Volume 14, Number 4, August 2002 TWRI Awards 17 Mills Scholarships to TAMU Graduate Students for Water Resources Research The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) recently awarded many other fields.” 17 grants to support graduate students researching water resources- This year’s program funded five graduate students in Wildlife related issues at Texas A&M University (TAMU). and Fisheries Sciences, four students in Soil and Crop Sciences, three The students were funded through the TWRI Mills Scholars students in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and two stu- Program, which uses an endowment to support graduate student dents in Rangeland Ecology and Management. One graduate stu- research in water resources dent was funded in each the following depart- at TAMU. Each of the 17 ments: Civil Engineering, Entomology, Horti- graduate students sup- culture, and Forestry. ported through this pro- Students awarded TWRI Mills Scholarships for gram will receive tuition as- 2002-03 include the following: sistance grants of $500 in • Biological and Agricultural Engineering the fall of 2002 and $500 in Department—Jason Afinowicz (graduate stu- the spring of 2003. More dent) and Clyde Munster (researcher); Joshua than 45 graduate students Peschel (graduate student) and Ronald Lacey from 11 academic depart- (researcher); and Chad Richards (graduate stu- ments and Texas A&M Uni- dent) and Clyde Munster (researcher); versity–Galveston applied • Civil Engineering Department—Michael for this competitive grants Sterling (graduate student), and James Bonner program. (researcher); “The Mills Scholarship • Entomology Department—Jeremiah Dye Program provides a way to (graduate student) and Kevin Heinz (re- help increase graduate stu- searcher); dent and faculty participa- Photo courtesy of April Hennebeck/ TAMU • Horticulture Department—Libbie Johnson tion in water resources April Hennebeck (shown above) is a graduate student in the TAMU (graduate student) and Daniel Leskovar and projects throughout Texas Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Department. She was awarded a Frank Dainello (researchers); TWRI Mills Scholarship Program in 2002. A&M University,” said • Rangeland Ecology and Management De- TWRI Director C. Allan partment—Randy Mayer (graduate student) Jones. “By providing funds of this sort, we can help strengthen water resources studies in such diverse areas as efficient irrigation, pollu- See Mills Scholarships (page 12) tion prevention, rangeland management, aquatic ecosystems, and TWRI Grants Lead to More Funding Contents Many of the grants offered by the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) provide seed money that results in larger efforts. In many cases, Abstracts 2 grants awarded by TWRI leverage water resources TWRI Studies 4 research by faculty and graduate students to ex- Rio Grande Basin 9 pand or extend their studies. Recently, we learned that, in at least two Initiative cases, small grants provided by TWRI helped Reports 10 create significantly larger opportunities for the Meetings 11 See Follow-Up (page 12) UH researcher Shankar Chellam and Ying Wei of the City of Houston near Lake Houston. ABSTRACTS A T S • Analyzing Policy Issues to Manage Groundwater T AB BS A Supplies Between Texas and Mexico RACACTS S•A Researchers: Daniel Stein and David Eaton, the for sharing groundwater supplies. He used his findings to develop Lyndon B. Johnson School for Public Affairs, the options to administer Texas–Mexico aquifers. STR CTUniversity of Texas at Austin (UT). Results and Discussion: In Israel, Stein observed that the policy STRACTS• Problem: Texas and Mexico share five major concerning groundwater is in the form of the Taba Agreement, or the AB aquifers. These water supplies are being mined Oslo II treaty. This treaty, signed September 28, 1995, provided for ABSTRACTS• TRAby Mexico and the United States as each country the formation of a Joint Water Committee (JWC) which contains an • ABSTRACT tries to meet its water needs. As populations equal number of representatives from each country, and coordinates TS ABSTRA TS• ABS BSTcontinue to grow in the areas surrounding these water management issues. However, this agreement is temporary TS• S• A aquifers, both countries are using the aquifers and awaiting final status. From studying the current situation con- • A AC T S without joint monitoring, management, or regu- cerning Texas-Mexico aquifers, Stein found a significant problem is AC lation. In the future, groundwater policies between the two countries the incompatibility of laws between the two countries. In Texas, will need to be developed to allocate and preserve these aquifers. groundwater ownership is granted to the owner of the land without This project does not advocate a transboundary