Grants

• Request for proposals
• Questions and Answers
• Deadlines
• Competitive Grants 08/09
• Competitive Grants 07/08
• Competitive Grants 06/07
• Competitive Grants 05/06
• Competitive Grants 04/05
• Competitive Grants 03/04
• Fellowships & Student Support

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Maximizing Water Recovery during Reverse Osmosis Treatment of Central Arizona Project (CAP) Water. $43,664.

Robert Arnold, Wendell Ela, Dept of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Martin Yoklic, Dept of Soil, Water and Environmental Science.

Without treatment for salinity control, full use of the southern Arizona CAP entitlement will add 200,000 tons of salt to the Tucson Active Management Area (TAMA) each year. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the most probable method of salinity management. Previously tested RO methods would yield a brine volume of ~ 40,000 AFY. The estimated value of lost water is $40 M·yr-1. The project is an investigation of methods to minimize membrane fouling/scaling while maximizing water recovery (minimizing brine volume) during RO treatment of CAP water.

Spanish Translation and Reprints of the Booklet, Arizona: Know your Water (2004). $23,100.

Janick Artiola, Dept of Soil & Water Science, Katherine Farrell-Poe, Dept of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

This funding request aims at facilitating the transfer of water-related information in the form of a TRIF funded publication (Arizona: Know your Water (2004) to interested Arizona consumers. A Spanish translation of this popular booklet would provide much needed information on home water treatment alternatives to the Spanish-speaking population of Arizona. A new printing of the English version will further enhance the distribution of a well received consumer water information booklet to the general public.

Assessing impacts of Arizona Wildfires on Watershed and Riparian Hydrologic and Geomorphic Processes. $49,620.

Victor Baker, Dept of Hydrology and Water Resources.

This project will assess post-wildfire hydrologic and geomorphic process changes through the study of post-fire floods and debris flow. We will collect and analyze data from various sources to establish factors influencing the occurrence of post-fire floods and debris flows, to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of predictions models, and to evaluate post-fire flood discharges with regional paleoflood magnitudes to assess long-term hydrologic variations. Results will provide land managers, policy planners and others with new methods for predicting, planning and mitigating post-fire geologic hazards, and information for long-term water quality and supply planning.

Electrocoagulation Applied to Water Conservation & Wastewater Treatment. $75,000.

James Baygents, James Farrell, Dept of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

Intel and others in the semiconductor industry are interested in developing a robust, cost effective water treatment technology that has broad applicability to both water conservation and wastewater treatment. The new treatment technology will reduce the number and variety of water treatment unit operations that are currently required, and will enable onsite reuse of much of the water used in semiconductor manufacturing. Electrocoagulation (EC) is one of the few technologies that may be capable of cost effectively meeting these requirements.

Water Discovery (Water Education Exhibits & Discovery Carts). $45,677.

Carla Bitter, Kyle Carpenter, SAHRA, Dept of Hydrology & Water Resources.

In an effort to advance public understanding of crucial water issues, SAHRA at the University of Arizona in cooperation with The Phoenix Zoo propose development and construction of two stationary and two mobile water education exhibits at The Phoenix Zoo. These exhibits will provide hands-on demonstration areas for engaging zoo visitors with water issues vital to our region in an entertaining and informal setting. Zoo staff and volunteers will participate in water workshops to learn how to facilitate activities and programs around the exhibits to enhance visitor's knowledge of Arizona water quality, water conservation, and basic hydrology on the Zoo's Arizona Trail.

Modeling Outdoor Residential Water Use. $40,111.

Bonnie G. Colby, Dept of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

We propose a pilot study in the Tucson metro area to model the drivers of outdoor residential water demand. This study will examine the housing structure, socio-economic, climatic, and environmental drivers of outdoor water demand using multiple sources of data, some provided specifically for this project by government partners. Significantly, we will not only investigate how housing structure and demographics shape demand, but also how nearby non-residential vegetation (undeveloped lots, riparian corridors, golf courses, and parks) and the extent of native vegetation at the lot level, impacts homeowners' outdoor water use. The results of this research will inform water management, open space conservation and riparian restoration policies, and development and landscaping guidelines in both urban and rural areas around Arizona.

Developing a Volunteer Precipitation Monitoring Program for Arizona. $34,062.

Michael Crimmins, Dept of Soil, Water, & Environmental Science.

A volunteer, citizen-based precipitation monitoring network is proposed to complement existing official climate monitoring networks across Arizona. The additional denser spatial coverage of observations provided by volunteers will help natural resource managers (e.g. flood control officials, water resources managers, drought monitoring officials) make more informed decisions regarding the management of water and land resources. This program also provides the opportunity to engage volunteers as 'Citizen Scientists' bringing them into the data collection and research process with respect to climate variability and Arizona water resources.

