Clemson University scientists researching ways to reduce water pollution and protect a rare species of fish landed grants from the South Carolina Water Resources Center.
Sarah A. White and Brandon Peoples received the awards of $26,144 and $24,093, respectively, as part of the center’s annual statewide competitive research program. The program supports research considered critical to the future health of South Carolina’s water resources, and is administered by the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) and overseen by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
“The research being performed by these two young scientists aligns perfectly with the South Carolina Water Resources Center’s mission to serve as a research facilitator and act as a conduit for information necessary to inform stakeholders and policy-makers on the condition of South Carolina’s water resources,” said Jeffery Allen, the center’s director.
White is working to develop a filtration system for capturing and recycling phosphorus found in agricultural runoff water. When phosphorus-rich water ends up in streams, lakes and other surface water systems, it can cause algal blooms, limiting recreation activities and harming fish, insects and other life. The recycled phosphorus can be used as fertilizer.
“Capturing phosphorus before it leaves an operation is beneficial for the environment and growers of specialty crops, including annuals and perennials, berries, fruit trees and vegetables,” White said. “This project includes a partnership with a local nursery where we will evaluate the success of pilot-scale filtration systems so that in the near future growers can successfully recycle bound phosphorus in potting substrates and soil amendments.”
Peoples is working to understand how Bartram’s Bass populations respond to invasive species and habitat change in the Savannah basin, better enabling management of the watershed and its fishery resources.
“Bartram’s Bass is endemic to the Savannah River drainage; it lives nowhere else in the world,” said Peoples. “The fish are not only important to recreation because they’re fun to catch and important, but they can also tell us about the health of the watershed.”
(Written by Jonathan Veit, Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Public Service and Agriculture.)