Monitoring Water Quality Near Southwest Virginia Coalfield Restoration Sites
From Virginia Tech News: The Virginia Water Resources Research Center conducts fieldwork throughout the Appalachian coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia to monitor and assess stream rehabilitation. Researchers gather data on water quality and aquatic insect presence to continue to monitor streams impacted by runoff from former coalfields.
2026 Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) Conference: September 29
The Water Center is supporting the 2026 VWMC Conference on September 29, 2026 at the Virginia Public Safety Training Facility (Knox Hall) in Hanover, Va. The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 29, 2026. The program includes nine invited presentations on water monitoring and management. Presentations…
Congratulations to Almudena Sanz Gutiérrez, our 26-27 Walker Research Fellow!
Congratulations to Almudena Sanz Gutiérrez, our 2026-2027 William R. Walker Graduate Research Fellow! Almudena is a PhD student in the Department of Population Health Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and a Master of Science in Clinical Research from Universidad de Barcelona….
Data and Model Integration to Assess Harmful Algal Blooms in Smith Mountain Lake
The 2024 Virginia General Assembly requested a study to assess harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Smith Mountain Lake (SML), a reservoir created by damming the Roanoke River. Harmful algal blooms have algae and cyanobacteria that produce toxins that may adversely affect human health through consumption of contaminated water or shellfish….
New MS Degree Program in Water Resources at Virginia Tech is Approved
A new M.S. degree program in Water Resources at Virginia Tech has been officially approved! Proposed by Drs. Stephen Schoenholtz and Kevin McGuire of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, the program was approved on March 17 and is slated to begin in Fall 2026. The degree is designed to provide advanced…
Update: Sewage Spill in the Potomac River – Find Out the Latest Information
March 30, 2026 Update — You may be wondering what’s the latest about the sewage spill in the Potomac River. More information is available on the websites for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The summary information provided below was obtained from these…
Director Kevin McGuire Testifies Before House Natural Resources Committee
On March 26, 2026, Dr. Kevin McGuire, Director of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center at Virginia Tech, testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on the authorization of the Water Resources Research Act (WRRA) program. The Advancing Water Research and Collaboration (AWRC) Act (H.R. 7889)—sponsored by Congressman Rob Wittman (VA‑01) and Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA‑26)—would strengthen the…
Water Center Interns Visit Capitol Hill and Attend NIWR Annual Meeting
In late February, Tali Altimari and Max Painchaud took their Water Center internship to Washington, D.C.! Joined by Water Center Director Kevin McGuire and Associate Director Daniel McLaughlin, they participated in the annual National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) Meeting and a series of congressional visits. During the trip, they met with staff from Morgan Griffith, Jen Kiggans, Mark Warner, and Rob Wittman’s offices. Tali and Max participated in a student panel about engaging students…
Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act to Strengthen Water Research
U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Julia Brownley (CA-26) and U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at boosting water research and collaboration across the country! The Advancing Water Research and Collaboration (AWRC) Act would strength the U.S. Geological Survey partnership with state…

