Texas State renames water research institute

SAN MARCOS — The International Institute for Sustainable Water Resources at Texas State University-San Marcos has been renamed the River Systems Institute. "The new title more precisely establishes a unique niche for the program and more accurately reflects the capacity of the Texas State faculty and the assets of the university," said Andrew Sansom, director of the institute.

Sansom said the main focus of the institute will continue to be the development and promotion of the holistic management of river systems, including springs, streams, groundwater aquifers and watersheds that feed them, as well as the bays and estuaries into which they flow.

"There are very few university programs in America dedicated to river systems research and management. Of the four we've found, three are dedicated to research and education on a single river or portion of a river. Only one is as broad as what we are proposing," said Sansom.

The Texas State campus is home to the headwaters of the San Marcos River. The university is currently in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to develop the Texas Rivers Center at San Marcos Springs, and educational center dedicated to rivers and wetlands.

Our primary purpose is to identify real-world water concerns and issues and propose alternative solutions from which policymakers can make choices," said Sansom.

Texas State currently offers several undergraduate and graduate degree programs in water-related disciplines, primarily through its Biology and Geography departments.

For further information, contact the River Systems Institute at (512) 245-9200.