U.S. Water News Online
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Researchers at Colorado State University and the University of Colorado are teaming up to create a laboratory to study how to reduce the state's vulnerability to drought.
DroughtLab will include more than 100 faculty members from 22 CSU departments along with researchers from CU's Boulder campus. Organizers hope it will draw together comprehensive drought research and determine how to mitigate the effects of drought.
Atmospheric science professor and state climatologist Roger Pielke Sr. and civil engineering professor Jose Salas will direct the project, which will build on CSU's water and climatological research programs.
Departments including engineering, atmospheric science, agricultural sciences, fishery and wildlife biology, and sociology will be represented in DroughtLab.
``We need to bring all our skills together because one discipline cannot provide what we need to understand drought impact,'' Pielke said. ``It's more a matter of bringing together the diverse expertise that we have across the state.''
Researchers will look at the impacts of drought and how to respond to drought, including water supply forecasting techniques. Their findings will be sent to water managers and the public through discussion forums, newsletters and a Web site.
As Colorado's drought worsens, water supplies are diminishing and many communities across the state are facing uncertainty about their future water resources. Pielke warned the state might not have seen the worst yet.
``We can have worse droughts,'' he said. ``We need to prepare now for multi-year droughts and (see) what we can do to reduce vulnerability.''
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