Water resources problems are more complex than ever before, and solutions require innovation and collaboration, said Jason Hubbart, associate professor of forest hydrology.
That’s why Hubbart spearheads the Center for Watershed Management and Water Resources at the University of Missouri. The Center’s inaugural symposium will be held Thursday, April 16, from 1-5 p.m. in Monsanto Auditorium, Bond Life Sciences Center.
The symposium is sponsored by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the University of Missouri, Bond Life Sciences Center and Missouri Life Sciences Week.
The Water Center was created to provide a clearinghouse of CAFNR and University of Missouri expertise and a conduit to funnel that expertise to state and federal agencies and landowners who are all seeking solutions to contemporary water issues. Water Center affiliates are developing sustainable solutions to contemporary watershed management, water quantity and water quality problems to attain maximum benefit of Missouri’s waters and enhance the environmental, social and economic status of the state and public.
“We have a lot of expertise on this campus, and particularly in CAFNR, and we are equipped to address complex water resource/quality issues,” Hubbart said. “We are organized and we are here.”
The symposium is a perfect example of that conduit – it brings experts in to provide information and a status of the current science on the topic. Hubbart hopes it will be a springboard to increase exposure and knowledge of the Water Center.
The symposium, “Water for Agriculture: Challenges for this Century,” is open to anyone interested in learning where we’ve been, where we’re at and where we’re going with water resources conservation. The opening keynote address will be by Robert W. Sterner, professor, University of Minnesota Duluth, and director, Large Lakes Observatory, UMD Department of Biology. The closing keynote will be given by Karen Fluornoy, director, Water, Wetlands and Pesticides Division, EPA Region 7.
There will be pre-meeting and post-meeting receptions, both in Monsanto Foyer. Register online for the symposium at cafnralumni.com/waterforag. Space is limited.
Those interested further in learning about water challenges, or those who are not able to attend the symposium, are welcome to contact Hubbart at hubbartj@missouri.edu to join a listserv.
Water Center administration includes Associate Director Keith Goyne, associate professor, soil, atmospheric and environmental sciences, and Marc Linit, senior associate dean for research and extension, CAFNR. Water Center collaborators include researchers at Missouri S&T and Missouri ESPCOR NSF, in addition to MU researchers in plant sciences, engineering, geology, agricultural and applied economics, science and agricultural journalism, and many more. Aiding with the symposium have been Jack Schultz, director, Bond Life Sciences Center; Karla Carter, executive assistant to the director, Bond Life Sciences Center; and Jeff Reeves, events coordinator, Bond Life Sciences Center; and others.