Digital Commons Network^™

Ground Water Assessment Of Cache Valley Using Modern Tracing Techniques, Eric Humphrey, Bethany Neilson

Spring Runoff Conference

Monitor, analyze, and predict current and evolving dynamics of complex human and natural Earth-system interactions and to deliver actionable information at scales and timeframes relevant to decision makers.

Rethinking Harmful Algal Blooms In Utah Waters: A Paradigm Shift In Water Quality And Management, Kabilan Mani

Spring Runoff Conference

Droughts are intensifying in frequency and severity, straining already limited water supplies.

Hydrodynamics Of Bear Lake: Waves, Currents, Circulation, And Residence Times, Jeffrey Nielson

Spring Runoff Conference

Until we understand water movement, we’ll struggle to explain or manage what happens in Bear Lake.

Water Needs And Recovery Pathways For The Great Salt Lake, David Tarboton, Sarah Null, Bethany Neilson

Spring Runoff Conference

Main Points 

• Levels of GSL inherently fluctuate because of variability in precipitation and temperature that drive inflow and evaporation 
• Reductions in inflows due to water use are superimposed on this variability 
• Consistent delivery of conserved water offers the opportunity to shift the range of lake levels upwards reducing the occurrence of serious adverse effects and increasing the potential for healthy lake levels 
• Adding 250 thousand-acre ft/year reduces the occurrence of serious adverse effects from 61% to 28% over the long term 
• Adding 800 thousand-acre ft/year shifts the mean of variable lake levels to the lower end of the healthy lake …

Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, Laura Vernon

Spring Runoff Conference

What is the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan? A roadmap for managing water in ways that promote a healthy lake and a high quality of life in the basin.

Microplastics As Physical Hubs Amplifying Antiobiotic Resistance Under Mixed-Contaminant Selection In Wastewater Systems, Liyuan Hou

Spring Runoff Conference

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic particles within the range of (0.1 mm to 5 mm) in size

Integrating Hydrology And Human Water Footprints: A Case Study Of The Great Salt Lake Watershed, Rocky Lynne Seeley

Spring Runoff Conference

A new model, comprehensively integrating hydrologic, water footprint, and virtual water data

A Conversation On Water, Camille Touton

Spring Runoff Conference

A conversation on water presentation at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

What’S Next In Water Leasing Panel, Scott Hotaling, Adam Wickline, Hannah Freeze, Matt Anderson, Peter Stanton, Mitch Hancock

Spring Runoff Conference

Panel on water leasing at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

Balancing Water Needs In Walker Basin, Peter Stanton

Spring Runoff Conference

Walker Lake 

Supported 50% of Mineral County economy 

Traditional homeland of Walker River Paiute Tribe (Agai Dicutta) 

World-class fishery

Annual Loon Festival

Utah’S Water Network Panel, Brad Mortensen, Kelly Pehrson, Nate Daugs, Brad Parry, Lindsie Smith, Camille Touton, Megan Nelson

Spring Runoff Conference

A panel on Utah's water network at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

2026 Northern Utah Water Champion Award, Spring Runoff Conference

Spring Runoff Conference

Recognizes individuals who have demonstrated sustained, meaningful contributions to the stewardship, management, governance, or understanding of water in Northern Utah.

Utah State University’S Water Legacy, Brad Mortensen

Spring Runoff Conference

Utah State University's President, Brad Mortensen, presents at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference.

The Evolution Of Self-Awareness In Conscious Organisms, Robert A. Dielenberg

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Self-awareness in conscious organisms remains an enduring puzzle for philosophers and neuroscientists. This paper proposes a tripartite evolutionary model tracing its emergence through three sequential types: the sensory self (primitive egocentric, valence-tagged awareness of sensory states), the bodily self (external objectification of the body as a distinct entity, evidenced by mirror self-recognition in select species), and the cognitive self (internal objectification of the mind enabling recursive self-transformation). Adopting a monist framework, the model treats consciousness as the biological substrate of delayed neural apperception (the “Delayed Present”), within which selves emerge as increasingly sophisticated models. It distinguishes non-human metacognition—implicit, online regulation—from …

The Molecular Determinants Of Deglycation And Substrate Specificity In Fructosamine Kinases, Jenet Matlack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein glycation is a universal, non-enzymatic modification that occurs when a sugar covalently attaches to a primary amine. These spontaneous modifications may have deleterious or regulatory effects on protein function, and their removal is mediated by the conserved metabolic kinase fructosamine-3-kinase (FN3K). Despite its crucial role in protein repair, we currently have a poor understanding of how FN3K engages or phosphorylates its substrates. Additionally, the molecular basis for the distinct yet overlapping substrate specificities of FN3K and its paralog, ketosamine-3 kinase (KT3K), remains unresolved. By integrating structural biology, biochemistry, and ancestral protein reconstruction (APR), this thesis elucidates the catalytic mechanism …

Drone Based Operational Cloud Seeding, Jared Smith

Spring Runoff Conference

Cloud Seeding: Next Generation Operations and Validation

What is Winter Cloud Seeding? 

• The act of introducing favorable dust particles into a cloud to promote ice crystal nucleation 
• Requires naturally occurring clouds and cold temperatures 
• Aimed at enhancing winter snowpack

Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan – Longterm Actions, Jake M. Serago

Spring Runoff Conference

GSL’s water level is in long-term decline. Water users face shortages and challenges. Increased temperatures, greater precipitation extremes and population changes are stressing water supplies in the basin. 84% of Utah residents think the Government is accountable for resolving issues facing GSL.

