INRA Water Research Consortium (IWRC)

Winter snowpack controls replenishment of regional water resources in the Inland Northwest. Regional surface and ground water resources are over-allocated and the water scarcity is evident in both space and time. The Inland Northwest snowpack is highly susceptible to climate and land cover change. Water resources research is needed to ultimately advance societal abilities to develop adaptive strategies to optimally manage water resources within a dynamic and variable climatic and demographic regime. 

We have established a Consortium on Water Resources that will enhance our national understanding of water shortages, and their impact on the Inland Northwest region.  The mission of the INRA Water Research Consortium is to conduct well-coordinated multi-disciplinary research across the INRA institutions in the broad range of scientific and policy-making disciplines that comprise all aspects of water resource management issues.  The public purpose served by the Consortium will be to help society manage water resources and prepare for the inevitable occurrence of flood and drought by improving the regional mechanism to coordinate information gathering, sharing, synthesis, comparison and outreach to water managers.  .  The Consortium will facilitate sharing of expertise, facilities and information in addressing regional water resources problems.  

INRA’s Water Research Consortium is currently pursuing the following activities: 

1. The Water Resources Consortium Steering Committee, with representatives from all eight INRA Universities, has created a regional scientific needs assessment and research plan that will coordinate INRA research on key water resource issues. 
2. Initial research activities have been initiated, which facilitate regional collaboration, and graduate student support.  Nine research projects have been funded, each requiring cross-institutional collaboration and each supporting a graduate student who will assist in conducting this research.
3. The Water Resources Consortium will initiate development of an INRA Constellation of Experimental WATERsheds (ICEWATER).  The ICEWATER network will compare, contrast, synthesize, and coordinate ongoing and emerging efforts in the region for data compatibility and research/outreach coordination.  The ICEWATER network will build infrastructure and increase institutional research competitiveness in the area of Water Resources (physical, biological and social sciences).