Faculty receives grant to monitor water quality in James River
Dr. Robert Pavlowsky, professor of geology, geography and planning at Missouri State University, received an $8,399 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in partnership with the James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) for his proposal entitled “James River Bank Erosion 319 Assessment Project.”
Pavlowsky, who is also the director of the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI), will be working to measure bank erosion rates, model land runoff water quality and monitor the effect of willow staking to protect banks and reduce channel instability in the James River.
“This project is important because it involves the voluntary use (of) private land to conserve wildlife and water quality with the help of state agencies, JRBP and OEWRI,” said Pavlowsky.
OEWRI helps to document conservation strategies and to educate the public and managers about better conservation practices that can lead to long-term protection of the Ozarks river system.
“Using this study as a pilot project can demonstrate how the process can work and be applied to other lands where landowners want to participate in water quality projects,” said Pavlowsky. “In my opinion, projects like this are an example of the university’s public affairs mission being applied within the environmental sciences.”
The grant will fund monitoring costs and the salaries of one graduate assistant and one undergraduate student.
For more information, contact Pavlowsky at (417) 836-8473.
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College of Natural and Applied Sciences
The College of Natural and Applied Sciences incorporates more than 20 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs along with one cooperative program offered through a partnership with Missouri S&T. The academic departments that make up the college include: biology; chemistry; computer science; engineering; geography, geology and planning; hospitality and restaurant administration; mathematics; and physics, astronomy and materials science. Students have the opportunity for intense hands-on research and internships through a number of outreach and research centers and work alongside faculty who are producing cutting-edge research in their fields.
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