AWRC to Fund Four Water Research Projects in 2020

If you have been watching the news recently, then you are probably aware that harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a national, state, and even local concern. This next project year, AWRC will be funding research projects around Arkansas, where multiple projects will focus on addressing HABs and toxins in the State.

“We received a lot of great preproposals this year, and we’re glad to support some of the valuable water research going on in Arkansas,” says Dr. Brian Haggard, Center director.

This year, the AWRC will fund the following 3 faculty and 1 student projects:

• Allyn Dodd, Lyon College, Nonpoint Source Pollution and Water Quality under Increasing Pressure from Poultry Agriculture in the Eleven Point and Lower Black River Watersheds
• Mary Savin, University of Arkansas, Is Rice as Effective as Barley Straw or Hydrogen Peroxide in Inhibiting Cyanobacterial Blooms and Reducing Microcystin Concentrations?
• Audie Thompson, University of Arkansas, Mechanisms, Kinetics and Toxicity of Microcystin-LR Biodegradation by Free and Immobilized Enzymes
• Mahmood Jebur and Dr. Ranil Wickramsinghe, University of Arkansas, Integrated Electrocoagulation-Membrane Distillation-Crystallization for Treating Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Water

The AWRC along with their technical advisory committee, reviewed and evaluated the submitted preproposals. The committee is made up of a diverse group of water stakeholders in Arkansas, from academia, government agencies, water utilities, and other water organizations.

About the 104B Grant Program

These research projects are funded through the 104B grant program, a competitive program of the AWRC and the U.S. Geological Survey. The purpose of this grant program is to provide initial seeds grants for researchers to begin accumulating data and developing larger research proposals.

Much of the work funded through this program has focused on applied research that can be used to help water users and managers in Arkansas. These projects investigate topics on drinking water supplies, agricultural water use, harmful algal blooms, and watershed impacts on water quality.

You can find more information on our website for the 104B program.

Image caption: Undergraduate student Jade Griffin works in Dr. Audie Thompson’s lab in chemical engineering at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Thompson will be funded this coming year through the 104B program.