High Capacity, Environmentally Benign Sorbents for Treating Arsenic Regenerant Streams. $42,500.

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

Current technologies for the removal of arsenic from drinking water rely primarily on the use of sorbents utilizing iron-based surfaces. The iron-based sorbents are non-regenerable and, when saturated, will typically be disposed in non-hazardous landfills. When these sorbents are landfill disposed, the iron is readily reduced to the more soluble Fe(II) state, thus remobilizing the arsenic. This project will investigate non-iron based sorbents for treating the arsenic bearing brine streams produced when re-usable sorbents are regenerated. The project aim is to identify and/or develop stable sorbents that can selectively sorb arsenic from a regenerant brine and subsequently retain it (with or without stabilization) under landfill disposal conditions.

On-line Access to Distance-Learning Tools for Watershed Stewardship in Rural Arizona. $41,469.

Robert Emanuel, Arizona Cooperative Extension, Garry Forger, Learning Technologies Center,George Zaimes, School of Natural Resources,Michael Crimmins, Dept of Soil, Water, & Environmental Science.

The Arizona Master Watershed Steward Program-a partnership of the Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality-provides community-driven outreach on watershed management to residents of Arizona. The program, however, has additional goals in that it seeks to increase its reach into rural and isolated areas and enhance skills-based learning to those populations. The Program plans to utilize distance-learning tools to enhance learning during the periods between the weekly or monthly classes that the program offers to the public. The Learning Technologies Center and Arizona Cooperative Extension will collaborate to achieve these goals.

Bioremediation of Hexavalent Uranium Plumes with Inorganic Electron Donors. $52,762.

Jim Field, Dept of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

Hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) is a groundwater containment of concern in Arizona. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that U(VI) can be removed from groundwater by microbial reduction to insoluble uraninite. The project contemplates the use of elemental sulfur (S0) as an inexpensive electron-donating compound to drive the microbial reaction. S0 is inexpensive and is available in granulated forms that are suitable for a flow through permeable reactive barrier treating contaminated plumes.

Valuation of Binational Effluent in the Upper Santa Cruz Basin: Estimating Willingness to Pay.$39,552.

George Frisvold, Dept of Agricultural & Resource Economics,Terry Sprouse, Water Resources Research Center.

Effluent originating in Mexico, but treated and used in Santa Cruz County, Arizona provides many services to southern Arizona - recharging aquifers, sustaining a riparian corridor, attracting tourists, and increasing land values. A FY 2005 WSP project provides a broad assessment of the value of the riparian corridor to the community. This project focuses on directly estimating willingness to pay for the Mexican effluent and its contribution to the riparian corridor, using a contingent valuation survey. Comparative analysis of prices paid for effluent in other locales will also be used to assess willingness to pay for effluent for other uses.

Control of Emerging Waterborne Parasites: Naegleria fowleri. $62,741.

Charles Gerba, Dept of Soil, Water and Environmental Science.

Our goal is to reduce the risk of Naegleria fowleri exposure in Arizona drinking water. Our research suggests that 8% of municipal drinking water supply wells in Arizona are contaminated by N. fowleri. The recent deaths of two Arizona children were linked to unchlorinated well water. Our objectives are to develop guidelines for drinking water disinfection and removal of N. fowleri by faucet mounted point-of-use (POU) devices. These will be accomplished by determining Ct (chlorine concentration X time) values and UV light dose requirements for inactivation of N. fowleri in drinking water. Consumer available POU units will also be assessed.

Watershed Rainfall, Ground Water Usage, Riparian Stream Flow and Vegetation Monitoring, Middle San Pedro River Basin, Cochise County, AZ. $2,500.

Phil Guertin, Kristine Uhlman, School of Natural Resources.

This project will assist volunteers from the Community Watershed Alliance (CWA), a partnership of private citizen stakeholders from 5 communities and land-use managers in the Middle San Pedro Watershed by providing instrumentation and training to develop a water budget for their area. Volunteer efforts will include measuring rainfall, intermittent stream flow in response to periodic rainfall, riparian vegetation, and ground water extraction. This project will place 20 rain gages, 10 ground water flow meters, 6 stream flow observation stations across the watershed, and provide training for monitoring riparian vegetation in the Middle San Pedro.

Groundwater Sources, Flowpaths and Residence Times in the Middle Verde River Watershed. $43,721.

James Hogan, Tom Meixner, Dept of Hydrology and Water Resources.

We propose to use a suite of naturally occurring isotopic tracers to constrain groundwater sources, flowpaths, and residence times in order to improve the conceptual understanding of basin hydrogeology and better estimate recharge rates within the middle Verde River Watershed. Specifically we will focus on (1) determining the hydrologic connection between aquifer units in the Coconino Plateau recharge zone and the Verde Valley regional aquifer, and (2) understanding how these water sources and flowpaths contribute to and sustain baseflow within the Verde River. The proposed research will improve understanding of groundwater resources within the Verde Valley and will complement ongoing research supported by the USGS, the Arizona Water Institute and SAHRA.

