News

Belize Lane, an associate professor at the Utah Water Research Laboratory, is leading a research effort to leverage ongoing Great Salt Lake water conservation efforts to also support river and wetland ecosystem health throughout the Great Salt Lake basin....

Professor Brian Crookston at the Utah Water Research Laboratory is developing a toolbox with Professor Rollin Hotchkiss at Brigham Young University to help those involved in public safety to analyze the risk of reverse rollers at low-head dams.

Professor Jeff Horsburgh was named the first recipient of the new Stanley L. Ponce Faculty Fellowship, an award created by a UWRL alumnus. The award goes to a faculty member whose work advances interdisciplinary water resources research with a direct impa...

The Great Salt Lake Strike Team released its 2026 Data and Insights Summary, a comprehensive, science-based resource for Utah policymakers that synthesizes the latest data, research and policy-relevant analysis on Great Salt Lake conditions, recovery effo...

The connection between policy and science is not always clear. As a graduate student more than two decades ago, she set out to design modeling tools for a policy-driven need but quickly realized that the real challenge was bridging the gap between the pol...

At a moment when artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every industry, one Utah State University doctoral candidate has provided his expertise to help advance national AI strategy.

The UWRL hosted a half-day event focused on strengthening collaboration and advancing understanding of PFAS issues across Utah.

Researchers at Utah State University just completed a joint study with the Utah Division of Water Rights to better understand surface water movement and measurement near Great Salt Lake.

A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions

A researcher at the Utah Water Research Laboratory has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award to research sustainable alternatives to toxic plastic additives and minimize plastic pollution.

Frontiers Press recently featured the team's discovery of multidrug-resistant bacteria in treated wastewater and the promising inhibitory effects of natural compounds like curcumin and emodin.

Utah Water Research Laboratory graduate student Junjie Tang was awarded this year’s Eva Nieminski Graduate Scholarship from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Intermountain Section.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University has appointed Bethany Neilson as the new director. A proud USU alumna, Neilson brings more than two decades of experience in water research, environmental system analysis and mentoring the next g...

When it comes to counting tart cherries and estimating yield, USU researchers are adopting YOLO: You Only Look Once.

A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Belize Lane at USU’s Utah Water Research Laboratory has developed and tested an innovative algorithm to untangle the effects of watershed disturbances.

After nearly six years of dedicated service as director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory, (UWRL) David Tarboton has announced his decision to step down from this administrative role. His exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the UWRL ar...

The Utah Water Research Laboratory is celebrating its 60th Anniversary, having opened in 1965.

Tucked around a bend in the Logan River below first dam, the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL) at Utah State University is turning 60 years old!

They're called "forever chemicals"—found in grease-resistant packaging like fast food wrappers and used in construction, cosmetics, and clothing, as well as many other products.

The Colorado River supplies water for forty million people in the West. The basin stretches from Wyoming and Colorado all the way to the Gulf of California in Mexico, winding through several...

J. Clair Batty, a Trustee Professor in the College of Engineering at Utah State University, passed away on Feb.

Utah State University and the Northern Utah Water Users have announced the 2025 Northern Utah Water Users/Spring Runoff Conference, set to take place on March 25-26.

A team of researchers from Utah State University, the University of Utah and the U.S. Geological Survey is looking at the journey of groundwater — from rain or snow to well and all the rock in between.

A new art installation at The Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake City blends fine art photography and the hydrology of the Great Salt Lake.

Each year, thousands of visitors flock to Bear Lake to take advantage of its blue waters and sandy beaches, but those thousands of visitors are also disrupting one key thing that makes the lake so pristine: its ecosystem.

Neilson showed how the observatory’s measurement efforts have clarified how water moves through a hydrologic system. She also shared numerous examples of how findings from the observatory were used to inform local leaders and to shape how decisions were m...

A new USU study has shed light on how mountain streams in the Upper Colorado Basin respond to the compounded disturbances of wildfire, extreme precipitation and debris flows.

UWRL graduate student Homa Salehabadi developed a structured framework for assessing streamflow data to inform management options in the Colorado River Basin.

University students are investigating whether algal blooms in Utah Lake could be airborne in a study that started Monday.

Utah State University researchers just released the results of a study that improves understanding of how water moves through the Great Salt Lake basin and helps identify where investments in stream and diversion flow gaging instruments are needed to bett...

Researchers with Utah State University are taking a closer look at the state’s summer air pollution problems with the help of a drone.

"Sometimes the crazy ideas lead to watershed improvements." That was a key takeaway from new research conducted by Utah State University, published in the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.

After 42 years of service at USU, Sims is being honored as a public health hero.

In 2022, UWRL graduate student Megan DiNicola and USU Professor Belize Lane began mapping 3D-printed replicas of freshwater mussels to study their preferred physical habitat conditions.

