News

Texas Water Resources Institute has partnered with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and the Association of Texas Soil & Water Conservation Districts to highlight Soil and Water Stewardship Week and the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas.

Stakeholders in the Little Bay area are invited to learn about ongoing water quality and human health research in the watershed. 

TWRI will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program May 14 from 9 a.m. - 5p.m. in Azle for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Eagle Moutain Lake Watershed.

Local stakeholders are invited to learn about and contribute to improving water quality in Middle Yegua Creek.

TWRI will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 2 in Kingsville for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Baffin Bay watershed.

Residents of Ector and Midland counties are invited to water well screenings and results meetings.

Catch up on peer-reviewed publications and research by Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife, Rice University, University of Texas, Texas State University and Texas A&M University scientists.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 15, titled Case Study of Groundwater Management Issues at the Forefront of Large scale Production from a Confined Aquifer: The Vista Ridge Project, by Steven C. Young, Carlos Rubinstein, and Russell Johnson.

March 27 at Texas A&M, students filled the 12th Man Hall with research posters, gathering together faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students from many departments and programs to present and share water-related research. 

Local stakeholders are invited to learn about and contribute to improving water quality in the Thompsons Creek watershed.

Local landowners and residents are invited, and continuing education units are available. 

The free workshop is for local residents and landowners, and continuing education units are available.

Workshop will focus on watershed health and minimizing bacteria contamination originating from grazing livestock and wild pigs.

Local stakeholders are invited to continue learning about and contributing to improving water quality in the Medina River below Medina Diversion Lake.

Residents of Cottle, Childress, Foard, Hardeman, King and Motley counties are invited to water well screenings and results meeting

Three new faces and one returning have joined the Texas Water Resources Institute's staff: Marisa Collura, Samantha Murray, Ward Ling and Tina Hendon.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is partnering with Texas A&M’s College of Arts and Sciences to provide valuable internships.

Texas A&M students are invited to present research posters, the afternoon water lecture is open to the campus community and volunteers are needed.

The institute looks back on a productive year of providing science-based, community-supported solutions for Texas’ pressing water quantity and quality challenges through internal expertise and external collaborations.

Local stakeholders are invited to Giddings meeting to learn about and contribute to improving water quality in Middle Yegua Creek

Shankar Chellam, Ph.D., a professor, civil engineer and researcher in Texas A&M’s Zachary Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, reflects on his career and advises the next generation of students.

Upper Medina River watershed residents and stakeholders are invited to attend

Local stakeholders are invited to learn about and contribute to improving water quality in Middle Yegua Creek.

The Texas Well Owner Network is hosting a “Well Educated” water well screening Feb. 7 in Hondo to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water screened. Residents will receive water test results at Feb. 8 educational meeting.

The Texas Well Owner Network, in conjunction with the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership, is hosting a “Well Educated” water well screening Feb. 5 in Bellville and Brenham to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water screened. Test results meeting on Feb. 7.

Read peer-reviewed publications by scientists from Texas A&M University, Texas A&M AgriLife, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Texas at Austin and more.

Meet the new and returning staff joining the institute: Matt Stellbauer, Christine Fernandez and Dean Minchillo.

Reflecting on a productive year, the TWRI team shares our top 10 most-read articles.

Middle and high school students can submit environmental videos to the competition, which is supported by TWRI’s Kelly Albus.

Medina River area residents can become involved in improving water quality in the Lower Medina River watershed during a meeting in Castroville Jan. 9. Local stakeholders are invited to continue learning about and contributing to improving water quality in the Medina River below Diversion Lake.

Local stakeholders are invited to learn about and contribute to improving water quality in Middle Yegua Creek.

Read peer-reviewed publications by scientists from Texas A&M University, Texas A&M AgriLife, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Sam Houston State University and more.

TWRI is seeking interested and qualified early career graduate students for graduate research assistantship position(s) available at the start of the Spring 2024 semester.

Recently published research co-authored by Texas Water Resources Institute and Oklahoma Water Resources Center scientists shows how small land management changes can improve local waterways.

Residents of Llano, Lampasas and Goldthwaite areas are invited to private water well screenings and results meetings.

Stakeholders in the Little Bay area are invited to learn about ongoing water quality and human health research in the watershed.

TWRI will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dec. 6 in Glen Rose for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Paluxy River watershed.

A first-of-its-kind public awareness study by Texas Water Resources Institute scientists shows that knowledge of PFAS chemicals is low.

The natural environment one grows up in can heavily influence their interests and path in life. Texas Water Resources Institute Research Specialist Jason Gerlich grew up outdoors, happiest when surrounded by agriculture and nature, and pursuing that love has taken him across the world and back to his home state to work on water quality issues.

Texas Water Resources Institute held its semi-annual Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable in Houston Oct. 9-10. The two-day tour and roundtable is part of the Watershed Planning Short Course program and brings together watershed coordinators and other water resource professionals from across the state. 

TWRI's Duncan Kikoyo, Ph.D., developed a framework that harmonizes the characterization of drainage units on the continent of Africa in recent research published in the journal, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth.

Read peer-reviewed publications by Texas Water Resources Institute and Texas A&M AgriLife scientists.

Residents around the Salado Creek watershed area are invited to the free educational event.

The Texas Water Resources Institute recently published the fall 2023 issue of txH2O magazine, focused on new challenges facing Texas water supplies.

Suresh Pillai, Ph.D., has worn many hats throughout his life that have led him to Texas A&M (and his current DJ hobby). As the director of the National Center for Electron Beam Research, Pillai's research and leadership has the chance to make a global impact.

Agricultural producers in Milam and Burleson counties are invited to an agricultural irrigation workshop Nov. 10 in Caldwell, hosted by the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

Wimberley area residents can have their well water screened by the Texas Well Owner Network Nov. 15.

Brady Creek area residents are invited to learn about supporting healthy riparian areas and ecosystems.

Milano area residents are invited to an Earth-Kind landscapes workshop Nov. 3, hosted by the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Learn why the areas of land surrounding water bodies are critically important. 

Agricultural producers, local decision-makers invited to attend workshop in preparation for future conditions

Soil erosion caused by the movement of water along the topsoil of agricultural land is a silent cause of years-long ecosystem problems.

Local stakeholders are invited to learn about and contribute to improving water quality in the Medina River below Diversion Lake.

The Texas Water Resources Institute currently has two full-time positions open on its Water Team.

The Texas Well Owner Network is hosting upcoming events in West Texas Oct. 10-13 to allow residents to have their well water screened.

Funded by state appropriations from the Texas Legislature to Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the multidisciplinary research projects will advance water management in Texas.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) has awarded 2023-24 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Graduate Research Grants to three Texas A&M University students for water-related research projects.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has named two Texas A&M University professors 2023-2024 Faculty Fellows, awarding $15,000 in federal funding to each faculty member to support their research.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has awarded 2023-24 Mills Scholarships to six graduate students conducting water-related research at Texas A&M University. 

The Texas Water Journal has published a new commentary in Volume 14, titled 88th Texas State Legislature: Summaries of Water-Related Legislative Action, by Sarah Kirkle, Leah Martinsson, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, Alex Ortiz, Perry Fowler, Vanessa Puig-Williams, Todd H. Votteler and Jeremy Mazur.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

Residents near Munday, Seymour, Granbury, Montague, Weatherford, Vernon, Wichita Falls, Henrietta, Benjamin, Decatur and Springtown are invited to Texas Well Owner Network water well screenings and results meetings.

A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the Middle Yegua Creek watershed will be held Sept. 26 in Giddings.

