UA RESEARCHERS BUILD MODELS TO AID DECISION-MAKING FOR WATER QUALITY

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Three projects by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture will help focus the myriad data and concerns regarding water quality and conservation in the Delta and northwest Arkansas.

The projects will build computer models that will help water-users and policy-makers make decisions about use of water resources and practices that may have an impact on water quality and availability, said Indrajeet Chaubey, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

The projects are just part of Division of Agriculture research devoted to environmental concerns. "The department of biological and agricultural engineering, alone, has nearly $2.6 million in grants to fund environmental research projects," Chaubey said.

The latest grants include $550,000 from the USDA Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service to develop a decision support system for water resource management in the Arkansas Delta; and a $447,095 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a similar system for northwest Arkansas and the Delta. Related projects include development of a decision support system for the Beaver Lake watershed in Northwest Arkansas, funded by a $272,000 grant from the EPA and the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission; and a nutrient management decision support system for the Eucha Basin in northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma, conducted jointly by the U of A , Oklahoma State University and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, funded by $686,000 grant from USDA and EPA.

Chaubey said the Delta project will look at water quality and availability in relation to declining aquifer levels and rising salinity in some areas, as well as sediment and nutrient runoff. The northwest Arkansas studies will look at nutrient levels from fertilizer runoff. Biological engineers are also investigating the use of satellite imagery as a tool for measuring water quality. All projects will organize the data to help make decisions about how to best manage water resources.

UA agricultural economist Jennie Popp and UA natural resources regulatory policy specialist Janie Hipp will also analyze the economics and policy implications of water management strategies.

"The decision support system models will include economic information so users can make informed decisions about how management practices affect costs and profits," Chaubey said. "What does it mean in dollar values when decisions are made?"

Beyond the data and analysis, the Division of Agriculture is seeking input from agricultural producers and other water users in each area.

"What makes these projects unique is that they draw information from stakeholders as well as data collected in the watersheds," said co-investigator Marty Matlock, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering. "We’re weighing the needs of water-users, both agricultural and urban, and factoring them into the water conservation models for these projects.

"It’s a novel approach that’s motivated by immediate concerns about water quality and helps us take the simple steps toward solutions," Matlock said. "It’s a tool that uses scientific information to build trust among the diverse rural and urban interests and helps us see the obvious things more clearly in the context of the larger picture of watershed management."

He said decision support systems can involve all stakeholders and let them make collective decisions and set priorities and determine management strategies.

"Our position is that, through the democratic process and education, we can manage the watersheds without regulations," Matlock said.

When compiled, the DSS models will be available online for public use, Chaubey said.

"Different levels of information will be available and users can look at how much water is needed for a given use, what water quality concerns are involved and what costs can be anticipated," he said. "It allows users and policy-makers to make informed decisions in light of minimizing water depletion or the impact of pollutants, and minimizing costs."

Chaubey expects to have the first decision support system model, for Beaver Lake, online by summer 2004.

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