Our Research
The need for the Missouri Water Center (MWC) grew from the recent history of floods and droughts in Missouri and recognition that the state would benefit from increased coordination of water science. In particular, the severity and duration of flooding along the Missouri River in 2019 spawned an unprecedented effort of state and federal agencies to seek new approaches to flood-risk reduction strategies. Implementation of new strategies requires innovative research in hydrology and hydraulics to help design resilient solutions. Similarly, the extreme drought of 2022 has clarified the value of new water measurement and forecasting tools to address drought mitigation.
The MWC will utilize this momentum….
Five initial research priority areas were identified following meetings and discussions with stakeholder partners, faculty, and representatives of state and federal agencies
Water Resources Information
Learn MoreWorking with the private sector, state and federal agencies, and other colleges and universities, the Missouri Water Center plans to use new technologies to help develop a statewide network of new sensors that will complement existing monitoring networks and provide continuous monitoring of river, lake, and soil moisture levels. These data, coupled with weather forecasting information, can be analyzed to determine both the potential for flooding and the size of the area being threatened.
Economic Analysis
Learn MoreObjective economic analysis plays an important role in the decision-making process. For example, issues surrounding flood-risk reduction, such as addressing system-wide improvements or site-specific repairs, are complex and require significant public and private funding. These investments would benefit from improvements in benefit-cost valuations including more accurate assessments of agricultural losses and community impacts.
Smart Water Quality Monitoring
Learn MoreThe Missouri Water Center will address various water quality issues by advancing monitoring and high-frequency sensing capabilities. Real-time data collection, coupled with objective, scientific analysis, will provide opportunities to address water quality issues in their infancy by detecting emerging problems therefore allowing consideration of a wide-array of management options.
Enhancing Stakeholder Voices and Strengthening Partnerships
Learn MoreUsing social science methods developed for the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Missouri Water Center is engaging community members to foster more productive planning processes for water management. Through field research, MWC researchers are meeting with local experts, one-on-one in communities, to listen to and document local needs, desires, and ideas as communities shape what flood resiliency and drought management mean for their home area.
Training Future Water Professionals
Learn MoreStudents are critical to achieving our goal of providing policymakers with objective research that addresses priority issues such as preventing future flood events, predicting river and stream quantity and water quality, quantifying the social and economic impacts of flood and drought events, and using new technologies to enhance water quality. Through the MWC, students engage with communities, industry, farmers, business owners, representatives of state and federal agencies, and elected officials.