Rural Groundwater Resilience Exchange
As groundwater challenges intensify due to drought, climate change, and increased demand, rural communities across the state are advancing place-based, locally driven efforts to better understand and steward their groundwater resources. These efforts highlight the growing need for coordination, shared learning, and support tailored to the unique realities of rural groundwater basins.
What is the Rural Groundwater Resilience Exchange?
The Rural Groundwater Resilience Exchange (RGRx) is a peer-learning and coordination forum for stakeholders, practitioners, and supporters engaged in rural, place-based groundwater efforts across Arizona. RGRx creates space for participants to share strategies, surface common challenges, and support locally driven approaches to improving rural groundwater resilience.​ RGRx is not an advocacy or decision-making body. It is a neutral, supportive forum focused on shared learning, relationship-building, and cross-community coordination.​
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RGRx began convening in 2026, building on momentum from a series of place-based Rural Groundwater Workshops held across Arizona, including in La Paz, Sulphur Springs, Patagonia, the Northern Arizona–Coconino Plateau, and other rural regions.
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Who is Involved?
Value for participants
Anyone working on rural groundwater issues, including:
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Watershed-based groups - community leaders and residents (including local champions from the Rural Groundwater Resilience Workshops)
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Representatives of other community-based collaboratives and relevant initiatives
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Tribal, local, and regional partners
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Technical experts and researchers
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Peer learning and cross-community coordination
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Shared problem solving around common challenges (e.g., capacity, governance, funding, data, state level solutions, specific topics, engagement)
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Support for coordinators of watershed collaboratives/alliances
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Increased visibility for rural groundwater priorities
RGRx is convened by the Arizona Cross-Watershed Network and co-led by Arizona State University’s Impact Water–Arizona and Southwest Decision Resources.
Groundwater Resources
Rural Groundwater Resilience Workshops
AZ Water Innovation Initiative
The Rural Groundwater Resilience Workshops convene experts, local leaders, and community members to collaboratively address pressing groundwater challenges through locally driven solutions. These workshops are convened by the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative (ASU) in partnership with the Lincoln Institute’s Babbitt Center, Southwest Decision Resources, and the University of Arizona’s Institute for Resilience.
How to get involved
RGRx is coordinated by Tahnee Robertson, Brian Manwaring, and Ruby Kernkamp (Southwest Decision Resources). Please contact us with any questions or to get involved.