Agricultural Water Leasing Opportunities & Updates, Hannah Freeze

Spring Runoff Conference

The framework for this leasing program is based on depletion savings from conservation practices not surplus or tailwater

Pheasant Forever Loan Program, Will Benkelman

Spring Runoff Conference

Bear River Watershed Community Conservation Program

Our Mission: Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever’s (QF) mission is to conserve pheasants, quail, and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public access, education, and conservation advocacy.

Logan River Watershed Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Zan Murray

Spring Runoff Conference

Agenda:

Program Overview: PL-566 & NEPA

Project Need and Purpose

Project Alternatives

Preferred Alternative Costs and Benefits

NEPA Timeline/Current Schedule

Questions

Cache Water District Conservation Program, Autumn Matthews

Spring Runoff Conference

Conservation and Education Programs.

Conservation Goals:

Increase community awareness through outreach, workshops, and community programs that support water conservation.

Expand and improve programs that encourage water savings and more efficient water use across the community.

Help residents save money by promoting water efficiency and reducing unnecessary water use.

Water Supply Update, Jordan Clayton

Spring Runoff Conference

Snowpack and Water Supply Conditions.

>95% of the water we use in Northern Utah comes from snow. Therefore, it’s critically important to quantify how much water is stored in our snowpack.

Legislative Summary Panel, Brian Steed, Scott Sandall, Jill Koford, Joel Ferry

Spring Runoff Conference

Legislative updates provided at the Spring Runoff Conference 2026.

Water In 2026, Spencer Cox

Spring Runoff Conference

Presentation by Utah Governor Cox.

Nexus Of Food Security Versus Armed Conflict In The Context Of Climate Change In Mali, Moussa Macalou, Youssouf Diabate, Abdoulaye Nientao, Adama B. Coulibaly

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The nexus between food security and armed conflict, with particular focus on developing countries, has been analyzed by a few studies in the literature. Every country under armed conflict is obligated to solve related food security issues. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to analyze the nexus between households’ food security and armed conflicts in the context of climate change in Mali. To achieve this objective, first, the study used an ordinary least squares model to determine the factors influencing households’ food security. Second, it used an ordered logit model to determine the factors influencing armed conflict. Apart …

Artificial Intelligence In Mycology: A Systematic Review Of Species Identification, Biotechnological Assessment, And Explainable Deep Learning Methods, Fati̇h Eki̇nci̇, Mehmet Serdar Güzel, Ilgaz Akata

Turkish Journal of Botany

This review offers a comprehensive analysis of the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mycological research. It highlights how AI supports the identification of fungal taxa at both microscopic and macroscopic levels, facilitates the detection of toxic species, contributes to ecological mapping, aids in discovering new fungal bioproducts, and enhances precision agriculture practices. Advanced techniques such as convolutional neural networks, you only look once, U-shaped network (UNet), and residual network have demonstrated strong performance in classification, segmentation, and object detection tasks. Additionally, explainable AI (XAI) methods like gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM), local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), and SHapley …

The Do-It-Yourself Guide To Backyard Drip Irrigation, Jaydee Gunnell, Taun Beddes, Burdette Barker

All Current Publications

This guide promotes efficient backyard drip irrigation as a vital strategy for water conservation in Utah, the third-driest state in the U.S. It explains evapotranspiration (ET), drip system components, and provides formulas to calculate a plant’s water needs. The guide provides practical advice on converting traditional irrigation systems to drip systems, particularly in flower beds and around shrubs and trees. By implementing drip irrigation, homeowners can contribute to water conservation while enhancing the health of their landscapes.

Comparison Of Heavy Metal Accumulation In Soil And Wood Core Within Tallassee And Tuskegee, Alabama, Alicia R. Wilson, Brianna Smith, Latricia Miller, Rashidah Farid

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Heavy metals are natural components of the environment and can be relatively non-impactful in low concentrations. However, high concentrations of heavy metal toxicity can result in air, water, and soil contamination that adversely impacts environmental, human, and wildlife health. This study focuses on detecting the presence of heavy metals in soil, Loblolly Pine tree bark, and wood core samples from sites near a landfill in the Tallassee, Alabama, community and a post-agricultural site in Tuskegee, Alabama. It has been hypothesized that heavy metals are present in soil, tree bark, and the tree’s wood core from sampling sites. Samples were taken …

Impact Of In-Depth Adoption Of System Of Rice Intensification On Food Security Of Smallholder Farm Households In Mali, Moussa Macalou, John Baptist D. Jatoe

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The system of rice intensification (SRI) was implemented in Mali to boost rice productivity. The objectives of this paper are to identify the constraints faced by SRI adopters, estimate the food security index, and assess the impact of in-depth adoption of SRI on smallholder farm households’ food security. The study uses Kendall’s ranking to rank the six main constraints identified from the literature. The study uses the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale to estimate households’ food security index. Using primary data collected on rice farm households, the study combines the multivalued treatment effect inverse probability weighted regression adjustment and the …

Evaluation Of Two Varieties Of Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus (L. Moench) Growth In A Wiregrass Tunnel House And Field, James E. Currington Sr, Victor Khan, Billie Grant, George X. Hunter, Raymon Shange, Cassandra Searight, Edward Sparks, Jeffery Moore, James E. Currington Iii

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

“Clemson Spineless” and “Jambalaya” okra were grown in a Tunnel House and field to compare yield and other growth parameters. A split-plot design with three replications/treatment was used; the Tunnel House and field were main plots, and varieties split plot. Plant height was significantly taller, and pod harvesting began two weeks earlier in the Tunnel House. Yield showed no significant differences between varieties, and Tunnel House vs. field-produced okra. However, “Clemson Spineless” produced 9% higher pod yield in the Tunnel House than “Jambalaya,” which had 23% higher field yield than “Clemson Spineless.” An enterprise budget analysis showed that Tunnel House …