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CAP Award for Water Research

Submissions for the CAP Award for Water Research are accepted anytime during a given year through the form below. The deadline for submissions is June 1. Research submitted for this award should focus specifically on water issues that affect central and southern Arizona and the Colorado River. Papers can focus on legal, economic, political, environmental, or water management issues, as well as any other issue that might be of interest to CAP or Arizona water users. Priority will be given to Colorado River issues.

First Place: $1,000
Second Place: $500

Suggested topics include but are not limited to:

  • Drought management
  • Environmental law
  • Groundwater resources
  • Indian water rights
  • Public perception of water issues
  • Recharge/replenishment
  • Riparian habitat
  • Subsidence
  • Surface water
  • Threatened/endangered species
  • Water law
  • Water policy/politics
  • Water rights
  • Water supply/use

Goals

  • Encourage and support excellence in water research in Arizona’s colleges and universities.
  • Reinforce CAP’s commitment to water education to hundreds of faculty members and students.
  • Increase public interest in water issues associated with the use of Colorado River in Central and Southern Arizona.
  • Reach and encourage college-level students interested in pursuing careers in water resource management.

Partnerships

  • The CAP Award for Water Research is intended to increase awareness about water issues associated with CAP and the Colorado River.
  • Award recipients may present their research during a public CAP board meeting.
  • Winning papers will be published on the CAP website.

Research Criteria

  • The CAP Award will be available to graduate and undergraduate students at any college or university in the State of Arizona.
  • Papers should address water issues facing the Lower Basin States and should be of interest to CAP and other water users. Priority will be given to papers addressing Colorado River issues.
  • Papers should represent original, unpublished work produced solely by the students(s) and not exceed 25 pages (inclusive of references and supporting attachments).

Submission Guidelines

If you would like to submit the entry form, the complete paper and a one page abstract electronically, please complete the form below. Submissions for the CAP Award for Water Research are accepted anytime during a given year. The deadline for submissions is June 1.

Review Process

Submissions are reviewed by a committee comprised of a member of CAP’s popularly elected Board of Directors, CAP staff members and CAP water customers. All applicants are notified of the results of their applications through electronic correspondence.

Kristen Whitley

2022 Award - 1st Place

Kristen Whitney for “Assessing Impacts of Forest Disturbances on Future Colorado River Flows under Climate Change – A Stakeholder-Engagement Modeling Process. Whitney is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University and a Babbitt Center Fellow in the Lincoln Institute.  She is assessing the impacts of climate and land-cover changes on future water resources in the southwestern U.S. for a project that aids water management decisions.

2022 Award - 2nd Place

Adam Wiechman and Sara Alonso Vicario for “Using Soft Infrastructure to Manage Uncertainty: Collaboration in the Phoenix Surface Water Governance Network.” Wiechman is a Ph.D. student in the School of Sustainability and the School of Complex Adaptive Systems at Arizona State University. Vicario is pursuing a PhD in Civil, Sustainable and Environmental Engineering at Arizona State University.

Past Winning Papers

Award for Water Research Entry Form

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2021 Award - 1st Place

Xin Guan for “Quantifying the impacts of climate change on the water-food nexus in central Arizona through crop, water management, and climate models.” Xin is a PhD candidate at Arizona State University; her research focuses on the impact of climate change on the water-food nexus in the region.

Davian Peterson Getting Award for Water Research

2021 Award - 2nd Place

Davian Peterson for “Evaluating the impacts of atmospheric rivers on the Rillito Creek Watershed.” Davian earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources in 2021 and is currently an engineering associate in the Source Water Division at Tucson Water.

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This link is taking you away from the CAP website and provides information on an external site that is consistent with the intended purpose of the CAP website. CAP cannot attest to the accuracy of the information provided by this link or any other linked site. CAP is not responsible for the information or links provided by sponsors of the site or any products presented on the site. These links do not represent an endorsement by CAP or its directors or employees of site sponsors or products.