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UNR Receives Grant To Study Mountain Snowpack

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a nearly $5 million grant to the University of Nevada Reno for research on snowpack and water allocation in western states.

Mountain snowpack is a primary source of water for states including Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California and Utah, many of which rely on the Colorado River for municipal and agricultural needs.

In a statement, the USDA said changes in mountain snowpack is altering water availability in ways that are not yet well understood.

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UNR will lead a major research effort that includes the Desert Research Institute, Colorado State University, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University.

During the next five years, an interdisciplinary team from these institutions will study which basins in the West are most at risk and how changes in water availability will affect the economic well-being of the region.

Information gathered will aim to inform decisionmakers at the regional, state and federal water policymakers level.