FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2013
EPA Designates Center of Excellence for Watershed Management at Mississippi State
University
Contact: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main),
marraccini.davina@epa.gov
ATLANTA – Mississippi State University has been designated a Center of Excellence for
Watershed Management, becoming the tenth such institution in the Southeast.
Representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and Mississippi State University signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to help communities identify watershed based
problems and develop and implement locally sustainable solutions.
"A watershed approach one of the most effective frameworks to engage communities and
address today's water resource challenges," said EPA Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes
Fleming. "Ultimately, this designation will help fulfill our mutual goals to protect
and restore water quality and improve the quality of life in our local communities."
"MDEQ has a history of partnering with our state's academic institutions that comprise
the Water Resources Research Institute.Together we have improved our approaches to
water resource sustainability and water quality protection and restoration throughout
the state," said MDEQ Executive Director Trudy D. Fisher. "The focused science and
applied research through the Center of Excellence for Watershed Management will further
strengthen our efforts to address current challenges and needs related to water
resources."
The Center will be housed at Mississippi State University and will be a resource for
universities throughout the state. To become a recognized Center of Excellence, the
institution must demonstrate technical expertise in identifying and addressing
watershed needs; involvement of students, staff and faculty in watershed planning,
protection, and restoration; capability to involve the full suite of disciplines needed
for all aspects of watershed management; financial ability to become self-sustaining;
ability to deliver and account for results; willingness to partner with other
institutions; and support from the highest levels of the organization.
"Mississippi State University is extraordinarily pleased to partner with the EPA for
this Center of Excellence," said Dr. David Shaw, Vice President of Research & Economic
Development at Mississippi State University. "Research in water quality and quantity is
one of the highest priority areas for the University and our center will utilize the
breath of capacity from the entire University to address these needs."
Some of the benefits of being a recognized Center of Excellence include receipt of EPA
technical assistance where needed (instructors, speakers, etc); promotion of the Center
of Excellence to stakeholders; EPA letters of support for grant opportunities; and
identification of opportunities for Center of Excellence involvement in local and
regional watershed issues.
For decades, EPA and Mississippi have protected the state's lakes, rivers and wetlands
by regulating specific points of pollution; the most common of these being sewage
treatment plants and factories. Although this approach led to the successful cleanup of
many waterways, others still remain polluted from sources not as easily regulated.
These more subtle sources include farms, streets, parking lots, lawns, rooftops or any
other surfaces that come in contact with rainwater. Today, EPA and MDEQ take a broader
approach to water protection, looking at both the individual waterway and the watershed
in which it is located.
Started in 2007, the EPA Region 4 Centers of Excellence for Watershed Management
Program works with colleges and universities from across the Southeast to provide
hands-on, practical products and services for communities to identify watershed
problems and solve them. Each EPA designated Center actively seeks out watershed-based
stakeholder groups and local governments that need cost effective tools for watershed
scientific studies, engineering designs and computer mapping, as well as assistance
with legal issues, project management, public education and planning.
More information about EPA Region 4's other Centers of Excellence for Watershed
Management in the Southeast is available at:
http://epa.gov/region4/water/watersheds/index.html
More information about priority watersheds in the Southeast is available online at:
http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/watersheds/index.html
