Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity, issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program for the Colorado Plateau CESU, is aimed at supporting research that builds empirical (data-driven) models to predict river and stream water temperatures across the contiguous United States. The work sits within the Ecological National Synthesis Project (ENS), which is part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The central goal is to create model(s) that can estimate seasonal and annual average stream temperatures under conditions of minimal human influence, essentially providing a benchmark or "reference-condition" expectation for what water temperatures would look like without substantial anthropogenic impacts.

The project is designed for an organization or research team that already has active research interests and proven experience developing and applying large-scale empirical stream temperature models. The intent is not simply to analyze a small set of locations, but to work at broad regional to national spatial scales, using consistent methods that can be applied across diverse landscapes and climate regions. The expected outcome is a predictive framework that can generalize well across the country, rather than a one-off site study.

USGS ENS scientists plan to collaborate closely with the selected recipient by supplying existing USGS temperature datasets, particularly continuous monitoring records from sites distributed across the conterminous U.S. Using those monitoring sites as the core dataset, the recipient is expected to work jointly with ENS to assemble extensive GIS-based watershed information for each location. This typically implies compiling spatial and landscape variables that influence stream temperature, such as watershed topography, elevation, climate normals, stream network characteristics, riparian and land cover attributes, and other basin descriptors that can be derived from national geospatial datasets. A major step in the workflow is screening and identifying "reference sites" that best reflect minimal anthropogenic disturbance, which then anchors model training and interpretation around baseline conditions.

Model development and validation are explicit parts of the scope. In practice, that means the recipient will not only fit statistical or empirical relationships between water temperature metrics and watershed predictors, but will also test how well the model performs on independent data, assess uncertainty, and demonstrate that predictions are reliable enough for scientific and management use. The modeling emphasis is on seasonal and annual average temperatures, which are especially relevant for water quality standards, aquatic habitat suitability, and long-term trend assessments, even though the underlying observations come from high-frequency continuous monitoring.

The broader purpose of the project is to produce tools that are genuinely useful to scientists, water resource managers, and policy makers. Once developed, these models are expected to support water quality investigations at multiple scales: site-specific evaluations (for example, comparing an individual stream segment to expected natural temperatures), regional assessments (patterns across states or ecoregions), and national-scale syntheses (broad comparisons and prioritization). A key value of the work is the ability to quantify and map the degree to which observed stream temperatures deviate from minimally influenced expectations, helping attribute changes to human activities such as land use, channel modifications, riparian alteration, flow regulation, or thermal discharges, depending on the context and available predictors.

In addition to assessing human influence, the models are anticipated to help evaluate potential thermal responses to climate change. By tying expected stream temperatures to climatic and watershed drivers, the modeling framework can support scenario-based projections, informing where stream heating risks may intensify and where cold-water habitats may be most vulnerable. This makes the work relevant not only for current regulatory and management decisions but also for long-range planning tied to climate adaptation.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement or collaboration by the federal agency during the project rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity was posted March 29, 2010, with an original and final closing date of April 6, 2010, and it was archived May 6, 2010. The estimated total funding is $85,000, with one expected award. No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed. The CFDA number is 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection). Eligibility is limited to organizations that are participating partners in the Colorado Plateau CESU Program, reflecting the CESU model of partnering with defined networks of universities, nonprofits, tribes, and other entities to deliver research, technical assistance, and education aligned with federal science needs.

For applicant support or issues accessing the announcement, the listed contact is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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