The Colorado River is vital to Nevada and other western states, and Mexico. With population growth and drought both straining the Colorado River, managing every drop in the Colorado River basin matters. In addition to conservation, it is critical to account for the evaporation of Colorado River water. Evaporation is the natural process by which liquid water is converted to water vapor and accounts for significant water losses from reservoirs and lakes each year. Our understanding of the amount and variability of water lost from reservoirs through evaporation is limited.
Reservoirs like Lakes Mead, Powell, and Mohave are integral to storing water during wet periods that can later be used for agricultural, municipal, and industrial water demand. Incomplete or inaccurate information on the amount of water lost to evaporation makes long term management and planning difficult.
DRI has been studying water evaporation from Lake Powell with the aim of solving this problem by providing more accurate estimates of reservoir evaporation for all major reservoirs throughout the western U.S. Currently, our work leverages field datasets collected via buoys and floating weather stations with advanced hydrometeorological modeling to generate historical and current estimates of evaporation for improved water management.
Although existing research has provided essential data, obtaining water temperature imagery across a reservoir at the necessary resolution has been a critical missing data piece. Now, DRI is part of the National Science FoundationSouthwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE), which aims to elevate the Southwest as a regional hub of economic development catalyzed by innovations in water security, carbon capture, and renewable energy. DRI, through SWSIE, is working with remote sensing startup Hydrosat to fill this critical data gap.
On August 16, 2024, Hydrosat successfully launched a satellite equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging technology. Hydrosat’s proprietary data fusion model integrates this data with other satellite imagery sources to deliver precise surface temperature measurements at an impressive 20-meter resolution. DRI will use the Hydrosat data of Lake Powell, and existing research, to test our models against it. Hydrosat will launch more satellites, building a constellation to eventually provide daily temperature reading coverage across the Colorado River reservoirs.
This is a groundbreaking development that is expected to revolutionize our ability to measure evaporation, thanks to the significant improvement it will bring about.
Investment from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development’s Knowledge Fund was instrumental in DRI and our partners successfully competing for the SWSIE Innovation Engine funding.
National Science Foundation to establish a Regional Innovation Engine, a first-of-its-kind program to create focused research and technology transfer hubs.
LAS VEGAS – January 29, 2024 – The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced a multi-institutional consortium – which includes UNLV and DRI – to confront the climate challenges facing the desert Southwest and spur economic development in the region.
The effects of climate change are acutely evident in the American West and Southwest, from the desertification of Utah’s Great Salt Lake to the record-breaking extreme heat in Arizona and the dwindling supply of the Colorado River reaching Nevada. NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) will use these challenges to catalyze economic opportunity.
Led by Arizona State University and supported by core academic partners from throughout the region, SWSIE aims to establish the Southwest as a leader in carbon capture, water security and renewable energy and bring high-wage industries to the region. SWSIE unites academic, community, nonprofit and industry partners across Arizona, Nevada and Utah who are committed to this goal.
“The NSF Regional Innovation Engines award offers a new transformative avenue to apply our holistic sustainability innovation approach to the southwestern United States to keep this region on a pathway of economic growth,” said Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at ASU and principal investigator on this project. “The Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine combines the extensive expertise of ASU and our partners to simultaneously ensure a sustainable future and prosperity for our region.”
SWSIE is among the first proposals selected by the NSF to establish a Regional Innovation Engine, a first-of-its-kind NSF program to create focused research and technology transfer hubs. The NSF will fund SWSIE’s initial development and growth with $15 million over the next two years. The engine can be renewed for up to 10 years with $160 million in funding available for each Regional Engine.
“Big problems require bold solutions, and this consortium brings innovators from throughout the Southwest together to collaboratively and actively tackle the region’s most pressing water, energy, and related climate challenges,” said UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield. “The stakes are high, but this partnership allows the best and brightest academic minds to apply their collective skills and creatively find ways to secure a sustainable future.”
Both DRI and UNLV will serve as core academic partners on the project, leading and/or contributing to project management, innovation, workforce development, and community development teams.
“DRI looks forward to joining ASU, UNLV, and other partners to address the significant climate challenges impacting the Southwest while spurring innovation,” said DRI President Kumud Acharya. “DRI is honored to bring our experience in sustainable commercialization, workforce development, and community engagement practices to this transformative project.”
DRI’s long-term experience leading complex projects with academic, agency, and commercial partners will help drive solutions for water resources management and integrate with the expertise of other SWSIE partners. UNLV, through its Office of Economic Development, Research and Technology Park, and a host of academic units, will serve as a core site for technology transfer, commercialization, physical infrastructure (hi-tech labs, leasable space, co-working space), and workforce development.
In addition to the strengths of SWSIE’s core academic partners, the engine also combines expertise from more than 50 partners from industry, nonprofit organizations, and local governments.
Industry partners range from established companies with ambitious sustainability goals to businesses providing sustainability-based products and services, while municipal governments large and small, and nonprofit partners represent a variety of environmental interests across the Southwest. Nevada partners include Caesars Entertainment, Boyd Gaming, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, StartupNV, Switch, NV5, Impact NV, and more. Learn more about just some of the many organizations contributing to SWSIE.
NSF Engines are designed to assemble local and regional partners to rapidly develop and deploy solutions-inspired research and safeguard U.S. competitiveness in their respective focal areas. SWSIE is charged with pioneering advancements in water security, renewable energy and carbon neutrality — vital areas for sustainability in Utah, Nevada and Arizona.
“This partnership aligns leading research institutions and public/private partners around a shared vision to accelerate an already growing regional innovation ecosystem,” said Zachary Miles, UNLV senior associate vice president for economic development and the project’s workforce development lead. “Together with partners throughout Nevada and in Arizona and Utah, we’ll leverage our vast collective network of research, economic development and workforce partners to turn bright ideas into life-changing products and services.”
These co-developed solutions require new and revised skills to implement them. SWSIE will draw upon partners’ collective strengths to train that workforce. The engine will generate technical opportunities for the region, such as installing renewable energy systems, new water technologies and carbon capture infrastructure, as well as governmental and managerial positions focused on sustainability.
“DRI is eager to bring our recognized research expertise in sustainability issues related to water, energy, and carbon in Nevada and the Southwestern U.S. to the project,” said Sean McKenna, DRI executive director of hydrologic sciences and SWSIE co-innovation lead. “Our experience producing scientifically proven innovations to address real-world sustainability challenges through commercialization makes DRI well-poised to contribute solutions for the particular issues facing the region. The NSF’s new Regional Innovation Engine program is an exciting development for DRI scientists who excel at partnering with commercial, educational, and federal agencies to apply scientific expertise to support our communities.”
SWSIE’s work will involve not just transferring meaningful technology to market, but working with governments to ensure policy provides a fertile space for its use.
“We’re at a moment in the Southwest where the ongoing drought and unending heat we’re experiencing is focusing the minds of elected officials and stakeholders toward solutions,” said Scott Barclay, SWSIE chief operating officer and a professor with the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences in ASU’s New College. “And what SWSIE does is bring those actors directly into the conversation about what could work in their location, for their priorities, in a way that helps them transform the space.”
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About DRI
The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is Nevada’s non-profit research institute, founded in 1959 to empower experts to focus on science that matters. We work with communities across the state –and the world– to address their most pressing scientific questions. We’re proud that our scientists continuously produce solutions that better human and environmental health. Scientists at DRI are encouraged to follow their research interests across the traditional boundaries of scientific fields, collaborating across DRI and with scientists worldwide. DRI brings nearly $5 in direct benefit to Nevada for every $1 in state investment, and our researchers actively explore commercialization opportunities for innovative inventions, including Climate Engine and Tu Biomics. DRI’s recognized STEM education programs work to increase inclusion in STEM engagement for youth of all ages while ensuring impactful and accessible education access to prepare students for the careers of tomorrow. At DRI, science isn’t merely academic – it’s the key to future-proofing our communities and building a better world. For more information, please visit www.dri.edu.
