H2OSU is also available at: http://water.oregonstate.edu/newsletter/.
January 10, 2008
The View from 210
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IWW Associate Director Todd Jarvis, ever the boat-rocker and sometime geographer, has an excellent guest editorial, Corporate Hydrologist and the Communications Gap, in the current issue (v. 46, n. 1, January-February 2008) of Ground Water.
The Law of Unintended Consequences once again rears its ugly head. Can ground water pumping exacerbate global warming? Sounds like a stretch, right? Actually, it may not be. Gwen Macpherson of the University of Kansas thinks that when we release CO2 into the atmosphere via the degassing of CO2-laden ground water we are doing just that – making global warming worse. It is an interesting premise, which she presented at the recent Geological Society of America meeting. I’ve posted her abstract and related thoughts on WaterWired, my blog.
And, as if you need more unpleasant news, work by Tim Barnett (Scripps) et al. suggest a strong link between anthropogenic global warming and the Western USA’s diminishing snowpack. They presented their results at the recently-concluded American Geophysical Union meeting, and I’ve posted it on my blog.
We’ve all heard the terms “carbon footprint”, “energy footprint”, and “ecological (or environmental) footprint”, so it should come as no surprise that there is a “water footprint” as well. I encountered this link to a “water footprint” in the January 8 issue of Brown and Caldwell’s California Water News and thought I would pass it on. It accounts for water in food, the materials you use, energy, direct use of water, etc. The results may shock you.
Congratulations to those whose USGS mini-grant proposals were funded. We had a difficult time deciding which of the record 24 proposals should be funded, especially with our limited funds (c. $150,000). We’ve posted the information elsewhere in this newsletter.
The abstract deadline for the IWW-co-sponsored International Conference on Nonrenewable Ground Water is less than one month away – February 4. You can read more information and link to the conference home page from my blog. The meeting will be in Portland, October 13-14, 2008. Consider submitting an abstract. Note that the term “fossil ground water” is sometimes used as a synonym for “nonrenewable ground water”.
Our one-day symposium on Aquifer Storage and Recovery and Artificial Recharge in Oregon has been fully populated with oral presentations and is open for registration. There is a link to the registration page in the top right-hand corner of the IWW home page. We are still accepting abstracts for poster presentations.
I recently visited Leslie Bach and Jenny Brown at The Nature Conservancy’s office in Portland. We spent a good hour or so discussing ground-water dependent ecosystems (GWDEs), a topic that until recently had been flying under just about everybody’s radar. I remember several years ago when Sheila David, then of the Heinz Center, and I tried to shop a proposal related to GWDEs and got nowhere fast with several agencies and foundations. But GWDEs are now emerging on the screens of a number of agencies and organizations. The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey are both well aware of the issue and devoting resources to it.
TNC is doing some fascinating work on GWDEs, related to ground water and biodiversity conservation. Some of TNC’s work is on the verge of being released (I’ll let you know when). Jenny made a presentation at the recent international conference on Groundwater and Ecosystems in Lisbon, Portugal. The conference was sponsored by the International Association of Hydrogeologists. The presentation introduces TNC’s work in Oregon, and you can access a copy of the paper here (PDF). It describes a pilot project in Oregon to identify GWDEs and assess threats. She and Leslie said that the Australians, Europeans, and South Africans are ahead of us, especially when it comes to the ecological requirements of ground water and how to integrate them into water policy.
Those of you who read Robert Glennon’s Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America’s Fresh Waters know that he broached ground water and ecosystems, especially on the upper San Pedro River in southern Arizona. One of the best summaries I’ve seen on the topic is a 1996 report by Cheryl Grantham from the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, An Assessment of the Ecological Impacts of Ground Water Overdraft on Wetlands and Riparian Areas in the United States. It is getting a little long in the tooth but still provides a very good introduction to the topic.
Don’t forget our Winter film series, started January 9 at 4 p.m. and continues every Wednesday thereafter through March 12 (there will be no film on January 23). It will be in the Memorial Union, Room 208 (La Raza Room). There is more information about this event later in the newsletter.
See you next month.
