In Southern Arizona, the delicate balance of our desert landscape is intricately tied to the invisible lifeline beneath our feet—groundwater. In many rural communities of Cochise County, groundwater is the main source of water for agriculture, farming, commercial and residential use

This project, led by Dr. Krista L. Lawless with support from Impact Water – Arizona, analyzed rural groundwater management in the Douglas Basin Active to better understand the community’s groundwater supplies and policy impact.

To help bring awareness to water resources and Cochise County’s conservation efforts, the team brought in artist Nicole Poppell to lead a public art portion to spark curiosity and continue the conversation surrounding Arizona’s water resources for years to come.

Entitled “Ripple Effect,” this mural aims to spark curiosity about our water resources through art, illuminating groundwater as an essential resource by showing the connection between our surroundings and water. In the center, the hands represent all of us and the stewardship that must take place to protect our communities resources.

This project was made possible with the support from ASU’s Arizona Water Innovation Initiative and the Impact Water – Arizona program, courtesy of the State of Arizona and the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.

A special thank you to Margaret Garcia, Dave White, and Susan Craig of ASU for their guidance, Dave Nevins and Margaret White with the City of Douglas for providing a space for the art, Tomorrow’s Artist for providing incredible un-cycled paint, all the community members who showed up to help and of course our partner on this project Krista L. Lawless for your incredible research and diligence. This project wouldn’t be possible without each one of you.

For info on the project can be found here: https://beneath-the-surface.org/

Research: Dr. Krista L. Lawless
Lead Artist: @nn_zzo
Paint Assist: @4.Pro.Art