Chang, who previously served as the center’s associate director, is a nationally and internationally recognized research scientist in water quality management and water reuse, and has worked on some of the state’s critical water-quality issues.

“He will bring a great deal of experience in developing and managing research programs to the operation of the center,” said Steve Angle, dean of the UC Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

Chang takes the center’s reins as it sponsors two milestone conferences in 2005.  On March 22, the 20^th Salinity and Drainage Conference takes place in Sacramento.  The annual conference is the public forum for the UC Salinity and Drainage Research Program, which was established by the California legislature 20 years ago to help scientists understand the nature of the Central Valley’s agricultural drainage problem.

“Over the past 20 years, UC has funded many research projects on dealing with drainage issues,” Chang said.  “The conference will highlight the research results of the last 20 years.”

More information on the conference is available at http://www.waterresources.ucr.edu/index.php?content=news_events/sdp_meetings/sdp_meeting_2005.htm.

The 25th Biennial Groundwater Conference, scheduled for Oct. 25 and 26 in Sacramento, marks its 50-year anniversary. The event’s focus will be the accomplishments made over the past 50 years in groundwater management and what scientists are facing in the future.

Issues to be addressed include the uncertainties associated with global climate change and how that might affect California groundwater resources, and the impact of pollutants being found in groundwater.

“Fifty years ago, we considered groundwater to be pristine,” Chang said.  “Now we are finding that many materials migrate into groundwater.  The potential impact is not fully understood.”

Later this year, more information on the conference will be available on the Center for Water Resources Web site at http://www.waterresources.ucr.edu/.

The Riverside campus was recently chosen to host the center for a five-year period after proposals from UC Berkeley, UC Davis and UC Riverside were considered.  Issues related to water quality, groundwater management, agricultural drainage and salinity are priorities at all three of the campuses and at UC Cooperative Extension offices throughout the state. The Center for Water Resources provides coordination and leadership.

The center houses several systemwide research and outreach programs, namely, the Water Resources Research Program, Salinity and Drainage Program, Regional Water Quality Program, and the Prosser Trust.  It engages UC resources with other institutions to develop ecologically sound and economically efficient water management policies and programs in California, and it fulfills this mission by providing grants to stimulate and support water-related research and education activities. The center also collects historic and other documents related to water topics and makes the collection available to the public.

For more information about the center, go to http://www.waterresources.ucr.edu/.