IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering is an internationally renowned laboratory where researchers are solving some of our world's greatest fluids-related challenges. 

Middle Cedar Watershed wetland

Rivers, Watersheds, and the Landscape

IIHR researchers are addressing issues related to sustainability in the water, energy and food nexus; improving our understanding and adaptation to climate change; increasing community resilience to natural hazards; and helping equip society with the tools to make informed decisions.

Wave Basin

Fluid Mechanics and Structures

Fluid mechanics, the study of fluid behavior at rest and in motion, is at the core of nearly all IIHR research. IIHR uses the basic governing equations of fluid mechanics to investigate a wide range of applications—river flow, atmospheric conditions, renewable energy (e.g., wind and water turbines), ship hydrodynamics, biological systems, and much more. 

Keri Hornbuckle Research Lab

Health and the Environment

Much of IIHR’s research touches all our lives, affecting human health and well-being in meaningful ways. Studies of biofluids, environmental contaminants, vulnerability, and resilience are relevant to each of us. In addition, projects on renewable energy and watersheds help remediate society’s negative environmental impacts, leading to a higher quality more sustainable life.

Dan Gilles presenting

Information Systems

Beginning with the innovative Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) in 2011, IIHR has made online public access to research data the standard for its major research initiatives. IIHR has developed online data access systems for water-quality information, flood mitigation projects, well-driller information, and more. These platforms provide emergency managers, decision-makers, and the public with reliable data.

Serving Iowans

From flood to drought, surface water to groundwater, IIHR is helping Iowans understand and manage water resource challenges to ensure a livable and sustainable future. 

Iowa Flood Center

Iowa Geological Survey

Iowa Nutrient Research Center

Center for Hydrologic Development

Student Success

Kristin Stein Wins Award

Kristin Stein named 2025 Student of the Year by the American Water Works Association

Monday, October 27, 2025
Kristin Stein, an undergraduate student in civil and environmental engineering, has been named the 2025 Student of the Year by the American Water Works Association!

Research Impact

Iowa researchers' octopus-like design improves underwater vehicle maneuverability

Iowa researchers' octopus-like design improves underwater vehicle maneuverability

Monday, October 20, 2025
University of Iowa researchers have reported a key advance in the ease of flow and maneuverability for underwater vehicles. In a new study, the research team outfitted the wings of an underwater hydrofoil with a series of coiled spires that, when activated, would unspool, reducing drag and creating more lift for the craft as water current was moved around it.

Recent News

Cong wang smiles, pictured behind the flume

Faculty Spotlight: Cong Wang

Thursday, November 6, 2025
If you ask Cong Wang where home is, you’ll get a complicated answer. Born in northern China, he went to Singapore as an undergraduate, where he earned a BEng degree in engineering science. He came to the United States and the California Institute of Technology for graduate school and earned MS and PhD degrees in aeronautics. He stayed on at Caltech for a postdoc and then as a research scientist — 10 years in all.
Farm

Iowa Counties Keep Water Quality Monitoring Afloat After State Funding Cuts

Wednesday, November 5, 2025
For over a decade, a network of water quality sensors managed by the University of Iowa has provided publicly available data about waterways across the state. And while Iowa grapples with a growing water quality crisis fueled by agricultural runoff, state government funding cuts have threatened the network’s future.
CISWRA Big Grove

Scientists Say Polk County's water research findings are applicable to Eastern Iowa, too

Monday, November 3, 2025
Despite continued contamination and nitrate spikes in Iowa’s rivers and streams this year, University of Iowa researcher Elliot Anderson insists that the state’s water quality issues can be solved.

Events

WATER: The Current of Life - Investigate Midwest Storytelling Event promotional image

WATER: The Current of Life - Investigate Midwest Storytelling Event

Thursday, November 13, 2025 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Trumpet Blossom Cafe

You're invited to join us on the evening of Thursday November 13th, at Trumpet Blossom Cafe in Iowa City. Doors open at 5:30, program starts at 6:20. Investigate Midwest will bring together a diverse group of storytellers to discuss water and its impacts on their lives. Through an evening of storytelling, interactive engagement, and a silent auction benefiting Investigate Midwest's investigative journalism and educational initiatives, WATER: The Current of Life seeks to create a space where...

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