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ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Research Project #431430

Research Project: Establishing the Texas A&M Texas Water Observatory (TWO) and USDA-ARS Partnership at the Riesel Watersheds

Location: Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Project Number: 3098-13610-009-061-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 1, 2017
End Date: Jun 30, 2022

Objective:
Coordinate and leverage Texas A&M Texas Water Observatory (TWO) and ARS resources to improve hydrologic, water quality, and C flux assessment and prediction. Use state-of-the art procedures to collect important water resource data.

Approach:
1) TWO and ARS will partner to have three eddy covariance (EC) stations with all associated water, energy, and carbon flux/stock measurement systems at the Riesel Watershed: a) Native prairie (equipment supplied by TWO, remains with TWO), b) Intensively managed pasture or row crop agriculture (equipment supplied by TWO, remains with TWO), c) Aspirational pasture or row crop agriculture (equipment supplied by ARS, remains with ARS). 2) TWO will install additional equipment associated with its own scientific objectives following approval by ARS related to location. These may include: a) Three satellite “soil pits” near each EC station, b) Automated groundwater level sensors and water sampling devices, c) COSMOS soil moisture system, d) Any automated specialized surface water sampling to complement the current water quality measurements by ARS. 3) TWO may request access to additional sites within the watershed to conduct specialized field campaigns or characterization studies as deemed necessary, with proper planning/coordination between TWO and ARS scientists.