July 19, 2007 — The V.I. Water Resources Institute at the University of the Virgin Islands plans to spend a $92,335 grant from the U.S. Geological Survey on furthering its research on water use.
"We can get more use out of the water that's available," the Institute's director, Henry Smith, said Thursday.
He said that the territory's limited amount of water limits how much agriculture it can produce. For example, he said that work continues on the best way to use water in papaya production. Studies will determine the best time to water using the least amount of water to maximize production, Smith said. And he added that studies will determine the best way to use and protect the guts that fill with water during a rainstorm, but sit dry or nearly dry the rest of the time.
Ways need to be found to reduce the amount of sediment going into the water via the guts, and noted that construction and road cutting were big offenders, Smith continued.
"If we manage it, we can do a better job of keeping the coastline pristine," he said.
Smith suggested that barriers could be installed in guts to slow the water down as it headed downhill to the sea.
He envisioned that guts could also be used for recreation, with guides showing hikers the flora and fauna of the area.
"We could put in picnic areas," Smith said.
The grant money will also be spent on figuring out how to use aquaculture wastewater for irrigation.
Smith said that much research needs to be done in the territory because research done in places where they have other waters sources, such as rivers, isn't applicable to the Virgin Islands.
Sharing the research done using the grant money, as well as other research, is the focus of the Seventh Caribbean islands Water Resources Congress to be held Oct. 25-27 on St. Croix. Some of the grant money will be used to fund this conference, which is held in collaboration with the Water Resources Institute in Puerto Rico.
He said the conference targets developers, teachers and researchers from the territory, the Caribbean and other small islands.
"A lot of the problems we have, a lot of other people have those same problems," Smith said.
The Institute is part of a national network of 54 similar institutes partially supported by the Geological Survey. Located at UVI since 1973, the staff is known for its research on cistern water supplies. In 2004, it was rated as one of the top five water institutes in the country based on the regular five-year national evaluation of all of the institutes.
Smith said that the Water Resources Institute needs members for its citizen advisory board. He said the group meets two or three times a year to evaluate projects.
He urged anyone interested in becoming a member to call 693-1062.
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