National Water Management Center

Background

The National Water Management Center (NWMC) consists of a group of highly skilled water resources specialists who provide assistance throughout the United States to help address water quantity and water quality concerns. The Center was created by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to enhance direct assistance, technology transfer, and training to state and field level specialists in support of locally identified water problems.

The NWMC serves as a point of contact when information/assistance is needed regarding water resources. Generally, NWMC activities are in response to requests for assistance. Anyone interested in providing input or requesting assistance is encouraged to contact a Center staff member.

Functions

• Technology Transfer
• Direct Assistance/Special Projects
• Watershed Planning and Assessment
• Water Policy Interpretation & Development
• Interagency Collaboration

Mission

The Water Management Center provides leadership, assistance, information and technology on water-related issues to support natural resources conservation.

Significant Partners and Relationships

Internal and external partnerships have been formed to help accomplish the mission of the NWMC.

NRCS Water Resources Technical Team

NWMC, Watershed Sciences Institute (WSSI), and the National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) have come together under the Conservation Engineering Division (CED) to form the Water Resource Team providing NRCS with a full range of water-related products and services.

1890s Institutions

The NWMC has partnered with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) in developing the UAPB/Lonoke Demonstration farm and an outreach program to enhance wetlands and water management technology development and transfer to non-traditional clients. NWMC specialists are also working through UAPB to improve water management assistance to other 1890s institutions.

Bridging the Headgate Support

NWMC specialists participated in a tour of USBR and NRCS activities in the central California exploring opportunities for collaboration, support, and assistance. NWMC staff participated in an exchange of USBR and NRCS water-related technologies. The Center developed an agreement with USBR to assess opportunities to enhance "Bridging" objectives during NWMC assistance to western states.

USGS Cooperative Agreement

NWMC has partnered with USGS to obtain water resources expertise to increase support of locally led conservation efforts through the NWMC and market capabilities of USGS. Currently, two hydrologists from within the Water Resources Division are assigned to the NWMC.

Recent Activities

NWMC specialists have provided assistance to approximately 25 states during the past year including:

Watershed Planning

• Assisted Pennsylvania with revising Neshaminy Creek Watershed Plan, incorporating non-structural measures into existing flood control project
• Assisted Massachusetts with Plan of Work for Clam River Watershed Project
• Assisted Puerto Rico in developing a Plan of Work to determine effects of an environmental restoration effort in the Lajas Valley
• Assisted Oklahoma NRCS with Sugar Creek Streambank Restoration Plan

Irrigation Water Management

• Assisted Arkansas with on-farm Irrigation Water Management (IWM) planning associated with large-scale irrigation project
• Supported NWCC in providing regional IWM training
• Provided H&H, IWM, ground water, and water quality planning assistance to Louisiana for the Red Bayou Irrigation Project
• Assisted the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in developing and conducting irrigation demonstrations

Water Quality

• Assisted numerous states with agricultural waste technologies
• Led/assisted in developing and providing waste management training
• Led development of conservation practice standards for manure management

Ground Water

• Assisted Arkansas in evaluating water level declines in the Alluvial Aquifer
• Assisted Louisiana and Arkansas in analyzing Sparta Aquifer cone of depression
• Assisted Pacific Basin in use of GLEAMS model to assess impacts of agriculture on a sole source aquifer

Hydraulics and Hydrology

• Assisted Arizona in use of hydraulic modeling (HEC-RAS) of Scotts Reservoir
• Assisted Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas in developing geomorphic characteristics including regionalized curves for streambank stabilization
• Conducted workshop on USACE UNET hydraulics model
• Assisted Arkansas in developing a uniform approach to 66streambank restoration

Current Projects and Issues

• Assisting Louisiana with H&H modeling of floating marsh ecosystems in the Penchant Basin
• Working with Watershed Sciences Inst. to assist states (Oklahoma, Vermont, Minnesota, Delaware) in tracking phosphorus at the watershed scale
• Assisting Utah, Texas, and New Mexico in demonstrating use of Ecosystem Dynamics Simulation Model to assess effects of vegetation management on water yield
• Assisting Hawaii, Kansas, and Massachusetts with planning associated with operational PL 83-566 projects
• Assisting Oregon with evaluation of groundwater conditions and transfer of analytical techniques
• Assisting Arkansas with evaluation of Little Red River groundwater conditions
• Assisting several states in the use of irrigation water management models
• Assisting Alaska to provide flood plain management assistance to Native American villages
• Assisting with delivery of regional NEPA training
• Assisting in the development of field reference materials for environmental compliance
• Assisting Texas and Louisiana in assembling Coastal Marsh Wetland technologies
• Participating in Watershed Reinvestment Work Team and assisting states with rehabilitation strategies
• Working with NWCC and WSSI to improve web-based water resources information
• Assisting with waste management training and software development
• Leading Water Quality Models Evaluation effort with NWCC, WSSI, and CED

Resources

Interdisciplinary NRCS Staff with support from specialists from other federal water resource agencies and researchers and scientists from colleges and universities.

Staff
Keith Admire, Director
Theodis Bunch, Agronomist/Outreach Specialist
David Byrd, Office Clerk
Thom Garday, Hydraulic Engineer
Danny Goodwin, Ground Water Specialist
David Heffington, Ecologist
Carol Johnson, Office Assistant
John McClung, Hydraulic Engineer
James Moore, Civil Engineer
Dale Pekar, Agricultural Economist
Rhonda Rawlings, GIS Specialist
Alan C. Spencer, Archeologist
Tony Stevenson, Environmental Engineer
Tim Sweeney, Water Resources Planning Specialist
Doris Washington, NRCS Liaison to US Army Corp of Engineers

Contact Information

Keith Admire,  Director
National Water Management Center
101 East Capitol Avenue, Suite B-100
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-3811
Phone: 501-210-8900 Fax: 501-210-8935
E-mail: keith.admire@ar.usda.gov

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