The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) presented its Climate Science Services and Remote Sensing Science Services Awards at the Oct. 19-20 Climate Change and Water Adaptation Symposium in Long Beach sponsored by the Department and by the Water Education Foundation.

The purpose of the awards is to recognize ongoing assistance provided by researchers who have been working closely with DWR on planning for climate variability and change, and on potential remote sensing applications that could assist in monitoring impacts associated with climate change.

“As water mangers, we must take the initiative to clearly communicate our needs for applied science to the research community”, says DWR Director Mark Cowin.

“DWR is pleased to acknowledge the exemplary assistance that these scientists have provided to us, and the Department looks forward to a productive long-term working relationship with them and with their institutions as we move forward to develop water management strategies for adapting to climate variability and change.”

The award recipients are:

• Dr. Kelly Redmond, Deputy Director and Regional Climatologist, Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC), Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada, Reno.

• Stephanie Granger, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

• Dr. Forrest Melton, NASA Ames Research Center & California State University Monterey Bay.

The WRCC, one of six National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funded regional climate centers in the United States, disseminates climate data and information products and conducts applied research on climate-related topics.

The NASA researchers are lead scientists on an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act-funded project to explore the potential for developing water resources applications from pre-existing NASA remote sensing data.