OSU Water News Archive

This list compiles news and web stories that feature OSU water and watershed faculty and students.

Phantom fax just one obstacle to planning Oregon's water future (Oregonian, 7/1/09) - House Bill 3369 sounded the alarm about Oregon's future water supplies. It was passed by the House 43-16 on June 26 and by the Senate 20-9 on June 29 as the legislative session wound up, and was sent to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The legislation "indicates that Oregon means business when it comes to water," said Todd Jarvis, an Oregon State University professor and water expert.

Watering Down the Fishery Gene Pool (Scientific American, 6/12/09) - Researchers at Oregon State University (O.S.U.) found that not only do hatchery-raised steelhead—a Pacific trout sharing the same genus, Oncorhynchus, as salmon—produce relatively fewer and weaker offspring once back in a natural environment, but so do their wild-born spawn.

The Water King (The Reef Tank, 6/10/09) - He's a water king? He can do anything? Ok, maybe there's no need for the Jim Morrison reference (Morrison referred to himself as The Lizard King instead). Michael Campana, after all, is no water king. But he does like to refer to himself as an inveterate, unrepentant, water wonk. You can also call him a hydrogeologist, Professor of Geosciences at Oregon State University, founder of the Ann Campana Judge Foundation, a water conservation projects developer,devout water protector, and about a million other names.

The Truth About Water Wars (SeedMagazine.com, 5/14/09) - Seven experts debate the past and present existence of water wars, consider the difficulty of owning a fluid resource, and examine the hot spots for future conflict. The article includes an opinion written by Michael Campana.

Grant to help locate abandoned wells (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 5/12/09) - Benton County and Linn-Benton Community College will assess local abandoned wells in Linn and Benton counties using a $22,000 grant from the Institute for Water and Watersheds, U.S. Geological Service Small Grants Program.

OSU to Offer Nation’s First Online Fisheries Management Certificate (OSU News and Communications Services, 4/27/09) – This fall, Oregon State University will launch what educators say may be the first comprehensive online graduate certificate program in fisheries management in the world. Some universities offer full-time graduate programs or one-term study programs, but there is a “serious curriculum gap” in the field – with little opportunity for professional fisheries managers to get graduate level training while still working, says Michael Harte, an OSU professor who coordinates the program.

Oregon water demand opens door to special interests (Oregonian, 4/27/09) - The state's water cutbacks weren't creating a modern Dust Bowl. "It hasn't turned off a farm," said Don Horneck, an agronomist with the Oregon State University Extension Service.

Oregon's water issues run deep (Oregonian, 4/26/09) - In a state that boasts about webbed feet, access to water is increasingly contested. The state estimates that in the coming years, demand will grow by 1.2 million acre-feet; we use about 9 million acre-feet now. Whoever controls the limited supply will control new housing and industry and how farming expands. In summer, every gallon of water in every stream is already claimed. Aquifers, vast underground reservoirs, are proving a less reliable source for wells, and no one's sure how much water is there. "Every time we turn on a pump, we mine a certain amount of water," said Todd Jarvis, associate director of Oregon State University's Institute for Water and Watersheds.

Jeffrey J. McDonnell to receive John Dalton Medal (European Geosciences Union, 4/16/2009) - Jeff McDonnell holds the Richardson Chair in Watershed Science at Oregon State University. At the European Geosciences Union 2009, Jeffrey J. McDonnell will receive the John Dalton Medal.

Blue Gold: Have the Next Resource Wars Begun? (The Nation, 3/31/09) - What's more than likely is the water crisis will continue to get worse," said Aaron Wolf, a professor of geography at Oregon State University and a specialist in transnational water disputes.

Water Without Borders - (OSU Headline News, 3/25/09) Read about OSU students' experiences as they travel through the Middle East. The group, all of whom are members of the Oregon State Geo Club or Hydrophiles, is blogging about the trip, which includes meeting with stakeholders, as well as with groups like Friends of the Earth Middle East, an organization that makes tremendous progress in water conflict management.

OSU Prof Joins Water Research Journal Editing Team - (Momemtum, March 2009) From an 80-applicant pool, the American Geophysical Union has selected BEE professor John Selker to serve a 4-year term as one of five editors for Water Resources Research. WRR is internationally recognized as the leading journal for research in the social and natural sciences of water.

Workshops target low-impact development, protecting watersheds (Oregonian, 3/23/09) - The Oregon Environment Council is staging a series of low-impact development workshops in Oregon's growing communities. The workshops, in partnership with the Oregon State University Extension/Oregon Sea Grant, cover sustainable stormwater management practices to protect watersheds from urban runoff.

Strategic Industry Partnership Will Boost OSU Surveying Initiative (OSU News and Communications Services, 3/18/09) – The School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Oregon State University is forming a partnership with two industry-leading companies to help address the need for more geospatial surveying professionals and embrace the trend toward “geomatics,” as this age-old profession evolves in an era of sophisticated 3-D data flow, remote sensing, and other new technologies. OSU has signed a memorandum of understanding with David Evans and Associates, Inc., and Leica Geosystems, Inc.

Do nations go to war over water? (Nature, 3/19/09) - Researchers, such as Aaron Wolf at Oregon State University, Corvallis, and Nils Petter Gleditsch at the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, point out that predictions of armed conflict come from the media and from popular, non-peer-reviewed work.

Cracks In The Earth A Danger For Global Warming (Green Prophet, 3/18/09) - Hydrologist Dr. Noam Weisbrod’s research is providing the basic knowledge that can help in solving this crisis by understanding how pollutants reach the subsurface and how they behave underground...Weisbrod found the multidisciplinary challenges in this field exciting. It involved the interface between chemistry, physics, flow behavior and material properties, against the politically charged backdrop of social, commercial and governmental inputs. All these aspects came into play during his postdoctoral studies at the Department of Bioengineering [now Biological and Ecological Engineering] at Oregon State University, where he worked at a government nuclear waste site in Washington state.

Water on the Brain (High Country News, 3/16/2009) - For all of you folks who love to speculate about water supplies and grapple with water politics in the West, Oregon State University has published a brand new compilation of High Country News' best water stories. Water in the 21st Century West, edited by Pomona College professor Char Miller, includes stories published over the past seven years on subjects ranging from tearing down dams and restoring Indian water rights to the impacts of climate-induced drought and the latest water grabs by Los Angeles and Las Vegas. A companion volume, River Basins of the West, will be published by OSU in the fall. To order the first book, call us at 800/905-1155 or go to hcn.org/store.

Californian groups clash over geothermal water use - Renewable energy plant pulled into row over water supplies and impact on local habitats ( BusinessGreen, 3/13/09) - Michael Campana, director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University, has lived most of his life in the southwest of the country. He warned of the need for strict governance in any water-based agreements between municipalities and private companies. "There have to be real clear ground rules and expectations about what the private companies can and can't do, and there also needs to be oversight," he warned. "You just can't turn over everything lock stock and barrel to the company and let them walk away, and not keep your eye on it."

Film examines Umatilla Basin water issues, solutions OSU student’s project premiers here Saturday (The East Oregonian, 2/25/08) - This weekend, Pendleton will have its first showing of the documentary film about water issues in the Umatilla Basin. Oregon State University English grad student Sarah Sheldrick has been working on her film, "Water Before Anything" for more than a year. It had its first showing on Jan. 7 in Corvallis. Since then she's ironed out the kinks and is ready to show a finished film to its target audience. "I think I'm just finishing this week," she said Tuesday. "It'll be hot off the presses for Pendleton."

Peace in the pipeline (viewpoint by Aaron Wolf, Annika Kramer, Alexander Carius and Geoffrey Dabelko) (BBC News, 2/13/09) - "Water wars are coming!" the newspaper headlines scream. It seems obvious; rivalries over water have been the source of disputes since humans settled down to cultivate food. Even our language reflects these ancient roots: "rivalry" comes from the Latin rivalis, or "one using the same river as another". As the number of international river basins and impact of water scarcity has grown, so do the warnings that countries will take up arms to ensure access to water. In 1995, for example, World Bank Vice President Ismail Serageldin famously claimed that "the wars of the next century will be about water," a sentiment echoed regularly ever since. These apocalyptic warnings fly in the face of history. No nations have gone to war specifically over water resources for thousands of years; the only documented case of war with such a specific cause was between the city states of Lagash and Umma on the Tigris River 4,500 years ago.

Once and Future King - Salmon could rebound if we’re willing to pay the price (Terra, Winter 2009) - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were early witnesses to the majesty that is the salmon in the Pacific Northwest. When the explorers first came upon the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers, they observed a scene that was both confusing and awe-inspiring. Wrote Clark: "This river is remarkably Clear and Crouded with Salmon in manye places and I observe in assending great numbers of Salmon dead on the Shores, floating on the water and in the Bottoms which can be seen at the debth of 20 feet." Lewis and Clark may not have known about the wondrous life cycle of the salmon, but the aboriginal peoples of the Pacific Northwest certainly did. Salmon provided an abundant and predictable protein source that was cured, smoked and dried. It provided sustenance through bone-chilling winters and was traded to inland tribes for obsidian or other goods. More than two-dozen scientists in four OSU colleges and colleagues in state and federal agencies are studying the salmon life-cycle. Their work is generating a rare feeling about the future of this Northwest treasure. It is called hope. The following stories suggest what it will take for this symbol of the Northwest to thrive.

Wired Watershed: Fiberoptics bring new precision to ecosystem sensing (Terra, Winter 2009) - High-tech science got a lift last summer from a curiously low-tech device: a potato launcher. Puzzling over the best way to string fiberoptic cable through dense, old-growth canopy, OSU scientists devised a "canon" with an air-compression gun and fishing line weighted by a starchy tuber. From a 100-foot research tower in Oregon's H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, a research assistant spent an afternoon in June launching lengths of Swiss-made cable through towering boughs of Douglas fir and big-leaf maple. "We needed a projectile with a mass sufficient to place the line, something that would not be hazardous and would not light the forest on fire," explains OSU researcher John Selker. "We tried everything - bows and arrows, slingshots. In the end, we were shooting organic, biodegradable potatoes around the forest."

Scientists use NASA technology to measure the consequences of global climate change (Oregon's Agricultural Progress, Winter 2009) Who knew that technology developed for space would end up being the best tools to study ecosystems here on Earth? John Selker got it early on. As a professor of biological and ecological engineering at Oregon State University, he’s been pioneering the use of NASA spinoffs like sensors, wireless, and fiber optics to measure both natural and managed earth-bound environments. His real mission now, he says, is to find new and better ways to apply these spiffy technologies in his own work, and for other researchers, educators, and information-providing businesses.

Coal Creek rebirth: Just add explosives (The Oregonian, 2/8/09) -Early in September an explosion leveled a 30-foot dam on a tributary of the Kilchis River in Tillamook County. That's a good thing. The blast, so powerful it destroyed two remote cameras set up to record it, was intentional -- set to remove the unneeded dam that for nearly six decades blocked Coal Creek, a key salmon stream. It worked perfectly. Gordon Grant, a research hydrologist at the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station said as more and more older dams are removed to benefit fish, it's become clearer that rivers rework themselves quickly. "Where the dam is relatively small, it's a quick response," he said. "The river quickly forgets." Gordon Grant is a Courtesy professor in the Departments of Geosciences, Forest Engineering Resources & Management, Oregon State University.

Dry Lands, Turmoil Provide Perfect Forum for Student Venture (OSU News and Communicatios Services, 2/6/09) - A group of students from Oregon State University who want to learn how to balance water management with conflicting interest groups are headed to one of the most arid, conflict-riddled regions of the world to see what lessons it can offer. In March, 19 undergraduate and graduate students from varying disciplines will travel to Israel and Palestine for two weeks to see how water conflicts have been dealt with in a very dry region that has experienced one conflict or war after another for generations. Leaders of the expedition, which is being organized by two OSU student organizations, say it may be the perfect place for what they need. “We’re going to see the geology, meet the people, and see what’s working in one of the driest parts of the world,” said Elina Lin, an OSU masters student in the Water Resources Policy and Management program. “It’s somewhat amazing that Israel and Palestine have found ways to cooperate on water issues when they can’t seem to get along on almost anything else.”

OSU Fiber-Optic Stream Temperature Work Featured on OPB's Oregon Field Guide (Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2/5/09) - The February 5 edition of Oregon Field Guilde featured John Selker, professor of Biological and Ecological Engineering, and his research team.

OSU Oceanographer, Forest Hydrologist Named AGU Fellows (OSU News and Communications Services, 2/3/09) – Clare Reimers, a professor of chemical oceanography at Oregon State University, and Jeffrey McDonnell, an OSU forest hydrologist, have been elected fellows of the American Geophysical Union.

