iUTAH. That’s short for “innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability.” It sounds complicated, but it’s really quite simple. iUTAH is a state-wide, interdisciplinary research project dedicated to preserving Utah’s water resources.
Initiated in August 2012, iUTAH is funded by a five-year, $20 million award from the National Science Foundation. The state’s first water monitoring project of this scale, iUTAH is made up of a statewide network of researchers, universities, governmental agencies, industry partners and non-profit organizations. The program mentors student researchers through internships and fellowships.
Michelle Baker is the director of iUTAH. “Utah is a great state,” she says, “but our growing population is putting greater demand on an already dry landscape.”
By gathering research and education from across disciplines and working towards innovative solutions, iUTAH is enhancing water knowledge and preparing a well-educated and conservation-savvy workforce for the state’s future.
Water Source Facts are part of UPR’s partnership with Utah State University’s 2015 Year of Water and the College of Science.