- Michael
“He doesn’t get ulcers, he gives them. He’s a carrier.” – former Philadelphia Phillies manager Jim Fregosi, about pitcher Mitch Williams.
Congratulations to Recipients of FY2008 USGS-IWW Minigrants
This year, we received 24 proposals from a wide range of institutions and departments. The diversity may be due in part to the emphasis on assisting state and local agencies with water-related issues. The titles and PIs from funded projects are listed below, their abstracts are also available online. Congratulations to the recipients!
- Adaptive Governance for Land and Water Management: The Rock Creek Sustainability Initiative - Towards a Model Pilot Project Coordination Process - PIs: R. Elaine Hallmark, Director, Oregon Consensus Program; Robert Williams, Graduate Research Assistant, Portland State University; Connie Ozawa, Professor, Urban Studies and Planning, Portland State University; Hannah Gosnell, Assistant Professor, Geosciences, Oregon State University.
- Documentary Film: An exploration of groundwater rights and community-based action in Umatilla County - PIs: Dr. Jon Lewis, Professor of English and Film Studies, Oregon State University; Filmmaker: Sarah A. Lind (Sheldrick), Master of Arts in English and Communication, Oregon State University.
- Monitoring harmful algal blooms that threaten drinking water in Oregon - PI: Theo W. Dreher, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University.
- Adapting a Problem-based Water Quality Curriculum Course for Community Colleges - PI: Naomi Hirsch, Professional Faculty, Oregon State University.
- Effects of sediment barrier removal on geomorphic complexity and habitat diversity - PIs: Desiree D. Tullos, Assistant Professor, Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University; John Faustini, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Oregon State University.
- Water Reuse in Corvallis, Oregon: Public Opinion and a Plan for Public Participation - PIs: Brent Steel, Professor, Oregon State University; Karen DuBose, Graduate Sstudent, Oregon State University
- The Influence of Sediment Deposition on the Emergence Success of Juvenile Salmonids PIs: Stephen T. Lancaster, Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University; Christine L. May, Faculty Research Associate, James Madison University.
- Sharing Water, Building Relations: Managing and Transforming Water Disputes in the US West - PIs: Denise Lach, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Oregon State University; Aaron Wolf, Professor, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University.
Featured Project: Oregon Water Supply and Conservation Initiative
In late December, IWW Associate Director Todd Jarvis attended the kick-off meeting for the Oregon Water Supply and Conservation Initiative sponsored by the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD). Oregon is one of a few states without a water plan, but with climate change and population growth looming ominously in the Pacific Northwest, the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature determined that Oregon must quickly reassess its investment in water resources.
Approximately 30 “hydraulic heads” were invited to meet the selected consulting firm, HDR, who will complete the literature review that will serve as the foundation for projections of future drinking and agricultural water needs. HDR’s work may also include preliminary estimates for water needs associated with instream flows. The work must be completed by July, 2008, for agency and public reviews in preparation for submission to the legislature. Workshops will be offered throughout the state by HDR and OWRD.
In related matters, the initiative will also provide $200,000 for water planning by smaller communities who want to do it on their own. The ground rules are still being developed by OWRD but the following is a quick summary:
- Up to $20,000 will be awarded per project.
- Communities will provide 25% of the costs (OWRD has not determined if the cost share is cash or in-kind services).
- The eligibility criteria require that the plan: (a) involve a diverse group of stakeholders; (b) address regional needs; (c) address water supply/water quality/land use planning; and (d) be developed by local government.
- The Request for Proposals will be released via the OWRD website by January 15, with submittals due by March 15, and awards in April, 2008.
IWW Director Michael Campana is serving on the Initiative’s Technical Review Committee, which will meet in Portland on January 15.
Get Involved
Abstracts due January 21 for poster presentations at the symposium Aquifer Storage and Recovery and Artificial Recharge in Oregon: Overcoming Technical, Regulatory, and Social Challenges to Expand the “Bubble”. The symposium will be held Thursday, February 28 at the OSU LaSells Stewart Center and has been convened by the OSU Institute for Water and Watersheds and the Oregon Department of Water Resources.
