Friday, May 11, 2012
A new, free publication offered by Penn State Extension examines how water is used and affected during production of natural gas from deep shale formations.
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Friday, March 02, 2012
A Web-based seminar sponsored by Penn State Extension will examine municipalities' roles related to water use and protection in the face of burgeoning Marcellus Shale gas development in Pennsylvania. (more)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A Penn State Extension water specialist told a House committee on Jan. 10 that research has shown that about 40 percent of all water wells in the state fail to meet at least one safe-drinking-water standard. Bryan Swistock, senior water resources extension associate at Penn State, testified before the House Consumer Affairs Committee in a hearing on House Bill 1855, which would create standards for water-well construction. Pennsylvania is currently one of just a few states that do not have statewide requirements for the construction of private water wells. (more)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is seeking owners of private drinking-water wells near completed natural-gas wells in the Marcellus shale region to participate in a study of the impact of gas development. (more)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Penn State engineering students and faculty visited Morocco in summer 2010 to put in place three different engineering design projects. Two of the teams devised systems to improve communities' water quality, and the third group offered a solution for better workplace seating at a women's cooperative. Watch a video that highlights their efforts. (more)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Pennsylvania's recently declared drought watches and warnings present a dilemma for the state's home gardeners and professional landscapers: How do they satisfy thirsty landscapes and the state Department of Environmental Protection at the same time? A horticulturist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences said that any drought tactics should start with "balance." (more)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A dry streambed in a small wooded valley near Penn State's Stone Valley Recreation Area became a "living" laboratory Wednesday (Aug. 18) for a group of high school students getting an early taste of earth science from University researchers. Using soil moisture probes and water-level sensors, the teens sampled 16 sites to determine the depth of the water table and the moisture content along a streambed that was so dry in parts that it was almost dusty. The laboratory was the 20-acre Shale Hills watershed in the Penn State Stone Valley Experimental Forest in Huntingdon County. (more)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Hiking around the 1,500-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs would be a taxing way to learn about the science of agriculture, but for those interested in agricultural research, there's an alternative to shoe leather. During Penn State's 2010 Ag Progress Days, set for Aug. 17-19, visitors can be conveyed to the latest research on topics ranging from crop production and pest management to honey bee health and biofuels via free bus tours leaving at regular intervals from the corn crib on Main Street at the Ag Progress Days site. Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. (more)
Monday, June 21, 2010
The recent eruption of a Marcellus shale gas well in Clearfield County, Pa., has triggered investigations by state agencies. A Penn State Cooperative Extension water specialist said it also should remind Pennsylvanians that drilling can impact surrounding water resources, and well owners near any drill sites should take steps to monitor their drinking water. (more)
Friday, February 05, 2010
A free public lecture titled "The Global Water Crisis" will be given by Gregory Knight, professor of geography at Penn State, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, in room 100 of the Thomas Building on Penn State's University Park campus. The event is the fourth of six lectures in the 2010 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science, a free minicourse for the general public with the theme "Water: The Next Frontier." No registration is required. The lectures take place on six consecutive Saturdays More information can be found at http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers online. (more)