Keep up with the evolving drought and heat impacts in Texas with first-hand accounts from around the state.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

Ever wondered what happens when our water quality monitoring team goes out to conduct regular monitoring? Get an up-close look at the process and learn more about what we do in this photo essay.

Learning the ins and outs of water well maintenance can be daunting. Joel Pigg and the Texas Well Owner Network answer well owners' common questions and provide insights on protecting well water quality.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in volume 14, titled Discrete Streamflow Measurements and Waterborne Self-Potential Logging of a 43-Kilometer-Long Reach of the Elm Fork Trinity River Upstream from Dallas, Texas, by Jonathan V. Thomas, Scott J. Ikard, Roger K. Trader and David Rodriguez.

The award recognized a direct-mail campaign educating residents about livestock grazing management practices and septic tank maintenance activities that help protect local water quality.

TWRI will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program Sept. 6 in Katy for area residents interested in the Buffalo Bayou Watershed.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host a workshop Aug. 16 in Nacogdoches for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects in East Texas.

Growing up in Mexico City inspired Itza Mendoza-Sanchez to care about water issues. Now a Texas A&M School of Public Health professor, she looks to connect human health and the environment through her research.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

Sept. 26-27 in San Antonio water professionals and practitioners are invited to attend the 2023 American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) Annual Conference and Expo, co-hosted by TWRI.

On May 3 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accepted the La Nana Bayou Watershed Protection Plan, which was developed by TWRI, Stephen F. Austin State University, Angelina & Neches River Authority, and stakeholders of Nacogdoches County.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in volume 14, titled Frac Sand Facilities and Their Potential Effects on the Groundwater Resources of the Monahans-Mescalero Sand Ecosystem, Permian Basin, Texas, by Robert E. Mace and Chelsea Jones.

The Texas Well Owner Network invites residents near Cameron, Belton, Killeen and Temple to free water screenings and results meetings.

Teachers who work with students of all ages are invited to a Junior Master Gardener and Citizen Science Training July 12 in Fort Worth.

The summer 2023 issue of txH2O magazine, a publication by the Texas Water Resources Institute, will be available soon. This issue’s theme is new problems facing Texas water and the scientists developing practical solutions.

The Texas Water Resources Institute's water team is growing, and two new staff members recently joined the team: Adriana Williams and Amanda Tague.

Trevor Johnson is a Ph.D. student at Texas Tech University studying agricultural economics, and his research on the economics of carbon sequestration and agricultural production is supported by the Southern Great Plains Regenerative Agriculture project.

As part of TWRI's Watershed Planning Short Course program, watershed coordinators and other water resource professionals convened in Corpus Christi for a two-day watershed tour and roundtable April 18-19.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is hiring communications student interns.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

Thanks to tireless schoolteachers, students’ ingenuity and hard work, and support from TWRI professionals, this spring middle and high school students in Texas produced educational videos about environmental science for the National Geographic Slingshot Challenge.

The Texas Water Resources Institute will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program May 31 in Wallisville for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Double Bayou Watershed.

Residents near Benavides, Falfurrias, Robstown, Rio Grande City, Kingsville and Cuero are invited to free water well screenings and results meetings.

The free training will cover the processes and benefits of riparian areas.

Justin Thompson, Ph.D., strives to help Texas communities understand groundwater recoverability. With support from a 2021-22 Research Grant from the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), his research findings are helping citizens, groundwater districts and government agencies.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host a residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training for Brazoria County residents May 12 in Angleton.

Meet Garrett McKay, Ph.D., assistant professor position in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, who leads an Aquatic Chemistry lab and researches environmental photochemistry.  

Texas A&M University graduate student Sayantan Samanta has produced new data showing reduced or no-tillage management practices' positive impacts on runoff and soil erosion reduction in a Texas agricultural watershed.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host a residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training May 4 for Bell, Burnet, Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Mills and Williamson counties. 

Residents near Mount Pleasant, Longview and Marshall are invited to free water well screenings and results meetings.

Focus will be proper management, protection and restoration of riparian areas.

Water Daze 2023 brought a student research poster competition and water seminar to Texas A&M University March 29, showcasing original research from 40 students in numerous academic programs, hosted by TWRI and Texas A&M's Water Management and Hydrological Science Program.

Every two years the Texas Legislature convenes in Austin for a whirlwind 180-day session. Thousands of bills are filed each session, and numerous water-related bills have been filed in the 88th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature. 

The Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education (JCWRE) editors recently selected the paper “Total Maximum Daily Loads and Escherichia coli Trends in Texas Freshwater Streams,” by Michael Schramm and co-authors Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., and Anna Gitter, for the JCWRE Paper of the Year Award.

Meet Texas A&M University professor and PFAS researcher Susie Dai, Ph.D., associate professor of plant pathology and microbiology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 

The San Fernando and Petronila Creeks Watershed Protection Plan has been reviewed and accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a major accomplishment for the coalition of local stakeholders and state officials who collaboratively created the science-based plan.

The Texas Water Resources Institute Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host a workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 18 in Austin for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around central Texas.

The 2023 Urban Riparian Symposium brought water professionals from across Texas together to learn about completed, ongoing and future urban stream restoration projects. The annual event was held Feb. 8-10 in San Marcos, co-hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute and Texas Riparian Association. 

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

Not only has population growth and aging infrastructure put a strain on existing stormwater drainage systems in Texas, but climate change impacts have also made extreme one-day rainfall events more common.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has published its latest Annual Report, sharing accomplishments and project highlights from 2022.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in volume 14, titled The Use of Historical Data and Global Climate Models to Assess Historical and Future Surface Water and Groundwater Availability in the Trinity River Basin in Texas, by Molly Milmo, Jeremy McDowell, Monica Yesildirek and Glenn Harwell.

The workshop will focus on East Texas water quality and watersheds, including La Nana Bayou.

La investigadora dedica su vida a cuidar mantos acuíferos transfronterizos.

Yina Liu's academic path has led her across oceans and deep into emerging research fields. Now an assistant professor of oceanography at Texas A&M, she is working to further our understanding of PFAS.

An introduction to the science behind per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and their implications for human and environmental health.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

New research from TWRI research specialist Ed Rhodes and co-authors suggests that rangeland management strategies could help slow the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, a key freshwater resource.

TWRI researchers analyzed how Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) can help solve communities' stormwater challenges in a recent research review, and the proposed strategies can help local decision-makers overcome barriers and install GSI for long-term benefits

Read new technical reports and watershed protection plans recently published by the Texas Water Resources Institute's water team.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in volume 14, titled Low Flow Trends in Texas Stream Segments Serving Unique Hydrologic Functions, by Kartik Venkataraman, Narayanan Kannan, and Victoria Chraibi.

The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host a workshop from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. March 1 in The Woodlands for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around southeast Texas.

The Texas Well Owner Network is hosting a “Well Educated” water well screening Feb. 27 in Bastrop to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water screened.

Wendy Jepson, Ph.D., Texas Water Resources Institute associate director, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Catch up on recent peer-reviewed research by TWRI scientists and water researchers around the state.

The Texas Water Resources Institute team continues to expand, and new staff members have joined the TWRI communications team and water team since the fall of 2022.  

The Texas Water Journal has published a new commentary in volume 14, titled Water Infrastructure and Supply Are the Backbone or Achilles’ Heel of Texas’ Future: The Choice is Ours, by Senator Charles Perry, Chairman of the Senate Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee.

An associate professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, Xingmao "Samuel" Ma, is on the forefront of PFAS research.

Texas Water Resources Institute scientist Rosario Sanchez produces the first-ever complete U.S.-Mexico transboundary aquifer map.

Officially, the U.S. and Mexico share 11 groundwater basins. A new map bumps that figure up to a stunning 72.

