Author: TWRI
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Experts release recommendations on water sustainability in Texas
A diverse group of water and energy experts, known as the Texas Roundtable on Water, has published a set of recommendations “to ensure the security and sustainability of water resources for the long-term economic and social viability of Texas,” according to the group’s news release. “These leaders have worked to find consensus solutions that they…
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Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas center wins 2014 WaterSense Excellence Award
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2014 WaterSense Excellence Award for Outreach and Education. Clint Wolfe, the Dallas center’s Urban Water Program manager, said the center has a long history of providing research-based educational programs on water use efficiency in the…
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BST team wins interdisciplinary research award
Texas A&M University’s bacterial source tracking (BST) team received the 2014 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Interdisciplinary Research at the college’s awards ceremony Sept. 10 in the AgriLife Center. The Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Awards are the highest awards in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences presented to faculty,…
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20-year USGS pesticides study shows aquatic life threats, some improvements
Levels of pesticides continue to be a concern for aquatic life in many of the nation’s rivers and streams in agricultural and urban areas, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study spanning and comparing two decades (1992–2001 and 2002–2011). However, the pesticide levels seldom exceeded human health benchmarks. Over half a billion pounds of pesticides…
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Meet a scientist: Cristine Morgan
Although she began as a pre-law student at Texas A&M University, Dr. Cristine Morgan quickly realized her passion for soil science and made a career out of it. “When I had to sit down and make a choice about what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life, I decided on soil science,” she…
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Celebrate Protect Your Groundwater Day Sept. 9
Join the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) and the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) Sept. 9 in recognizing the importance of groundwater as part of Protect Your Groundwater Day. Protecting groundwater consists of protecting it from contamination and using the resource wisely, and citizens’ actions directly impact groundwater quality and quantity, according to NGWA. Groundwater is a vital resource to both rural…
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Bryan, College Station citizen scientists help map local water impairment issues
The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) created the Carters Creek Stream Team in late 2012 to expand the local water quality monitoring workforce and collect water samples across the Carters Creek watershed, which encompasses much of the Bryan and College Station area. The team provides water quality data from across the watershed that will aid in identifying…
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Meet a scientist: Kirk Winemiller
Dr. Kirk Winemiller became fascinated by natural science at an early age. “As a child, I liked the outdoors, and I liked animals,” he said. “I grew up in a rural area playing outside in the woods and meadows, especially streams.” Today, Winemiller is an ecologist and Regents Professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at…
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Texas A&M research shows getting energy from oil and gas doesn’t require using fresh groundwater
Oil and gas exploration operations can and must operate under environmentally sound practices and according to a research study at Texas A&M University, hydraulic fracturing in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas can lessen its environmental impact by switching from fresh groundwater to abundant supplies of brackish groundwater. Graduate students at the Bush School of…
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Drought-stricken trees offer study platform
Severe drought across Texas since 2011 has produced a unique opportunity for Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists to gain a greater understanding of the decaying process of trees and the effects on the surrounding ecosystem. Three AgriLife Research scientists in the Texas A&M University Department of Ecosystem Science and Management have been approved for a three-year, $347,426…
