News

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.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory is pleased to announce that applications are open for two scholarships associated with the UWRL.

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.

Matilyn Mortensen has joined the Utah State University College of Engineering as a public relations specialist.

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.

In this guest visit, Mr. Shawcroft will share his background, describe Central Utah Project water use, and share his approach to his new commissioner position, his vision for the river, and how he would like to see the science and research community contr...

Anessa Pennington has joined Utah State University as a public relations specialist in the College of Engineering.

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.

A team of College of Engineering undergraduates turned idea into reality this semester by building a scale model of their award-winning dam design.

Dr. David Rosenberg was instrumental in creating a new program with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and their Journal of Water Resources Planning that recognizes and rewards authors who make research results more reproducible.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory is excited to welcome two new faculty members this year. Take a minute to get to know them better...

Engineers at USU are racing to develop a solution to ensure the safety of the largest hydroelectric project in Colombia. The Ituango Dam on the Cauca River is the tallest in Columbia. The dam’s plant is projected to generate 2.4 megawatts of power.

Water is life. Its supply and quality are critical to society. But water is also numbers — numbers that measure flow, volume and quality to support decisions about how water is managed.

Dr. Jeff Horsburgh recently issued a challenge to USU students called the Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply (CIWS) Data Visualization Challenge.

The Utah Center for Water Resources Research (UCWRR) at the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL) invites pre-proposals from faculty at Utah’s institutions of higher education.

USU AggieAir and USU Aviation Technology recently held their “Drones and Ag” presentation which featured a demonstration of AggieAir’s newest aircraft, GreatBlue.

Utah State University researchers will join the National Science Foundation’s Critical Zone Collaborative Network Coordinating Hub to improve collaboration among engineers and scientists studying the Earth’s Critical Zone.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Utah State University a five-year, $26 million grant, renewable to 10-year, $50.6 million, to develop an international research center dedicated to advancing sustainable, electrified transportation.

Utah State University graduate student Jade Snyder Echard will receive a $10,000 stipend from a national organization that encourages students to pursue Master of Science degrees in environmental engineering.

A memorial to Dr. Gordon Flammer, a renowned CEE and UWRL Hydraulics faculty member who recently passed away.

UWRL faculty member Ron Sims was recently highlighted by the USU Office of Research for his efforts in identifying coronavirus in wastewater.

Utah State University graduate student Motasem Abualqumboz is being recognized by an international organization for his research into Northern Utah’s air quality problems.

The AggieAir Service Center recently traveled down to Vernal, UT to assist in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funded project to estimate the colony size of white-tailed prairie dogs.

The UWRL likes to take a moment to highlight an outstanding student, faculty member, or alumni. This time our spotlight is on Ayman Nassar, a Ph.D. candidate studying Water Engineering at Utah State University.

You’ve accomplished something extraordinary. By persevering through years of challenging work and training, you have earned one of the most versatile and valuable college degrees.

Utah State University Professor Ron Sims was named fellow of the Institute of Biological Engineering, or IBE, on April 1.

A former Utah State University professor of civil engineering and former director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory has died after a month-long battle with COVID-19, his wife said.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory recently received several awards from the USGS Water Resources Research Institute for projects proposed by UWRL faculty.

The College of Engineering at Utah State University extends its congratulations to four newly-promoted faculty members.

The College of Engineering extends its heartfelt congratulations to the 12 undergraduate students recognized at the Engineers Week Awards Banquet.

Wetlands, floodplains and aquatic habitats are some of Utah’s most important ecosystems. They are home to many bird, plant and fish species, and they provide unique outdoor recreation opportunities.

A new textbook co-authored by UWRL faculty member R. Ryan Dupont examines emerging issues of pollution prevention for the production and management of safe drinking water.

Utah State University engineering students recently won three of four scholarships from the American Water Works Association, Intermountain Section. The winners are

USU students Kyler Olsen, Braiden Amata, Jack Tousley, Kathryn Margetts, and their Technical Advisor Dr. Brian Crookston recently won the ASDSO’s first student dam model competition.