Utah State University Professor and air quality expert Randy Martin was named Person of the Year at the Utah Clean Air Partnership Summit this past month, recognizing his work and achievements dedicated to improving Utah’s air quality.

At the Utah Water Research Laboratory, Joanna Hou is exploring the joint effect of microplastics with another complex harmful substance: antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

A drying lake and increase of drought have led to a research proposal by Utah State University Assistant Professor Sierra Young who is using hyperspectral imaging to study the effects of dust deposition on vegetation.

Researchers from Utah State University and the Utah Water Research Laboratory recently published a new study that aims to help communities more accurately predict streamflow patterns in karst mountain watersheds.

Four water experts came together at Utah State University’s Research Summit on water to discuss the importance of collaboration, on every level, as everyone looks to the state’s future.

Scientists have typically assumed that forest disturbances reduce evaporation and transpiration and increase the amount of water available to streams.

Dr. Horsburgh is a key professor and researcher at the UWRL, and his promotion reflects his hard work and commitment to the field.

Utah State University and the Utah Water Research Laboratory mourn the loss of emeritus professor Trevor Hughes.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory honored World Water Day 2024 by celebrating interdisciplinary collaboration to highlight the importance of sustainably managing water resources.

Utah State University has published a third extensive study of commonly used waterpipe materials titled, “Water Main Break Rates in the USA and Canada: A Comprehensive Study.”

The Great Salt Lake Strike Team released a new report, “Great Salt Lake Data and Insights Summary,” to help decision-makers during the 2024 General Legislative Session.

Historic drought and a chronic overuse of resources is depleting the flow of the Colorado River. Utah, along with six other states, depend on water from the river for drinking and daily use.

How do you maximize the length of a line that fits inside a confined space? One option is to fold the line into a zigzag. Another is to curve the line. How about a combination of both?

All members of the Utah State University community are invited to a free open house at The Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 4th.

USU Extension’s Water Check Program recently teamed up with researchers from the Utah Water Research Laboratory to investigate how to help make the program more effective.

Connecting the Dots between Snowpack and Streamflow in Mountainous Watersheds

The Logan River Observatory has been monitoring the Logan River watershed since 2013, with the goal of using data to forecast how changes in the amount of precipitation will impact future water availability.

Utah State University Engineering Professor David Rosenberg was recently awarded the Planning & Management Council Service to the Profession Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The raging Logan River this spring was both a novelty and a potential hazard, but it was also an opportunity.

Renowned physicist, engineer and entrepreneur Eli Yablonovitch will visit Utah State University on April 25 for two lectures about his work in the electrical and computer engineering field.

The D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award is the premiere research recognition at Utah State University and is awarded each year to a senior faculty member who has produced a significant portion of their research at USU.

USU Associate Research Professor Randy Martin, along with students from his air quality lab, are currently studying halogen concentrations around the Great Salt Lake.

It’s been long known that the air quality of Cache Valley is among the worst in the nation, but what exactly makes it so bad? The answer: ammonium nitrate.

USU Associate Researcher Randy Martin and his team of undergraduate research assistants are revisiting a study of ammonia levels in Cache Valley.

UWRL Director David Tarboton and Professor Bethany Neilson helped complete the analysis, which includes a data repository, research, and policy options that will help return the lake to healthy levels

Unhealthy air is still affecting Utah and its residents, and the recent snow storms and other factors are not helping much. According to Randy Martin, a Utah State University professor, there are several reasons why.

In this video, USU experts Bethany Neilson and Sarah Null discuss how water shepherding could work to translate conservation efforts into real benefits for Utah’s landscape.

Have you ever wondered what happens to rivers after wildfires? Intense flames can change the course of a river, erode its banks, disrupt biological processes and much more.

New research from the Utah Water Research Laboratory has found that nanotechnology can reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and may soon provide significant economic benefits.

Utah State University researchers are working to provide huge swaths of data about water supply and demand that are missing in the conversation about water conservation. Featured in Utah State Magazine

Researchers at Utah State University are creating a new hydrologic information system that will generate important new insight about the nation’s water resources.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Colin Phillips is making waves — through river channels — with his aim to build models to determine how rivers will respond to climate change, all thanks to the nearly $300,000 grant he received thro...

When Madeline Tennant decided to study environmental engineering at Utah State University, she wasn’t planning on a career in wastewater management. Having spent most of her life in Logan, she picked her major because she wanted to improve Cache Valley’s ...

Utah Water Research Laboratory, College of Engineering Modeled, Tested Fix to Rebalance Saline Levels Amid Drought

The UWRL welcomes three new faculty members, Liyuan (Joanna) Hou, Pin Shuai, and Yiming Su.

Thanks to the generous support of donors, two new endowed professorships have been created in the Utah State University College of Engineering.

As drought conditions persist in the Colorado River Basin, managers, researchers and the public are all left wondering: Just how bad can the drought get?

Engineering professor and director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory, David Tarboton, received the 2020 David R. Maidment Award from the American Water Resources Association at a conference held earlier this month.

