$4 million going to drought research

As a means of learning more about the effects of the severe California drought, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has awarded $4 million in grants to four institutions. The EPA’s goal is to limit and combat the effects of the drought on water quality, both in watersheds and drinking water facilities.

The funding will be received through the EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program. Each institution will focus on a specific drought-related concern:

• Clemson University will focus on the effects of forest fire management reduction techniques, like prescribed burns and mechanical thinning and how those techniques impact watersheds and drinking water, with rainstorm events following a drought.
• The Water Research Foundation at the University of Colorado at Boulder will develop a framework for evaluating adaption strategies for sustainable drinking water utility management that is impacted by both drought and climate change.
• The Public Policy Institute will combine all current drought data and its effects on water supply and quality. They will then assess the local, state and federal institutions’ responses to the drought to determine the best strategies for sustainable drought management.
• The University of Utah at Salt Lake City will develop and integrate models and educational tools to educate stakeholders on ways to improve water supply and demand for water during the planning stages of projects.

“As a nation, we are witnessing the harmful effects of droughts and extreme events, such as wildfires and flooding, that often follow drought conditions,” said Thomas A. Burke, EPA Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator of Office of Research and Development. “This research will provide innovative strategies to help local communities, states, tribes, and the federal government better understand the impacts of these problems and better protect our nation’s water and the health of our friends and families who rely on those water resources.”