Mission

The mission of the WRRC is to serve as a center of expertise in the water resources field; assist public and private interests in the conservation, development, and use of water resources; provide opportunities for professional training; assist local, state, regional, and federal agencies in planning and regulation; and communicate research findings to interested users. The WRRC administers funding provided through the federal Water Resources Research Act of 1984 and coordinates water-resources research and technology transfer as authorized by the funding, acts as liaison for Florida Agencies and water management districts, promotes water-resources research by seeking external support, and seeks to enhance the state and national image of the University of Florida (UF) as a focal point for water resources research.

History

In 1995, the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) was re-established as a separate entity from the combined Center for Wetlands and Water Resources Research. Historically, since 1964, the WRRC as a separate or combined center has been a university-wide focus for water resources research and has served as the Water Resources Center for the state of Florida. The mission of the WRRC is to serve as a center of expertise in the water resources field, assist public and private interests in the conservation, development, and use of water resources, provide opportunities for professional training, assist local, state, regional, and federal agencies in planning and regulation, and communicate research findings to interested users. The WRRC administers funding received from the federal Water Resources Research Act of 1964 and coordinates water-resources research and technology transfer as authorized by the funding, acts as a liaison for Florida agencies and water management districts, promotes water resources research by seeking external support, and seeks to enhance the state and national image of UF as a focal point for water resources research. The WRRC is funded in part by Section 104 of Public Laws 98-242 and Public Law 104-99, which are administered by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior. Additional funding and support are provided by UF and research sponsors that include state agencies such as the water management districts and the Florida Geological Survey.

Research sponsored by the WRRC is conducted by faculty and students at UF and other state universities. Research is conducted in areas of water resources that include groundwater flow and contaminant transport, surface-water flow and transport, and water- resources management. Projects have included determining the impacts of well field development on Cypress Creek near Tampa, describing the water resources of the Kennedy Space Center, studying the movement of hazardous contaminants in groundwater systems, enhancing wetland storage and storm water recharge in south Dade County, and developing a methodology for socio-economic assessment that was applied to Lake Apopka.