ISU students and Ames community members gathered to learn about a new, out of this world way scientists are tracking water storage.

University of Texas research scientist Bridget Scanlon presented her work last night in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. Scanlon shared her thoughts on remote sensing and water management. This is the first lecture on sustainability to be held at Iowa State.

Scanlon has been researching water resources and the effects of climate variability for roughly ten years. She became interested in the topic when she realized the poor water management happening in her home state of Texas.

“It often takes a crisis for us to develop more sustainable management practices,” Scanlon says, “but we are working towards making management more efficient.”

Scanlon’s research group is using GRACE satellites to track levels in surface water and groundwater. The GRACE satellite system is made up of two satellites travelling around the earth equidistant from each other. The satellites move apart when tracking data over mountain ranges and large aquifers. This distance is then tracked and viewed on a monthly time scale.

Water storage changes have been happening around the world with the majority of them occurring around rivers, glaciers, and mountain ranges. To resolve the issue, Scanlon looks at conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater to be stored in aquifers.

David Dziubanski, ISU PhD student in Civil Engineering and Geology, attended the event because of the similarity in Scanlon’s work compared to his own water sustainability project.

“I knew about the grey stuff,” Dziubanski says, “but her idea of conjunctive use seems like it could work depending on the region.”

Scanlon also reviewed current solutions to the water management issue. These solutions included spreading the water basins, the California aqueduct, and managed aquifer recharging.

Scanlon explained that while water and climate changes can be considered anthropogenic, there seems to be other natural inputs as well that researchers are missing.

“It seems like we need a flood to break a drought,” says Scanlon, “but we also need a better way of managing our water resources.”