Dear Professor,
This is to follow up on the phone conversation we had regarding my interest in a graduate program now that I have a BS in Civil Engineering. Subject interests listed are in order from most interested to significantly interested.
M.S. Water Resources Engineering:
1. Hydrology
2. Computational Programming
3. Remote Sensing
4. Environmental Law
I have one question at the end of this email. If we could have a zoom meeting to discuss your concerns or comments I would greatly appreciate it.
In long (my apologies), my ikigai is to design a framework computer program that enables the user to generate a study on the suitability to significantly increase a given water catchment's groundwater recharge capability. In short, I want to build a program that I can input satellite imagery, soil type, slope, aquifer capacity, precipitation data, etc. and deliver a BMP type report to a municipality to use to plan their watershed management policies.The report will include a map that highlights areas with the potential for return on investment when implementing the results of the study. My target audience for the BMP type reports will be moderate to large cities and agricultural regions.
Humans waste a lot of water and currently the most effective way to address this is to reduce per capita consumption though education, policy and cost rates. However, with increasing climate instability, the severity and frequency of storms may flip this paradigm. Increased number of floods and fewer rain events dictate that an increase of storage capacity is necessary. Humans will need to develop more innovative ways to catch the water that falls on the land.
The age of dams is waning due to the detrimental impacts on the environment and wildlife diversity and populations.(Agreement of this statement is an assumption of this study)
This work aims to complement land's natural ability to sustain wildlife, soil biomass and thus groundwater recharge. Many others are working parallel to this effort such as with legislature and funding towards removing or remodeling human structures that damage the environment. As a design parameter, this study will address solving water crisis problems with solutions that improve the natural environment relative to its state before human encroachment. This study is not proposing to go back to the way things were.
Means being considered to accomplish this goal are: increase of soil biomass; installation of bio-swales on contour; increase of the land's capacity to carry wildlife; and extension of seasonal groundwater recharge periods. The scale of applications being implemented are in the acres to hundreds of acres--these are not BMP's for typical construction projects.
Some potential theses I am considering for this study:
1. Can Groundwater recharge period be increased by adding irrigation swales on contour?2. Does increasing soil biomass extend groundwater recharge periods?
3. Can soil biomass be increased by installation of irrigation swales on contour?
4. Can capacity of land to carry wildlife ( number of animals per acre) be increased by adding soil biomass?
5. Can capacity of the land to carry wildlife be increased by irrigation swales on contour?
6. Can groundwater recharge period be extended by increasing the land's capacity to carry wildlife?
7. Can increasing the land's ability to carry wildlife extend groundwater recharge period?
My preference is No. 7 but they are all just titles. I plan on addressing all of these questions. Strategically I'm unsure of the best starting point for this study.
Ending question: Should I be considering a PhD.?
Thank you for everything,
Carl
