Bigger, better, bluer: Annual Water Awareness Month Festival draws enthusiastic crowds

“Do you know what the humpback chub is? Or where it lives?” asked Maggie Martin, Statewide Drought Program Coordinator for ADWR, pointing to a colorful drawing depicting Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam on one side and the Colorado River on the other.

The young girl of about 8 years twirled her long hair and gazed intently at the drawing, which included two schools of fish. Nope. This was new stuff.

Maggie went to work. The school of fish on the left, she explained, was massing on the Lake Powell side of the dam, searching for passage to the other side. They were smallmouth bass, an invasive, highly aggressive species of fish. 

On the river side of the drawing, meanwhile, was a school of humpback chub, a unique species native to the Colorado River. And one that now is in mortal danger of being overwhelmed by the invasive bass.

“Do you know what this is?” asked Maggie, pointing to the dam. The youngster hesitated. She looked at the drawing. Time passed. Hair twirled. “Glen Canyon Dam?” she said at last.

“Good job!”

Another water mission accomplished at the second annual Water Awareness Month Festival organized by ADWR and over two dozen partner organizations at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza on a perfect Saturday, April 6. 

ADWR and our 30-plus water-conserving partner organizations set up some three dozen booths demonstrating the myriad aspects of water conservation in an arid climate. Over 300 people attended the event, a big increase over last year’s inaugural WAM Festival. 

In greeting attendees, ADWR Assistant Director for Water Planning Carol Ward observed that Arizona has made enormous investments in infrastructure over recent decades to store and treat surface water supplies from the Salt and Verde River system and the Colorado River, and to reclaim, reuse, and store wastewater underground for future use. 

“Policymakers made hard choices and crafted and adopted laws that protect finite groundwater supplies, mandate increasing efficiency and conservation, and require proof of assured water supplies for new municipal growth,” said Ward.

As a result of its landmark efforts to protect its water supplies, she added, “since 1957, Arizona’s population has grown more than 550 percent, to 7.4 million residents, yet the state is now using essentially the same amount it was a half century ago.”

Our statewide commitment to conservation was first recognized by Arizona’s Governor in 2008 with an Executive Order that designates April as Water Awareness Month. In 2023, we expanded that commitment with the series of water-awareness events in addition to the April 6 festival.

Keeping the public informed about water conservation is a vital part of the Department's mission, noted Nadene Hubbard, a Water Resources Specialist at ADWR.

"During these events I see first hand the importance of organizations connecting directly with communities to share important information about water," said Hubbard.

"Whether it’s teaching community members water conservation tips, or informing them about incentives and rebates, what seem like small steps have such a huge impact."