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“Water information is critical to state and local economic well-being, protection of life and property, ecosystem health and diversity, and the effective management of the nation’s water resources,” he said. David Applegate, Director of the U.S. Geological Survey“The new facility will strengthen our partnership with the University of Alabama and is a major investment in the future, ensuring USGS water science and data will meet the needs of all Americans for decades to come.”
A new chapter
The new 8.8-acre site marks a new chapter for the USGS facility, which was originally built in 1970 and previously located at the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss. A team of approximately 50 USGS employees will work with university students and faculty to strengthen existing partnerships and establish new ones as HIF continues its legacy as the nation’s technical center for water monitoring.
“UA and USGS share a common mission – to conduct meaningful research to meet society’s greatest needs. I thank Senator Shelby for supporting this important initiative. This facility allows us to unite and work together to achieve that mission, now and in the future,” he said Dr. Stuart R. Bell, President, University of Arizona“The strong support from the University of Alabama System leadership and Board of Trustees has enabled the University of Alabama to solidify its leadership in water research and have a positive impact on society.”
Expanding cooperation
In addition to housing a world-class hydraulics laboratory, the space will include a Network Operations Center that will expand the USGS’s ability to coordinate responses to water hazards such as flooding and storm surges across the United States with federal partners and enable the facility to track the status of the USGS water monitoring network. The facility will play a key role in advancing the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System initiative, known as NGWOS. HIF services will include the sale, rental and repair of equipment for the USGS Water Science Center and federal partners, the evaluation and development of new technologies, and the verification and certification of hydrological equipment currently in use.
Construction begins in March 2022. The 92,000 square foot building includes:
- A 32,000 square foot hydraulics laboratory with a 350-foot towed water tank, a 230-foot inclined flume that delivers 50 cubic feet per second, a 100 x 24-foot test basin, and groundwater demonstration well
- Three training rooms, including wet chemistry and electronics configurations
- Laboratories and shops for testing, developing and repairing hydrological instruments
- 11,000 square feet warehouse
- Auditorium space for 150 people
- Network Operations Center
Staff and operations for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Lower Mississippi Bay Tuscaloosa Field Office will also be located in the space.
Unprecedented opportunities
“The University of Alabama’s combined academic and federal water research institutions are second to none and are quickly becoming a premier center for water-related research,” he said. Matthew Wormble, executive director of the Alabama Water Resources Institute.
The USGS and the University of Alabama are already benefiting from their collaboration with NOAA. In 2022 and 2023, the USGS participated in the first and second annual scientific meetings of the newly formed Cooperative Institute for Hydrological Research and Operations, during which the USGS and NOAA shared their water research needs with academic partners. University partners also had the opportunity to showcase their achievements alongside the two federal agencies. In spring 2024, the USGS and the Alabama Water Institute co-hosted the inaugural Water Observing Technology Forum, showcasing the latest research on innovative technologies and methods for measuring water quantity, quality, and availability.
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