TWRI will host a free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program Dec. 6 in Denton for area residents interested in the Hickory Creek watershed.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has awarded two U.S. Geological Survey research grants for September 2022-August 2023.

The Texas Water Journal has published three new papers in volume 13: an article titled Determining Geothermal Resources in Three Texas Counties, by Joseph Batir and Maria Richards; a commentary titled Texas Comptroller’s Good for Texas Tour: Water Planning and Innovations, by Glenn Hegar; and an article titled Water Management in the Rio Conchos Basin: Impacts on Water Deliveries Under the 1944 Treaty, by Rodrigo Israel Gonzalez-Velazquez and Jose Luis Castro-Ruiz.

Partners from AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the University of North Texas build an alliance to advance sustainable, equitable stormwater management.

Bill Balboa, the executive director of the Matagorda Bay Foundation, has dedicated his life and career to advocating for the protection of Matagorda Bay.

The Texas Water Resources Institute team has grown a lot in the past year, and it’s still growing. TWRI’s Luna Yang transitioned from being a graduate research assistant to being a full-time research specialist earlier this year. More recently, Audrey McCrary joined the TWRI team as a program specialist.

Allen Berthold, Ph.D., has been named interim director of the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI); his term began June 1.

Scientists from Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are undertaking a project that will shed light on how changes in land use and the encroachment of woody plant thickets are dramatically reducing groundwater recharge.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is continuing to grow. Three new faces have joined the team in recent months: Alexander Neal as a program specialist, Jason Nitsch as a grant administrator and Jason Gerlich as a research specialist.

An associate professor in Texas A&M University’s Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Huilin Gao, Ph.D., investigates and monitors hydrologic systems using remote sensing technology.

Wildfires are a natural phenomenon that can have regenerative properties for ecosystems. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these fires have become more severe and harmful to vegetation, wildlife and water due to climate change.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in volume 13, titled Beyond Senate Bill 3: How to Achieve Environmental Flows in Texas Under Prior Appropriation, by Carlos Rubinstein, Curtis Seaton and Robert Mace.

Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., associate director of the Texas Water Resources Institute, will be presenting on topics in watershed management and urban riparian restoration at the Upper Guadalupe River Authority’s Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville, Texas.

The newest issue of txH₂O magazine focuses on the future of water, examining the outlook of water infrastructure, workforce needs and alternative water sources on a changing planet.

Over the last few months, the Texas Water Resources Institute has added two new research scientists to the team: Sayd Randle, Ph.D., and Bardia Heidari, Ph.D.

A research specialist at Texas Water Resources Institute, Duncan Kikoyo, Ph.D., dedicates his professional life to promoting equitable stakeholder participation in water resources management and planning.

A boil water notice, also known as a BWN, is used when water quality in a public water system falls below minimum safety standards and can pose health risks to its customers.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Todd Votteler, Ph.D., interviews Adriana Reséndez Maldonado, Mexican commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Todd Votteler, Ph.D., interviews Maria-Elena Giner, Ph.D., U.S. commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission for United States and Mexico (IBWC).

The Texas Water Journal has published the first article of 2022 in Volume 13, titled Optimizing Water Supply through Reservoir Conversion and Storage of Return Flow - A Case Study at Joe Pool Lake, by Srividya Sekar, Amin Daghighi, Victoria CP Chen, Glenn Clingenpeel, Yu Zhang, Jay M Rosenberger and Azam Boskabadi.

Soil and Water Stewardship Week is April 24–May 1, 2022.

Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., associate director of TWRI, spoke to KTRE 9 News of Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas during the Feb. 16 La Nana Bayou stakeholder meeting about the impact of E. coli in the creek and what stakeholders can do.

Srinivasulu Ale, Ph.D., devotes his professional work to sustainable management of water resources on crop, pasture and grazing lands.

The Texas Water Resources Institute announces its call for proposals for students conducting water resources research. The deadline for proposal submissions is by 11:59 p.m. on March 27, 2022.

On January 25, the Permanent Forum of Binational Waters held an online “coffee break” discussion forum focused on native communities’ role in transboundary water conservation and management.

Texas Water Resources Institute Senior Research Scientist Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., recently coauthored a new white paper about U.S.-Mexico border water management.

The Texas Water Journal, which is published in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute, achieved some significant milestones in 2021. 

The complete 2021 volume of the Texas Water Journal (TWJ), Volume 12, has been published. Volume 12 includes the greatest number of articles published in a single volume, including TWJ’s 100th article.

The Water Conservation Advisory Council is seeking help with determining the level of stakeholder interest in advancing and supporting accessibility of evapotranspiration (ET) data in Texas.

The draft Petronila and San Fernando Creek Watershed Protection Plan is out for review following a few minor adjustments made after the January 26 stakeholder meeting.

From the time he first witnessed the massive irrigation infrastructure growing up in Indus River Basin in Pakistan, Ali Ajaz, Ph.D., program specialist with Texas Water Resource Institute, has dedicated his studies and professional activities to irrigation engineering.

Members of the Texas Water Resources Institute’s water team have published two new papers: Direct Mailing Education Campaign Impacts on the Adoption of Grazing Management Practices and Binational reflections on pathways to groundwater security in the Mexico–United States borderlands.

After a productive year, the Texas Water Resources Institute communications team has put together a list of the top 10 most-read articles, including many from the winter 2021 issue of txH2O, which focused on binational water challenges along the Rio Grande.

The transboundary aquifers shared by the United States and Mexico are now included on the official global map of transboundary aquifers, thanks to new research by Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) senior research scientist Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., and TWRI graduate research assistant Laura Rodriguez.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 12, titled Groundwater Withdrawals Associated with Oil and Gas Production from Water Supply Aquifers in Texas: Implications for Water Management Practices, by Katie Coeckelenbergh, Dorina Murgulet, Kristine Uhlman and Chris Vickers.

Having enough water for growing populations in Texas is an important issue for city water utilities to anticipate. In the article Diversifying water portfolios, from the summer 2019 issue of txH₂O, El Paso Water and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) describe the water management strategies they have implemented to supply enough water to their growing populations.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has awarded U.S. Geological Survey graduate student research grants to three students for September 1, 2021–August 31, 2022.

The new biennium of funding for the Research, Engineering and Extension: Development of Water Programs of Excellence, also called the Water Exceptional Item, has kicked off. Each submission went through a panel review process, and four projects were selected by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.

Scientist, farmer and rodeo athlete: Meet soil chemist Katie Lewis

The fall 2021 issue of txH₂O magazine, a publication by the Texas Water Resources Institute, will be available soon. This issue’s theme is the future of water, with a focus on the outlook of water infrastructure, workforce needs and alternative water sources.

Texas Water Resources Institute’s Wendy Jepson, Ph.D., is stepping into an expanded role at the institute as associate director of research (social science).

The Texas Water Resources Institute is hiring for two, full-time staff positions at its College Station, Texas office. Applications are being accepted for a research specialist and a program specialist.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 12, titled Estimating statistical power for detecting long term trends in surface water Escherichia coli concentrations, by Michael Schramm.

In anticipation of the fall 2021 issue of txH₂O, the past article being highlighted is Health at the nexus of water insecurity. In the article, experts explain how complicated water insecurity can be. This topic is further discussed in the upcoming txH₂O.

Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., TWRI senior research scientist, and Laura Rodriguez, a geologist and TWRI graduate research assistant, have been mapping the aquifers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

An article was recently published in the Victorian Advocate about the work of Allen Berthold, Ph.D., associate director at TWRI.

A pair of international water groups, with the help of Texas Water Resources Institute Senior Research Scientist Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., put on a simulated negotiation over transboundary water resources in an effort to improve understanding of transboundary issues and negotiations.

