CREST Center for Water and the Environment

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

The University of New Mexico CREST Center for Water and the Environment will investigate technological solutions to problems with water and the environment, and will focus on water problems in arid environments and in times of drought, including those associated with deteriorating watersheds, climate change, water needs for energy development, and technologies to address these challenges. These issues are critical to the Southwestern U.S. but also have global importance. This center will attract underrepresented minorities into STEM careers. Recruitment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented minorities are an integral feature of the Center. Innovative programs in this Center will include construction of a water technology demonstration trailer with hands-on water activities for K-12 students, a water competition, recruiting at regional minority-serving colleges and junior colleges, as well as mentoring and tutoring programs. The research component is organized around four topics: watershed processes, water treatment technologies, water/energy interactions, and research integration. The Watershed Subproject focuses on how watershed management affects hydrologic processes, ecosystem services, and the consequent quantity and quality of water available to downstream users. The Treatment Technology Subproject investigates technologies for the removal of nutrients, trace pollutants, and emerging contaminants to minimize anthropogenic impacts to water supplies and maximize use of impaired and low-quality waters for different uses. The Water/Energy Subproject examines water resource impacts from oil, gas, and uranium development and identifies strategies to minimize them. These three topics are intrinsically related because of the hydrologic connection of surface and ground water resources, and the need to protect, conserve, and put every drop to beneficial use. These relationships will be investigated in the fourth topic, the Research Integration Subproject. This topic will develop strategies to support decision-making processes by considering uncertainty, social, economic, policy and legal factors. Intellectual Merit: This Center will generate significant new knowledge about the management and treatment of water in arid and semi-arid environments. It will have regional and global consequences as climate change and population growth cause a decrease in water supplies. Greater understanding of the impacts of historical watershed management practices and the effect of improved watershed management strategies will increase runoff and improve quality. Improved biological and physical-chemical treatment technologies allow improvements in quality and reductions in cost and energy that will permit use and/or reuse of low quality water. Development of energy resources is important to the economy but impacts water resources. New technologies will reduce these impacts and decrease the costs. Simultaneous consideration of the social, economic, and cultural consequences of watersheds, treatment, and energy development is critical to permit community involvement in management decisions. Broader Impacts: This Center will focus on the recruitment, training, and graduation of underrepresented minority students. These activities will create a pipeline of new STEM professionals to address the water problems of the future. This Center will have beneficial impacts on a global scale by developing technologies and strategies for managing water in arid regions. It will produce regional benefits by increasing supplies through improved watershed management strategies. It will facilitate economic development of energy resources by minimizing water resource impacts. The research results will be disseminated broadly through a website, peer-reviewed technical literature, national conference presentations, and in venues and formats accessible to water professionals to improve water management decisions.