Water resources management is emerging as a serious regional and global problem. Restoration of aquatic systems and maintenance of healthy water quality and ecology is a key to sustainable water resource management. The aquatic systems group at DRI conducts research over a broad range of areas ranging from invasive species and ecological restoration to watershed management. Existing projects include invasive species management in Lake Mead, restoration of Walker Lake, and water quality and restoration of Truckee River, Las Vegas Wash, Colorado River and Rio Grande. Researchers in this group are also involved in many international projects such as wetland studies in the Nile River basin (Egypt), algae bloom and water quality in Lake Taihu (China), and watershed studies (West Africa). Faculty under this theme collaborates and works with graduate students from several departments at Universities in Las Vegas (UNLV) and Reno (UNR).

DHS research projects related to "aquatic systems" are listed below.