The State Water Resources Research Institute Program evolved from a Congressional concern that the Nation would have at all times a sufficient supply of suitable quality of water to meet the needs of an expanding population. Although originally under the Department of Interior, in 1983 the program moved administrative homes to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). USGS has served the Nation for over 125 years by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth. The Water Resources Research Institutes, generally co-located within land-grant universities across the United States and its territories, serve as local hubs for promoting technology and information transfer between academics and USGS scientists. The academic connections are critical for helping train the next generation of water scientists and engineers, some of whom go on to have careers within USGS. There are 54 water resources research institutes, which were established through the Water Resources Research Act of 1964, and these Institutes organize under an organization called the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR). NIWR member institutes yearly collaborate on projects with over 200 universities, 150 state agencies, 180 federal agencies, departments and divisions, and more than 165 local and municipal offices. The federal government's investment through USGS in NIWR makes for a powerful combination of innovative water research and solutions for the most pressing challenges facing our nation's water resources. We encourage collaborations with USGS scientists. To help researchers learn more about the great work coming out of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area we are adding a section to our monthly newsletter devoted to USGS work.

Join Us for the Ohio WRC/WMAO October Luncheon Seminar

Water resources vulnerability: Lessons from the past, challenges for the future

Featuring: Dr. James Stagge, Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University

Planning for water resilience during extreme drought requires a long temporal perspective because these events are rare by definition, with return periods of decades or centuries. While the USGS maintains some of the longest modern stream gauge records in the world, these long records are distributed heterogeneously across the country with 80% having a record shorter than 45 years. Our perspective on drought risk is therefore a limited snapshot in time, with uncertainty about how the modern period fits into prior centuries of drought and how it will compare with future hydroclimatic conditions and changing demands. Dr. Stagge will demonstrate how his work quantifies drought risk to engineered water systems by reconstructing flows from previous centuries with tree rings and by simulating future flows based on projections of climate, land cover, and demand change. He will describe successes and challenges incorporating these approaches alongside water managers to simulate drought risk for the water supplies of Washington DC and Salt Lake City, UT. These two systems have vastly different water availability, water demands, and legal frameworks, but are facing many of the same water challenges. The seminar will end with a discussion of how this relates to Ohio water resources and a preview of research studying Cleveland stream erosion and the hydrologic impacts of land cover in the Great Lakes watershed.

The event will be held on  October 16 ^th , from  12:00 PM-1:00PM  at  The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park , 352 West Dodridge Street, Columbus, Ohio 43202. Please register .

To learn more about Dr. Stagge's research, visit his  website.

Gov. DeWine orders testing for 'forever chemicals' in Ohio’s drinking water

Via The Columbus Dispatch, September 27 ^th , 2019

Harmful algal bloom poses health hazard on Ohio River

Via WCPO Cincinnati, September 27 ^th , 2019

Water Quality Sensor Hitching Ride on Mississippi River Boat

Via U.S. News, September 16 ^th , 2019

Summer winds bring worse algal bloom to northwest Ohio

Via Toledo Blade, September 13 ^th , 2019

Major environmental challenge as microplastics are harming our drinking water

Via Science Daily, September 9 ^th , 2019

How much do you know about algal blooms?

Via Times Bulletin, September 7 ^th , 2019

Have a news article you'd like us to feature in our Newsletter? Email us at [email protected]!

Dr. Natalie Hull, Assistant Professor in the Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering Department at the Ohio State University is working on an Ohio Water Resources Center funded project. The project, “ Impact of filter upset during conventional surface water treatment on UV disinfection efficacy ”, aims to quantify the impact of high turbidity events on UV disinfection.

 

Water treatment plants (WTPs) do not currently receive inactivation credit for Giardia or Cryptosporidium when the maximum combined filter effluent turbidity exceeds 1 NTU or when the 95th percentile turbidity exceeds 0.3 NTU per §141.551. Although these regulations aim to minimize impacts of particle shielding that may protect microorganisms from UV, studies have shown partial disinfection at turbidities higher than 0.3 and 1 NTU. To quantify the impact of these high turbidity events, Dr. Hull’s team studies UV disinfection of indigenous spores (as more resistant and numerous surrogates for protozoan cysts) in local WTP flocculated water.

