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ASCE Recently Featured an Article on Improving Flow From Irrigation Splitter Boxes

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Irrigation splitter boxes are used in piped gravity-flow systems to divert water from the main supply line to local users, but when flow is high and turbulent, the split isn't uniform. In the paper, the authors show how to implement a solution they designed and tested successfully; this paper is available in ASCE's Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering for free for a limited time, courtesy of ASCE Library.
Congratulations to 2017 USU Engineering Graduates

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Congratuations to all 2017 Engineering graduates! The UWRL is proud of our talented and diverse students and wish them all the best in their futures.
David Rosenberg Received an EWRI Award for Best Associate Editor

Utah Water Research Laboratory

David Rosenberg recently received the Best Associate Editor Award for the Journal of Water Resources Planning & Management. The award was presented at the 2017 EWRI Awards at the World Environmental & Water Resources Congress in Sacramento, CA, on May 22, 2017. The award is presented by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
David Tarboton Awarded a NSF Grant to Improve Hydrological Data Sharing

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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.
December 2017 Water bLog Newsletter now Available

Utah Water Research Laboratory

As water researchers, we challenge ourselves to see water-related issues from a fresh perspective in our quest to find new and better solutions. Often this means either taking a much closer look or backing off to view things in a broader frame of reference. In this issue, we look at projects on both ends of the spectrum, from the microscopic to the regional.
Herald Journal Article About iUTAH Team Symposium

Utah Water Research Laboratory

A team of researchers from USU and other Utah universities, government agencies, industry partners, and non-rofit organizations came together 5 years ago to establish iUTAH (Innovative Urban Transition and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability) as a way to strengthen science for Utah's water future. This 5-year interdisciplinary research and training program was funded by the National Science Foundation through July 2017. These researchers, including UWRL faculty members Jeff Horsburgh, Bethany Neilson, and David Rosenberg recently presented a symposium to present their progress and accomplishments over the course of this enormous undertaking.
Mac McKee Named Engineering Faculty Researcher of 2017

Utah Water Research Laboratory

UWRL Director, Mac McKee, was nominated as a Faculty Researcher of 2017 for the College of Engineering. McKee's research has taken him all over the world and has included work on flood control and planning in the Philippeans to water quality management in India. Currently Dr. McKee's research focuses on small unmanned aerial systems solve natural resource problems using remote sensing and data analysis.
Oroville Dam Scale Model at the UWRL Helps Test Repair Plans Before Construction

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Engineers at the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University have constructed a 1:50 scale model of the Orovill Dam spillway. The model initally featured the terrain conditions that were formed following the damaging flow events in February, and later tested the designs for the reconstruction plans. Lead engineers Dr. Michael Johnson and Dr. Zachary Sharp worked with a team of 15 engineers and technicians to construct the approximately 100-foot-long by 60-foot-wide model in just 40 days.
Randy Martin Joins Utah Air Quality Board

Utah Water Research Laboratory

UWRL researcher and professor, Randy Martin, has been named to a four year term to the Utah Air Quality Board. Martin was chosen by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to provide scientific insight and opinion on air quality and legislative policy.
Student, Mahyar Aboutalebi, Wins J. Paul Riley AWRA Paper Competition

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Mahyar Aboutalebi was selected as a winner and scholarship recipient in the J. Paul Riley AWRA Utah Section Student Paper Competition. The paper, Satellite-based Prediction of Internal Migratory Movement under the Lack of Sufficient water for the Entire U.S.” will go on to compete in the oral presentation contest during the 2017 Spring Runoff Conference.
USDA/ARS and Aggieair Research Featured in the December 2017 issue of USDA's AgResearch Magazine

Utah Water Research Laboratory

The December 2017 issue of AgResearch magazine (USDA) featured ongoing precision agriculture research that incorporates AggieAir’s advanced scientific remote sensing technology and analytical products developed at the UWRL into ARS computer models. This research is providing the tools and data that will help California’s vineyards better evaluate vine health and manage irrigation water more efficiently across differing soils and climate conditions.
UWRL Professor Provides Perspective to National Media on Threats to Oroville Dam Spillway

Utah Water Research Laboratory

The UWRL’s Dr. Blake Tullis is a leading authority on spillway design. When extreme weather and resulting excessive water flows threatened the integrity of California’s Oroville Dam’s spillways this week, national media reporters from CNN, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal reached out to him to gain a clearer explanation of the situation.
UWRL Researchers Develop Techniques to Identify Arsenic Contamination in Drinking Water

