2016 MS Water Security Institute
May 16-28, 2016
During May Intersession, May 16-28, at the University of Mississippi, sixteen students from four honors colleges in Mississippi experienced an intense, case-based laboratory in water security challenges and opportunities in Mississippi. For this first year, under the direction of Dr. Clifford Ochs, the Mississippi Water Security Institute (MS WSI) focused on water security issues in the Mississippi Delta, specifically around Clarksdale and along the Sunflower River. On field trips, participants explored irrigation in a corn field and got a sense of how well fields function; they traveled to Long Lake and to Beasley Lake, took a tour of Clarksdale wastewater treatment facilities, and—memorably—went on a canoe trip on the Mississippi River; they were welcomed in private homes, in cotton fields, and on the levees, at the Capps Center and at the BB King Museum. The 2016 MS WSI featured lectures and workshops from research scientists, conservationists, environmental advocates, agency officials, and lawyers. The participants came ready to work and they worked hard; they were flexible, courageous, and good humored. Together, they wrote a white paper synthesizing the nature of the challenges to water security in that region and the range of efforts to respond to those challenges. The SMBHC congratulates the participants and Dr. Ochs on a successful inaugural MS WSI.
Articles about the MS WSI
The Hearin Foundation Funds the Mississippi Water Security Institute
“Mississippi students learn water security at institute,” The Clarion Ledger, 12 July 2016.