Salinity Induced Disease of Turfgrass. $9,464.

Mary Olsen, Jeff Gilbert, Dept of Plant Sciences.

A new disease of turfgrass, "rapid blight", is problematic in Arizona in coolseason turfgrasses irrigated with high salinity irrigation water. The causal organism, Labyrinthula terrestris, is now known to be associated with Bermudagrasses as well. Recent laboratory research has shown that elevated sodium chloride is required for disease development while other salts in irrigation water, including potassium and calcium salts, do not cause disease development. Preliminary evidence in the field suggests that disease may be induced in turfgrasses when salinity is increased indicating that the pathogen is present but not active. The purpose of this project is to determine if L. terrestris infection can be induced with sodium salts in the field. Field sites will be amended with different salts to elevated salinities and turfgrasses subsequently sampled for colonization by L. terrestris. Companion laboratory trials will be conducted in salt amended media and in inoculated seedlings to determine if sodium is a requirement for disease development and/or growth of the pathogen and if anions other than sodium actually suppress disease.

Predicting Groundwater Vulnerability to Nitrate in Arizona. $69,992.

Tauhidur Rahman, Dept of Agricultural and Resource Economics,Kristine Uhlman, School of Natural Resources.

The purpose of this project is to (1) develop appropriate statistical models to predict vulnerability of groundwater to nitrate concentrations in Arizona and to (2) generate "probability maps" that delineate areas of Arizona according to the probability of detecting nitrate concentrations. The analysis will inform the ADEQ and other decision-makers as to the magnitude, extent, distribution, and uncertainty of current and anticipated nitrate risks, and can help regional and local water managers protect water supplies by targeting land-use planning solutions and implementing monitoring programs where ground water may be vulnerable.

Mapping Accumulation of Soil Salinity in Landscapes Irrigated with Reclaimed Water. $31,154.

Ursula Schuch, Dept of Plant Sciences,James Walworth, Dept of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences.

The proposed research aims to understand how long-term use of reclaimed water affects soil quality and plant performance in landscapes. Soil salinity of landscape sites irrigated for five or more years with reclaimed or potable water will be mapped using soil samples and EM38 technology which uses electromagnetic induction sensors to measure soil salinity in situ. This information can be used to develop management strategies that prevent degradation of soil structure and accumulation of salts in the root zone as sources of irrigation water increase in salinity.

Estimating Arizona's Water Reserves from Space-borne Gravity Observations. $32,825.

Peter Troch, Dept of Hydrology and Water Resources.

Total water storage is a fundamental hydrologic state of the river basin and responds to atmospheric forcing on seasonal to inter-annual time scales. Understanding how anomalies in the basin's total water storage relate to hydrologic extremes (e.g. droughts) is an important issue in managing our water resources. The proposed research will make significant contributions to our capacity to estimate total water storage dynamics across the state of Arizona. In March 2002, NASA and DLR launched the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) twin satellites to observe, with unprecedented accuracy, monthly changes in the Earth's gravity field. Over land, one can adjust the signal for all known processes that affect gravity, producing a signal closely related to changes in total water storage. The predicted life time of GRACE is 8-10 years, so the expected outcome of the project is a prognostic tool for water storage change across Arizona up to 2010.

Quantifying Generational Effects of Endocrine Disruption in Bonytail Chub (Gila elegans) Exposed to Secondarily-Treated Wastewater. $51,174.

David Walker, Dept of Soil, Water and Environmental Science.

We have proven that a 2/3 dose of wastewater collected from the Santa Cruz River causes androgenization of female and feminization of male bonytail chub after a period of 3 months. This is the first study to quantify this effect by comparing treated fish to controls and while this ground-breaking work infers reproductive impairment, the only way to quantify this is to induce spawning and examine fecundity of treatment compared to control fish. We will also examine sex ratios and potential endocrine disruption of the F2 generation. This would greatly increase statistical power and relevance of our original work.

Implementation of Efficient Surface Irrigation Practices in the Lower Colorado River Region. $40,000.

Dawit Zerihun, Charles A. Sanchez, Yuma Agricultural Center.

Surface irrigation is the principal method of irrigation practiced in the lower Colorado River region. Recent research has demonstrated that there is potential for substantial improvement in surface irrigation performance through the implementation of improved management practices and guidelines we have developed in our research program. However, widespread adaptation of these practices by growers has not yet occurred. This project seeks to hasten the transfer of this technology by overcoming existing obstacles to adaptation and by providing bilingual outreach and training to growers and irrigators in the region.