The paper, titled Identifying Barriers to Adoption of Irrigation Scheduling Tools in Rio Grande Basin, by Texas Water Resources Institute‘s Allen Berthold, Ph.D., Ali Ajaz, Ph.D., Taylor Olsovsky and Dhruva Kathuria, was recently published in the online journal, Smart Agricultural Technology.

Just ahead of the Year of Groundwater, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is hosting the second International Shared Aquifer Resources Management (ISARM) Conference. This year’s online conference will focus on transboundary aquifers and will include participation by Texas Water Resources Institute’s own Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D.

Beginning in high school, Molly McKinney ’23 knew she wanted to pursue a water management and conservation career. Her participation in several water conservation programs led the junior environmental studies major from San Antonio to the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology.

To keep up with a growing population, state water planners in Texas are more likely to include alternative water sources to bridge the supply gap. Two increasingly likely water sources include desalination and reuse water, according to the article Microfilters, major results from the fall 2017 issue of txH₂O magazine.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 12, titled Focused Flows to Maintain Natural Nursery Habitats, by Paul A. Montagna, Ph.D., Larry McKinney, Ph.D., and David Yoskowitz, Ph.D.

In 2020, seven multidisciplinary teams were chosen as recipients of the fiscal year 2020-2021 Water Seed Grant Initiative, “Research, Engineering and Extension: Creation and Deployment of Water-Use Efficient Technology Platforms.” On August 23, 2021, a project investigator from each of the seven teams provided a presentation update on the progress of their work virtually during the Water Seed Grant webinar event.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has recently added new members to the water team: Paul Schwab, Ph.D., senior research scientist, Taylor Olsovsky, research associate and Ennis Rios, research assistant.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new commentary in Volume 12, titled 87th Texas State Legislature: Summaries of Water-Related Legislative Action, by Sarah Kirkle, Leah Martinsson, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, Ken Kramer, Ph.D., Alex Ortiz, Perry Fowler, Jeff Chapman, Trent Hightower and Kyle Frazier.

More cities are using smart technology to save natural resources, money and time. The article Giving water an upgrade in the summer 2019 issue of txH₂O magazine describes how smart cities are using different types of electronic sensors and technology to collect data, allowing the more efficient management of assets and resources.

Three of the 13 distinguished faculty members from across Texas A&M University recognized as 2021 Chancellor’s Enhancing Development and Generating Excellence in Scholarship, EDGES, Fellows are affiliated with Texas A&M AgriLife and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

An article was recently published in Morning Ag Clips about the work of TWRI research assistant, Stephanie deVilleneuve, to improve producers’ soil and water quality.

The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program has been approved to continue its research at a demonstration site along Geronimo Creek for another three years. The team's goal is to reduce sedimentation rates and erosion along the stream banks.

Depending on where you turn on the tap, water can taste different. That doesn’t necessarily mean there is anything to be concerned about.

Kathleen O’Reilly, Ph.D., is a professor in the Geography Department at Texas A&M University where she focuses on how people’s location and gender affect their relationship with water and sanitation. But her road to these unique focuses was a long and unusual journey.

The Soil Science Society of America in June announced Ali Fares, Ph.D., endowed professor of water security and Water Food Energy Nexus at Prairie View A&M University, as one of its 2021 SSSA Fellows. The award will be presented during the society’s annual meeting in November.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 12, titled Pricing Options on Water in Texas, by Quinn McColly, Ph.D., Robert Mace, Ph.D., Philippe Tissot, Ph.D. and David Yoskowitz, Ph.D .

Experts have learned that urban landscapes can lose about one-third of irrigation water to runoff. Urban landscape irrigation runoff can be a big problem, according to the article Off and running in the spring 2016 issue of txH2O magazine.

Take care of Texas is a new campaign from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It provides helpful information about environmental protection, encouraging all Texans to help keep the air and water clean by conserving water and energy and reducing waste.

Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., assistant director of TWRI, spoke to KTRE 9 News of Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas. He spoke to reporters during the Aug. 11 La Nana Bayou stakeholder meeting about the impact of E. coli in the creek and what stakeholders can do.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has published its latest Annual Report, focusing on accomplishments and project highlights during the 2020 pandemic.

TWRI researchers surveyed irrigators on barriers to irrigation technology adoption. They found that while several barriers exist, Rio Grande irrigators are motivated by concern for soil quality and ensuring the availability of water for future generations.

Stephanie deVilleneuve is a water and soil scientist and research associate at Texas Water Resources Institute.

The riparian education program, managed by Texas Water Resources Institute, will be co-hosting free riparian and stream ecosystem trainings in September 2021 with the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Riparian Association.

The Texas Water Development Board unanimously voted to adopt the 2022 State Water Plan on July 7, 2021.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 12, titled Water Rights Analysis Package Modeling System, by Ralph A. Wurbs.

In the article Less is more, experts explain the benefits of using Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Irrigation Technology Program, WaterMyYard.

Having grown up in a big city with a love for animals and the ocean, Pam Plotkin, Ph.D., built a career around sea turtles and marine conservation and restoration, which allowed her to travel widely in tropical environments and fulfill her childhood dream.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new commentary in Volume 12, titled Texas Reimagines the Fight Against Floods, by Peter Lake, former Chairman of the Texas Water Development Board.

Ron Lacewell, Ph.D. — one of two men jointly awarded the Warren A. Hall Medal for 2021 — has a lifetime of collaboration. His work with Utah State University's Mac McKee, Ph.D., has marked water resource work in many ways.

In the article Feeding the future, partners of the Innovation Laboratory for Small-Scale Irrigation at the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, a unit of the Texas A&M University system, are working in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania to help farmers improve the use of scarce water supplies through innovations in small-scale irrigation.

A series of videos have been produced about irrigation methods along the Rio Grande as part of the Diversifying the Water Portfolio for Agriculture in the Rio Grande Basin, a Coordinated Agriculture Project.

Private well owners can get their water tested and learn about well maintenance at a series of "Well Informed" and "Well Educated" events from the Texas Well Owner Network taking place in mid-June

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is swiftly approaching. With the potential for a busy season ahead, now is the time to prepare.

Paul Montagna, Ph.D., is the Chair for HydroEcology at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He is among the top 2% of researchers in the world for scientific impact and he contributed to the largest environmental settlement in history. 

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in Volume 12 titled Economic Analyses of the Seadrift Wind-Aided Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations, by Ange H. Abena Mbarga, Ken Rainwater, Lianfa Song, Theodore Cleveland and W. Ross Williams.

Texas A&M University's Ron Lacewell, Ph.D. and Utah State University's Mac McKee, Ph.D. jointly won UCOWR’s prestigious Warren A. Hall Award for lifetime achievement in water resources management. This is the first time in the history of the award that it has gone to two people.

TWRI has announced a request for proposals for Water Programs of Excellence for the fiscal years of 2022-2023. Proposals are due June 10.

With hurricane season approaching, this txH2O highlight is an article about planning for flooding in Texas. The article, Planning for the next big one, asks researchers about innovative flood solutions.

May is American Wetlands Month, celebrating the ecological, economic, and social importance of wetlands.

Arbor Day is all about trees. But healthy trees and healthy forests do more than just clean the air. They also help keep our water clean.

The Texas Water Resources Institute recently published the Winter 2020 issue of its magazine, txH₂O, spotlighting the Rio Grande.

Robert Mace, Ph.D., the Executive Director and Chief Water Policy Officer at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and a professor in the Department of Geography at Texas State University, has worked as a water researcher for over 30 years helping people understand water.

Like so many people, TWRI staff started working from home about a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone has learned their own ways to find balance, retain some normalcy and keep on moving even when things are uncertain.

