Water
Program
Click here to download our Graduate Studies flier
Our goal is to conduct state of the art research in the fields of
hydrology and water resources, groundwater, hydraulics and fluid
mechanics to address the water research needs of the state of Utah as
well as nationally and internationally. Research to create new
knowledge is an integral part of our academic education program. The
program recognizes the multidisciplinary nature of many water research
problems and seeks to foster and maintain collaborative links with
other units on campus and other universities and research organizations
in pursuing this research. Hydrology research areas include climate
analysis, hydrologic modeling, nonparametric statistical methods, dam
safety, risk
management, extreme flood hydrology, snow and snowmelt, and risk based
decision
analysis for water quantity and quality management. In the groundwater
area
research includes the interplay between surface groundwater
interactions,
environmental monitoring and modeling, fate and transport of
contaminants
in groundwater and groundwater remediation designs. The fluid mechanics and hydraulics research program
focuses on theoretical fluid mechanics and applied hydraulics, open
channel hydraulics, closed conduit flow, transient and unsteady flow
analysis, valve and pump engineering and testing, design and modeling
of hydraulic structures, two phase flow, cavitation, sedimentation,
flow resistance, flood plain management and control, and erosion
control and protection. The fluid mechanics and hydraulics laboratory occupies
a 50,000 ft2 section of the UWRL adjacent to the Logan River
and supports an experimental research program involving hydraulic model
studies, valve and flow meter testing, and erosion control testing and
research.
The Water Engineering Graduate Program within the Civil and
Environmental Engineering Department offers both Masters and PhD
degrees. The masters degree program includes a research oriented thesis
option and non-thesis professional foundation option. Financial
assistance in the form of graduate research assistantships are awarded
on a competitive basis. These enable students to
work with faculty on specific research projects. Prospective students
are
encouraged to contact faculty
members directly with questions regarding on-going research
projects and possibilities for research assistantships.