IWRRI staff at the 2026 DEQ water quality conference.

Introducing New IWRRI Staff

Grace is a watershed scientist passionate about addressing water availability challenges through collaborative research to inform watershed management and decision-making. Grace earned a Ph.D. in Water Resources at the University of Idaho in December 2025, where her research focused on understanding how Idaho’s headwater systems are responding to climate change and disturbance, with particular emphasis on the intersection of groundwater, snowmelt, and wildfire. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and GIS from Western Washington University and has extensive…

Kuna TCP students sample for macroinvertebrates along the Boise River at Barber Park.

Youth Water Summit Expands to Southern Idaho, Inspiring the Next Generation of Water Leaders

Boise State student uses high school project to inspire a career path, showing the lasting impact of hands-on science education Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — Presenting to North Idaho community members during the Youth Water Summit as a Lake City high school junior in the spring of 2021, shaped the course of Lucy Mendez’s future. Today, as an environmental science undergraduate at Boise State University, Lucy is drawing on what she learned about Coeur d’Alene Lake to explore real-world water solutions,…

Green fields surrounded by brown hills in the Snake River Valley near Hargerman Idaho

IWRRI funds strategic Idaho water research projects

IWRRI funds strategic Idaho water research projects BOISE, Idaho — Jan. 08, 2026 — The Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) has prioritized and is backing several research projects involving the state’s three public research universities to address Idaho’s pressing water challenges. Established in 1964, IWRRI is one of 54 U.S. water research and technology centers, conducting and directing research to support the water resource needs of the state and entire Northwestern U.S. In fall 2025, IWRRI allocated more than $580,000 for eight faculty-led research projects proposed by scientists…