“Promoting the General Welfare of the State of Nevada… ”

Dear Friends,

The range of DRI’s research extends from the ice of Antarctica to the impoverished countryside of Africa, but some of the most significant work by DRI scientists takes place in Nevada—the desert of the Great Basin, mountain watersheds in the Sierra, the atmosphere of the Las Vegas Valley, rivers and streams serving agriculture and human consumption, as well as the forests and shrub lands of the state’s diverse ecosystems.

More than a year has passed since we featured DRI’s research at Lake Tahoe on the cover of the DRI News. In our last issue, we reported on investigations into the diversity of life in the many natural springs found throughout Nevada. These stories, and others like them, prompted us to plan a special issue of the DRI News focusing on the broad range of research that DRI conducts in the state. I want to introduce you to some of these projects and programs.

First, DRI is contributing to improved water quality on most of Nevada’s major bodies of water and waterways. In this issue of the DRI News, you can read about our work on the Truckee River and Walker Lake. Research addressing groundwater and surface water issues along much of the Truckee River provides valuable information for managers of the primary water source serving the Truckee Meadows. Information on sources of salinity, for example, has provided the basis for mitigation measures with the potential to save several millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements.

Similarly, we are working closely with Nevada farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders who have a keen commitment to Walker Lake and its surrounding waterways. DRI’s analyses and modeling tools are providing data for resource agencies grappling with difficult decisions in that area.

I am pleased to report that DRI continues its broad effort to support land use planners and natural resource managers in restoring Lake Tahoe. DRI scientists are addressing sources of clarity-reducing nutrients coming into the lake, atmospheric pollution from inside and outside the basin, and shoreline erosion. We are active in the development of an adaptive management plan that will help direct the expenditure of $300 million in federal funds to improve the condition of Lake Tahoe’s watershed.

Through its contract with the Department of Energy (DOE), DRI is also making important contributions to the protection of groundwater in Nevada. For example, DOE recently commended the work of DRI in developing a model that is being used to predict the area of groundwater contaminated from the 1968 “Faultless” underground nuclear test at the Central Nevada Test Area near Warm Springs.

Air quality in our rapidly growing metropolitan areas is another important topic we have covered in recent issues of the DRI News. One DRI project addresses the complex nature of air pollution in the Las Vegas Valley and seeks to develop and demonstrate practical methods to reduce uncertainties in transportation emissions estimates as well as measure emissions contributions from outside the metropolitan planning area. Recently funded DRI air quality projects include additional work quantifying and characterizing air pollutant emissions impacting the Lake Tahoe basin and use of an innovative new technology to measure carbon soot in the Truckee Meadows.

Last winter (2001–2002) was another successful season for Nevada’s cloud seeding program, resulting in an estimated augmentation of snow water by nearly 80,000 acre-feet at a projected average cost of $6.61 per acre foot. This program helped provide vital water supplies in the last three seasons of below normal runoff in Nevada.

We also explore land and ecosystem issues. From the effects of using recycled water on golf courses in Las Vegas to collecting information on species habitat in the Sierra Nevada, we are contributing to a broad range of issues important to Nevada. DRI geologists, for example, are investigating the effects of urban growth and land use change in the Lake Tahoe Basin as well as the impact of low standard roads on streams and riparian habitats in western watersheds.

After a summer of fires across the United States, DRI’s program in Climate, Ecosystem, and Fire Applications (CEFA) is gaining attention within and beyond Nevada. CEFA, a partnership between DRI and the Bureau of Land Management National Office of Fire and Aviation, is one of six national centers developing predictive tools for fire weather and smoke management forecasting. This issue of the DRI News describes CEFA’s advanced computing laboratory and a number of other specialized computer-based laboratories at DRI.

Science-based education at all levels is an important part of DRI’s mission in Nevada. Each year more than 50 graduate students from the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas work under the direction of DRI faculty. Many of those students stay in Nevada after graduation (including nearly 50 currently employed at DRI) to provide leadership in education, research, and the administration of agencies and programs.

DRI also provides Nevada’s K-12 teachers with tools and training they need to enhance their classroom teaching. DRI’s Science Boxes program, for example, grows every year. We estimate that more than 4,500 Nevada students had the opportunity to participate in the last 12 months. In another popular K-12 program, the Institute’s 38-site WeatherNet consortium integrates applied technology, interactive systems, hands-on learning, and development of computer literacy to engage students in classroom learning. In this issue of the DRI News, you can read about DRI’s newest K-12 enterprise, GreenPower, a cooperative venture with the Clark County School District and the customers of Nevada Power.

Last, I want to mention that construction of Phase II of the Southern Nevada Science Center (SNSC) is well underway with occupancy planned for May or early June 2003. This project represents a unique addition to our Las Vegas campus as a home for DRI scientists, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum for preserving the history of the Nevada Test Site, and a center for collecting and preserving important components of the archaeological and historical record of southern Nevada.

In the articles that follow, it is clear that DRI contributes substantially to the people, resources, and economy of Nevada. At the same time, Institute scientists have taken their expertise beyond the state to achieve a national and worldwide reputation which, in turn, benefits Nevada. Future issues of the DRI News will focus on national and international achievements. For now, we want you to have an opportunity to learn more about how DRI continues to achieve its original 1959 legislative mandate to “promote the general welfare of the State of Nevada and its citizens through the development of educational and scientific research.”

Best regards,

Stephen G. Wells, President

Featured in this Issue: Promoting the General Welfare of the State of Nevada Tough Land, Tough Choices... Deciding the Fate of Walker Lake Jacobson Appointed DRI VPAA Truckee River: Dilution No Longer the Solution to Pollution DRI's Long History with a Short River ACES and Clusters Revving Up Environmental Research DRI's veteran atmospheric modeler anticipates new cluster capabilities Dr. John J. Warwick Appointed Executive Director of DRI's Hydrologic Sciences Division GreenPower: Readin', Writin', and Renewable Energy Grabasnjak Awarded Maxey Fellowship New Publications from DRI Scientists DRI Research Foundation Trustee Rudolf Gunnerman Wins Einstein Medal The 2002 DRI Golf Extravaganza raised over $60,000! Maki Fellowships Awarded to Rost and Meadows