All About the Delaware Water Resources Center
Delaware Water Resource Center - Director’s Page
May 22, 2002
Welcome to the University of Delaware Water
Resources Center (DWRC)! As director, I’d like to tell you about
the DWRC - what it is, what our goals are, and how we work to support
statewide efforts to manage and protect Delaware’s vital water
resources. I’d also like to encourage you to become involved in
DWRC activities either by participating directly in one of our ongoing
projects or by using our new WebSite to learn more about Delaware’s
water resources. Come find out how you can join in the efforts of the
DWRC and others to ensure that our water resources are managed well,
for the benefit of future generations.
What is the DWRC?
The DWRC is a member of the National Institutes of Water Resources (NIWR)
- a national network of 54 state water resources research institutes
affiliated with and sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
We have been a part of the University of Delaware since 1965 and are
located today in the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture
and Natural Resources. We receive funding from USGS through Section
104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. These funds support
our efforts to work actively with other universities, agencies and organizations
in Delaware to develop a statewide program designed to resolve state
and regional water related problems.
What is our mission?
As a member of the NIWR, we have two key missions related to Delaware’s
water resources - our precious ground water aquifers and our streams,
ponds, lakes, and coastal waters:
- To support research, education,
and public outreach programs that focus on water supply, water management,
and water quality - issues of considerable importance to Delaware
citizens who are concerned about the future of our water resources.
We are specifically charged with the “exploration of new ideas
that address water problems or expand our understanding of water-related
phenomena”.
- To foster and support training
and education programs for the future water scientists, engineers,
managers, and policy-makers who will lead the water resources research,
planning, and management efforts in our state in the future.
Who do we work with?
The DWRC works with virtually every organization and agency in the state
of Delaware that has an interest or responsibility in the water resources
arena. We have a 17 member Advisory Panel with representatives from
a wide variety of water resource related backgrounds. We regularly cooperate
with the Delaware Water Resources Agency, the Division of Water Resources
and the Division of Soil and Water in the Delaware Department of Natural
Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Delaware Geological
Survey, the Center for the Inland Bays, the Delaware Nutrient Management
Commission, Delaware State University, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, the Delaware Nature Society, and the Sierra Club, to name but
a few.
What are some current DWRC projects?
The DWRC is currently supporting several research projects that address
water resource related issues of considerable importance to Delaware.
For example, we are supporting three Ph.D. students at the University
of Delaware - one in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
one in the College of Marine Studies, and one in the Center for Energy
and Environmental Policy. These students are all working on different
aspects of the nutrient management-water quality issue. We are also
supporting six undergraduate student interns who are engaged in a diverse
group of research projects ranging from “An Analysis of
Delaware's Groundwater Allocation Laws: Proposing a Plan”
to “Connecting the Link between Land Use and Stream Health in the University
of Delaware Experimental Watershed”. More information on these
programs and some past projects can be found on the “Projects and
Publications Page” of our WebSite.
Thanks for visiting our WebSite! Please feel free to contact me directly
(jtsims@udel.edu) if you are interested in learning more about
the DWRC or the many efforts now underway to protect and sustain Delaware’s
water resources.
Dr. Tom Sims
Director, Delaware Water Resources Center
Director of the DWRC:
Dr. Tom Sims, Professor of Soil and Environmental Chemistry,
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences,
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
University of Delaware.
Mission of the Delaware Water Resources Center
The mission of the Delaware Water Resources
Center (DWRC) is twofold:
- To plan, conduct, and arrange for
research that fosters:
- the entry of new research scientists
into the water resources fields;
- the training and education of future
water scientists, engineers, and technicians;
- the exploration of new ideas that address
water problems or expand our understanding of water-related phenomena;
- the dissemination of research results
to water managers and the public.
- To cooperate closely with other colleges
and universities in the state that have demonstrated responsibility
for research, information dissemination and graduate training, to
develop a statewide program designed to resolve state and regional
land and water problems.
The Delaware Water Resources Center and the National Institute of
Water Resources (NIWR)
The Delaware Water Resources Center (DWRC),
established in 1965, is part of a network of 54 Water
Resources Research Institutes throughout the nation. The DWRC receives
funding through Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984.
The U.S. Geological Survey administers the provisions of the Act and provides
oversight of the nation’s Water Resources Centers through the National
Institute of Water Resources (NIWR)
History of the Delaware Water Resources Center
From 1965 until 1993 the Delaware Water Resources
Center was located in the University of Delaware's Research Office,
under the directorship of Dr. Robert Varrin, Associate Provost for Research.
In 1993, the Delaware Water Resources Center moved to the College of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, when Dr. John Nye, then Dean of the
College, became Director of the Center. Dr. Tom Sims, also of the College
of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has been the Director of the Center
since 1997.
The DWRC has supported a wide range of water resource related research
since its inception. The DWRC coordinates the efforts of the various
academic departments and units that conduct water-related research at
the University of Delaware, including the Water Resources Agency in
the Institute for Public Administration, the Departments of Biology,
Bioresources Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Geography, Geology,
and Plant and Soil Sciences, as well as the College of Marine Studies
and the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy. When
appropriate, the DWRC promotes interdisciplinary research to be conducted
under its auspices. Close communication is maintained between the DWRC
and State natural resource agency representatives and water officials
to address priority water quality and water quantity concerns in the
State. Through efforts such as these, the DWRC has provided key stakeholders
a forum for discussion and an opportunity for education regarding water
resources, including critical waste and nutrient management issues which
are impacting agriculture and water quality in Delaware.
To find out more about the activities
of the Delaware Water Resources Center, click here
