Rachel O'Connor

Perpetually learning about #water #climate #data #ecosystems & #agriculture. Enjoy backpacking, gardening, cattle dogs. With @EnvDefenseFund - views are mine.

[OpenET @openetdata]

We were honored to discuss OpenET this week in a workshop in Hermiston, Oregon, sponsored by @OregonStateExt. Thank you to the growers, state agency staff members, consultants and students who attended!

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

Sustainable water use is no longer just about turning off the tap. "The other part of being an engaged citizen is also paying attention to water policy. That is another action people can take that can make a really big difference." @DrKuzMan #water #AZleg https://t.co/W6F09VNQA9

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

Amazing job opportunity! Join EDF and our Water Team to transform and shape the narrative on water management in the western U.S. and beyond. I can confirm that you will have an awesome manager in @ronnakelly! DM me if interested. #EDF #waterjob @joshswaterjobs

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

Interest from #AZLeg & Gov. Ducey in securing AZ's water future is great, but if we're going to prop up a new $1B state agency, let's patch some of the holes in the water management bucket first... @Water4Arizona @DrKuzMan @haleyepaul
https://t.co/0cFoihZLUK

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

TODAY! Join us for a press conference w/ former Sec. of Interior and AZ Gov. Bruce Babbitt + @recobbforazrep to discuss AZ's rural groundwater challenges and communities' needs for authorities and tools to manage their water supplies. Livestreaming from @Water4Arizona at 3:30pm!

[Audubon Society @audubonsociety]

Given critically low water levels at Oregon's Lake Abert—an essential salt lake for birds—Audubon & partners sent a letter to @OregonGovBrown and state agencies urging them to fulfill their responsibilities to protect this crucial habitat. #BirdsNeedWater https://t.co/OTZuy5r536

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

"Threats to Arizona’s water supplies are here and will only intensify in the future. Our new water reality demands bolder and more holistic policy and infrastructure solutions from decision-makers." @Water4Arizona @haleyepaul @DrKuzMan #AZwater https://t.co/JunsEYwXzB

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

@Water4Arizona 2022 legislative priorities:
*Authorize groundwater mgmt in rural AZ
(w/locally tailored mgmt plans)
*Invest in multibenefit water infrastructure
(coupled with good policy)
*Protect clean energy standards
(climate action=water action)
#AZleg https://t.co/DAvEGmNnIY

[UN-Water @UN_Water]

Groundwater is the most significant, but least understood water resource on Earth, according to @iwra_water

As climate change worsens, we will need to explore and sustainably manage this critical water source. #WorldWaterDay story 👉 https://t.co/81CEzp1Ihi

[Karyn Stockdale @KarynStockdale]

Why Arizona leaders should take action to protect groundwater:
* No water came out of the faucet.
* Business, sports and recreation need water security.
* Local leaders want the state to act.
#AZpol #AZleg @Water4Arizona

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

"My wife and I have never seen so many people hauling water. In the desert, water is precious; we should value each single drop." The people have spoken, it's time for #AZleg to act. Rural Arizonans need authorities and tools to manage their #groundwater. https://t.co/wITMPCIPsl

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

Rural AZ (~80% of the state) is one of the final frontiers of open-access #groundwater pumping in the western US. Cultural resources & ecosystems have already been degraded and now livelihoods are at risk. Change is needed if AZ wants to maintain vibrant rural communities. #AZleg

[Karyn Stockdale @KarynStockdale]

Poetry from this excellent explainer:
If we could see groundwater aquifers
Our underground reservoirs
If we could see with our own eyes
Perhaps we would understand, as with Lake Mead
Similar signs of stress
Groundwater levels fall, and
Manage better
Finite water supplies

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

"Today, uranium mining threatens these critical groundwater resources at a time when the Grand Canyon region cannot afford that risk. "With the Grand Canyon Protection Act, Congress has an opportunity to help safeguard a global treasure and its waters." Great piece by @DrKuzMan

[HECHO @HECHOOnline]

Check out this blog that the Environmental Defense Fund released highlighting how the #GrandCanyonProtectionAct would advance water security & environmental justice by making permanent the temporary ban on new uranium around the #GrandCanyon : https://t.co/7l9okJtW0t

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

@joannaallhands But Joanna is right, OpenET is not a silver bullet. Groundwater in rural Arizona is open access, meaning the deepest well wins. Rural Arizonans need the authority & tools to manage their water supply-@Water4Arizona is working to help. Sign-up to learn more https://t.co/D2Pxq1YJoX

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

Oregon is home, but I spend a lot of time working on Arizona water. OR & AZ have more in common than you might think. Thank you Rep. Owens for sharing w/ @joannaallhands how #OpenET can help farmers & communities bring #groundwater basins back into balance https://t.co/4YSWR0j9lk

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

Powerful, beautiful, and informative storymap of Native voices on the #LittleColoradoRiver from @GrandCanynTrust. https://t.co/C3Tgdpg14I

[Rachel O'Connor @OConnorRachelS]

#OpenET launches today! @EnvDefenseFund @NASA @DRIScience @Google developed a platform that puts water use data in the hands of farmers, water managers & conservation groups so we can build more resilient water supplies together. Check it out! https://t.co/zeUHnbVdMC #ValueWater