ACES Impact Stories | 2018

Water Use and Conservation

Valuing the Potential Contribution of Desalination and Water Reuse to the Water Supply Portfolio of Southern Doña Ana County, New Mexico

Enhancing water supplies in Southern New Mexico is vital to the economic security and development of the region. Dr. Hurd and his team of researchers are developing new approaches that model economic, social, and environmental impacts and consequences of possible desalination of underlying brackish groundwaters. Cost-effective and time-appropriate development of brackish aquifers will benefit the state and many of the world's arid and semi-arid regions that struggle with water security.

Brian Hurd, bhurd@nmsu.edu, Professor, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business

Improving the resilience of water-food systems in the Southwest

Water availability represents a challenge to maintaining or improving agriculture in the Southwest. Researchers at NMSU (and elsewhere) have been approved for funding on a research project aimed at improving and sustaining water-food systems in the region. The project will characterize key system dynamics and provide information/tools to stakeholders in the region. The system dynamics modeling will be informed by water, plant, economics, and community components to develop decision tools to help producers identify new crop management combinations that simultaneously are economically productive and maintain water supply longevity.

Steven Ramsey, smramsey@nmsu.edu, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business

Sustainable Water Resources (SWR) for Irrigated Agriculture in a Desert River Basin Facing Drought, Climate Change, and Competing Demands

SWR is a stakeholder guided and USDA funded project to address economic development challenges associated with climate-stressed water supplies. A significant impact in 2018 included the implementation of a stakeholder participatory approach to water policy analysis. Stakeholders are now able to identify and formulate solutions that can achieve several goals. These goals include augmenting water supplies available to agriculture; optimizing water allocations among competing demands; and improving water use efficiency and conservation, while reducing environmental impacts.

Frank Ward, fward@nmsu.edu, Distinguished Professor, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business

Extracting clues for sustainability from acequia-irrigated landscapes of New Mexico

We have conducted meaningful research in New Mexico about traditional acequia irrigation ditches. In a January 2019 op-ed, the director of the association that promotes acequia agriculture cited work by Fernald and others as an example of useful research to continue. We found that the long-term health of acequia communities can be nurtured by maintaining key features: the water delivery system; the largely agricultural land use; the community water management system; the spiritual or intrinsic value of land, water, crops, and animals; and enough outside economic, legal, and political support to bolster the community water delivery and water management systems.

Sam Fernald, afernald@nmsu.edu, Professor, Animal and Range Sciences

Anthropogenic water contaminants

Anthropogenic water contaminants (e.g. pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products) are widely distributed in water bodies around the world and are of serious concern even in trace amounts due to their toxicity to aquatic life and risks to public health. Conventional wastewater treatment processes do not effectively remove these recalcitrant organic contaminants. Dr. Tanner Schaub's Chemical Analysis and Instrumentation Laboratory developed tools that provide an unprecedented look at the chemistry of water contamination and treatment. The information produced by this technology allows engineering teams to develop new treatment systems that clean up City of Las Cruces municipal wastewater for re-use.

Tanner Schaub, tschaub@nmsu.edu, Director, Center for Animal Health and Food Safety

Biological Control of Saltcedar

Highlighting the long-term nature of most biological control efforts, massive defoliation of saltcedar trees by an introduced leaf beetle throughout the state of NM in 2017 is the result of research by NMSU and other western universities and agencies that began in 2001. The NMSU quarantine laboratory was involved in initial evaluations of beetle biology, including host choice and hybridization, followed by field release and monitoring of impact on trees.

Dave Thompson, dathomps@nmsu.edu, Professor, Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science (EPPWS)

HRTM 430 – Hospitality Facilities Management

According to the Environmental Information Association building operations in the United States use 72% of electricity, produce 39% of CO2 emissions and consume 13.9% of potable water. The majority of students in HRTM 430 Hospitality Facilities Management can devise strategies to sustainably operate a business. Establishing partnerships to reduce water consumption, changing sourcing programs to better benefit society and evaluating green initiatives to eliminate extended return on investment projects are some of these strategies. These skills will better prepare the students to make valuable contributions to the day to day operations of the businesses the work for.

Daren Bloomquist, dbloomqu@nmsu.edu, College Assistant Professor, School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM)

Quantifying groundwater resilience through conjunctive use for irrigated agriculture in a constrained aquifer system

Drought is persisting at Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) and along the Rio Grande. Irrigated agriculture uses surface and groundwater to meet crop requirements. Both drinking water and food production sustainability are required for our industries and population. NMSU researchers collaborating with EBID discovered conjunctive use controls over spatial and temporal water variability, developed groundwater-surface water ratio of application (GSRA) as a metric for system resilience, and found storage was more correlated with surface water than groundwater use. Resilience can now be determined for managed and natural systems, and GSRA is a novel planning metric to support water sustainability.

Kenneth C. Carroll, kccarr@nmsu.edu, Associate Professor/Water Resource Mgmnt, Plant & Environmental Sciences

Using water resources

My research has focused on how to get the greatest benefit from a limited water source because water is definitely a limitation resource here. I have participated in research that focuses on partial root zone drying of pecan trees to determine what can be done to cause pecan trees to maximize their yield with reduced water. In addition, I have participated in research the uses brackish water to meet some of the crop water needs and help to stretch water supplies. I have also continued to look at technologies such as canal automation to conserve water supplies and provide water for expanding needs.

Blair Stringam, blairs@nmsu.edu, College Professor, Plant & Environmental Sciences

New Mexico soil agricultural and environmental quality

Crop production in New Mexico is challenged by drought, contamination and poor soil quality in many areas. Our Soil Chemistry research lab analyzes plants, water and soils from all over the state for many agricultural and environmental projects. Results show that while soils may have higher than recommended levels of arsenic, toxic metals, and salts, the plants are not absorbing the contaminants and the produce is safe for human and animal consumption. We are helping to design and implement effective management strategies to improve profitability through better crop choice, alternate water sources, and sustainable practices like composting.

April Ulery, aulery@nmsu.edu, Professor, Plant & Environmental Sciences

The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT)

I serve as the primary manager for The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT). EDIT now serves as the primary national repository and access point for USDA NRCS ecological site information. Ecological site information is fundamental to many NRCS activities and is widely used by other government agencies and private organizations for natural resource management.

Jebediah Williamson, jcwill@nmsu.edu, Research Assistant Professor, Jornada Experimental Range