Surviving in the Arizona wild: ADWR Field Services veterans hold seminars on what to do when something goes wrong “out there”

Especially for people who love the Arizona outdoors, working in Field Services for ADWR has some great appeal. You’re traveling to nearly every corner of our beautiful state. You’re out of the government-office maze and enjoying Arizona’s abundant sunshine. For ADWR’s self-starting Field Services staff, it’s a great way of life.

At the same time, however, working independently in some the most isolated regions of Arizona – regions that often legitimately can be defined as wilderness, – can present challenges.

It is helpful, for example, to know how to change a pickup truck tire. It is even more helpful to be prepared should that truck break down miles from a service center. 

ADWR’s Field Services personnel, led by a veteran of the Department’s Basic Data Unit, Mark Perez, regularly hold tutorial sessions on how to survive in the Arizona wildlands should something go wrong. 

Arizona Water News recently attended one of those desert-survival seminars. Besides learning some fascinating basic elements of desert survival techniques – including, yes, how to change a truck tire, which Perez observes is the number one hazard of field work – we got some fascinating insights into what it’s like to be working among some of ADWR’s most independent-minded team members – the highly skilled Basic Data Unit. 

The Basic Data Unit is the Department's primary source of groundwater data. It includes the Statewide Automated Groundwater Monitoring Program and the Groundwater Site Inventory database. Basic Data is responsible for collecting discrete groundwater levels and other hydrologic data throughout Arizona.

Following is our Arizona Water News interview with ADWR’s 30-year veteran of Field Services, Mark Perez (tip: You can never carry too much water).