CUAHSI News Update - January 2006

CUAHSI at NSF

CUAHSI's agenda is advancing! Although CUAHSI had mixed results in 2005, we are off to a great start in the New Year. HMF, HIS, and observatories are all moving forward. Despite the fact that NSF remains in a flat funding environment they are still very supportive of CUAHSI. NSF wants to keep our community energized and urges us to maintain our planning efforts. It's easy to rally together during when times are good, but now we are in a rough funding period and have to prove our mettle. Coupled with this observation, it is emerging that CUAHSI will have to do more than simply facilitate hydrologic science in a broad manner. Rather, CUAHSI will need to move toward prioritizing science questions and instrumentation needs in a robust defensible manner. CUAHSI still prides itself on being a grassroots organization and envisions many future activities to cobbling together individual activities that directly address our science challenges. We as a community must show our resolve. We are in this for the long haul. Building a scientific community is no easy challenge, but rest assured—CUAHSI staff and leadership are going into 2006 with foresight and experience.

Science Plan

John Wilson, NMT is chairing the CUAHSI Science Action Team who is developing a substantive science plan, complete with implementation concepts. As soon as layout, editing, and internal review is completed, the draft plan will be released for community review. It is essential that feedback be constructive. We are at a formative stage right now- and the best thing CUAHSI can do is stand behind a well reasoned well vetted science plan on which decisions can be based.

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WATERS Network and CLEANER

The joint MREFC venture has been called the WATer and Environmental Research Systems Network. CUAHSI has been working with the CLEANER PIs to see how a joint observing strategy would function. A small joint science workshop exploring the definition and functions of WATERS Network was held November 1-2. At the heart of this issue, the CLEANER project office is tasked with finding the voice of the environmental engineering community while developing a joint MREFC science plan, which is difficult to do concurrently. CUAHSI is reluctant to lose any momentum to focus solely on planning. With good faith, both communities are trying to cooperate and coordinate in hopes of landing an MREFC and much progress has made recently. A meeting between CUAHSI and CLEANER leadership is scheduled for January 31st to substantively address these issues.

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Hydrologic Measurement Facility

The HMF group is quickly moving ahead.

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Hydrologic Information System

The initial HIS pilot project is wrapping up. Open NSF competitions for Geoinformatics and Cyberinfrastructure for Environmental Observatories are being held. CUAHSI is not taking the lead on any IT proposal, but letting NSF select a proposal willing to work with CUAHSI. More information can be found under the Announcement of Funding Opportunity link at www.cuahsi.org/his.html.

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Hydrologic Observatories

Establishing a robust observing strategy requires further evidence that observatories will work effectively as well as identifing the specific scientific drivers justifying their design. We are moving forward on two tracks: 1) Top-down planning for the large scale WATERS Network and 2) Bottom-up funding of individual groups to demonstrate different aspects of observatory design and implementation. This bottom-up approach has two approaches. One was the declaration proposals submitted on October 27 and December 1 the Environmental Engineering and Hydrologic Science programs at NSF. Twenty-five of these proposals were received and a panel to review the proposals will meet this spring. The other bottom-up approach is the Water and Carbon Cycle solicitation, which could be used to start observatories. This is a relatively large amount of money over a 5 year period. A letter with more guidance from Doug James is posted on the CUAHSI Funding page at www.cuahsi.org/funding.html.

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Webmaster Hired

In Novemeber, CUAHSI hired Conrad Matiuk as full time Webmaster. Conrad comes to us with years of database and Web programming experience, most recently as a contractor for the U.S. EPA. Welcome aboard Conrad!

Herman Zimmerman Retiring

Herman Zimmerman, Director of the Division of Earth Sciences at NSF, has announced plans to retire in February, 2006. Zim has been a strong supporter of hydrologic science and was instrumental in establishing CUAHSI. We appreciate the support and advice he gave our community during his tenure, congratulate him on a wonderful career, and wish him all the best in his retirement.

Election Results

Jay Famiglietti, Praveen Kumar, Venkat Lakshmi, Greg Pasternack, and Fred Scatena were elected to the Board of Directors at the Annual Membership Meeting in December. Jay Famiglietti was also re-elected to ExCom at the January Board Meeting. Thanks to all the candidates who ran.

Upcoming Meetings

HMF Workshop May 21-22, 2006 Baltimore, MD
PUB Workshop Rescheduled October 16-19, 2006 Corvallis, OR

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