Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID VI_2025_Hensley

Balancing Ecological and Water Resource Needs in Virgin Islands Watersheds

Institute: Virgin Islands
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $21,565 Total Non-Federal Funds: Not available

Principal Investigators: David Hensley

Project Summary: The streams (guts) of the Virgin Islands do not flow year-round, but there are numerous native species that swim up the streams from the sea to the freshwater environment. Meanwhile, water resources are limited in the Virgin Islands, and it would be beneficial to keep as much freshwater on land as possible, to prevent it from flowing out to the sea. Yet, human-made structures, such as dams and reservoirs, can also act as a major obstacle to the natural migration of freshwater species that have lived in Virgin Islands guts for thousands of years and have a place in the cultural and historical memory of the Virgin Islands. We propose to use devices that measure rainfall and streamflow in Caledonia and Creque Gut to study the impact of a large dam on both water conservation and ecosystems.