Category: 2014
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TSSWCB commemorates 75 years of soil and water conservation
May 29 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and the organization is celebrating its diamond jubilee throughout the rest of the year. According to Rusty Ray, public affairs specialist at TSSWCB, the annual state meeting of Soil And Water Conservation District Directors will commemorate the 75th anniversary and will…
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Rainwater harvesting soaking in
After a long dry period, many parts of the state have finally received some badly needed rain, and those with rainwater harvesting systems have been reaping the rewards of this belated gift from Mother Nature, said Texas A&M AgriLife water resources experts. “Rainwater harvesting is a time-tested and effective means of water conservation and irrigation,”…
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Keeping landscapes in shape: There’s an app for that
Many tools are available for turf managers to help monitor soil or weather conditions, diagnose turf problems or even take the guesswork out of selecting the best-suited grass type for the shade environment, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turf expert. Dr. Ben Wherley, an assistant professor for turfgrass science/ecology with AgriLife Research and…
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Automated meter infrastructure project: How technology can reduce water usage
If people knew it cost around $20 extra at the end of the month to leave their water hose on overnight, they might be more conscious about making sure it’s off. At least that’s the idea that Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station are testing in…
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From our director: The state of the institutes
At the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), we share a complementary mission. Our role is to advance the interdisciplinary approaches required to effectively address complex natural resource challenges. Since land and water activities are intrinsically linked, the Institutes collaborate on a wide range of issues.…
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River course: TAMU graduate students gain experiential learning on Rio Grande
Learning about river hydrology is more impactful in a canoe than in a classroom – or at least that’s what a new graduate student course is betting on. “We’re doing a study of the Rio Grande as a part of our graduate water program here,” said Dr. Ronald Kaiser, chair of the Water Management and Hydrological…
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The Cattleman magazine features Texas Well Owner Network
Published by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, The Cattleman magazine’s annual water issue recently featured the statewide education and water well screening work of the Texas Well Owner Network (TWON). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service personnel conducted 14 free, 6-hour Well Educated TWON trainings during 2013, with about 750 participants. The program continues through 2016, and additional trainings are…
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Lufkin landowner honored with conservation award
Virginia H. Winston of Lufkin, owner of the 3,418-acre Winston 8 Ranch five miles south of Nacogdoches, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Leopold Conservation Award. Winston received the award, the state’s highest honor for private land conservation, for her family’s ecological transformation of their East Texas land in Nacogdoches County, according to the Texas Parks…
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Zebra mussel rules for boating now expanded statewide
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has approved a new regulation requiring that all boats operating on public fresh water anywhere in Texas be drained before leaving or approaching a lake or river to help combat the further spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species. The rapidly reproducing mussels, originally from Eurasia, can have…
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Wurbs honored by American Academy of Water Resources Engineers
Dr. Ralph Wurbs, Arthur McFarland Professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University, was recently named an Honorary Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE), a part of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). AAWRE’s Diplomate certification was developed to improve the practice, elevate the standards and advance the profession…
