H2OSU is also available at: http://water.oregonstate.edu/newsletter/.
May 8, 2008
The View from 210
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Take a look at our new WWW site! It’s a lot less cluttered and better organized. And Roy Haggerty was getting tired of posing continuously, so we decided to give him a break from his duties as our sole pictorial standard bearer. He now has some company.
Just heard the other day that Dr. Robert M. Hirsch, USGS Associate Director for Water, will be stepping down and returning to research, effective 12 May. As a member of the Survey’s senior leadership team and head of its water science program for 14 years, Bob was an effective spokesman not only for the USGS but for water issues in general. He’ll be joining the National Research Program, focusing on climate change and long-term trends in water resources. His talents will be sorely missed, but the NRP gains a top-notch scientist. His role as the USGS water “point man” will be ably filled by Dr. Matt Larsen, Chief Scientist for Hydrology, on an interim basis.
The water students at the University of California-Davis have started a ‘blog’. I put ‘blog’ in quotes because it is not just a blog but a water resources community WWW site that is run by the users: a SISWEB (Scientific Information Syndication WEBsite). This looks like an intriguing concept. I guess WaterWired is already behind the times.
Our proposal for a USA-based UNESCO Category II Centre is progressing nicely at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The USACE’s Institute for Water Resources is the lead, with OSU, the University of Arizona, and the University of New Hampshire as the academic partners. Feedback is very positive from UNESCO; the proposal is being viewed favorably because it is a consortium led by a government agency and a signal that the USA is serious about joining in the IHP (International Hydrological Programme). Getting the center does not include money, but cachet, which, of course, is bankable. Seriously, it means we would have access to funding sources now unavailable to us, and cachet does help.
The Research Council (RC) of the Oregon University System will be submitting, subject to OUS approval, a research Sustainability POP (Policy Option Package) to the state for funding during the next legislative session. This POP is a first for the RC. We are seeking $225,000 per biennium to support the Water Collaboratory, which is available to all OUS users. We are also seeking $400,000 in administrative support in combination with the Institute for Natural Resources and the new Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, both of which are OUS institutes. The three institutes would share various administrative services. We (OSU, UO, and PSU) are also seeking $400,000 per biennium for research seed money, although I intend to request an increase to $800,000. The research seed money would be available to all OUS institutions.
Friend and UNLV colleague Dave Kreamer (dave.kreamer@unlv.edu) is trying to form a group of individuals (academics and other water professionals) and organizations whose objective would be to build water resources capacity in developing countries. If you would like more information, please contact Dave directly.
I leave on 14 May for a 12-day trip to the South Caucasus and will be visiting Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia as part of my responsibilities as manager of the NATO-OSCE project, South Caucasus River Monitoring. The project is in its sixth and final year. I enjoy visiting the region but it’s often an adventure getting there. Armenia and Azerbaijan do not have diplomatic relations, so I have to travel through Georgia to get from one to the other. I spend just one night – 20 May, in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, and have been “warned” that is the same day as parliamentary elections. The elections can be interesting events, especially these days, what with Georgia and Russia once again engaging in the “Tbilisi Two-Step” or the “Moscow Mambo”. I decided to chuck NATO’s low per diem and stay at the property of a familiar USA-based chain, whose “doormen” are traditionally young and big, sport Ray-Bans, drive black Beamers, and have 9mm “cell phones” bulging beneath their coats. And did I mention the hotel has wireless Internet access in its shelters?
The Oregon Water List (TOWL) will not suffer from neglect in my absence. Maria Wright has graciously agreed to handle the administrative chores.
Don’t forget the Water Resources Graduate Program Awards Event and Pizza Lunch, Friday, 30 May, 11:30 – 1 PM in Gilmore 100.
Till next month,
Michael
“The optimist learns English. The pessimist learns Chinese.
The realist learns Kalashnikov.”
– South Caucasus aphorism (courtesy of Dr. Armen Saghatelyan, Yerevan, Armenia)
Congratulations
Congratulations to Eva Lieberherr, who won the Masters level student paper competition of the Water Resources Specialty Group at the American Association of Geographers. Her paper was titled: "Acceptability of Market-based Approaches to Water Management: An Analysis of the Deschutes Groundwater Mitigation Program." She received an award and a prize of $100. Eva's work was partially funded by a grant from the IWW.
Congratulations to Aaron Wolf and Lynette de Silva and their team on the approval of the category I proposal to initiate a new Graduate Certificate in Water Conflict Management and Transformation. This proposal was approved by the OUS Provost Council on March 6th, 2008 and the State Board of Higher Education on April 4th, 2008. Read more...
