As summer officially begins, Missourians and visitors from around the world are heading to our state’s abundant lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Missouri’s water resources aren’t just enjoyable, they connect communities and support critical industries that power our state’s future.

At the University of Missouri, we’re proud to partner with state leaders, industry experts and world-class faculty to address the water challenges we face, while also supporting the workforce and economy of Missouri. New, groundbreaking Mizzou research highlights the depth of our impact.

• Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems Director Dr. Rick Relyea and colleagues just published a study exploring how wood frog populations can reveal the health of freshwater areas, including in Missouri, and help guide how we protect them.

• The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk in the Missouri School of Journalism distributed 50 stories over the past year, reaching nearly 400 outlets (including MSN and Yahoo! News) covering the nation’s largest watershed.

• Missouri Water Center core research faculty Dr. Brandon Sansom recently received U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) funding for a collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers, USGS and other partners to control invasive carp using an inventive barrier of bubbles.

Our water research is also supporting important national priorities. Missouri Water Center Co-Director Dr. Baolin Deng, scientist Dr. Pan Ni and other collaborators have secured nearly $3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to recover critical rare earth minerals from mining wastewater. 

Across campus, our community is advancing Missouri’s water resources for recreation, business and innovation – helping ensure our state remains a great place to live and work during the summer and throughout the year.

— Mun