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New Mexico Water eNews & Season's Greetings

 

December 2021

ENMU Student Water Research Award master's recipient, Laramie Mahan, recording specific conductance and pH levels in the Pecos River.

ENMU Student Studies Habitat Characteristics of the Rio Grande Cooter
by Marcus Gay, NM WRRI Student Program Coordinator

The Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi) is a freshwater turtle native to the Rio Grande and the Pecos River in New Mexico, Texas, and northeastern Mexico. The species is currently listed as threatened in New Mexico and Mexico, and is a species of greatest conservation need in Texas. In recent years, the species has been studied in tributaries of the Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas, but the Pecos River itself has not been surveyed for turtles in over a decade.

The Pecos River originates in the mountains of northern New Mexico and runs 926 miles through the Chihuahuan Desert before flowing into the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border. One of the river's historic attributes is salinity caused by natural saline groundwater. Reduced flood frequency and diminished flows have caused an increase in salinity and a decrease in water quality. The river’s water quality can also be affected by dam construction, channelization, agriculture practices, etc. In addition to being arguably one of the most anthropogenically altered river systems in the southwest United States, the Pecos River continues to be a major water source and habitat for wildlife.

Read entire article by clicking here.


Transboundary Groundwater Resiliency Research Network Holds First Virtual Kickoff Event
by Jeanette Torres, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

On November 16, 2021, the Transboundary Groundwater Resiliency Research (TGRR) network (funded by the National Science Foundation’s AccelNet program) launched its first virtual kickoff event on Zoom to more than 70 interested participants. This hour-long meeting offered just one of several opportunities to provide input on the challenges and needs for more effective transboundary groundwater research and management. In collaboration with the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute aspires to create a new, international network of networks that connects hydrology, social science, data science, and systems science networks to establish a novel TGRR approach.

The meeting began with Sam Fernald, Director of the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute and Principal Investigator (PI) on the project, and Ashley Atkins, one of the project’s Co-PIs and the Executive Director of the West Big Data Innovation Hub, welcoming everyone to the meeting with opening remarks. Atkins set the stage by explaining that the network was “rooted in the idea that harnessing advances in data science and system science can help build on and work with existing transboundary water networks to help answer critical questions in ways that haven’t been previously possible, and in ways that can meet the diverse needs and priorities of stakeholders to create a more resilient transboundary groundwater future.”

Read entire article by clicking here.


Meet the Researcher

Barbara Chamberlin, Professor and Interim Department Head, New Mexico State University
by Jeanette Torres, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

This month’s featured researcher is Dr. Barbara Chamberlin, professor and interim department head for the Innovative Media Research and Extension Department, at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Chamberlin has assisted in creating educational tools for several water partners and enjoys making new connections with water experts across the state. The New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) is excited to work with Chamberlin on their first formal collaboration project titled, SWIM: Securing a Climate Resilient Water Future for Agriculture and Ecosystems Through Innovations in Measurement, Management, and Markets (SWIM). This research effort will focus on creating more advanced and robust data-driven information systems for stakeholders and other decision-makers by improving how information is shared. These information systems will improve the accuracy of water-based judgments, measurements, and evaluations leading to more secure, sustainable surface and groundwater use. For more information on the SWIM project, please visit the project’s website at the link above, or read NM WRRI’s November eNews article, NM WRRI Receives Funding to Investigate Improvements to Agricultural and Environmental Water Resilience, which describes the project and current collaboration efforts.

In addition to her work with NM WRRI, Chamberlin pursues other research opportunities by partnering with fellow researchers and educators to develop and design educational media. This can consist of games, apps, animations, videos, websites, virtual reality (VR) programs, and interactive labs. Once the media of choice is selected and created, she guides the project through instructional design. Chamberlin describes her job during the design process as “making sure the production team understands the needs of the user, the best ways to teach the content, and the usability of the final product.” She explains that her entire unit is full of professional graphic artists, animators, and programmers who are also instructional designers because they understand the most important aspect of this position is creating meaningful change in the users of their products.

Read entire article by clicking here.


NM WRRI Hosts First of Hueco and Mesilla Bolson/Conejos-Médanos Virtual Science Conversation Series
by Mark Sheely, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

Research and management of the shared groundwater resources along the U.S.-Mexico border represents a critical issue as the effects of climate change and development pose unique management challenges compared to surface water resources such as the Rio Grande or Colorado River. Recognizing a further need for binational dialogue, NM WRRI hosted the first of a series of conversations, Hueco and Mesilla Bolson/Conejos-Médanos Virtual Science Conversation Series on Thursday, December 9, 2021. The Series is intended for scientists and practitioners interested in the research and management of these two transboundary aquifers to meet informally to discuss current research, share new findings, identify data needs, and consider opportunities to work together. This first conversation, organized by NM WRRI Research Scientist Holly Brause and Program Coordinator Mark Sheely, brought together over 30 participants from the U.S. and Mexico to discuss the theme of water quality.

After introductions, participants shared any new or upcoming resources and publications they were involved with. Participants also had the opportunity to share any data, research, or collaboration needs they had. The water quality discussion included participants sharing their work and concerns on issues such as salinity and heavy metals contamination. One key topic raised was the importance of data sharing and confronting traditional barriers to transboundary data exchange. This topic included a discussion around a lack of standardization of terms and definitions necessary for the development of tools such as cross-border models. Additional modeling interests and challenges discussed led organizers to conclude that the next conversation, planned for early 2022, should be themed around modeling efforts and interests in the two aquifers.

Researchers and practitioners working in the Hueco or Mesilla Bolson and interested in participating in future virtual conversations can sign up to receive information by filling out this form.

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