Innovation: Partners Develop Tool to Prioritize Water Saving Projects

The Yavapai-Apache Nation and The Nature Conservancy successfully concluded a collaborative effort to identify the best ways to protect water for people and nature with new and innovative modeling tools. The product sheds light on how to balance many water demands – drinking, irrigation, industrial – with a healthy, flowing Verde River. Funded through an Applied Science Grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, this unique partnership brought together Verde Valley stakeholders – including municipalities, agencies, tribes, and non-profits, among others – to ensure the final designs are scientifically robust, widely accepted, and aligned with the needs of local communities.

The development of this integrated hydrologic model is a significant milestone in regional water management. It combines climate, groundwater, and surface water systems at multiple scales to simulate the outcomes of various hypothetical water stressors such as heat and less precipitation. By engaging with a wide variety of partners from the beginning, the tool has been adopted by decision-makers and people living in the area are confident this suite of modeling tools and data will inform local land use and water management decisions to protect and preserve water in our arid climate.

"This hydrologic model has been invaluable in developing the Yavapai-Apache Nation's water settlement, and it will continue to play an important role in the Nation’s water management in the future. The stakeholder process used as part of the Applied Science Grant increased local communities' comfort with the model, demonstrated the model’s usefulness for water management, and made it a more effective tool for decision making," stated Chairwoman Tanya Lewis, Yavapai-Apache Nation.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation and The Nature Conservancy’s goal in pursuing the Applied Science Grant was a broadly accepted tool that can be trusted and used to make decisions. Over a one-year process, stakeholders learned about the model, collectively designed several scenarios, discussed simulation results, and brainstormed management actions in a series of workshops. One idea is centered around improving how we manage stormwater so that rather than heavy rains and snowmelt becoming dangerous and dirty runoff, we can slow the water down to help it spread across the land, sink into the ground and recharge the river.

“This modeling project is a big step forward for water management in the Verde Valley and beyond,” said Kimberly Schonek, the Water Program Director for the Nature Conservancy. “The success of our collaborative approach, built on long-term partnerships, can serve as an example for other communities looking to improve their own water management plans."

Susan Guthrie, Town Manager of Clarkdale, was a participant in the modeling process and described how it has benefitted the Town: "Science tools like this model can help municipalities understand a range of future possibilities and make decisions in the face of uncertainty. We look forward to continued partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Yavapai-Apache Nation on science that benefits regional water management."

The integrated hydrologic model, co-owned by the Yavapai-Apache Nation and The Nature Conservancy, will play a pivotal role in future water management strategies in the Verde River Basin, which impacts people from Prescott to Phoenix.  In the face of changing conditions, this science-backed approach can simulate potential water stressors and aid decision-making to ensure the sustainability of the river ecosystem, the recreation industry it supports, and the water needs of Verde Valley communities.

For more information, please reference this document on the outcomes of the modeling process for local communities.