Articles, Reports, and Other Works

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) - a unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, community outreach and public education.
The WRRC produces research reports, outreach materials and regular publications, including the quarterly Arizona Water Resource (AWR) newsletter. The AWR and the Arroyo, an annual publication focusing on a single water topic of timely concern in Arizona, are distributed via an email subscription list and posted on the WRRC website.
Selected current and past WRRC Issue Papers and other publications are available through the University of Arizona Campus Repository. To find these publications, use the Advanced Search tool at arizona.openrepository.com. In addition to the publications available on this website, all current and archived WRRC publications are available at wrrc.arizona.edu/publications.
QUESTIONS?
For more information, visit the WRRC website (wrrc.arizona.edu) or contact us at (520) 621-9591.
Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents. The University of Arizona.
Recent Submissions
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Sistemas Economicos de Captacion de Agua Para Aumentar su Abastecimiento en Tierras AridasLas investigaciones sobre sistemas de captación de aguas pluviales conducidas en la Universidad de Arizona durante los últimos diez años han indicado la utilidad económica de cuatro tipos básicos de colectores y tres métodos de almacenamiento.
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The Effect of an Intensive Summer Thunderstorm on a Semiarid Urbanized WatershedThe University of Arizona Atterbury Experimental Watershed, located southeast of Tucson, Arizona has been instrumented for precipitation and runoff measurements since 1956. Early on the afternoon of July 16, 1975 an intense convective thunderstorm produced more than three inches of rainfall in less than 50 minutes as recorded in several rain gages located in the middle of one 8.1 square-mile desert subwatershed. Storm runoff from this rural subwatershed and an adjacent recently urbanized subwatershed filled the newly finished Lakeside Reservoir and topped the concrete flood spillway with a peak of greater than 3000 cfs, the greatest flow since monitoring began. An analysis of storm characteristics, along with previously available data from local urbanized watersheds, allows speculation on the effect of such an intensive storm in a highly urbanized.area.
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Development of a Mathematical Model of Infiltration Which Includes the Effects of Raindrop Impact (Project Completion Report)The purpose of this investigation was to use an existing mathematical model of infiltration to assist in determining which factors, including raindrop impaction, were responsible for infiltration characteristics of a bare semiarid watershed. The infiltration model developed by Roger Smith was selected as best suited for this investigation. Several laboratory and field rainfall simulator runs were modeled. Good correlation was found between the modeled and experimental results for both the infiltration data and the saturation profiles, for both bare and grass covered plots. For the lab and field experiments a realistic rotating disk rainfall simulator was used. In the field tests bare and grass covered plots were tested. In the lab specially constructed soil boxes were used that permitted measurement of infiltration and saturation profiles with time. Gross changes in saturated hydraulic conductivities due to crusting effects were also measured. Gamma ray attenuation techniques were used to obtain density and soil moisture profiles for the laboratory experiments. It was found that the Smith model can be used to simulate infiltration from different surface conditions as long as there is some method to calibrate the model. Carefully obtained saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties for the soil types present in the watershed are needed in addition to infiltration data from a realistic rainfall simulator or through hydrograph analysis from unit subwatersheds.
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Development of Asphalt Cushioned Plastic and Plastic Reinforced Asphalt Membranes for Seepage Control (Project Completion Report)This project was concerned with laboratory equipment development, laboratory testing, construction equipment development and field investigation of the APAC (Asphalt-Plastic-Asphalt-Chip-Coated) water seepage barrier. The laboratory equipment that was designed and fabricated for the project included hydrostatic testing vessels, slope stability apparatus, and tensile testing grips. Three testing methods were utilized and evaluated in the APAC investigation. The first test method evaluated the hydrostatic puncture resistance of the asphalt-polyethylene combination. This test confirmed the hypothesis that the asphalt effectively increases the puncture resistance of the APAC membrane over that of plain polyethylene. The second test investigated the slope stability of a protective APAC chip seal. It was found that a typical 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) cover aggregate remained stable on constructed slopes of 3:1 and 4:1 and that the 2:1 slope remained stable up to a surface temperature of 1220F (500C). The third test method evaluated adhesive materials and indicated that Presstite mastic was the best suited adhesive for sealing polyethylene overlaps. Subsequent field investigations resulted in equipment development that increased construction efficiency in the installation of the APAC membrane. Actual completed field installations were evaluated and further recommendations are included.
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Water Resources Research Center, The University of Arizona, Artificial Recharge ProjectsWater Resources Research Center, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2014-03-21
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Conflicts in Water Transfer from Irrigation to Municipal Use in Semiarid EnvironmentsGroundwater is the principal supply for irrigation and for rapidly increasing municipal water requirements in Arizona. As a result of this increasing demand water tables are declining at an ever increasing rate. Even with importation of water through the Central Arizona Project, transfer of water from agricultural to urban use is inevitable as the State continues to grow. In the Phoenix area this transfer is occurring progressively without undue conflict. As the City expands, adjacent farmland is developed and water formerly applied to crops is used for domestic purposes. In the Tucson area, which at present is entirely dependent on groundwater, outlying irrigated lands have been purchased and retired by the City and nearby mines to secure water rights. This forced retirement of farmland does present several conflicts which are discussed in this paper.