This $293,843 project grant from the National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities, under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083), will fund research to test applying common pool resource theory and Ostrom's social-ecological systems framework to address inland freshwater salinization. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will lead a collaborative effort to study sources of salt accumulation in the Occoquan Reservoir, which provides drinking water to nearly 2 million people. Researchers will work with local water managers and other stakeholders to identify mechanisms for collaborative management of salt levels through bottom-up solutions. Field studies, modeling, and stakeholder interviews and discussions aim to diagnose challenges limiting local management and catalyze stakeholder-driven actions. Insights may inform broader efforts to sustain freshwater ecosystems and security facing growing salinity issues. The award period is January 1, 2023 through August 31, 2025.
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