grande basins, with particular emphasis on the upper Rio Grande, Upper San Pedro, the Salt-Verde, and the Rio Conchos (Mexico). The Upper San Pedro Center’s multidisciplinary research teams worked in close partnership with stakeholders to define critical hydrologic knowledge gaps, identify unknowns and uncertainties Rio Conchos that limit our ability to assess and achieve sustainable Rio Grande Basin management practices, and develop new ideas to address these needs. Basin-focused Research. Research during phase 1 was widely distributed throughout the semi-arid western U.S., with efforts in major river basins designed to identify major knowledge gaps in our understanding of semi-arid systems. During phases 2 and 3, research efforts were refocused to address these knowledge gaps. In particular, major efforts were organized around the following three integrating questions to maximize coordinated, multi-disciplinary understanding: • What are the impacts of vegetation change on the basin-scale water balance? • What are the costs and benefits of riparian