News
NPR: You might beat back phragmites, the scourge of wetlands, but then what?
Ecologists in Utah are trying to figure out how to get native plants growing there quickly, to prevent phragmites from taking hold once again. "It's a pretty new endeavor in many wetland systems and the methods are not tried and true," says Karin Kettenri...
QCNR Partnership Opens Collaboration With Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Landlocked Utah may seem like an unexpected destination for studying marine science, but a new partnership signed last week between USU and the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium means that both marine life, and the people who study it, get to call the state...
Department of Watershed Sciences now offering Marine Science minor
Through coursework and immersive experiences, the marine science minor introduces students to marine ecosystems, marine biota, the chemical and physical properties of the ocean and the seafloor, and the conservation and management of marine resources.
Featured Career Opportunity: Janet Quinney Lawson Endowed Chair in Colorado River Studies
We welcome applications from scientists, scholars or policy-makers with a Ph.D. in any relevant biological, physical, or social science or engineering field, or with a J.D. degree, who possess a strong record of funded research or policy experience releva...
USU Internship Supports U.S. Forest Service in Monitoring Thousands of Rivers in the West
Students from the Quinney College of Natural Resources worked alongside professionals this summer in paid internships to build skills and experience in their chosen field. Some of these, including undergraduates Michael MacDonald and Eyston Kunz, perfo
Researchers look to expand restoration efforts within Green River tributaries
Utah researchers are working to restore Green River tributaries with a host of strategies including reintroducing beavers and removing invasive plants. There have been significant changes to ecosystems in recent years, in large part due to human activitie...
Research tracks restoration success for native fish in Bear Lake
How can restoration efforts around Bear Lake in Utah and Idaho support native species? That is what Tyler Coleman, a QCNR master’s student in Ecological Restoration, sought to answer as one of the Bear Lake Grant Recipients awarded in 2023.
Holding Water: Redefining Reservoir Rules to Make Room for Environmental Stability
Water storage is vitally important in the arid West. Reservoirs hold water for irrigation, drinking, hydroelectricity and recreation. But nature needs access to water too, so operational instructions for dams require some of the incoming water to be sent ...
New Leadership Brings Fresh Perspectives to the Quinney College of Natural Resources
The S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources is introducing new leadership this fall. Christopher Keyes joins the college as department head of wildland resources, Edd Hammill is interim department head of watershed sciences, and Juan Villa...
Wildfire smoke threatens lakes, too. How will it impact Lake Tahoe's future?
Lake Tahoe, California - On a clear day at Lake Tahoe's beaches, visitors to the cobalt waters of North America's largest alpine lake don't see signs of smoke from wildfires raging across much of California in what is shaping up to be one of the worst fir...
The Great Salt Lake isn't just drying out. It's warming the planet.
The Great Salt Lake released 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in 2020, researchers found -- more evidence that dried-out lakes are a significant source of emissions.
Blowing Smoke: New Metric Quantifies Wildfire Smoke Threat to Lakes
Lakes and rivers in North America are subject to various types of pollution, from toxic metal runoff to microplastics. But in the age of human-caused climate change, a certain type of contaminant is now raising concern among scientists who study natural b...
Utah to convene meeting about how to handle Great Salt Lake toxic dust
SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake Commissioner's Office will gather scientists and state officials this week to discuss the problem of potentially toxic dust that blows off an exposed lake bed and into communities.
Testing the Waters: QCNR Valedictorian Austin Garner on Landing Academic Success
Standing knee-deep in the glinting current of the Weber River with fly rod in hand, this year’s valedictorian from the Quinney College of Natural Resources felt a sudden tug on the line. Austin Garner wrestled a good-sized fish into his net and took what ...
Second Nature: Quinney College Student Jenna Mills on Finding Intersection of Natural Science, Art
You can typically find Jenna Mills scribbling away in a notebook, filling nearly every inch of page with schematics, depiction of stream flow, geological cross section, and doodles of critters and scenery. Understanding of the earth’s processes pushes her...
