Proof of Concept

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is initiating a study approach focused on building cross-disciplinary connections to weave together the scientific knowledge related to drought conditions and effects in the Colorado River Basin (fig. 1). The basin is experiencing the worst drought in recorded history, posing unprecedented new challenges in the basin and in areas relying on water from the basin. Science is continually advancing, and there is an increasing need to interpret the connections between studies to predict the effects of drought and other changes affecting the Earth system.

The USGS primarily works in independent disciplines and science centers to provide cutting-edge science to advance research and science applications worldwide. The complexity and volume of research that has been conducted related to drought in the Colorado River Basin is difficult to quantify. To complicate matters, studies, models, and datasets are cataloged and may be available in multiple, unrelated locations, across various internal systems, data repositories, and local offices. Furthermore, there are limited interactions and interfaces between scientists and partners working in different science disciplines; in many cases, individual science products require stakeholders to integrate complex interdisciplinary data across geographical and topical extents. The diverse array of interdisciplinary science and science products produced by the USGS highlights the need for a wide ranging collaborative support structure.

Project Objective

The principal objective of the Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) project is to increase the amount of interdisciplinary science conducted by the USGS in the Colorado River Basin and to evaluate the wide-ranging effects of drought by supporting collaboration between stakeholders, scientists, and technology specialists. The complexity of drought effects on human and natural systems in the Colorado River Basin requires the USGS to use interdisciplinary science to provide the data and tools needed to address multiple cross-cutting stakeholder scientific priorities. This project unifies USGS expertise, capabilities, and stakeholder relationships in the Colorado River Basin through the incorporation of advanced information management technology needed to improve science integration and delivery of actionable information at the speed and scales needed for stakeholder decision making.

Project Coordination

An interdisciplinary team of scientists in the USGS Rocky Mountain Region and Southwest Region is working with a diverse group of projects to implement the capabilities and resources (fig. 2) needed to support interdisciplinary projects in the following stages.

Examples of Featured Resources

The Colorado River Basin ASIST project has developed resources to accelerate how interdisciplinary science is conducted and has connected scientists with information management technology to provide the actionable science needed to address complex, stakeholder-driven, resource management decisions. The following section provides examples of recent research completed through the project to accelerate interdisciplinary science related to drought in the Colorado River Basin.