Absence of wolves causes imbalance in US ecosystem, say scientists Oregon biologists claim loss of landscape's predators has led to the 'unravelling' of environment (McClatchy Newspapers, 1/29/09) - No trace remains of the wolves whose howls ricocheted for millennia down the lush valleys of the Olympic peninsula in Washington state. Settlers and trappers killed them all in little more than three decades. But the loss of the stealthy predators in the early 1900s left a hole in the landscape that scientists say they are just beginning to grasp. The ripples extend throughout what is now Olympic National Park, leading to a boom in elk populations, overbrowsing of shrubs and trees, and erosion so severe it has altered the very nature of the rivers, says a team of Oregon State University biologists.

EPA finds toxins throughout Columbia Basin (Associated Press, 1/15/2009) - The Environmental Protection Agency said in a report Thursday that toxins remain at levels harmful to people, fish and wildlife throughout the Northwest, despite decades-long cleanups. A 2007 survey by EPA and Oregon State University found mercury in every fish and every river sampled in 12 Western states.

Willamette River is topic (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 1/27/08) - The Corvallis Environmental Center and Institute for Water and Watersheds is inviting the public to a “State of the Willamette” river panel discussion 7 p.m. Thursday at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Todd Jarvis, the associate director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds, is expected to moderate. Panelists include Travis Williams, the executive director of Willamette Riverkeepers; Mark Taratoot, the water resources specialist for the City of Corvallis Public Works Department; Mindy Simmons, the Willamette program manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Jared Rubin, Willamette Basin coordinator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Karen Hans, a biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife specializing in salmon and trout enhancement.

Panel Discussion on "The State of the Willamette River" (Corvallis Environmental Center News Release, 1/15/09) – The Institute for Water and Watersheds and the Corvallis Environmental Center present "The State of the Willamette River: A panel discussion." The presentation will be held at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library on January 29 at 7pm. Todd Jarvis, Associate Director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds will moderate. Panelists include: Travis Williams, Executive Director for the Willamette Riverkeepers; Mark Taratoot, Water Resources Specialist for the City of Corvallis Public Works Department; Mindy Simmons, Willamette Program Manager for the United States Army Corps of Engineers; Jared Rubin, Willamette Basin Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; and Karen Hans, Salmon Trout Enhancement Program Biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Oregonians are concerned about water, survey says (Daily Journal of Commerce, 1/7/09) Oregon’s water supply and water infrastructure concern many Oregonians, according to a recent survey performed by Oregon State University. The university’s Institute for Water and Watersheds surveyed 301 people during five different water roundtables throughout the state last fall and found that two-thirds of respondents believe that Oregon’s quantity of water won’t meet future needs.

Editorial: Good water news was submerged in report (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 1/6/09) - There was good news about Oregon water issues last week, but you might have missed it because it was easier to focus on the bad news. Both the bad news and the good news came from the same source: A report from Oregon State University’s Institute for Water and Watersheds on a series of roundtable meetings the institute held last year around the state. The bad news is that most of the participants in the five sessions believed that the state would have problems ensuring adequate supplies of water in 20 years’ time. That gloomy assessment is even more sobering, considering that the roundtable meetings tended to attract people who already had been thinking long and hard about water issues in the state. But the good news is worth considering as well: The same people worried about Oregon’s water supply also have been pondering potential solutions. And it gets better: The ideas being tossed around in the roundtables were heavy on local and regional solutions. In fact, according to Michael Campana, the director of the OSU Institute for Water and Watersheds, participants were leery of one-size-fits-all solutions being imposed by state and federal authorities.

Water supply concerns Oregonians (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 1/6/09) - In a state that’s known for abundant water — at least the kind that falls from the sky — a number of Oregon residents nevertheless worry about whether the state has enough water to meet future needs. That pessimistic outlook was one of the findings of a series of water “roundtables” organized around the state by Oregon State University’s Institute for Water and Watersheds. But there was good news to emerge from the five sessions, according to Michael Campana, director of the institute: Many of the participants in the sessions obviously had thought deeply about water issues, and were focused on searching for common solutions. “People were very interested in seeking those local and regional solutions,” Campana said.

Water plan film premiers Jan. 7 (The East Oregonian, 1/2/2009) - The documentary film about the Umatilla Basin and the 2050 Water Management Plan, "Water Before Anything," will premier at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Room 208 at the Oregon State University Memorial Union. During the past year, English graduate student Sarah Sheldrick has been filming the documentary, which will run about 40 minutes. Sheldrick's film looks at the unique collaboration between Umatilla County, irrigation districts, farmers and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as they came together over the past five years to form the Umatilla Critical Groundwater Task Force and produce the 2050 Plan in August. "The story itself has been really engaging," Sheldrick said in a previous interview. "I'm really excited about being let into what's going on here because it's very unique."

Confidence in Oregon's water supplies evaporates (Capital Press, 12/30/2008) - Despite Oregon's abundant rainfall, Oregonians don't believe the state has enough water to meet its needs - not now and definitely not in the future. A recently released report from five water roundtables held last fall in different parts of the state, shows a majority of 300 participants are wary about the state's ability to meet its current water needs. Confidence in Oregon's ability to meet its future needs is even lower. About two-thirds of the participants said in 20 years, the quantity of water in Oregon won't be adequate to supply Oregon's cities, farms and wildlife. The water roundtables were held last fall in Salem, Bend, Newport, Ontario and Medford. "This was an effort to simply find out what was on Oregonians' minds when it came to water issues," said Michael Campana, director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University. "We found that people were not optimistic about future water supplies, and that there are a lot of concerns."

Oregonians foresee future water shortages (The Oregonian, 12/30/2008) Oregon may be known for the rain that feeds its rivers, but Oregonians are pessimistic there will be enough water to go around as the state's population grows and climate change possibly makes summers even drier. That was the take-home message from five "Water Roundtables" held throughout the state in September and October as an initial step toward developing a strategy for how the state will meet rising demand on its limited water supplies. Two-thirds of those surveyed at the roundtables -- held in cities from the rain-drenched coast to the high eastern deserts -- do not think that Oregon in 2028 will have enough water to cover all its needs, including the needs of wildlife.

Oregonians Worried About Adequate Water Supply (OSU News and Communication Services, 12/30/2008) – A majority of Oregonians who recently participated in a series of water forums don’t believe the state has enough water to meet all of its basic needs, including those of wildlife. Despite its abundant rainfall, people are pessimistic now and even more wary about where the state will be in 20 years; about two-thirds of respondents in statewide forums said the quantity of water won’t be adequate to meet future needs. There are fears about protecting existing water rights, adequate land use planning, climate change and other issues. People want solutions, but they want those solutions crafted from the bottom-up, not by state or federal mandates. These are among the findings in one of the first surveys ever done in Oregon to ask people what they think about water issues. They reflect the participation of 301 citizens attending five different water “roundtables” around the state this past fall. “This was an effort to simply find out what was on Oregonians’ minds when it came to water issues,” said Michael Campana, director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University. “We found that people were not optimistic about future water supplies, and that there are a lot of concerns.

The Man Who Bridges Troubled Waters - Aaron Wolf mediates disputes around the world, bringing entrenched enemies to a common understanding: No one deserves to have the water shut off. (Miller-McCune, 12/22/2008) - In 1991, as Aaron Wolf was finishing his doctoral dissertation, the Madrid Middle East peace process was just getting under way. The two sides decided to tackle five sets of regional issues, including the equitable division of water resources. As a budding expert on the subject — his research focused on the Jordan River and its dual role as "a flashpoint and a vehicle for dialogue" — Wolf agreed to advise the U.S. team designing the talks.

OSU researchers improve wastewater drug test (AP, KTVZ-TV, 12/10/08) - Oregon State University researchers say they have improved a monitoring system for detecting drugs in sewage water. The system announced last year can be useful for determining the extent of illegal drug use in entire communities by testing water at municipal wastewater treatment plants. It also measures the use of pharmaceutical drugs. The technique may be an effective tool for comparing general patterns of drug use in different regions of the United States and the world. The new test eliminates the need for sample preparation, saving time and money and decreasing the risk of contamination. The results of the test are in the Dec. 15 issue of the American Chemical Society journal.

City intern helps map watershed condition through Salem, Engineer and OSU student walk more than five miles in creeks (Statesman Journal, 12/10/08) - The job of an intern is never easy. There's filing, running errands and, of course, walking through miles and miles of streams with a clipboard. Well, that last part is just for environmental engineering interns with the city of Salem. During the summer Ken Roley, a city facilities engineering services manager, and Nate Fulton, an intern from Oregon State University, walked the more than five miles of streams covering the Glenn and Gibson Creeks Watershed.

Project alters course of river (Statesman-Journal, 12/9/08) - A $1.2 million project at Willamette Mission State Park soon will allow the Willamette River to flow through a 2-mile channel blocked by a dike since the 1940s. It is one of a handful of key restoration projects identified by the state for partially returning the Willamette River to its historical meandering course. The idea is to undo what has been done to rivers for the past 150 years: forcing them to flow in a single, predictable channel. …Smaller channels allow water to slow down and cool, which is needed by native fish, particularly salmon. "It will help young fish as they migrate down the river and out to the lower Columbia and ocean," said Stan Gregory, aquatic ecologist with the department of fisheries and wildlife at Oregon State University. "When they migrate down in the middle of the river, they don't want to go flying down to the ocean. They need to seek refuge in slow-velocity waters and slip into those channels. And then it is also important for migrating adult salmon as they go upstream because it allows them resting places.

Harvest of Rain Engineering water systems for Salvadoran coffee farmers reaps unexpected rewards (OSU President's Quarterly Report, 12/2008) - Last year's excursions to the remote hill country of southwestern El Salvador promised to be excellent adventures for Scott Crook and Aparna Shrivastava. The OSU students' mission - to build clean-water systems with coffee farmers living high in a hidden rainforest - would test their engineering skills and slake their thirst for new experiences. They never expected the project to change their lives. "It completely transformed my belief in me," says Shrivastava, a junior in mechanical engineering from Tigard, Oregon. "It changed my perspective about what I can do for the world."

OSU Conference to Examine Oregon's Limited Ground Water (OSU News and Communications Service, 12/5/08) – Water experts and owners of wells will meet on Dec. 11 in Salem to learn about and discuss growing concerns over Oregon's limited groundwater and to identify potential solutions. The conference, called Wells and the Well-being of Oregon, is sponsored by Oregon State University's Institute for Water and Watersheds and OSU's Oregon Sea Grant Extension Service. It's geared not only toward individuals who use wells but also water-masters, hydrogeologists, land use planners, real estate agents, lawyers and public officials.

River map shows who uses the water - (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 11/29/08) - If you live in Corvallis, about 70 percent of what you drink, bathe in and water your lawn with comes from the Willamette River. That shouldn’t be surprising, given that the Willamette is the main watercourse draining all of western Oregon between the Cascades and the Coast Range. But think about this: Wilsonville just built a $50 million treatment plant on the Willamette. And dozens of cities, large and small, get their water from the McKenzie, the Santiam, the Tualatin and other Willamette tributaries. That’s apparent from a quick study of a new map produced by the Corvallis Environmental Center with funding from the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University. “As the area grows, more and more communities are looking into tapping into the Willamette River for their water supply,” said Todd Jarvis, associate director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds.

Navigating a change in our water future by Gordon Grant, Guest opinion (The Oregonian, 11/25/2008) - Readers of the recent article in The Oregonian concerning groundwater in the Cascades ("Cascades hide a mother lode of water," Oct. 20) and the follow-up opinion piece by Douglas Woodcock and Marshall Gannett ("Clearing the air on all that water," Oct. 31) might understandably be confused about the current state of knowledge on the source and availability of water in the Cascades now and in the future. There is actually a high level of agreement among federal, state and university scientists and water managers on this important issue. So let me help to clarify both the knowns and unknowns about the Cascade's remarkable groundwater system. Gordon Grant is a research hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service and a coutesy professor of Geosciences at OSU.

Colleges in Oregon get high marks for green (The Oregonian, 10/31/08) - The school year has just begun for Oregon's colleges and universities, but several already are bragging about their report cards -- and we're not talking about law school admissions or party life. The University of Oregon was listed among the nation's top green universities by The Princeton Review. Oregon State University received the same accolade from the Kaplan College Guide. Meanwhile, Willamette University was recognized as first in the nation by the National Wildlife Federation for engaging in the most sustainable activities. And the Sustainable Endowments Institute timed the launch of its greenreportcard.org for the start of classes. Oregon, Oregon State and Willamette each earned high grades from the institute.

