The new West Texas Water Research Center at Sul Ross State University in Alpine is one step closer to becoming a reality with the anticipated publication of a job description for its future director. The job description is the culmination of a collaborative effort among the dozen or so members of a steering committee and is rooted in a strategic vision for what the water center could be.
Perhaps the foremost challenge and opportunity facing the new Water Research Center and its forthcoming director is the role of groundwater in the region. As an area with virtually no potable surface water, groundwater will shape the region’s future. Studying it and providing technical assistance to landowners and community partners in the Water Research Center’s 19-county service area offers a unique opportunity.
It is widely understood that groundwater is a private property right in Texas and that attempts to limit pumping in the past have led to disagreements and litigation. It is also understood, however, that unlimited groundwater pumping can negatively impact neighboring landowners. Groundwater conservation districts are tasked with balancing the interests of the various users, while also protecting and conserving this finite resource. One important role that is envisioned for the Water Research Center is to support districts in the development of groundwater science and research that is critical to understanding the region’s precious groundwater resources and managing them sustainably.
In addition to potentially serving as an academic institution dedicated to groundwater, the Water Research Center could also take advantage of its location in the state’s most arid region to study its unique and delicate ecosystems. Imagine cohorts of students analyzing surface and groundwater interaction, soil moisture, managed aquifer recharge, stormwater management, and green infrastructure inputs, year in and year out in the area of our state with the least rainfall. The Water Research Center could use the Chihuahuan Desert as a vast laboratory today to test and travel a variety of different paths toward resiliency in a hotter, drier tomorrow.
Beyond the research and data opportunities for groundwater, Texas is also facing a quiet crisis in its water workforce. From groundwater conservation district managers to field technicians to water- and wastewater-utility operators, up to 37% of these water professionals are set to retire within the next five years. The Water Research Center and its new director will have the opportunity to contribute to the next generation of water professionals and support the region’s growing need for a water workforce.
Water is unique in that it is at once a commodity to be bought and sold, while also being indispensable to life. In taking proactive steps to understand and address our changing environment, we can help lead the state and support our home region in its path towards water security. And by training and graduating fresh crops of water professionals, we can harness the brainpower and energy of a new generation to build and maintain systems that make more efficient use of our most vital resource.
Sul Ross State University will be seeking an innovative and dynamic director who can guide this new institution toward success. This could potentially be the best shot we have at overcoming our uncertainties around water and reaching the regional consensus necessary to ensure that our communities and the environment that sustains us can thrive well into the foreseeable future.
Look for the job description to drop at https://sulross.peopleadmin.com or contact Dr. Louis Harveson at harveson@sulross.edu for more information.
Trey Gerfers serves as general manager of the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District. A San Antonio native, he has lived in Marfa since 2013 and can be reached at tgerfers@pcuwcd.org.