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By Sherry F. Pruitt

Sun education editor

Arkansas State University is one of three universities in the United States that leads the country in agriculture water conservation involving the study of ditches, said Dr. Jerry Farris, director of the environmental sciences doctoral program.

Farris, along with Dr. Gregory Phillips, dean of the College of Agriculture, is heading a research project that will look at water conservation and reuse and agricultural cleanup methods, as well as other issues.

The two disciplines are collaborating on the long-range project at the ASU farm complex east of Stadium Boulevard, south of Aggie Road.

The area that runs along Stadium from Aggie Road to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroad tracks will feature a reservoir, a bridge inlet, a series of constructed wetlands accented with specialized plants, two types of ditches and a restoration area, Farris said. A levee encircles the project, which was designed with Environmental Protection Agency regulations in mind.

He predicted that birds and wildlife will use the restoration area once the site is operational.

Northeast Arkansas farmers eventually may benefit from the research, Phillips said. But, the research may prove valuable to cities planning for growth, added Farris.

"This structure or facility will help us study how agriculture management practices interface with the environment," Phillips explained.

Eight secondary ditches will be designated for reclamation, and others will be used as tertiary ditches. The area, which is adjacent to a row crop field, will include gates and pumps so that researchers can regulate input and "sample and measure what comes out at the end. We could mimic what happens in the field with furrow irrigation. We can mimic a heavy rain event or a light rain event," Phillips added. "The goal is to look at both ways to conserve and reuse water and to look at water quality issues. There's lots of concern about runoff from row crops."

Researchers said they can spike the water flow with chemicals and treatments.

While there is environmental concern about fertilizers, pesticide applications and runoff from the farming industry, there is also concern about community development, the experts said.

The two primary aquifers this area draws from are the Sparta and the deeper Alluvial aquifers, said Farris.

Agriculture uses 85 percent of the area's water for irrigation, mostly from the aquifers which are declining in parts of the state, Phillips said.

East of Crowley's Ridge, rivers recharge aquifers. However, west of the ridge the aquifers are not replenishing fast enough for demand, Phillips said. In the east part of Arkansas and the Grand Prairie region, aquifers are declining rapidly and ASU wants to make them last longer.

"With differences in that recharge structure and historic removal rates, it challenges the concept of sustainable irrigation," said Farris, who has been conducting related research for six years. "Water is one of two of the most valuable commodities in this region."

To make it sustainable, users must conserve and recharge whether drawing water, locating a landfill, making better roads, or building a mall.

"They all contribute to some change to the water cycles," he added.

The project will be a teaching tool for undergraduate and graduate students studying agriculture, environmental sciences, biology, chemistry and environmental chemistry. The project may appeal to potential ASU students, and already has attracted researchers.

Researchers say construction of the site will make A-State more competitive when applying for grant funding, Phillips said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture already is a partner in the 3- to 5-acre project.

"The project signals that we're a research university, and the state recognizes it," Phillips stated.

Davis Leveling took global positioning measurements and graded the site so that water will move from north to south. Also, research associate Dr. Bill Stephens has been working to ready the development site, and the Clay County office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service donated materials.

Farris added that he would like to see state and local organizations partner with ASU to further the research.

A-State Information and Technology Services has plans to install a Web camera at the site so it can be monitored and broadcast on the Internet.

"If we get that and a digital sign, it will be nice for the public to be able to observe progress over time," Phillips said.