Research and Development Office



Stories & Media
  • News - Prize Competitions

    Bureau of Reclamation Launches Prize Challenge to Seek Solutions for Improving Weather Forecast Predictions

    Poster image of satellite weather picture.(Dec. 20, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation is launching a new prize challenge, Sub-Seasonal Climate Forecast Rodeo, to ask solvers to improve existing sub-seasonal forecasts and to develop systems that perform demonstratively better than the existing baseline forecast for predicting temperature and precipitation over a 15 to 42-day time frame. If there are winners of this prize challenge, they will share up to $800,000 in prize money.

    Solvers of this prize challenge will have three months to develop their system, at which point they are asked to provide forecasts every two weeks over a 13-month period, with the first month being a "pre-season" to become familiar with the submission and evaluation processes. Read More →

  • News - Prize Competitions

    Bureau of Reclamation Launches Two Prize Challenges Seeking Solutions to Expand Usable Water Supplies

    Poster images for Arsenic Sensor and More Water, Less Concenrate Prize Competitions(Dec. 13, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation is launching two new prize challenges, Arsenic Sensor Challenge and More Water, Less Concentrate. This is the first stage for each challenge. Subsequent stages with larger prize purses are planned for testing and demonstrating the most promising technologies.

    The Arsenic Sensor Challenge seeks to identify new or improved sensors, devices or test kits to measure arsenic in water in natural and engineered systems. The More Water, Less Concentrate prize challenge seeks innovative solutions to expand usable water supplies by maximizing fresh water production from inland desalination systems in a cost effective and environmentally sound manner. Read More →

  • News - S&T Program

    Bureau of Reclamation Selects Three Projects to Receive Nearly $300,000 for Innovative Water Treatment Research Projects

    Lehigh University, one of the three awardees for the Pitch to Pilot event, was selected for their Enhanced Recovery from Impaired Water Resources: Field Scale Validation of Hybrid Ion Exchange Membrane (HIX-M) Desalination Process project. Mike German accepts the Crowd Favorite award from the public event from Reclamation's Research and Development Office Advanced Water Treatment Research Coordinator, Yuliana Porras-Mendoza.(Nov. 16, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation has selected three projects to receive $299,685 under an innovative pilot-scale water treatment technologies and process for inland desalination. The selected projects will receive funding through cooperative agreements and will include a period of pilot testing at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

    "Reclamation and its partners are working to assure sustainable water supplies and provide clean and reliable water supplies for the Western United States," Commissioner Estevan López said. "Through the development of new water treatment technologies, such as the ones announced today, impaired waters will become a new and reliable source of water for communities throughout the country and specifically in the West." Read More →

  • News - Technology Transfer

    Notable Technology Development Award Given to Inventors of Flexible Magnetic Flux Probe

    Comparison image of flexible magnetic flux probe with penny.(Nov. 7, 2016) Reclamation recently received a Notable Technology Development Award recognizing new technologies designed to serve the common good. The award was given by the Federal Laboratory Consortium Mid-Continent (FLC MC) for the Flexible Magnetic Flux Probe. The inventors of the Flux Probe are Jim Dehaan, Malin Jacobs and Bert Milano.

    Dehaan, Jacobs, and Milano are part of Reclamation’s Hydropower Technical Services Group which developed and patented (#6466009) a flexible magnetic flux probe that detects deteriorating insulation in large-scale spinning electrical generators preventing failure as well as expensive repairs and replacements. The inexpensive, small, flat, light, and flexible probe accurately measures the magnetic flux, and can be mounted in the air gap without rotor removal or shutdown. The probe design is very thin, allowing easy installation into the air gap. If the probe comes loose during generator operation, the flexible substrate will not damage the generator. Reclamation has a non-exclusive license agreement with Iris Power LP, and has already sold over 200 of these probes. Read More →

  • News - DWPR Program

    Bureau of Reclamation Seeks Applicants for Four Water Treatment Research Funding Opportunities

    (Nov. 3, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking applicants for four water treatment research funding opportunities under the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program and Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.

    The DWPR program funding opportunities will provide funding for the full spectrum of technology development and testing to support the commercialization of new desalination and water purification technologies. The Title XVI Program funding opportunity is focused on moving research to practice by supporting planning related research to help deploy technologies or processes that are currently available in the industry to help address water supply challenges. Read More →

  • Quarterly Magazine

    Knowledge Stream - Advanced Water Treatment

    (Fall 2016) This edition addresses Research and Development Office (R&D) work in the field of Advanced Water Treatment (AWT). AWT supports the goals and objectives stated in “Water Resource Challenges and Opportunities for Water Technology Innovation,” published in December 2015, which supports the White House Initiative on clean water technologies.