Duncan Kikoyo, Ph.D., has joined the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) team as a research specialist. His work will focus on the development and implementation of watershed protection plans, total maximum daily loads and their implementation plans, and other projects that address critical water issues in Texas.

The Texas Well Owner Network is hosting several water well screenings in early May for residents in Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Ector and Midland, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Presidio, Reeves and Terrell counties. These events will give area residents the opportunity to have their well water screened.

The Universities Council on Water Resources announced that TWRI's Lucas Gregory, Ph.D. was elected to serve on the board of directors.

This txH₂O highlight is a profile article about Jude Benavides, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

World Water Day, held every year on March 22, aims to celebrate water and bring awareness to the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. The theme of this year’s World Water Day is about what water means to people, its true value and how we can become better stewards of this resource.

The 2021 Ogallala Aquifer Summit focused on sharing information about community-led activities and identifying current barriers and opportunities related to effectively managing this valuable resource over the short and long term.

The book “Climate Change and Extreme Events,” recently published by Elsevier, explores the relationship between climate change-related weather events and their impact on human lives through a multidisciplinary lens.

Jaclyn Robertson is a third-generation Aggie and the fourth generation to live on her family's property in Milano County, Texas. Her strong connection to her community and deep Texas roots is what motivates her work as an AgriLife Extension associate for the Texas Water Resources Institute.

The big freeze in Texas left a lot of people without clean water and with questions. Local and national news media reached out to TWRI experts for answers.

The Blackland Research Center, a part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Temple, TX, is seeking to hire a full-time non-tenure-track faculty member.

The Texas Water Journal has published two new papers in Volume 12: an article titled Storage and Regulation of River Flows by Dams and Reservoirs by Ralph A. Wurbs and a commentary titled Fresh, Clean Water for Texans Now and for Generations to Come by Tracy O. King, a Texas state representative and chairman of the Texas House of Representative Committee on Natural Resources.

TWRI Director John Tracy, Ph.D., spoke to Miranda Suarez of KERA News about the surprise shutdown of three of Fort Worth's four water plants during the big freeze of Winter Storm Uri.

Texans are no strangers to extreme weather events such as drought, flood and now freeze. In light of the severe winter storm that hit Texas earlier this year, this month’s txH₂O highlight is Extremely Expected from the Texas’ Extreme Weather issue of txH₂O.

Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., assistant director of TWRI, spoke to Bryan-College Station, TX-local news station KBTX-TV3’s Donnie Tuggle on February 18 about discolored water after the freeze from Winter Storm Uri.

Wendy Jepson, Ph.D., associate director of TWRI, talked to radio show Think's host Krys Boyd on February 22 about the energy-water nexus and what went wrong during the big freeze during Winter Storm Uri.

TWRI has awarded 2021 Mills Scholarships to five graduate students conducting water-related research at Texas A&M University. Winners include John Brien, Charles Schaub, Jacqueline (Jackie) Rambo, Ennis A. Rios and Anna Marie Van de Graft.

 Texas' winter wildfire season is driven by winds on dry grass. La Niña worsens the dry fire situation and invites “high impact fire weather events” that make wildfire conditions worse.

Land use changes and climate change are making the flood mitigation equation worse. Experts say protecting cities will require adding up multiscale solutions.

Nathan Glavy is a San Antonio native, a two-time graduate of Texas A&M University and an Extension program specialist at Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI.

The Texas Water Journal has published the first article in Volume 12 titled, Best Management Practices for Firefighting in the Karstic Edwards Aquifer of South-Central Texas, by Geary M. Schindel and Rudolph A. Rosen.

Since the next Ogallala Aquifer Summit is right around the corner, this month’s txH₂O highlight is on the article Ogallala Aquifer Summit from the Ogallala Aquifer-themed issue of txH₂O. 

A recent report by the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Texas Water Resources Institute and Texas Land Trust Council shows state-funded conservation easements in Texas provide numerous financial and ecological benefits.

The Ogallala Aquifer Virtual Summit, designed to tackle issues faced by communities that rely on the declining Ogallala Aquifer resource, is set for Feb. 24-25, almost a year after it was originally scheduled.

Texas state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon gives TWRI an outlook on possible climate and weather conditions for 2021.

This month’s txH2O highlight focuses on projects led by an interdisciplinary group of Texas A&M University System researchers. These projects aimed to study and map the quantity, movement and management of these waters to lead to a better understanding of their governance. 

The first coffee break from the Permanent Forum of Binational Waters will focus on the strategic value of the Rio Conchos and the social and cultural importance of this transboundary river.

The unique nature of the ground under Houston and the Gulf Coast, plus the area’s long history of groundwater pumping, create the perfect storm for sinking cities

With a new presidential administration, regulations may be coming for PFAS, potentially carcinogenic chemicals that have seeped into drinking water across the country.

Growing up in the Texas Hill Country, Lindsay Sansom, Ph.D., fell in love with water. As an adult, she has spent her entire career helping others connect with — and protect — their local water sources.

A busted water main can cause thousands to millions of gallons of water to come gushing out of the ground, putting a city’s water supply at risk. Texas residents live in a state with erratic weather patterns and are no strangers to these occurrences.

The Texas Water Journal invited Texas state Sen. Charles Perry, chair of the Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs, to share his thoughts on the role of water in the coming 87th legislative session of the Texas Legislature in a commentary titled, “Water: A Preventable Disaster.”

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in the Volume 11 issue titled “Exploring Groundwater Recoverability in Texas: Maximum Economically Recoverable Storage,” by Justin C. Thompson, Charles W. Kreitler and Michael H. Young.

In the midst of the pandemic and converting in-person events to virtual meetings, the TWRI communications team has covered everything from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to flood planning. Read the top 10 articles from 2020.

A popular txH₂O article read in 2020 is Water, but no workers, from the summer 2019 Water Utilities Challenges issue.

One of the main outcomes of the Permanent Forum of Binational Waters’ first conference was the idea for a task force to help strategically focus future work on binational groundwater management.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is happy to announce its call for pre-proposals for students conducting water resources research.

A new review article addresses common myths about water security in high-income countries.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is offering new fellowship opportunities through the U.S. Geological Survey 104b program to provide resources in support of the development and submission of proposals for external funding. TWRI is seeking applicants who are engaged in water resources-related research and are looking to: build their research acumen; expand their colleague and collaborator network; and gain valuable experience in leading diverse, multi-partner research proposals.

At the Texas Water Resources Institute, a Graduate Student Research Grant Program exists to help Texas university graduate students in water resources and related fields gain experience applying for competitive research grants. The article, Getting their feet wet, from the 2010 issue of txH2O, has more information about the program.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new program review in the Volume 11 issue, titled “Internet of Texas Water: Use Cases for Flood, Drought, and Surface Water–Groundwater Interactions,” by Rudolph A. Rosen, Robert E. Mace, Sam Marie Hermitte and Richard Wade.

A winding career in chemistry has inspired a Texas A&M professor to tackle environmental problems using a single compound.

The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership has updated its website with a modern, easy-to-navigate layout. The new site has much of the same information as the old one and includes a story map with a tour of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

TWRI’s new irrigation specialist, Ali Ajaz, Ph.D., sees an innovation opportunity at the nexus of irrigation management and drought monitoring.

The Texas Water Journal invited The Honorable Jayne Harkins, P.E., U.S. Commissioner for the International Boundary and Water Commission, to share her thoughts on water deliveries from Mexico to the Rio Grande in a commentary titled, “Commentary: Fact vs. Fiction on Rio Grande Deliveries.”

