Welcome to the Auburn University Water Resources Center
The Auburn University Water Resources Center serves academics, citizens, and agencies working in water resources.
We are a small team committed to big improvements in Alabama’s water resources through Instruction, Research, and Extension.
We support active water stewardship, research, and collaboration at Auburn University and with our partners across the state. We believe that we accomplish more by working together.
In 2008, the U.S. EPA designated Auburn University as a Center of Excellence for Watershed Management, enhancing Auburn’s efforts to address water quality and availability issues in Alabama and the region.
What We Do
- We provide numerous educational programs that help educate people about water monitoring, private wells, drought, green infrastructure, watershed planning, irrigation, and water stewardship.
- Each year we host the Alabama Water Resources Conference, the premier water resources conference in the state, welcoming over 300 people annually.
- We provide roughly $100k in funding each year for water-related research via the Alabama Water Resources Research Institute
- We host various socials, newsletters, and educational events to connect faculty, staff, and students.
- We foster interdisciplinary work and research by connecting agencies, and building collaborative capacity.
Why We Do It
We believe that rising tides lift all ships and that we accomplish more by working together.
Water issues are complex by nature, and no single agency, researcher, or educator can address these challenges by working alone.
By providing platforms and projects for conversation and collaboration, we hope to better address the complex water issues that are of importance to this water-rich, biodiverse state.
Our Programs
We operate a variety of educational outreach programs across the state, while also providing research funding, and collaborative experiences for faculty and staff at Auburn University.
Our mission is fulfilled through a number of projects and programs, including:
The Alabama Water Resources Research Institute
The goal of the Alabama Water Resources Research Institute (AWRRI) is to support research and training addressing priority problems of our state and region. Part of our research arm, the AWRRI leverages USGS federal funding opportunities to facilitate multidisciplinary water-related research addressing local, regional, and national water issues.
Alabama Watershed Stewards (AWS) is a science-based outreach program from the Auburn University Water Resources Center that promotes healthy watersheds, increases understanding of water pollution, and provides the knowledge and tools to approach water as a community asset.
The Alabama Private Well Program increases access to private well resources to empower, engage, and equip well users with the resources needed to protect their water systems.
Alabama Water Watch Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring
Alabama Water Watch is a citizen volunteer, water quality monitoring program covering all of the major river basins of the state. The mission of AWW is to improve both water quality and water policy through citizen monitoring and action.
The ADR program is working to improve drought communications and drought impact monitoring in Alabama. It is a collaborative partnership between the Auburn University Water Resources Center, the Alabama Office of the State Climatologist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. ADR also receives support from the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the USGS Water Resources Research Institute.
Statewide Watershed Planning for Irrigation
A citizen volunteer, water quality monitoring program that extends beyond Alabama across the globe.
Latest News from the WRC Blog
Meet Amy Zvonar
MEET AMY ZVONAR, NEW AUWRC STAFF MEMBER! Tell us about your background and current position. I’m originally from the Atlanta, Georgia area, and my parents were both 7th grade life science teachers, so science and education were a big part of my early childhood...
Meet Emily Brown, our Summer ACES Intern
Tell us about your background and how you came to work with the WRC.I’m an upcoming junior at Auburn University majoring in Fishery Science with a minor in Marketing. My interest in aquatic life began when I was around ten years old after watching Dolphin Tale, the...
8 Months of Invasive Removal at Parkerson Mill Creek
Over the last 8 months, Daniel Gragson worked with the AUWRC as a Stream Management Technician, removing and managing the invasive plants that have grown throughout Parkerson Mill Creek, the creek that runs through Auburn's campus. He specifically focused on a...
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