Hydrologic Science and Uncertainty Assessment 

at the University of Michigan 

Our research focuses on developing and communicating answers to important societal questions about historical and future variability in regional water quantity and quality over multiple time scales.  We pursue projects that directly support sustainable environmental and human health management and policy decisions. Planning for and adapting to fluctuating water supplies, for example, requires differentiating and effectively communicating relative impacts of climate change, consumptive use, and engineered water management solutions.  

Similarly, ensuring water supplies are of a high enough quality to meet their intended use requires identifying and mitigating detrimental impacts of point and non-point source pollution and understanding complex coastal physical processes. Our research group develops creative and high-impact solutions to these types of real-world hydrologic science problems through novel modeling and statistical analysis techniques, direct engagement with stakeholders, and integration of expertise and resources across scientific disciplines and institutions.

Samuel Trask Dana Building

School for Environment and Sustainability 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

Our Lab In the Media

Video by Eric Shaw, University of Michigan Communications (2021)How will fluctuating water levels across the Great Lakes impact the growth of cities, people moving to the region, changes in water supply, and the overall economy? In this video, Drew Gronewold and Dick Norton of University of Michigan discuss the changing water levels and what we can do to adjust to them. 

Research Highlights

Lab Team Members Present Mono Lake Research at AGU

The week of December 11th 2023, researchers gathered in San Francisco, CA for the annual American Geophysical Union Conference (AGU). Lab team members Anne Fetrow, Anna Gossard, and Drew Gronewold shared their research pertaining to the water balance of Mono Lake.

Mono Lake is a saline, terminal lake in California experiencing ecological and hydrologic stress due to climate change and long-term anthropogenic pressures. Diversions from its tributaries have caused the lake level to decline over 40 feet since the 1940s. Although there have been substantial efforts to conserve the lake since the 1990s, Mono Lake has not risen to the set water level that was previously mandated by the state. Recently, legislative battles over Mono Lake water levels have highlighted the need for a better understanding of the lake’s water balance through robust hydrologic modeling and forecasting to make informed decisions about lake management. 


Interdisciplinary researchers at UM are using cutting edge science to improve understanding of the water balance at Mono Lake. Through paleoclimatic inquiry, expanded watershed monitoring, improved hydrologic modeling, advanced climate change prediction, and integrated research engagement, this research will provide:



This research aims to help experts, legislators, and decision makers make informed decisions about Mono Lake and the management of its natural resources.


written by Megan DiCocco


Read more about the work our lab is doing at Mono Lake below:

Read about the Meet the Moment Research Initiative

Stable Isotope Research

Hydrologic Modeling Research

Check out the poster below!

Mono Lake AGU 2023 Poster

This research was presented at the AGU Fall 2023 meeting in San Fransisco.