Salmon study under fire for minimizing effect of dams (Seattle Times, The Oregonian, Associated Press, others, 10/28/08) It's a startling finding with potentially big political implications: Young salmon running the gantlet of dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers fared just as well as salmon on an undammed river. The dams, after all, are widely considered a chief culprit in the decline of endangered salmon in the West's biggest river. The online scientific journal PLoS Biology, which released the study Monday, jumped on the apparent contradiction with a news release trumpeting that "Dams make no damn difference to salmon survival." …Several of [the study’s] co-authors warned that the similar survival rates don't mean anything about the effect of dams. If both rivers have serious problems for salmon, that doesn't mean either one is doing well, said co-author Carl Schreck, head of the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Oregon State University. The study also could have missed fish that die in the ocean from the stress of passing through the dams. He and colleague Shaun Clements said they stayed involved in the study partly to make sure the findings weren't overstated.

New Study: Salmon Smolt Survival Similar in the Columbia and Fraser Rivers (OSU News and Communications, 10/27/08) – A new study by researchers in Oregon and British Columbia has found that survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead during their migration to the sea through two large Northwest rivers – the Columbia and the Fraser – is remarkably similar despite one major difference. The Columbia River has a series of dams, while the Fraser has none. However, the researchers point out, there clearly are other differences between the rivers. And though the study – using both acoustic and transponder tags – found that the average mortality in both rivers was between 70 and 80 percent over a four-year period, the results should be viewed with caution. Findings of the study were published this week in the journal PLoS Biology .

'Water Before Anything' - Student filmmaker takes on 2050 Plan (The East Oregonian, 10/22/08) - A year ago, Sarah Sheldrick didn't know much about water issues, let alone water in the Umatilla Basin. Since then, the English graduate student at Oregon State University has made six trips from Corvallis to Umatilla County and learned more than she ever wanted to know about water issues facing Eastern Oregon. Sheldrick's done this to shoot a 30-40-minute film "Water Before Anything" about the Umatilla Sub-Basin 2050 Plan, which the Umatilla County Critical Groundwater Task Force completed in August.

The secret's out: Tons of water in Oregon's Cascades (The Oregonian, 10/18/08) The most valuable resource in the national forests atop the Oregon Cascades may not be the timber and recreation spots they're known for, but something else that's largely invisible: water. Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State University have in recent years quietly realized that the high Cascades in Oregon and far Northern California contain an immense subterranean reservoir about as large as the biggest man-made reservoirs in the country. The secret stockpile stores close to seven years' worth of Oregon rain and snow and is likely to become increasingly precious, even priceless, as population and climate add pressure to water supplies. Includes quotes by Gordon Grant, Julia Jones and Michael Campana.

Researchers track cool-water habits of Willamette fish (The Oregonian, 9/16/08) - The research boat chugs down a side alcove in the Willamette River, wires dangling into the water from long poles jutting off its bow. Suddenly, a flash in the water. Josh Williams, an Oregon State University student positioned at the bow, jabs a long-handled net into the depths and pulls up a glistening cutthroat trout. The trout, briefly stunned by an electrical charge from the wires, is an unwitting participant in a research project that may change the shape of the Willamette River in years to come. The fish, about as long as your forearm, has a tiny monitor in its belly that tracks the temperature of the water where it dwells.

Statewide Water Roundtables Seek Public Input (OSU News Service, 9/9/08) – Even though it has a reputation for being eternally wet, Oregon faces many water resource challenges, ranging from the impacts of climate change to stream flows, pollution concerns, groundwater protection and many other topics – and it’s one of only two western states that does not have a long-term water supply plan. As a first step to developing a more cohesive vision for Oregon’s water future, a group of five public forums are being planned around the state with one simple goal – listening to what people have to say. The forums, which will be held in September and October, are free and open to anyone who wants to provide their viewpoint on what Oregon needs, where the state is going, and what Oregonians want in terms of sustainable water management. Some local leaders and other experts will provide brief presentations.

Wild Salmon Center wants to direct money to healthy rivers (The Oregonian, 9/7/08) - Backed by former Gov. John Kitzhaber, the Portland-based Wild Salmon Center is helping push a "salmon stronghold" concept to complement the Endangered Species Act. The center wants Congress to create a multimillion-dollar fund to help the Pacific Coast's strongest wild salmon rivers brace for the future. …Three years ago, Robert Lackey, an Oregon State University professor and fisheries biologist at the EPA's Corvallis lab, helped recruit 33 salmon experts to write "Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon." The book began with a bang: Its editors, including Lackey, predicted that Oregon, Washington and Idaho's population would increase from about 12 million today to 65 million by 2100 if the growth of the past 50 years persists. To meet that challenge, some favored the stronghold approach along with protecting weak runs. Others suggested writing off weak runs, saying taxpayers would veto an all-out approach.

Candidates to Interview for Director of New OUS Climate Research Institute (OSU News Service, 8/29/08) – Four candidates seeking to become the first director of the new Oregon Climate Change Research Institute will visit Oregon State University during the next two months, beginning this Tuesday. The institute was established in 2007 by the Oregon Legislature to help the state better plan for and respond to issues relating to climate change. The new entity, an Oregon University System institute, will be administered by OSU – where it will be physically located – and its institutional partners within OUS.

New Map, Website Outlines Willamette River Water Issues (OSU News Service, 8/29/08) – A new, far more detailed Willamette River Water Quality map and website has been completed and updated for the first time in 11 years, providing access to a wealth of information about water issues in the river basin that is home to more than two out of every three Oregonians. The map and associated information was prepared by the Corvallis Environmental Center with support by the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University. The website is http://water.oregonstate.edu/projects/willwq.htm.

OSU Recognized as One of America’s Top 25 ‘Green Colleges’ and Universities - (OSU News Service, 8/15/08) – Oregon State University’s leadership in environmentally responsible practices has earned it a spot in the Kaplan College Guide 2009’s list of America’s top 25 “green colleges,” officials with the popular annual publication have announced.

OSU research funding grows by $25 million (AP, The Oregonian, The Gazette Times, others, 8/13/08) - Oregon State University has boosted its research funding by $25 million over the last fiscal year. The increase to more than $231 million in external research funding was an 11 percent increase from the previous year and continued an upward trend over the past five years. The OSU College of Science had the most growth, with contracts and grants increasing to $20.7 million, up $5.6 million from the previous year.

Time for Oregon to cash in Columbia water? Either the Northwest sells or the thirsty Southwest starts moving here; so now what? (The Oregonian, 8/10/08) - When parched Southwest states recently considered ways they might bring more water to the overtaxed Colorado River, they imagined snaking a fiberglass straw up the Pacific coast and sipping from the Columbia River. That's probably a pipe dream, but it's also a recurring vision the drenched Northwest might not want to laugh off forever. When desert cities -- enduring record drought -- reach the breaking point, water will have to come from somewhere. And water in the West is largely a zero-sum game: For someone to get it, someone else will have to give it up. Article includes quotes by Michael Campana, IWW Director.

Hydrogeologists Tap into Demand for an Irreplaceable Resource (Science Careers, 8/8/08) - When hydrogeologists talk about their field, one word keeps coming up: "recession-proof." While geologists in the energy and mineral industries face roller-coaster hiring-and-firing cycles, those who study the movement and chemistry of water seeping through rocks and sediment find demand for their expertise almost as steady as the flow of groundwater itself. "I can't think of any unemployed hydrogeologists," says Roy Haggerty , an associate professor of hydrogeology at Oregon State University , Corvallis. It's easy to see why. Water is essential, irreplaceable, and, as populations and economies grow, increasingly in demand and endangered.

Senate Republicans propose selling Oregon water (The Oregonian, 8/1/08) - Republicans in the Oregon Senate released a legislative agenda earlier this week that contained one big surprise: they want to sell Oregon water to "water-poor communities out of state." Northwesterners have always had a healthy fear of their abundant rivers being sucked dry in a Los Angeles-style water raid (anyone seen Chinatown recently?), so the issue usually only comes up when politicians are fighting some outsider expressing interest in the region's water. But state Sen. David Nelson, R-Pendleton, who convinced the Senate R caucus to take up this idea, insists that times have changed and that Oregon could be a Saudi Arabia of water. "We wouldn't allow them to take it," he says of other regions. "We would sell it to them." And he adds that it could make the kind of profits that will help support a level of state services that the taxpayers aren't willing to fund. Nelson has awfully high hurdles to overcome. Michael Campana, director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University, said the state would have to navigate a welter of federal agencies - and Washington state as well - concerned about the impact of drawing water out of the Willamette or Columbia rivers. "Selling water is a really contentious issue," said Campana, adding that he's become more pessimistic about the prospects for Nelson's plan since the senator first floated [sorry, bad pun] the idea with him a few months ago. He noted that when some regions began covetously eying the Great Lakes, the surrounding states put together a compact basically banning out-of-basin water transfers.

Oregon's Sandy River successfully reinvents itself after dam removal Scientists are impressed how fast the river is digesting Marmot Dam sediment (Oregonian, July 30, 2008) - As dams go, Marmot Dam on the Sandy River wasn't huge. But now that it's gone, its impact is turning out to be enormous. The removal of the nearly 50-foot-high dam by Portland General Electric in October gave scientists perhaps their best chance to watch as a river digested a vast amount of rocks, sand and gravel collected over many decades in a reservoir. "Never has this much sediment been released at once into such an active and hungry river," said Gordon Grant, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station. He has studied the dam removal and given presentations on the results at conferences from Sacramento to Venice, Italy.

Students Learn to Design with Nature - (Oregon's Agricultural Progress, Summer 2008) - This year, students at Oregon State University are studying the laws of nature to help design a world more in tune with natural systems.Ecological Engineering combines the tools of engineering design with an understanding of how complex natural systems interact. It is part of both the College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Engineering.

Beyond Wind Plan, Pickens Eyes Pipelines in Drought-Ridden U.S. (Popular Mechanics, 7/24/08) - Legendary Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens recently detailed his plan to wean America off foreign oil by blanketing the Great Plains with wind turbines. But Pickens also has a lesser-known plan that is centered on another commodity, one every bit as vital to America's future as energy—water. If it all works out, his water plan could remake Pickens as a whole new kind of baron. Article includes a quote by IWW Director, Michael Campana.

Crews hunt source of Rainier debris flows Climate change suspected issue for glacier system (The Olympian, 7/21/08) - A slurry of rocks and mud sounded like a freight train when it ripped through a popular Mount Rainier hiking destination in 2001 and scared some television viewers who believed their homes were in the path. Click here to find out more! As it turned out, the debris flow at Comet Falls was less eventful than initially believed, but it gave scientists new insights into a phenomenon that continues to mystify. Researchers are trying to find out whether climate change boosts the probability of such flows. ... This summer, a team of researchers is beginning to gather information that could help provide answers. One of the leading scientists is Gordon Grant, who is a U.S. Forest Service hydrologist and an Oregon State University professor of geosciences. "Geological record documents debris flows for as long as the mountains have been around," Grant said. "But given well documented glacier retreat here and elsewhere, now is a good time to ask whether glacial retreat is changing the risk." Among the scientists' questions: Have debris flows become more frequent? Does this add to the dangers around the Nisqually and Mount Rainier's other ­glacier-fed rivers, making them more likely to jump their banks?

The First Step Home" Study Suggests Upper Klamath Lake is able to Support Juvenile Salmon (USGS Press Release, 7/15/08) - Young Chinook Salmon should be able to grow and develop in the waters of Upper Klamath Lake and the Williamson River, according to a new study. That could be the first step in a journey back to ancestral waters for fall-run Chinook salmon. Researchers found that water-quality conditions in those bodies of water appear adequate for the physiological development of the salmon. The study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Oregon State University. The study examined Iron Gate Hatchery fall-run Chinook salmon, which are a potential candidate for reintroduction.

New Report: Greatest Value of Forests is Sustainable Water Supply (OSU News Service, 7/14/08) – The forests of the future may need to be managed as much for a sustainable supply of clean water as any other goal, researchers say in a new federal report – but even so, forest resources will offer no “quick fix” to the insatiable, often conflicting demands for this precious resource. This new view of forests is evolving, scientists say, as both urban and agricultural demands for water continue to increase, and the role of clean water from forests becomes better understood as an “ecosystem service” of great value. Many factors – changing climate, wildfires, insect outbreaks, timber harvest, roads, and even urban sprawl – are influencing water supplies from forests. Preserving and managing forests may help sustain water supplies and water quality from the nation’s headwaters in the future, they conclude, but forest management is unlikely to increase water supplies. “Historically, forest managers have not focused much of their attention on water, and water managers have not focused on forests,” said Julia Jones, a professor of geosciences at Oregon State University, and vice chair of a committee of the National Research Council, which today released a report on the hydrologic effects of a changing forest landscape. “But today’s water problems demand that these groups work together closely." Gail Achterman, director of the Institute for Natural Resources also served on the committee that authored the report. Link to the OSU press release, the NRC report brief or the full report.

