Archive for April 2007
- Restoring the Trinity
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Governor’s initiative accelerates efforts to improve river
Editor’s Note: The Trinity River Basin has been the center of water resources projects for years.With Gov. Rick Perry’s announcement of the Trinity River Environmental Restoration Initiative, attention has increased concerning this river that stretches from North Texas to Galveston Bay. The following stories feature a few of the [...] - Corps Improvement
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Engineers key players in basin restoration
One of the key federal players in the restoration of the Trinity River Basin is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose primary civil mission is developing and managing the nation’s water resources, including projects to reduce flood damage; improve navigation channels and harbors; protect wetlands; and preserve, safeguard and [...] - Survival of the Fittest
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SmartScape® landscapes fare better during drought
During last year’s drought, North Central Texas homeowners using Texas SmartScape® landscapes fared much better than homeowners with traditional landscapes when cities in the Dallas/FortWorth Metroplex imposed water restrictions.
“Traditional landscapes suffer a great deal more than Texas SmartScape landscapes,” said Dotty Woodson, Tarrant County Extension horticulture agent. Texas SmartScape is [...] - Environmental education goes multimedia
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A new environmental education program, “e-Life,” that combines an interactive Web site and television news spots, premiered last fall as the latest tool to help North Texans learn more about their environmental quality of life.
“Whether by mouse or remote control, North Texans can click their way to a whole new world of environmental information,” said [...] - Growing Smarter
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Water IQ campaign raises awareness of water sources, conservation
The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has launched a “Water IQ: Know Your Water” education campaign to help residents conserve water, providing North Texans with a goal they can embrace—reduce water use by 5 percent and save money on monthly water bills.
Lubbock and Austin are also [...] - Afghan Ambassador
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Professor advises war-torn country on water resources
As senior advisor for water at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Fipps’ mission was to conduct strategic analysis and water planning for the war-torn country and advise the ambassador on related policies and programs. He also provided technical assistance to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the [...] - An excerpt from Guy Fipps’ journal
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Dr. Guy Fipps, a Texas A&M University professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, spent nine months in Afghanistan as senior advisor for Water of the Afghan Reconstruction Group. “There are lots of disadvantages to these structures,” he said, recounting Afghan farmers and their families rebuilding an irrigation water diversion dike.“They wash out [...]
- Saving a Dwindling River
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Project evaluates Pecos River Basin, writes watershed protection plan
A group of researchers, educators and stakeholders are deciphering the Pecos River Basin and its ecosystem as the first step in solving the watershed’s water quality and quantity problems. This multiagency group is evaluating the river and developing a watershed protection plan as part of the Pecos [...] - Practicing Precision
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Researchers demonstrate irrigation techniques on producers’ farms
Wintergarden and High Plains researchers and county agents worked with 30 growers from various counties to conduct on-farm research demonstrations evaluating the extent to which limited irrigation practices may provide water savings and associated benefits.
These growers, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers and Texas Cooperative Extension specialists and county agents [...] - Gaining a World View
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A&M students exposed to European environmental issues
When Brandon Hartley traveled to Belgium last summer, he gained a first-hand appreciation for international soil and water issues.
Hartley, a Texas A&M University biological and agricultural engineering major from Santa Fe, Texas, is one of 24 students who have traveled with the department’s Environmental Soil and Water Study Abroad [...] - New Waves E-letter – April 25, 2007
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Breaking news about water resources research and education at Texas universities – April 25, 2007
2007-2008 TWRI grant recipients announced
Texas Water Resources Institute has selected 10 water-related research projects to fund during 2007-2008 from a pool of 20 submitted proposals. Graduate students in collaboration with faculty members at Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at [...] - TWRI grant recipient studies counteractions for nitrate-rich groundwater
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By Emily Baker
Omar Richard Harvey, a graduate student at Texas A&M University studying water management and hydrological sciences and a recipient of a 2005-2006 Texas Water Resources Institute research grant, investigated the potential for the use of zero-valent iron for reducing the nitrate leaching to groundwater from agricultural systems.
Harvey’s research, advised by Drs. Cristine Morgan [...] - TWRI grant recipient determines efficacy of erosion control compost
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By Emily Baker
Lindsay Birt, a graduate student at Purdue University and formerly of Texas A&M University studying watershed management and hydrology and a recipient of a 2005-2006 Texas Water Resources Institute research grant, evaluated the effectiveness of using compost rather than conventional hydroseeding or topsoil to reduce erosion from roadside construction.
The Texas Department of Transportation [...]
