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The Alabama Water Resources Research Institute is a university-based interdisciplinary, problem-oriented research and technology center with support from the federal government that enables the program to address broad national needs and relevant industrial technology.
The Water Resources Research Institute coordinates research programs which are applicable to the solution of present and emerging water resources problems. In carrying out this mission, the Institute has developed a broadly based research, training, information transfer, and public service program involving personnel from many academic disciplines in the state's research universities.
The Alabama Water Resources Research Institute is one of 54 water resources institutes nationwide authorized by the federal Water Resources Research Act. The state-based Water Resources Research Institutes are located at land grant universities and promote research and information dissemination on the state's and nation's water resources problems.
News
EPA Releases New Technical Document- Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds: Concepts, Assessments, and Management Approaches
EPA recently released a new technical document entitled Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds: Concepts, Assessments, and Management Approaches. This document provides state water quality and aquatic resource scientists and managers with an overview of the key concepts behind the Healthy Watersheds Initiative (HWI). The HWI is intended to preserve and maintain natural ecosystems by protecting our remaining healthy watersheds, preventing them from becoming impaired, and accelerating our restoration successes. The HWI encourages states to take a strategic, systems approach to protecting healthy watersheds and preventing future water quality impairments. This new technical document provides examples of approaches for assessing components of healthy watersheds, integrated assessment options for identifying healthy watersheds, examples of management approaches, and some assessment tools and sources of data.
EPA Unveils New Website on Nutrient Pollution
EPA is pleased to unveil a new website on nutrient pollution policy and data to help individuals access information on EPA actions to reduce nutrient pollution, state efforts to develop numeric nutrient criteria, and EPA tools, data, research, and reports related to nutrient pollution. Visit the Nutrient Pollution Policy and Data website. Nutrient pollution is one of America’s most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water. EPA is also pleased to unveil a new website on nutrient pollution for homeowners, students, and educators. The site features information explaining the problem of nutrient pollution; the sources of the pollution; how it affects the environment, economy, and public health; and what people can do to reduce the problem. The site also features an interactive map of local case studies in reducing nutrient pollution. Visit the Nutrient Pollution website.
Climate Ready Estuaries 2011 Progress Report Released
EPA is announcing publication of the “Climate Ready Estuaries 2011 Progress Report.” Climate Ready Estuaries is an EPA program intended to help the national estuary programs and coastal managers plan for climate change. Climate Ready Estuaries works with national estuary programs to: (1) assess climate change vulnerabilities, (2) develop and implement adaptation strategies, and (3) engage and educate stakeholders. Climate Ready Estuaries uses National Estuary Program examples to help other coastal managers, and provides technical guidance and assistance about climate change adaptation in support of Clean Water Act goals.
Water is Focus of Rachel Carson Intergenerational Contest
EPA invites the public to submit creative projects to the 6th annual Rachel Carson intergenerational “Sense of Wonder” contest. There are four categories: photography, essay, poetry and dance. This year, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the contest will focus on a “Sense of Water.” Contest submissions are encouraged to focus on the various properties of water – how it sounds, feels, tastes and looks – and what water means to the entrants. The deadline for entries is June 1, 2012, and winners will be announced in September 2012. A panel of judges will select finalists in each category, and the winners will be determined by a public online vote that will begin in August 2012.
White House National Ocean Council Announces Draft Plan to Improve Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and Great Lakes
On January 12, 2012, the White House’s National Ocean Council released for public comment the draft “National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan,” detailing more than 50 actions the Federal Government will take to improve the health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The draft plan focuses on promoting efficiency and collaboration across government, managing resources with an integrated approach, making available and using the best science and information, and supporting regional efforts and public-private partnerships. EPA is one of 27 Federal members of the National Ocean Council. The draft Plan will be available for public comment through February 27, 2012.
New Data Added to EPA’s Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool
EPA has added updated U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) data to the nitrogen and phosphorus pollution data access tool, a tool intended to help states develop effective nitrogen and phosphorus source reduction strategies. SPARROW is a GIS-based watershed model that integrates statistical and mechanistic modeling approaches to simulate long-term mean annual stream nutrient loads as a function of a wide range of known sources and factors affecting nutrient fate and transport.
