Water Fair & Data Center Mega Edition

Howdy, from the editor

It’s been a minute, readers. Ok, fine — it’s been roughly 128,000 minutes since the last dispatch. I promised the next edition would cover data centers since they’re the talk of the town, state, nation, and world. I ended up creating the biggest edition of the Ground Party Papers that — hopefully — I’ll ever publish.

It’s huge. It’s wild. It’s unsettling.

It has lots of pictures.

You’ll learn about everything, from technocrats trying to take over the world, to Colorado River War secrets, to human psychology... This story stretches from Sulphur Springs Valley to literally the moon.

Also, I’ll reveal why data centers forced me to cancel my Netflix subscription, share some data center policy ideas for our County Supervisors, and speculate about societal collapse. Seriously. All of this will land in your inbox on Monday.

Next weekend there will be a normal newsletter with normal local news in normal Cochise County: new mining operations, successful political revolts, mysterious military operations, the usual desert hijinks.

After that, we’ll take a closer look at the candidates for the 2026 midterm elections. Oh joy. (Sorry if the dripping sarcasm got on your shoe.)

This mini-newsletter happened because you should know about a great event happening tomorrow. It’s the 2nd Annual Cochise County Water Fair.

What’s happening at the fair?

10:00 – 10:45 | Water Quality in Cochise County
Daniel Salcedo Serrano, PhD
Arizona Water for All, part of ASU’s Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, supports Arizona households and communities facing water insecurity. This presentation will offer an overview of water quality in Cochise County, available filters and treatment options, and best practices for maintaining water and treatment systems.

11:00 – 11:45 | Navigating PFAS in Drinking Water
Sierra Kubicki
This community presentation will explain PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” including where they come from, how they move through groundwater, potential health concerns, and current drinking water regulations. Attendees will also learn about private well testing, treatment options, and practical steps homeowners can take to better understand and protect their drinking water.

12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch Break

1:00 – 1:45 | Sustaining Ecosystems and Rural Economies Through Audubon Southwest’s Water and Working Lands Programs
This presentation will cover Audubon Southwest’s report on the economic value of Arizona’s rivers, lakes, and streams, including their importance to agriculture, recreation, regional development, wildlife habitat, and Sandhill Cranes in the Sulphur Springs Valley. It will also introduce Audubon Southwest’s Working Lands program, which helps ranchers and farmers implement conservation practices that benefit both bird habitat and agricultural operations.

2:00 – 2:45 | The Nature of Groundwater
Kirstyn Kay, Arizona Project WET
This presentation will explore Arizona’s water cycle and the local connection between surface water and groundwater. Participants will learn how hydrological systems affect available groundwater, how human activity impacts these systems, and how communities can help conserve and protect groundwater.

All day (9:30 – 3:00) | Water Information Booths, Interactive Displays, and Kids Room
Water-related booths, displays, and hands-on activities will be available throughout the day. More than 18 organizations and vendors will participate, including:

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
ASU Arizona Water for All
Arizona Department of Health
Arizona Project WET, UA
Audubon Southwest
Cochise Cooperative Extension, UA
Cochise County Flood Control District
Cochise Groundwater Stewards
City of Willcox
Desert Water Delivery
The Groundwater Project
People for the Playa Water Resources
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Sky Harvest
Sulphur Springs Water Alliance
Sonoran Cisterns
Southwest Irrigation, LLC
USDA Rural Development
Water – Use It Wisely

Be there or be dry.

See ya Monday ;-)