DRI will contribute to four key areas: Leading Co-Innovation, contributing to Water Co-Innovation, Workforce Development, and Community Development and Engagement. DRI’s long-term experience leading complex projects across academic, agency, and commercial partners to build science-focused solutions will guide Co-Innovation among partners to achieve the solutions needed within SWSIE. In particular, DRI’s expertise in building solutions for improved water resources management, in areas of basin-scale hydrology and water treatment, particularly in the southwestern U.S., will integrate with the expertise of other SWSIE partners. DRI is recognized as a leader in K-12 STEM education programs and will leverage that experience to contribute to SWSIE Workforce Development. DRI will also bring its community development and engagement experience to co-lead these efforts within SWSIE.
About UNLV
UNLV is an urban public university with rigorous educational programs that’s immersed in innovative research, scholarship, and creative activities. With nearly 31,000 students and 4,000 employees, UNLV holds the nation’s highest recognition for both research and community engagement – distinctions which underscore its vision to become a premier university in service of one of the nation’s fastest-growing and most enterprising regions.
Every day — in its labs and classrooms, in neighborhoods, and out in the field — UNLV is working to fuel Nevada’s economic engine. The university is proud of its home within the heart of a global destination, where UNLV’s students, employees, and alumni build community, create partnerships, advance healthcare, and spark innovation that move the region forward. Learn more at unlv.edu.
Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, UNLV is annually ranked as one of the nation’s most diverse universities for undergraduates and among the leaders advancing social mobility of its graduates. The university is committed to equity and inclusion throughout its operations and meets federal Minority Serving Institution requirements as an Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
Philanthropy is a multigeneration Lewis family tradition. During his childhood, Robert Lewis wanted to be a scientist. His career took a different path and led him into the family business, where he oversees operations for one of the country’s largest privately held real estate development groups, but his passion for science never left. This passion drew him to DRI, where he served as a DRI Foundation Trustee and DRI Foundation Fellow. He has supported DRI for almost 15 years and was part of an instrumental group of donors that provided philanthropic support to launch the Innovation Research Program (IRP) in 2018.
“While serving as a Trustee for the DRI Foundation, I was able to see first-hand the research DRI scientists are pursuing to solve real-world environmental challenges,” said Robert Lewis. “Supporting promising research through the IRP is an exciting opportunity to fund scientific research.”
Pictured from left to right: DRI’s Dr. Monica Arienzo, Robert Lewis, president – Nevada Operations, Lewis Group of Companies, Ted Erkan, senior vice president, Northern Nevada Planned Communities, Lewis Group of Companies, DRI President Kumud Acharya.
The IRP was created to provide funding for early-stage innovative research at DRI. Because DRI’s faculty are non-tenured, entrepreneurial, and are responsible for securing their own salaries and research funding – the IRP provides the opportunity for faculty to test new ideas outside of their existing funding model.
“We deeply appreciate the ongoing IRP support from Robert Lewis and his commitment to science,” said DRI President Kumud Acharya.
Development of a high-throughput electronic cigarette testing system is one example of the importance of IRP funding. The know-how gained from the IRP investment of $28k into this project was used to successfully pursue a $1.7M grant from the National Institutes of Health to research the combination of chemicals released by different e-cigarettes and devise configurations.
Another example is the IRP funding to study soil aggregate destruction visualization and measurement. $30,500 was provided through IRP. This initial research provided the foundation to pursue additional funding through the Army Corps of Engineers for water repellency studies on burned soils, and the topic is also a major component of a multi-million-dollar proposal to NSF.
DRI is grateful for Robert Lewis’ continued support of the IRP fund, which has awarded more than $750,000 in grants to faculty since 2018. This investment has resulted in $22 million in additional grants and contracts to support research at DRI.
For more information on how you can support impactful science that inspires solutions, please contact the DRI Office of Advancement at (775) 673-7300.
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