Grants

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• Competitive Grants 08/09
• Competitive Grants 07/08
• Competitive Grants 06/07
• Competitive Grants 05/06
• Competitive Grants 04/05
• Competitive Grants 03/04
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Competitive Grants 2004/05

UA TRIF Water Sustainability Program - New Projects 2004/05

Arsenic Mobilization and Transport from Water Treatment Residuals in Landfills $25,000.

Dr. Wendell Ela, Dr. Eduardo Sáez, Dept. of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Current technologies for the removal of arsenic species from drinking water rely on the use of solid sorbents such as activated alumina or synthetic ferric hydroxide minerals. When the sorption capacity is reached, the arsenic-laden sorbents are disposed in non-hazardous landfills. Preliminary work in our lab has shown that these residuals will leach high arsenic concentrations under normal landfill conditions, thereby posing a renewed threat of soil and groundwater contamination. This project will quantify arsenic content in landfill leachates as dissolved species and, perhaps more importantly according to our early results, as species adsorbed on colloidal particles.

Characteristic Flood Response of a Burned Catchment: Sabino Creek Basin, Arizona $56,001.

Dr. Ty Ferré, Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, Dept. of Hydrology and Water Resources, Dr. Bart Nijssen, Dept. of Hydrology and Water Resources/Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Land resource managers need better post-fire impact monitoring tools and improved metrics for evaluating mitigation strategies. Using recently burned Sabino Creek Basin as our study area we will combine model simulations and field measurements to: a) determine the relative importance of changes in soils and vegetation to changes in flood response; b) evaluate the potential impact of existing fire mitigation measures on flood response; and c) develop alternative mitigation scenarios as needed. In addition, we will collaborate with the Flandrau Science Center and SAHRA to enhance a summer science camp (Camp Wildfire) and with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and SAHRA to develop a public education exhibit for display at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center.

Perchlorate Removal from Ground and Irrigation Water Using Low-Maintenance Biofilters $28,785.

Dr. Jim Field, Dr. Reyes Sierra, Dept. of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Perchlorate is an emerging water quality issue in Arizona. Perchlorate is detected in ground and surface water used for human consumption and irrigation. Natural occurring microorganisms readily metabolize perchlorate to safe end-products when supplied with suitable electron donating substrates (e-donor). The objective of this project is to develop a low maintenance biofilter system for treatment of perchlorate in contaminated water based on slow-release insoluble e-donors. Several biofilter concepts will be tested for their applicability to perchlorate removal from ground-water, irrigation water and anion exchange brine.

Patterns of Hydrologic Connectivity on a Desert Riparian Landscape $32,759.

Dr. Ed Glenn, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Dr. John Kupfer, Dept. of Geography and Regional Development, Dr. Dave Meko, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

The restoration and conservation of riparian landscapes in arid landscapes is fundamentally linked to a working knowledge of landscape form and function. One understudied but important component is hydrologic connectivity. In this research, we will employ a combined field and experimental approach using tree rings to reconstruct hydrologic connectivity on the San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area. Previous reconstructions of local hydrology using ring widths have not been successful so we propose the development and analysis of false-ring chronologies that could be used to indicate spatial and temporal patterns of channel drying and attendant decreases in groundwater depth.

Enhancing Water Supply Reliability through Improved Predictive Capacity and Response $73,750.

Kathy Jacobs, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Dr. Bonnie Colby, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Dr. David Meko, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Dr. Bart Nijssen, Hydrology and Water Resources/Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

This project is a multi-pronged approach to enhancing Arizona’s water supply reliability from the Colorado River. We will: a) assess current Bureau of Reclamation use of climate information in river modeling; b) identify strategies to better utilize paleoclimatology, climate forecasts and climate change predictions to improve water supply predictive capacity for the lower Colorado River and the Central Arizona Project; c) evaluate existing state and federal management tools to translate improved predictive capacity into enhanced supply reliability for water users and d) develop practical supply reliability strategies for use by municipalities, irrigation districts and other stakeholders.