Featured Researcher: Biniam Iyob, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geosciences
Biniam Iyob is a citizen of Eritrea, a country located in the Horn of Africa bordering the Red Sea. Biniam came to OSU in 2003 after completing a B.S. in Soil and Water Conservation in his home country and an M.B.A. in Mauritius. He is working with Geosciences Professor Aaron Wolf on transboundary waters issues and expects to finish his Ph.D. in early 2009. Biniam is also teaching Geography of the Non-Western World (Geo 105) this spring. Biniam writes:
"My PhD thesis is titled “Equitable Distribution of Benefits Principle in Transboundary Waters: The Nile and Columbia River Basins”. The equitable distribution of benefits principle, as promoted by most development agencies, proposes sharing the benefits of water rather than the water itself. The objective of this research is to analyze whether the principle actually does distribute the benefits and costs equitably among and between the riparian countries' stakeholders. I am assessing the principle from three different aspects:
- The 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (specifically Article 5 and 6),
- The benefits and costs associated with current trends in water usage/distribution/benefit sharing and
- The institutional capacity to implement changes espoused by the principle. I will assess a series of gages for equity including: the Gini coefficient, cost and benefit analysis, Pareto efficiency model, geographic information science, qualitative intensity scales and Delphi methods.
I am using the Nile and Columbia basins as case studies. Preliminary results show that the benefits of transboundary waters are not equitably distributed spatially, socially, or culturally. However, the principle works very well with historical precedents, rights and structure of legal frameworks as it does not negate or interfere with the status quo but improves the existing situation."
The IWW recently sponsored Biniam to present his research at the April 2008 meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) in Boston. He reports, "My presentation was well received and commended by a representative from the U.S. Department of State and others. I also received valuable feedback that will improve my dissertation." Click here to download a PDF of Biniam's presentation.
Get Involved
Help restore native fish populations in the Long Tom Watershed! This summer, their watershed council is looking for volunteers to help survey barriers to fish passage (culverts, dams, and other stream crossings). You'll work alongside other volunteers and staff in the field, learn about stream ecology, cutthroat trout, and and learn how to identify barriers by gathering measurements and using field equipment. When: June through September 2008 - olunteer to work up to 5 days per week, based on your availability. Volunteer Training - Saturday June 7, 2008. To express your interest: Please send an e-mail or letter to Jenna Garmon (jgarmon@longtom.org) briefly describing your interest in this project, related skills, and available time commitment.
Monday, May 12. Deadline to submit abstracts for the American Water Resources Association Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held 17-20 November, 2008 in New Orleans, LA.
May 30, 11:30-1:00 p.m., 100 Gilmore. Water Resources Graduate Program Awards Event and Pizza Lunch. FMI: Mary Santelmann.
May 31, 2008, Deadline to submit abstracts for the CUAHSI Biennial Colloquium on Hydrologic Science and Engineering (Resilience & Vulnerability of Natural and Managed Hydrologic Systems) which will be held July 14- 16 in Boulder, Colorado. Students from CUAHSI member institutions who present papers will have their registration fee refunded at the meeting. Held at Boulder, Colorado.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, May 14, 4:00-5:30 p.m., ALS 4000. Water, plants and California's drought prone ecosystems, part of the Spring Hydrology Seminar Series: Water in the West. Speaker: Todd Dawson, University of California, Berkeley. There will also be a related journal club discussion the same day from 11:00-11:50 in Wilkinson 203.
Two events to welcome the Middle East Water Collection to OSU. This collection was the gracious donation of Dr. Thomas Naff, Professor Emeritus of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Institute for Environmental Studies 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. Events sponsored by: the Institute for Water and Watersheds, OSU's Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation and the College of Science.
- Monday, May 19, 2:00-3:15 p.m., Valley Library. Reception.
- Tuesday, May 20, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Wilkinson 235. International Waters Panel Discussion. Discussion will include: Tom Naff, Judy & John Kolars, and Mark Giordano.
Monday, May 19 4:00 p.m., 234 Gilmore. Seminar by Bill Massman, USDA Forest Service, Fort Collins, CO. Bill's work is on gas exchange at air-snow interfaces. He has recently published significant synthetic insights from basic physical concepts and mathematical solutions to the issue, for example, see Massman, 2006 and Massman and Frank, 2006. FMI: John Selker.
Tuesday, May 20, noon, Gilmore Annex Conference Room. Journal Club with Bill Massman, USDA Forest Service, Fort Collins, CO. Bring your lunch. Suggested reading: Massman, 2006 and Massman and Frank, 2006. FMI: John Selker.
