100039 research outputs found
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Irrigation, Crop, and Soil Management Impacts on Water Use in Pivots/Laterals
No full textIn this fact sheet, we describe evapotranspiration (ET), introduce a new tool, the soil moisture evapotranspiration (SMET) model, and share results from multi-year trials across Utah evaluating different center-pivot irrigation technologies, deficit irrigation strategies, crop types, drought-tolerant crop genetics, and conservation agriculture practices. These findings highlight how Utah growers can improve water productivity and maintain profitable production under limited water supplies
Building Youth Resilience Through Adventure-Based Learning
No full textTo build resilience skills among Salt Lake County youth, Utah State University (USU) Extension - Salt Lake County partnered with the Utah National Guard to host a daylong camp at Camp Williams called Resilience Education Adventures for Life (REAL) Day. REAL Day included both experiential classroom learning and outdoor activities, such as positive risk-taking activities like rappelling and obstacle courses. Survey results from 84 youth participants (n = 84) showed increases in self-reported skills and attitudes related to resilience, including confidence, a growth mindset, and stress management
Farmers Markets as Community Infrastructure: Evidence from a Three-Year Statewide Data Project in Utah
No full textUtah farmers markets play a critical role in food access, small business viability, and community connection, yet limited statewide data document their impact. The Utah Farmers Market Network (UFMN) and Utah State University (USU) Extension conducted a mixed-methods evaluation (2023–2025) and found that farmers markets make valuable contributions to the community
Educational Policies Committee Minutes January 8, 2026
No full textApproval of Minutes - December 4, 2025 Subcommittee Reports Curriculum Subcommittee Program Proposals Academic Standards Subcommittee General Education Subcommittee Center for Civic Excellence Other Business Adjourn: 3:25 p
Educational Policies Committee Agenda March 5, 2026
No full textApproval of Minutes - February 5, 2026 Subcommittee Reports Curriculum Subcommittee Academic Standards Subcommittee General Education Subcommittee Center for Civic Excellence Other Business Adjourn: 4:00 p
Educational Policies Committee Agenda February 5, 2026
No full textApproval of Minutes - January 8, 2026 Subcommittee Reports Curriculum Subcommittee Academic Standards Subcommittee General Education Subcommittee Center for Civic Excellence Other Business Adjourn: 4:00 p
Freshwater Mussel Reintroduction and Recolonization Habitat Modeling Using Hydraulic, Sediment and Geomorphic Parameters
No full textFreshwater mussels are an important group of aquatic animals that live within the riverbed, but their populations have been drastically reduced by habitat alteration and other anthropogenic activities. In an effort to bolster populations, river managers and biologists are using mussel reintroductions as part of their restoration efforts but there are gaps in our understanding of where to reintroduce mussels within a river to see them create self-sustaining populations. This research helps shrink this gap by better understanding the physical habitat needs and population expansion potential of subadult freshwater mussels, or the size of mussel that hatcheries grow for reintroduction, through flume, field and modeling studies with a focus on a restored, urban river reach in south central Texas. Results from these studies have shown the need for increased protections for subadult freshwater mussels compared to adult mussels during high shear stress events, that boulder fields and protective geomorphic elements such as bars and islands help keep mussels in their preferred habitat and that mussel host fish are impacted by barriers in fragmented systems, which may directly impact the ability of mussels to recolonize these river corridors. Overall, this work provides managers with foundational knowledge on the habitat needs of subadult mussels in terms of hydraulic, sediment and geomorphic parameters, and provides an adaptable framework for understanding how host fish movement around barriers impacts the ability for mussels to recolonize rivers
Unpacking Science Achievement: Institutional Alignment and Mediating Conditions in a High-Performing Charter School
No full textThis study examined how science instruction was sustained over time within a high-performing public elementary charter school. Rather than focusing on individual programs or teaching strategies, the research explored how schoolwide systems, relationships, and supports worked together to shape classroom practice.
The study focused on one public K–6 charter school in a western state with consistently strong science performance on state-reported measures and examined how institutional, organizational, and classroom conditions mediated the relationship between science instruction expectations articulated in state and charter policy and teachers’ enacted practice.
Results suggested that strong science instruction was not produced through strict mandates or scripted programs. Instead, coherence between expectations and practice was sustained through a relationally organized school culture that integrated a shared sense of purpose with meaningful professional agency. Policies, leadership practices, and instructional priorities were closely aligned, establishing clear expectations while allowing teachers flexibility in how science instruction was planned and enacted.
Trust, collaboration, and institutional stability further supported continuity in instructional priorities, including a sustained emphasis on experiential and inquiry-based science learning. Long-standing leadership, stable governance, and strong professional relationships helped embed science as a core element of the school’s identity rather than an add-on or isolated initiative.
Overall, the study highlights how coordinated systems, supportive relationships, and shared commitments can work together to sustain high-quality elementary science instruction. The results offer insights for educators, school leaders, and policymakers interested in strengthening science education by attending not only to classroom practices, but also to the broader conditions that support teaching and learning
Majority of Utahns Support Keeping Bears Ears National Monument as Originally Designated
No full textBears Ears National Monument in Southeastern Utah was established in 2016 by President Obama after a coalition of Native American petitioned for its designation. In 2017, during his first administration, President Trump reduced the size of the monument by 85%. It was subsequently restored to the original boundaries in 2021 by President Biden. In 2022, the Utah Legislature provided $5 million in funding for the Attorney General’s office to challenge the Bears Ears National Monument designation, and the State of Utah filed a lawsuit in August 2022 challenging the designation (1)
Optimal Drought Management Actions for Cattle Operations on the Laguna Pueblo and Zuni Pueblo Indian Reservations
No full textIn this fact sheet, we examine the drought management options available to cattle operations on the Laguna Pueblo and Zuni Pueblo reservations in New Mexico. Specifically, we discuss the results of a study that evaluated the economic outcomes of two common drought response strategies: herd reduction and supplemental hay purchases. We also provide recommendations for ranchers regarding optimal strategies, i.e., those which would maximize profits, for two rancher types, differentiated by their willingness to accept risk (risk-neutral) or avoid it (risk-averse)