Published: Feb. 14, 2024 By

Joseph Kaspryzk and Edith Zagona in front of a wall of colorful graphicsJoseph Kaspryzk and Edith Zagona of the Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES), pose in front of their research. Photo credit: Matthew Staver for The Washington Post

Edith Zagona and Joseph Kasprzyk wereÌýinterviewed by the Washington Post for a new article, discussing how,Ìýin an era of climate change, officials are working to ensureÌýthat the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ River can continue to serve as a lifeline for the 40 million people who dependÌýon it.

The article, titled "Inside the race to grasp the fate of the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ River," exploresÌýhowÌýthe federal governmentÌýis utilizingÌýinnovative, web-based tools developed by academics at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder to forecastÌýthe river’s future flows. This cutting-edge approach will aidÌýnegotiators in shapingÌýthe next significant agreementÌýto allocateÌýthe diminishing river's resources for decades to come.

Zagona, a research professor in ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder'sÌýDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Architectural EngineeringÌý(CEAE)Ìýand the director of theÌýCenter for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental SystemsÌý(CADSWES), is the principal investigator and principal inventor of RiverWare®, a river, reservoir and hydropower management software licensed by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Office of Technology Transfer and used by hundreds of water managers, agencies, utilities, researchers and consultants for managing river systems in the US and globally.

Kasprzyk, an associate professor in the department, is an expert in water resources planning and management, and led the research in Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty that is the basis of the innovative App for collaborative decision making for the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ River Basin.

The CADSWESÌýis a research center in the CEAE department. EstablishedÌýin 1986, its mission is to research and develop decision support systems utilizedÌýbyÌýgovernment agencies and others to improve the management of finite natural resources, particularly water.ÌýResearch projects are typically funded by federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Energy.