Measuring Colorado River Evaporation from Reservoirs

Measuring Colorado River Evaporation from Reservoirs

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.

Tracking the Restorative Effects of Good Fire

Tracking the Restorative Effects of Good Fire

A few miles south of Yosemite’s famed Glacier Point, ringed by striking granite domes, lies the Illilouette Basin. This small stretch of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has become a sort of fire laboratory, a place where natural wildfires have been allowed to burn since 1972. In contrast with the long-supported program of fire suppression that has dominated American forests since the late 19th century, resulting in dense and unhealthy forests, the Illilouette Basin’s story is about the benefits that natural fire can bring to the landscape.

Groundwater is Key to Protecting Global Ecosystems

Groundwater is Key to Protecting Global Ecosystems

New research identifies ecosystems around the world that could be threatened by declining groundwater levels. The research, published July 17 in Nature, is the first time that groundwater-dependent ecosystems have been mapped on a global scale. Led by scientists from The Nature Conservancy and DRI, the global effort brought researchers together from universities, non-profit organizations, and institutions from seven countries.

New Method Reveals Hidden Activity of Life Below Ground

New Method Reveals Hidden Activity of Life Below Ground

DRI’s Duane Moser, Ali Saidi-Mehrabad, and Molly Devlin co-authored a new study that examines the genetics and life strategies of microbes living deep below Earth’s surface. Dr. Moser and his lab conducted the fieldwork for the research as part of their work studying deep wells located in the Death Valley regional flow system.