Virender Sharma, Ph.D., a professor in the Texas A&M School of Public Health, uses a simple, abundant and environmentally friendly element — iron — to clean water. In the txH₂O article, Working wonders with ferrate, Sharma explains the process he has been researching for years.

Texas Water Resources Institute partner group, the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative, is offering a stewardship funding opportunity for ranchers, farmers and wildlife managers. Pre-applications are being accepted through Oct. 30.

Researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas-El Paso have won a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The researchers want to close the current knowledge gap about CO₂ emissions from chemical reactions in irrigated soils.

The Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center has released a new video that details a novel way to irrigate citrus trees that could benefit plant health, yield, economic, and water conservation for the producer.

Estuaries — one of the most productive ecosystems in the world — rely on a series of delicate balances. Increasingly, land use changes and climate changes are upsetting those balances.

The Permanent Forum of Binational Waters is hosting the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Groundwater Conference titled Innovation and Creativity: Strategies for Unprecedented Challenges. The interactive online event will be Oct. 14-15, 2020 via Zoom. 

Measuring hurricane risks — and understanding what those risks mean for the public — is complicated. Here’s a place to start.

Summer 2020 has seen the TWRI team grow, adding Wendy Jepson, Ph.D., in leadership, Ward Ling as a watershed specialist and Lexus Castro in communications.

Between his family’s natural love of science and computing and his need for speed, Saurav Kumar, Ph.D. always knew he would get into science and coding. But he didn’t know he would apply those skills to water systems.

The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in the Volume 11 issue titled “Dams Are Coming Down, but Not Always by Choice: The Geography of Texas Dams, Dam Failures, and Dam Removals” by Erin D. Dascher and Kimberly Meitzen.

In the summer 2015 issue of txH2O, the article Disappearing habitat explains how water and land management changes in Texas impacted the rice production industry and waterfowl habitat.

TWRI and a coalition of groups has been given the green light to draft a watershed protection plan for the Petronila and San Fernando Creek watershed. This watershed feeds the Baffin Bay of southeastern Texas.

Texans with water wells in the path of Hurricanes Laura and Marco should take precautions before and after. Some simple efforts can help protect your well and your health.

Over 2.2 million Texas homes and businesses depend on septic systems, but these can cause human health and water quality problems if they aren’t working right. Read more to learn ways to find potential funding aid for repairing or replacing failing systems.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host five residential rainwater harvesting and turf management trainings focused on watersheds throughout Texas in August.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has accepted the Carancahua Bay Watershed Protection Plan, published by the Texas Water Resources Institute.

See the most recent publications by the TWRI water team including watershed protection plans, newsletters and technical reports.

Water security in Texas depends on water quality monitoring. At Texas Water Resources Institute, watershed restoration projects require consistent water quality monitoring once every two weeks for two years. In the water security issue of txH₂O, the article How does water quality monitoring work? gives a behind-the-scenes look.

The Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters program is helping residents use better lawncare to improve water quality and save time and money.

Ali Fares, Ph.D., professor of water security at Prairie View A&M has been selected as an American Society of Agronomy Fellow and included in the society’s 2020 Awards Hall of Fame.

Texas A&M University ranked 10th in the world in water resources in the latest subject-specific rankings from the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). CWUR ranks the world’s leading universities in 227 subject areas based on the number of research articles in top-tier journals.

Juan Enciso, Ph.D. was inspired by the beauty of agriculture and the natural world to study irrigation. Now he sees irrigators as key stewards of a more water-efficient future.

The article On the fast track summarizes how Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service professionals were able to help producers make the most of their available water resources when they were limited.

The Texas Water Development Board has created the Texas Water Newsroom, a platform to share stories about Texas water supplies, planning, financing and research.

The Texas Water Journal published a new article in the Volume 11 issue titled “Hydrodynamic Modeling Results Showing the Effects of the Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer on Salinity in Lake Houston, TX” by Erik A. Smith and Sachin Shah.

The Texas Well Owner Network is hosting a water well screening July 28 in Levelland to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water screened. Samples need to be dropped off the day before on July 27.

With almost 2,000 miles of shared borders between the U.S. and Mexico, a passionate group has created a virtual space for binational collaboration that prioritizes solutions, activities and resources to solve transboundary water issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic may further complicate the forecasted above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.

Samuel Brody, Ph.D., wants to help make society more resilient to natural hazards. To do that, one must first understand how to “bridge the gap between knowledge and action,” he said.

The Texas Water Development Board is looking for Texans interested in participating on new regional flood planning groups to help direct the future of flood planning in the state.

Keeping water safe means disinfecting it, usually with chlorine. But where does the chlorine come from? The supply lines of this key water disinfectant are luckily very local.

Do you live in one of the most flood-prone regions in North America? Just in time for hurricane season, the June txH2O highlight is Do you live in Flash Flood Alley? from the fall 2016 Texas’ Extreme Weather issue.

From aquifer-recharging playas to carbon-storing salt marshes, Texas’s diverse wetlands are matched by an equally diverse set of threats. Texans are finding innovative solutions.

In the face of increasing droughts, 3.8 million people and counting will need more drinking water in North Texas. Water districts have built wetlands to help.

Researchers have been looking to the sewers for the novel coronavirus lately. Wastewater surveillance is nothing new, but it might be a useful tool in the current pandemic.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is hiring for two full-time staff positions at its College Station, Texas office.

The vadose zone, the layer of earth that lies between topsoil and groundwater, could have answers for drought prediction and mitigation according to the fall 2012 txH2O article, Unlocking secrets of the vadose zone.

In her new role at the Dallas Center, Dr. Becky Bowling is eager to work to make Texas’ growing urban landscapes more water efficient and uniquely beautiful in their own Texan way.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has published its latest Annual Report, focusing on accomplishments and project highlights from 2019.

The Texas Water Journal published a new book review in the Volume 11 issue titled, “Book Review: Regulating Water Security in Unconventional Oil and Gas” by Jessica Foster.

A Texas A&M professor of political science explains how the federal government might end shutoffs & keep water flowing during the COVID-19 crisis.

April 22, 2020 is the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day. To commemorate this occasion, we have made a list of 10 ways to celebrate. 

More than just water users, trees are an essential part of the water cycle by drawing up water from the ground and transferring it to the atmosphere through transpiration.

Fieldwork is fun but taking water training online means TWRI’s educational reach has expanded. Online formats also offer the opportunity for greater accessibility.

If you’ve never heard of “ecohydrology,” you’re not alone. The relatively new, intersectional discipline combines elements of ecology and hydrology to look at how water, soil and life interact.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has awarded two U.S. Geological Survey graduate student research grants for March 2020 – February 2021.

TWRI has a lot of new faces lately.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) staff shifted to working remotely, sheltering in place with their families and roommates. As TWRI staff members have adjusted to this temporary new normal, they’ve found new ways to work and stay connected.

In the summer 2015 issue of txH₂O, the article Satellites, sensors and soil explains how NASA, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University use different monitoring strategies, including satellites and in-ground sensors, to research soil moisture.

The Texas Water Journal published a new article in the Volume 11, Number 1, 2020 issue titled “Runoff Inflow Volumes to the Highland Lakes in Central Texas: Temporal Trends in Volumes and Relations between Volumes and Selected Climatic Indices” by Raymond M. Slade, Jr.

Enjoy the Ecological Integration Symposium from your couch! The XXI Ecological Integration Symposium, held April 2-3, is going virtual this year and invites attendees to join from the comfort of their own home.

Tap water is safe and available at home while going out to buy bottled water can put you at risk.

THIS SUMMIT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. Updates on the rescheduling of the event will be posted on the 2020 Ogallala Aquifer Summit website. 

With Groundwater Awareness Week in March, we are highlighting an article from the Ogallala Aquifer edition of the fall 2018 txH2O, Living life with less water. 