Loss of Wolves Causes Major Ecosystem Disruption at Olympic National Park (OSU News Service, 7/11/08) – Olympic National Park was created in 1938, in part “to preserve the finest sample of primeval forests in the entire United States” – but a new study at Oregon State University suggests that this preservation goal has failed, as a result of the elimination of wolves and subsequent domination of the temperate rainforests by herds of browsing elk. The park, with streamside ecosystems that have been largely denuded of the young trees needed to replace the old ones, and stream systems that bear little resemblance to the narrower and vegetation-lined rivers of the past, is now anything but “primeval” and a very different place than it was 70 years ago, researchers say. The extermination of wolves in the early 1900s set off a “trophic cascade” of changes that appear to have affected forest vegetation and stream dynamics, with possible impacts on everything from fisheries to birds and insects, the scientists wrote in their report, just published in the journal Ecohydrology. Features research by forestry professors Robert Beschta and William Ripple.

Oregon Class Aims To Take The Fight Out Of Water Disputes (OPB Radio, 6/22/2008) - There’s a saying in the West: whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting. But what if you could take the fight out of water conflicts? Oregon State University is offering a series of courses that aims to do just that. The goal is to teach water users to make peace, not war. But will it work? Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

One big drug test: Analyzing a city's sewage can put a number on its vices (Los Angeles Times, 6/22/2008) - Which city uses more cocaine: Los Angeles or London? Is heroin a big problem in San Diego? And has Ecstasy emerged in rural America? Environmental scientists are beginning to use an unsavory new tool -- raw sewage -- to paint an accurate portrait of drug abuse in communities. Like one big, citywide urinalysis, tests at municipal sewage plants in many areas of the United States and Europe, including Los Angeles County, have detected illicit drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana. "Every sample has one illicit drug or another, regardless of location," said Jennifer Field, an environmental chemist at Oregon State University who has tested sewage in many U.S. cities. "You may see differences from place to place, but there's always something."

Corvallis scientist receives U.S. EPA’s Gold Medal award (Environmental Protection Agency – press release, 6/11/2008) - Corvallis resident Robert Lackey was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s highest award for his work identifying practical policy options for sustaining wild salmon populations in the western United States. Lackey, a fisheries biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Corvallis, Ore., received EPA’s Gold Medal for Exceptional Service on May 20 at the national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.  The Gold Medal is given on a highly selective basis for distinguished service of major significance to environmental improvement and to public service. “On behalf of my two Oregon State University co-project leaders and 33 other project scientists, policy analysts, and policy advocates from both Canada and the United States, I’m thrilled to see the important work we’ve done to restore wild salmon runs in North America being recognized with such a prestigious award,” said Dr. Lackey.  “This approach to solving such environmental problems is cutting edge.  That the Agency has recognized our research with the Gold Medal shows the willingness of EPA to address significant science and policy challenges.” For more information about Lackey, go to http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/ and about the Salmon 2100 Project, go to http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/Salmon2100.htm.

OSU Scientist Uses Fiber Optics to Measure Water and Air - Scientists at Oregon State University are using fiber optics to study the temperature of water, the flow of air, and the dynamics of snow melt (Physorg.com, 6/9/2008) - This technology – called distributed temperature sensing (DTS) – uses the same sort of fiber optic communication cables that make your telephone work, to measure temperatures at one-meter intervals over distances exceeding 10 kilometers. An intense laser pulse is sent down the fiber and the fiber's temperature is computed from the light that bounces back – the warmer the fiber, the more blue-shifted light returns. "We are able to monitor changes in temperature with greater than 10,000 times the resolution possible a few years ago," said John Selker, a professor of biological and ecological engineering at OSU who has pioneered the new use of this technology. See also the related OSU News Service press release.

OSU Begins Oak Creek Restoration at Livestock Facilities (OSU News Service, 6/4/2008) – Workers have begun clearing understory along Oak Creek as part of a yearlong project to restore and protect areas of the creek that wind through Oregon State University’s livestock facilities. Over the years, nonnative plants made the areas their home, unruly blackberries ran amok and fences deteriorated. So the university applied for and received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to create wildlife habitat and riparian buffers along more than five miles of streams that include Oak Creek and its tributaries.

Bug Counts, Close Up (College of Engineering 2007 Annual Report, 5/2008) - Engineers & Entomologists Innovate Arthropod ID System The presence – or lack – of bugs in water and soil can tell humans a great deal: the water quality of a stream or watershed, the health of soil in a certain place, the impact of global warming on the ocean food chain.

Restoring Rivers (College of Engineering 2007 Annual Report, 5/2008) - In most of her research, biological and ecological engineering professor Desiree Tullos collaborates with people all over the planet – from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Yunnan Province, China.

Streams of blood, or streams of peace (The Economist, 5/1/2008) - When Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, was asked to ponder the future of the world before an audience of powerful businessmen and politicians, at a meeting in Switzerland earlier this year, he could have chosen any topic he liked. What he focused on was both a hoary old favourite, and a newly popular preoccupation, of debates on world affairs: the rising risk of wars over fresh water, as populations increase and the world gets drier. Researchers at Oregon State University say they have found evidence…showing that the world's 263 trans-boundary rivers (whose basins cover nearly half the land surface of the world) generate more co-operation than conflict.

New OSU Program Aims To Smooth The Rough Waters Of Water Conflict (OPB-FM, 4/24/2008) - Water is a valuable commodity.  And it’s one that people have been fighting over for centuries.  But how do you resolve those conflicts when lives are on the line? OSU geography professor Aaron Wolf says it takes a combination of technical know-how and people skills. Aaron Wolf:  “Anybody who’s dealt with water management of any scale or aspect knows intuitively that water management is conflict management.  So knowing how to speak different and listen different about water is a critical skill set.” Wolf says those skills will be taught as part of the new graduate level water management program at OSU.  It’s one of a handful of such programs in the world. Read more about the program.

Oregon State offers new water conflict management certificate (Gazette-Times, AP, KTVZ.com-Bend, 4/21/2008) - Oregon State University is offering a new graduate certificate in water conflict management. The Oregon State program was created in 2002 as the university worked to help mediate water problems around the world. The school says the program may be useful for students in engineering, hydrogeology, political science or law. Training in conflict management would be specialized for students seeking to apply their skills in the United States or abroad. Read more about the program.

Windows on Watersheds - A clear look at industrial forests (Terra, 4/2008) - To the list of problems for watershed research, add dam-building beavers. Last fall, in the rippling waters of Flynn Creek near the Coast Range town of Toledo, Oregon, scientists had placed a probe to take continuous measurements of dissolved oxygen. When the instrument shut down abruptly, hydrologist George Ice went to check. “I saw that the cord was cut,” he says. “A beaver had gnawed it off and stuffed the probe into its dam.” The amused vendor, the Hach Company, provided a free replacement. Ice and other researchers are updating a pivotal forest science project in Flynn Creek and the surrounding Alsea River watershed.

Windows on Watersheds - Batteries not included (Terra, 4/2008) - When Kelly Kibler was looking for graduate schools, the Pacific Northwest caught her fancy. Within days of arriving in Corvallis in June 2005, the dreadlock-wearing forest engineering master’s student from North Carolina hustled down I-5 to Sutherlin to join Skaugset’s hydrology crew at Hinkle Creek. Mornings began with loading sample bottles, fluorescent dye, batteries and other gear into a pickup. Once past a yellow gate a half-hour outside of town, the crew left the pavement on Roseburg Forest Products’ gravel logging roads.

Rivers seen having big role in removing nitrogen (Oregonian, 3/19/08) - Healthy streams with vibrant ecosystems play a critical role in removing excess nitrogen caused by human activities, according to a study last week in Nature. The research is the first to document how much nitrogen rivers and streams can filter through tiny organisms or release into the atmosphere through a process called denitrification. "The study clearly points out the importance of maintaining healthy river systems and native riparian areas," said Stan Gregory, an Oregon State University stream ecologist and study co-author. "It also demonstrates the importance of retaining complex stream channels that give organisms the time to filter out nitrogen instead of releasing it downstream." See also the related OSU News Service press release.

Oregon scientist creates waves in water research - Austin company SensorTran joins in with stream research (Austin American-Statesman, 3/15/2008) - For a scientist like John Selker at Oregon State University, finding a new way to take precise measurements in the natural world opens up a new level of understanding — and a shift in the way some earth science is conducted. Selker, who teaches ecological engineering, created some waves in the world of water research in late 2006 when he and his research collaborators deployed a technology that used fiber-optic cable as a tool for making thousands of continuous temperature measurements in streams. The first work was done in Europe while Selker was on sabbatical in Switzerland. He continued the work when he returned to Oregon.

Will wild salmon go the way of the buffalo? (Modesto Bee, 3/15/08) - “Salmon are becoming like buffalo because we are driving them to the brink of extinction,” writes columnist Mike Dunbar. “Once there were millions of salmon swimming up our rivers; now many of those rivers are too dirty or warm or filled with poisons and sediment for salmon to survive. It has become so serious that Wednesday the Pacific Fisheries Management Council canceled the early portion of the salmon season off the Oregon coast and will consider more closures in April. …This outlook was not popular at last week's Salmonid Restoration Federation's 26th annual conference. One of the featured speakers was Robert Lackey, a fish biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, professor at Oregon State University and lead editor of the book/project "Salmon 2100." He considers himself pragmatic; others might say "doomsayer." By the year 2100, said Lackey, wild salmon will be "like buffalo" -- unlikely to go extinct, but living only in "boutique" populations. We're already well on our way, he said, with a 90 percent decline from historic salmon runs. Why? ‘More people, fewer fish.’ And even more people on their way.”

Studies Question Social, Environmental Implications of Midwest Agriculture (OSU News Service, 3/14/08) – Case studies of Midwest agricultural land use practices suggest that area residents would embrace more environmental protection and often care deeply about protecting their land, but in reality are being pushed by economic forces and government policies toward a future of high commodity production, declining biodiversity, soil degradation and heavy pollution. In a new book titled “From the Corn Belt to the Gulf,” authors from several universities, private industry and government agencies outline a range of both concerns and opportunities facing one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, and the broader implications that management actions there have for ecosystems elsewhere. “Part of what’s most interesting is that the use of these lands can change quickly and dramatically based on government policies,” said Mary Santelmann, director of the Water Resources Graduate Program at Oregon State University, and co-editor of the new book.

Oregon Gets a Statewide Drug Test (KUOW, KOPB Radio, 3/14/08) - Tom Banse reports this morning on OSU toxicologist Jennifer Field’s new study-in-process of wastewater from communities across Oregon. The study will detail the amounts of illicit drugs and other substances found in wastewater as it enters treatment facilities and ostensibly help government officials better target where drug abuse prevention, education and treatment resources be invested. The sampling and analysis techniques behind the study are relatively new, and this is thought to be the largest application of them to date, Banse reports. Streaming audio of the story is available at the site link above.

Healthy Rivers Needed To Remove Nitrogen (Science Daily, 3/13/08) - Healthy streams with vibrant ecosystems play a critical role in removing excess nitrogen caused by human activities, according to a major new national study published in Nature. The research, by a team of 31 aquatic scientists across the United States, was the first to document just how much nitrogen that rivers and streams can filter through tiny organisms or release into the atmosphere through a process called denitrification. "The study clearly points out the importance of maintaining healthy river systems and native riparian areas," said Stan Gregory, a stream ecologist in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University, and a co-author of the study.

Middle East Water Collection Database is now online (IWW, 3/7/08) - This collection was the gracious donation of Dr. Thomas Naff, Professor Emeritus of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Institute for Environmental Studies (IES) at the University of Pennsylvania. The database contains approximately 9000 items on the subjects of Middle East politics and water, and includes materials from books, journals, reports, and newspaper articles. Most documents in the public domain are available in full text at the above WWW site. More materials will be added as soon as copyright permission is obtained. The complete collection is housed on the the 3rd floor of The Valley Library. The funds to do this were provided by the Institute for Water and Watersheds and OSU's Program inWater Conflict Management and Transformation (PWCMT) and College of Science(CoS). Contact Patrick MacQuarrie if you have any questions or comments.

Conference Will Explore Aquifer Storage as Option for Water Challenges (OSU News Service, 2/21/08)– Oregon State University will hold a professional conference on aquifer storage on Thursday, Feb. 28, attracting a range of experts to discuss new methods for addressing future water shortages that may be caused by increasing demands from agriculture, population growth and climate change. Link to Symposium recap and presentations.

