Project Grant 20226701936415

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE IMPLICATIONS OF AGRICULTURAL WATER SHORTAGES HAVE WIDE-REACHING SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. AGRICULTURAL WATER SHORTAGES DIMINISH THE NUMBER OF PRODUCTIVE FARMS, IRRIGATED AREAS AND CROPS, AND FOOD PRODUCTION.THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION IS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT BUT COMMONLY OVERLOOKED CLIMATE CHANGE, POPULATION INCREASES, COMPETITION OVER GROUNDWATER SOURCES, AND LAND USE MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE COMPLEX AND SEVERE - YET MISUNDERSTOOD - IMPACTS ON AGROECOSYSTEMS, GROUNDWATER DECLINES, AND ASSOCIATED NEGATIVE WATER QUALITY CONSEQUENCES IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED. OBSERVED CHANGES IN RAINFALL PATTERNS AND TEMPERATURES ALREADY EXACERBATE FRESHWATER AVAILABILITY IN THE REGION. FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE IS EXPECTED TO CONFOUND THIS FURTHER, WITH INCREASED RUNOFF AND EVAPOTRANSPIRATION CAUSING LONG-TERM DECREASES IN WATER AVAILABILITY FOR CROP PRODUCTION AND AQUIFER RECHARGE. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO FACILITATE THE USE OF NONTRADITIONAL WATER SOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFICIENT WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES (I.E., BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS) AND EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES). SUCH STRATEGIES WILL REDUCE THE STRESS ON FRESHWATER RESOURCES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SIMILAR REGIONS UNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS. THIS GOAL WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENSION-FACILITATED ADOPTION OF INNOVATIVE AND TRANSDISCIPLINARY AGENT-BASED MODELING (ABM) AND DIAGNOSTIC DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (DDSS). THE DDSS WILL INCLUDE CRITICAL STAKEHOLDER INPUT THROUGH IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS AND TAILORED SURVEYS, LINKED WITH AN ABM TOOL TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT BMPS FOR EFFICIENT FRESHWATER AND RECYCLED WATER USE. FOUR INTERCONNECTED RESEARCH OBJECTIVES WILL BE ADDRESSED TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL. OUR SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS APPROACH WILL RESULT IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES (INCLUDING USE OF RECYCLED WATER), TARGETED PRESCRIPTIONS OF BMPS UNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS, INNOVATIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR CONSTITUENT GROUPS THAT EXHIBIT ACUTE BARRIERS TO BMP ADOPTION, AND EDUCATION THAT WILL TRAIN, AND INSPIRE FUTURE WATER MANAGEMENT LEADERS. THESE ACTIONS INCREASE WATER AVAILABILITY AND DECREASE WATER DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION DESPITE INCREASING URBANIZATION, CHANGING CLIMATE, POPULATION GROWTH, AND INCREASING COMPETITION FOR WATER, CHALLENGES THAT ARE VERY RELEVANT TO RESEARCH PRIORITIES DEFINED BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (NIFA).