SS 1.1: Shaping a water-resilient future for Idaho

Kendra Kaiser is the director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. In the first episode of a special summer season of “The Vandal Theory,” she shares how the institute is identifying and filling critical water research gaps across Idaho.

Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.

Idaho’s water challenges

Water is central to life in Idaho — supporting agriculture, recreation, healthy ecosystems and growing communities. Kendra Kaiser explains that the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) was created to meet the state’s most pressing water needs by coordinating research, distributing federal and state funding and connecting with partners across Idaho. Recently, the Legislature committed $1 million annually to expand the institute’s work.

IWRRI identifies its research priorities through a statewide advisory committee of farmers, agencies, watershed collaboratives and local governments. This group pinpoints urgent issues, such as water quantity in the Eastern Snake Plain or water quality in high‑use basins, and the institute pairs faculty experts with projects to find solutions. One example is in the Big Wood Basin, where streamflow forecasting tools now help farmers plan crops and prepare for drought.

Community outreach is just as important. Through programs like The Confluence Project, high school students study snow science, groundwater and water quality, then present their findings at the Youth Water Summit. By linking local needs with university expertise — and inspiring the next generation — IWRRI provides the tools and partnerships Idaho needs to protect its water for the future. 

Music

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction
(00:46) What is IWRRI?
(02:15) Identifying water needs
(03:50) Community outreach
(05:26) Importance of water research