A Region's Vitality is Melting Away (Oregonian, 2/11/08) - The melting of Mount Hood's signature glaciers raises a crucial question for the region: How much do we depend on them and the cool water they pour into rivers and creeks? New findings by Oregon State University researchers show that in certain places, the answer is: quite a bit. That is important news for Hood River and its famous fruit crop, which drinks in glacier water throughout the summer. Almost three-quarters of the water rushing down the Upper Middle Fork of the Hood River in late summer comes from glaciers and permanent snow and ice fields on the mountain, according to research by OSU professor Anne Nolin and graduate student Jeff Phillippe.

Oregon’s Reputation, Climate Change Drawing Students to New Master’s Program (OSU News Service, 1/31/08) – A growing number of students drawn by Oregon’s reputation as a trend-setter in policy decisions are enrolling in Oregon State University’s Master of Public Policy program – one of the few such programs in the West. Student interest in climate change and other environmental issues have prompted the OSU program to add a special concentration in science policy, says Brent Steel, a professor of political science who directs the program. “Oregon is where it’s at in terms of environmental policy,” Steel said, “and the state’s reputation is definitely drawing students – not only nationally, but internationally. Whether it’s owl wars, salmon wars, Measure 37, or some other conflict, there have been some compelling public policy issues in the state.”

Money, supply at risk as states' squabble over aquifer heads to court (Memphis Commercial-Appeal, 1/27/2008) - The state of Mississippi's lawsuit against Memphis asserts that for decades the city has been stealing millions of gallons of its water daily. In the vast aquifer underlying the Mid-South, the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division's wells have created depressions, causing ground water to be pulled northward across the state line. The city, however, maintains that its use of the aquifer is reasonable and doesn't harm Mississippi. Michael Campana, IWW Director, is quoted in this story.

Hinkle Creek research project producing results - (KPIC News 4, 1/11/2008) - Research on a watershed east of Sutherlin has revealed some interesting information already to researchers from Oregon State University. The Hinkle Creek Research project includes about 5,000 acres of Roseburg Forest Products land, that has been turned into an outdoor research lab, that tracks the movement of cutthroat trout and determines how much shade and fallen trees they need to thrive. It compares the two areas that have similar characteristics, but have had different types of timber management.

Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water - Chemicals, contaminants, pollution, price: new reasons to rethink what you drink and beware of bottled water (Reader's Digest, 1/10/2008) - Remember the drinking fountain, that once ubiquitous, and free, source of H₂O? It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. We consumed over eight billion gallons of the stuff in 2006, a 10 percent increase from 2005. It's refreshing, calorie-free, convenient to carry around, tastier than some tap water and a heck of a lot healthier than sugary sodas. But more and more, people are questioning whether the water, and the package it comes in, is safe, or at least safer than tap water—and if the convenience is worth the environmental impact. Todd Jarvis, IWW Associate Director is quoted in this story.

Western States Facing Waterways Inundated with Non-Native Fish, Amphibians - The most widespread non-native species were brook, rainbow and brown trout, which were found in 14-17 percent of the streams surveyed. (Salem-News, 11/28/2007) - A new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that more than half of the stream and river miles surveyed in 12 western states contained non-native fish and amphibians.

OSU researcher will receive national award (Statesman Journal, 11/28/2007) - An Oregon State University scientist and researcher will receive a national award in April at the White House. Carl Schreck, will be acknowledged as one of the leading salmon researchers in the country as the recipient of a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. Schreck works for the U.S. Geological Survey and is the leader of the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the university. “His contributions to fisheries science are unparalleled,” said Dan Edge, the head of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at OSU and a member of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. “He helped pioneer the use of genetics in managing fish species, and his research into physiological stress on fish has led not only to better scientific understanding, but new management practices.”

OSU’s Wright Named Oregon “Professor of the Year” by CASE, Carnegie Foundation (OSU News Service, 11/27/2007) – Dawn Wright, an Oregon State University professor of geosciences, has been named Oregon Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

OSU Ranks High Nationally in Measure of Faculty Productivity (OSU News Service, 11/27/2007) – A new ranking of graduate programs at research universities around the country shows that Oregon State University faculty are exceptionally productive, ranking among the top 10 U.S. universities in eight of the disciplines measured. OSU earned a top national ranking in Wildlife Science and ranked second in Fisheries Science. The university also ranked fourth in Zoology, fifth in both Plant Pathology and Forest Resources/Forestry, seventh in both Pharmacy and Agricultural Economics and ninth in Science Education. OSU placed in the top 10 in more categories than any other Oregon institution.

Noted OSU Fisheries Researcher Honored with Presidential Award (OSU News Service, 11/26/2007)– Carl Schreck, an Oregon State University scientist acknowledged as one of the leading salmon researchers in the country, has been named the recipient of a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. He will be presented the award at the White House in April. Schreck, who is employed by the U.S. Geological Survey, leads the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at OSU.

Study: Western Streams Inundated with Non-Native Fish, Amphibians (OSU News Service, 11/19/2007) – A new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that more than half of the stream and river miles surveyed in 12 western states contained non-native fish and amphibians.

Survey Reveals Conflict Between Natural Resource Ideals, Realities (OSU News Service, 11/16/07) – In theory, almost everyone believes in clean streams, healthy fisheries and protected watersheds. In reality, when the mechanisms to actually achieve those goals are suggested or implemented, the public reactions are all over the map – and sometimes hostile and often confusing.

OSU wades deep into water issues (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 11/20/07) - Representatives of four African nations Tuesday converged at Oregon State University to discuss the Nile River and water issues. The university’s water conflict management and transformation program — one of a handful of such institutions in the world — also helps out in the Mekong Delta, the Tigris and the Euphrates, the Jordan River and elsewhere. With ever-scarcer water resources rivaling oil as the next focus of international and local conflicts, Oregon State University experts are joining global leaders who are mediating such conflicts.

A river for warmer times: Deschutes may have a leg up on climate change (Bend Bulletin, 10/26/07) - Even back when he was a river guide on the Deschutes, Gordon Grant thought there was something unusual about the river. “The Deschutes always seemed a little odd to me, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it,” he said. When he started studying it from a geologic and hydrologic perspective, he started realizing what it was that made the river different. It has a much more steady flow than other rivers, rarely floods and is fed by a giant underground reservoir.

OSU Researchers Receive $2.3 Million from OWEB for Major Watershed Projects (OSU News Service, 10/19/07) – Researchers from Oregon State University and a variety of collaborators have been awarded more than $2.3 million in funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to conduct seven separate studies involving Oregon streams and watersheds.

OSU Launches First Ecological Engineering Degree in U.S. (OSU News Service, 10/18/07) – Oregon State University has just launched the nation’s first undergraduate degree program in ecological engineering. The new degree, offered through OSU’s Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, is expected to attract top students from around the nation.

Running into a Corvallis fall: 29th annual festival run an autumn tradition (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 9/24/07) - The men’s overall 5K winner, Robert Gomez, works for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Corvallis. “I just came and started at a moderate pace and about halfway through I still felt fresh, so I started to pick it up,” said Gomez. Gomez came to the race with a handful of friends that included Adam Mazurkiewicz, who took third place in the men’s 25-29 age group; Chris Graham, who took second place in the 30-39 age group; and Holly Barnard, who took third in the women’s 30-39 age group. The group works together for Jeff McDonnell’s Hillslope and Watershed Hydrology Lab at OSU. “We’re the big winners here today,” Mazurkiewicz joked, “We brought home the most medals of any hydrology lab that came."

For Salmon And Human Communities, 'Resilience' Emerging As Key Concept (Science Daily, 9/23/07) - In a world in which instability, whether driven by people or nature, seems to be increasing, “resilience” is emerging as a key concept – a desirable characteristic of both natural and human systems and communities. Scientists define resilience as the ability to tolerate or recover from disturbance. Story includes quotes by Dan Bottom and Court Smith and mentions the Oregon Sea Grant program.

For Salmon and Human Communities, “Resilience” Emerging as Key Concept (OSU News Service, 9/20/07) - In a world in which instability, whether driven by people or nature, seems to be increasing, “resilience” is emerging as a key concept – a desirable characteristic of both natural and human systems and communities. Scientists define resilience as the ability to tolerate or recover from disturbance.

Panel: Water resources already scarce - Forum highlights how county might develop water plan (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 9/13/07) - Water supply doesn’t seem like it ought be something that’s a problem in rainy western Oregon. To the contrary, a panel of water managers, planners, experts and advocates told scores of people Thursday that future land use and climate change are already making water a scarce commodity. “Oftentimes, when we start talking about planning natural resources use, people who ordinarily like planning their life and their business start saying, ‘Well, maybe we shouldn’t be planning for that,’ ” said Michael Campana, director of the Oregon State University Institute for Water and Watersheds.

Benton forum will look at water issues - (Albany Democrat-Herald, 9/2/07) - Some residents in Benton County have trouble getting water, and the county wants to see if there’s any support for doing something about it. The county has scheduled a community forum to discuss the possibility of developing a countywide water policy and plan. The forum will be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library in Corvallis. Michael Campana will speak at the meeting.

Outside Looking In - OSU students get a taste of community-based restoration in the Grande Ronde Watershed (Ripples in the Grande Ronde, Summer 2007) - From June 18–22, nine Oregon State University graduate students and faculty members were hosted by the Grande Ronde Model Watershed and Wallowa Resources for a field course in water governance. Our trip to northeast Oregon followed the completion of a spring term class called “Water Governance and Conflict Management,” the capstone course of a new graduate Certificate in Water Conflict Management and Transformation. Click here for additional photos from the class.

Sewage Tells Tales About Community-wide Drug Abuse (Science Daily, 8/22/07) - Public health officials may soon be able to flush out more accurate estimates on illegal drug use in communities across the country thanks to screening test described here today at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society. The test doesn't screen people, it seeks out evidence of illicit drug abuse in drug residues and metabolites excreted in urine and flushed toward municipal sewage treatment plants. The approach could provide a fast, reliable and inexpensive way to track trends in drug use at the local, regional or state levels while preserving the anonymity of individuals, says lead researcher Jennifer Field, Ph.D., an environmental chemist at Oregon State University who works with colleagues at Oregon State University and at the University of Washington. See also a similar article by the OSU News Service.

Computer Modeling Smoothes a Dam Hard Job (Wired, 07/13/07) - Predicted depths of the Ventura River during a flood after the Matilija Dam is removed. View Slideshow View Slideshow OJAI, California -- Civil engineers planning the demolition of the 60-year-old Matilija Dam on the Ventura River are enjoying an unprecedented preview of where 163 million gallons of pent up water will flow, thanks to sophisticated new computer modeling techniques now being used for a series of dam removal projects planned throughout the United States. Article mentions a Spring 2007 Dam Removal Symposium organized by Desiree Tullos.

Glass Half Full (roughly speaking) - It takes a model to measure subsurface water (Terra, 6/2007) - The next time you sip a glass of spring water, consider this: Before it got to your lips, that water was soaking through soil, creeping along basalt crevices or flowing through porous volcanic rock. It nurtured microbes, carried dissolved minerals and may have spread the byproducts of human activities. Its pivotal role in the environment has made groundwater a headline topic in human health, waste management and water supplies for growing communities. One number — 924 million — indicates how vital groundwater is to Oregon. That’s the number of gallons that the U.S. Geological Survey estimates were pumped from Oregon’s aquifers on an average day in 2000. More than 80 percent went to agriculture, most for irrigation. Read more...

OSU prof questions bottled water trade (Portland Business Journal, 5/30/07) - Those ubiquitous containers carrying nothing but water are adding up to a substantial environmental headache, according to an assistant professor at Oregon State University. Around the world, factories are using more than 18 million barrels of oil and up to 130 billion gallons of fresh water a year to create something that, by and large, most people don't need. But the product is so amazingly popular that sales are going up 10 percent a year.

Bottled Water: Handy versus harm to environment (KMTR, 5/17/07) - Todd Jarvis from the IWW was interviewed for this story. You can also download Todd's slide show on bottled water from Michael Campana's blog - WaterWired.

Forum raises water questions - Residents concerned over Measure 37 attend meeting (Capital Press, 5/21/07) - McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Although Measure 37, the property rights protection measure, passed with more than 61 percent of the vote in 2004, some landowners fear more homes on rural land will stretch local water supplies. But Todd Jarvis, OSU water resources researcher; Mike McCord, state Water Resources Department watermaster; Jim Johnson, land use and water planning coordinator with the state Department of Agriculture; and OWRD deputy director Tom Paul could only provide partial answers. Read more...

Oil and Water - OSU assistant professor examines environmental impacts of bottled water (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 4/26/07) - As a hydrologist and acting assistant professor of the Oregon State University Institute of Water and Watersheds, Todd Jarvis thinks a lot about H2O. Normally, water is considered a healthy thing, one of the ingredients to a healthy life and a healthy planet. Drinking down a cool bottle of water after a workout seems like one of the best things you can do for your body. But what Jarvis wanted to know was, what does bottled water do to the planet? Read more...

