Los Angeles, with nearly 10 million residents, depends on imported snowmelt from the distant Eastern Sierra Nevadas and Rocky Mountains for its water supply.

UCLA researchers Stephanie Pincetl and Mark Gold are studying how the city can reduce these imports. Their work focuses on enhancing local water capture, storage, and reuse to establish a more sustainable water system for the region.

Sierra Nevada snowmelt is vital for California. It provides drinking water for 30% of residents, irrigates key San Joaquin Valley crops, and powers hydroelectric plants supplying 15% of the state's electricity.

Scientists Martha Conklin and Tom Harmon (UC Merced) are researching at the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory. They use wireless sensors to accurately measure snowpack and melt, enabling state water managers to make better allocation decisions for this precious resource.

The Rocky Mountains supply water to over 60 million homes in the West. However, this vital watershed is endangered by the mountain pine beetle.

Scientists Reed Maxwell of Colorado School of Mines and John Stednick of Colorado State University are collaborating to study the insect's impact on regional water quantity and quality.

Lake Erie, part of Earth's largest surface freshwater system, provides drinking water for 11 million people. Its water quality is threatened by increased fertilizer-derived nutrients.

Researchers Anna Michalak, Tom Bridgeman, and Pete Richards are studying how farming practices and severe weather contribute to these nutrient levels, which diminish water quality and threaten the lake's ecosystem and public health. This research was published on July 12, 2013.

Kansas farmers, including Stan Townsend and Mitchell Baalman, are depleting the Ogallala aquifer—North America's largest freshwater aquifer—for crop irrigation. Water is being pumped significantly faster than natural replenishment.

Michigan State University scientist David Hyndman is developing a management plan to ensure sustainable farming practices and protect this vital resource.

This video explains the Hydrologic Cycle, also known as the Water Cycle, through animation, graphics, and video clips. It illustrates key "flow" and "storage" processes, including precipitation, interception, runoff, infiltration, percolation, groundwater discharge, evaporation, transpiration, evapotranspiration, and condensation.

Published on July 12, 2013.