Reclamation FY.26 Research Projects Tackle Colorado River Issues, AI Advances, and Infrastructure Challenges

DENVER, Colo. - From the Colorado River Basin to invasive species and advancing artificial intelligence tools, Reclamation is investing in new research to address the needs and priorities of western water management.

For fiscal year 2026, $1.95 million is being awarded to 17 new internal projects funded through the Science and Technology Research Program. Through cost-sharing partnerships, researchers will leverage an additional $1.9 million in matching funds. The Science and Technology Research Program is Reclamation-wide competitive applied research and development program. Each year, a Call for Proposals invites Reclamation employees to submit research ideas in five areas: water infrastructure, power and energy, environmental issues for water delivery and management, water operations and planning, and developing water supplies. Research funding is awarded based on technical merit and relevance to Reclamation's mission.

"These projects allow Reclamation to apply scientific ingenuity and technical advancements to tackling our toughest water and power challenges now and into the future," said Research and Development Program Manager, Ken Nowak.

Investing in Solutions in the Colorado River Basin

Several of this year's projects focus on challenges in the Colorado River basin amid ongoing drought and increasing water resource pressures.

One project will explore new tools to monitor Grand Canyon springs between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead, to better understand changes in groundwater quantity and quality. Another group is working on improvements to near-term water quality forecasts to inform management decisions at Glen Canyon Dam. Their work will include developing a forecast "dashboard" to share water quality information with interested parties.

Upstream, investigators are studying historical evaporation losses at Lake Powell to sharpen estimates of future evaporation trends through the end of the century.

In southern Nevada, scientists will dig into the question of phosphorus levels in the sediments of the Las Vegas Wash, to examine how this nutrient might be released into Lake Mead. The work will help develop strategies to prevent harmful algal blooms.

Harnessing Data and Technology - Including AI
Several proposals lean into data- and technology-focused tools for modern water management. One team is pushing AI further into hydrology, developing physics-informed machine-learning models that could drastically speed upriver and watershed simulations. The new AI system could accelerate typical modeling runs from a hundred to a thousand times faster. This would transform emergency response planning, uncertainty analysis and day-to-day decision-making across Reclamation facilities.

Another AI advancement project will assess recent developments in GeoAI - the integration of AI with geospatial data, science, and technology - to explore potential applications at Reclamation, such as improving speed, scalability, and accuracy of environmental monitoring and infrastructure assessment.

Another study will look at using snow water equivalent data from a satellite launched in July 2025. This measurement of the amount of water in the snowpack is used in water resource management, and any enhancement from the satellite data will enhance water supply forecasts and the operations that rely on this information.

In an effort to improve water delivery operations, a project will assess the use of drones and LiDAR to quickly and cost-effectively map a submerged reservoir bottom and evaluate the effectiveness of sediment management operations. Meanwhile another study will investigate the use of drones for remote sensing and targeted herbicide applications to reduce costs and improve worker safety.

Invasive Species

Invasive species continue to be a costly challenge for Reclamation to manage, so several projects look for solutions to these introduced pests. One study of Grand Lake, Colorado, will investigate how the mysis shrimp affects water clarity, exploring ways to potentially reduce their population. Another study will test automated smart traps employing AI to trap invasive non-native fish species such as channel catfish, smallmouth bass, and green sunfish on the San Juan and Colorado Rivers. A third study will analyze genes in the genome of the invasive quagga mussels that could be targets for biocontrol of this costly and harmful species that attaches to water infrastructure managed by Reclamation.

Together, these efforts strengthen Reclamation's ability to safeguard water supplies, bring affordable power to the West, and modernize the nation's aging infrastructure. To view individual summaries of the projects receiving funding please visit the Science and Technology Program website.