Ferrum College News - Ferrum College Professor Serves as Consultant in Project to Improve the Management and Efficiency of China’s Water Supply

Ferrum College Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Dr. Dave Johnson, spent nine days in March working as a consultant on a study in China as part of a team developing a decision support system to reduce nonpoint source pollution to China’s Han River, the largest tributary to the Yangtze River. Of special interest is Danjiangkou Reservoir, a large reservoir that will be part of the South-to-North water diversion project that will eventually supply drinking water to over 10 million people in Beijing. The study was made possible by a USTDA (United States Trade & Development Agency) grant that was awarded to Changjiang Water Resources Commission (CWRC), an agency under China’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) to promote an integrated water quality monitoring system. The CWRC selected MapTech, Inc. of Blacksburg, Virginia, a U.S. firm that specializes in watershed management, environmental monitoring and modeling technologies, to conduct the study. Dr. Johnson has served as a consultant with MapTech Inc. since 1994.

After monitoring water quality in Smith Mountain Lake for 10 years, it became apparent to Dr. Johnson that nonpoint source pollution coming from the watershed was the challenge. “In teaching environmental policy and planning I read more and more about GIS and its potential as a tool for landuse planning, including watershed management” says Johnson. He says he decided to learn more about GIS and received an ACA fellowship in 1994 and worked on GIS-based models to assess nonpoint source pollution potential. During the fellowship, his mentor, Vern Shanholtz retired from Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech and founded MapTech Inc. Dr. Johnson has worked as a consultant ever since.

Accelerated industrialization, urbanization and agricultural activities in the Han River basin have resulted in an upsurge in pollutants resulting from non-point source discharges into local water supplies. This contamination poses significant health risks for residential and industrial areas served by the Yangtze River. In an effort to address water quality concerns, the CWRC is committed to upgrading its water quality monitoring capabilities. In addition to the USTDA grant, both the CWRC and MapTech, Inc. will provide additional resources towards the completion of the study.

For more information about Dr. Johnson’s work with MapTech, Inc. or about his trip, contact the Public Relations Office at 365-4300.

Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs at a cost well below the national average for private colleges. For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu.

Ferrum College Professor Serves as Consultant in Project to Improve the Management and Efficiency of China’s Water Supply
For immediate release: April 2, 2008	Contact: Natalie Faunce, (540) 365-4301 nfaunce@ferrum.edu
Ferrum College Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Dr. Dave Johnson, spent nine days in March working as a consultant on a study in China as part of a team developing a decision support system to reduce nonpoint source pollution to China’s Han River, the largest tributary to the Yangtze River. Of special interest is Danjiangkou Reservoir, a large reservoir that will be part of the South-to-North water diversion project that will eventually supply drinking water to over 10 million people in Beijing. The study was made possible by a USTDA (United States Trade & Development Agency) grant that was awarded to Changjiang Water Resources Commission (CWRC), an agency under China’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) to promote an integrated water quality monitoring system. The CWRC selected MapTech, Inc. of Blacksburg, Virginia, a U.S. firm that specializes in watershed management, environmental monitoring and modeling technologies, to conduct the study. Dr. Johnson has served as a consultant with MapTech Inc. since 1994. After monitoring water quality in Smith Mountain Lake for 10 years, it became apparent to Dr. Johnson that nonpoint source pollution coming from the watershed was the challenge. “In teaching environmental policy and planning I read more and more about GIS and its potential as a tool for landuse planning, including watershed management” says Johnson. He says he decided to learn more about GIS and received an ACA fellowship in 1994 and worked on GIS-based models to assess nonpoint source pollution potential. During the fellowship, his mentor, Vern Shanholtz retired from Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech and founded MapTech Inc. Dr. Johnson has worked as a consultant ever since. Accelerated industrialization, urbanization and agricultural activities in the Han River basin have resulted in an upsurge in pollutants resulting from non-point source discharges into local water supplies. This contamination poses significant health risks for residential and industrial areas served by the Yangtze River. In an effort to address water quality concerns, the CWRC is committed to upgrading its water quality monitoring capabilities. In addition to the USTDA grant, both the CWRC and MapTech, Inc. will provide additional resources towards the completion of the study. For more information about Dr. Johnson’s work with MapTech, Inc. or about his trip, contact the Public Relations Office at 365-4300. Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs at a cost well below the national average for private colleges. For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu.
###