Water Resources Research Act Program Subactivity A lead institute, working with the USGS, will solicit, review, and select research projects to be funded nationwide. Proposals seeking up to $250,000 in Federal funds will be solicited for research addressing problems in non-point source pollution and water use. Specific research priorities will be jointly set by the Institutes and the managers of the USGS National WaterQuality Assessment and Water Use Programs. Proposal selection criteria will favor projects involving collaboration between the USGS and university scientists. Any university or college can apply for a grant through an institute. The USGS will award the grants, which can be for work over a period of up to 3 years and must be matched on a 1:1 basis. Program Administration — USGS administration of the program is funded at $237,000 and requires two FTEs. The USGS provides $25,000 to a lead Institute assisting in the administration of the Competitive Grant Program conducted under the provisions of section 104(g) of the Water Resources Research Act. Recent Accomplishments The Institutes support several hundred research projects each year, involving over 1,000 students. The results of this research initially appear in Institute reports and scientific journals. Eventually, much of this research results in changes in water management practices. The following are examples of some recent research accomplishments which have, or may soon have, management applications. The Environmental Resources Research Institute at Pennsylvania State University developed a water use vulnerability index rating based on whether or not regulated pesticide chemicals were used, transported, manufactured, stored, or disposed of in a watershed. The vulnerability index was applied to 7,840 public water supply sources in Pennsylvania. "Use" waivers were granted to water suppliers by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP) if the vulnerability index was below a threshold level. PaDEP estimated that the vulnerability index will result in $16 million in annual savings in water chemical analysis costs. The Wisconsin Water Resources Center developed a method using submitochondrial particles (SMPs) isolated from beef hearts to measure concentrations of toxic substances in soil and water samples. SMP technology provides a rapid, inexpensive means of monitoring soil and water contaminants. Two patents have been issued for this technology through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. A Wisconsin-based remediation firm has an agreement with WARF to use the technology and is working with Water Resources Center personnel on further SMP research. The SMP environmental toxicity test was the subject of a film prepared by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's science television program QUANTUM. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (NRCC) recently adopted the water rights analysis package (WRAP) developed through research sponsored by the Texas Water Resources Institute as the centerpiece of its $20 million regional water planning effort currently underway. WRAP evolved over a 10-year period from research projects initiated with funding from the Texas Water Resources Institute, then expanded with funding from other local, regional, and state authorities. WRAP was selected as the core planning tool from among 22 models evaluated by a group of consultants under contract to NRCC. Water Resources Research Act Program Subactivity WRAP will be used to evaluate the spatial distribution of water availability within the 16 planning regions in Texas. The Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center working with a team of University of Massachusetts, National Park Service, and USGS Biological Resources Division personnel has developed a Water Resources Management Plan for the Cape Code National Seashore, replacing one from 1981. The Plan reviews the existing knowledge base, focuses on several major problem areas for the future, and proposes an extensive research and outreach plan for the next decade. A Montana Water Resources Research Center project involving collaboration among university, State government, and industry participants is assessing the environmental factors which limit MTBE biodegradation for the purpose of enhancing remediation in the field. The project has found that, though MTBE biodegrades very slowly in the subsurface, biodegradation rates can be greatly enhanced with certain enrichment strategies. The project results are already shaping future remediation strategies to be implemented by State regulators. A team of researchers, with financial support from the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute and seven water organizations along the lower South Platte River, is developing computer tools to improve administration of conjunctive use of ground and surface water along the river. Meeting regularly with water managers, the team is developing computer tools to integrate satellite images of irrigated crops into GIS maps of cropping patterns, using GPS technology to accurately locate wells, and then estimating amounts of augmentation water needed to assure senior surface water rights are not damaged. This research is finding immediate use because of extensive stakeholder involvement. The results of this research are being used to prepare the scope of work for development of a South Platte River Decision Support System to be considered for funding by the 1999 session of the Colorado State legislature and in the development of the system itself. The Alabama Water Resources Research Institute brought together a team of researchers from three southeastern