DRI is advancing water management in the Colorado River basin with support from the National Science Foundation’s Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Partnering with Hydrosat, DRI uses high-resolution satellite thermal imaging to enhance evaporation estimates from key reservoirs, ensuring better resource planning amidst drought and population growth.
Western Agricultural Communities Need Water Conservation Strategies to Adapt to Future Shortages
Relying on water storage won’t be enough to make up for declines in future water availability under a changing climate, new study shows. Beatrice Gordon, lead author of the study and sociohydrologist and postdoctoral researcher at DRI, says the research is needed to inform water management at the local level, where most decisions are made.
Every Drop Counts: New Algorithm Tracks Texas’s Daily Reservoir Evaporation Rates
A recent collaboration between DRI and Texas A&M University researchers provides state of the art, real-time evaporation estimates for improved management of water supply reservoirs throughout Texas.
Climate Engine Launches New Website to Facilitate Drought and Vegetation Monitoring
Climate Engine is partnering with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to guide drought planning on BLM-managed lands with support from NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).
New Study Reveals Impacts of Irrigation and Climate Change on Western Watersheds
DRI’s Justin Huntington coauthored the new study, led by researchers at the University of Montana and the Montana Climate Office, which published mid-December in the Nature Journal, Communications Earth and Environment.