For the month of March, we are spotlighting our groundwater programs, which include the Texas Well Owner Network, the Ogallala Aquifer Program, the Ogallala Water Coordinated Agricultural Project and the Transboundary Water Portal.

We recently published the Winter 2020 issue of our magazine, txH₂O, highlighting the connection between water and health, including pathogens, poverty, PFAS and other water-health issues and developing potential solutions. 

Dr. Zhuping Sheng strives to see technology and engineering give good, workable answers to water users' questions.

The Texas Water Journal Board of Directors has selected TWRI's own Chantal Cough-Schulze as its new managing editor.

The Texas Water Journal published the second paper for the Volume 11, Number 1, 2020 issue: an article titled “Oilfield Water Infrastructure Connectivity: The Case for a ‘Hydrovascular’ Network in the Permian Basin,” by Gabriel Collins.

The Texas Well Owner Network trainings scheduled for March 23 in Bandera and March 24 in Bulverde have been postponed.

CANCELED: Urban Stream Processes and Restoration Training workshop on March 18 in Austin.

As a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist for the Texas Water Resources Institute, Monroe connects the public with what they need, from educational events to septic systems, to accomplish their goals.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has published the newsletter, Natural Resources Training Courses Update, with a list of scheduled trainings for 2020.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has been working with the Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership for the past decade to improve water quality, which includes repairing and replacing septic systems.

The Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership was developed with interested local stakeholders to better understand the sources of high E. coli levels in the watershed.

The National Integrated Water Availability Assessments concept map by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the latest available daily estimate of natural water storage in the continental-United States relative to historical conditions.

What does water security mean to you? In preparation for the publication of our winter 2020 issue of txH₂O — a focus on the connection of water and health — we are highlighting the article Understanding water security.

The Texas Water Journal published the first paper for the Volume 11, Number 1, 2020 issue: a policy review titled “State Legislature, Voters Move to Eighty-Six Texas’s Flooding Challenges,” by Matthew D. Berg.

In January, we spotlighted our Mills Scholars Program, which awards at least four $5,000 scholarships to graduate students who are pursuing research in water-related studies at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M–Galveston and Texas A&M–Qatar.

The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host an Urban Stream Processes and Restoration Training workshop 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 20 in San Benito for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around the South Texas area.

A Texas Well Owner Network, or TWON, training has been scheduled for Feb. 5 in College Station.

The Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership is coordinating a septic system repair and replacement program for residents in the Attoyac Bayou watershed to help improve and protect water quality.

The Texas Water Resources Institute announces the release of the Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the FY 2020 National Competitive Grant Program by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station have selected seven multidisciplinary teams as recipients of the FY2020-21 Water Seed Grant Initiative.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has awarded 2020 Mills Scholarships to four graduate students conducting water-related research at Texas A&M University.

The Texas Water Resources Institute was recently rated as outstanding by the U.S. Geological Survey in the federal agency’s multiyear review of the institute.

In case you missed it, our November 2019 Conservation Matters program spotlight focused on the Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas, or Dallas Center.

With Texas’ decreasing water availability and increasing water demand, a growing number of water providers are using or considering water reuse, either direct or indirect, for drinking water.

In the spring 2016 issue of txH₂O, TWRI published an article about scientists from the Texas A&M University System successfully demonstrating the feasibility of using electron beam, or eBeam, to treat wastewater for direct potable reuse.

Throughout the past five decades, TWRI has awarded Mills Scholarships to select Texas A&M University graduate students studying water resources and hydrology issues in Texas.

The Texas Water Journal has published the final article in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “Interjecting Economics into the Surface Water Dialogue” by Maria Vaca, Stefni Richards, Alexa Davis, Kylie Jackson, Nanag Timur, Fahad Manzoor, Said Azam, Robert Feltman and James Griffin.

TCEQ has added an interactive map viewer showing watershed plans and projects in Texas to reduce nonpoint source water pollution.

During 2019, Texas Water Resources Institute’s communications team covered everything from challenges of water utilities to profiles of water resources professionals across Texas.

Do you own a septic system?

The Texas Water Resources Institute has published a new educational material titled Septic System Maintenance & Inspection Pocket Guide to help homeowners with problem solving and best management practices for their septic systems.

When making New Year’s resolutions for 2020, add water conservation to your goals! What’s your water footprint?, an article in our Fall 2009 txH₂O, lists the amount of water used for many common activities.

A free Drip Irrigation Workshop will be held from 10 a.m.-noon Jan. 11 in the vegetable garden of the Freedom Home Baptist Church, 3405 Oak Springs Drive in Austin.

Dr. Genhua Niu is always on the lookout for the next agricultural innovation. As a professor of urban agriculture at the Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas, she studies how growing environments can be adjusted to enhance plant growth and quality in urban settings, such as by manipulating the light quality, light intensity or nutrient solution.

Across Texas, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research address local needs related to everything from mitigating drought impacts to enhancing food security to improving human health outcomes through education, outreach and research activities. To help support AgriLife’s mission, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) has been tasked with leading the development of future water resources programs and activities in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, with the Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas serving as the coordination hub for the region.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas will host the first Controlled Environment Urban Agriculture Conference Dec. 5, which will provide information on a wide range of topics as well as access to Texas A&M AgriLife and industry experts.

Did you know that Texas A&M AgriLife opened the first WaterSense-labeled house in the Dallas-Fort Worth region? We spotlighted the home in our Fall 2013 issue of txH₂O and you will find it on page 12 in the issue’s pdf.

The Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Angelina and Neches River Authority will host a meeting Nov. 22 in Lufkin for anyone interested in water quality impairments in Jack, Cedar, Hurricane and Biloxi creeks, tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research, on behalf of the Texas Water Resources Institute, recently signed a specific agreement with Instituto Mexicano de Tecnologia del Agua to work on various topics related to groundwater along the Texas-Mexico border.

The Texas Water Resources Institute in collaboration with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will host two meetings Nov. 21 in Woodville and Jasper for anyone interested in joining a partnership to improve and protect water quality in the Sandy and Wolf creeks.

The Texas Water Journal published an article in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “Transboundary Water Sharing: Risk Perceptions Held by Texas Border Decision Makers” by Lindsay Sansom.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is hosting free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program workshops Nov. 6 in Bishop and Nov. 13 in Temple for area residents interested in land and water stewardship.

This month in our Program Spotlight, we feature the Texas Well Owner Network.

The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host Urban Stream Processes and Restoration trainings Nov. 14 in Waco and Nov. 19 in Corpus Christi for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects.

With pre-proposal deadlines approaching on Oct. 28 for Texas Water Resources Institute’s graduate scholarship programs, this txH₂O highlight is focused on an article about the success of previous scholarship recipients.

The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host an Urban Stream Processes and Restoration Training from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 29 in New Braunfels for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around the Interstate 35 corridor.

If you follow Texas Water Resources Institute on social media (@TxWRI), you may have noticed our monthly program spotlights, but in case you missed it, for the month of September the focus was on our Urban Riparian & Stream Restoration Program.

The Texas Well Owner Network will present water well screenings in October in six Texas counties to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water tested.

KTRE Channel 9 recently covered efforts by Texas Water Resources Institute, Stephen F. Austin State University's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture and Angelina and Neches River Authority in East Texas to improve water quality.

The Texas Well Owner Network has scheduled several free Well Educated trainings for November for private water well owners who depend on household wells for their water needs.

Private water well owners whose wells flooded from the recent rains from Tropical Depression Imelda should assume that their well water is con­taminated until tested. 

Nearly a half-million dollars in grant funding has been earmarked for working with agriculture interests along the Arroyo Colorado to reduce pollution in the key Valley waterway.

