Environmental Engineering Commons^™

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.

Bear Lake Water Quality And Chemistry: 114 Years Of Water Management, Connely Baldwin

Spring Runoff Conference

Motivation: Fall 2024 Bear Lake Sediment-Nutrient Reduction Workshop (Bear Lake Watch) motivated deeper dive into water quality and chemistry status and trends

Development Of A Low-Cost Stem Dendrometer For Irrigation Scheduling In Fruit Trees, Anderson Luiz Dos Santos Safre, Alfonso Torres-Rua, Brent Black

Spring Runoff Conference

Motivation 

• Irrigation scheduling in water scarce regions. 
• Water stress evaluation in tart cherry orchards.
• Plant-based methods more suitable for tree crops. 
• Elevated cost of commercial dendrometers (> 1,000 USD). 

Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum Aquaticum): Biology And Management Options In Utah, Francielli S. De Oliveira

Spring Runoff Conference

Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)

• Invasive weed from South America.
• Heterophilic perennial dioecious plant (female in the US).
• Forms dense mats, blocks waterways, and outcompetes native species
• Spreads via rhizomes, stolons, and stem fragments.

Comparing Two Methods To Monitor Singlet Oxygen Production In Aquatic Systems: Chemical Probe Vs. Time Resolved Phosphorescence., Monika Madhiyan

Spring Runoff Conference

What’s in water?

• DOM is a naturally occurring complex mixture of organic matter
• Pollutants from domestic, industrial and agricultural effluent are introduced into surface waters

Innovative Genetic Methods For Predicting Microcystin Toxin Production In Cyanobacterial Blooms: Real-Time And Pre-Bloom Public Health Monitoring, Liyuan Hou

Spring Runoff Conference

EQL emphasizes an integrated engineering and science approach to the environmental quality of land, water, and air

Chopping Up The Riverscape: Consistent Sample Frames For Assessment And Monitoring, Jordan Gilbert

Spring Runoff Conference

Background

• Riverscapes Assessment and Monitoring Lab (RAM)
• Joe Wheaton, Wally Macfarlane, Jordan Gilbert
• Founding member of Riverscapes Consortium
• Provide tools for people working in riverscapes
• Primarily planning, implementing, and monitoring restoration projects

Growing Roots: Water Conservation, Innovative Research And Public Education, Aurora Wallis Durfee

Spring Runoff Conference

Hydroponics allows for efficient, sustainable food production, using less water and space than traditional farming methods.

Water Markets In Utah? Water Manager Perspectives On Potential Uptake, Britta L. Schumacher

Spring Runoff Conference

Irrigation organizations: intermediaries that deliver water to farms, ranches, and other users, coordinate investments in conveyance infrastructure, and manage limited water supplies.

Advancing 3d Channel Representation To Support National Scale Flood Forecasting Operations, Jose Castejon Villalobos, Anzy Lee, Noelle Patterson, Belize Lane, Colin Phillips

Spring Runoff Conference

Storms and Flooding are major annual disasters.

Paired Storms Reveal Post-Fire Flood Characteristics And Drivers, Haley Canham, Belize Lane

Spring Runoff Conference

The wildfire regime is changing in the western US.

Davis Aqueduct Reach 1 - The Design And Construction Of Large Diameter Pipelines, Shane Mcfarland

Spring Runoff Conference

Designing and building a seismically resilient 72-inch pipeline.

District Overview: Weber Basin Water Conservancy District

From Vulnerabilities And Concern To Action: How Perceived Climate Vulnerabilities And Concern For The Great Salt Lake Desiccation Shape Utahns’ Migration Decision, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Jennifer E. Givens

Spring Runoff Conference

In light of the current climate crisis, how do Utahns perceive their climate or disaster vulnerabilities and concern for the Great Salt Lake desiccation? Does the perception of vulnerabilities and concern for the Great Salt Lake desiccation influence their intention to migrate from Utah?

Water And Journalism Panel, Heather May, Anastasia Hufham, Ben Winslow, Sheri Quinn

Spring Runoff Conference

Respondents’ sources of information on Great Salt Lake issues

The Practical And The Possible: How Research Informs Policy And Management For Land, Forest, And Water Management, Charlie Luce

Spring Runoff Conference

The practical and the possible: How research informs policy and management for land, forest, and water resources.

What Does Our Water Year Look Like?, Candice Hasenyager

Spring Runoff Conference

Drip Drip Drop: Water in Utah

In Utah, we are either in drought or preparing for the next one

We Shall Have A Seat At The Table, Yanna Liang

Spring Runoff Conference

Uniqueness of ESE 

• The only environmental BS program in the nation that has “Sustainable” in its title.
• Sustainability in water treatment, air pollution control, energy production, resource re-utilization 

The Once And Future Variability Of Colorado River Water Resources, Balaji Rajagopalan

Spring Runoff Conference

The Plot – “Millennium Drought” Since 2000 

• Current Water Crisis 

Impacts Of Changing Temperatures On The Water Budget In The Great Salt Lake Basin, Grace Affram, Jihad Othman, Reza Morovati, Saddy Pineda Castellanos, Sajad Khoshnoodmotlagh, Diana Dunn, Braedon Dority, Katherine Osorio Diaz, Cody Ratterman, Wei Zhang

Spring Runoff Conference

Temperature affects precipitation phases and the evolution of snowpack.

Canal Improvements: Balancing Piping And Automation, Trevor Nielson

Spring Runoff Conference

Factors to Consider 

- Piping 

• Size/Cost 
• Loss saved per mile 
• Longer Lifespan 
• Safety Benefits 

- Automation 

• On-going Cost 
• Cover Existing O&M Costs 
• More Skilled Staff 
• Higher Quality of Life for Field Employees 
• Safety Benefits 

Box Elder County - Countywide Water Master Plan, Quinn Dance

Spring Runoff Conference

Box Elder County Water Master Plan.

Project Background: 

Pre-Project Planning 

• Box Elder County General Plan Update 
• Steering Committee Organization 

Soil Health And Water Conservation, Tony Richards

Spring Runoff Conference

What are Healthy Soils? 

• Stable 
• Functional 
• Productive 
• Resilient 

Great Salt Lake Model Depletion, Katherine Wright

Spring Runoff Conference

When does water leasing make sense? Using New Information to Make Better Leases.

Lease, but only if it makes sense.

• Farmers have a legal right to use water on their farms for agriculture.
• Leasing might be a good economic decision for you, but not your neighbor.
• Leasing is voluntary, the purpose of this presentation is to explain the benefits of leasing and give you the information you need to decide if it is right for you. 

Utah Water Research Lab, David Tarboton

Spring Runoff Conference

The concept of a dedicated water research laboratory evolved over years, with significant contributions from Vaughn E. Hansen, Dean F. Peterson, and George D. Clyde. The UWRL represents the culmination of a long-held vision at USU to advance water research.

Legislative Updates Panel, Casey Snider, Brian Steed, Kelly Pehrson, Joel Ferry

Spring Runoff Conference

Legislative Updates Panel