Water Supply & Water Quality
WEO researchers have leveraged existing gradients in water isotope
values (d18O and d2H in surface
water, groundwater, precipitation, drinking water, and effluent) across
the Jordan River Basin and monitoring of discharge and hydrochemistry to
better understand complexities in the supply of surface water and
drinking water (Jameel et al., 2016; 2018; Follstad Shah et al., 2019),
as well as relationships between water supply and water quality (Hall et
al., 2016; Gabor et al., 2017). These studies demonstrate how water
isotopes can be a tool for public utilities to identify where to monitor
for unintended reactions within pipes receiving water from multiple
sources, isolate areas of water-related public health emergencies, and
better manage impaired waterways. Studies in Jordan River tributaries
also indicate that snowmelt-dominated groundwater is a significant
contributor to discharge along the montane to urban gradient and show
that shallow, polluted groundwater in highly urban areas as the source
of elevated stream nutrient loads (Hall et al., 2016; Gabor et al.,
2017). These results challenge the existing paradigm linking stormwater
inputs to poor water quality in urban streams.
Two facilities exist at the University of Utah that provide
opportunities for assessing the efficacy of green infrastructure to
manage stormwater inputs and retain nutrients. The Green Infrastructure
Research Facility (GIRF) is an experimental set of bioswales where
hydrologic inputs, water chemistry, and vegetation can be fully
manipulated. Work at this site has demonstrated that bioswales with
irrigated wetland vegetation and un-irrigated xeric adapted upland
vegetation retained similar amounts of phosphorus, while wetland swales
retained more nitrogen (Houdeshel et al., 2015). The Landscape Lab
(http://cepd.cap.utah.edu/landscape-lab/)
consists of eight bioswales receiving runoff from adjacent structures
and streets. Bioswales are planted with either mesic, ornamental
vegetation or drought-adapted vegetation, with equal replication of each
treatment. The site was established through a designed experiment
process (Felson and Pickett, 2005), as both a demonstration project for
stormwater management in semi-arid regions, and a research site to
address how ecohydrology and ecology affect green infrastructure
function.