The goal of the Center for Watershed Management and Water Quality (CWMWQ) within the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) is to determine how human activities affect water quantity, physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water quality, and related processes in aquatic ecosystems. This evidence informs allowable limits for human activities that, through watershed scale management, provides sustainable water resources yielding maximum benefit for human use and human health.
The CWMWQ recognizes all classes of water use including agricultural, domestic, industrial, recreation, and fish and wildlife, and the water quantity and quality relationships among the water use classes. Integrated water quality and quantity issues are particularly important in agricultural landscapes where land use practices such as food and biofuel production result in non-point release of pollutants coupled to altered hydrologic cycles. Such issues and their consequences will be intensified by a changing climate.
Mission
Through discovery and information dissemination the CWMWQ will develop 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 populace.
Objective, Directions and Support
The objective of CWMWQ will be to strategically increase research, education, and outreach related to sustaining and enhancing Missouri’s water resources.
Research capacity will be enhanced with new collaborations and faculty possessing key research expertise that when integrated will develop synergy to advance basic and applied water resource science. The CWMWQ will facilitate these synergetic activities among core and associated faculty, and external collaborators by means of a CAFNR appointed organizing body that receives institutional support for a director, associate director and administrative assistance. Through CWMWQ organization and infrastructure, faculty and staff hires will be better facilitated across programs and departments and opportunities for research collaboration will be enhanced among all water resources faculty.
Education and learning for undergraduate and graduate students will be improved by CWMWQ efforts toward organizing, integrating and expanding existing courses in water resources related disciplines and by offering research and internship opportunities. Outreach efforts fostered by the CWMWQ will disseminate scientific findings to Missouri residents and management agencies, and provide a knowledge base for addressing Missouri resident concerns and questions. This organized effort will also strengthen collaborations with Federal, State and Local agencies as well as private companies and enhance ongoing outreach programs.