Peer-reviewed publications by TWRI scientists
Distribution of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Rapidly Urbanizing Arroyo Colorado Watershed, Texas: Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) and Texas A&M University scientists collaborated on this first study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water samples collected in the Arroyo Colorado watershed. PFAS levels were measured in water samples from irrigation canals, stormwater and wastewater retention ponds, and municipal drinking water.
A changing river: Long-term changes of sinuosity and land cover in the Navasota River Watershed, Texas: Researchers from TWRI and Texas A&M AgriLife Research examined historical flow data, channel morphology, land use/land cover, and precipitation in the Navasota River Basin. They found that the shortening and straightening of the river, coupled with increased impervious surface cover and precipitation in the watershed, have significantly influenced downstream flooding.
Water-related research from universities around Texas
Extreme drought impacts have been underestimated in grasslands and shrublands globally: Joining more than 170 authors around the globe, a Texas A&M scientist contributed to this study using a coordinated distributed experiment to quantify the impact of short-term drought on grassland and shrubland ecosystems. They used a standardized approach to impose a single year of drought at 100 sites on six continents and found that projected increases in drought severity have been significantly underestimated and that drier and less diverse sites are likely to be most vulnerable to extreme drought.
Estimating hydraulic diffusivity in coastal confined aquifer under tidal fluctuation using a frequency domain model: Modeling the hydraulic properties of coastal aquifers is increasingly important as environmental and ecological problems mount in coastal areas. Coauthored by a Texas A&M geologist, this research applied the frequency domain model to estimate the hydraulic diffusivity of the coastal aquifer by adjusting the mathematical model, and the results showed it successfully estimating aquifers with complicated boundary conditions.
Rapid mapping of global flood precursors and impacts using novel five-day GRACE solutions: University of Texas at Austin researchers analyzed flood event data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite. Results showed the potential for GRACE integration into operational frameworks to enhance flood detection and recovery.
