Utah Tech University’s Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability’s Push toward a Better Future

After a harsh summer peppered with excessive heat warnings and consistent triple-digit temperatures, it’s easy to think about the climate and how it might impact the future.  

Utah Tech University’s Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability is celebrating its first birthday, and in a community where the heat has significant impacts not only on the agriculture and landscape but also on the health and wellness of the locals, it’s never been more important to be conscious of the things that can be done that will make a difference. 

The Center’s main goal is to create a network that informs the public and provides them with resources to be prepared for whatever might happen in southern Utah’s arid climate. The Center is also building partnerships with community stakeholders and organizations, including the Washington County Water Conservancy District, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to conserve, develop, manage, and stabilize water supply for current and future generations. 

One involved Utah Tech student, Skyler Rogers, is spearheading a project that focuses on the water quality of the Santa Clara River. After the river flooded in 2008, Santa Clara City looked to prevent future flooding by planting trees and flora along the riverbanks. Rogers’s work has proven that the efforts that the city took to prevent flooding has paid off, showing that the rate of flow, turbidity, oxygen content, and nutrients in the water have remained consistently healthy. 

By conducting these experiments and projects within the city, Rogers hopes to show the local community that the choices they make can impact rivers and bodies of water that are right in their backyard.

“We live in an area that is blessed with natural beauty,” Rogers said. “My hopes for the Center and this project are to open the community’s eyes to the consequences of their actions. The Center is important because we’re at a very crucial point in the lifespan of Earth. Mankind has had a profound impact on the environment, and we need to step in to reduce the damage that we do going forward.”

To learn more about Utah Tech University’s Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability, visit academics.utahtech.edu/climate or follow them on Instagram at @utclimate to keep updated on future events.