You have entered the website of the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) at the University of Guam. We are currently six faculty and five staff and our mission is to seek solutions through research, teaching and outreach programs, to issues and problems associated with the location, production, distribution and management of freshwater resources in Guam, the CNMI and the FSM.
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Shahram KhosrowPanah Ph.D., P.E. Professor of Water Resources Engineering Phone: 671-735-2694 (fax 734-8890) (GMT+10 hrs) khosrow(weri)uguam.uog.edu?subject=Faculty - WeriGuam.org |
Development of a GIS Data Base for Saipan’s Drinking Water Delivery System
A healthy water system that can perform its essential functions requires a good record of system inventory, location, connectivity, and maintenance practices. This information should be easily available to the water managers and field operators. Prior to this study, the water and wastewater inventory and maintenance data were being entered manually and stored in file folders. This created excess paperwork and it made it very difficult to track the frequency of maintenance, hard to provide information to the field operator groups, and created a lack of close communication between system managers and field operators. Additionally, there was no link between the physical hydraulic model of the water system that was previously created by WERI and the maintenance and system inventories. What this study accomplished was to initiate the creation of a GIS data base that contains the system description and system maintenance schedules and that can be made readily available to system managers and field operators. This project concentrated on the drinking water side of the CUC operation. It is anticipated that in the future the data base will be extended to include the wastewater system and the data from water meters that are being installed. The benefit of this project will be to provide an improved and more efficient management and operation of the Saipan water system. (Funding source: US Geological Survey).
Developing Watershed Management Plan for the Piti-Asan Watershed Using GIS- Based Erosion Potential Model
Erosion and associated sedimentation is one of the primary threats to Guam’s watersheds. Upland erosion rates on Guam, among the highest reported in literature, are a result of a complex interaction of fire, vegetation and climate. Erosion and sedimentation rates are altered by anthropogenic activities such as wildfires, poorly managed development, off-roading, construction and agriculture (Minton 2006). Besides these primary threats, erosion and associated sedimentation, threats such as invasive plant species, urban runoff, and clear-cutting may further impair water quality and other natural resources found within a watershed. The Guam Watershed Planning Committee (GWPC) classified the watersheds (often sub-watersheds) into five categories according to their need of restoration (I-V: highest to lowest). The Asan-Piti Sub-Watershed is an example for a Category I watershed. The Asan-Piti sub-watersheds are located in the western side of central Guam. They exhibit a wide variety of land use and land cover, both important factors for water quality. This study will provide a GIS-based management tool for this watershed to assist decision makers to archive their goal in managing the Piti-Asan watershed in the best way possible to protect water quality. Further, the outcome of this study will set precedence for other watersheds on Guam. (Funding source: NOAA).
