It's Official, the AWRC Lab Moved to New State of the Art Research Facility!
The Arkansas Water Resources Center Water Quality Lab moved to the new Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences at 1371 W Altheimer Drive in Fayetteville, room 133. This state-of-the art research facility is just a stones throw away from the old location at the Biomass Research Center, and is still located off of Garland Avenue, or Highway 112.
 
The AWRC operates a fee-based public water quality lab where anyone can ship or drop off a water sample for analysis. The lab will be open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm for water sample drop-off and analysis. The Lab is certified by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for nutrients, sediments, metals, bacteria, and more.
 
The Lab also offers several analytical “packages” aimed at helping farmers, agricultural producers, and the general public understand the quality of their water for a specific use. The Lab has packages for irrigation, livestock, poultry, aquaculture, domestic, environmental, and a complete package that includes nearly everything we offer.
 
For those who aren’t sure what to do with the results once you get them, the lab has you covered. Fact sheets are available online and provide information to compare test results with values that indicate good or acceptable water quality. Find the fact sheets here: http://arkansas-water-center.uark.edu/publications/factsheets.php.
 
For more information about services of the AWRC Water Quality Lab, visit http://arkansas-water-center.uark.edu/water-quality-lab.php.
 
For more about the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, click here.

Bipartisan Group of 53 Lawmakers Urge Robust Funding for Harmful Algal Blooms
Ohio Congress members Marcy Kaptur and David Joyce led a bipartisan group of 53 lawmakers to write a letter to the Office of Management and Budget director, Mick Mulvaney, asking for robust funding for programs that address harmful algal blooms (HABs).
 
“A strong investment in programs that address toxic algae will help protect economic activity, the health of U.S. citizens, and our environment,” the Members wrote.
 
HABs are a widespread issue that affect every state in the nation. The letter references several recent examples of these impacts, including:

• 400,000 residents who couldn’t drink their water for three days after a massive bloom in Lake Erie;
• a toxic bloom from southern California to Alaska that closed hundreds of miles of shellfish and crab fisheries and cost tens of millions of dollars from one fishery alone;
• 130 people reporting vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and rashes after coming in contact with toxic water from a bloom in Utah Lake;
• major shellfish recalls and harvesting closures across coastlines in New England; and
• counties in Florida declaring a state of emergency after blooms led tourists to say they’d vacation elsewhere. 

“We strongly support investment in science, research, and management to increase our capacity to forecast, detect, and prevent HABs, as well as to lessen their impacts on human health and economies across the country,” the Members continued.

CONTINUE READING TO SEE HOW AWRC CONTRIBUTES TO HABS RESEARCH

Undergraduate Students Can Gain Summer Research Experience at the University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is soliciting applications for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program that provides undergraduate students the opportunity to gain valuable research experience while working with a faculty advisor. The focus is on the “Assessment and Sustainable Management of Ecosystem Services at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water” (EcoREU).
 
The EcoREU program is open to all undergraduate students from any college or university. Also, there’s a particular focus on supporting Native American students and other underrepresented groups. The best thing is, NO PRIOR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED!

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