2017

Researching water quality does not only include examining water. Ed Rhodes, research associate for Texas Water Resources Institute, studies land cover and land use as it relates to water quality.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI)’s Texas Watershed Planning Training Program recently held its 9th short course at Camp Allen Conference and Retreat Center near Navasota to train 30 watershed coordinators and other water resource professionals in watershed planning.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has accepted the Update to the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan, developed by the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership, Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

What if understanding the soil and grass in residential lawns could help with water quality and reducing runoff? The Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is doing just that by helping Texas homeowners make better management decisions that will have a lasting impact on watersheds.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) announces the Request for Pre-Proposals for the FY 2018 National Competitive Grant Program by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources. Pre-Proposals are requested on the topics of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability. Any investigator at an institution of higher learning is eligible to apply.

Team members of the Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project heard updates on the project’s year two accomplishments and reviewed timelines and goals in anticipation of its next project year, which starts in mid-March, at their recent annual meeting in Manhattan, Kansas.

Researchers from The Texas A&M University System were part of a multistate project team that recently received the National Water and Energy Conservation Award from the Irrigation Association for significant achievements in the conservation of water and energy relating to irrigation procedures, equipment, methods and techniques.

Anyone interested in protecting water quality in the Navasota River and its watershed downstream of Lake Limestone are invited to a public meeting Dec. 11 in College Station.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is now accepting applications for Fiscal Year 2018 Agricultural Water Conservation Grants. Applications are due to the TWDB no later than Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at 12 p.m.

The Texas Water Resources Institute recently published its Fall 2017 issue of its magazine, txH₂O, spotlighting water security in Texas and beyond.

Maintaining water quality is a priority for the Texas Water Resources Institute water team. Research, planning, educational outreach and community implementation go into the creation of a successful watershed protection plan designed to restore water quality and monitor impairment levels for years to come.

Did you know that studying fish populations helps with understanding water management? Looking at the behaviors and patterns of organisms such as fish can give researchers a better perspective of how to manage water.

Dr. Joshuah Perkin, assistant professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and fish ecologist, is doing just that.

Dr. Rosario Sanchez, Texas Water Resources Institute’s research scientist, received a Recognition Award from the Mexican Association of Hydrogeologists during the XI National Congress of Groundwater in Puebla, Mexico.

A team of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) professors and students are helping reach Texas well owners with vital information on well-water supply contamination, the likelihood of which increases following hurricanes.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced awards totaling more than $1.2 million to support 13 research projects throughout the Texas A&M University System that aim to understand the effects of natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.

Four Texas A&M University professors are collaborating with University of California–Riverside researchers to study and improve decision-making processes related to food, energy and water resources, or FEW.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in the Lower Rio Grande Valley is offering its annual soil testing campaign through Jan. 31, according to AgriLife Extension personnel.

We asked a group of Texas A&M University professors involved in different areas of water expertise and research to answer these three simple questions. Here are their answers.

When it comes to urban sustainability, the focus has mostly been on air, primarily as it relates to climate change, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. With much less attention on water, Dr. Kent Portney, a Texas A&M University Bush School of Government and Public Service professor, recognized this lack of attention and turned his focus to making sure water was included in the discussion.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) announced 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 Texas A&M College Station, Galveston and Qatar only) and the U.S. Geological Survey Graduate Research Program (available to all Texas universities).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently accepted the Navasota River Below Lake Limestone Watershed Protection Plan, developed by the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) and the Navasota River Watershed Partnership.

Dr. Aaron Wolf from Oregon State University recently discussed conflict and cooperation over transboundary water resources as part of a new lecture series at Texas A&M University — Water Security Speaker Series — that aims to bring water scholars across the campus and the world to speak on water security.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) will host a social media workshop for natural resources professionals Nov. 6-7 at the Upper Trinity Regional Water District, 900 N. Kelly St. in Lewisville.

The Texas A&M Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day will be Oct. 11 at the new Scott’s Miracle-Gro Facility for Lawn and Garden Research on F&B Road in College Station.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is hosting two residential rainwater harvesting and turf management trainings in the Texas Hill Country Oct. 12-13.

