Sam Fowler Profile

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An interview with Dr. Sam Fowler, Director of the Auburn University Water Resources Center

When did you join the AU Water Resources Center? I officially began serving as the Director of the AU Water Resources Center on June 1, 2008. Because I am extremely new in this role, I am operating on a steep learning curve with respect to becoming familiar with all of the various water-related resources available not only within Auburn University but within other agencies in Alabama and nationally.

Tell us a bit about your background. Where did you go to school? With who have you worked previously? I have been an employee of Auburn University since 1973 and have been located here on Auburn’s campus since 1982. I have spent a significant part of my life working for AU and most of it has been here at Auburn University. However, I am originally from southern Mississippi, and I received my BS degree from Mississippi State University in Agronomy in 1972. I also received a Masters Degree in Extension Education in 1979, and a Ph.D. Degree in Agricultural Economics in 1982 from Mississippi State University. Prior to working with the Water Resources Center I spent my entire career working for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. I began my Extension career in 1973 as an assistant county agent in Fayette County, Alabama and retired from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System as an Associate Director on May 31, 2008 after having worked 32 years.

What led you to the AU WRC? At the time of my recent retirement from Cooperative Extension, I wanted to continue working in some other full-time capacity at Auburn University. I have always had a very strong interest in all natural resource-related areas, and I was very interested in working with the Natural Resources Management Institute in some capacity, but was not aware that the WRC Director position might become available at the time that I was leaving Cooperative Extension; so I had made arrangements to move into a full-time faculty position in the College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. I was extremely pleased when Dr. Guthrie, Dean of the College of Agriculture, and Larry Fillmer, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute, asked me if I would also be interested in serving in an additional capacity as the Director of the Water Resources Center. I am very excited about being in a faculty position in the College of Agriculture and also serving as the Director of the Water Resources Center.

Because of my prior administrative work in Cooperative Extension, I was aware of many of the water-related Extension and outreach activities. I have always been extremely impressed by the work being done by Jim Hairston, Bill Deutsch, Eve Brantley and many others. Since becoming the Director of the AU WRC, I have gained an even greater appreciation for the work these people and many other Auburn faculty do in a wide variety of water-related programs and activities.

The Alabama Water Program website that is maintained under the leadership of Dr. Hairston is an outstanding resource and has established Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System as one the foremost sources of information on drinking water and other water-related topics in the nation. This site was visited by over 88,000 different individuals within the past 12-months. Seventy percent (70%) of the visitors were from within the United States and 30% were from other countries.

The work that Bill Deutsch has done with the Alabama Water Watch program is also outstanding and in addition to having a tremendous impact on the water quality in many of Alabama’s watersheds this has also provided a foundation for generating many grants and contracts to Auburn University. Graeme Lockaby, Latif Kalin and the other faculty in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences have been involved in 31 different water-related research and educational projects and have generated over $4.25 million dollars of water-related research grants and contracts over the past decade.

I have also come to appreciate the vast amount of water-related research that has been done by many other faculty in other colleges and schools within Auburn University, as well as the research that has been facilitated through the Auburn University Water Resources Research Institute under the leadership of Dennis Block.

I am in the process of collecting updated data on the total scope of water-related research university wide. I don’t have the final data yet, but I feel certain that it will be somewhere in the vicinity of $20 million if not more. Even though the various academic departments of Auburn University, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station have been very successful in generating revenues to do water-related research and educational programs, we have barely scratched the surface and have not come close to our actual potential. Water quality and quantity are areas of extreme importance, and one of the things that excites me most and led me to accept this assignment as Director of the WRC is the tremendous potential that I see for expanding the presence and work of Auburn University in water-related issues.

The AU WRC is a fairly new initiative on campus, although Auburn has worked in water research and outreach for many years. How would you describe the AU WRC? What are its goals? The AU Water Resources Center (WRC) was created to serve as the catalyst for bringing together faculty and resources from all appropriate academic departments and other components (i.e., AAES, ACES, etc.) of Auburn University to address water resource problems that affect Alabama and its citizens. The WRC works by facilitating communication, cooperation, and collaboration among faculty and staff from many different colleges and schools at Auburn University (i.e., Agriculture, Forestry & Wildlife Sciences, Engineering, Architecture Design & Construction, Sciences & Mathematics, etc.) to work together to address complex water-related issues and problems which require knowledge and skills that are beyond the scope of a single academic discipline.

