Collection Guide

Water Resources Research Center (WRRC)

Since 1964 the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) has served the state of Hawaii and other Pacific islands by researching water-related issues distinctive to these geographic areas. WRRC is Hawaii's link in a network of centers represented in every state, Washington, D.C. and three U.S. territories. WRRC researchers have produced more than 400 Technical Reports, Technical Memoranda, and other project reports documenting the research performed at the Center since its establishment. These reports represent one of the most extensive collections of water research in Hawaii and the Pacific.

Idaho Waters Digital Library

This growing collection contains information resources related to water issues in key Idaho river basins and watersheds. It includes scientific and technical reports, with an emphasis on Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) reports and publications published at the University of Idaho from the early 1960s to present.

Bear River Watershed Historical Collection

Contributed by Utah State University

The Bear River Watershed’s geography, history, and development are the primary focus of this collection of images, maps, papers, and reports. Funded by grants from the Utah State University Water Initiative, this project digitizes selected materials cited in the Bear River Watershed Historical Bibliography, including photographs of the Bear River from the 1860s to the 1990s, manuscripts and records of local irrigation companies, research on the societal impact of reclamation development in the Bear River Basin, and the papers of Utah Governor George Dewey Clyde, who as a former USU Engineering Dean collected documentation on Bear River water conditions as far back as the 1920s. Originals are housed in Utah State University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives.

The John Muir Papers

From the University of the Pacific, Holt-Atherton Special Collections

John Muir (1838-1914) led the nation toward an understanding and appreciation of the natural environment and its value as both a material and spiritual resource. His most important national contribution grew out of his political activism. Recognized as one of the driving forces behind the National Park system, Muir was instrumental in the establishment of Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Mt. Rainier, and other parks. As founder and first president of the Sierra Club in 1892, he established the most influential organization in the conservation field. Since 1970, Holt-Atherton Special Collections has been the repository for the John Muir Papers. Today, approximately 75% of the extant papers of Muir are housed at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections.

Soaking the Desert: The Story of Water in Utah

Contributed by KUER at The University of Utah

KUER reporters set to find out whether Utah truly needs the Bear River Dam, or whether conservation could be the answer. What they found was another story entirely……..the story of a water system bloated with inefficiency and waste, that unnecessarily costs taxpayers millions of dollars and forces them to pay for the water use of everyone else on the system…..The state's conservation plan deliberately bypasses many proven conservation techniques other Western states adopted two decades ago. And tax subsidies hide layer upon layer of a vast water bureaucracy from public view. No activist nor state official really knows how much money and water could be saved if the system functioned efficiently. And no one who has the power to change it is committed to doing so. This is the story you'll hear in this three part series.

Treaties and Compacts

Contributed by The University of Utah

This collection includes the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and other historical compilations of interstate compacts in effect to 1938 and 1946.

Water is for Fightin'

Contributed by The University of Utah

In Utah and the arid West, life revolves around water. Land use decisions, land development, law, politics, and economic growth have all been shaped by water or the lack thereof. As demand for land and water increases, Westerners must not only be able to determine and protect rights to water, but also to preserve the sanctity of their rivers, lakes, and streams. Water is for Fightin' offers the perspectives and insights of nine experts who are working to protect our waters.

Water: Lifeblood of the Southwest

Contributed by the Southwest Waters Committee of the Sierra Club

"Population growth, dams, and irrigation projects have dramatically transformed the waters of the Southwest. Alterations along the Colorado, the area’s biggest river, have been severe and numerous, but all waters of the Southwest will be increasingly impaired unless we change our ways. This video provides an overview of the impacts and challenges. Some actions and tools are suggested to ensure that our limited waters are used more wisely."

Water Wise Utah

Contributed by The University of Utah

Water Wise Utah is a collaborative University of Utah project led by the Utah Education Network (UEN) in partnership with KUER, KUED, the Utah Museum of Natural History, and the J. W. Marriott Library. Our aim is to raise awareness of critical water issues and encourage water conservation throughout the state of Utah. Water Wise Utah will offer TV documentaries, K-12 educational events, a museum exhibit, a Web site linking to the Western Waters Digital Library, and collaborate with Utah water agencies and community organizations to target five Utah communities with high rates of water consumption. The Western Waters Digital Library Water Wise Utah collection is a continually growing digital resource about critical western water issues and the need to conserve.