WaterWired

It's USA National Engineers Week 19 - 25 February 2023!

Dr. Cat Shrier sent me this. Always held on the week that encompasses 22 February (the birthday of our first President, George Washington, who is also considered our "First Engineer" for his surveying work), National Engineers Week marks the contributions of engineers while also raising awareness of the importance of math, science and technical skills. Started in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), National Engineers Week is now celerated by more than 70 engineering, educational and cultural societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. This week-long celebration includes Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on 23 February (just called "Girl Day" on the NSPE website) - one of many days on which STEM professionals, educators, parents and others are encouraged to introduce girls to engineering, science, and other professions that are important to our work in Water. And in case you're wondering ... YES, we did just celebrate International Girls and Women in Science Day on 11 February!) Yet despite all these days dedicated to celebrations and awareness raising ... and despite the BILLIONS of dollars spent on getting girls/women and other underrepresented groups into college degree programs in engineering and other STEM fields (including those required for work in water, environmental, and sustainability) ... we are STILL seeing women leaving careers in these fields!

The study identified four stages in the Water Career Pipeline: Attraction Recruitment Retention Advancement In order to truly, understand why the "Water Career Pipeline" is "Leaking" Women Water Professionals - and the come up with ways to "Plug the Leaks" - WaterCitizen finds it necessary to add a FIFTH CAREER STAGE. To learn more, DOWNLOAD WaterCitizen's Free QuickGuide: Discover the 5 Critical "Leaks" in the "Water Career Pipeline" for Women Water Professionals >> WaterCitizen.org/Pipeline-QuickGuide/ <<

See you online! Dr. Cat Shrier WaterCitizen.Org PS: Next month, we'll take a "deep dive" into the topic of the "Leaks" in the "Water Career Pipeline" for Women Water Professionals - and how to fix the leaks - at our Women Of Water GET REAL Virtual Summit. CLICK HEREto "Pre-Register" for this event so you can get early access to our event discussion group and be the first to know the speakers and topics in this exciting event! Enjoy! This is my 6,000th blog post! "The goal or end of each is the life and flourishing of each, and no creature exists for the sake of other ‘higher’ species.” - Philosopher Martha Nussbaum

My Ten Cents: Remembering Groundwater Giant John D. Bredehoeft

I heard some sad news a few days ago. Legendary hydrogeologist John D. Bredehoeft died on New Year's Day 2023. He was 89. He was a remarkable scientist, one who wanted to figure things out. Here is the citation written by Lenny Konikow, one of his mentees at the USGS, at John's reception of the Robert E. Horton award from AGU in 1997. The Groundwater Project wrote this tribute, that includes a recent picture and a brief list of publications.

I cannot top the accolades composed in his honor. In fact, I did not know John personally very well. Not so for his publications and interests - 'eclectic' is a word I would use to describe them. I also knew him from his close connection with my first employer, Burke Maxey, the renowned hydrogeologist at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, NV. John's PhD thesis at the University of Illinois dealt with the Humboldt River basin in Nevada. 

My first meeting with John occurred in September 1974 at the GSA Penrose Conference in Aspen, CO. The theme of the conference was 'Mass and Energy Transport in Porous and Fractured Media' (John was one of the organizers) and it attracted big names - among them Shlomo Neuman, Paul Witherspoon, George Pinder (his PhD student). A certain number of grad students were invited and I was one of them. Talks were informal; my compartment model of the Edwards Aquifer was one of them. My University of Arizona PhD advisor, Dr. Gene Simpson, also attended.  

Did John and I have a deep discussion on fluid flow through cavernous limestones? Well, not quite. After a few 'hellos' in the hall, we would end up at the same dinner table. There, John started talking about downhill skiing. I knew nothing about the topic. John kept talking about all the 'black diamond' runs at the Colorado resorts, I was smart enough to realize that those were the tough, expert-only trails. So I thought  I would show my chops. I recalled my conversations with the golfers I had caddied for in the NH summers. The avid skiers among them had tackled the dangerous Tuckerman Ravine, a glacial cirque on the south side of Mt. Washington, the highest mountain in the Northeast. I dropped that into the conversation, stating that 'nothing in Colorado could touch that. Well, John shot me a look and the table went silent. He then proceeded to put me in my place vis-a-vis
Colorado ski runs.

But he did say my compartment model was 'interesting'.

That was my introduction to John.

