Applying Science to Solve Environmental Problems

The Ecological Engineering group at DRI is focused on understanding and mitigating the impacts of human activities on the natural environment. We conduct fundamental and applied research with the goal of applying engineering principles to understand and reduce adverse effects of human activities on rivers, lakes, wetlands, springs and estuaries.

Featured Research

Quagga mussels - photo courtesy of Desertnews.com

Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the US and one of the most important water resources in the West. In January of 2007, Quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) were discovered in Lake Mead, for the first time west of the 100th meridian. This invasive species, and the related Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) have disrupted ecosystems in a number of waterways elsewhere in the US and have cost billions of dollars in control efforts. Given the seriousness of the recent Quagga mussel invasion for the ecology and economy of the broader region, and for the overall management of water resources, the primary goal of DRI's research is to study the ecology and biology of Quagga mussels and their impact on aquatic biodiversity and water quality in Lake Mead.

News  Highlights

UFDP Arid Regions Stream Restoration Workshop(June 30-July 1 2009) -UFDP Arid Regions Stream Restoration Workshop was organized by a team from DRI (Kumud Acharya, Don Sada and Mark Stone)and USACE ERDC(Lisa Hubbard and Meg Jonas). The workshop dealt with several issues and challenges in stream restorations of the region, and discussed possible research directions for future. The topic included channel design, sediment transport, bank stability and vegetation, floodplain/riparian corridor, and flow management. Prominent researchers and practitioners from DRI, USBR, USDA, USACE, SNWA, University of New Mexico and John Hopkins University took part in the workshop.