Concerns about hurricane protection and the extensive loss of coastal wetlands in the lower Mississippi River delta have grown in the 21st century as ongoing challenges have been made more complex by events such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In 2011, The Water Institute of the Gulf was established in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to address these challenges. Charles “Chip” Groat serves as president and CEO of The Water Institute of the Gulf, a not-for-profit, independent research institute devoted to the advancement and understanding of coastal, deltaic, river and water resource systems.
“The scientific capacity The Water Institute is building serves communities throughout the lower Mississippi River delta, as well as in large deltaic river systems in other parts of the world,” Groat said. “The Water Institute seeks to answer the question, ‘How do we make sure we are using our water resources wisely?’”
The Water Institute’s mission is to apply innovative science and engineering solutions to water resource issues for the benefit of society. According to Groat, its scientific and engineering research is applied research.
“This means the scientific and engineering findings are intended to inform decision makers and to contribute directly to the understanding and formulation of program priorities and project implementation strategies,” he said. “What The Water Institute is doing now is trying to develop a truly holistic approach to dealing with water issues where it’s not only looking at the applied science, but it’s also looking at the limitations that come from policy and politics.”
Initial funding for The Water Institute was provided by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF). But The Water Institute has begun to expand its support base and has plans to expand its research capabilities to focus on water issues on a global scale.
The Water Campus
Recently, plans were unveiled for The Water Institute’s new home, which will be built just south of the Mississippi River Bridge in downtown Baton Rouge. The Water Campus will also house the CPRA, and CPRA and Louisiana State University are constructing a River Modeling Center, which will include a small-scale physical model of the lower Mississippi River for the study of all facets of landscape and water behavior. The initial build-out of the Water Campus is expected to be completed in 2015.
“Thanks to a private-public partnership of BRAF, the State of Louisiana and the City of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge will become the centerpiece of global research dedicated to tackling the challenges such as rising sea levels, uncertain weather patterns and droughts that threaten the coastal shores and river basins throughout the world,” Groat said. “The Water Campus will provide a shared location for scientists and engineers to study the problems confronting our coasts and oceans. It will be a world-class campus where the best minds from around the world can formulate theories, exchange ideas and collaborate in producing solutions.”
According to Groat, when fully built out, the urban, riverside campus will have more than 1.5 million square feet of commercial space on approximately 33 acres, and house 4,000 occupants focused on better understanding and managing the complex relationship among water, land and humans.
For more information, visit http://thewaterinstitute.org or call (225) 448-2813.