Running Cold: New Research Shows Ice Endures at Yellowstone Lake Despite Warming Trends
In a warming world, new research has found something unexpected at iconic Yellowstone Lake, North America’s largest high-elevation lake. The time the lake is covered by ice each winter is holding steady — the same as it has been for the last century —
Academic Avatar: USU Professor Levels Up USU Course With Homework Gamification
Whether you’re solving sudoku, crushing candy or flinging furious fowl, interactive games have become a default part of many people’s lives. Where some see a chance to zone out, Department of Watershed Sciences faculty Janice Brahney sees an opportunity t...
Polluted dust linked to troubling changes in mountain lakes, Utah researchers find
Modern dust contains fertilizers, pesticides and tiny plastics, said Janice Brahney, an associate professor with Utah State University’s Department of Watershed Sciences.
New Research Finds That Dust in Atmosphere is Feeding Algae in Mountain Lakes
The world’s freshwater systems are in a sort of a climate-change cocktail — rising temperatures, fluctuating levels of environmental acidity and shifting concentrations of dissolved nutrients that settle into the lakes, ponds and wetlands of the world are...
Campus Climate: New Publication Proposes Framework for Higher-Ed Greenhouse Gas Accountability
Why, exactly, aren’t universities better at moving the needle on climate change, even on their own campuses? Carrying a mandate to serve the public good and designed for innovation, one would think that institutions of higher education would be leaders in...
Speed Baiting: New Report Offers Strategy for Increasingly Crowded Utah Fishing
There may, as they say, be plenty of fish in the sea — but angling opportunities on Utah’s streams, rivers and lakes are getting more crowded. The number of anglers trying their luck on Utah waters has consistently increased over the years, meanwhile i
Why NASA Is Watching Where Idaho’s Parachuting Beavers Landed
IF YOU WERE WANDERING THE wilds of the Wasatch National Forest in Utah in September 2023, you might have encountered a strange sight: a line of slowly marching horses, with beavers saddled on their backs. Unfortunately, the rodents were not wearing tiny c...
Going for Broke: New Symposium to Explore the Future of Economics and Sustainability
A new event on the USU campus, Dialogues on Economic Growth and Sustainability, is set to explore these issues and other tensions at the interface of economic growth and sustainability. The symposium, organized through a partnership between the Department...
New Research Documents Bottom Trawling as Major Source of Carbon Added to Atmosphere
A major study led by Trisha Atwood fhas found that bottom trawling — dragging heavy fishing nets across the ocean floor — can trigger significant atmospheric carbon pollution. The new research shows that bottom trawling is responsible for releasing up to ...
Strike Team: No Single Solution Will Cure Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake Strike Team, which brings together the technical expertise of Utah state government agencies and research universities, shared data and insights to help decision-makers during the 2024 General Legislative Session on We...
Apply Now to be a Quinney Scholar!
For many years, Joe and Jessie Quinney demonstrated their support for the natural environment through their actions and resources. In their memory, the members of the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation have provided a grant to ensure the Quinney's life...
Herds of Mysterious ‘Glacier Mice’ Baffle Scientists
These moss balls move in unison, and researchers are okay with not knowing why. IN 1950, ICELANDIC RESEARCHER JÓN Eyþórsson came across a gathering of fuzzy green puff balls, the size of small gerbils, scattered across Hrútárjökull Glacier in the southeas...
Research Ready: Cristina Chirvasa Builds Experience With USU Undergraduate Research Program
When Cristina Chirvasa found herself roving the halls of the U.S. Capitol this fall, striking up conversations with congressional staffers with research portfolio in hand, she didn’t consider the experience intimidating — just good practice. After all, Ch...
Bear Lake Research Project Grant Recipients Announced
Recipients include Department of Watershed Sciences and Trout Unlimited researchers exploring how reconnecting fragmented spawning tributaries to Bear Lake will impact habitat availability of adfluvial Bonneville Cutthroat trout.
