New IWIRI director seeks stakeholder‑driven water research, data integration and forecasting tools

Kendra Keiser, the newly appointed director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWIRI), told the House Agricultural Affairs Committee on Feb. 24 that the institute is rebuilding capacity, creating a statewide advisory structure and prioritizing water‑data integration and decision tools for local watershed managers.

Keiser described IWIRI’s congressional origin—the Water Resources Research Institutes were established by Congress in 1964—and its mission to coordinate water research, train students and disseminate results to communities. “The Water Resources Research Institutes were established by an act of Congress in 1964,” Keiser said. She said IWIRI is re‑engaging faculty and stakeholders across Idaho and has staff in both Boise and Coeur d’Alene.

Keiser said the institute is forming two advisory bodies as part of a strategic plan: an executive board with representatives from state and federal agencies, nonprofits and industry, and a research advisory committee that will include surface‑ and ground‑water users, irrigation district managers, lake commissions and other stakeholders. She described a recent Big Wood watershed project in which the community identified a need for improved streamflow forecasting tools; IWIRI is helping develop those tools and aims to post them on a public institute website.

A recurring priority for Keiser is water‑data integration. Committee members and the director agreed that data on aquifer levels, water quality and monitoring are scattered across federal, state and local agencies, and Keiser said integrating those datasets is crucial but funding‑challenging. “It is really hard to find funding to pay for data integration,” she said, and noted a National Science Foundation‑funded project that explored integration approaches in the Treasure Valley.

Committee members from northern Idaho thanked Keiser for attention to lake‑level and water‑quality issues; Keiser said IWIRI aims to tailor work to diverse regional needs—from lake levels in the north to groundwater quantity and urbanization in the south.

Why it matters: Water‑quantity and water‑quality research and usable data tools are central to irrigation planning, groundwater management and lake‑level decisions across Idaho. IWIRI’s renewed emphasis on stakeholder‑driven priorities and data integration could accelerate applied research and operational forecasting for local water managers.

What’s next: Keiser described near‑term outreach and the formation of advisory groups; committee members encouraged continued coordination with local watershed groups, watershed councils and county partners.