After the devastating flooding of Hurricane Harvey, Texas A&M AgriLife Today published a few articles to help those affected. Below are links to practical flood recovery, how to salvage documents and books, how to watch for fraud and more. For more articles on Harvey and flooding, visit AgriLife Today’s website.

The Texas Water Resources Institute’s (TWRI) water team continues to increase its expertise and capabilities, adding three members within the last year.

In view of changing economic and environmental factors, the Southern Plains Climate Hub of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service sponsored a conference, “Resilient Southern Plains Agriculture and Forestry in a Varying and Changing Climate,” July 18-19 in El Reno, Oklahoma.

The Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable, hosted by Texas Water Resources Institute, was held July 26 in College Station. The roundtable, held biannually, featured presentations by watershed and natural resource professionals from across the state.

The Texas Water Journal recently published a commentary by four water-related organizations that work closely with the Texas Legislature. 

The Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership is addressing homeowner septic systems in the watershed by hosting a training on maintaining septic systems and initiating a repair and replacement program to help improve and protect the watershed’s water quality.

The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program will host a free workshop Sept. 26 in the Plum Creek watershed for area residents interested in land and water stewardship.

Dr. Kevin Wagner, former deputy director of engagement for the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), became director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Center at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater on July 31.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the Ogallala, or High Plains, Aquifer. The report presents water-level change data in the aquifer for two separate periods: from 1950 (which was prior to significant groundwater irrigation development) to 2015, and from 2013 to 2015.

When oil mixes with or enters into water, conventional methods of cleaning the water and removing the oil can be challenging, expensive and environmentally risky. But researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) believe they may have developed a better method.

The Texas Well Owner Network is having several private water well screenings in August as well a training program for those interested in private water well management, Aug. 23 in Conroe.

The Texas AgrAbility program of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present a back-to-back farm tour and workshop Aug. 4-5 in Dallas.

Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) researchers and Texas A&M University faculty and students participated in the XVI World Water Congress, hosted by the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) and held in Cancun, Mexico, May 29-June 3.

A team of researchers representing various Texas A&M entities and the New Mexico Water Resources Institute has been awarded a $5 million four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to address water challenges in the Rio Grande Basin.

The idea of uncertainty can be an unsettling topic. Dr. Rosario Sanchez-Flores, a Texas Water Resources Institute research scientist, is using science to tackle a major source of uncertainty affecting agriculture and water security along the Texas-Mexico border: transboundary aquifers.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) has published its latest annual report, highlighting some of our major project accomplishments from 2016. From watershed protection to education, we've helped protect and conserve water resources throughout Texas.

Stretching from Texas to South Dakota, the Ogallala Aquifer is the largest underground water reservoir in the United States. Multiple research and outreach efforts are working to ensure the sustainable use of these groundwater resources.

The Texas Well Owner Network will be having free water well trainings July 26 in Fredericksburg and July 27 in Wimberley for anyone interested in private water well management.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) water team is holding two watershed planning-based meetings in the coming weeks.

The College Station offices of the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) are now located in the first floor of the AgriLife Services Building on the Texas A&M University campus.

To highlight the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas, the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) and the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) are partnering with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Texas Agricultural Land Trust, Texas Wildlife Association, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. 

Water security for people and the environment is a hot topic around the globe, and the World Wildlife Foundation is right in the midst of it, according to Karin Krchnak, the freshwater director of the World Wildlife Fund-U.S.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) currently has two job openings in its water team, which provides leadership and support for various watershed assessment, planning, management and education programs around the state.

An education program for Rio Grande Valley citrus growers on the practical aspects of new water conservation technologies will be held May 9 at the Lone Star Citrus Growers, 9625 N. Moorefield Road, Mission.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) will host a free workshop from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. May 16 in Fredericksburg for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Pedernales River watershed area.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) is hosting a meeting May 4 in Edna to discuss improving and protecting water quality in the Lavaca River and its watershed.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) is hosting two meetings in May for anyone interested in becoming involved in a partnership to improve and protect the mid and lower Cibolo Creek watershed.

Early estimates of agricultural losses due to the recent wildfires in the Texas Panhandle are $21 million, but that could change as producers make final reports of their actual damages in the coming weeks, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.