Putting Water Year 2023 in Context: Caution, Conservation Still Best for the West
September marked the end of Water Year 2023, and it was certainly one for the books. Snowpack, runoff and increases in reservoir storage all were all unusually large. Current estimates for the year’s total runoff in the Colorado River Basin and increases ...
Ecological Evolution: Transition Pending for Leadership at USU Ecology Center
Through hands-on and administrative programs, the Ecology Center helps researchers and students bridge academic boundaries, facilitating collaboration among ecologists and ecology-related faculty across departments and colleges. Now leadership at the Ecol...
Raining Cats and Dogs: Research Finds Global Precipitation Patterns a Driver for Animal Diversity
Since the HMS Beagle arrived in the Galapagos with Charles Darwin to meet a fateful family of finches, ecologists have struggled to understand a particularly perplexing question: Why is there a ridiculous abundance of species some places on earth and a sc...
2023 Report to the Governor, Legislature on Utah's Land, Water & Air Released
The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air released the 2023 Report to the Governor and Legislature on Utah’s Land, Water and Air at an event in downtown Salt Lake City on Thursday morning.
Seeking Assistant Professor of Watershed Science
The Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in any physical or ecological disciplines contributing to Watershed Science.
Welcoming New Faculty in Fall 2023
From watching wildfire to keeping tabs the deep blue sea, QCNR is gaining broad expertise with the addition of four new faculty members this fall semester. Learn a little more about their experience and focus and get ready to welcome them to the team!
LA Times: California farmers urge ‘one-dam solution’ on Colorado
In a study published in June, researchers led by professor Jack Schmidt of Utah State University said one option would be to drill tunnels around Glen Canyon Dam and equip them with emergency valves, which could be closed “in the unlikely event that large...
Crisis on the Colorado: New Analysis Charts Hard Choices for a Drying River
It’s time for a serious reckoning with the way we use water from the Colorado River, and the way forward will be tough, according to a new publication by Jack Schmidt, chair of the Center for Colorado River Studies in the Quinney College of Natural Resour...
USU Students Head Down Under to make a Splash at the Great Barrier Reef
Led by faculty Trisha Atwood and Edd Hammill, students took part in a 13-day immersive Introduction to Coral Reefs study abroad course on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Dams at Fault for Fish Disappearing from Mekong River, Research Shows
New research from Sarah Null and Ratha Sor reveals an alarming decline in the number of fish species in the critical Mekong River system, a change connected to dam development on the world’s most productive river system.
What is ‘watermelon snow’? The phenomenon turning Utah’s mountains pink and red
Algae on snow that hasten melting and reduce the reflectivity of the sun are becoming more common in Western mountains. Scott Hotaling and a team of researchers are taking a closer look at how much more quickly we are losing snowpack as a result.
Could Restoring Animal Populations Store More Carbon?
Did you know that land and ocean ecosystems absorb about half of the carbon dioxide we emit each year? But what if the earth had the capacity to absorb even more? With the help of some furry, scaly, and leathery critters, maybe it can.
LA Times: Breakthrough Colorado River deal reached
The plan represents a 14% reduction in consumptive water use in the three Lower Basin states, said Jack Schmidt, a professor and director of Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River Studies.
2022 USGS, Utah Cooperative Unit Annual Report
The 2022 Annual Report for the U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit.
Reeling it In: Graduate Tyler Coleman on Making an Education Matter
QCNR graduate Tyler Coleman learned early on not to focus just on academics. Looking for experiences in the field, volunteering and getting out to shake people's hands were priority experiences for him.
Water for Wildlife: Dire consequences of a shrinking Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake Collaborative has created an interactive website to help Utahns understand the critical role Great Salt Lake and its wetlands play in the ecosystem that is crucial to 10 million birds.
