Major Water Research&

Outreach Programs

New Mexico State University

What is it?

By

Karl Wood, Director

Is the Water Resources Research Institute

all of New Mexico’s

six state universities,

the Southwestern and Borderlands Regions,

and the Nation

At: New Mexico State University

In: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Serving:

Areas of Specialty

1. Water Conservation

2. Planning and Management

3. Atmospheric-surface- groundwater relationships

4. Water Quality

Facilities

WRRI is solely housed in Stucky Hall on the NMSU Campus.

1. Education and Health Disparities – Serving the Underserved

2. Information-Centric Security and Defense3. Systems Biosciences4. Twenty-First Century Aerospace

NMSU Clusters

5. Natural Resources Sustainability and Renewal

WaterSubCluster

Energy SubCluster

LandSubCluster

Water SubCluster

Formulation And Strategic Plan

“Anyone who solves the problem of water deserves not one Nobel Prize but two – one for science and the other for peace.

President John F. Kennedy

Highlights of the Strategic Plan

VisionTo be a regional, national, and international

leader in water research, technology, education, service, and policy.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizenscan change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

Membership:

Water related courses at NMSU:

Undergraduate: 118Graduate: 85

Web page: http://research.nmsu.edu/water.html

84 faculty

Water SubCluster

1. Improve existing supply enhancing technologies

2. Assess levels of vulnerability of New Mexico aquifers

3. Examine cost-effective methods to promote water conservation

4. Improve water use efficiency and increase economic returns for water used

5. Increase safety of wastewater treated for use as drinking water

State-Wide Survey in 2006

6. Promote conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater

7. Develop better measures for reducing water pollution

8. Understand what influences water use by agriculture, municipal, industrial, and environmental users

9. Understand effects of land use changes on water pollution

State-Wide Survey in 2006

Climate Data Collection

NMCC Climate State DataOther NM Climate Station DataCrop InformationWater ResourcesClimate LinksAgriculture Models and Tools

1. Improve existing supply enhancing technologies

US Saline Aquifers

• Needs and applications are international in scope, including the U.S. - Mexico border region

• Issues include brine disposal, saline water variability, energy use

• Inland desalination is a major concern

Desalination of Groundwater

1. Improve existing supply enhancing technologies

College of EngineeringCollege of Agriculture and Home EconomicsCollege of Business Administration and Economics

A Comprehensive Groundwater Assessment

2. Assess levels of vulnerability of New Mexico aquifers

College of EngineeringCollege of Arts and Sciences

Evapotranspiration

College of EngineeringCollege of Agriculture and Home Economics

3. Examine cost-effective methods to promote water conservation

Water Policy and Economics

College of Business Administration and EconomicsCollege of Agriculture and Home Economics

College of EngineeringWater Resources Research Institute

3. Examine cost-effective methods to promote water conservation

College of Agriculture and Home Economics

4. Improve water use efficiency and increase economic returns for water used

A. ResearchB. InstrumentationC. DeliveryD. Techniques of application amounts and timing

Conversion of river water for municipal use

Conversion plants planned for:

El PasoJuarezLas CrucesHatch

5. Increase safety of wastewater treated for use as drinking water

College of Engineering

Membranes and Desalination

College of EngineeringPhysical Science Laboratory (PSL)

5. Increase safety of wastewater treated for use as drinking water

Surface-Groundwater Interactions

College of EngineeringCollege of Agriculture and Home Economics

6. Promote conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater

Invasive and exotic plant species management

6. Promote conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater

College of Agriculture and Home EconomicsCollege of EngineeringNew Mexico Department of Agriculture

Environmental enhancements for the watershed

7. Develop better measures for reducing water pollution

College of Agriculture and Home EconomicsCollege of Arts and SciencesCollege of Engineering

Endangered Aquatic Species

Department of Fisheries and WildlifeCooperative Wildlife Unit

7. Develop better measures for reducing water pollution

Geographic Information SystemsGIS

Geography DepartmentWater Resources Research Institute

College of Agriculture and Home Economics

8. Understand what influences water use by agriculture, municipal, industrial, and

environmental users

Water quality for irrigation and human health

8. Understand what influences water use by agriculture, municipal, industrial, and

environmental users

College of Agriculture and Home EconomicsCollege of Health and Social Services

Region-wide assessment and planning for future water needs

8. Understand what influences water use by agriculture, municipal, industrial, and

environmental users

Water Resources Research InstituteCollege of Agriculture and Home EconomicsCollege of Business Administration and

EconomicsCollege of Engineering

Water-borne Pathogens

Major Emphasis on Rio Grande and Border Health

Biology Department and

College of Health And Social Services

9. Understand effects of land use changes on water pollution

College of Agriculture and Home EconomicsGerald Thomas Endowed Chair

9. Understand effects of land use changes on water pollution

This is a sunrise, not a sunset!

A new day!

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors”African proverb

“The future ain’t what it used to be” Yogi Berra