About the Unsaturated Zone Interest Group

Who are we?

The Unsaturated Zone Interest Group (UZIG) is a loose-knit organization whose members are primarily U.S. Geological Survey employees. The group was formed in 1987 to foster better communication among scientists working on, or interested in, unsaturated-zone hydrologic studies. New members are always welcome. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Randy Bayless (ebayless@usgs.gov) or Jared Trost (jtrost@usgs.gov). Access our Charter for more details.

What is our mission?

The UZIG encourages and supports inter-disciplinary collaboration. Cooperative studies between the Water Science Centers and National Research Program (NRP), between the Water Mission Area and other Mission Areas, and between USGS and outside researchers are becoming more common.

When and where do we meet?

Informal meetings are held approximately every 1.5 - 2 years at different locations around the country. Previous meeting locations include Denver, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; Estes Park, Colorado; Unicoi State Park, Georgia; Menlo Park, California; and Idaho Falls, Idaho. The meetings typically last about 2.5 days. Attendance has grown from small groups of about 40 people, to as many as 130 in recent years.

At the meetings, group members make informal presentations, in the form of posters or talks, on current research related to unsaturated-zone hydrology. Group discussions are held on topics of mutual concern and interest. Invited speakers from outside the USGS also attend.

Newsletter

A UZIG newsletter is generated about two times per year and is distributed via email to all members.

The objectives of the newsletters are to: (1) provide short announcements relating to unsaturated-zone hydrology, (2) present short articles summarizing recent findings, (3) discuss advancements in UZ technology, (4) present abstracts (or extracts) from recent publications, (5) discuss UZ training at the national training center, and (6) discuss ongoing studies. The newsletter has both contributed and invited papers.