Paige Sargeant Nominated for Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Paige Sargeant, a major in Management and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems, describes her Goldwater Scholarship application experience.
Center for Colorado River Studies Cited in U.S. President's Report on Economy
When President Joe Biden considers the economic trajectory of the country, he weighs factors like the global pandemic, international trade agreements ... and expertise from Jack Schmidt and a team of researchers from Center for Colorado River Studies. Wor...
Toxic Dust: A Growing Problem
As water from Great Salt Lake disappears, it leaves behind a crust vulnerable to erosion by wind, and the particles once trapped underneath can be lofted into the atmosphere. Blakowski aims to understand the consequences when heavy metals and pollutants b...
Thinning forests won’t help restore the Great Salt Lake, scientists say, and could even make things worse
A recent report from QCNR Alum Sara Goeking concludes that thinning Utah’s forests “is not guaranteed” to increase the water flowing to the Great Salt Lake, and has the potential to decrease it instead.
Snow Algae: USU Assistant Professor Investigating How Algal Blooms Impact Mountain Snowpack
Intensely brilliant and starkly white, freshly fallen snow is the most reflective natural surface on earth — normally. A clean snowpack reflects back most of the sun’s energy and allows snowpack to persist longer into spring and summer seasons. But snowpa...
Water Shepherding: USU Experts Discuss How to Ensure Conserved Water Gets to the Great Salt Lake
As communities in Utah work to conserve water, the surplus water they set aside may not actually make its way downstream into the banks of the struggling Great Salt Lake.
American Nile: USU's Jack Schmidt an Expert on the Colorado River
Utah State University Professor Jack Schmidt has devoted nearly 40 years to research of river systems, centered on the Colorado River, its tributaries, and the Grand Canyon. During his academic career — as well as time spent as chief of the U.S. Geologica...
How Does a Drying Great Salt Lake Affect Carbon Cycling?
As water levels at the lake continue to decline, the complex natural systems the lake supports are shifting, too. Ecohydrologist Erin Rivers from the Quinney College of Natural Resources is investigating how shifting water levels at the Great Salt Lake ar...
QCNR Undergrad Christian Stewart Presents Research on Capitol Hill
Christian Stewart, a Watershed Sciences major and undergraduate researcher was among 26 Aggies selected to present research posters to state legislators and visitors to Utah’s Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City on Friday, January 20.
USU Spring Runoff Conference Registration and Call for Abstracts
The conference takes place March 14 and 15. This year's theme is Utah’s Watershed Moment: Innovation in a Time of Accelerating Change.
Scott Hotaling's Ice Worm Research Featured on NPR
Inside the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious creature---black, thread-like worms that wiggle through snow. These ice worms are studied by QCNR's Scott Hotaling (even though some researchers once thought they were fictional)....
Utah With No Great Salt Lake? Report Warns of Lake's Ultimate Demise Without Action
A new report on the Great Salt Lake coauthored by Utah State University Department of Watershed Science’s Patrick Belmont and Janice Brahney do not mince words — without major intervention, they say, the Great Salt Lake could disappear within five years. ...
Chris Luecke Announces Retirement
Previous dean of QCNR, Chris Luecke, announced his retirement from the college in December 2022. His research and service have shaped the QCNR community in significant and lasting ways over the course of his career.
Mapping the Middle Ground: Balancing Mining Activities With Survival of Utah's Rare Plants
Oil drilling is not light on a landscape. Unpaved roads and drilling pads can damage plant communities by habitat loss, creating barriers for seed dispersal, introducing exotic species, increasing dust and disturbing pollinators.
USU Researchers Investigating Potentially Toxic Chemicals in Great Salt Lake Dust
As a terminal lake, one without an outlet, the same process that makes the Great Salt Lake so salty also makes it prone to collecting pollution since it acts as the end of the line for the rivers that empty into it.
Beavers: The Unlikely Climate Hero
Dr. Joe Wheaton sat down with the Public Policy Institute of California to talk about the impact of beavers on their ecosystems and the climate.
