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A review of environmental enhancement efforts led to a current WRRC project that focuses on establishing programs to provide water for the environment, either through direct water-bill check box donations or voluntary municipal water conservation.
Several years ago, WRRC researchers began a study of environmental restoration projects in Arizona (funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation). Completed by 2006, the reports (found here and here) highlighted the importance, and in some cases the insecurity, of water for environmental enhancement projects in Arizona. A 2009 report updated information about some of these environmental enhancement projects and added information about a few newer projects.
With extensive stakeholder input, the authors developed a program concept, called Conserve to Enhance, that connects individual water use behavior with environmental concerns (Megdal and Schwarz 2007; Megdal, 2008; Schwarz and Megdal, 2008). Existing water conservation programs may not effectively target water users that are motivated by environmental concerns. Conserve to Enhance stipulates that individuals who are motivated to conserve water for environmental purposes can implement water conservation measures and dedicate the cost savings from their reduced water use to the local environment.
A Conserve to Enhance program has the potential to expand a community’s water conservation efforts as well as support environmental enhancement projects. Megdal, Bate and Schwarz (2009) offer recommendations for implementing this type of program. Some communities in the West offer water customers a check box donation program that generates funding to pay for local riparian enhancement efforts or purchase of instream flow rights. Check box programs do not directly connect water conservation to providing water for the environment but do provide insights about program development.
The Conserve to Enhance Tucson Pilot program was launched in January 2011 with sixty participants. This pilot will provide an opportunity to establish program management details and test participation levels (See summary of pilot program). A report on the Tucson pilot development was released January 2010 and more recent information is available on the Tucson Pilot page (Tucson Piloting Efforts).
Conserve to Enhance is expanding outreach beyond Arizona, developing tools and sharing knowledge and resources that can assist other communities in piloting C2E mechanisms. We are currently working with a range of partners in several Western states to develop C2E pilot programs.
In 2011, C2E is focused on evaluating the existing Tucson Pilot program, identifying communities interested in piloting C2E and developing a Toolkit of resources to assist new communities with planning and implementing a C2E program. Because every community differs in its goals and constraints, the possibilities for C2E programs expand every time we implement the concept. The design of each pilot benefits from lessons learned from previous applications.
Please contact Joanna Nadeau with any comments or questions about this project.
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