From working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, to serving in the White House, to teaching in a lecture hall at Texas A&M University, Dr. Andrew Dessler has served in many roles as a scientist.

Citing the need for heightened interest in water availability globally, Dr. Rabi Mohtar, biological and agricultural engineering professor at Texas A&M University, took center stage March 24 at Vatican City as part of Watershed, a conference to spark global conversations of the importance of water and the future.

The Annual Water Lecture Series: Perspectives on Law and Policy is hosting two upcoming lectures by Karin Krchnak, freshwater director for the World Wildlife Fund – U.S., April 3 in Fort Worth and April 4 in College Station.

The Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources has welcomed Dr. Jim Cathey as an associate director. Cathey previously served as a professor and Extension wildlife specialist and associate department head for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service unit in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University.

The Texas Watershed Planning Program of the Texas Water Resources Institute(TWRI) will hold a social media workshop for natural resources professionals April 13-14 at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer Texas Well Owner Network (TWON) trainings and screenings throughout Texas in April, said program coordinators. The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) partners with AgriLife Extension and the network on these programs.

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program will host a free workshop from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 18 in Bandera for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Medina and Sabinal rivers.

The Texas Watershed Steward program is bringing workshops on water quality and management to the Lower San Antonio River watershed and the Upper Llano River watershed this spring.

The Global Petroleum Research Institute (GPRI) is hosting a Water and Wastewater Short Course: Challenges and Solutions for Oil, Gas and Industrial Waste Water at Texas A&M University May 17-19.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Blackland Research and Extension Center in Temple is hosting a Modeling Agricultural Watersheds Using ArcAPEX course April 18-29 in Temple for interested professionals.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recently announced a rule change in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) that classifies a warfarin-based hog lure as a state-limited-use pesticide. The pesticide, “Kaput Feral Hog Lure,” is the first toxicant in Texas to be listed specifically for use in controlling the feral hog population, according to a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) news release.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recently announced a rule change in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) that classifies a warfarin-based hog lure as a state-limited-use pesticide.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Ranch Management University will be offered April 3-7, said Dr. Larry Redmon, Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences associate department head and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program leader.

The fourth annual Hill Country Land Stewardship Conference hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is scheduled for April 20-21 at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel in Kerrville.

Dr. Peter Knappett, assistant professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Geology and Geophysics, studies Bangladesh’s water quality issues. 

Riparian and natural resource professionals discussed current innovations and issues in riparian restoration and management at the Urban Riparian Symposium: Balancing the Challenges of Healthy Urban Streams Feb. 15-17 in Houston at Rice University’s BioScience Research Collaborative Building.

Without human help, the “Lost Pines” may lose some of what it is known for, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife study.

The Texas Well Owner Network will present water well screenings in March in Mills, Llano and Lampasas counties to give residents the opportunity to have their well water screened.

A series of landscape irrigation short courses for licensed irrigation professionals will be held through May with stops in College Station, Dallas and San Antonio.

As 2017 begins, the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) look back on a year full of impactful research results, new funding opportunities, collaborative partnerships and key personnel additions.

Nikki Dictson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist III at the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), received AgriLife Extension’s Superior Service Award in the Extension Program Specialist category during a ceremony Jan. 10 at Texas A&M University.

A new Texas 4-H Youth Water Ambassadors Program is aiming to encourage high school students’ interest in the water industry.

A green infrastructure/low-impact development workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 2 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 17360 Coit Road in Dallas.

Winter pond management can mean better fish production in the spring, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

The Texas A&M School of Law will host the Energy Law Symposium March 23-24 in Fort Worth.

The Texas Soil Health Short Course will focus on building a functioning foundation Feb. 22-23 at the Region 9 Educational Center in Wichita Falls.

The Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) bat research team is asking for help from citizens in its efforts to document bat populations in Texas.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is near the midpoint of a complex survey of the quality of the nation’s groundwater, its largest drinking-water resource, according to a recent news release.

The 3rd annual Texas Water Roundtable will be held Feb. 2 from 1-3:30 p.m. in the Capitol Auditorium, at the state capitol in Austin.

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has announced that its chronic wasting disease rule proposal, originally published for comment on Dec. 30, 2016, has been republished in the Texas Register, due to editing errors.