'Promising Options': USU Researcher Investigating Water Conservation Methods for Great Salt Lake
As Utah’s ecological crisis continues, Dr. Sarah Null has been looking at water conservation methods that could present some promising options to shepherd water back to Utah's saline lake.
The Vanishing River
Dr. Jack Schmidt joined ABC Australia at Lake Powell to talk firsthand about the water crisis on the Colorado River.
USU Scientists Share Successes in Great Salt Lake Wetlands Replacing Phragmites With Native Plants
A diverse group of managers, scientists, consultants, and wetland enthusiasts came together for a boots-in-the-field discussion about how to turn ground back to native wetland plants.
USU Center Relocates Beaver as Land Managers See Benefits of Rodents' Residence
A growing number of land managers and ranchers are noting the perks of having a beaver-in-residence, and are inviting the animals to find a home on their property — with the help of the team at the Beaver Ecology and Relocation Center.
Facing Down Drought in the West
For more than two decades trends for above-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall have ruled the West.
Linda Nagel Excited in New Role as Dean of Quinney College of Natural Resources
Linda Nagel took the helm as dean of the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources this month, launching her new leadership role at Utah State University.
What Will it Take to Stabilize the Colorado River?
A continuation of the current 23-year-long drought will require difficult decisions to prevent further decline.
USU Professor Studying How Plastic Moves Its Way Through Bear River System
In a study published in 2020, Janice Brahney, Utah State University associate professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences, made a startling discovery: microplastic particles are widespread in the Earth’s atmosphere.
2021 USGS, Utah Cooperative Unit Annual Report
The 2021 Annual Report for the U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit.
Another One Bites the Dust: Measuring Dust Pollution From the Shrinking Great Salt Lake
A team of graduate students at USU are working to measure airborne dust as water levels recede at the Great Salt Lake, monitoring what could be the start of an ecological disaster.
UPR's UnDisciplined: what will happen to Utah's 'greatest snow' when there's no more snow?
Utah's title of "greatest snow" is at risk due to climate change. Listen to Jordan Smith and Patrick Belmont discuss this issue on UPR's UnDisciplined.
QCNR Undergrad Researcher Cristina Chirvasa Named Goldwater Scholar
Cristina Chirvasa is one of three USU Goldwater Scholars in 2022, one of the nation's top recognitions for undergraduate STEM scholars.
Warm weather, lack of rain impacts Arizona's Grand Canyon
Jack Schmidt was featured on FOX Weather where he discussed the extreme drought in the west and its impact on the Grand Canyon.
Locally Sourced: Pelican Prefer Native Fish to Sportfish at Utah's Strawberry Reservoir
American white pelicans who pause their migration at Strawberry Reservoir are filling their bellies with native species like Utah sucker for the most part, leaving cutthroat trout to the human anglers. Phaedra Budy, Gary Thiede, Kevin Chapman, and Frank H...
Research from Dr. Sarah Null is being used in efforts to reverse the decline of the Great Salt Lake
Problems, solutions, and potential legislative action are explored in this week's Salt Lake City Weekly.
USU Spring Runoff Conference Returns this March 29
This year’s theme is Forecasting and Adapting to Drought, one of the most prominent issues in Utah and the Western US. Registration and abstract submissions are open.
New Research Advocates Basic Strategy for Native Fish Recovery: Access to Water
Research from Casey Pennock, Phaedra Budy, Wally Macfarlane, and Jack Schmidt shows that something as seemingly simple as maintaining natural streamflow in a river is absolutely critical for fish populations.
Scientists see silver lining in fed’s efforts at Lake Powell
Jack Schmidt sees three shades of a silver lining to Friday’s doomsday-seeming announcement from the Bureau.
WATS is Hiring a USGS Co-op Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Research Fish Biologist
The tenure-track Assistant Professor position application period is open through February 17.