    Activities highlighted include R&D’s Desalination and Water Purification Research (DWPR) and Science and Technology (S&T) Programs, which together fund a wide range of research, development, and demonstration activities in such areas as pre-treatment, water treatment, and concentrate management technologies, as well as innovation to reduce the costs, energy requirements, and environmental impacts of these various technologies. Read Issue →

  • News - BGNDRF Facility

    Bureau of Reclamation Inviting Public to Learn about Potential New Water Treatment Technologies at Research Facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico

    Image of sign at Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility. (October 17, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation is hosting a pitch-to-pilot event at its Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico. This unique event was designed to identify and fund innovative water treatment technologies for enhancing existing freshwater supplies in the United States. Six groups are bringing new, innovative technologies to pitch Reclamation on why they should receive federal funding to further develop their project. Read More →

  • News - S&T Program

    Bureau of Reclamation Science and Technology Investments Total $10.9 Million in 2017

    (October 5, 2016) One of the ways Reclamation is working to ensure a sustainable water supply in the Western United States is its investment in science and technology. In fiscal year 2017, Reclamation is investing $10.9 million for 174 new and continuing internal research projects. While these are internal research projects, some are partnering with other federal and non-federal entities and universities with a partner cost-share of $11.56 million.

    "Reclamation brings unique science and engineering experience to meet these various challenges," Reclamation Commissioner Estevan López said. "We use our unique experience and partner with other entities to develop solutions that help ensure a sustainable water supply into the future." Read More →

  • News - Partnerships

    Reclamation Partners with AMTA for Fellowships in Membrane Technology

    (August 30, 2016) The American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) and the Bureau of Reclamation are proud to announce a call for nominees for fellowships for membrane technology. The AMTA/Reclamation Fellowships will consist of competed awards given to graduate students pursuing a full-time Masters or Ph.D. at a University or College in the United States conducting research in innovations for water treatment in membrane related research. Read More →

  • News - Prize Competitions

    Bureau of Reclamation Launches Prize Competition Seeking Solutions to Prevent Rodents From Burrowing into Canals, Levees, and Earthen Embankments

    (August 29, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation is launching a new prize competition seeking methods to prevent rodents from burrowing into canals, levees and earthen dam embankments. Winners of this prize competition will share $20,000. Read More →

  • News - Climate

    Groundwater Recharge in Upper Colorado River Basin May Hold Steady Under Climate Change

    (Aug. 15, 2016) Future increases in precipitation in the Upper Colorado River Basin may increase groundwater recharge, offsetting reductions that would result from increased temperatures, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation. Read More →

  • News - Prize Competitions

    Bureau of Reclamation Selects Winners of Prize Competition Seeking Methods to Quantify Drift Invertebrates in River and Estuary Systems

    (July 15, 2016) Quantifying the vital food supply for threatened and endangered fish has been complicated for scientists. But that may be changing. Through a Bureau of Reclamation prize competition, five ideas were selected that have merit and may lead to breakthroughs quantifying the drift invertebrates in river and estuary systems. Read More →

  • Quarterly Magazine

    Knowledge Stream - Climate Variability and Extremes

    (Summer 2016) This issue focuses on climate variability and extremes. From research for better ways of estimating heavy precipitation to improved tools for forecasting of floods and droughts, highlights include efforts to better understand the increasing challenges in managing water resources in an era of changing climate, and to develop more effective decision-support tools to help navigate those challenges.

    Other areas of interest feature articles connecting to Reclamation reservoir operations, including pilot studies located in Reclamation’s five regions, which focus on identifying how improving forecast skills or improving ways of using forecasting information can provide opportunities for increases in water management flexibility. Read Issue →

  • News - DWPR Program

    Bureau of Reclamation Selects Twenty-one Projects to Receive $2.93 Million to Study Water Treatment Technologies

    (June 30, 2016) Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Estevan López today announced $2.93 million in funding for water treatment technologies research. This funding is being provided through the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program for the development of new water treatment technologies and Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program for research into the deployment of new technologies that supports the expansion of water technologies in new locations. Read More →

  • Event - Pitch to Pilot

    Pitch to Pilot: Bridging Reclamation's Clean Water Technologies for Today and Tomorrow

    (June 10, 2016) Reclamation developed a new cooperative agreement competition called Pitch to Pilot to call for innovative pilot scale water treatment technologies and processes for inland desalination. Featuring a unique competition approach designed to accelerate proposal review and selection, chosen applicants will be invited to interact with the application review committee in-person and make a "pitch" on their proposal. Read More →

  • Technical Manual

    Technical Manual to Help Inform River and Stream Professionals in Management of Wood Projects Throughout the United States Now Available from Bureau of Reclamation

    (April 15, 2016) The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have developed and released a manual to establish consistent methods to assess, design and manage wood projects for river and stream restoration throughout the United States. The National Large Wood Manual provides a basic understanding of the role of wood in fluvial aquatic and riparian ecosystems and information on how wood should be maintained, reintroduced and managed by resource managers and restoration practitioners. Read More →

  • Quarterly Newsletter

    The Knowledge Stream - Reservoir Sedimentation and Sustainability Issue

    (Spring 2016) In this issue, we focus on reservoir sedimentation and sustainability. As we move into the future, the growing number of water users in the West will continue to use aging reservoirs to manage surface water supplies. All rivers transport sediments ranging from fine clays and silts to coarse gravels and cobbles.

    When our existing reservoirs were originally designed, the accumulation of sediment in reservoirs was anticipated, and reservoirs were often estimated to have a “sediment-design life”. This prompts interest in strategies to better manage accumulating sediments in reservoirs.

    Solutions to manage reservoir sedimentation other than simply storing sediment in reservoirs have been proposed and applied internationally. Reclamation is evaluating opportunities to potentially use some of these solutions, or develop new ones. Read Issue →


Last Updated: 1/23/17