Reno, Nev. (September 10, 2024) – Guo Yu, an assistant research professor of hydrometeorology, along with collaborator Luke McGuire from the University of Arizona, has been awarded a three-year grant from the USGS Water Resources Research Act Program. The funding will be used to expand Yu's research on how repeated wildfires impact flooding risk in communities.
In a study published in December 2023, Yu found that peak floods can be up to three times larger in the first year following a large wildfire. When severe wildfires occur, soil-stabilizing plant roots are lost and the soil can become water-repellent, increasing flood risk. The research employs flood frequency analysis to estimate the relationship between flooding severity and its probability.
The new funding will enable Yu and a future doctoral student to enhance their framework by considering climate change impacts, such as extended vegetation recovery time during drought years, on flooding risk.
“This research is critical for understanding how increased wildfire risk under a changing climate will impact flooding risk to western communities,” Yu stated.
The $300,000 USGS grant was matched by DRI and the University of Arizona, providing $600,000 over three years for the research. Yu plans to hire a Ph.D. student through the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences to begin work on the project in 2025. Prospective students interested in this project can contact Guo Yu directly.
Additionally, part of the award will support DRI STEM Education Program’s professional development trainings on fire ecology for Nevada K-12 teachers at DRI campuses in Reno and Las Vegas. These trainings include educational kits known as Green Boxes prepared by the STEM Education Team in partnership with DRI scientists and offered free to schools statewide.
“Sixty years ago, DRI helped initiate what has become the USGS Water Resources Research Act Program and currently hosts the Nevada Water Resources Research Institute. We’re proud to contribute to the program’s goal of using robust scientific research to resolve the West’s water problems while training future scientists,” said Sean McKenna, executive director of hydrologic sciences at DRI.
More information: Preparing for the Floods That Follow the Fires, a research interview with Guo Yu and Jeremy Giovando
About DRI
Founded in 1959 as Nevada’s non-profit research institute, DRI empowers experts to focus on impactful science. Collaborating across traditional scientific boundaries and worldwide partnerships, DRI addresses pressing scientific questions. With more than 600 scientists, engineers, students, and staff across Reno and Las Vegas campuses conducting over $47 million in sponsored research in 2023 alone, DRI continuously produces solutions that improve human and environmental health.