A Lake in Peril: Researchers Participate in First Summit on Threats to the Great Salt Lake
The iconic Great Salt Lake is in serious trouble, and lawmakers are noticing. Water levels in the lake have reached record lows.
Dr. Phaedra Budy's Research on Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Selected for Award
The paper was announced as the best publication for 2020 in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society at the recent AFS Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
In the News: New Colorado River Water Savings Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough, Researcher Warns
A new story in Arizona Daily Star amplifies research results from the Center for Colorado River Studies, pointing out that emergency plans for water saving in the Colorado River likely won’t be enough.
New USU Institute Releases Inaugural Report on Natural Resources in Utah
A new institute at USU that focuses on sharing evidence-based research with state decision-makers released its 2021 Report to the Governor on Utah’s Land, Water, and Air.
Benevolent Alum’s Legacy Lives on in Watershed Science Education
The Watershed Sciences community is deeply grateful for the generosity of late USU alum Bunny Sterin who donated funds to establish a scholarship for students in the Master of Ecological Restoration degree program.
2022 JEDI Graduate Research Fellowship Application Period is Now Open Through January 15
The JEDI fellowship will be awarded to an individual that has a demonstrated record of supporting diversity and inclusion in science.
Head Above Water: Major Grant Awarded for Research on Water Markets
A new grant will allow researchers to determine how water markets can be used to make water management systems more resilient.
USU Professor Joined Instead Podcast to Discuss Plastic in Atmospheric Dust
Dr. Janice Brahney joined the Instead Podcast to discuss the prevalence of microplastics in our atmosphere, water, and land.
Reservoirs are crucial to Utah’s water system, and they’re running low
USU's Drs. Patrick Belmont and David Rosenberg provide commentary in this piece from KUER on the importance of how well the state of Utah stores and conserves water, especially during this drought.
Managing Water Stored for the Environment During Drought
Dr. Sarah Null examined operating California reservoirs for ecosystems during drought to understand what went wrong and offer recommendations for the next drought.
USU's Chris Luecke to Leave Post as Natural Resources Dean
Chris Luecke, dean of Utah State University’s S. J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR), announced he will step down from his leadership post, effective July 2022.
Colorado River levels continue to decline. What does this mean for the future?
Dr. Jack Schmidt is featured in this video from Denver7 ABC News to discuss issues surrounding the Colorado River.
You’re Breathing in Microplastics, But What Does That Mean for Your Health?
Dr. Janice Brahney is featured in this video, produced by Seeker, discussing how airborne microplastics end up in the atmosphere and what happens when we breathe them in.
Packing it Out Utah Style: Successful Statewide Trails and Waterways Cleanup
Hope Braithwaite organized the Utah State University Water Quality Extension event, “Pack It Out Utah” which ended on Sunday.
Watershed Sciences is Hiring Two Climate Focused Assistant Professor Positions
We are seeking applications for a full-time 12-month tenure-track Assistant Professor Extension Specialist position in Climate Resiliency and a full-time 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Climate Data Analysis.
Decisions Downstream: Exhibit at Merrill-Cazier Library Offers Hands-On Look at Watersheds
Decisions Downstream combines the research of Dr. Sarah Null and the work of local Utah artists and the Natural History Museum of Utah. The exhibit is now on display at the USU library.
In Focus Discussion: Climate Change
Following the release of the most recent report from the IPCC, Drs. Patrick Belmont, Robert Davies, and Juliet Carlisle are featured in this ABC4 Utah In Focus discussion on climate change.
USU Extension Webinar on Climate Change Communication
Thursday, September 2 at 1:30pm, join USU physicist Dr. Rob Davies to discuss how Extension is poised to play an outsize role in moving us to the “all hands on deck” posture that we must achieve in the face of global climate change.