The primary goals of the WRC are to garner resources and public support for enhancing and expanding the water-related instruction, research and extension/outreach efforts of the entire university, and to further enhance the capacity and reputation of Auburn University and all of its divisions (to include Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station) in addressing water related matters.

What are your long-range goals for the AU WRC? What might it look like in five years? My very first goal is to complete the development a strategic plan for the WRC that will be based on input from a wide variety of internal and external sources. This strategic planning process is being led by Mike Kensler, the WRC Outreach Programs Administrator and was already underway when I recently accepted the Director’s position. Mike is doing a great job in leading this strategic planning process, and we both feel that it is very important for the WRC to have a meaningful strategic plan that can serve as a road map for the WRC for the new several years. My personal goals for the WRC will be largely influenced by what I hear from others as we go through this strategic planning process. However, I do have a few thoughts about what I would like the WRC to accomplish within the next few years. The most important goal is develop a sustainable funding/revenue stream for the WRC that will ensure that it remains a viable entity and that it has the financial resources to accomplish its mission and expand water-related programs and efforts university-wide.

Another very important goal is for the WRC to gain an identity and reputation that will make it (and more importantly Auburn University and all of its divisions) a major player in the area of water-related research and Extension/outreach activities not only in Alabama but nation-wide. I have a personal vision that many water-related areas such as aquaculture, hydrology, marine sciences, and others could someday be combined into a comprehensive school of hydrologic and aquatic sciences that would offer water-related degrees in aquaculture, hydrology, marine science, water conservation/xeriscapes, water harvesting, public water source management, and other related areas.

I would also like for Auburn University to become recognized as the premiere national resource and leader in the area of large-scale, municipal and industrial water harvesting and water reuse information, technology and expertise. This is an area where there appears to be a great opportunity that is not being significantly addressed by any other university. Auburn University has a unique advantage over many other universities in specializing in water harvesting and reuse because of the North Auburn Upper Fisheries Research Station. This facility located just 5 miles north of the main campus is part of the 2,300 acre north Auburn field research station that is rapidly becoming surrounded by suburban housing development. The overall unit id predominately wooded (1,334 acres) but also has a a variety of other land uses (i.e., pasture, meadows, paved roads, row crops, dirt roads, streams, ponds, and buildings) The Fisheries Research Station consists of approximately 1,600 acres set aside primarily for research and teaching in aquaculture, aquatic ecology, and fisheries management. Constructed on the fisheries research unit are 235 ponds comprising approximately 220 acres of water. The ponds range in size from approximately1/2 acre to 24 acres. Water is collected from rainfall on watersheds surrounding the ponds. In addition to continuing to serve as a fisheries research unit, this facility could also provide a unique water harvesting, and water reuse laboratory. I think that we have a great opportunity to secure funding to implement a water-harvesting research and demonstration program at this facility, and I hope the WRC can help secure funding to make this a reality.

I am also very excited about the possibility of expanding the number of Auburn University personnel who work in water-related areas. I think there is an excellent opportunity for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to partner with the Georgia Extension Service to jointly fund several watershed educational specialists to work in the Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Chattahoochee watersheds. These are the watersheds that are central to long-running “water wars” between Alabama and Georgia, and the creation of jointly funded watershed educational specialists may prove to be extremely beneficial resolving water quality issues throughout the entire watershed.

Another goal that I have is to begin a series of seminars on campus that will allow all faculty who are interested in water-related matters to keep abreast of funding opportunities, and also will facilitate better communication and understanding about water related research and educational activities that are being conducted by various faculty.

What activities or projects have you been engaged in and/or working on since joining the AU WRC? Because I have only been a part of the WRC since June 1, 2008, I haven’t had an opportunity to become engaged in a lot of water-related projects and activities. As the WRC Director, I have been able to work with the WRC advisory committee in doing some strategic planning, and I’ve already discussed that in a prior section.

My very first activity with the WRC (even before I officially became the Director) was to participate in the “State of our Watershed” conference held in Alexander City for people involved with Auburn University through the Water Watch program. This was a very enlightening conference for me, and it gave me a real sense for the passion that people have for the quality and quantity of water in their community. I was also impressed with the overall level of knowledge that these local residents have about water-related issues.

I have also been involved with the other WRC staff in planning and implementing a training workshop for the members of the Alabama Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Water Policy and Management and to attend meetings of that committee. I have been working with other faculty at AU to plan a Water Harvesting conference that is scheduled to early 2009. I have been working with the Cooperative Extension System and the Agricultural Experiment Station as well as the College of Agriculture and School of Forestry and Wildlife to get Auburn University certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Center of Excellence in Watershed Management. We are also pursuing becoming an EPA partner in the WaterSense program.

