USGS SCIENCE COLLABORATION PORTAL FOR THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN

The Colorado River Basin (Basin) is one of the most important river systems in the United States, providing water for more than 40 million people, agricultural lands, recreation, mining, and sustaining ecosystems for numerous species. The Basin is experiencing an extended period of unprecedented drought, posing substantial challenges for water management and sustainability, compounded by cascading impacts on ecosystems and society. Strategic mitigation and/or adaptation, and planning for reduced available water, increased wildfire, reduced air and water quality, and other cascading impacts require the best available science. To help resource managers plan for and mitigate or adapt to long-term drought impacts in the Basin, the USGS Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) team organized a co-design workshop series, bringing together interdisciplinary USGS expertise to co-develop science with stakeholders. Workshop participants identified important science, data, information, and communities to include in an online Science Collaboration Portal (Portal), providing a central location for integrating science, data, mapping, and analytical tools across the Basin. The Portal connects USGS scientists with other scientists, resource managers, and the public, fostering new partnerships, lowering barriers to accessing data, engaging in analysis of options, and identifying knowledge gaps that will help make science, data, and tools more effective and impactful for society. The Portal will continue to evolve through ongoing collaborative engagement with stakeholders on their needs for data and information, and in response to advances in science and technology.