Wednesday, May 21, 4:00-5:30 p.m., ALS 4000. The Colorado River at 1900, 2000, and 2100: what is the past, present, and future of the river?, part of the Spring Hydrology Seminar Series: Water in the West. Speaker: Brad Udall, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. There will also be a related journal club discussion the same day from 11:00-11:50 in Wilkinson 203.
Read about more upcoming events on the IWW's calendar.
Opportunities for Students
2008 Bonneville Environmental Foundation Internship - Research and synthesize information about projected climate change impacts to Northwest watershed ecosystems and the potential for river restoration actions to mitigate these changes in order to protect native biodiversity and other ecosystem services. The intern will be hosted by BEF in Portland, Oregon. June-August 2008. Compensation: $3,000. Applications due: May 9th, 2008.
Stapp Scholarship to attend the North American Association for Environmental Education Meeting - The conference will be held October 15-18, 2008. To be eligible for a scholarship you must be a full time junior, senior or graduate student at the time of the conference. Applications due: June 15, 2008.
Festival VidéEau, International Video Competition on Water - The Festival VidéEau invites young people aged from 17 to 30, to submit 90 second or shorter video clips on the theme “Water, People and Sustainable Development”. This competition for video clips is organized by the International Secretariat for Water (ISW), in preparation for the International “Water and Film” Events that will take place in Istanbul in 2009, within the context of the 5th World Water Forum. The winners of the competition will be announced at a prize-giving ceremony to be held during the World Youth Congress, in Quebec, Canada, from 10 to 21 August 2008. Deadline to submit clips: June 15, 2008.
Funding Opportunities for Faculty
OSU College of Engineering, Seeding Collaborative Research, Phase 1 Projects - COE faculty are invited to submit proposals for up to $20,000 to seed collaborative research. Proposals should be from faculty in at least 2 departments/schools – departments from other colleges are encouraged, but the lead must be from Engineering. Funding is to be used for proposal development for major research initiatives. Proposals will be evaluated by a panel of the Associate Deans and Dept/School Heads, and decisions made by June 15th for funds to be expended in Summer & Fall. Submit proposals electronically to Chris Bell by May 16th, 2008.
NSF Hydrologic Science - This program focuses on the flow of water and transport processes within streams, soils, and aquifers. Particular attention is given to spatial and temporal heterogeneity of fluxes and storages of water and chemicals over a wide range of scales, to geolimnology and to interfaces with the landscape, microbial communities, and coastal areas. Studies may also deal with processes in aqueous geochemistry and with the physical, chemical, and biological processes within water bodies. Study of these processes requires expertise from many basic sciences and mathematics, and proposals often require joint review with related programs. Proposals due June 1, 2008.
NASA ROSES Decision Support through Earth Science Research Results - This program develops and demonstrates practical applications of NASA Earth science observations and research through demonstration projects carried out in partnership with end user organizations. Some of the priority topics are: improving agricultural forecasts through the use of observations in conjunction with regional climate models and/or downscaled global climate model outputs, water for agriculture, impacts of biofuel development on carbon management and agricultural conservation practices, remote sensing-based forecasts of changes in biodiversity, tools for a global biodiversity observation network, improving water quality assessment capability, the use of NASA research results to improve the basis for water resource management and public policy decisions that address water issues and concerns, approaches to adapting to climate variability and change impacts on water resources. Awards range from under $230K - $310K per year. Notices of Intent due June 17, 2008; Proposals due August 13, 2008.
NASA ROSES Earth Science Applications Feasibility Studies - This program emphasizes the research areas listed above (see NASA decision support) but is designed to test the initial feasibility of a concept for potential application of specific NASA Earth science research results to a decision-making activity. Awards range from $60K - $110K. Notices of Intent due June 18, 2008; Proposals due August 27, 2008.
NASA ROSES Energy and Water Cycle Study - Water Quality - NASA’s Water and Energy Cycle program focuses on achieving the grand challenge of “documenting and enabling improved, observationally based, predictions of water and energy cycle consequences of Earth system variability and change.” To improve remote sensing capability of water quality, NASA solicits projects that have either of the two following objectives: algorithms to remotely sense inland and coastal water quality or providing the scientific basis for next generation water quality remote sensing. Notice of intent due June 19, 2008; full proposals due August 19, 2008.
NSF Research Coordination Networks in Biological Sciences - The goal of this program is to encourage and foster interactions among scientists to create new research directions or advance a field. Innovative ideas for implementing novel networking strategies are especially encouraged. Groups of investigators will be supported to communicate and coordinate their research, training and educational activities across disciplinary, organizational, institutional, and geographical boundaries. The proposed networking activities should have a theme as a focus of its collaboration. The focus could be on a broad research question, a specific group of organisms, or particular technologies or approaches. Proposals due June 30, 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.