Despite the growing value of usable water supplies, the field of hydrology lags behind other areas of science including astronomy and seismology, the study of earthquakes. Researchers from around the nation recently gathered at Utah State University to develop ideas that could be used in a network of hydrologic observatories, which would aim to improve understanding of the complex cycles that water goes through.

Rick Hooper, executive director of Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science Inc., or CUAHSI, said the group wants to examine topics such as sustainable water resources and how chemical and biological contaminants move through water systems.

Initial plans call for five observatories that would be scattered across the nation, with one candidate location being Utah's Great Salt Lake Basin. Utah State, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Weber State University, Boise State University, the University of Idaho and the University of Nevada, Reno, are among the regional schools involved in the proposed observatory.

"We'd really love to have one that looks at water issues in the West," said Dave Tarboton, a USU professor with the Utah Water Research Laboratory.

Founded in 2001, CUAHSI has sought ways to provide the equipment and resources for studying water systems.

John L. Wilson, of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, said that at one time, hydrology was a field only associated with engineering. But now, hydrology is a stand-alone research area.

A major goal in hydrology is to advance the science through natural observatories, which would provide data on precipitation, stream flow, atmospheric interactions and other factors. Researchers could begin comparing such data gathered from locations across the nation.

Among the challenges facing potential observatory managers is to create a facility that examines local issues while also being attractive enough to lure outside researchers to spend time there, Wilson said.

"These are facilities we're going to share," he said.

There is a list of 30 potential observatories, with locations ranging from Alaska to Texas to New England.

Bill Johnson, an associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah, said the Great Salt Lake Basin stands out among its competitors because of its geography.

"This one has a bucket on the end," he said, explaining that none of the water that comes into the basin flows out to the ocean.

With area rivers flowing into the Great Salt Lake, it serves as a sediment depository. Researchers can study hundreds of years' worth of sediment that has settled in the lake. Johnson also said these sediments could help give clues to ongoing environmental change.

"We might see signals [in the lake] that we might not see moving in the tributaries," he said. Materials could be traveling in rivers and streams in such low amounts that they only become noticeable as they collect in the Great Salt Lake.

The observatory also could enhance study of snowpack dynamics, spring runoff and ground water moving underground through the mountains.

Scientists would like a better understanding of all the factors that impact water levels in one of the driest states in the nation, Johnson said.

"This is something the state should be throwing resources into," he said, even if CUAHSI passes on the Great Salt Lake Basin Observatory.

About 16 months ago, a prototype observatory was launched for the Neuse River near Raleigh, N.C. Researchers there learned that studying hydrological systems involved more than groundwater, weather and other natural processes. Humans also have a large impact on how local hydrological systems work, said Jay Famiglietti, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, who is involved with the Neuse River project.

In an area of North Carolina where hogs outnumber people, 2 million to 1.4 million, agricultural waste is an important aspect to understand, he said. Governments and businesses also have their own agendas for water use, which must be taken into account for a big-picture look at hydrology.

Doug James, of the National Science Foundation, said the research from these potential observatories could help contribute to solutions for regional water problems.

"Water is a recognized urgent need," he said.

glavine@sltrib.com