College of Engineering alumnus Colter Hollingshead didn’t expect his thesis to turn too many heads. Civil engineers, after all, are known for publishing technical studies with unfamiliar terms and lots of math.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory recently had the opportunity to host AWRA Conference attendees on a laboratory tour.

According to a 2014 household survey, Utahns are expressing rapidly growing interest in protecting water resources for outdoor recreation and environmental benefits.

The people who work and study at the Utah Water Research Lab will remember outgoing director Mac McKee in many different ways.

Utah State University students grabbed another national victory at a wastewater design challenge last month in Chicago.

The UWRL recently welcomed a delegation of Kenyan dignitaries who were visiting USU to discuss development and use of the water that will become available with dam projects underway in Kenya. The USU...

This month's UWRL spotlight is on Hyrum Tennant, a graduate student studying Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University.

In the skies above Reno, Nevada, USU engineers fly drones above the high-rise hotels and casinos, hopping from rooftop to rooftop. The flights were part of a NASA-led study to develop a new unmanned aerial traffic management system.

UWRL researcher, USU professor, and Interim VP for Research Blake Tullis has been appointed to the Utah Drinking Water Board for a 4-year term.

The September issue of the AWRA Water Resources IMPACT Magazine includes an article that describes the collaborative nature of research at the Utah Water Research Laboratory

UWRL Associate Director Blake Tullis Appointed as New Interim Associate Vice President for Research at Utah State University.

Faculty at Utah State University are developing the latest educational tools to train the next generation of engineers in Egypt and the Middle East.

Wynn Walker, a USU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Emeritus and former associate dean for the College of Engineering, died Saturday, June 29.

Ayman Nassar, a graduate student at USU studying water resources, received one of this year’s Utah Water Users Association scholarships, which is awarded annually to two students who study in Utah and plan to pursue a water resources career.

After just over 16 years at the helm of the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University, Dr. Mac McKee will retire effective June 30, 2019.

Utah State University faculty Judy Sims received the Calvin K. Sudweeks Award on June 26 from the Utah Division of Water Quality.

Utah State University College of Engineering alumnus Saleh Taghvaeian will receive the Larry W. Turner Young Extension Professional Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

USU recently sponsored the UCOWR/NIWR Annual Water Resources Conference at Snowbird, Utah, June 11-13, 2019

This month the UWRL is highlighting faculty member Alfonso Torres-Rua, an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University.

One of the state’s largest research laboratories is getting a new director. David Tarboton, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Utah State University, will lead the Utah Water Research Laboratory beginning July 1.

UWRL graduate student Mahyar Aboutalebi received the Best Paper Award at the SPIE Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday that a group of students from USU have won 3rd place in their annual Campus RainWorks Challenge for their project "A New Heart".

UWRL alumni spotlight of Eva Nieminski, a UWRL alumni known for her water quality research and extended service to the state of Utah.

Three USU students, Mahyar Aboutalebi, Esther Davis, and Ahmed Gharib, were awarded money for their research and efforts in the Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply (CIWS) Data Visualization Challenge.

Scientists at Utah State University are studying cultivation practices to optimize the yield and quality of hemp for botanical medicines.

For our first Student Spotlight of 2019, we feature Mahyar Aboutalebi, a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at USU and the UWRL

Community, business and legislative leaders got a first-hand review of Utah's air quality challenges from one of the state's foremost experts on air quality research.

UWRL Faculty Member Dr. Randy Martin gave the first presentation for USU's Research Landscapes on Utah's air quality.

In six well-regarded hydrology and water resources journals published in 2017, the estimated percentage of studies whose results could be fully reproduced was only between 0.06 and 6.8 percent.

College of Engineering professor and air quality expert Randy Martin will be the first to present at Utah State University’s upcoming Research Landscapes speaker series on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

Utah State University’s premier unmanned aerial systems organization will take part in a highly anticipated NASA-led operation.

USU/UWRL graduate student Karl Christensen was recently awarded this year’s Graduate Science and Engineering Scholarship from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Intermountain Section. The scholarship...