Fired Up: Wildlife, Fish and Water Security in Utah
Have you ever wondered how wildfire, fish, and water security are interconnected? Patrick Belmont presented at Swaner Preserve and Ecocenter in Park City Thursday, Aug. 12. Click to view his talk.
Meet Sarah Null, Newest PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow
Dr. Sarah Null is the latest appointed Public Policy Institute of California CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow. Sarah's work focuses on innovations for storing and utilizing ground and surface water to improve the health of ecosystems.
What It Means to Store Water for the Environment
Dr. Sarah Null is a PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow working to find out how best to protect vulnerable ecosystems and the water resources they rely on.
Hard Choices are Ahead for the Colorado River, but One Scientist's Voice is Making Waves
A new article appearing in Science Magazine features Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies, who 'thinks big and speaks candidly,' and may just be what the doctor ordered for the struggling Colorado River.
Green Storms in Blue Water: Unexplained Algae Blooms Increasing in Freshwater Lakes
Research by Dr. Soren Brothers conveys the unpredictable appearance of algal blooms in freshwater lakes that are less impacted by pollution and recreation.
The Colorado River is shrinking. Hard choices lie ahead, this scientist warns.
As the American West grapples with extreme drought and climate change, Dr. Jack Schmidt's voice, research, and leadership are paramount in answering the great question of how best to manage the diminishing water resources of the Colorado River.
Tracking Trout Movement to Understand Waterway Adaptations
Award-winning research out of the Department of Watershed shows that Bonneville Cutthroat trout have developed coping mechanisms to adapt to some waterway interruptions.
Decisions Downstream Video by NHMU Features the Work of Dr. Sarah Null
The exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah can still be visited through the month of July.
We drink it, we breathe it: Microplastics are 'everywhere we look,' Utah scientists say
Dr. Janice Brahney and grad student Macy Gustavus are featured on KSL 5 News highlighting the prevalence of microplastics all around the Earth.
Plastic Planet: Tracking Pervasive Microplastics Across the Globe
Microplastics are so pervasive that they now affect how plants grow, waft through the air one breathes, and permeates distant ecosystems.
Sticks and Stones in Streams: National Focus on Simple Actions to Promote Self-Sustaining Solutions
Joe Wheaton and a cadre of researchers from Utah State University’s Department of Watershed Sciences is garnering national attention for its efficacy to restore riverscapes to healthier and more resilient states.
Charles (Chuck) Hawkins Receives Award of Excellence from Society for Freshwater Science
Charles (Chuck) Hawkins, has earned the prestigious Award of Excellence from the Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) for 2021.
Belmont Examines Climate Denial
Dr. Patrick Belmont presents on climate change denial at TEDxUSU, March 2021
QCNR 2021 Awards Recipients
Congratulations to all the recipients of S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) Awards for 2021!
Dr. Trisha Atwood Contributes Assessment featured in a NY Times Article
Dr. Trisha Atwood contributed to the assessment of global carbon emissions from trawling in an article that is featured in the NY Times.
Exhibit at NHMU Offers Hands-On Access to Real Consequences of Watershed Decisions
In a new exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah, Null, associate professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences, and her colleagues, use art, interactive exhibits and accessible science to illustrate how decisions about river management can be i...
QCNR 2021 Spring News Roundup
Catch up with what our faculty and staff have been doing at the Quinney College of Natural Resources over the past 6 months.
By Hook And By Creek. Persistence is Key.
With 10 years of monitoring data on the Right Hand Fork indicating that the brown trout in this stream were negatively impacting the entire cutthroat trout population in the Logan River. A USU research team proposed a combined effort to conserve the popul...
Slow Motion Disaster: Receding Glaciers Open Space for Invading Algae
Glaciers in western Canada are disappearing at a rate nearly twice the global average, leaving major ecological disruptions in their wake. Janice Brahney and her team are investigating what that means for the ecosystems the glaciers support. Credit: Janic...
