AUEI Announces Awardees for its Annual Excellence in Environmental Sciences Scholarship

AUEI is pleased to announce five winners for its annual Excellence in Environmental Sciences scholarship program. The scholarships were selected by the Institute’s Scholarship Selection Committee, whose members include representation from Auburn University staff and faculty. Scholarships were awarded based on academic excellence, relevance of applicant’s coursework to the mission of the Institute (see www.auei.auburn.edu), extracurricular environmental activities, and environmental career interests.

Caitlyn Duffy was awarded Guy V. Bullock Excellence in Environmental Sciences Scholarship. Mignon Denton, Sara Geonczy, Ryan McGehee, Hilary Rizk were awarded Emory O. and Jeanne L. Cunningham Excellence in Environmental Sciences Scholarship.

Call for Presentations - 2013 AL Water Resources Conference and AWRA Symposium

The deadline to submit an abstract for all oral presentations and non-student posters is 4:45 p.m., Monday, July 1, 2013.

Abstracts for student poster presentations can be submitted until 4:45 p.m., Monday, August 12, 2013.

New guidelines for the student oral and poster competitions may be reviewed at:
http://auei.auburn.edu/conference/competition.php

Please visit the conference website at http://auei.auburn.edu/conference/ for details and consider submitting abstracts on your current research or area of expertise.

The 27th Annual Alabama Water Resources Conference will be held Thursday & Friday, Sept. 5-6, 2013, at the Perdido Beach Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Orange Beach, Alabama. Immediately preceding on Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Alabama Section of AWRA will host a Water Resources Symposium. These meetings will provide an excellent forum for updates on the status and issues regarding the many multi-disciplinary aspects of current and future water use, management, and conservation issues.

Registration and accommodation information are available at conference website:
http://auei.auburn.edu/conference/

Abstract submitters will be notified no later than Monday, July 23, 2013. Registration fees for the conference are NOT waived for presenters. If selected, you must register for the conference.

Don’t miss this opportunity to present your abstract and network with colleagues along the shores of the beautiful Gulf of Mexico!

Auburn University Watershed Center of Excelence Report (2008-2012)

The Watershed Center of Excellence Report (2008-2010) provides an update of activities related the following specific projects:

• Parkerson MillWatershed Management Plan- 319(h) NPS Grant (page 2)
• Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan- 319(h) NPS Grant (page 5)
• Mill Creek Watershed Management Plan- 319(h) NPS Grant (page 10)
• Saugahatchee Creek Watershed Management Plan- 319(h) NPS Grant (page 13)
• EPA STAR Proposal for Center of Excellence for Nutrient Management Practices (page 17)
• EPA-funded Alabama Wetlands Project (page 21)
• Tallapoosa Nutrient Numerical Criteria for Wadeable Streams Project NPS Grant (page 30)
• Alabama Water Watch (page 36)
• Global Water Watch (page38)

read more…

AWRRI Awards FY-2013 AL Water Resources Grants

Alabama Water Resources Research Institute recently announced the award of three FY-2013 AL Water Resources Grants. The object of this program is to facilitate research faculty in the state in making significant advances, and increasing regional and national competitiveness, in the water resources arena. For the purpose of this competition, “water resources arena” is defined in the broadest possible terms. Proposals are invited from all permanent full time tenured, tenure-track and non-tenured faculty from any universities or colleges in Alabama.

Details about the awarded proposals are available at http://awrri.auburn.edu/grants.php

Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Healthy Watersheds Initiative

EPA, The Nature Conservancy, and the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) have jointly signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that formalizes a mutual collaboration between these groups as they strive to develop and implement healthy watersheds programs in states and with regional aquatic ecosystem programs to help sustain an integrated network of healthy watersheds across the country. EPA, The Nature Conservancy and ACWA agree to meet periodically to track progress related to developing and implementing healthy watersheds programs in states and with regional aquatic ecosystem programs, as well as promote the sharing of educational and scientific information such as data gathering and sharing of watershed health assessments and healthy watershed implementation projects.

For more information, visit the Healthy Watersheds Web site.

EPA Releases LID Barrier Busters Fact Sheet Series

EPA has just released a fact sheet series on the benefits of Low Impact Development (LID) and addressing obstacles to wider adoption of LID. They are available at:
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/green/bbfs.cfm

Updated Data Now Available in EPA’s Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool (NPDAT)

EPA has added updated data in the NPDAT, a tool intended to help states develop effective nitrogen and phosphorus source reduction strategies. The latest on Facilities Likely to Discharge Nitrogen/Phosphorus (N/P) to Water data layer now provides information on N/P discharges from 2010 facility monitoring reports (previously 2008 information was the most current information available through the EPA’s data access tool) and corresponding nitrogen and phosphorus limits from EPA’s Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool. Also, the Waters Listed for N/P Impairments and Waters with N/P TMDLs [Total Maximum Daily Loads] data layers now reflect data pulled from the Assessment TMDL Tracking and ImplementatioN System (ATTAINS) as of May 2012 (previously the layers reflected November 2011 ATTAINS data). NPDAT and the updated data layers are available at Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool