Working Groups

John J. Ramirez, Avila, James L. Martin, Eddy J. Langendoen, Sandra L. Ortega-Achury, Tim Schauwecker, Joby Czarnecky, Cory Gallo

The Stream restoration Working Group (SRWG) aims to pursue research opportunities and leadership roles in generating technical and scientific findings in the field of stream restoration. This working group is leading efforts to establish the Stream Restoration Program at the Bagley College of Engineering in Mississippi State University. We are searching on integrating a team of faculty, staff and students coordinating efforts to improve water quality and aquatic ecology in streams and wetlands through research, demonstration projects, and education. Research opportunities pursued by and awarded to the SRWG are oriented to generate technical and scientific findings in the field of stream hydrology, stream hydraulics, stream ecology, and stream restoration. The working group will continue the active research efforts on the Red Bud‐Catalpa Creek Watershed at the Mississippi State University campus and the MAFES Experimental Station, among other sites. Funding agencies have included and will include NSF, MWRRI, USGS, USDA, and EPA. The SRWG also plan on developing a technical workshop on “Stream Restoration Design Guidelines”, and complete field trips to research and restoration sites. The working group is integrated by several faculty members from the Bagley College of Engineering and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, technically supported by the Center of Excellence for Watershed Management, the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and the USDA‐ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory.

John J. Ramirez, Avila, Sandra L. Ortega-Achury, Martin Locke, James L. Martin, Tim Schauwecker, Larry Oldham

The Healthy Watersheds Working Group (HWWG) has focused and will continue focusing its efforts on advancing and establishing research, education and demonstration projects in hydrology, geosciences, and biology, aimed to i) generate technical and scientific support for the assessment, management and protection of water and ecosystems quality; and, ii) to investigate and develop predictive models for pollutant cycling and the evaluation of impacts of urban, agricultural, and forest landscapes management. Funding agencies have included and will keep including NSF, USDA, USGS, MWWRI, and EPA.

Wes Burger, Reuben Moore, Beth Baker, Joby Czarnecki, Tim Schauwecker, John J. Ramirez-Avila, Wally Cade, David Brunson, Jeff Lee, Patrick Vowell

The Water Resources Management Plan for the Red Bud - Catalpa Creek Watershed is the result of a highly collaborative, volunteer effort on the part of over 30 faculty and administrators at Mississippi State University (MSU) and over 10 staff with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Mississippi Soil & Water Conservation Commission (MSWCC), and the Oktibbeha County Soil & Water Conservation District (OCSWCD).

Water Resources Management Plan for the Red Bud-Catalpa Creek Watershed

Planning and Processes
Tim Schauwecker, Joby Czarnecky, John J. Ramirez-Avila, Filippo Gravagno, Giusy Pappalardo

Successful water resource management is predicated on stakeholder involvement. Stakeholder engagement has been identified as crucial to the success of watershed management programs in both Mississippi and Catania (Italy).  The Red Bud-Catalpa Creek watershed project is only in its infancy and we have much to learn from those who are farther down the path.  The Simeto River watershed (Catania) provides an example of a project which had similar beginnings (albeit with different drivers) and to date has more experience in dealing with stakeholder engagement.  There is much that researchers at MSU could learn from the experience of our colleagues at the University of Catania.  Through collaborative research and a comparison of methods in differing environmental, political, and economic conditions, we can improve the means by which stakeholders are engaged in the planning process, the techniques that are used to gather and disseminate data, and the methods used in the field to accomplish the water quality and habitat restoration goals that are unique to each individual watershed.

This working group would focuses on developing methods which inform how we engage stakeholders in watershed management. The Working Group goal is to summarize these processes and compare and contrast the successes and failures of each. We would strive to (1) create an informed citizenry, which is key to protecting water resources as literature documents that ignorance of the ecosystem services provided by water resources is indicative of inaction by stakeholders; (2) in accordance with our University missions, create experiential learning activities for citizens, watershed management practitioners, educators, and students.  These tasks would allow us to augment our skills as watershed planners by sharing our experiences in the Red Bud-Catalpa Creek watershed in Mississippi and the Simeto River Watershed in Catania, and would also result in efforts which could serve society by restoring and protecting ecosystem health, ecosystem services and quality of life, and water resources within the individual watershed boundaries.