Dr. Patrick Belmont Presenting at USU's TEDx
Dr. Patrick Belmont will be presenting at USU's TEDx event on Friday, March 5th. The presentations will be from 6-8 pm.
Decisions Downstream: New Art-Science Exhibit Offers Insights into Watershed Connections
To find a way to help people understand how their choices affect both habitats and humans, Dr. Sarah Null recruited artists to create large-format images, paintings and interactive exhibits based on her research.
New research demonstrates crucial role of World Heritage marine sites in fighting climate change
UNESCO today released the first global scientific assessment of its World Heritage marine sites’ blue carbon ecosystems, highlighting the critical environmental value of these habitats.
Dousing the Flames: USU Investigates how Wildfires Impact Utah's Water Supply Reservoirs
Utah continues to provide much-needed late winter snowfall, hydrologists say the state currently has 80% of normal snowpack. Researchers at USU are already looking ahead to fire season by investigating how wildfires impact Utah’s water supply reservoirs
New report confronts tough choices for the future of the Colorado River
The new publication builds upon a 2020 white paper, “Strategies for Managing the Colorado River in an Uncertain Future.”
Arctic Stew: Understanding How High-Latitude Lakes Respond to and Affect Climate Change
New research from Soren Brothers, assistant professor Utah State University Department of Watershed Sciences and Ecology Center, details how lakes in Nunavut could have a big impact on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and it’s not all bad news.
Celebrating the History of Women in the QCNR
This video, created by undergraduate students in our college, takes a look into the history of women in the Quinney College of Natural Resources.
QCNR Professor Joseph Wheaton Recognized with 2020 Gordon Warwick Award
The year 2020 has changed how so much of the world is delivered, including how the delivery of recognitions and awards.
How beavers became North America's best firefighter
The rodent creates fireproof refuges for many species, suggesting wildlife managers should protect beaver habitat as the U.S. West burns. (Email Sign-in Required to Read)
Ron Goede: April 3, 1934 - August 29, 2020
Emeritus Adjunct Professor, Ron Goede recently passed away. A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2020.
WATS Doctoral Student Christy Leonard Receives GSA Research Grant
With 10 awardees, Aggies tie for first among 134 institutions from North and Central America vying for student grants from the Geological Society of America
After the Smoke Clears: watersheds recovering from wildfire, with Dr. Patrick Belmont
In this episode of Instead with Dr. Patrick Belmont, you will learn– How streams and fish can benefit from wildfire. How much disturbance is too much. And, what Utah has in common with California wildfires.
Cambodia’s biggest lake is running dry, taking forests and fish with it
Drought and dams have pushed Tonle Sap into dangerous decline, threatening its swamp forests and the fish nurseries there that provide most of the nation's protein.
Herbivores, Not Predators, Most At Risk of Extinction
Global study sheds new light on current species declines, past species extinctions, and disruptions to Earth's ecosystems
More than 1,000 Tons of Plastic Rains into Western U.S. Protected Lands Annually
Microplastic particles and fibers spiral through the Earth system, accumulating even in protected wilderness areas and national parks in the western U.S.
As Interest in Local Food Grows, Water Pollution Shouldn't
As a result of recent events, including the earthquake and coronavirus pandemic, more Utahns than ever are interested in growing and producing their own food.
Filling the Gap: Study Finds Carbon Emissions Globally Underestimated
Back in 2013 Matthias Koschorreck, a biologist in the Department of Lake Research at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany, on a whim decided to take some measurements in the catchment of a small river in Catalonia, Spain.
Eating Like a Bird: NSF Grant Keeps Tabs on Geese Herbivory and Carbon in the Yukon
The Earth's carbon can be stored in trees and plants, in the ocean, in fossil fuels deep underground, and in the soil directly beneath our feet.
USU Professor Discusses Threats to the Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake is facing multiple threats that put ecosystems, economies and species at risk, said Wayne Wurtsbaugh, Utah State University professor during a “Canyon Conversations” lecture Saturday morning.