Category: 2015
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Meet TWRI Associate Director Kevin Wagner
As a freshman studying biology at Howard Payne University, Dr. Kevin Wagner dreamt of becoming a physical therapist. But, he soon realized the impact of his childhood days spent playing in the streams on his grandfather’s ranch. His heart was in water resources. Wagner’s passion for water led him to change his career path and pursue graduate…
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New Texas Water Journal articles published
A book review of Sharing the Common Pool: Water Rights in the Everyday Lives of Texans by Charles R. Porter and an article about regulating hydraulic fracturing in Texas are the two newest published articles in the Texas Water Journal, Volume 6, Number 1. The online, peer-reviewed journal is published jointly by the Texas Water Resources Institute and The Texas Water Journal,…
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USDA allocates $6.5 million for Ogallala Aquifer work
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $6.5 million in the Ogallala Aquifer region this year to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of water and improve water quality. Funding will target seven focus areas in five states, including Texas, to support their primary water source and…
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Rainwater harvesting award recipients honored by TWDB
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently announced the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. Awards were given in in five categories: community, commercial, nonprofit, education and government. TWDB’s 2014 Rain Catcher Award winners are: Since the program began in 2007, TWDB has recognized 27 entities and one individual.…
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TWRI awards two U.S. Geological Survey graduate research grants
The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) has awarded U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) graduate research grants to two students for March 2015 – February 2016. The grant recipients are: TWRI administers this program with funds from USGS, through the National Institutes for Water Resources. Since 2001, TWRI has awarded more than $645,000 in USGS grants to support 120 students in water-related…
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Meet a scientist: Anish Jantrania
Despite the critical need to treat and reuse wastewater, many water consumers are unaware of the process, according to Dr. Anish Jantrania of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Transforming complex wastewater science into easily applied information is his mission. “We all agree that water is important, but people tend to shy away from it because the whole subject…
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SELECT model offers cost-effective way to identify areas for needed management
A spatial model provides a cost-effective way to identify priority areas for implementing voluntary best management practices in an impaired South Texas watershed, according to results from a Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) study recently published in the Texas Water Journal. “The Spatially Explicit Load Enrichment Calculation Tool, or SELECT, was…
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Urban Riparian Symposium brings together riparian professionals
Even in cities, amidst the tall buildings, fast cars and busy people, there are still natural resources that need protection — particularly urban riparian areas, according to Nikki Dictson, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) Extension program specialist. These vegetative buffers found along rivers and streams are complex ecosystems that include the land, plants, animals and network…
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Groundwater and conservation discussions dominate water symposium
Water conservation and the management and science of groundwater dominated the discussions at a recent water symposium at Texas State University. The Texas Tribune hosted the day-long event March 10 that included panels on state water funding, groundwater, water conservation and the poor quality of drinking water along the Texas-Mexico border. The first panel discussed water planning…
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New institute annual reports
Continuing to work together towards the conservation of land, water and wildlife, the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) both experienced growth and had positive impacts in 2014. IRNR and TWRI received a total of $9,968,278 in funding in 2014 and administered 57 research and Extension projects. Time spent by…