Arsenic Contamination in Wells Raises Concerns (OSU News Service, 4/16/07) – Public concerns about high levels of arsenic in well water have prompted a recent and continuing testing program in the area around Sweet Home, Ore., and may raise a warning flag for other areas of the state that could also face problems with this toxin due to geology or land use practices. In a recent round of testing done near Sweet Home, almost one-fourth of the well water samples showed levels of arsenic now considered unsafe by EPA standards. Read more...

Predators help shape rivers by affecting grazing behaviors (OSU News Service, 4/4/07) – Large carnivores not only play a pivotal role in the health of ecosystems, they can also affect the very shape of the landscape, according to recent research by two OSU forestry professors. Read more...

Colorado River Access Project (CRAP) to Transform Yuma and Las Vegas into Deep-Water Ports - (WaterWired, 4/1/07 note dateline!) - In a surprising April 1 press conference, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) unveiled plans to transform the Lower Colorado River into a massive canal that would provide ocean-going ships access to Las Vegas. This news release appeared on Michael Campana's blog on April 1st. Read more...

Impacts of Measure 37 (Mary's River Watershed Council Newsletter, March 2007) - Todd Jarvis, OSU Institute of Water & Watersheds, spoke at the March 7 Watershed Council meeting about Ballot Measure 37 and groundwater resources. Read more...

New Study: Iron in Northwest Rivers Fuels Phytoplankton, Fish Populations (OSU News Service, 2/27/07) – A new study suggests that the iron-rich winter runoff from Pacific Northwest streams and rivers, combined with the wide continental shelf, form a potent mechanism for fertilizing the nearshore Pacific Ocean, leading to robust phytoplankton production and fisheries. The study, by three Oregon State University oceanographers, was just published by the American Geophysical Union in its journal, Geophysical Research Letters.

Scientists Say U.S. Needs to Plan for Climate Change-Induced Summer Droughts (OSU News Service, 2/16/07) – The western United States has experienced increasing drought conditions in recent years – and conditions may worsen if global climate change models are accurate – yet the country is doing little to prepare for potential catastrophe, a group of scientists said today. The U.S. should consider a national drought policy to help achieve sustainable water for drinking, agriculture and fisheries, said the scientists at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They also pointed out the need to manage water supplies to protect environmental values and to protect urban property from sea level rise and extreme weather events. Though many climate change models predict warmer and wetter weather for parts of the Earth, the potential for drought in regions like the southwestern U.S. is actually greater, said Jim Coakley, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Oregon State University and a co-organizer of the AAAS symposium. Read more...

Scientists help agriculture face a future with less water (OSU Extension Service News, 2/16/07) - Farms in the semiarid western United States produce a large portion of the nation's food and fiber, mostly with irrigation. Yet, as available water supplies shrink and competing demands for water increase, western agriculture faces an uncertain future. Scientists from throughout the world convened today to discuss the water crisis in agriculture and explore how new research can help farmers produce more with less. Their discussion was part of the annual meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science, held this week in San Francisco. "There is no question that the greatest challenge for agriculture in the near future will be the availability of adequate supplies of water of sufficient quality to support agricultural production," said Stella M. Coakley, an associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, and one of the panel organizers. Read more...

Life could worsen by degrees (Portland Tribune, 2/16/07) - Killer heat waves. Skyrocketing power rates. Devastating floods and landslides. Catastrophic wildfires. Those are just some of the potential impacts of climate change on the Portland metropolitan area, according to national and local environmental experts, including weather forecasters, water managers and energy regulators. There was general consensus at the meeting organized by the Regional Water Providers Consortium that winter snowpacks will melt earlier, reducing the amount of water in the mountains that feeds the rivers in summer. “The free storage that is available in the snowpacks will be diminishing because the snow will be melting earlier,” Michael Campana, a hydrologist and director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University, told the gathering.

Experimental forest in running as national research site (Eugene Register-Guard, 1/27/07) - The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest near Blue River could become part of the biggest and most ambitious ecological research project ever, one that will draw scientists from all over the world in an attempt to answer some of the biggest questions in ecology. The forest is one of several candidates to serve as a core research site for the National Ecological Observatory Network, which will establish 20 biological test sites in every major ecological zone in the country. NEON "is seen as the way to address some of what we call the grand challenge questions,” said Oregon State University forestry professor Barbara Bond, co-director of the Andrews forest. Read more...

OSU Extension Teams with Community Partners to Test Sweet Home Well Water (OSU News Service, 1/26/07) – An Oregon State University Extension Service program is teaming with the Sweet Home Rotary Club and other partners to offer free well water testing in the area. Water samples will be tested for nitrates, coliform bacteria and arsenic, said Gail Andrews, coordinator of the OSU Extension Service’s Well Water Program. Read more...

Initiative striving to find answers to water issues (OSU This Week, 1/25/07) – The Pacific Northwest shares much with other parts of western North America – rugged beauty, a pioneering spirit and more. But its heavy reliance on water to meet energy needs isn’t part of that list, something that was plainly apparent to Michael Campana and other Pacific Northwesterners when they attended a January 2006 water-energy nexus conference for Western states. “We kind of felt left out and we’re trying to fill that gap,” said Campana, director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at OSU. “We wanted something that was more germane to us and Canada.”That’s why Oregon State University and other institutions are planning the Snake/Columbia Basin Energy and Water Summit, tentatively scheduled for this May in Boise, Idaho. The summit is one of the goals for the coming year for OSU’s Water and Watersheds Initiative, one of six initiatives that the university has adopted in support of the campus strategic plan. Read more...

Pesticide Roundup Nets 17,000 Pounds of Toxics; More to Come in February (OSU News Service, 1/25/07) – Hauling bulging sacks and rusting containers, more than 50 farmers turned in old pesticides, fertilizers, and solvents in Lane County's first agricultural chemical collection program last November. Now organizers are set to repeat the success in an upcoming collection effort, sponsored by the Oregon State University Extension Service and other local agencies. The southern Willamette Valley is heavily dependent on well water for drinking and agriculture and is especially vulnerable to groundwater contamination, especially from nitrogen. Scientists from the OSU Extension Service, the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, along with other agencies and citizen volunteers have worked for more than 15 years to closely manage and protect the area’s aquifers. Read more...

Mercury found in all fish tested in the West Dietary limits - The extent of the neurotoxin surprises Oregon scientists, who suspect the air is the source (The Oregonian, 1/24/07) - A sweeping study by Oregon scientists has found mercury-contaminated fish throughout the West. In the most widespread survey of mercury in the nation's streams, four Corvallis researchers with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon State University sampled more than 2,700 fish in Oregon, Washington and 10 other Western states. They found detectable -- and in some cases, high -- amounts of mercury in every fish sampled from 626 randomly selected rivers and streams that flow nearly 190,000 miles. Read more...

Marion County decision may set precedent for Measure 37 - At issue is how development will affect groundwater (Statesman Journal, 1/15/07) - When Marion County planning commissioners decide whether to approve a subdivision on farmland in an area with limited groundwater, they will be treading in uncharted territory. The Measure 37 claim for 43 lots on 217 acres of exclusive farmland in the hills south of Salem is one of the first of its kind at the planning stage statewide. "I contacted every county planning agency and everybody is handling this differently," said Todd Jarvis of Oregon State University's Institute for Water and Watersheds about Measure 37. He said that Measure 37 "completely ignores" what land-use means with respect to water.

Podcasts about the Hydroville Curriculum Project (OSU Environmental Health Sciences Center, 1/12/07) - The Hydroville Curriculum Project was developed to improve high school students' academic performance and stimulate interest in problem-solving, environmental health science, decision making, teamwork and social responsibility. The curricula use environmental health topics to enhance connections between science, language arts, math, social studies, health and technology. Todd Jarvis, Senior Researcher with the IWW, contributed to the Water Quality Curriculum of Hydroville and is featured in several podcasts.

OSU researcher pinpoints pollution sources (OSU News Service, 12/20/06) - An Oregon State University microbiologist has developed a molecular test to determine the source of fecal contamination in water. This type of detection, called “fecal source tracking,” is both faster and far more specific than traditional standard fecal coliform tests, according to Katharine G. Field, who developed the test. Results of a Tillamook Bay-based study using the new methodology were published in a recent issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Field and her colleagues found a way to use gene amplification to determine the kind of fecal bacteria in polluted water and its source. Their new technique detects the presence of markers — unique gene sequences from specific strains of bacteria — found in host species such as humans or cows. Read more...

Marcia Macomber, OSU grad, speaks about the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (IWW, 12/19/06) - CPWF is an international, multi-institutional research initiative with a strong emphasis on north-south and south-south partnerships. The initiative brings together research scientists, development specialists, and river basin communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America to create and disseminate international public goods (IPGs) that improve the productivity of water in river basins in ways that are pro-poor, gender equitable and environmentally sustainable. View Marcia's slide show introduction to CPWF (PDF, 2.6Mb), CPWF's overview brochure (PDF, 4.3Mb), and their flyer about capacity building (PDF, 556k).

New Tide Gate Designs Enhance Fish and Water Passage (OSU News Service, 12/12/06) – A fixture of Oregon coastal farming, so-called “tide gates,” are coming under new scrutiny because of their environmental effects. Essentially hinged metal doors at the ends of culverts, tide gates have been used for centuries to prevent flooding and help drain low-lying coastal lands, making it possible for people to farm and build on land that would otherwise be under water. But in many cases the devices have also compromised or destroyed critical fish and wildlife habitat. “Tide gates tend to be effective at maintaining low water levels on the upland side of dikes,” said Guillermo Giannico, Extension fisheries specialist with Oregon State University. “Unfortunately, by altering water flow they also have some undesirable side effects.” Read more...

OSU students create man-powered devices to purify water (Oregonian, 12/10/2006) - Mechanical engineering students at Oregon State University have been working up a sweat to produce water. Their challenge was to find ways to get potable water in emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina, when human power may be the only resource available to residents. So, they have been pedaling bicycles and turning hand cranks to power water purification devices created for a design course.

New technology for purifiying water (KVAL News 13, 11/30/06) - Oregon State University prides itself on research that is on the cusp. And some students are tapping into innovative ways to help in an emergency situation. A group of mechanical engineering students are hard at work inside of a shop class at O.S.U. The students are creating new technology to purify water, with just one catch: "This whole distillation process must be powered by human power," says Assoc. Professor Ping Ge.

Concern for river surrounds mining stop order - (Curry Coastal Pilot, 11/ 29/06) - Opinions vary on whether less gravel mining will cause the Chetco River channel to fill with material faster. The Pilot/Scott Graves By Tom Hubka Pilot staff writer Salmon habitats and affordable concrete might not be the only things at stake as a result of a recent cease and desist order. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a stop order to Freeman Rock Inc., the area's largest provider of aggregate rock, on Oct. 18, stopping the company's gravel mining operations until it applies for a Corps permit. Article includes comments by Wayne Huber, OSU Professor of Civil Engineering.

Device left in rental car was scientific equipment (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 11/27/06) - Anne Jefferson has a piece of advice for travelers: Be sure to check the trunk of your rental car. Jefferson, 27, a Winona native, recently minted Ph.D. and researcher in the geosciences department at Oregon State University, concluded a combined business and holiday trip to Minnesota on Sunday, dropping off a rental car at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport before boarding a plane to Portland, Ore., with her husband. It was actually equipment that Jefferson had been using in her research on water temperatures in stream channels. She intended to mail it back to Oregon, but she just forgot about it.

Conference to Explore Hydrologic Issues (OSU News Service, 10/18/06) – About 100 leading hydrologists from around the world are at Oregon State University today through Oct. 19 for an international workshop, “Towards a Community Action Plan for the Hydrological Sciences.” The workshop explores ways to improve hydrologic predictions, reduce uncertainty in how watersheds function and learn how they can be better managed.

Harbor Residents, Developers Study Storm Water Runoff Issues (Curry Coastal Pilot, 10/18/06) - Residents were invited to help developers of the Brookings-Harbor Storm Water Master Plan at a recent townhall meeting by pointing out storm water problem areas on maps and correct errors the mappers had made. Frank Burris, of Oregon State University, said he has been working for the past year to determine how ground water gets contaminated. "We've got about 15 months left," Burris said. "It's a grant funded by DEQ Clean Water Act moneys," he said. "We're trying to find the source of Mill and Harris beach contamination." Read more...

Engineers Without Borders reach out to El Salvador - OSU group working on water storage and treatment (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 10/5/06) - In the Salvadoran villages of El Naranjito and Las Mercedes, women walk for miles each day to fetch water, carrying it back to their families in colorful jugs called canteros balanced atop their heads. Often, this spring water is contaminated, leading to gastrointestinal problems, which are especially dangerous for young children. Also, a rainy season followed by six dry months creates an inconsistent water supply. Some Oregon State University students, along with professional engineers from throughout the Northwest, are using the knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom to design water storage and treatment systems for these villages. Read more...

