What does water mean to you?
Is water really life, as reflected in public values and principles? Fresh water in an increasingly arid region like ours is important, but seeing or having access to surface water has many different meanings and uses to different people. This presentation will explore some of those meanings using local examples.
Our laws and policies for surface water are based on certain shared values and uses. What are the values and principles embodied in policies for care of water? How do they differ from the values and principles that govern water-dependent wildlife? What are the consequences of these differences, in relation to the economy and the policies for both water and wildlife.
Julia Fonseca, Environmental Planning Manager at Pima County has worked on land and water issues in southern Arizona for 30 years, first as a hydrologist with Pima County Flood Control District on groundwater recharge projects, and later in the Office of Sustainability and Conservation at Pima County where she now oversees portions of Pima County's Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.
This is part of our Water Roots series, presented in partnership with the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center. Learn more about the series here: www.skyislandalliance.org/water-roots-2018/