Assessment of the Microbial Water Quality of Individual and Small Systems Groundwater Supplies in Arizona and Appropriate Treatment Technology for its Control $50,000.

Dr. Martin M. Karpiscak, Office of Arid Lands Studies, Dr. Charles P. Gerba, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science

Arizona has more non-disinfected drinking water supply systems than any state. All of these systems depend on groundwater, which is subject to contamination by enteric waterborne pathogens originating from septic tanks and leaking sewer lines and waterbased pathogens. In addition, Arizona has many rapidly growing areas dependent on septic tanks for treatment of household waste. Lake Havasu is the largest community in the U. S. totally dependent on septic tanks for treatment of its sewage. The goals of this project are to 1) assess the microbial quality of individual and small system non-disinfected groundwater systems in Arizona, 2) identify potential sources of contamination, and 3) evaluate appropriate technology for enhancing the microbial quality of the drinking water in these systems.

Effects of Water Quality on “Rapid Blight” Disease of Turf grass $43,065.

Dr. Mary Olsen, Dr. David Kopec, Dr. Mohammad Pessarakli, Ms. Donna Bigelow, Mr. Jeffrey Gilbert, Dept. of Plant Sciences

Rapid blight is a new disease of cool season turfgrass that has been associated with poor quality water (non-potable) in Arizona and ten other states. The causal organism, a species of Labyrinthula, is a unique organism that previously has been described only in association with marine and hypersaline systems. It was described as a pathogen of turf at The University of Arizona in 2003. Our objective for this project is to determine specific components of water quality that contribute to disease development in turf in Arizona and that define the growth parameters of the pathogen.

Spanish-Language Landscape Water Conservation Program for the Green Industry $8,777.

Vicki S. Richards, Pima County Cooperative Extension/Low 4 Program

A large percentage of Green Industry personnel speak Spanish. Currently, there are very few public educational programs for this sector of the industry. However, these personnel are making many of the landscape and water management decisions for commercial and residential landscapes. The Low 4 Program runs a successful, recognized landscape water conservation program for the Green Industry called $martscape. Many landscape and nursery employers would like to send additional employees to $martscape training but their employees do not speak, understand and/or read English. Funds requested would allow for printed material translation and matching funds would pay for conducting a $martscape training series with Spanish-speaking instruction.

Detection of Viruses in Drinking Water using Raman Spectroscopy $16,215.

Dr. Mark R. Riley, Dept. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Joseph H. Simmons, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

The goal of this research is to develop a rapid and specific method for quantification of viruses in drinking water. Current methods for detecting disease-causing viruses in drinking water typically require many days to several weeks. We aim to use resonant surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy coupled with biochemically-mediated microbial recognition to quantify waterborne viruses. This approach will be highly specific, rapid, and could be operated as a continual monitoring scheme. This approach has the potential to quantify as little as ten’s of organisms and thus satisfies the criteria for a practical scheme to ensure the safety of drinking water.

Arsenic in Arizona: Evaluating the Economic Costs and Hydrogeologic Feasibility of Non-Treatment Methods $37,200.

Dr. Steven Stewart, Dr. James Hogan, Dept. of Hydrology and Water Resources

Early Irrigation Termination of Cotton as a Drought Mitigation Strategy $32,842.

Dr. Russell Tronstad, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Jeffrey C. Silvertooth, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science

We propose to research the economic impact of growing a very reduced season cotton crop that utilizes much less water than traditional protocols. This very reduced season has never before been researched. The basis for our economic assessment will be field trials of five different irrigation termination dates and twelve modern varieties. Impacts on revenue (lint yield and quality differences) and production costs will be quantified. A primary benefit of this research is quantifying the marginal value of water for the entire cotton growth cycle, thus, identifying how to manage cotton as part of a possible drought mitigation plan.