COMPONENTS
Groundwater
Groundwater measurement and chemistry
Groundwater research conducted by scientists in the Department of Earth and Physical Sciences at Sul Ross State University will involve the collection of groundwater level, chemistry and spring discharge chemistry data in far west Texas in order to update the existing database on regional groundwater levels. In addition, new groundwater monitoring devices will be installed at selected locations in far west Texas. A water chemistry sampling program will be conducted to improve understanding of recharge zones, groundwater residence time, and groundwater flow patterns.
Well monitoring aquifer study
Scientists at Texas State University-San Marcos, working in close association with Dr. Kevin Urbanczyk at Sul Ross State University and with local groundwater conservation districts and the Alliance of Far West Texas Ground Water Districts are installing real-time monitoring equipment at selected wells in the Trans-Pecos. Data from these gauges will provide a continuous stream of data that will help to increase understanding of properties of the aquifer system in this arid portion of the Rio Grande Basin.
Survey of west Texas springs
A study of the status and water chemistry at selected west Texas springs is being conducted by Dr. Glenn Longley, Craig Watts and David Flores at Texas State University-San Marcos. By the end of December 2004, water samples had been collected at 23 springs. The main hot spring in Big Bend NP was visited but not sampled due to high water in the Rio Grande. Croton and Dripping Springs in BBNP were also visited but were not sampled due to lack of water. Meyers Spring in Terrell County was visited but not sampled because the spring was under a pool of water and it was felt that the pool would not accurately reflect the characteristics of the spring.
Surface Water
Rio Grande pathogens
Dr. Keith Sternes, SRSU, is conducting an examination of surface waters in the Rio Grande basin looking for the presence of pathogenic microbes that would compromise the use of surface water for crop
irrigation and livestock use. Samples have been collected from 49 sites ranged over the length of the Rio Grande from the headwaters in Colorado to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. Collection and screening of samples will continue on a quarterly or more frequent basis. To date the data does not present any clear trends but has helped the research team to identify particular areas of interest.
Study of Lake Amistad
Alan Groeger and his research team from Texas State University-San Marcos began monthly sampling expeditions along the two main arms of Amistad Reservoir (the Rio Grande and Devils River) in June 2004. At each sampling station they carry out a vertical profile to determine longitudinal patterns of chemical, physical and biological characteristics in the water column. Chemical analysis of samples is still in progress but results already indicate that as the reservoir refills it becomes much more dilute, which represents a significant improvement in water quality for downstream uses.
Water quality simulations
A two-dimensional water quality model (CE-QUAL-W2) has been selected to simulate water temperature and quality in this study of water quality under 
various climatic conditions. Dr. Fang and his co-workers at Lamar University have made significant progress on model input data preparation, including reservoir bathymetry data, stream inflow and outflow data, inflow temperature and constituent concentration, climate data, and water quality measurements.
Assessment of impact of airborne pollutants
The purpose of this study, led by Dr. Thomas Ho at Lamar University, is to develop a multi-scale air quality model for the Rio Grande Basin to assess the impacts of long-range transport of particulate matter in the Basin. Hardware and software has been assembled for the modeling work and national emission inventory data has been reprocessed to generate emission inputs for the model. The August 2004 South Texas ozone episode has been selected as a base case for development of the model.
Mobile advanced wastewater treatment technology for optimized use, reuse and recycling of agricultural water
First quarter work at Lamar University coordinated by Dr. David Cocke has involved multiscale electrocoagulation equipment and experimental activities with an emphasis on reducing electricity use. Rapid progress has been achieved on a Beaker-sized electrocoagulation treatability screening system. Several bench scaled reactors have been put into operation and are being used to explore the treatability of agriculture water. The mobile high-flow electrocoagulation reactor system has been designed and should be ready for shakedown and preliminary field trials in the next quarter of the project.
Research has addressed one of the major problems of electrocoagulation –the production of chemical species that do not contribute to the cleaning of the water being treated. Preliminary experiments have revealed a way to almost totally eliminate the production of magnetite. This discovery will be further explored in successive quarters and will be considered for patenting or publication in the open literature.
Work is also being conducted on removal of COD from agricultural waters. A review article is in preparation and work will begin in the next quarter of the project to apply the technology developed to chicken processing water for reuse and recycle.
Additional work has been initiated on application of electrocoagulation as a pretreatment to ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis of brackish water in the Rio Grande Basin.
Characterization of water pollution and evaluation of membrane treatment technologies for the polluted water in the Rio Grande Basin
A bench-scale automated cross-flow membrane filtration apparatus with precise pressure and flow 
control has been established for various types of membrane filtration experiments. As the result of various tests the research team at Lamar University, led by Dr. Jerry Lin, has decided to use nanofilters for future experiments. Currently the team is preparing a laboratory synthetic solution to test the membrane filtration system. Once these tests are completed and the system is declared operational the team will collect representative polluted water samples from the Basin, perform water characterization on the samples and feed the samples to the membrane filtration system to evaluate the efficiency of nanofiltration in pollution removal.
Three graduate students have been recruited. Saqib Shirazi is a doctoral student partly supported by SAWC. Napoli Rasario and Kannan Palaniappan are master students in the Environmental Engineering program at Lamar.
