The NRWD Fellows selected are graduate students enrolled in research-based thesis or dissertation-granting programs at the seven SW CASC consortium institutions. This year’s fellowship theme is Functional Flows for Wildlife and Water Quality.

As streamflow regimes throughout the southwestern US have been altered by withdrawals, diversions, storage, and environmental change, these shifts have significantly impacted biological communities and water quality. A functional flows approach to water management emphasizes the seasonal elements of the natural flow regime that sustain critical ecosystem processes. NRWD Fellows will collaborate with researchers at Utah State University and two state agencies to link functional flows in the Great Salt Lake Basin with measurable ecological indicators, ultimately informing best management practices that support water quality and aquatic life.

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