The UWRL is honored to have worked with such a talented group of students at all levels. Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Utah State University is partnering with The University of Alabama and a consortium of universities and other partners to translate water research into operations that improve the nation’s ability to effectively manage water resources and provide warning ...

Utah State University Civil and Environmental Engineering alumna Zhida Song-James (’91) has created an endowed scholarship in honor of her late husband, L. Douglas James, a former Utah Water Research Lab director.

Upper Colorado River Commission Executive Director Chuck Cullom will be a guest speaker at Utah State University on Tuesday, March 15.

The "Life of a Latinx Leader" series features Dr. Alfonso Torres-Rua, an associate professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering.

The University Council on Water Resources awarded Utah Water Research Laboratory assistant professor Belize Lane the 2022 Early Career Award for Applied Water Research.

Sierra Young is joining the College of Engineering as an assistant professor in the Utah Water Research Lab and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.

Randy Martin, an associate research professor of environmental engineering, is one of many Utah State University faculty members who contributed to the recently completed 2021 Report to the Governor on Utah’s Land, Water, and Air.

As all of Utah continues to face significant drought conditions, residents are repeatedly asked to conserve water. But general conservation messaging that lacks suggested actions can leave individuals unsure of what steps would be the most impactful for t...

Utah State University researchers are working to make almond production more sustainable by gathering information with drones to improve water management for almond groves and increase almond yield.

A new grant will allow researchers to determine how water markets can be used to make water management systems more resilient. The interdisciplinary team include (left to right) Matt Yost, Niel Allen, Sarah Null, David Rosenberg, and Alfonso Torres-Rua.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers at Utah State University and Michigan State University have been awarded $1.97 million over 4 years from the United States Department of Agriculture to study more efficient ways of managing tart cherry sales.

A former Utah State University College of Engineering professor, Roland Jeppson, died on Sept. 29 at age 88. He will be deeply missed by the Aggie community.

USU Part of New Institute to Understand Climate Change, Other Disasters. A team from Utah State University is creating tools to better understand the global impact of climate change and other disasters.

CEE and the UWRL at Utah State University invite applications for a tenure-eligible faculty position in Groundwater Engineering.

Two Utah State University College of Engineering graduate students recently presented their research at the Association of State Dam Safety Officials Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Crews are putting the final touches on a new 3,000-square-foot facility that will cement Utah State University’s role as a leader in the bioproducts revolution.

Meet Karem Belen Meza Capcha, a first-year PhD student in the college's irrigation engineering program. Meza also is pursuing a graduate specialization/minor in climate adaptation science, or CAS, sponsored by a National Science Foundation fellowship.

The UWRL hydraulics Laboratory is proud to have received ISO/IEC 17025 Certification, a distinction of excellence and quality in the laboratory testing industry.

UWRL and CEE faculty member Belize Lane and Ph.D. student Haley Canham are monitoring post-wildfire hydrologic response in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar to track changes in streamflow and sediment dynamics as part of Dr. Lane’s NSF RAPID Grant.

A memorial to Dr. J. Paul Riley, a renowned CEE and UWRL faculty member who recently passed away.

Electrical engineering junior Kevin Plaizier won $25,000 after placing first in an international drone design contest.

Professors do it. Grad students never stop talking about it. But for many undergraduate students, research is still an enigma.

The College of Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Marv Halling will be Civil and Environmental Engineering’s new department head, effective July 1.

Two Utah State University engineering students received $1,000 scholarships from the Intermountain Section of the American Water Works Association.

Ben Damstedt says that depth has never been his strength. In college he wanted to explore many different subjects.

In a rare exchange, scientists and water resources engineers from Iran and Utah are collaborating on a bold scientific study to restore one of the world’s largest saline lakes.

For those who live in snowy mountainous regions like the Wasatch Front, much of the water used for irrigation and drinking comes from snow that accumulates in the mountains.

The College of Engineering extends its congratulations to CEE professor Ryan Dupont for receiving the 2021 Cazier Professor Lifetime Achievement award. Dupont was presented the award at USU’s first annual faculty awards ceremony Mar. 30.

Faculty, students, and other water enthusiasts enjoyed a conversation with Gene Shawcroft, Utah’s newly appointed representative to the Upper Colorado River Commission.

AggieAir recently partnered up with the Belmont Hydrology and Fine Sediment Lab at USU to investigate wildfire water sedimentation in Utah and its effect on Utah's water reservoir storage.

Former director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory Mac McKee has been announced as a recipient of the 2021 Warren A. Hall Medal for his exceptional accomplishments in water resources.

Faculty, staff and students at the College of Engineering extend a heartfelt thanks and farewell to Professor William Doucette who retired in January after nearly 35 years of service to Utah State University.

Dr. Horsburgh announces the winners of the 2020 Cyberinfrastructure Intelligent Water Supply Data Visualization Challenge.