News & Announcements
Working to Solve our Most Challenging Environmental Problems
DRI’s research calls on the expertise and methods of scientists from multiple scientific disciplines. More than 600 highly-skilled scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and staff work collaboratively within and across three research divisions, focused on understanding and answering critical science questions about global climate change, water quality and availability, air quality, the sustainability of desert lands, life in extreme environments, education, and more.
Guo Yu Awarded Funding from USGS to Expand Research Examining Compounding Risks of Wildfires and Floods
Guo Yu, assistant research professor of hydrometeorology, along with collaborator Luke McGuire from the University of Arizona, received a three-year grant from the USGS Water Resources Research Act Program. The funding will be used to expand his work examining how repeated wildfires impact flooding risk in communities.
Groundwater Use Can Be Accurately Monitored With Satellites Using OpenET, New Study Finds
DRI scientists compared data from groundwater pumping meters with OpenET estimates in irrigated land to advance understanding of groundwater use. The new study demonstrated that OpenET can be used to accurately estimate the amount of groundwater used for crop irrigation at the level of individual fields.
DRI Scientists Create Guidance to Help Emergency Managers Prepare for Weather Hazards of the Future
DRI scientists partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to produce a guidance document for incorporating publicly available data on historical and projected extreme weather events to aid with emergency planning exercises. The report, funded by the California Department of Water Resources, is available on DRI’s website.
DRI’s AWE+ Summit Tackles Wildfire Resilience and Recovery
DRI, one of our nation’s leading applied environmental research institutes, together with the DRI Foundation, this week held its inaugural AWE+ Summit -Wildfire Recovery and Resilience: Working Across Silos to Drive Solutions. The summit is a call-to-action for communities to implement measures that support resilience and human adaptability to devastating wildfire events. Nationally recognized scientific leaders discussed challenges, progress, and hope through actions that will lead to solutions.
NSHE Institute DRI Secures EPA Funding for Stem Education Program to Increase Water Workforce Pipeline in Nevada
The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is thrilled to announce DRI has secured $1 million in grant funding through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program. This funding will support DRI’s STEM Education Program, which aims to strengthen Nevada’s workforce in the drinking water and wastewater sectors.
Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project seeking volunteers for August 10
In an effort to better understand urban heat islands and their impacts on our region, a group of organizations, led by the Nevada State Climate Office, is seeking volunteers to track heat on August 10 for the Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project. Volunteers will set out in pairs to drive or navigate a predetermined route, equipped with a GPS-equipped temperature and humidity sensor that can be affixed to a volunteer’s car. The original project date was postponed due to unusually cool weather.
DRI’s STEM Education Team Receives EPA Grant to Support Microplastics Education for Nevada Students and Communities
The $100,000 grant will fund the production of additional educational kits known as Greenboxes that raise awareness and understanding of the prevalence and role of microplastics in the environment. In addition to the Greenboxes, the grant will also support community partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, the Walker Basin Conservancy, Get Outdoors Nevada, Sierra Nevada Journeys, and Envirolution.
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.
Mars Likely Had Cold and Icy Past, New Study Finds
A new study finds evidence to support that Mars had a cold and icy past by identifying similarities between soils found on Mars and those of Canada’s Newfoundland, a cold subarctic climate. The study, published July 7th in Communications Earth and Environment, looked for soils on Earth with comparable materials to Mars’ Gale Crater.
EPA Selects Nevada’s Desert Research Institute for Funding to Support Environmental Education
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection DRI to receive a competitive grant for environmental education in Nevada. This organization has been chosen for its exceptional work in promoting youth ecological stewardship and environmental education, with the grant supporting a project to mitigate microplastics in Nevada waterways.
Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Now Recruiting Volunteers
Scientists from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the University of Nevada, Reno are recruiting volunteers to conduct a one-day campaign to map extreme heat across Washoe County on July 27. community volunteers will fan out across the county to collect thousands of temperature and humidity measurements from early morning through evening, taken over 3 one-hour periods.
River ‘Plastisphere’ Serves as Home to Ecosystem-Draining Organisms
New research explores the microbial communities that live on plastic waste and how they impact the 2nd most biodiverse river in the world. DRI researchers Monica Arienzo and Rachel Kozloski are co-authors on this new study that examines the ecological impacts of plastic waste in Cambodia’s Mekong River.