The FY2020-21 Water Seed Grant Initiative, “Research, Engineering and Extension: Creation and Deployment of Water-Use Efficient Technology Platforms,” is seeking proposals that focus on water technologies and management approaches.

The Texas Water Resources Institute announces its call for pre-proposals for students conducting water resources research. TWRI has funds available for graduate students at Texas universities through two programs, the TWRI Mills Scholarship Program (available to students at Texas A&M University College Station, Galveston and Qatar only) and the U.S. Geological Survey Graduate Research Program (available to students at all Texas universities).

Rivers and streams are the veins that carry surface water. Have you given much thought to their health?

As a Texas A&M University associate professor and extension specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, Fouad Jaber applies concepts of ecological engineering to managing urban water using natural elements to try to solve problems related to stormwater pollution.

The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program, coordinated by the Texas Water Resources Institute, in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Dallas, is bringing awareness, education and the value of stream restoration to urban areas around Texas.

This month’s txH₂O highlight is from the Fall 2017 issue of the magazine and focuses on the effectiveness of low impact development (LID) practices in reducing negative environmental impacts of urban growth.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is hosting free Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program workshops Oct. 15 in Lockhart and Oct. 23 in Junction for area residents interested in land and water stewardship.

The Texas Water Resources Institute along with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Water Development Board co-hosted an education program July 15 for Rio Grande Valley irrigation district managers and board members.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville's Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering has received a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology for Sustainable Water Use.

The Texas Water Journal published a commentary in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “86th Texas State Legislature: Summaries of Water-related Legislative Action” by Ken Kramer, Christopher Mullins, Dean Robbins, Stacey Allison Steinbach, Leah Martinsson, Trent Hightower, and Perry L. Fowler.

The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program of the Texas Water Resources Institute will host an Urban Stream Processes and Restoration training from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 19 in McKinney for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects in and around the Dallas area.

Texas Water Resources Institute staff report positive results in one East Texas watershed and substantial progress in another while working with stakeholders and a team of university researchers and agency staff to improve water quality in the region’s many watersheds.

Texas Water Resources Institute research assistant Anna Gitter bridges the gaps between environmental science and public health, scientists and nonscientists, and fieldwork and computer work.

More than 150 participants from 13 states and South Africa attended the recent Southern Region Water Conference, “Improving Adoption of Sustainable Water Management Practices,” hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in College Station.

Updated editions and new manuals for the Water Rights Analysis Package, a computer modeling system that simulates river and reservoir systems and assesses water availability under specified alternative sets of conditions, were recently added to the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) website.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has awarded U.S. Geological Survey graduate research grants to two students for June 2019 – June 2020.

August is Water Quality Month, and we are sharing information from the Water Security issue of txH2O, How does water quality monitoring work?, an explainer on the process of watershed restoration.

For Water Quality Month, start adopting these practices to contribute to improved water quality in your community.

With populations increasing, there is an increased likelihood of the need for intensive water reuse, according to experts. August’s txH2O highlight is Safe water = Secure water, an article about Texas A&M University researchers studying ways to remove more chemicals from water during the treatment process.

We recently published the Summer 2019 issue of our magazine, txH2O, highlighting water utilities challenges and potential solutions.

The Texas Water Journal published an article in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “Economically Recoverable Water in Texas: An Underappreciated Water Management Strategy?” by Dr. Timothy T. Loftus.

Underneath the border of the United States and Mexico lie transboundary aquifers. Little is known about most of these aquifers or how the two countries can mutually manage these waters.

Laura Rodriguez Lozada, a graduate student at Texas A&M University and graduate research assistant at Texas Water Resources Institute, is a member of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program team conducting binational scientific research on transboundary aquifers.

Read through a photo essay from the Agricultural Best Management Practices for Watershed Planning Training at the USDA’s ARS Grassland Research Laboratory in Riesel, TX. 

The Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership, Texas Water Resources Institute and the city of San Benito have been working on projects designed to reuse treated wastewater to fill abandoned wastewater treatment ponds.

Did you know a whole crop can be irrigated using a cell phone app? July is Smart Irrigation Month and TWRI has many resources about modern irrigation practices for producers in our magazine, txH2O.

Texas Water Resources Institute’s Dr. Lucas Gregory and Dr. John Tracy recently gave presentations on TWRI research at the annual water resources conference held by the Universities Council on Water Resources and the National Institutes for Water Resources in Snowbird, Utah.

Rice producers in 12 counties in southeast Texas can submit applications until June 28 for the next funding cycle of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

Almost every watershed coordinator in the state has now attended and benefited from the Texas Watershed Planning Program of the Texas Water Resources Institute.

The Texas Water Journal published an article in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “A Tool for Rapid Assessment of Hydrological Connectivity Patterns in Texas Coastal Wetlands: Linkages between Tidal Creeks and Coastal Ponds” by Todd M. Swannack, Jeffrey R. Wozniak, William E. Grant and Stephen E. Davis III.

June 15 is Nature Photography Day. At TWRI, our Water Team members provide us with awesome nature photos while helping make every drop count!

A Texas Watershed Steward workshop is set for 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 17 in Weslaco. The workshop is part of efforts by the Texas Water Resources Institute to improve and protect water quality in the Arroyo Colorado.

The Separation Sciences Group at the Process Engineering Research & Development Center at Texas A&M University will host a hands-on, practical short course, Water Quality Management: Municipal, Industrial and Environmental Applications, July 14-16 in College Station.

In May’s issue of Texas+Water, Dr. Rosario Sanchez, TWRI senior research scientist, was interviewed by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler.

Summer is here, and despite the recent increase in rainfall, water conservation is still important for the increasing population of Texas. txH₂O highlight No. 6 is an article about how homeowners and utilities can conserve water using new technologies.  

The Arroyo Colorado Partnership, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas Stream Team and Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District are partnering to implement and monitor stormwater best management practices on a wetland adjacent to the Los Fresnos High School campus in the Lower Rio Grande Valley as part of the Falcon Pond Beautification Project.

The Texas A&M University School of Law recently published a report on legal mechanisms and tools for responding to the impacts of recent and future flooding events resulting from storm events and sea level rise.

A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the Neches River will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 21 in Jasper. The workshop will be held at the Jasper County Courthouse Annex, 271 E. Lamar St. It will be presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute.

The Texas Water Resources Institute, or TWRI, will host a meeting May 21 in Rogers for anyone interested in joining a partnership to improve and protect water quality in the Big Elm Creek watershed.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has published its latest annual report, focusing on accomplishments and project highlights from 2018.

The Texas Water Resources Institute has a new look to its website.

Problem-solving and water management go hand-in-hand for David Smith, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist at Texas A&M University in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He is also program coordinator for the award-winning Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program.

April showers have brought some May floods. This month’s txH₂O highlight includes a list of resources related to flooding and drought.

A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the La Nana Bayou, Angelina and Middle Neches Rivers will be held from 8 a.m.-noon May 22 in Lufkin.

The Texas Water Resources Institute is offering two Watershed Planning Program trainings for watershed coordinators and other water professionals involved in watershed-based planning in Texas.

A Brazos Valley water conservation program, BV WaterSmart, garnered two state awards recently for its water conserving efforts and educational activities toward reducing water waste.

The Texas Water Journal published an article in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “Floating Solar: An Emerging Opportunity at the Energy-Water Nexus” by Carlos Gamarra and Jennifer J. Ronk.

The Texas Well Owner Network is hosting a water well screening May 8 in Junction to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water screened. The screening will be from 8:30–10 a.m. at the Kimble County Courthouse, second floor, 501 Main St.