Under this agreement, reclamation shall provide funding to utah state university (USU) to 1) hire a masters student to investigate the reproductive biology of green sunfish and potential effects of…

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded Utah State University $611,267.09 under the SECURE Water Act – Research Agreements program (CFDA 15.560) on September 2, 2025, for research activities designed to enhance water resource management. The project will support two research initiatives through September 30, 2030: (1) funding for a Master's student to investigate the reproductive biology of green sunfish and evaluate potential effects of environmental factors on this species, and (2) funding for a PhD student to compile and analyze pre-existing data while conducting field surveys to assess interconnectivity of red shiner populations across the Verde River and Virgin River systems. The research outputs will be incorporated into Tamarisk and Salt Cedar (TSC) eradication strategy simulations to support invasive species management and ecosystem restoration efforts in western water systems.

This award supports the Bureau of Reclamation's broader mission of funding research that conserves water resources and enhances management capabilities across the Colorado River Basin. The research activities, performed at Utah State University's Logan, Utah campus, will generate technical data and validated analytical findings to inform water resource management decisions, consistent with the SECURE Water Act program's focus on applied research delivering operational data and field-tested insights for western U.S. water systems.

Under this agreement, reclamation shall provide funding to utah state university (USU) to 1) hire a masters student to investigate the reproductive biology of green sunfish and potential effects of environmental factors, and 2) hire a PHD student to compile pre-existing data and conduct surveys to assess interconnectivity of red shiner populations in the verde river and virgin river and incorporate this information in TSC eradication strategy simulations.