New Mexico Water eNews

USGS 104B Awards Announced by NM WRRI 
by Carolina Mijares, NM WRRI Program Manager 

NM WRRI announced its FY2020 faculty research grant program awards associated with the 104B State Water Resources Research Institute Program between the U.S. Geological Survey and New Mexico State University. The 104B program focuses on providing water quality and quantity information, understanding water availability, addressing the influence of climate on water resources, and responding to water-related emerging needs. Director Sam Fernald is the lead principal investigator on the program.

In response to the NM WRRI 2020 Request for Proposals, four awards were made to the following faculty: Jesse Filbrun of Eastern New Mexico University for the project entitled, Investigating the Effects of Reservoir Water Releases on Spawning Activities of Fishes in the Pecos River; Alex Rinehart of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology for the project entitled, Adding Snow Physics to PyRANA to Understand the Impacts of Climate Change on Diffuse Recharge in New Mexico Headwaters; KC Carroll of New Mexico State University for the project entitled, Electrical Resistivity Mapping of Rio Grande River-Groundwater Connectivity; and Hatim Geli of New Mexico State University for the project entitled, Improving Water Use Efficiency Using Ground-based Microwave and Optical Scintillometer Measurements of Evapotranspiration of Pecan Orchards. The projects will begin on March 1, 2020 and culminate on February 28, 2021.

FY2020 RFP Available USGS 104g
by Carolina Mijares, NM WRRI Program Manager

The U.S. Geological Survey has announced March 19, 2020, 5:00 pm EST, as the deadline for proposals associated with its Water Resources Research National Competitive Grants Program.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please contact NM WRRI Director Sam Fernald (575-646-4337; afernald@nmsu.edu) or Carolina Mijares (575-646-7991; mijares@nmsu.edu) as soon as possible. The proposal and budget should be reviewed by NM WRRI no later than
March 12, 2020.

RFP available at: https://water.usgs.gov/wrri/FY2020_104g_RFP.pdf

The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources requests proposals for matching grants to support research on the topics expanding and enhancing the use of hydrologic monitoring data monitoring to support advanced modeling tools, exploration and advancement of our understanding of changes in the quantity and quality of water resources, development and evaluation of processes and governance mechanisms that advance the science of ecological flows, and exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs). Any investigator at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for a grant through a Water Research Institute or Center established under the provisions of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended (http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php).

Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists are encouraged. Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration and may request up to $250,000 in federal funds. Successful applicants must match each dollar of the federal grant with one dollar from non-federal sources. Applications (including complete proposals) to the National Competitive Grants Program Announcement FY2020 must be submitted to the grants.gov internet site at http://www.grants.gov no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time, March 19, 2020 by the university at which the Institute or Center is located. Funds have not yet been appropriated for this program for FY2020. The Government's obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of funds.

NMT Student Receives NM WRRI Student Water
Research Grant
by Marcus Gay, NM WRRI Student Program Coordinator

Kimberly McNair is a graduate student in the Department of Biology at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT) and is expecting to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a Master of Science degree. Last year she received a New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) Student Water Research Grant entitled, Tracking CRE in the Rio Grande: determining correlation between the appearance of antibiotic resistant bacteria in surface waters and local infection rates. The focus of McNair’s research is to uncover how the Rio Grande influences the spread of antibiotic resistance genes throughout the state of New Mexico.

Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat. Resistant infections are often acquired from healthcare settings due to frequent use of common antibacterial agents, but environmental factors likely play a role in transmission. Contamination of natural waterways via human activity can introduce pathogens to the surrounding area and downstream communities. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is an emerging group of antibiotic resistant microbes. Carbapenems are often used as a last line of defense to fight otherwise resistant bacterial infections and multiple studies have suggested that CRE can be present in surface waters.

Read entire article by clicking here.

