What is iUTAH? The Problem iUTAH & You Everyone has a personal relationship with water. It is essential to sustain life, and is a critical resource to Utah agriculture, industry, outdoor recreation, and tourism. What can iUTAH do for you? Water Managers Data from our GAMUT monitoring network is accessible to all and can be exported from the iUTAH website for water managers to use. Students iUTAH is an interdisciplinary research and training program aimed at strengthening science for Utah’s water future. iUTAH brings together a network of researchers, universities, governmental agencies, industry partners, and non-profit organizations state-wide. This five-year project is funded by the National Science Foundation through July 2017. iUTAH’s science mission is to explore how factors such as population growth, climate variability, land use, and human dimensions affect sustainability of our water resources. Our goal is to strengthen the scientific understanding of water availability and demand now and in the future, so that future generations of Utahns can continue to enjoy our state’s resources without depleting our water supplies. In conjunction with the research component of this project, iUtah’s education, outreach and diversity efforts not only help build our state’s capacity to meet future water challenges, but encourage students and teachers to be directly involved in Utah’s water research through a variety of programs and partnerships. As the second driest state in the nation, water is a valuable resource to the citizens, recreation users, industry, farmers and landscapes of Utah. Currently, Utah relies on water from the mountains but recent climate models are predicting major shifts in the water supply as it transitions from snowpack to rain. Water helps make Utah a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts with its “Greatest Snow on Earth,” national parks, blue-ribbon fisheries, lush golf courses, and tranquil Lake Powell. Utah is also one of the fastest growing states. With nearly 3 million residents already, the population is expected to double by the year 2050 creating a higher demand for water. Protecting our water is essential for Utah’s continued prosperity and future economic development. iUTAH offers many different student opportunities from undergraduate research to internships to water-related field trips. Educators iUTAH offers educators the opportunity to conduct hands-on research while creating a water-based curriculum for their students. Researchers iUTAH offers undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral research opportunities at participating institutions across the state. Public iUTAH is engaged in a variety of Utah community events and offers hands-on water research opportunities through an active citizen science program. Connect with Us 9835 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-9835 Phone: (435) 797-1612 Email: [email protected] Join us on Facebook facebook.com/iutah Join our professional network on LinkedIn @iutahepscor Follow us on Twitter @iutahepscor Check out our new YouTube videos @iutahepscor.org Photograph by Jason Christensen iUTAHEPSCoR.org Our Approach Achieving water sustainability in Utah will only be possible by understanding how our water system operates as an integrated physical, chemical, biological, and social system. iUTAH’s statewide network of researchers are focusing on three areas to achieve this goal. 1. Measuring the relationships between water and ecosystems Education, Outreach & Diversity iUTAH Education, Outreach and Diversity (EOD) strives to engage a diverse group of Utah citizens with iUTAH concepts and research. Through a variety of programs and activities, iUTAH EOD partners expose participants to water sustainability issues, and work to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in the state. iUTAH EOD is committed to promoting and strengthening STEM education in order to build an inclusive and diverse water-wise and STEM-literate workforce of tomorrow. 2. Assessing water use behaviors Undergraduate Research Experiences 3. Establishing uniform data sets to K-12 Teacher & Student Opportunities and decisions, and how these influence the urban environment understand the ties between human and evironmental water systems iUTAH researchers focus on three watersheds located along the Wasatch Front—Logan River, Middle Provo River, and Red Butte Creek. Our network of solar-powered water and climate monitoring stations called GAMUT (Gradients Along Mountain to Urban Transitions) collects a wealth of important information about how human activities, climate change, and other factors affect our water supplies. Community Engagement Citizen Science Science for Utah’s Water Future innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability