Arizona Water Resource Volume 11 Number 4

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Arizona Water Resource Special—S),app I~ nt May June 2003 UA Expands Role in Water Research, Education and Outreach The University of Arizona recently announced awards to fac- ulty and staff to support work in water research, education and outreach. UA students also benefitted, with fellowships awarded to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in water related studies. This boost in water resource support came from the legis- latively authorized Technology and Research Initiative Fund. (TRIF's origin was a November 2000 voter approved in- crease in the state sales tax to support education. A portion of the amount went to the state's university system, to invest in technol- ogy and research -based initiatives. UA uses some of its TRIF funding for the competitive grants program. The four UA water centers involved in TRIF are the Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing; Center for Sustainability of Arid and semi -Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas; Water Quality Center; and Water Re- sources Research Center). A request for proposals was issued in Novem- ber, with 66 proposals submitted to compete for $1 million of TRIF funding. The 21 proposals that were funded represent a broad range of work to be ac- complished by highly qualified UA faculty and staff, all of whom have partnered with agencies outside the university for direct dollar and /or in -kind sup- port. The projects involve 54 UA primary investi- gators from four colleges, and 19 departments/ schools /units across campus. Seventy -two entities are listed as partners, including schools and school districts, municipal, county, state and federal govern- ment agencies, private sector companies and other associations. Over $300,000 has been secured from off campus as direct dollar matches. TRIF funding also is used to support the Water Fellowship Awards. Five outstanding undergraduates studying water resources at UA will each receive a $4,000 award, and four outstanding graduate students will each receive $20,000. These are exceptional students with the ability to make significant contributions to the study of water resources at UA and beyond. Following are brief summaries of TRIF - funded projects. Also listed are the names of students receiving TRIF fellowships. sive remediation of aquifers and soils contaminated with nitrates and Perchlorate. Nitrates from fertilizer application, mine tailings, and sewage effluent, and Perchlorate from explosive manufactur- ing sites are sources of widespread contamination of groundwa- ter in Arizona, which pose a potential health hazard. Trials have shown that microbial denitrification occurs in soils under deficit irrigation of landscape or crop plants and has the potential to both cleanup aquifers and improve surface conditions of numer- ous sites in the state on a large scale. Research, Education and Outreach Projects Microbial Mechanisms for Observed Rapid and Large -Scale Denitri- fication in Irrigated Desert Soils. Potential Loin Cost Methods to Remediate Nitrate in Soil and Groundwater..$49,000. Dr. Edward Glenn, Environ- mental Research Laboratory, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Sci- ence. Work will focus on study and development of management practices using conventional irrigation technology for the inexpen- Evaluation of M&'I Water Conservation Measures Through Actual Water Savings & Cost /BenefitAnalysis. ,$29,400. Val Little, Water Resources Research Center. Project will evaluate municipal and industrial water conserva- tion programs /strategies implemented in Arizona and throughout the West. Analyses will be done to determine actual water sav- ings, costs and benefits for targeted conservation measures, with a comparison between measures worked out as well. The informa- tion generated will be used to produce a needed primary resource and reference document. There will also be an interactive web site for conservation program evaluation for use by decision mak- ers, enabling them to save water and use existing resources more efficiently. The goal is to achieve the greatest water saving per dol- lar spent on water conservation efforts. Water on Wheels — Development of a Mobile Water Laboratory/ Education Center. ,$88,400. Dr. Randall Norton, Graham County Coop- erative Extension; Dr. Lee Clark, Safford Agricultural Center; Sue Martin,