The CREST Center for Sustainable Water Use (SWU) at Texas A&M University aims to achieve regional multidisciplinary research, education and stakeholder collaboration to advance the understanding of sustainable water use in South Texas in the context of complex physical, hydroclimatic, regulatory and social-economical settings through three subprojects 1) Monitoring and Information Systems (MIS), 2) Modeling and Dynamic Forecasting (MDF), and 3) Decision Support Systems (DSS).In the first subproject, we are developing drone based wireless sensor network for continuous real-time soil moisture monitoring to enhance water management strategies, identification of fungal plant pathogens in irrigation water, study microplastic contamination in soils and water. Second subproject research areas include groundwater availability modeling, modeling fate and transport of pesticides and pathogens in a region dependent for surface water for ditch irrigation systems, and evaluate Rio Grande River’s hydrochemical characteristics and applicability for irrigation at seven different sites. Third subproject is focused on developing decision-making models unique to our regional issues. Center’s integrated educational program has recruited students from the predominant Hispanic South Texas region and is providing them with knowledge, skills, and desire to become next-generation water sustainability experts to contribute to the needed diversity in the national STEM workforce.