Preliminary results show that spores are loosely associated with flocculated particles. Analysis of filtrate showed some association between spores and flocculated particles, however, particles larger than 12µm were more reflective than particles smaller than 12µm. This indicates that reflectivity and loose particle associations may counteract spore shielding and that partial inactivation credit may be warranted even during filter upset conditions. Their ongoing work will be focused on evaluating spores UV log inactivation curves for flocculated water and compared to control without particles present.

To learn more about Dr. Hull's research, visit her  website. To learn about other Ohio WRC research projects, visit:  https://wrc.osu.edu/past.

From our USGS partner

The U.S. Geological Survey is expanding its network of water quality sensors to include a first-of-its-kind mobile sensor – that will cruise the Mississippi River attached to a steamboat. The supergage connected to the private vessel will measure water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and nitrate levels in real time while logging GPS information as the boat is travelling the Mississippi river from Minnesota to Louisiana. The benefit of the new sensor is that it will provide information between the more than 3700 fixed gages already present along the Mississippi River. This data will help identify nitrogen inputs into the river and help in management decisions along the river. 

Learn more about USGS  supergages   and the current   fixed stream gages . 

RFI - USAID/Central Asia Regional Water and Environment Program

USAID is in the process of designing its new environment and water activity that will tackle current and emerging transboundary water and environmental challenges in the region as well as the linkages between water, energy and agriculture sectors. This Request for Information (RFI) is a preliminary call for information offered by interested organizations and individuals to provide information, opinions, strategies and recommendations to achieve the objectives and results stated. Responses to this RFI will be accepted through October 4 ^th , 2019 . More information .

RFP - Performance-based Energy Resource Feedback, Optimization, and Risk Management

Optimal utilization of all grid assets requires a fundamental shift in grid management rooted in an understanding of asset risk and system risk. ARPA-E seeks innovative management systems that (i) represent the relative delivery risk of each asset and (ii) balance the collective risk of all assets across the grid. A risk-driven paradigm will allow operators to fully understand the true likelihood of maintaining a supply-demand balance and system reliability; this is critical for all power systems and is essential for grids with high levels of stochastic resources. Through the Performance-based Energy Resource Feedback, Optimization, and Risk Management (PERFORM) program, Applicants will propose methods to quantify and manage risk at the asset level and at the system level. The anticipated outcome of PERFORM is a transformative and disruptive risk-driven grid management paradigm that optimally utilizes all assets (including emerging technologies) to reduce costs and improve reliability. The deadline for submission is October 28 ^th , 2019 . More information .

Call for Pre-Proposals: Ohio Department of Higher Education Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative

The Ohio Sea Grant, on behalf of the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, and the University of Toledo, is requesting pre-proposals for research projects from Ohio colleges and universities seeking solutions to:

The deadline for pre-proposal submission is November 7 ^th , 2019 . More information.

RFP - Critical-Zone Collaborative Network

This solicitation invites proposals for either of the two components: 1) Thematic Cluster or 2) Coordinating Hub. The Thematic Clusters will carry out interdisciplinary research on scientific questions and manage part of the network infrastructure; the Coordinating Hub will serve as the national center for the network. The infrastructure of the network will be accessible to other research teams pursuing research in the Critical Zone. Full proposal deadline is December 2 ^nd , 2019 . More information .

RFP - Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. The deadline for submission is January 19 ^th , 2020 . More information.

Knauss Fellowship Opportunity Now Open

The notice of federal funding opportunity for the 2021 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is now open. The fellowship provides a one-year, paid experience for highly-qualified early career professionals to work on issues related to coastal, marine and Great Lakes science and policy in offices within the executive or legislative branch of government in Washington, D.C. 

Graduate students interested in marine science policy should explore the information about the fellowship as soon as possible and talk to their local Sea Grant program (or the National Sea Grant Office) at least one month prior to the February 21 ^st , 2020 deadline.  More Information .

2020 Ohio Stormwater Conference Call for Abstracts

The 2020 Ohio Stormwater Conference is an annual conference dedicated to advance the knowledge and understanding of comprehensive stormwater management for those dealing in all aspects of planning, design, implementation and regulatory compliance. This year’s conference is being held May 6-8, 2020 at the Kalahari Resort and Conference Center located in Sandusky, Ohio. The conference will provide updates on environmental issues, new technologies, regulatory information and pollution prevention. The deadline to submiting abstracts is November 1 ^st , 2020 .  More information.