Abstracts due February 4 for the International Conference on Nonrenewable Ground Water Resources - Sociotechnological Aspects of Nonrenewable Ground Water Resources: Half-Empty, Hall-Full, Top-Down, Bottom-Up, and Some Paths Forward. The meeting will be held October 13-15, 2008 in Portland, Oregon and is sponsored by the National Ground Water Association, in association with the OSU Institute for Water and Watersheds, The World Bank, and the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO. There will be presentations on all aspects of nonrenewable ground water: legal, social, economic, scientific/engineering, institutional, policy, and management.
Abstracts due February 4 for Riparian Buffers and Ecosystems: Working at the Water's Edge. The conference to be held June 30 - July 2, 2008 in Virginia Beach, VA. Sponsored by the American Water Resources Association.
Upcoming Events
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 p.m., OSU Memorial Union, Room 208 (the La Raza Room). IWW Winter 2008 Water Film Series - The series features films on rivers and topics from around the world. View the schedule online or contact Todd Jarvis for more information.
Thursday, January 17 4:00-6:30 p.m., OSU Memorial Union Powell Leadership Room. Seminar: Prediction of the Hydraulic, Geomorphic, and Ecological and Consequences of Large Floods in Small to Medium Sized Rivers (The 4th Edwards Lecture). Speaker: Dr. Jim Dungan Smith of USGS at the University of Colorado. Sponsored by the Miles Lowell and Margaret Watt Edwards Endowment, College of Engineering. Seminar begins at 4:00, followed by social and refreshments at 5:00. Held on campus at Memorial Union Powell Leadership Room. FMI: Prof. Harry Yeh.
Mondays, 9 a.m., Nash Hall Room 10, Stream Team Monday Morning Meeting. Next topic: January 14 - Science and management of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, speaker: Dede Olson, USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. FMI: Stan Gregory.
Tuesday, February 5 - Thursday, February 7. 2008 Stream Restoration Design Symposium. A three-day symposium focusing on stream restoration science, techniques for analysis, design and monitoring, and restoration effectiveness. Held at Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA.
Funding Opportunities for Students
OSU Institute for Water and Watersheds Graduate Research Funding - "The IWW supports graduate student projects that assist OSU faculty, state or local agencies that are responsible for examining issues related to long-term water and watershed management with a focus on creating sustainable solutions that balance resource stewardship with economic viability for local communities. Graduate students will find their own faculty mentor for their project. The project should involve water resources related research in topics including, but not limited to: water resources science, water resources engineering, or water resources policy and management. The awards are not necessarily limited to students enrolled in the Water Resources Graduate Program, but also in related fields such as agriculture, engineering, soil science, forestry, fisheries and wildlife, geosciences, sociology, political science, among others. IWW will make awards to as many as five students, each paid at a rate of $15 per hour. Student work hours from other awards (GTA/GRA) combined with these awards cannot exceed 0.49 FTE (20 hours per work week). Other expenses directly related to the student’s project such as travel expenses to project sites, conferences, or minor equipment expenses will be reviewed and may be awarded on a case-by-case basis. Tuition cannot be paid." Proposals due Monday, January 28, 2008, by 5:00 p.m..
Mazamas Graduate Student Research Grants - The Mazamas, a 3,000 member Oregon mountaineering organization headquartered in Portland OR, is soliciting research grant proposals from graduate students. Their organization supports research projects in keeping with the purposes of the Mazamas, including the investigation of geologic features, biotic communities, and human endeavors pertaining to mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes. The Mazamas Graduate Student Research Grants are intended to help graduate students cover travel, per diem, supplies, and other costs of conducting master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation research. Grants can be up to $1500. Applications due February 1, 2008 for graduate students with a last name starting with A thru M; applications due February 4, 2008 for graduate students with a last name starting with N thru Z.
The National Academies Research Associateship Program - The Research Associateship awards are open to doctoral level scientists and engineers (U.S and Foreign Nationals) who can apply their special knowledge and talents to research areas that are of interest to them and to the participating host laboratories and centers. Awards are available for Postdoctoral Associates (within 5 years of the doctorate) and Senior Associates (normally 5 years or more beyond the doctorate). Associates conduct research in residence at the participating host laboratory they have chosen. Applications due: February 1, 2007.
The Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship - "DPDF is a strategic fellowship program designed to help graduate students in the humanities and social sciences formulate doctoral dissertation proposals that are intellectually pointed, amenable to completion in a reasonable time frame, and competitive in fellowship competitions. Fellows participate in two workshops, one in the late spring that helps prepare them to undertake predissertation research on their topics; and one in the early fall, designed to help them synthesize their summer research and to draft proposals for dissertation funding. For the 2008 Cycle, the Spring Workshop is May 29 - June 1, 2008, in Saint Louis, MO, the Fall Workshop September 11-14, 2008, in Milwaukee, WI. Students apply in one of the following five fields: Critical Studies of Science and Technology Policy, Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, Muslim Modernities, or Urban Visual Studies. Fellows are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 from SSRC to support predissertation research during the summer. The program is administered by the Social Science Research Council and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation." Applications due: February 8, 2008.
EcoInformatics Summer Institute (EISI) for undergraduate and early graduate students - The program will be held at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in the Oregon Cascades from June 16th- August 22nd, 2008. Students receive a stipend, course credit, and hand-on experience in ecoinformatics - the integration of mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering with the study and management of ecosystems. The program is led by OSU faculty and sponsored by NSF and NIH. Applications due: February 15, 2007.
Community Forestry and Environmental Research Partnerships Graduate Fellowships - These fellowships "support graduate students with diverse academic backgrounds – from anthropology, geography and sociology to environmental science, forestry and natural resources. Common to all students is an interest in the forces and processes that exist in the relationship between communities and the environment. The program accepts proposals for research with community participation in sustainable natural resource management, social and economic justice in environmental management, community ability to maintain traditional lifeways, land use issues in the face of competing interests, and other topics relevant to natural resource issues in urban and rural communities." There are both nationwide fellowships and ones with a Southwest focus. Masters fellowships provide awards of up to $7,000, pre-dissertation up to $2,000, and dissertation up to $15,000. Applications due: February 29, 2008.
Funding Opportunities for Faculty
OSU Faculty Release Time Program for Spring Term 2007-08 Release - Award amounts range between $3,500 and $6,000. Approximately $35,000 will be allocated for the academic year 2007-08. For more informcation contact: Debbie Delmore, 737-8390. Applications due: January 22, 2008.
Mazamas Standard Research Grants - The Mazamas, a 3,000 member Oregon mountaineering organization headquartered in Portland OR, is soliciting research grant proposals. Their organization supports research projects in keeping with the purposes of the Mazamas, including the investigation of geologic features, biotic communities, and human endeavors pertaining to mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes. Grants can be up to $3,500. Applications due: January 25, 2008.
OSU L.L. Stewart Faculty Development Award - The L.L. Stewart Faculty Development Award provides individual faculty members with grants of up to $2,200 for professional development activities that have a clear connection to the enhancement of teaching and student learning at OSU. Up to two grants for $4,400 may also be considered for exceptionally compelling and well-written proposals. Academic advising-related proposals are welcome. Proposals due: January 31st, 2008.
National Ground Water Association - Ground Water Research Fund - NGWREF seeks to fund leading-edge programming that stimulates new knowledge, information, programs, and products to advance ground water science and technology. It particularly encourages and values those proposals that bridge the gap between research and practical applications of the research findings. In 2008 it will prioritize funding for projects that contribute to achieving the Foundation's mission related to sustainability and public concerns about ground water quality. Proposals up to $50,000 will be considered; typically, research grants may be provided in the $3,000 - $8,000 range. Grants are for one year. Proposals due: February 1, 2008.
A list of additional water-related external funding opportunities is available on the IWW Web site.
H2OSU is a periodic e-mail news briefing provided by the Institute for Water and Watersheds. It is distributed through the OSU Hydro Email lists and the Oregon Water List (http://water.oregonstate.edu/news/email_lists.htm). Questions, comments and ideas for news briefs may be sent to the IWW at iww@oregonstate.edu. More news from the IWW is available at http://water.oregonstate.edu/news/index.htm.