Photochemical treatment of contaminated water in the Rio Grande region
This research project, led by Dr. Daniel Chen at Lamar University, will work to develop a cost-effective and safe method to treat atrazine in agricultural water. Photolysis under UV light from commercially available germicidal lamps in laboratory conditions demonstrated that atrazine can rapidly decompose from 62 ppb to below 3 ppb (EPA MCL) in 80 minutes under UVC irradiation to 2 major and 2 minor byproducts. One major and one minor byproduct remain unidentified at time of reporting. However, the fast decomposition rate makes photochemical water treatment suitable for large-scale projects. Potentially, this technology could use solar energy, further reducing cost.
Biology
Study of Terlingua Creek
Dr. Bonnie Warnock, Sul Ross State University, is coordinating this research project to study the upper watershed of Terlingua Creek, the major tributary of the Rio Grande. The project will be conducted entirely on private land and the study area will be fenced off to prevent grazing.
Four treatments: mesquite removal using herbicide, tarbush and creosote removal using herbicide, installation of diversions and land surface ripping.
There will be two 50 acre replicates of each treatment as well as two 50 acre control plots.Vegetation and wildlife populations are being measured before and after the application of treatments.
Locations have been selected for study. The study areas are all on the 02 ranch, and are referred to as Duff Springs, Paradise, Headquarters and Cottonwood. Avian and plant baseline inventories have been completed at Duff Springs. The first treatment, mesquite removal using herbicides has been implemented at Duff Springs. Ground water levels have been monitored through the application of the herbicide. A meteorological station at the site records precipitation and other climatic variables.
Small Mammal Survey
This survey of small and medium sized mammals in the Rio Grande corridor is being conducted by Loren Ammerman and Robert Dowler of Angelo State University in collaboration with Bonnie Warnock at Sul Ross State University.
Fieldwork undertaken in the O2 ranch study area between August and November 2004 has resulted in documentation of 32 mammal species.
Land use practices and their effect on ecosystem dynamics along the Rio Grande
Dr. Justin Williams of Sam Houston State University is leading a project to investigate the impacts on native wildlife in the Rio Grande Basin resulting from water quality issues associated with urbanization, agriculture and land use. Findings from this research will provide information that can be used to advise urban planners of potential costs to endemic wildlife that result from urban expansion and resulting water quality issues.
Data Management
Identification of organizations that have undertaken relevant research
The purpose of this project, coordinated by Emily Armitano at Texas State University-San Marcos, is to identify organizations that have undertaken, or are currently engaged in scientific and socioeconomic research activities relevant to the goal of ensuring the sustainable use of the Rio Grande and its resources.
At the conclusion of 2004, information on more than 120 agencies and organizations involved in Rio Grande sustainability issues had been collected and entered into a database.
Rio Grande Basin Database and Clearinghouse
Under this research project, Emily Armitano at Texas State University-San Marcos will identify existing databases and other sources of information on factors affecting the sustainable use of the Rio Grande and its resources by basin inhabitants, municipalities, agricultural interests, industry, and the life-sustaining ecosystems along its length.
The team will create a comprehensive, user-friendly, web-based database on the scientific, biological, and socioeconomic information identified that can be queried by geographical location or by content.
GIS/Remote Sensing
Development of a GIS management tool
The purpose of this study under the direction of Dr. Matthew Uliana at Texas State University-San Marcos is to refine groundwater models of the aquifer systems in West Texas. 
An initial set of well samples have been sent for analysis. Additional sampling sites are being identified and an agreement is in place with the owners of Village Farms, the hydroponic tomato farm near Fort Davis, TX, to install a satellite monitoring station on one of the farm’s unused production wells.
Videography Study
Aircraft videography and statistical sampling are being used by Dr. Steve Reames, Dr. Rod Reed and Dr. Cecil Hallum at Angelo State University to develop a cost-effective and timely method for estimating water use over large areas and to assess the impact of temporal change on agricultural systems.
Three data collection flights had been completed by the end of 2004, sample video frames have been classified and a SAS (Statistical Analysis System) to enable speedy classification of each video footprint has been developed. This will provide the capability for total acreage estimates of each land cover type for each footprint which can then be used to determine landcover types throughout the target area. The current test area is located along the Rio Grande, north of Presidio toward El Paso.
Physical Assessment Project
Modeling the Forgotten River segment of the Rio Grande
Many government and nongovernmental agencies are showing increased interest in exploring options for restoration of the Forgotten River, so named because little scientific data is currently available on this section of the Rio Grande (downstream from El Paso to the confluence of the Rio Conchos near Presidio).
Dr. Daene McKinney et al at the University of Texas at Austin Center for Research in Water Resources have developed a methodology to transfer simulation information into the geodatabase from the HEC-DSS file. Additional tools could be developed to aid in modeling with HEC-ResSim. A Visual Basic module could be developed for the time series sorting and validation process to automate the process.
More information is required. This includes adding time series related to water rights, wastewater discharges, municipal diversions, and irrigation district diversions. This information will aid in providing a more accurate model of the Forgotten River region.
