Water Resources Engineering and Science

The two primary foci of the Water Resources Engineering and Science group are hydrology and environmental/ecological fluid mechanics with particular strengths in water sustainability; computational fluid mechanics; flow, mixing and thermal structure of lakes; stochastic hydrology; groundwater hydrology; engineering hydraulics; stream and wetland restoration; stormwater management; and hydroecology.  The group investigates applied and theoretical problems in both the built and natural environments.  Field methods, laboratory experiments, remote-sensing techniques, numerical modeling, statistical modeling, and analytic approaches are combined to address scientific and engineering questions leading to better water resource management, a better interface between the built and natural environments, and more sustainable use of water resources.

Faculty

• Paul Block
• Steven P. Loheide
• Ken Potter
• Nimish Pujara
• Daniel Wright
• Chin H. Wu

Affiliated faculty

• Katherine McMahon
• Dante Fratta

Professors of Practice

• Rich Beilfuss
• Tom Jenkins
• Fred Klancnik

Post-doctoral students and researchers

• Eric Booth
• Solomon Erkyihun

Research groups and programs

Research groups

• Hydroecology Group
• Environmental/Ecological Fluid Mechanics Lab
• Water Systems & Society
• Hydroclimate Extremes Research Group

Related Programs

• Water Resources Management
• Freshwater and Marine Sciences Program
• Geological Engineering
• UW Water Resources Institute
• Water@UW-Madison

Current projects

Groundwater-forest interactions during drought in temperate forests across scales:
Principal Investigators: Steve Loheide and Phil Townsend
Sponsor: National Science Foundation, Hydrologic Sciences Program
8/01/2017-7/31/2020

Linking groundwater and nutrients to monitor fen ecosystems using airborne imaging spectroscopy
Principal Investigator: Eric Booth and Steve Loheide
Sponsor: WI Groundwater Coordinating Council
07/01/2017- 06/30/2019

Exploratory Research: Transport and Transformation of Particulate Organic Matter in Permeable Riverbed Sediments
Principal Investigator: Matt Ginder-Vogel, Eric Roden and Steve Loheide
Sponsor: Department of Energy

Developing Scenario Models to Analyze Impacts of Groundwater Withdrawal on Calcareous Fens
Principal Investigator: Steve Loheide and David Bart
Sponsor: Environmental Protection Agency
04/1/2016-03/31/2018

The hydrologic and ecologic effects of green infrastructure within urban coastal catchments
Principal Investigator: Steve Loheide
Sponsor: SeaGrant
02/01/2017-1/31/2019

Web-based Stochastic Storm Transposition Toolkit for Physically-based Rainfall and Flood Hazard Analysis
Principal Investigator: Daniel Wright, Kathleen Holman
Sponsor: Bureau of Reclamation
4/1/2017-9/30/2019

Evaluating Satellite Rainfall Extremes in Complex Terrain for Landslide Hazards Applications
Principal Investigator: Daniel Wright, Dalia Kirschbaum
Sponsor: NASA
April 2016-March 2019

Collaborative Research:

New knowledge from the global lake ecological observatory network
Principal Investigator: Chin Wu and Paul Hanson
10/01/09-12/13/14
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Application and Demonstration of Floating Bog Interceptors (FBIs) for Cherokee Marsh Restoration
Principal Investigator: Chin Wu
01/01/12-12/31/14
Sponsor: Dane County, Wisconsin

Yahara Clean Water Initiatives
Principal Investigator: Chin Wu
01/01/12-12/31/14
Sponsor: Dane County, Wisconsin

INFOS for WINgra Best Management Plan (WIN-BMP)
Principal Investigator: Chin Wu
1/01/12-12/31/14
Sponsor: City of Madison