Mines researchers awarded NSF Water Sustainability and Climate grant to study urban eco-hydrology and water sustainability
GOLDEN, Colo., Sept. 27, 2012 – Researchers at Colorado School of Mines have been awarded part of a four-year $1.5 million NSF Water Sustainability and Climate program grant to investigate urban ecosystems and water management in the city of Los Angeles.
The project at Mines is headed by Associate Professor Terri Hogue, from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and is a collaboration with Diane Pataki, the study’s principal investigator from the University of Utah, and Stephanie Pincetl from the University of California, Los Angeles.
The goal of this new NSF project will be to understand the coupled eco-hydrologic and decision making processes that determine the availability of local water resources in southern California. Ultimately, results will help western cities optimize local ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of urban water supplies.
Like many cities in the western U.S., Los Angeles relies on extensive, centralized redistribution projects for its water supply. Water is transported hundreds of kilometers to support agricultural and urban activities in southern California; however, allocations from remote sources have been declining due to drought, over-extractions, and competing water needs.
Increasingly, local governments and water districts are committing to increased reliance on local water sources within the southern California region including local groundwater, rainwater capture, conservation measures, and recycled water sources. Resources in Los Angeles are managed by a complex set of agencies and water districts with different structures, histories, and priorities, but which often access similar water resources.
This is the second NSF WSC grant awarded to Mines. Learn about Reed Maxwell's $3 million grant to research the impact of the pine beetle devastation on water resources in the west.
For more information about the $27 million in grants through the Water Sustainability and Climate program, see the NSF website.
Contact:
Karen Gilbert, Director of Public Relations / 303-273-3541 / KGilbert@mines.edu
David Tauchen, Public Relations Specialist / 303-273-3088 / DTauchen@mines.edu