Dr. John Hawley Presents at National Ground Water Association Water, Energy, and Policy in a Changing Climate Conference 
by Kevin Perez, NM WRRI Program Specialist 

The National Ground Water Association held their Water, Energy, and Policy in a Changing Climate Conference on February 24-25, 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the conference, there was a convergence of public and private sector water professionals from New Mexico and surrounding southern states of the U.S. with different backgrounds. Some topics that were discussed included coupled ground water and surface models, securing water supply, the New Mexico Water Data Act, policies related to private wells management, ground water education, and influences of climate change and climate variability in ground water systems.

NM WRRI Visiting Senior Hydrologist Dr. John Hawley presented on his research project entitled, Hydrogeologic Framework of the International Boundary Zone of the Mesilla Basin Region. Highlights of Dr. Hawley’s presentation included a new spatial representation of the hydrogeological formations in the U.S.-Mexico border and the U.S.-Mexico Border Block Diagram that provides a three-dimensional understanding of the hydrogeological units in the Mesilla Basin Region. The presentation given by Dr. Hawley is the result of decades of research—he has been investigating hydrogeological problems in southern New Mexico since the foundation of the NM WRRI in 1963, and in recent years through the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program. The results of Dr. Hawley’s research will be completed and published as technical report on the NM WRRI website in the near future.

NM WRRI Takes Part in U.S.-Mexico Border Solutions Alliance Convocation in Washington D.C.
by Mark Sheely, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

Border communities often face a conundrum in that they are linked together culturally, economically, and through many shared natural resources; however, they are also separated by very distinct—and in many cases, physical—geopolitical borders. 192 million crossings were made at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018, and nearly $600 billion dollars’ worth of goods and services flow through the 17 ports of entry, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. At the same time, political and historical developments create the reality of being on either side of two different countries.

This connected-yet-separate dual nature poses a unique set of challenges to these communities in areas such as public health, urban resilience, and the management of shared water resources. Recently, a convocation held in Washington D.C. on February 6, 2020 entitled, Data-Driven Discovery at the U.S.-Mexico Border brought together the Border Solutions Alliance. This consortium of universities and research institutions, including New Mexico State University and NM WRRI, presented an initial portfolio of data-driven, use-inspired research efforts to program sponsors and policymakers. Presentations converged around three topics: transformation of production, health and well-being, and regional sustainability.

Read entire article by clicking here.

Meet the Researcher

Matteo Serena, Research Assistant Professor,
New Mexico State University
by Jeanette Torres, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

Matteo Serena is a Research Assistant Professor in the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU). He is responsible for conducting field experiments for the Turfgrass Research Extension Program. This aspect of his position provides opportunities for him to apply his expertise in conserving water in turfgrass, saline water use, and measuring how moisture sensors are affected by soil salinity.

Serena earned his BS and MS degrees in Agriculture and Agricultural Technology from the University of Padua (UP) in Padova, Italy in 2004 and 2007, respectively. He continued his research at UP in the Department of Vegetable Production and Plant Protection, where he assisted in coursework on forage management, and turfgrass science. After applying to NMSU, Matteo began work as a Research Assistant under the advisement of Dr. Bernd Leinauer. In 2009, he became a Graduate Research Assistant, with special interests in the effects of polymer coating on germination and establishment of turfgrasses, and soils surfactants to improve drought tolerance. While in this position, Serena also supported environmental soil science work and assisted non-native English speakers with their writing. He completed his PhD in Plant and Environmental Sciences in 2014 at NMSU. His PhD project, Turfgrass establishment and fertilization under subsurface drip and saline irrigation, was partially funded by the Rio Grande Basin Initiative. Following his graduation, Serena attained his current position as a Research Assistant Professor. Matteo’s research interests include screening chemicals to improve drought tolerance, calibrating soil moisture sensors, studying pre-emergence control for summer and winter annuals (poa annua), and examining irrigation with recycled and/or high saline water and subsequent effects on plant and soil quality.

Read entire article by clicking here.