Tom Franti
Surface Water Management Engineer
Lincoln, Nebraska
(402) 472-9872
Specialization: Surface water quality
Sample Educational Programs:
Best Management Practices for Water Quality Protection
Extension activities include development of publications and programs to support adoption of best management practices to protect surface water in both agricultural and urban settings. Recent examples include publications aimed at the'how-to' of installing riparian buffers in agricultural fields and rain gardens in homeowner's yards. Other areas of effort include conservation buffers and reducing atrazine loading to surface water in the Big Blue River Basin in Nebraska.
Bioenergy and Water Resources
Extension activities including leading the Bioenergy and Water Resources focus team of the Heartland Regional Water Coordination Initiative, a four-state effort to collaborate on water resources protection extension and research. Efforts include developing research and education workshops and publications related to CRP conversion to cropland, nutrient management in highly productive systems and integrating bioenergy conversion efficiency across the system, field to fuel.
Stormwater Management
Extension efforts include publications on rain gardens, a rain garden website, and in-place hydrologic evaluation of recently installed rain gardens to test their function. Extension programming focuses on assisting municipalities in Nebraska to address storm water management education needs, and on promotion of green infrastructure to manage storm water. Recent publications:
Rain Garden Design for Homeowners
Plant Selections for Rain Gardens
Installing Rain Gardens in Your Yard
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