New Tool Provides Access to Water Pollution Data
EPA announced the release of a new tool that provides the public with important information about pollutants that are released into local waterways. The discharge monitoring report pollutant loading tool brings together millions of records and allows for easy searching and mapping of water pollution by local area, watershed, company, industry sector and pollutant. The public can use this new tool to protect their health and the health of their communities.
2010-2011 Climate Change and Water Progress Report Available Online
EPA has released the “U.S. EPA National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change 2010 - 2011 National and Regional Highlights of Progress.” This is the third and final progress report covering the 2008 version of EPA’s climate change strategy. Future annual progress reports will reflect activities related to the 2012 version that is under development. The progress report highlights the accomplishments of EPA’s water programs during 2010 and 2011, and touches upon EPA activities and efforts undertaken across headquarters, regions, and the large aquatic ecosystem programs to address climate change impacts on our water programs.
EPA Releases Recovery Potential Screening Website to Assist Restoration Planners
EPA announced the release of a new technical assistance tool for surface water quality protection and restoration programs: the Recovery Potential Screening website. Recovery Potential Screening is a user-driven, flexible approach for comparing relative differences in restorability among impaired waters. The website provides step-by-step screening directions, time-saving tools for calculating indices and displaying results, summaries of over 120 ecological, stressor and social indicators, a recovery literature database, and several case studies.
New EPA PCB TMDL Handbook Released (PDF)
EPA has issued a technical document titled Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Handbook, which provides EPA regions, states, and other stakeholders with updated information for addressing Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) waters impaired by PCBs. PCBs rank sixth among the national causes of water quality impairment in the country, and of the 71,000 waterbody-pollutant combinations listed nationally, over 5,000 (eight percent) are PCB-related. This handbook identifies various approaches to developing PCB TMDLs and provides examples of TMDLs from around the country, complete with online references. It aims to help states complete more PCB TMDLs and ultimately restore those waters impaired by PCBs.
U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water Program Posts New Web Pages
The U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water Program has posted online revised web pages for the Cooperative Water Program. Learn about and directly access water data on streams, groundwater and water quality, as well as selected products released in 2011 on water availability, ecosystem health, water quality and drinking water, water hazards, energy, and climate.
EPA and Partners Release Climate Change Handbook for Regional Watershed Planning to Assist Water Managers Plan for Climate Change
Developed cooperatively by the U.S.EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Water Resources, and the Resources Legacy Fund, the “Climate Change Handbook for Regional Watershed Planning” provides a framework for considering climate change in water management planning. Key decision considerations, resources, tools, and decision options are presented that will guide resource managers and planners as they develop means of adapting their programs to a changing climate. The handbook uses the California Department of Water Resources’ Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) planning framework as a model into which analysis of climate change impacts and planning for adaptation and mitigation can be integrated. In addition, the handbook provides a checklist for identifying and prioritizing the vulnerability of local watersheds. The checklist includes questions about water demand and supply, wildlife and habitat, sea level rise, critical infrastructure, and hydropower.
EPA Extends Comment Period for the Proposed CAFO Rule
On October 21, 2011, EPA published a proposed rule that would require concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) to submit basic operational information to the Agency. EPA received requests from the public for additional time to submit comments, and is extending the public comment period to January 19, 2012. EPA proposed the rule in order to more effectively carry out its CAFO permitting programs on a national level and ensure that CAFOs are implementing practices to protect water quality and human health.
Virginia Low Impact Design Competition Now Open
Potomac Conservancy, the Friends of the Rappahannock, and The James River Association announced a competition to challenge teams of development professionals to demonstrate cost-effective approaches to replicating pre-development hydrology on several development sites across the state. First-place awards of $15,000 will be given for each of three design areas are open for competition: suburban, mixed-use development; urban redevelopment; and green roadways. Design submission period closes on February 17, 2012.
AWRRI Awards FY-2012 AL Water Resources Grants
Alabama Water Resources Research Institute recently announced the award of three FY-2012 AL Water Resources Grants. The object of this program is to facilitate research faculty in the state in making significant advances, and increasing regional and national competitiveness, in the water resources arena. For the purpose of this competition, “water resources arena” is defined in the broadest possible terms. Proposals are invited from all permanent full time tenured, tenure-track and non-tenured faculty from any universities or colleges in Alabama.
Details about the awarded proposals are available at http://awrri.auburn.edu/grants.php
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2011