Arizona
ASU, SRP project takes flight to improve water supply forecasting
Arizona State University and Salt River Project are working with Airborne Snow Observatories Inc. on an innovative project to measure snowpack in the Salt River watershed — providing crucial data to improve water management. For the first time, a collaborative research team is using an airplane equipped with state-of-the-art scanning lidar and imaging spectrometers, along…
JAWRA Publication
A new publication in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (Moiz and Mascaro, 2026) evaluates the National Water Model for the state of Arizona and quantifies its ability to reproduce water balance observations at multiple scales over the Millennium Drought period. Congratulations to the authors associated with the Center for Hydrologic Innovations!
From campus to company: How research sparked a new water tech startup
Healthy forests act like natural infrastructure: storing and releasing water and reducing wildfire risk. Restoration can improve water supplies, but measuring those benefits has relied on rough estimates that miss the complexity of Arizona’s landscapes. Tributary helps groups measure the real water outcomes of forest restoration projects.
ASU Flow: Bridging the gap between water research and practice in Arizona
The Center for Hydrologic Innovations recently held the 3rd annual ASU Flow event at the We-Ko-Pa Resort in Fountain Hills, as part fh the Arizona Hydrological Society annual symposium. A recap of the event was featured by the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative!
Parched soils can spark hot drought a nation away
A new study found compound drought-heatwave events are rippling farther and lasting through the night, raising risks for southwestern North America.
The Arizona Water Observatory: Changing the way people access water information
Congratulations to the team from the Center for Hydrologic Innovations that was recently featured by the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative! Center staff members Callahan Stormer and Vivian Hobbins presented an update of the Arizona Water Observatory to the Arizona Geographic Information Council (AGIC) during their annual meeting.
Preparing for a drier future on the Colorado River basin
With a looming deadline for the Colorado River Compact, ASU water experts weigh in on the state’s water forecast.
Impacts of Colorado River water shortages on agriculture in Central Arizona
Congratulations to the team from the Center for Hydrologic Innovations that was recently featured by the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative! Graduate student Shraddha Sharma has analyzed the changes in cropping patterns and water use after the drought declaration in the Colorado River, finding impressive differences between tribal and non-tribal irrigation districts.
Geophysical Research Letters Publication
A new publication in Geophysical Research Letters (Wang et al. 2025) describes the use of high-resolution Planet imagery for mapping snow cover and determining the terrain and vegetation controls at unprecedented scales achieving new insights for the Salt and Verde River basins. Congratulations to the authors associated with the Center for Hydrologic Innovations!
New algae system helps Arizona farmers grow better crops with less water
Congratulations to the team from the Center for Hydrologic Innovations that was recently featured by ASU News for their collaborative work with the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems and MyLand! Center Director Enrique Vivoni commented that: “This is a carbon story and a water story because atmospheric carbon is being converted into food, using…