Progress 08/01/23 to 07/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Students from Biosystem Engineering and Civil Engineering Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two students were able to work in an internship during summer in part due to his experience in this project. Both internships were in engineering consulting firms based in Puerto Rico. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results will be posted at the website of the Puerto Rico Water Resources and Environmental Research Institute (http://prwreri.uprm.edu/). They will be available at the end of this semester. At present the PowerPoint presentations offered during the seminars are available at https://sites.google.com/upr.edu/prwreri/home. The Upper Guajataca River project can be followed at the website https://sites.google.com/upr.edu/portafoliomodelohidrologico?usp=sharing&pli=1 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The following tasks will be performed during the extension: Task #1 Finalizing the Hydrologic and Erosion model for the Guajataca River Watershed. The model will be available to demonstrate the integration of technologies into natural resources management and benefit students interested in watershed modeling and soil erosion. This task is aligned with Objective #1. Task #2 Using multimedia technology to prepare an e-learning module to introduce students from Agricultural Sciences to the fundamentals of climatologic, hydrology, erosion, and sedimentation processes. The idea includes data acquisition from the World Wide Web sites and measuring soil parameters such as infiltration and evaporation. The product will be developed as a stand-alone application using the Articulate 360 e-learning platform, which will include photos and short videos of Puerto Rico's watersheds. The Curricular Sequence on Natural Resources from the College of Agricultural Sciences includes several courses where the proposed product could impact students. This task align with project Goal # 2:"Impact the curriculum by preparing, implementing, and making available a sequence of multidisciplinary seminars and workshops driven to use geospatial analysis tools and computer models in the solution of water resources and agricultural problems."

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Develop a multidisciplinary interaction among students and faculty members from agriculture and engineering to focus on the solution of real problems by using remote sensing technology, computer modeling, simulations, and field measurements. Accomplishment: The Upper Guajataca River Basin Hydrologic-Sedimentation model is a product that integrates the parts proposed in this goal. The model is in its final calibration. Possible scenarios on watershed protection will be simulated to provide recommendations for watershed management. Goal 3: Provide 18 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students from agriculture and engineering background, hands-on experience to perform data analysis, processing and simulations on agriculture and water resources applications. Accomplishment: This goal was accomplished partially. Limitations on the number of students participating in the project reduced the impact. One graduate and two undergraduate students participated.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: NIFA ANNH and Insular Areas Programs Project, NIFA Headquarters, Kansas City, May 29 to 31 may 2024.

Progress 08/01/22 to 07/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Students from Biosystem Engineering, Civil Engineering and Computer Engineering Changes/Problems:Hurricane Fiona disrupted the project activities during the last months of 2022. Some students dropped from the program. Fortunately most of them continued working afterwards; however, delays had a significant impact on the project progress. We were not able to provide the support expenses to the students. However, students remained participating in the project voluntarily. A re-budgeting will be proposed to continue with the fulfillment of the project goals, particularly completing data for simulations to prepare conference or publications. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities: One student was able to work at a hydraulic project during summer in part due to his experience in this project. Another worked for the Puerto Rico Water and Sewage Authority also in part due to his experience in this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results will be posted at the website of the Puerto Rico Water Resources and Environmental Research Institute (http://prwreri.uprm.edu/). They will be available at the end of this semester. At present the PowerPoint presentations offered during the seminars are available at https://sites.google.com/upr.edu/prwreri/home. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue working on modeling to complete the erosion and sediment transport project. Collect field data to include in computer simulations. Prepare conference or peer-reviewed presentation and/or paper.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The three proposed goals were repeated during the first and second year of the project. Goal 1: Develop a multidisciplinary interaction among students and faculty members from agriculture and engineering to focus on the solution of real problems by using remote sensing technology, computer modeling, simulations, and field measurements. Accomplishment: 9 undergraduate students were recruited and remained during one academic year. Three groups worked on different projects. During the second year students were predominantly from Agriculture and Civil Engineering. Only one student from Computer Engineering participated. Goal 2: Impact the curriculum by preparing, implementing, and making available a sequence of multidisciplinary seminars and workshops driven to use geospatial analysis tools and computer models in the solution of water resources and agricultural problems. Accomplishemt: A series of seminars were prepared during the Year 1 and reviewed for Year 2. Presentations are available at: https://sites.google.com/upr.edu/prwreri/home. Goal 3: Provide 18 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students from agriculture and engineering background, hands-on experience to perform data analysis, processing and simulations on agriculture and water resources applications. Accomplishment: This goal was accomplished because Goals 1 and 2 were accomplished. 4) Broadening the learning experience for at least two students providing summer internships at the local USDA NRCS office. Read the opportunities below.

Publications

Progress 08/01/21 to 07/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience are 20 undergraduate students from Agriculture, Civil and Electrical Engineering. 10 students, three from each department were recruited the first year. A new cohort will be selected the 2nd. year to complete the proposed project audience. Changes/Problems:Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and hurricane damages in Puerto Rico produced project delays. Mayor delay occurred during this academic semester where the UPR-Mayaguez remained closed for 12 days plus contact with students was limited for a longer period of time due to no access to the Internet, no electric power and difficult travel to the University Campus. Besides these difficulties, the project continues. Adjustments for the next academic semester and summer include a more intensive training of a new cohort of students and shorter but intensive work onprojects to be developed by the participants. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The activities proposed for the first year of this project were delayed due to covid-19 limitations (no in-person meetings) and natural disasters affecting Puerto Rico (hurricane Fiona). However, the projects are expected to be finished by the end of this semester. Next period will be shorter and more intensive; however, the original goals have not been altered. Final products from this and the second year of the project will be reported in the 2023 Final Report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) 10 undergraduate students were recruited and remained during one academic year. Three groups worked in different projects. Each group was formed by one student from Agriculture, one from Civil and one from Electrical Engineering. Three students dropped after the first semester; however, three new students were recruited for a total of 10 students at the end of the first year. 2) Specific Metric on accomplished goal and results: A) 92% of participants demonstrated basic knowledge in performing analysis using GIS. Including: a) Defining basic components of an ArcMap Vectors vs Raster datasets, projections and transformations, building vector data sets, developed a look-up table to assigned attributes to the vector data set created. b) Students created new shapefiles from a basemap. c) Students defined the coordinate system of newly created shapefiles B) 78% of participants understood the basics of multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing technology. a) They used Google Earth Engine and basic Python. C) 90% of participants demonstrated proficiency in preparation of electronic portfolios. a) The portfolio is available at: https://sites.google.com/upr.edu/hydrology/inicio D) 90% of participants understood the parts involved in the creation of a hydrologic model. a) They learned how to delineate watersheds in HEC-HMS b) Learned USDA-NRCS Curve Number Method from TR-55 c) Were introduced to precipitation depth and time distributions for Puerto Rico d) Demonstration on how to assemble all parts of the Hydrologic Model for a watershed During the on-going semester students are working in three-persons groups developing specific projects under the mentoring of a faculty professor and graduate students.

Publications