I have recently agreed to serve as the leader for a part of the NOAA supported Drought Mitigation project related to developing more irrigation in Alabama and will be providing leadership for the portion of this project that deals with the economic aspects of irrigation.

I have also been involved in developing a congressional funding request to help make Auburn University the premier land grant university in the nation in large-scale water-harvesting. This is an area where I honestly feel that AU has a unique advantage over every other land grant university. I feel very strongly that large-scale water harvesting is going to be absolutely essential to sustain economic growth for at least 25% of Alabama and possibly even for 1/3 of the state. Areas such as the Piedmont, Cumberland plateau, and even some areas in the upper coastal plains will not be able to adequately address the simultaneous water needs for future industrial development and population expansion without having some form of large-scale water harvesting. There are many similar areas in other southern states, and Auburn has the potential to take the national leadership in this area.

Are there projects on the horizon that you find particularly exciting? If so, which ones? The Water Resources Center has allocated $1.5 million dollars for three-year water-related research and Extension projects on the Tallapoosa Watershed and the Wolf Bay Watershed. These two projects which have been funded at $750,000.00 each were submitted and approved prior to my becoming the Center Director, but they are just now actually getting started. Both of these projects have the potential to make significant contributions to the breadth and scope of knowledge about the affects and impacts of land use and development on water quantity and quality for entire watersheds. These projects will allow Auburn University researchers to do watershed development modeling that will ultimately be beneficial to policy makers and watershed management groups throughout the entire state.

I am also very excited about the preliminary discussions that have been held with Coca-Cola and the opportunity to present a comprehensive proposal to them to make a very significant donation to the WRC allowing us to expand our grassroots educational efforts, and hopefully to expand the services that Auburn University can provide in water testing.

As you travel throughout the state and region on behalf of the AU WRC, what water-related issues seem to be drawing the most interest? Without a doubt, the thing that is drawing the most attention in Alabama and the Southeast is the impact of drought and possibility of longer term climatic changes on water availability and ultimately on water quality. The recent and continuing drought conditions and the increased demand for water to sustain economic growth and development are creating many water-related areas of concern, and this is the driving force behind the creation of the new Alabama Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Water Policy and Management. In addition to the immediate concerns over water supplies, there are also concerns about how to maintain the environmental quality of watersheds while allowing for an appropriate future level of growth and development within these watersheds. I think that everyone realizes that water is essential not only to maintain a high quality of life and to sustain industrial and economic development, but it is the most essential basic element of life itself.

Another issue that I sense is looming very big on the horizon is what changes will need to occur in Alabama’s water laws and regulations in order to create the environment that will allow the state to address many future water-related issues. There are obviously many different constituent groups who have a lot at stake, especially when the details of water rights are being addressed. The WRC will not take any position or make any recommendations when it comes to establishing priorities for water usage and water rights—that is not our responsibility. However, we will help to provide data and analysis of the potential implications of decisions if asked to do so by those who have such responsibilities.

What opportunities are there for interested corporations, foundations or individuals to partner with AU WRC? Although Auburn University has been successful in securing funding for much water-retaled research in the past, there is a great need and opportunity to upgrade the equipment and facilities at Auburn University so that we can continue to do a wide variety of water-related research in the areas of biology, hydrological, chemical, engineering, agricultural, aquaculture, marine sciences, forestry and architectural areas. Upgrading facilities and equipment as well as endowing water-related faculty positions are the areas where there is the greatest need for extramural funding and private sector partnerships. I am hopeful that one day Auburn University will have one of the nation’s premiere water quality testing and research facilities on campus, and that this will be through a partnership with one or more entities outside of the University.

What are some of the benefits to partnering with and/or supporting the AU WRC? Water is an essential ingredient in many products or an essential input or raw product in the production process of other products. Therefore, many private sector companies have a lot at stake in ensuring they continue to have an adequate supply of usable water. The way water is managed not only by these private corporations but by other major water users such as municipalities and agriculture has a direct impact on their sustainability. This means that usable water quality and quantity is an area of common concern and if it is not managed properly it has the potential to become an area of extreme conflict. The greatest benefit for both the AU WRC and those who might partner with the WRC is the opportunity to leverage and combine resources to address water-related issues of common concern before they become areas of conflict. Another benefit to those who want to partner with the WRC is that such arrangements help ensure that the WRC and Auburn University maintains their grass roots connections with and sensitivity to the needs of the people outside of the University who are most important clientele for a land grant university to serve.

