Primary Research Focus Areas
Our calls for proposals, technical mentors, and results are based on four categories or focus areas of research depicted in the watershed diagram below. Our roadmap provides detailed look at these four areas (our outputs, strategies, and goals) and shows how these research areas support Reclamation's mission.
Improving Water Delivery Reliability:
- Fish Passage and Entrainment (WD1): Improve the reliability of Reclamation water deliveries by improving passage and reducing entrainment of aquatic and other species affected by Reclamation water storage and diversion operations.
- Ecosystem Needs (WD2): Improve the reliability of Reclamation water supplies by finding innovative means to address aquatic ecosystem and aquatic species needs without impacting water deliveries.
- Invasive Species (WD3): Develop and improve techniques for managing aquatic and riparian invasive species that consume Reclamation water supplies or clog Reclamation water deliveries.
- Water Quality (WD4) : Develop and advance tools and practices that Reclamation has the mission responsibility and authority to use in managing water quality issues that:
- Are linked to Reclamation operations, and
- Could impact the reliability of Reclamation water deliveries if not addressed.
- Sediment Management and River Restoration (WD5): Develop and improve sediment management and river restoration solutions and tools that improve the reliability of water deliveries from Reclamation reservoirs and associated river systems.
Improving Water and Power Infrastructure Reliability and Safety:
- Condition Assessment (IR1): Improve Reclamation's ability to effectively plan maintenance and prevent costly failures by advancing Reclamation's ability to assess the condition of our facilities and provide early detection of mechanical and structural anomalies.
- Repair and Maintenance (IR2): Develop and improve solutions, tools, and materials to reduce deterioration and to enhance repair and maintenance capability for Reclamation structures.
- Improving Geotechnical Infrastructure Reliability (IR3): Develop solutions and tools that improve geologic and geotechnical investigation, design, and construction of Reclamation geotechnical infrastructure.
- Public and Employee Safety (IR4) : Reduce public and employee safety risks due to the operations of Reclamation facilities.
- Improved HydroPower Generation (IR5): Develop solutions and tools that will reduce power generation losses, increase power generation efficiencies, and improve powerplant operations for Reclamation.
Improving Water Operations Decision Support:
- Managing Hydrologic Events (DS1): Develop and improve methods to predict, model, and manage operational hydrologic events for Reclamation facilities.
- Water Supply Forecasting (DS2): Develop and improve solutions and tools to forecast and monitor water supplies and water demands for Reclamation project waters.
- Water Operation Models and Decision Support Systems (DS3): Develop and improve operations and planning models and decision support systems that evaluate trade-offs between water demands, water losses, water suitability, and reservoir/river system operations needs in order to optimally manage water delivery and use for Reclamation.
- Water Resource Data Analysis (DS4): Improve the analysis and usability of critical water resources management data and information through remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and other methods that can facilitate effective, comprehensive planning and decision-making for Reclamation on a Western 17 state, regional, or local scale.
Advancing Water Supply Technologies:
- Groundwater Storage (WS1): Develop and improve solutions and tools that advance and optimize groundwater and conjunctive groundwater/surface water storage and use for Reclamation projects.
- Desalination and Water Treatment (WS2): Develop and improve technologies, solutions and tools to expand water supplies for Reclamation stakeholders through effective water purification and supporting technologies.
- Agriculture Water Supplies (WS3): Develop and improve solutions and tools that automate, measure, and deliver agricultural water resulting in liberated water or a cost savings for Reclamation or its stakeholders.
- Water Marketing (WS4): Develop and improve Reclamation's ability to facilitate water marketing and other institutional mechanisms to expand and manage water supplies for Reclamation project water beneficiaries.
- Supporting Irrigation Districts (WS5): Find ways to help Reclamation project irrigation and water districts identify and cope with change such as urbanization, competition for water rights, and recreational use of facilities when this helps to achieve Reclamation's mission through liberating water or cost savings.
- System Water Losses (WS6): Develop and improve solutions and tools that conserve water and/or reduce water losses, in Reclamation water storage and delivery systems. Any associated water quality and quantity impacts on the system as a whole should also be addressed in the R&D to enable confident and successful deployment of tools for solutions.