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Water Resources Institute

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Who We Are

The South Dakota Water Resources Institute (WRI) at South Dakota State University provides leadership on evolving water concerns and problems being faced by South Dakota citizens through research, educational opportunities for students and professionals and community outreach.

The Institute is a federal-state partnership that:

  • Plans, facilitates and conducts research to aid in the resolution of state and regional water problems.
  • Provides for the training and education of scientists and engineers through their participation in research and outreach.
  • Promotes technology transfer and the dissemination and application of water-related information; and
  • provides for competitive grants for students and researchers.

Authorized by Congress as one of the nation’s 54 water resources research institutes, we also connect the research expertise at South Dakota State University to water-related problems at the local, regional or national level. The institute is affiliated with the university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.

Water Resources Institute News

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woodchips left outside to weather

SDSU study examines woodchip quality in bioreactors

Associate professor Guanghui Hua, professor Chris Schmit and lecturer Kyungnan “Karen” Min are evaluating the efficiency of fresh and weathered woodchips at removing nitrates from tile drainage water.

Researchers developing sensor to quickly detect viral DNA

Gu and his team are making a biosensor that detects DNA segments in animal and environmental samples within a few hours. To do this, Gu is working with virologist Feng Li, a professor in the Department of Biology and Microbiology, as well as Assistant Professors John McMaine and Rachel McDaniel of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

Steel chips show promise at removing E. coli from storm drain water

Peng Dai, a graduate student in the South Dakota State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has tested an inexpensive yet efficient means of removing E. coli from storm water runoff—steel chips.