New Waves August 2009
Texas Water Resources Institute’s E-Newsletter
Breaking news about water resources research and education at Texas universities
- RGBI Conference held in McAllen
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More than 120 attendees participated in the 2009 Rio Grande Basin Initiative (RGBI) Conference Aug. 10-13 in McAllen. Administrators and representatives from both Texas and New Mexico, as well as the federal project representatives, kicked off the conference. Keynote speakers then discussed agricultural and urban water issues in the basin and the luncheon presenter discussed climate change issues. The remainder of the conference allowed for project participants to give brief overviews of what each task group has accomplished throughout the past year. Wrap-up information from the conference will be posted at riogrande-conference.tamu.edu.
- International SWAT Conference held in Boulder
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The 2009 International SWAT Conference was held Aug. 5-7 at the University of Colorado at Boulder and drew more than 160 attendees from 16 countries. SWAT, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, is a public domain model jointly developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service and The Texas A&M University System.
- TWRI grant recipient helps make Texas water data easily accessible
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Eric Hersh, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, worked with his advising professor Dr. David Maidment to develop an information system to facilitate the public discovery, acquisition, and sharing of data relevant to environmental flows. The information system makes water data from fields such as hydrology and hydraulics, water quality, climatology, geomorphology and physical processes, and biology, available in a consistent and accessible manner, all in one place.
- Floriculture water webinar planned
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People in floriculture who need to know about water quality, conservation and management but can’t travel to a remote meeting now have a new option. The Ellison Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University is offering a webinar, or series of meetings via the Internet, according to Dr. Charlie Hall, Ellison chairholder and Texas AgriLife Research horticulturist.
- Groundwater conference scheduled for October
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The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), in conjunction with Texas A&M University’s Water Degree Program will host the third annual Groundwater 101 Conference on Oct. 13-14, at the College Station Conference Center. This year’s conference will be combined with the Aquifers of the Upper Coastal Plains Conference, part of a series of conferences by TWDB’s Groundwater Division that will eventually cover all major and most minor aquifers in the state.
- Texas ET Network installs Georgetown weather station
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Residents in Williamson County now have a way to estimate how much water they need to irrigate. The Texas ET Network, a program of Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s Irrigation Technology Center, recently installed an agricultural weather station in Georgetown, according to an AgriLife Extension associate.
- TAMMI conference to address lessons learned from Hurricane Ike livestock casualties
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After Hurricane Ike hit in 2008, Texas government officials and Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel were faced with the loss of about 4,800 adult cattle and 5,600 calves killed in the storm surge zone.
- Dust Bowl to Mud Bowl conference to be held in Kansas City
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“From Dust Bowl to Mud Bowl: Sedimentation, Conservation Measures and the Future of Reservoirs,” a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Kansas State University, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society, is scheduled for Sep. 14-16, in Kansas City, Mo.
- TWDB upgrades Water IQ site
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The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has recently revised the WaterIQ.org water conservation public awareness Web site, which provides an opportunity for Texans to learn more about water conservation efforts throughout the state.
- Inaugural International Flash Flood Laboratory workshop to be held
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The International Flash Flood Laboratory (IFFL) Inaugural Workshop will be held Oct. 19 at Texas State University-San Marcos. Sponsored by the James and Marilyn Lovell Center for Environmental Geography and Hazards Research, the IFFL workshop will determine what activities the laboratory should initiate to effectively serve the mission of reducing flash flood fatalities and property loss, according to Dr. Pamela S. Showalter, center director.
- Baylor research tests wetlands used in septic tank systems
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Two Baylor University researchers have created and tested several new on-site wastewater treatment systems to see if they could be part of the next generation of residential treatment systems, according to a Baylor news release.
- TNRIS Web site adds new mapping features
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The Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) has added an interactive mapping component to the front page of its Web site. Using technology developed from the Geospatial Emergency Management Support System, the new map viewer offers real-time weather and traffic information to anyone who visits the site. Data feeds supply real-time Doppler weather radar, precipitation, and county level weather warnings. TNRIS is planning additional future enhancements to expand the use of this interactive technology, enhancing accessibility to TNRIS data. TNRIS is part of the Texas Water Development Board.
(From TWDB Water For Texas newsletter)
- New Publications/Papers and Training Courses
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Education of Best Management Practices in the Arroyo Colorado Watershed, Understanding and Installing Drainage Systems, and upcoming training course information.
