About the Council

The CUAHSI Advisory Council, as authorized in Article VII, Section 9 of the CUAHSI By-Laws, provides advice to the President and Board of CUAHSI on the overall direction and the strategies that the Consortium should be taking to achieve its mission in research and education. A scientific basis for the management of our water resources has never been more pressing than now in the face of population pressure and climate change. Therefore, the Advisory Council will advise on both the role of CUAHSI in advancing hydrologic science and in reaching out to society, including the general public at large and policy makers in particular.

The Advisory Council consists of between 5 and 9 senior scientists in hydrologic science and related fields. Its members are typically community leaders in their disciplines and are not direct participants in CUAHSI projects. The Advisory Council meets at least annually to review CUAHSI projects and to recommend strategies for making existing projects more effective and on the need for new activities.

Charge to the Council

The Advisory Council is charged with providing advice on the strategies to achieve CUAHSI's mission in both the near term (1 to 3 years) and long term (5 to 10 years). The purview of this advice includes, but is not limited to, the scientific merits of CUAHSI projects, their execution and coordination, engagement with funding agencies, new opportunities that CUAHSI should pursue, and alliances CUAHSI should undertake.

For 2008, the Advisory Council has two tasks: (1) commenting on the effectiveness of the existing CUAHSI projects on advancing a community science agenda and (2) suggesting strategies for CUAHSI to position itself as a key resource in science and policy debates related to the impacts of climate change on water resources.

For the first task, the four project areas that were originally conceived for CUAHSI to undertake (informatics, instrumentation, synthesis, and observatories) all now have pilot activities underway. Each has advanced somewhat independently of the others due to funding timing and opportunities.. Although each project has its own standing committee to review them and their adherence to standards, this council is charged with assessing the coordination among the projects. Taken as a whole, is this portfolio of activities achieving CUAHSI's mission? Are synergies explored adequately? Are these activities advancing hydrologic science in the most effective way? Are there gaps in this portfolio that should be filled?

For the second task, the Advisory Council will consider whether CUAHSI should coordinate with sister consortia, such as the University Council on Atmospheric Research (UCAR), to undertake an education and engagement program with policy makers. Potential strategies include developing panels of experts on different topics, creation of educational material and tracking of legislation through Congressional committees. Given limited staff resources, what priority should such activities been given?