News

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...

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.

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 ...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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!

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 2022 Annual Report for the U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit.

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.

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, a major in Management and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems, describes her Goldwater Scholarship application experience.

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...

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...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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.

The conference takes place March 14 and 15. This year's theme is Utah’s Watershed Moment: Innovation in a Time of Accelerating Change.

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)....

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. ...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Jack Schmidt joined ABC Australia at Lake Powell to talk firsthand about the water crisis on the Colorado River.

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.

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.

For more than two decades trends for above-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall have ruled the West.

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.

A continuation of the current 23-year-long drought will require difficult decisions to prevent further decline.

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.

The 2021 Annual Report for the U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit.

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.

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.

Cristina Chirvasa is one of three USU Goldwater Scholars in 2022, one of the nation's top recognitions for undergraduate STEM scholars.

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...

Jack Schmidt was featured on FOX Weather where he discussed the extreme drought in the west and its impact on the Grand Canyon.

Problems, solutions, and potential legislative action are explored in this week's Salt Lake City Weekly.

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.

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.

Jack Schmidt sees three shades of a silver lining to Friday’s doomsday-seeming announcement from the Bureau.

The tenure-track Assistant Professor position application period is open through February 17.

The iconic Great Salt Lake is in serious trouble, and lawmakers are noticing. Water levels in the lake have reached record lows.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The JEDI fellowship will be awarded to an individual that has a demonstrated record of supporting diversity and inclusion in science.

Dr. Janice Brahney joined the Instead Podcast to discuss the prevalence of microplastics in our atmosphere, water, and land.

A new grant will allow researchers to determine how water markets can be used to make water management systems more resilient.

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 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.

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.

Dr. Jack Schmidt is featured in this video from Denver7 ABC News to discuss issues surrounding the Colorado River.

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.

Hope Braithwaite organized the Utah State University Water Quality Extension event, “Pack It Out Utah” which ended on Sunday.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Research by Dr. Soren Brothers conveys the unpredictable appearance of algal blooms in freshwater lakes that are less impacted by pollution and recreation.

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.

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.

Award-winning research out of the Department of Watershed shows that Bonneville Cutthroat trout have developed coping mechanisms to adapt to some waterway interruptions.

The exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah can still be visited through the month of July.

Dr. Janice Brahney and grad student Macy Gustavus are featured on KSL 5 News highlighting the prevalence of microplastics all around the Earth.

Microplastics are so pervasive that they now affect how plants grow, waft through the air one breathes, and permeates distant ecosystems.

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, has earned the prestigious Award of Excellence from the Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) for 2021.

Dr. Patrick Belmont presents on climate change denial at TEDxUSU, March 2021

Congratulations to all the recipients of S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) Awards for 2021!

Dr. Trisha Atwood contributed to the assessment of global carbon emissions from trawling in an article that is featured in the NY Times.

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...

Catch up with what our faculty and staff have been doing at the Quinney College of Natural Resources over the past 6 months.

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...

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 will be presenting at USU's TEDx event on Friday, March 5th. The presentations will be from 6-8 pm.

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.

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.

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

The new publication builds upon a 2020 white paper, “Strategies for Managing the Colorado River in an Uncertain Future.”

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.

This video, created by undergraduate students in our college, takes a look into the history of women in the Quinney College of Natural Resources.

The year 2020 has changed how so much of the world is delivered, including how the delivery of recognitions and awards.

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)

Emeritus Adjunct Professor, Ron Goede recently passed away. A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2020.

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

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.

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.

Global study sheds new light on current species declines, past species extinctions, and disruptions to Earth's ecosystems

Microplastic particles and fibers spiral through the Earth system, accumulating even in protected wilderness areas and national parks in the western U.S.

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.

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.

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.

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.