USU Hydrologist is part of national team of experts working to improve water modeling tools.

The American Water Works Association Intermountain Section has selected USU/UWRL graduate student Ayman Nassar to receive this year's Eva Nieminski Honorary Graduate Science Engineering Scholarship. This scholarship...

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jeff Horsburgh is challenging Utah State University students to develop a visualization of high resolution water use data that provides visual feedback to both water providers and water consumers....

The Utah Water Research Laboratory is looking for enthusiastic and self-motivated applicants for a variety of Water Resources research projects.

Over 200 alumni and current water lab affiliates celebrated the Water Lab's 2018 Homecoming.

The USU student team, Engineers Without Borders, continues their water quality improvement project in rural Mexico.

Researchers in Northern Utah have demonstrated that the Logan River is highly dependent on karst aquifer discharge to maintain summer low flow when water demands are the highest.

Utah State University students created an award-winning design that helps one of Utah’s wastewater treatment facilities increase the use of renewable energy using food waste as a biofuel feedstock.

After two decades of collecting data, a team of researchers discovered new ways in which groundwater moves and controls the export of carbon from land to streams in the permafrost terrain of the Alaskan North Slope.

AggieAir teams up with USU Facilities to find energy loss on the USU Campus.

Utah State University's Brian Crookston received the Young Professional of the Year Award from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.

The Utah Water Research Lab is excited to welcome two new faculty members, Assistant Research Professor Zac Sharp and Assistant Professor Brian Crookston.

At the Utah Water Research Lab, engineers are conducting full-scale tests on a unique water-powered turbine that will provide new solutions to distributed energy needs.

The College of Engineering at USU is excited to welcome 11 new faculty members. The group of incoming engineers and engineering educators includes eight new assistant professors, a research assistant professor and two assistant professors of practice.

Veteran educator, engineer and hydrologist Dr. David Tarboton has been named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

A senior in USU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department is one of 18 people nationwide to receive a major scholarship from the American Society of Civil Engineers, known as ASCE.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the AggieAir program two of their largest COAs to date.

Utah State University was center stage at the Salt Palace Convention Center earlier this week during a major event for engineering education.

Mahyar Aboutalebi was recently selected as the Runner-up for Best Paper Award at the 'Autonomous Air and Ground Sensing Systems for Agricultural Optimization and Phenotyping III' Conference in Orlando, FL, April 2018

The Water bLog is the semi-annual newsletter of the Utah Center for Water Resources Research at the Utah Water Research Laboratory

The UWRL is pleased to welcome Utah State University professor and administrator Jagath Kaluarachchi as the new dean of the USU College of Engineering.

The UWRL recently received an Institutional Recognition Award from ASTM International for testing that led to improvements to ASTM's D6459 Test Method for Determination.

With an ever-growing human population and its inherent demand for water, there is a critical need to monitor water resources. New technology could make it more feasible than ever to measure changes in the water flow of rivers.

The American Water Works Association Intermountain Section has selected USU/UWRL graduate student Adel Abdallah to receive their 2018 Diversity Scholarship. This scholarship...

USDA AgResearch magazine recently featured ongoing precision agriculture research that incorporates AggieAir's advanced scientific remote sensing technology and...

The December 2017 issue of the Water bLog Newsletter is now available. This issue explores water related processes from microscopic nanoparticles to regional drought monitoring.

Dr. Michael Johnson is a leading expert in experimental hydraulics and chief engineer on the Oroville model study.

In drought-prone Central California, grape producers are looking for new ways to improve crop production with less water

Dr. Tarboton will lead a team of hydrologists to improve HydroShare, a system designed to allow scientists to collaboratively work on and share hydrological research and data, using a $4 million grant awarded from the National Science Foundation.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory is excited to welcome four new faculty members this year. Take a minute to get to know them better...

Production crews for Discovery Canada were at the Utah Water Research Lab on Wednesday producing an upcoming TV special about the Oroville Dam spillway model.