groundwater policy acknowledgment of the interdependence of nearby groundwater for Mexico and the United States, but does suggest groundwater supplies. In Mexico, all groundwater supplies are controlled by the policy options if the decision to adopt such a set of rules were made. central government, as they are seen as a public good. Stein's studies This project also examines the existing groundwater policies be- suggest that a mutual agreement on the allocation of the groundwa- tween Israel and the Palestinian Authority aspotential models for ter would benefit both parties, and that without such an agreement, the United States and Mexico. the situation may continue to worsen and the supply of water Objective: To study groundwater management agreements be- threatened. tween Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and use the findings to Reference: Stein, Daniel, "Texas-Mexico Groundwater and Glo- develop possible agreements for shared groundwater of Texas and bal Applications," the University of Texas at Austin, May 2002. Mexico. Note: This study was funded by TWRI through a grant funded Methods: Stein traveled to Israel last summer and observed by the U.S. Geological Survey. You can contact Eaton for more the issues that caused a groundwater conflict, as well as the methods information at (512) 471-4962, or Stein at [email protected]. Determining the Influence of Nutrient Enhancement on the Lotic Trophy Status of Lake Waco and the Bosque River Researchers: Angela Dean Rodriguez, HDR Engineering, Inc., precolonization and variability of response. Fourteen days after the Austin, TX; and Marty Matlock, Biological and Agricultural Engi- set up of the racks, the fiber filters were collected and analyzed for neering Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. chlorophyll a concentrations and comparative dissolved inorganic Problem: Water quality is a major issue for the Lake Waco and uptake or 14 C analysis. the Bosque River Watershed. A key concern is increased nutrient Results and Discussion: The fact that the fiber filters were pre- loading, particularly concentrations of phosphorus from drainage of seeded with algae proved to have no significant impact on variabil- dairy waste application fields. More than 34,000 dairy cows reside ity between replicated treatments at a single site. This led Rodriguez in the upper North Bosque River area. Elevated nitrogen levels to conclude that the variability of initial algae colonization is not an threaten the quality of the Middle and South Bosque Rivers. Lake influential parameter on the variability of the ultimate periphyton Waco at the outlet of the Bosque River Watershed is the primary response. This research supported the theory that periphyton com- drinking water supply for the 140,000 people of Waco, Texas. munities in episodically-enriched environments adapt to efficiently Objectives: 1) To determine the spatial and seasonal periphytic utilize nutrients to promote growth. This adaptation allows the 14 response to nutrient enrichment in the Lake Waco and the Bosque periphyton to take advantage of elevated nutrient loading. CO2 River Watershed; 2) To determine the lotic ecosystem trophic status analysis of dissolved inorganic carbon uptake indicates that the index (LETSI) at each site as an indicator of the system’s nutrient periphyton community is most efficient at photoassimilating carbon assimilation capacity; 3) To compare periphyton photosynthesis under non-limiting conditions. The furthest upstream site on the rates to biomass growth response from nutrient enrichment; and 4) North Bosque River exhibited the highest degree of biological deg- To evaluate the variability and magnitude of the periphyton re- radation resulting from nutrient enrichment. The next site down- sponse to nutrient enrichment by pre-seeding the growth medium of stream showed low maximum primary productivity, which sug- the Matlock periphytometer with algae from various streams. gested active nutrient cycling and uptake. The most nutrient- Methods: Matlock periphytometer racks were installed at eight enriched sites were those furthest downstream. Seasonality plays a stream sites during the time period of April 1998 to February 1999. significant role in the magnitude of the biological response to nutri- To indicate baseline and maximum primary productivity in relation ents, suggesting seasonal differences in phosphorus assimilative to nutrient enrichment from nitrogen and phosphorus, periphytic capacity in the system. chlorophyll a was measured. Filters were pre-seeded with algae that Reference: Rodriguez, Angela Dean, Impact of Nutrient Loading were collected from rock scrapings within various river sites and From Point and Non-Point Sources on Water Quality and Lotic Ecosystem applied to the racks in order