Emerging Contaminants in The Environment Conference (ECEC20) Call For Abstracts

The 2020 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC20) will be on April 21-22, 2020, at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, IL.

The conference will feature presentations and posters on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies, and outreach in the soil, water, and air. The deadline for submitting abstracts for o ral presentations is October 30 ^th , 2019 , and for poster presentations is December 4 ^th , 2019 . More information.

To find more resources offered by Ohio WRC, please visit: https://wrc.osu.edu/resources

EPA seeks comments on water reuse plan draft

On September 10, 2019, at the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium in San Diego, California, EPA announced the release of a draft National Water Reuse Action Plan for public comment. This draft Action Plan seeks to foster greater consideration of water reuse across the water sector, such as agriculture, industry, potable water, national security, environmental restoration, and more. The draft National Water Reuse Action Plan highlights key actions that support consideration and implementation of water reuse across the water sector. The plan consists of 46 proposed actions that support consideration and implementation of water reuse applications across 10 strategic objectives.

EPA is seeking the engagement of governmental and non-governmental water sector organizations to identify priority actions and to lead and collaborate on actions identified in the draft Action Plan. EPA is soliciting public input through a 90-day comment period in the public docket (docket number EPA-HQ-OW-2019-0174). Comment on or before  December 16 ^th , 2019 .  More Information.

Ohio EPA seeks comments on the Little Muskingum River Draft Biological and Water Quality Report (2015 - 2016)

In 2015-2016, Ohio EPA evaluated the Little Muskingum River for aquatic life and recreation beneficial uses. The Agency is releasing the results from this survey for review and comment. Please see the following link for a fact sheet describing this notice and the draft report:   https://epa.ohio.gov/dsw/wq .

Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. on October 18 ^th , 2019 .

Environmental Professionals Network Breakfast - October 8 ^th , 2019

The registration is now open for the Tuesday, October 8 EPN Breakfast program " Controlling Nutrient Runoff and Protecting Water Quality: Ohio’s Latest Programs and Policies " .

This program features Dorothy Pelanda (director, Ohio Department of Agriculture), Laurie A. Stevenson (director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) and Mary Mertz (director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources), who will discuss nutrient runoff management in Ohio, the programs and policies demonstrating effectiveness, and collaborative efforts to improve water quality, including the newly launched H2Ohio initiative. More information .

OAWWA southeast district fall meeting - October 17 ^th , 2019

The southeast district fall meeting will be held at the Ohio Union on Thursday, October 17th. The registration deadline is Thursday, October 10 ^th . More information.

Symposium: A Celebration of Women in Antarctica - October 17 ^th to October 18 ^th

The symposium celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the first All-Woman Research Team in Antarctica. Led by Dr. Lois Jones, this team of four women from The Ohio State University made polar history when they went to Antarctica in 1969.

Speakers will include polar scientists, historians, explorers, and two members of the original team. The symposium will look at women’s past, present, and future in science, research, discovery, and leadership.

This symposium will be held at Scott Hall, 1090 Carmack Rd. from Thursday, October 17 ^th , 2019 to Friday, October 18 ^th , 2019. More information.

OWEA/OSWA 2019 Watershed Workshop - October 22 ^nd

The 2019 Watershed Workshop will be held at the Fawcett Center at The Ohio State University on October 22 ^nd from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. More information.

Imagine a Day without water - October 23 ^rd

Imagine a Day Without Water 2019 is the fifth annual day to raise awareness and educate America about the value of water. More information.

Wexner Center for the Arts Exhibition Includes Maya Lin’s Water Ways series - September 21 ^st to December 29 ^th

This exhibition includes Ohio native Maya Lin’s Water Ways series, in which are models of Ohio waterways made with steel pins and industrial glass beads. The exhibition opened on September 21 ^st , and it will be on view until December 29 ^th , 2019. Lin’s installations represent the significance of rivers and aquifers in human history and development. More information.

Have an event you'd like us to feature in our Newsletter? Email us at [email protected]!