What potential do you see for the work of the AU WRC to positively impact the region and nation? Hopefully, the AU WRC can help identify the water-related areas where Auburn University has the best opportunity to excel and to contribute to the overall expanding body of knowledge in water-related areas. I think that Auburn University has already established a very well-respected national reputation with our expansive Alabama Water Program database of information related to drinking water and many other topics. Through the Alabama Water Watch Program we also have established the University’s important role in working with grassroots organizations who share a common interest in maintaining water quality. As I have previously mentioned, I feel that Auburn University has a very unique opportunity to become the national leader in large-scale water harvesting research and expertise.

Currently, the State of Alabama is in the second year of a severe drought. In what ways can the AU WRC contribute to the mitigation of drought impacts and/or preparing for future drought? The current drought has brought much greater attention to water related issues and especially water demand and supply issues. The drought and its effects on reservoir levels as well as on many of the state’s river systems, and perhaps most importantly the effect of the drought on intensifying the long-running “water war” between Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, have created an environment where more people are interested in water-related issues. The role of the WRC is to provide sound, research-based information to those people in a position to make policy decisions affecting water supplies and water demand, and to help those policy-makers understand the potential longer-term consequences of decisions they are facing. Many times these potential longer term consequences are not readily apparent or even intuitive, and the best we can hope for is that we have a sound scientific basis that will provide a good foundation on which to base such decisions.

Even in the absence of drought, there seems to be growing water scarcity the world over. Why? With the recent increases in petroleum-based fuels, much has been said about seeking alternatives and especially renewable alternatives. Water is the prime example of a renewable resource for which there are no alternatives. The water cycle we are all so familiar with is the ultimate example of environmental recycling. It is scientific fact that the amount of water on earth is a constant state of circulation or exchange between earth and atmosphere. The point that I am leading up to is that the basic issue with water is not one of finding alternatives to overcome an overall diminishing quantity, but rather one of achieving spatial equilibrium. The challenge for water managers ultimately boils down to the fundamentals of managing supply, demand, and distribution of the amount of available usable water at a specific place and time. The scary thing about water is that there is no alternative for usable water as a basic requirement for life. On the other hand, the good news is that there are lots of things that can be done to better utilize this resource and to make the most effective use of it before it gets recycled.

Unlike Alabama, in many areas of the world (including some of our own western states) populations are expanding at rates greater than the local available usable water supplies can currently support. There is also a big question about whether changes in global climatic conditions will diminish the renewable usable water supplies available at a specific point and time, or create even greater demands for usable water in many areas. In Alabama we are very fortunate that we actually have an abundance of overall water when looked at from a statewide perspective, and in normal times we receive more than adequate rainfall to sustain our usable water needs. The main challenge that we face in our state is how to manage the water supplies (including the continuing renewable water from diffused rainfall) in such a way that we can level out the high and low periods in both water supply and water demand. This is going to require planning and management in the areas of conservation and in water harvesting, storage, and distribution systems. Fortunately there are many things that we can do to better manage this valuable resource, but there are some basic policy and legal issues that must be addressed and clarified to allow us to do a better management job.

The State of Alabama has recently formed a permanent joint legislative committee for water policy and management. Shortly, that committee will begin the process of crafting a state water management plan and related water policy. What role, if any, will you and or members of the AU Water Resources Committee have in the creation of any plans or policy for the state? The answer to this question must really come from the newly formed permanent joint legislative committee for water policy and management itself. We have already met with the committee leadership on several occasions and have recently conducted an educational seminar for the entire committee membership. We have made it known to the leadership and members of the committee that we are available and ready to assist them in many ways. I feel that the WRC’s primary and most important role in working with this very important group is to provide sound research-based information on which they can base their policy decisions, and, when requested, to help them understand the potential impacts of water-related policy decisions.

Is there a message or parting thought that you would like to leave with visitors to our blog and/or website? If so, what is it? My parting comment is that the Auburn University Water Resources Center exists ultimately to serve the needs of the people of Alabama. If anyone has ideas or suggestions about how the WRC can be of better service, please feel free to contact me and let’s discuss it. Also, the WRC needs the support from the state legislature and from Alabama’s congressional delegation. If you feel what we are trying to do is worthwhile, please communicate that to your state legislators and congressmen as you have an opportunity to do so.

If readers/visitors have follow-up questions or would like to contact you concerning the AU WRC, what is the best way to reach you? The best way to reach me is either by phone at 334-844-5542 or by e-mail at fowlesr@auburn.edu