States (Alabama, Georgia, and Florida) to assemble both empirical and theoretical information on water resource allocations and to apply the findings to the current water allocation conflicts in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) river basis shared by the three States. Information and data derived from this project is currently being used by the three-State negotiating team in its efforts to devise an equitable allocation formula for the water in the two basins. Students that worked on the project have been hired by the States, and project researchers are providing technical expertise for the ACT/ACF Compact negotiations. Project results are being developed into a book to be published by the University of Florida Press. Water Resources Research Act Program Subactivity FY 1998 REGIONAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM Note: States not listed here did not receive a regional competitive grant. They received only a base grant of $20K, which was provided to the Water Institute in each State. Figure W-10 Note: The Program Redirect column reflects the redirection of funds to the Integrated Science, Science Support, and Facilities activities. The Uncontrollables & Related Changes column includes a decrease of $1.3 million for the transfer to FWS for the San Marcos Field Station ($300) and a one-time add in FY 1999 for the incinerator replacement in Madison, Wisconsin ($1.0 million). Activity Summary Introduction The USGS Biological Research Activity generates and distributes information needed in the conservation and management of the Nation's biological resources. This program serves as the Department of the Interior's (DOI) biological research arm and continues the strong traditions for management-oriented research developed within the Department's land management bureaus. Core biological research capability in 15 research centers and associated field stations and 39 Cooperative Research Units supports research on fish, wildlife, and habitats that is used by Federal and State Government and non-governmental organizations. Information generated by the Biological Research program also contributes to achieving bureau goals for improved management of the Nation's water resources; availability of maps and map data; and improved decisionmaking regarding land and water use. These goals are supported by the efforts conducted in three subactivities: Research and Monitoring, Information Management and Delivery, and Cooperative Research Units. Research and Monitoring — The USGS serves the needs of DOI bureaus by providing scientific information through research, inventory and monitoring investigations. Biological studies develop new methods and techniques to identify, observe, and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats; inventory populations of animals, plants and their habitats; and monitor changes in abundance, distribution, and health of biological resources through time and in direct relation to causative factors. Scientists work to maintain the health, diversity, and ecological balances of biological resources while meeting public needs such as game harvests and the use of public lands and waters. Biological Research USGS biologists work toward these goals in collaboration with other scientists, customers, and partners. Biologists combine their expertise with that of the other USGS disciplines in interagency ecosystem initiatives from South Florida to the Pacific Northwest where scientists are working together to understand, evaluate, and provide options for restoring fish and wildlife habitats and better guide resource management decisions. In a collaborative process, USGS involves the users of scientific results by engaging them in the identification and prioritization of their information needs as research is planned. DOI bureaus and other customers and partners are involved in this process, and where appropriate, are involved in an adaptive process to find solutions and develop new methods by testing research results in the field. Information Management and Delivery - The USGS strives to enhance the flow of scientific and technical information and the utility of that information among its partners. Through the development of a National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), this program strives to make information from current and previous research accessible to all users. The NBII is linked to the Internet, and will link government and private information sources nationwide to facilitate the rapid sharing of information among researchers and users. Further, the NBII will greatly expand the exposure and usefulness of biological information. Cooperative Research Units — This cooperative program allows govemment and nongovernment entities with common interests and responsibilities for natural resource management to cooperatively address biological resources issues. Through this unique program, biologists from Federal and State Goverments and academia are able to work as a team and focus their expertise and creativity on resolution of biological resource issues. Federal support of the Cooperative Research Units program is matched with State and university contributions of expertise, equipment, facilities, and project funding. Through university affiliations, Federal scientists train future natural resource professionals. increases are being proposed in the Biological Information Management and Delivery subactivity for the Community/Federal Information Partnerships ($3.0 million), and the National Biological Information Infrastructure ($1.0 million). The proposed program decreases are within the Biological Research and Monitoring subactivity. |