Haggard Attends National Institutes for Water Resources Annual Meeting

University Relations

Brian Haggard, University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Brian Haggard, professor of biological and agricultural engineering and director of the Arkansas Water Resources Center, recently attended the National Institutes for Water Resources Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The NIWR addresses water-related concerns by providing a national platform for research, training, and collaboration at the state level. Member institutes, such as the Arkansas Water Resources Center, are located in all 50 states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Housed at public, land-grant universities, the member institutes contribute expertise in research, education, and outreach toward challenges of finite water supply.

The annual meeting provides a forum for water center directors to communicate about research and strategies that have had an impact in their respective states. NIWR representatives update center directors on how the water centers collectively address state, regional and national water issues and provide information to the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Interior.

Water resources research institutes are required to leverage each dollar of federal support with two dollars of non-federal support. Arkansas Sen. John Boozman co-sponsored legislation to re-authorize programing in 2015. Haggard, who formerly served as NIWR president, current NIWR officers and other organization representatives are working toward Congressional re-authorization for 2016.

In 2017, Haggard will serve as the U of A faculty representative at the SEC Symposium, which will focus on water research.