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Environmental engineer researchers at the UWRL have developed a new genetic tool in identifying the bacteria that releases contaminating arsenic in water supplies. Arsenic contaminates drinking water for millions of people worldwide and this microbial ecosystem research is the first step in understanding and reducing arsenic contamination in groundwater The team published their findings in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal on February 1.
UWRL Students Sweep AWWA 2017 Scholarships

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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. The scholarship is awarded to both graduate and undergraduate students, with USU taking them all this year.
UWRL Welcomes Four New Faculty Members

Utah Water Research Laboratory

In early 2017, the USU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Utah Water Research Laboratory announced that we were seeking “bright, creative and interdisciplinary researchers to lead and develop the next generation of resilient solutions to water problems, …creative and talented individuals that will become world leaders in water related research”—and we found them!
AggieAir Published in Nature Conservancy Utah

AggieAir

AggieAir was contracted by Nature Conservancy to Fly Yellow Creek, a tributary of the Bear River.

AggieAir provided them with 35 river miles of RGB and thermal imagery in order to develop an ecological integrity map for Northern Leatherside chub habitat. Doing so provides the Nature Conservancy with high quality data that enables them to delineate/see areas of substandard, average, and excellent quality habitats and how to better manage those habitats.
AggieAir Helps Find Fish When Yellow Creek Runs Dry

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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. AggieAir's autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), developed at the Utah Water Research Laboratory, are useful tools for researchers seeking to protect native fish species during times when the creek runs dry, such as during times of drought or late summer when irrigation use draws down the available water. Using remote sensing in the visual and infrared spectrums, Aggie Air helps researchers to locate pockets of water where the fish surviving are during the worst times so managers can protect and enhance these areas and keep these fish off the endangered species list.
Blake Tullis Receives Prestigous ASDSO Award

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Dr. Blake Tullis was recently selected to receive the 2016 ASDSO Terry L. Hampton Medal. This award was established in 2007 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to dam safety. Recipients must work the field of dam safety, hydrology, and hydraulics; conduct hydrologic or hydraulic research related to dams of significant impact to dam engineering; participate in organizations focused on dams, dam safety, dam engineering, etc.; and have made significant contributions to the practice of hydrologic and/or hydraulic engineering for dams.
Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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."
Delegation of Irrigation Representatives From Argentina Tour the UWRL

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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. The visitors were part of a tour arranged by the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program and the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy (UCCD) focusing on water resources and climate change. UWRL director, Mac McKee, led the group of four Argentinian dignitaries, two translators, and their USU host, associate professor Dr. Neil Allen on a tour of the facility.
Former Egyptian Minister of Water & Irrigation Visits UWRL

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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. Dr. Moghazy served as Egypt’s Minister for Water and Irrigation from 2014 to 2016 and is a professor of irrigation and drainage engineering at Alexandria University in Egypt.
Graduate Student, Caleb Buahin, Receives Multiple Awards

Utah Water Research Laboratory

UWRL graduate student Caleb Buahin has won a number of prestigious awards recently based on his outstanding academic performance and accomplishments.
Lake Isabella Dam USACE Team Returns to the UWRL

Utah Water Research Laboratory

On Wednesday, 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 modifications the Corps commissioned UWRL researchers to construct in the UWRL hydraulics laboratory so they could test their designs.
PhD Student, Ayman AlAfifi, Receives First Place in 2016 J. Paul Riley AWRA Utah Section Student Paper Competition

Utah Water Research Laboratory

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." This research investigates the use of systems models to better manage river and riparian areas. Ayman developed an optimization model that shows the implications of management decisions on the quality of a river’s ecological habitat. The model attempts to improve habitat quality for priority species by allocating water to the sites and at the seasons that will best serve the needs of the desired species while also meeting human demands. He also developed an interactive GIS web platform that allows managers to interact with the model results and visualize the spatial and temporal scales of ecological restoration needs. The model is uses the Lower Bear River as a case study to help ongoing conservation efforts to define and prioritize sites for restoration efforts in the Bear River watershed.
Randy Martin's Ozone Study Featured on KSL News

Utah Water Research Laboratory

Ground-level ozone is common pollutant in the air along the Wasatch Front in both summer and winter, and it can be damaging to both human health and plant ecosystems. One challenge to improving these pollution levels is the fact that ozone is not emitted but created through chemical ractions in the air. The EPA has set lower limits on allowable ozone levels, and the air along the Wasatch Front will likely exceed those limits many times in the months to come. UWRL faculty member Dr. Randy Martin is one of several researchers from three Utah universities and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality who are working together to collect data that could shed light on why these high levels occur by monitoring the movement of ozone concentrations, with a particular focus on the Great Salt Lake.