Research
Utah State University has diverse strengths in water sciences,
engineering and policy with academic programs and active research
in many colleges and departments.
Critical research questions occur at the interface between disciplines
and the Water Initiative seeks to stimulate investigation into
multidisciplinary problems.
One challenge that the USU Water Initiative seeks to address is to
integrate and synthesize water-related science and engineering research
activities to meet the growing demands for integrated expertise and focus
the intellectual leadership of the university academic community on
integrated water planning that is critical for society in the Intermountain
West.
Laboratory Watershed
A goal of the Utah State University Water Initiative is the establishment of a Laboratory Watershed. The Great Salt Lake Basin and within it the Bear River Watershed serve as a microcosms for many water resource, science, and policy issues in the western U.S. Climate variability, effects of drought, water quality, urban and agricultural development, and interstate policies are all important concerns. Our efforts to establish a laboratory watershed include:
USGS HIF Equipment Rental Program
USU is participating in a pilot project with CUAHSI that enables
faculty to rent equipment from the USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF)
[Catalog | Price List]. Contact Kim for more info.
USU Research Initiation Awards
To pursue the goal of fostering collaboration and interdisciplinary work across departments in the Water Sciences at Utah State University,
the Water Initiative supports interdisciplinary pilot research studies by USU faculty in the broad area of Water Sciences. In 2006, this program
was expanded to include teaching and class development in addition to the original focus of research studies. These projects are
selected on the basis of them serving the common good goal of strengthening interdisciplinary water science at USU. This program is intended
to stimulate interdisciplinary research and education, build cooperation and institutional aspects of an integrated water sciences research
and academic program, and attract additional interdisciplinary funding to USU water programs thereby elevating the prominence of USU in water sciences.
2008 Research and Teaching and Initaition Grant—Request For Proposals
The USU Water Initiative announces its 2008 Research and Teaching Initiation Grant
program for projects that serve the "common good" of building
and strengthening interdisciplinary water science, engineering and/or humanities at USU.
Proposal due date: March 17, 2008. For details
download the RFP.
2006 Water Initiative Research Initiation Awards
| Paul Grams, Phaedra Budy, Jack Schmidt |
Proposal to initiate linkages between geomorphology and fisheries ecology researh on the Cub River, Idaho and Logan River, Utah |
| Jeffery S. Horsburgh, David K. Stevens, Nancy O. Mesner |
Continuous Water Quality Monitoring of Mud Lake to Support Evaluation of Effects of Bear River Water Diverted into Bear Lake |
| Krishna Shenai, Scott Jones, Mac McKee |
Development of Cost-Effective Soil Properties Sensor for Ubiquitous Wireless Networks |
| Tamao Kasahara, Matthew Baker |
Analyzing the effect of watershed topography on water residence time and hydrologic scaling in semi-arid, alpine catchments |
2006 Water Initiative Teaching Initiation Awards
| Beth Neilson, Nancy Mesner |
Interdisciplinary Surface Water Quality Modeling Course |
| R. Ryan Dupont; Bill J. Doucette |
Research Integration 1 - Integrative Water Science Course, Problem-Based Learning Course in Site and Risk Characterization |
2005 Water Initiative Research Initiation Awards
| James Evans |
Geochronolgy of Carbonates to Constrain Paleohydrology of the Bear River Range, and CO 2 -charged Systems of SE Utah |
| David Robinson, Timothy Doyle, Scott Jones |
Modeling the Dielectric Properties of Granular Media to Determine Water Content |
| Brad Cole, Dan Davis, Bob Parson, Steve Sturgeon, Cheryl Walters |
Bear River Watershed Historical Bibliography Digital Collection |
| Phaedra Budy, Mark Vinson, Gary Thiede |
Factors Affecting Native Cutthroat Trout Population Dynamics, Abundance, and Distribution in the Logan and Bear River Drainages: Comparing the Effects of Varying Degrees of Anthropogenic Impact |
| Arthur Caplan, Terry Glover |
Policy Decision Modeling for Water Quality Improvement |
| Tom Lachmar, David Chandler, Wynn R Walker |
Spring Monitoring and Measurement of Non-Point Source Recharge and Canal Seepage in Cache Valley, Utah |
2004 Water Initiative Research Initiation Awards
| Jeffery Horsburgh |
Bear River Watershed Information System |
| Phaedra Budy and Mark Vinson |
Factors Affecting Native Cutthroat Trout Population Dynamics, Abundance, and Distribution in the Logan and Bear River Drainages: Comparing the Effects of Varying Degrees of Anthropogenic Impact |
| Helga Van Miegroet, David Chandler, Michelle Baker, Janis Boettinger |
Preliminary Investigation of Climate Change Impacts on Soil Water and Carbon Dynamics |
| Steve Sturgeon, Dan Davis, Bob Parson |
Bear River Watershed Historical Bibliography |
| Joanna Endter-Wada, Arthur Caplan, Peggy Petrzelka, Theresa Selfa |
Contributing to Drought Management Through Understanding Factors Influencing Human Conservation Behavior |
| Michael Gooseff, James Evans, Pete Kolesar, and Tom Lachmar |
Hydrologic Contributions from Springs on the Logan River, Utah |
| Douglas Jackson-Smith |
Collection and Analysis of Socioeconomic Data in the Bear River Basin Watershed Study Area |
| David Stevens and Jeffery Horsburgh |
Real Time Streamflow and Water Quality Monitoring Station in the Logan River at the Utah Water Research Laboratory |