USDA Funds Watershed Conservation Research (California Farmer, 10/4/06) - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced Wednesday that USDA is awarding over $2.5 million to five universities to study the effectiveness and practical application of conservation practices at the watershed level. Researchers and extension specialists will also study the environmental and economic impacts of watershed conservation practices. Read more... (OSU received one of the grants.)

Water in Oregon (Oregon's Agricultural Progress, Fall 2006) - The fall issue of the research magazine for the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station features water issues around the state.

Drilling “Boot Camp” for Developing Countries - (IAH USNC Newsletter, 10/06) - Read an account by Todd Jarvis, IWW Senior Researcher, about attending the the Applications of Drilling Technology for Developing Communities Course offered through NWP Drilling & Consulting, LLC, Colorado. Todd wrote this report for the International Association of Hydrogeologists U.S. National Chapter Newsletter. Article also published in the December 2006 issue of the WorldWide Drilling Resource, page 94.

Glades plan bogged down (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 09/25/06) - A new report finds "troubling delays" in the $10.9 billion campaign to restore the Everglades, with costs escalating and deadlines passing without the completion of a single project. "The good news is a firm basis has been laid for the plan," said Wayne Huber, professor of civil engineering at Oregon State University, chair of the 12-member committee that wrote the report. Read more...

Gail Achterman, Director of the OSU Institute for Natural Resources, speaks at the Northwest Water Policy & Law Symposium (IWW, 10/1/06)- The September Symposium drew attention to three pressing water policy issues in the Northwestern states:  aging water infrastructure, surface water relationship to groundwater and water regulation versus land use planning. It was sponsored by the Montana Water Center, the Wheeler Center at Montana State University, the Cinnabar Foundation and the Inland Northwest Research Alliance. Gail Achterman participated in the Water Regulation versus Land-Use Regulation Panel - her speech can be downloaded here.
Donald Worster, a leading environmental historian, set the tone for the conference with his keynote address.  He characterized current water policy as “at an impasse” with society “milling around at the end of an era with no consensus on what should come next.”  By 2078 he predicted that our western water infrastructure will fall apart or be abandoned, like the Erie Canal.  He foresees radical increases in water use efficiency, environmental restoration and public participation in water policy. Perhaps he is right.  The infrastructure panelists noted that Bureau of Reclamation facilities are over 50 years old on average and are reaching the end of their service lives.  The Montana Department of Natural Resources, which has a state renewable resource grant and loan program and actually owns 24 dams and reservoirs, gets many more requests for funds than it has available. Bruce Aylward, adjunct professor at OSU, participated in the groundwater panel, using the Deschutes Water Bank to show how market tools can be used in water management while respecting the public nature of water. Conference participants spent a half day discussing these and other issues.  The results of the discussions will be posted on the conference website.

Water Wars” loom? But none in past 4,500 years (Reuters, 09/18/2006) - With a steady stream of bleak predictions that "water wars" will be fought over dwindling supplies in the 21st century, battles between two Sumerian city-states 4,500 years ago seem to set a worrying precedent. But the good news, many experts say, is that the conflict between Lagash and Umma over irrigation rights in what is now Iraq was the last time two states went to war over water. Down the centuries since then, international rivals sharing waters such as the Jordan River, the Nile, the Ganges or the Parana have generally favored cooperation over conflict. So if history can be trusted, things may stay that way. "The simple explanation is that water is simply too important to fight over," said Aaron Wolf, a professor at Oregon State University. "Nations often go to the brink of war over water and then resolve their differences." Read more...

Jordan's Embassy in Washington, DC to Host Launch of Book on Water in Jordan by Former Minister of Water and Irrigation Munther Haddadin (U.S. Newswire, 9/19/2006)- In cooperation with the Resources for the Future Press, The Embassy of Jordan will host the launching of a book by former Minister of Water and Irrigation, Dr. Munther J. Haddadin. The book entitled "Water Resources in Jordan: Evolving Policies for Development, the Environment and Conflict Resolution," covers numerous topics such as the population-water resources equation in Jordan, institutional and legal frameworks as well as social and environmental issues. Haddadin is currently a consultant and a courtesy professor in the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University and an affiliate professor at the University of Oklahoma.

Riparian recovery - More than 100 logs, other obstacles placed in creek will help fish spawn and thrive (Oregon News-Review, 9/17/06) - Whether they’re dropped, pushed or pulled, the placement of logs in streams has become a human endeavor until nature can reclaim the fish habitat building-block process. The tradeoff is temporary, but it may take a while. Riparian areas along creeks and streams have vastly recovered from logging’s rollicking heyday — especially the carefree days of the first half of the 20th century. But the growing trees are still decades away from their weight sending them lumbering into stream channels. Story includes comments from OSU Fish and Wildlife Professor Stan Gregory on the history of wood removal from Oregon streams.

American Fisheries Society Publishes Book on “Salmon 2100 Project” (OSU News Service, 8/31/06) - A new book of essays from more than 30 salmon scientists, policy analysts and wild salmon advocates suggesting ways to save runs of wild salmon has been published by the American Fisheries Society – and some of the prescriptions are certain to raise a few eyebrows. The book is an outgrowth of the provocative three-year Salmon 2100 Project, a joint effort between Oregon State University and the Environmental Protection Agency laboratory in Corvallis, Ore. Read more...

Beavers make a splash at World Water Week (IWW, 8/30/06) - In August, several OSU researchers made presentations in Stockholm, Sweden at World Water Week, an international conference that drew over 1500 attendees from 140 countries. IWW Director Michael Campana presented on “Politics, Economics, Stakeholder Benefits and Transboundary Groundwater: Lessons from North America” and Marloes Bakker, Ph.D. Candidate in Geosciences presented on “Transboundary Floods: Conflict, Vulnerability and Adaptability”.  Todd Jarvis, Senior Researcher in Water Resources at IWW, contributed maps of transboundary aquifers and river basin treaties for the seminar “Under Cover? Transboundary Aquifers – The Hidden Asset for Riparian Cooperation in Africa”.  Adjunct Professor in Geosciences Dr. Munther Haddadin participated as an invited panelist in the “Hydro-Hegemony” seminar.  Marcia Macomber, Department of Geosciences Alumni and current Program Director of Capacity Building with the International Water Management Institute staffed the CGIAR Challenge Program booth.  Other Oregonians participating in World Water Week included Brett Golden of the Deschutes River Conservancy where gave a presentation on “Meeting Human and Environmental Water Needs: Groundwater Mitigation Banking in the Deschutes River Basin". Read Michael Campana's report on World Water Week.

OSU faculty helps identify water problems in Bend (Bend Bulletin, 8/10/2006) - In the early 1920s, Bend residents were outraged over the taste and quality of their drinking water, said Patrick Griffiths, water program specialist for the city of Bend. The water came from the Deschutes River, which also provided irrigation water for surrounding agricultural land and served as a route to float logs destined for the two big pine mills in town. So in 1924, people started looking for water that was farm- and timber-free, Griffiths said. What they found was spring-fed Bridge Creek, near Tumalo Falls, which still supplies about half the city's water. "We're very, very proud of our watershed and the water we divert here," Griffiths said. Now, Bend and Central Oregon face different water issues, many of which stem from the decrease in agriculture and the increase in development. A new program at Oregon State University, the Institute for Water and Watersheds, has been set up to help address just these types of problems. On Wednesday, three of the faculty involved in the program visited Bend as part of a trip across Eastern Oregon to talk to city officials, irrigators, conservationists and others. They are on a listening tour designed to get a sense of the water issues facing the region and to get ideas about what OSU researchers and water experts can do to help, said Michael Campana, director of the water institute. "We'd like to hear from everybody how OSU can help you do your job better," he said. The Institute for Water and Watersheds is designed to bring faculty from different departments and other people together to work on interdisciplinary research projects, Campana said. Read more...

Rural Residents Asked to Participate in OSU Study of Well Water (OSU News Service, 6/5/06) - Rural residents in some Lane, Linn and Benton counties will have the opportunity to take an active role in studying potential pollutants in their groundwater when the Oregon State University Extension Service Well Water Program launches a new monitoring and research program in the southern Willamette Valley.

Science research strong in Corvallis - Study ranks city second in nation (Corvallis Gazette Times, 5/27/06) - Like many college towns, Corvallis has a reputation of being a highly educated community. A recent survey by the National Science Foundation indicates there’s evidence to back up this perception. Corvallis is second in the nation in percentage of scientists, behind only Boulder, Colo., according to the study. With employers such as Oregon State University, Hewlett-Packard Co., CH2M Hill, AVI BioPharma and SIGA Technologies hubbed here, 12.7 percent of Corvallis residents work in science and engineering. Read more...

Scientists call Corvallis home (KVAL-TV, 4/27/06) - Many places around the country are often referred to as “college towns” where the local college or university dominates employment, economic and cultural life – but a new study suggests that Corvallis and Oregon State University may really deserve that reputation more than most. According to a recent survey of science and engineering indicators issued by the National Science Foundation, Corvallis ranks second in the nation for the number of scientists as a percentage of total employment – at 12.7 percent.

IWW participates in the 2006 Clean Water Festival (4/20/06) - Over 1200 students from 25 schools attended the 13th annual festival at Portland Community College—Sylvania Campus. The event was held on on April 14, 2006 and included presentations and displays from 52 organizations. The IWW exhibited a groundwater flow model that let students visualize how flow in this unseen environment.

"OSU lists ideas on groundwater nitrate" (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 4/26/06) - In 2004, high concentrations of nitrate in groundwater in the southern Willamette Valley prompted the state Department of Environmental Quality to declare a “groundwater management area” between Eugene and Albany. A new report by the Oregon State University Extension Well Water Program recommends actions that could reduce nitrate from residential water sources in the area.

"Willamette watershed projects get grants - Nine Oregon organizations receive money that was collected from polluters" (Oregonian, 4/21/06) - Gov. Ted Kulongoski this week handed out $346,210 in grants designed to improve the Willamette River watershed, all from a new fund created by fines paid by polluters. Kulongoski and U.S. Attorney Karin Immergut created the Oregon Governor's Fund for the Environment with a $2.1 million fine paid in a national pollution case against a Panamanian shipping company accused of dumping sludge on U.S. coastlines. Interest earned on the money is expected to cover annual grants to protect fish and wildlife. Read more...OSU Extension received one of the grants.

"Breaking borders in El Salvador - Engineers urge sustainability on first trip of three to the country" (OSU Barometer, 4/14/06) - The OSU chapter of Engineers Without Boarders traveled to an El Salvadoran community of 450 people over spring break to determine the feasibility of establishing a potable water system for clean drinking water. This was the first of three phases where EWB-OSU met with and discussed the system with local citizens and community members.

"Water supply is on the rocks, and that's OK - The Cascades store vast reserves in an underground basin" (Salem Statesman Journal, 4/4/06) - The snow that covers Oregon's highest mountains is only the most visible part of the storage system that supplies water to streams and rivers flowing from the Cascades. The very rock that makes up the peaks soaks up rain and melting snow into an underground basin the size of Great Salt Lake. The water from deep under the ground surfaces through springs five, 10, sometimes even 50 years later. Each basin in Oregon depends on these water supplies to different degrees. About 28 percent of the North Santiam River system comes from this High Cascade region. By comparison, 6 percent of the South Santiam River system is classified as High Cascades, according to research by scientists at the Pacific Northwest Research Station, a part of the U.S. Forest Service. "The number is significant because our work has demonstrated how the presence of these young volcanic rocks has a lot to do with where the rain goes when it falls and where the snow goes when it melts and the timing on which it re-emerges," said Gordon Grant, a research hydrologist. "And ultimately, it says something about the availability of water late into the summer." Read more... Gordon Grant is affiliated with the OSU Departments of Geosciences, Forest Engineering & Forest Science.

"OSU Student Group Takes On Water Project in El Salvador" (OSU College of Engineering, 3/23/06) - On March 25, three engineering students from Oregon State University and an industry professional will board a plane and travel to the Ahuachapan region of El Salvador to perform the first steps of a project to build a water delivery and cleansing system for the rural communities of Las Mercedes and El Naranjito. The area is several miles from a reliable water source, and women and children in the village spend large portions of their days hauling water for basic needs. Facilitating the project is the OSU student chapter of Engineers Without Borders, an organization that at the college level is focused on developing internationally responsible engineering students while undertaking sustainable engineering projects around the globe. Read more...

