SUMMER IS UPON US. AND IT’S A HOT ONE.
President's Message | May/June 2023
Summer is upon us. And it's a hot one. The hottest on record, in fact. Climate anxiety is high for many of us close to water resources. The last two issues of this magazine covered drought, but as we know, pressing concerns related to water are not limited to shortage—recent flash floods from summer storms leave little room for doubt about that.
Community and action are the best antidotes to despair, and this issue contains plenty of both. IMPACT’s “Spring–Summer Smorgasbord” issue gathers
perspectives from across our community and looks toward the future of water resource management. It leads off with a report from the United Nations 2023
Water Conference, the first event of its kind in almost half a century, where the next generation made their voices heard on the most critical water issues of our time. Later in the issue, experts from our community share their insights into how we may tackle such challenges; their views are ever-forward looking but also glance backward to take stock and course correct. As noted above, the importance of stormwater management only continues to
rise, and multiple articles in this issue touch on how our collective approaches can improve.
Meanwhile, our colleagues at Delaware AWRA share the latest from the lowest-lying state in America, where historically significant fish populations struggle to survive industrial-era construction and new technologies are helping to maintain access to community roadways, identify lead service lines, and fight pandemics.
This issue covers the waterfront—we even engage with some of our fellow creatures who live in the water. For centuries, popular lore has told of sea serpents, with sightings of “monsters,” like Champ and Nessie, across the United States and the globe. Now, we take a closer look. Even these legendary creatures have something to say about our current moment.
And finally, we hear from three students at Oregon State University whose work tackles issues ranging from the persistent need to improve stormwater treatment to the deeply personal impacts of water shortages worldwide. I expect this issue will give AWRA’s members much to consider as the days continue to grow hotter. Water is essential to life, and I am grateful to know this community is here, doing important work in ways large and small to make this world livable for generations to come.
Jason Zhang is the 2023 president of AWRA.