The iUTAH team presented a symposium as they finish up their 5-year NSF-funded mission. Read more and find a link to a related Herald Journal article.

UWRL Faculty member David Rosenberg recently received an award at the World Environmental & Water Resources Congress in Sacramento, CA.

Article on how to improve flow from irrigation splitter boxes recently featured and made available for free for a limited time in ASCE SmartBrief and ASCE Weekly.

USU's Utah Water Research Laboratory has built a 1:50 scale physical model of the failed Oroville Dam spillway to help designers test repair plans

Utah Water Research Lab team Constructs scale model of Oroville Dam spillway

Utah Governor Gary Herbert has appointed UWRL researcher, Randy Martin, to the UT Air Quality Board

USU's office of Research and Graduate Studies has named Mac McKee the Collge of Engineering's Faculty Researcher of the year.

Congratulations to all Utah State University Civil and Environmental engineering graduates.

USU Civil Engineering and UWRL Students win scholarships from American Water Works Association. The scholarships support students studying water quality, supply, and treatment in the West.

Mahyar Aboutalebi was selected as a winner and scholarship recipient in the J. Paul Riley AWRA Utah Section Student Paper Competition.

The Spring Runoff Conference, hosted by the USU Water Initiative, is held annually on the Campus of Utah State University

The new 'BluJay' line of all-electric aircraft represents the latest in UAV technology

The AggieAir research team unveiled the new BluJay line of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) during the GRAPEX conference

Dr. Blake Tullis is a leading authority on spillway design and was contacted by national media to gain a clearer explanation of the situation

Environmental engineers are making it easier to study arsenic contamination

Environmental engineer researchers at the UWRL have developed a new genetic tool in identifying the bacteria that releases contaminating arsenic in water supplies.

Dr. Beth Neilson and her team were featured in the College of Engineering’s 2016 annual magazine Creating Tomorrow about their research in Alaska.

Dr. Blake Tullis was recently selected to receive the 2016 ASDSO Terry L. Hampton Medal.

A recent KSL News story highlighted a research project ongoing at Yellow Creek along the Utah/Wyoming border that includes state agencies from both states, along with federal agencies and the Nature Conservancy.

Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers design and construction team for the Lake Isabella Dam Restoration Project visited the UWRL for another look at the large 1:45 scale model of the planned labyrinth weir spillway.

UWRL graduate student Caleb Buahin has won a number of prestigious awards recently based on his outstanding academic performance and accomplishments.

UWRL Director, Mac McKee, hosted Dr. Hossam El-Din M. Moghazy on a tour of the Utah Water Research Laboratory facilities on Thursday, July 14, 2016

Mac McKee, UWRL Director, was recently named a Friend of UCOWR at the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) Annual Conference awards ceremony held this year in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

Dr. Martin was recently featured in a KSL news story that explains more about this important research.

A delegation from Argentina that included representatives working in irrigation and water resources policy and management in the Mendoza province visited the Utah Water Research Laboratory on May 31, 2016.

CEE and UWRL PhD student Ayman AlAfifi won first place in the recent American Water Resources Association Utah Chapter student paper competition for this presentation titled: "Systems Modeling to Improve River and Riparian Habitat Quality."

A team of USU civil engineering students emerged as the winners at the annual Water and Environment Federation of Utah (WEAU) Student Design Competition on Friday, April 29th in St. George, Utah.

UWRL faculty members, Blake Tullis, Beth Neilson, and Ryan Dupont, are recognized for their teaching and mentoring at the 2016 College of Engineering Faculty Awards

R. Ryan Dupont and several other UWRL and USU faculty members will study the feasibility of harvesting stormwater to recharge underground aquifers as part an EPA grant that totaled $3.3 million and is split between five proposals nationwide.

Dr. David Tarboton, Robins Awards Researcher of the Year for 2015, will be giving a presentation titled "HydroShare: Advancing collaborative and data intensive hydrologic research"

USU's College of Engineering press release reveals more detailed information about Dr. Jeff Horsburgh's NSF CAREER Award research titled: 'Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply.'