"Warmer winters may melt ski spots" (Oregonian, 3/8/06) - This winter's deep snow in the Cascades is a snowboarder's dream, but a new study suggests that ski areas may have fewer such bonanza seasons if Northwest temperatures continue to rise as they have for decades. Projecting warmer weather from a climate model keyed to the Pacific Northwest, researchers at Oregon State University identify 19 ski areas in the Cascade and Olympic mountain areas as being "at risk" of substantially fewer cold, and snowy, winters by midcentury...Past climate studies by others have projected rising temperatures and thinner Northwest snowpacks. But this study, by OSU geographers Anne W. Nolin and Christopher Daly and slated for publication in the Journal of Hydrometeorology, is the first to employ a climate mapping system that identifies relatively small areas in the Cascades where snow might disappear. Read more...

"Flooded fields teeming with life" - (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 3/8/06) - Mid-Willamette Valley fields and ditches were flooded with much more than water this winter. They also had an unexpectedly high number of small fish, amphibians and birds more commonly found at streams than farm acreage. And those fish thrive in a more comfy wintertime environment than their usual rivers before heading back to the permanent waterways in warmer weather. “The organisms living there are completely adapted to such a change and seasonal access to flooded fields,” said Guillermo Giannico, a fish ecologist with Oregon State University Extension Service. Read more of the G-T article or link to the OSU press release.

"Incoming OSU Director Campana to Join Klamath River Committee" (OSU News Service, 3/6/2006)- Michael E. Campana, incoming director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University, has been appointed to the Committee on Further Studies on Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River, a group within the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. Building upon the work of the first Klamath River committee that issued a major report in 2004, these experts will review the Bureau of Reclamation's effort to reconstruct the "natural" or pre-development flows of the Klamath River, review a study of habitat needs for coho salmon and other anadromous fishes, evaluate the implications of those studies as they relate to threatened and endangered species, and identify additional information gaps. Read more...

"Audiences for “Running Dry” Overflow" (H₂OSU Newsletter , 3/2/2006) - The IWW co-sponsored screenings of the water resources documentary, "Running Dry", in four Oregon cities this past week. Showings in Hermiston, Pendleton, Salem and Corvallis were all well attended with audiences made up of state politicians, staff of the Oregon Water Resources Department, interested citizens, and OSU faculty and students. FMI: http://www.chroniclesgroup.org/ . See also a 2/18/06 article in the East Oregonian.

"IWW researcher participates in the International Symposium on Negotiations, Dialogue, and Perceptions in Transboundary Water Management" (H₂OSU Newsletter, 3/2/2006) - The symposium was held February 7-11, 2006 at the University of Tokyo, Japan and was organized by the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters and the University of Tokyo.

"Corps may give floods freer rein - Recognition of the benefits of surging streams raises talk of restoring floodplains" (The Oregonian, 2/6/2006) - The federal government spent decades trying to control the kind of unruly Willamette River floodwaters that have reared up again with recent rains. Now it's looking for ways to let them flow once more -- but in places where they might help instead of hurt. Researchers now realize river systems can benefit from flooding, just as forests can benefit from occasional fires. Just as controlled fires clear tinder from woods and deter bigger blazes later on, so can controlled floods upstream prevent wider devastation downstream. Story includes quotes from OSU Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife, Stan Gregory.

"Damage control - While some small steps have been taken, no major flood-control initiatives have been instituted" (The Oregonian, 2/5/2006) -
The question surprised Bill Long. It was the summer of 1995 and Long, a maintenance supervisor for the city of Portland, was talking to harbor master Russ Sill as the two surveyed the Willamette River from the downtown waterfront. "What are you going to do if it floods?" Sill asked. Long, now 58, knew that the region had suffered severe flooding in 1964. Back then, downtown Portland was protected by a wall of concrete panels that ran the length of what is now Tom McCall Waterfront Park. In the years since, the panels had been removed, leaving only a decorative fence of galvanized steel, which provided pristine views of the river but left the waterfront open to flooding should the waters rise dangerously. Story includes quotes from OSU Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife, Stan Gregory.

"The IWW awards $140,000 to six Oregon water research projects" (H₂OSU Newsletter, 2/1/2006) -The Institute for Water and Watersheds is pleased to announce the recipients of 2006-2007 IWW-USGS grants for long-term water and watershed management projects. Six projects will be funded from the twenty one proposals submitted by researchers at academic institutions across the State of Oregon. Awards are for up to $30,000 and were supported by funds from the US Geological Survey Water Resources Research Institutes program and and OSU Water and Watersheds Initiative. Click here to read the abstracts from grant recipients.

"Award-Winning Student Marloes Bakker" - (OSU Grad School Newsletter, Winter 2006) - Coming from the Netherlands, Marloes Bakker understands the international nature of water policy. "They call our country 'the drain of Europe,'" she says. "We're downriver from everyone else, so everything that happens on the rivers in other countries influences us." Marloes is interested in cooperative water resource management as a tool for balancing competing international interests. A doctoral student in geography, she received an award this year from the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF), which supports students who show the potential to transcend geopolitical, religious, ethnic, and cultural boundaries as leaders in their professions. Read more...

"Floods can pose risks to fish, researchers say" (The Oregonian, 1/29/2006) A wet winter may seem like good weather for fish, but flooding can pose dangers to aquatic life because of development along rivers, researchers say. Historic natural river systems were complex, with multiple channels that spread the impact of the flooding, slowed down currents, and created holding places for migrating and resident fish. Now dams, development and the transition from forests to pastures and housing tracts have eliminated that complexity from many river systems, said Oregon State University ecologist Stan Gregory.

"Policy would trim catch of salmon" (The Oregonian, 1/26/2006) - Saying it makes little sense to eat imperiled salmon, the Bush administration on Wednesday revealed plans to cut back the catch of wild Northwest salmon and shut down hatcheries that churn out competing but inferior fish.James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, told fish biologists in Portland that the administration is shifting its focus from merely keeping protected Columbia River salmon from extinction to ensuring they recover. Read more... Connaughton spoke at the "Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon Conference", an event organized by Bob Lackey, from EPA and a courtesy professor in the OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Denise Lach and Sally Duncan, from the OSU Department of Sociology.

Utilities rethink costs of hydroelectric (The Salt Lake Tribune, 1/23/2006) - A century ago, when engineers for Portland General Electric were looking for places to harness rivers to supply growing demand for electricity, they found the Sandy River tumbling off the flanks of Mount Hood, the snowcapped volcano that is the highest point in Oregon. Named by Lewis and Clark for the great quantities of sand washed downstream from past eruptions, the Sandy offered the perfect opportunity for the fledgling utility. It was close to Portland and offered a free and unlimited source of power. No one worried about harming the salmon and steelhead that spawned in its beds. Story includes information from Gordon Grant, U.S. Forest Service hydrologist and OSU courtesy professor in Geosciences.

"Study says Flooding Can Improve Fish Habitat" (Corvallis Gazette-Times, 1/23/06 ) - In this winter of high water, Northwest fishing guides have been grounded, bait and tackle shops are losing customers, and steelhead reels and lures have grown dusty as chocolate-brown rivers have severely limited the number of fishable days. But don’t worry about the fish, says Oregon State University ecologist Stan Gregory. “Steelhead and other native fish have had thousands of years to adapt to flooding,” said Gregory, a professor of fisheries and wildlife in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Not only can they survive, floods usually improve the habitat by scouring out river bottoms, creating new pools and cleaning out the silt.”

"Bush Adviser, Agencies, Other Groups to Hear Salmon Remedies at Portland Conference" (OSU News Service, 1/17/06) - A diverse group of fisheries scientists, policy analysts and salmon advocates will present their prescriptions for saving wild salmon in the Northwest during a Jan. 25 conference in Portland - and then get the public reaction from leaders of state and federal agencies, non-governmental groups, and Native American tribes. "In a nutshell, what this conference is about is taking some of the prescriptions that came out of the Salmon 2100 Project and presenting them to some of the people down in the trenches to see if they would fly," said Denise Lach, an associate professor of sociology at Oregon State University and one of the conference coordinators. "It is a manner of ground-truthing." Conference website.

Flood Experts Available at OSU ((OSU News Service, 1/9/06) - Warm and wet weather continues to elevate the risk of floods in the Pacific Northwest - and that risk may continue through the spring. Climate forecasters predict the weather by examining recent sea-surface temperatures, regional climate patterns and even Atlantic Ocean hurricanes - and this year these indicators show a close similarity to conditions prior to the winter of 1995-96. For flooding or major storm events, a number of OSU experts are available to help with news coverage. Story includes a listing of OSU experts on climate, rivers, wetlands, landslides, ecology, and public safety.

"Profs Promote Winter Course Offerings" (Hydrophiles Email List, 12/05) - Review a list of announcements about water and watershed related courses offered during winter 2006. The announcements came out over the hydrophiles email distribution list during December and January.

"Water Conflicts in Africa Strain Political, Economic Systems" (OSU News Service, 12/5/05) - The water conflicts in Africa - lakes that are drying up, river pollution, unsafe drinking water, collapsing fisheries - are sufficiently intense that entire social systems are at risk, a new report concludes. It's essential that problems be anticipated and aggressively addressed, experts say. The study, "Hydropolitical Vulnerability and Resilience along International Waters in Africa," was supported by the United Nations Environmental Programme. It was produced by the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters, an innovative consortium pioneered by Oregon State University. Contact: Aaron Wolf, OSU Associate Professor of Geoscience.

"Groups to Study Water Resources" (Hermiston Herald, 11/18/05) - The Umatilla County Critical Groundwater Task Force has entered into an intergovernmental agreement between the Institute of Natural Resources (INR) and the Institute for Water and Watersheds (IWW) at Oregon State University. The INR and IWW will be conducting a synthesis of historical water data for the Umatilla Basin, which has been designated as a Critical Groundwater Area by the State of Oregon. A similar article appeared in the East Oregonian (link).

IWW sponsors seminar by Dr. Rick Hooper, President and Director of the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) (11/11/05). The organization is a consortium of 98 U.S. research universities that grant advanced degrees in hydrologic science. Dr. Hooper spoke on "Funding Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences from the National Science Foundation". Link to the presentation slides.

Todd Jarvis, IWW Senior Researcher, presents a talk on "Measure 37 and Oregon’s Groundwater: A Paradigm Shift from Water Management to Water Planning?" at the Biennial Regional Research and Extension Water Quality Conference (11/2/05). This year's conference focused on Groundwater Under the Pacific Northwest and was held in Skamania, Washington. Download a pdf file of the presentation slides.

"Initiative invests in state's water future" (OSU This Week, 10/27/05) - Efforts by Oregon State University researchers in water resources education, outreach, research and collaboration are building enthusiasm both on campus and beyond, spurring the interest of scientists and policy makers from across the globe.

"Campana to direct OSU water and watersheds program" - (OSU News Service, 10/14/05) - Michael E. Campana, a hydrogeologist and international expert on a range of complex water management issues, has been named the director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds at Oregon State University. Campana is currently the director of the Water Resources Program at the University of New Mexico, and will begin his position at OSU next spring. He will succeed John Bolte, interim director of this OSU institute that involves the work of more than 80 faculty members in six colleges.

Stephanie Moret, Department of Environmental Studies, Louisiana State University visited campus (10/05) and gave a presentation titled: "University Responds to Katrina: Research and Research-to-Operations in the Wake of a Killer Storm" by Marc L. Levitan, Director, LSU Hurricane Center, Charles P. Siess, Jr. , Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Stephanie Moret, Department of Environmental Studies, Louisiana State University. Download a pdf file of the presentation slides.

"Water club 'thinks big,' sees results" (OSU Barometer, 8/05) - "Water is the most important resource of our time, really." Erika Kraft, a Ph.D. student in water resource engineering in the Department of Bioengineering, is boldly certain about the importance of water resources and the power of students to make things happen. She has, after all, seen how a student club sparked a graduate program and an academic initiative.

"Initiative to Delve into Complexities of Water" (OSU This Week, 2/17/05) - "Flip open a faucet and out flows clear, quality water most people in the U.S. don't have to give it a second thought. To the average consumer, household water delivery is a simple process with a simple result. But what many people don't see is the complexity behind the reality and the complexity increases every year", said Roy Haggerty, an Oregon State University associate professor of geosciences.

"OSU Selects Six Initiatives for Investment/Growth" (OSU News Service, 1/26/05) - Oregon State University has identified six strategic initiatives for investment that will bring to the university new centers for research and outreach, additional faculty, and undergraduate and graduate student scholarships, internships and educational opportunities. These initiatives support OSU's recently adopted strategic plan. The university is reallocating funds internally to provide seed funding for the initiatives. "It is important for the university to be able to make the hard decisions to redirect existing resources through programs like this," said OSU President Ed Ray. "It will allow us to better serve the needs of the people of Oregon in the future."