The border region continues to experience rapid growth in population and increased demands for water. Numerous state, regional, and local planning efforts are underway to respond to the competing needs for surface water, the deteriorating water quality in the Rio Grande Basin, and the development of additional water supply resources especially during drought periods. A complex binational water allocation system, local and regional flooding issues, and conflicting stakeholder interests further challenge the border region water dilemma. Effective management of water resources in the area requires the integration of complex domains that include water supply, water quality, water use, and management of floods and droughts.

The project will integrate water-related databases, water resources analysis and assessment tools, robust water supply, demand, runoff and water quality models, and decision-support tools within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework. This Water Resources Management Tool (WRMT) will be invaluable for analysts and decision-makers in their planning efforts for Senate Bill 1, Texas Clean Rivers and EPA's Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) program. The WRMT will additionally complement the State's Water Availability Modeling (WAM) initiative by addressing both water quality and water quantity in the Rio Grande. The WRMT brings together key data and analytical tools required for water resources management into a decision-support knowledge-based simulation framework with the goals of: 

1. Compiling water-related information in a unified GIS database; 
2. Facilitating evaluation and visualization of water-related data; 
3. Providing statistical and modeling tools for the analysis of water resources issues; 
4. Providing a framework for examining multi-purpose management by stakeholders; and 
5. Promoting public education benefits for border constituencies. 

A secondary outcome of this consortium will be an increase in the research and service capabilities of the universities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley for training professionals in water resources management through collaboration between Texas institutions with diverse missions and capabilities.