WyACT is pushing the boundaries of how science is use-inspired and co-produced through the lens of climate impacts on the water cycle of Wyoming.
The project develops nationally competitive capacity for research on social-environmental systems responses to climate-driven shifts in water availability. Work focuses on the headwaters of three major river drainages in the Greater Yellowstone Area of Wyoming: Snake, Green, and Wind River.
WyACT research is organized into four major thematic areas presented as broad research questions:
Observation and Modeling
What climate-related risks threaten interacting and heterogeneous hydrological, ecological
and social systems at regional scales in coming decades?
Social and Economic Research
How do individuals, communities and organizations best respond to climate-induced
risks (including mitigation, adaptation and transformation)?
Knowledge Co-production
How can the process of co-production build trust and adaptive capacity for key stakeholders
and communities?
Integrated Modeling
How might societal responses interact with biophysical processes and feedbacks to
alter future risks and vulnerabilities?
Insights by students and researchers into our research in progress.
Big Horn Adjudication and Water Use on the Wind River Indian Reservation May 24, 2025
A reesearch blog post by recent UW graduate Katie Fisher
How ranchers approach adaption to changing environments April 18, 2025
A research blog post by UW student Callie Surber
Dynamic Adjustments of Jackson Lake Dam Releases April 3, 2025
A research blog post by UW PhD student Ian Fletcher
Recreation Hotspots: What Drives Demand for Wyoming’s Lakes and Reservoirs? March 25, 2025
A research blog post by UW PhD student Tristin Waggener
Getting a complete picture: An Integrated Approach to Aquatic Ecosystem Science in Wyoming’s Headwaters – part 1 March 7, 2025
A research blog post in two parts by UW researchers Kevin Gauthier and Chuck Williams
Getting a complete picture: An Integrated Approach to Aquatic Ecosystem Science in Wyoming’s Headwaters – part 2 March 7, 2025
A research blog post in two parts by UW researchers Kevin Gauthier and Chuck Williams
Aquatic ecosystem production in Jackson Lake – part 2 February 21, 2025
A research blog post in two parts by UW students Sean Bertalot and Tristan Blechinger
Aquatic ecosystem production in Jackson Lake – part 1 February 20, 2025
A research blog post in two parts by UW students Sean Bertalot and Tristan Blechinger
Alpine lakes as sentinels of climate change – updates from the 2024 season February 11, 2025
A blog post by UW PhD student Meredith Journey
