Watershed Research and Education Center
New center, scientist will expand water quality research efforts
Sept. 2, 2006Contact Information:Dr. Milo Shult, Vice President for Agriculture
501-686-2540 | mjshult@uasys.edu
Dr. Brian Haggard, Associate Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering
479-575-2879 | haggard@uark.edu
Katie Teague, Washington County Extension Agent
479-444-1755 | kteague@uaex.edu
By Fred Miller, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
479-575-5647 / fmiller@uark.edu
A team of senior ecological engineering design students began the initial survey work in preparation for designing a restoration of the stream to a natural condition. The stream will be the centerpiece of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Watershed Research and Education Center in Fayetteville. 
A.J. Kaufman of McGehee, foreground, and Matt Graham of Fayetteville use a laser level to measure elevations of a cross section of an eroded stream. A team of senior ecological engineering design students began the initial survey work in preparation for designing a restoration of the stream to a natural condition. The stream will be the centerpiece of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Watershed Research and Education Center in Fayetteville.
An artist’s rendering illustrates the features planned for the Watershed Research and Education Center. An educational pavilion and a walking trail lead visitors through research and demonstration plots that show best management practices for protecting wetlands and streams from agricultural and urban storm water runoff. Shult introduced Andrew Sharpley, a nationally renowned soil scientist who is joining the team of U of A faculty members who conduct water quality research in Arkansas.
“The Division of Agriculture has expanded its faculty and investments in water quality research to the point where we have the best group of scientists of any university system in the country,” Shult said.
The Environmental Task Force was organized in 2002 to coordinate interdisciplinary research and extension efforts, set priorities and, where needed, initiate new programs aimed at resolving water quality issues, Shult said.
Sharpley is coming to the U of A Division of Agriculture research faculty from the USDA Agricultural Research Service Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit in Pennsylvania. He is one of the country’s most well-known and respected researchers in the area of phosphorus management for water quality, Shult said.
The center is being built on the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, located north of the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.
The Watershed Research and Education Center will encompass 235 acres and include a stream and wetlands within an area subject to both urban storm water and agricultural runoff. It is an ideal location to test best management practices for urban and rural environments as well as to educate students, the public and city and county planners in science-based methods for managing storm water, Shult said.
The center will offer hands-on education for biological, chemical and physical assessment of soils, sediments and streams, said Brian Haggard, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
University of Arkansas students are working at the site to restore the streambed and prepare research and demonstration plots, Haggard said.
Facilities at the center will include an education pavilion and a walking trail through the property’s water management research and demonstration areas. Educational signs along the trail will describe forage varieties, best management practices, wetlands and restored stream channels and riparian zones.
Future plans include construction of an education building to house laboratories, indoor educational facilities and offices.
“Watershed management and water quality are critical issues for Arkansas,” Shult said. “The Division of Agriculture has long been involved in research, extension and education activities aimed at protecting Arkansas’ watersheds.”
“The Watershed Research and Education Center advances the work of the Environmental Task Force and provides a hands-on resource for sharing what we learn with Arkansans who depend on the state’s water supply for drinking water, agricultural and industrial production, recreation and other important needs,” Shult said.
Joining Shult for the announcement were University of Arkansas President B. Alan Sugg, chairman Stanley Reed and other members of the U of A Board of Trustees, staff members representing each member of Arkansas’ Congressional delegation, and representatives of state government, USDA and the poultry industry.