Next stop: the early 1980s at DRI in Reno. I stumbled upon this publication:

This publication floored me. I had read Theis's 1940 paper and Richmond Brown's 1963 report. But this one had a real impact me. It made so much sense to me but I did not encounter many hydrogeologists or water managers who seemed to be aware of the implications. So I took it upon myself to photocopy about 10 copies and ship them to the Nevada State Engineer with a note describing its significance and closed it with: 'Make sure all your groundwater hydrologists read and understand this paper.' It was the 'and understand' that raised the hackles in Carson City. Suffice it to say that the DRI President read me the riot act but when I explained the paper, he understood. 'Next time, leave out those two offensive words.' I like to think that John would have been happy and would have said. 'You mean they hadn't read those publications? WTH?

   Fast forward to the end of the century. John was working in private industry. I had been an officer in the Scientists and Engineers Division (S&E) of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA). Although the S&E were the most populous division the Contractors (well drillers and pump installers) ran the show. John got on the S&E Board and we welcomed him. The NGWA was agonizing over the fact that pumping wells could deplete streamflow and was looking for a reason to downplay that. John offered to write a letter to come from our S&E BoD. We thought that was great because we knew how thorough he would be. Well, after a few weeks we got John's 18-page single-spaced letter (with references) detailing the hazards of excessive pumping. He was not saying it should be banned but that it would have an effect. The letter worked and all was well with the NGWA leadership.

I might add that when John me met at the NGWA meeting he noted that I looked somewhat familiar. Where had we met? In Colorado, many years ago. He looked puzzled. Then he smiled and inquired 'When was the last time you skied Tuckerman Ravine?'. 'Quite a while ago,' I replied. 'You up for it?' was his rejoinder. We both smiled. 1974 seemed an eternity ago,  

As I close this I am thinking of the seminal Rangely EQ experiments, contaminant transport modeling, deep fluid flow, California SGMA, GW budget myths, and so much more.   

Yes, I hardly knew him, but boy, do I miss him!        .      

"These concepts must be kept in mind to manage groundwater resources adequately. Unfortunately, many of our legal institutions do not adequately account for them." -- J. D. Bredehoeft et al., 1982, p 57

CRS Report: 'Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Speech Resources - Fact Sheet'

An unusual post for WaterWired but appropriate for the USA's impending celebration of Martin Luther King Day on 16 June 2023.

Leave it to the Congressional Research Service. 

Devon Galena updated (13 January 2023) this CRS report: 'Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Speech Resources - Fact Sheet'.

Download CRS_Report_MLKJr_Speech_Resources_Fact_Sheet_13Jan2023

Introduction
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday observed annually on the third Monday in January. It celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of his birthday and achievements. The day is also referred to as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday; MLK Day; Martin Luther King Day; the King Holiday; and the King Day of Service. In 2022, this holiday is celebrated on January 17.

This guide assists congressional offices with work related to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It contains links to legislation, CRS reports, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, and presidential proclamations and remarks. It also contains links to additional government resources and selected educational, cultural, and advocacy organizations.

History
On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation making the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday to be observed on the third Monday of every January (P.L. 98-144). When President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act on August 23, 1994 (P.L. 103-304), the holiday was designated as a day of community service, interracial cooperation, and youth anti-violence initiatives.

President Ronald Reagan delivered the remarks “Message on the Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” on January 14, 1986, and issued Proclamation 5431 on January 18, 1986, as part of the first recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a federal holiday.

Legislation
P.L. 98-144—Authorized Dr. King’s birthday to be a legal public holiday, on the third Monday in January (97 Stat. 917; November 2, 1983).

P.L. 103-304—Authorized appropriations and amended existing statutes to support the planning and performance of national service opportunities in conjunction with the legal holiday honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (108 Stat. 1565; August 23, 1994).

Related CRS Reports
CRS Report R41990, Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices, by Jacob R. Straus; CRS Report R43743, Monuments and Memorials Authorized and Completed Under the Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia, by Jacob R. Straus.

More to come!

"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday Seattle Workshop - Aaron Wolf and Todd Jarvis: 'Water Conflict Management and Transformation'

Friends and colleagues Aaron Wolf and Todd Jarvis are delighted to offer a half-day workshop on 'Water Conflict Management and Transformation in advance of the American Water Resources Association’s annual conference in Seattle on the afternoon of November 6 from 1:30 to 5 PM. You can attend even if you are not attending the conference - just pay the $199 fee onsite. The workshop will be held at the conference venue: Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd. N, Renton, WA 98056. 

Overview:

"Water Conflict Management & Transformation” offers an opportunity for water resources professionals regardless of background to learn about current and leading-edge ways to work effectively in contentious water situations. It explores conflict tolerance, prevention, management, and transformation through collaborative structures as well as through models of negotiation and dialogue. Water management is conflict management. Regardless of the scale, ensuring that the needs of the people and ecosystems that rely on this critical resource are met effectively requires comprehensive understanding of both water science and water conflict management, including dispute mitigation, transformation, and resolution. To address these needs, the instructors have designed a highly interactive approach to capacity-building, including theoretical approaches, case studies, role plays, and serious gaming. The goal of this course is to broaden the scope of approach to the conflicts inevitable in the water world, and to provide a more theoretical dimension to conflict, engage multi-level scales of conflict dimensions and strengthen skills through highly experiential learning opportunities.

Learning Objectives

• Increase participants’ understanding of the issue of shared waters from various perspectives and scales.
• Develop the ability of participants to reframe interpersonal differences and apply this within the context of shared waters.
• Increase skills of participants to analyze stakeholders, issues and conditions for negotiations within a shared waters context.
• Introduce the participants to a wide range of negotiation tools, models and frameworks.
• Provide a space for participants to practice and demonstrate their negotiation/mediation skills.

Aaron and Todd are two of the world's best experts on water conflict management and transformation. They are often found in the far reaches of the globe. We are fortunate to have them here with us for a day. Take advantage of their skills.

See you then!

"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." - Unknown

My Ten Cents: 'Dr. Thomas Meixner: The Day The Earth Stood Still - Gone, But Never Forgotten'

When I started on my daily 100-minute walk at 4:30 this morning it looked like a great day in the making: huge harvest moon and beautiful clear sky. But as I finished my walk around 6:15, all had changed. The fog settled in, obliterating the stars and the orange orb.

I knew what these changes meant.

I was still feigning disbelief at the unbelievable news that Dr. Thomas (Tom) Meixner, professor and head of the University of Arizona's Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences (HAS), had been murdered by a disgruntled former student on 5 October 2022 (here are Washington Post and NBC News stories). According to KOLD-TV the former student, Murad Dervish, has a history of violence, including a domestic violence case in San Diego 11 years ago, Sounds like Dervish was an accident waiting to happen. Doesn't seem like much was being done to thwart him.    

I did not know Tom well; our time at the U of A had been separated by a few decades. I received my PhD (1975) about twenty-five years before he did. Our ages were over 20 years apart. Yet I knew enough about him to know that he was a true scholar, a kind person and well-liked by his students. He was making the world a better place. 

I got to meet him a number of years ago and had a most enjoyable visit. He gave freely of his time - I'm sure he had work to do but he made me feel like he had no more important things to do than meet with an old alum.

I am puzzled as to why a person who was banned from the HAS building and had other law-enforcement difficulties could obtain a handgun. My naiveté is showing. But we've got to get this 'gun stuff' under control! 

I thought it would be nice to choose some tunes to convey my feelings about his untimely death.    

Here is Elton John's tribute to John Lennon - 'Empty Garden - Hey, Hey, Johnny':

https://youtu.be/Zjse0b-ZPVQ         

And I thought Dion's 'Abraham, Martin and John' would be a good choice:

https://youtu.be/eN4ZlST1tGc

My heart is with his family: spouse Kathleen and sons Sean and Brendan.

I'm sure that we will soon see a memorial scholarship fund for students established in Tom's memory. I'm all in!

NOTE: The following were sent to me by the UA Alumni Society on 11 October 2022:

SUPPORT THE MEIXNER FAMILY
The extended family of Dr. Meixner has created a GoFundMe effort to support Tom’s wife, Kathleen, and their sons, Sean and Brendan. Funds will support immediate costs related to the funeral and will help create a foundation for moving forward with living and educational expenses.

DR. THOMAS MEIXNER MEMORIAL FUND
To honor his memory, the university has established the Dr. Thomas Meixner Memorial Fund and has created a crowdfunding page where donors can also share words of condolence. This fund was established to honor his legacy, and the family will direct it to a University of Arizona cause meaningful to them.

"Grief is the price we pay for love” – Queen Elizabeth II