The Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory of the University of California, Santa Barbara is awarded a grant to renovate and modernize an existing 279 sq. m. (3000 sq. ft.) laboratory building constructed in 1962. The building's layout and fixtures are outdated and limit the research of the station, and the structure is energy inefficient and in need of safety upgrades. Development of modernized laboratory facilities at SNARL will result in substantial new bench space and expanded research and instructional activities. Research projects that employ modern molecular and biogeochemical approaches will become feasible. Adequate space for laboratory components of experimental studies in the stream channels at SNARL will become available. Intensive field classes that utilize the rich diversity of aquatic and terrestrial habitats in the area and offer laboratory space for analyses will be valuable curricular additions.
SNARL is located near Mammoth Lakes, California along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada. The station was established in 1935 and since 1973 has been a unit in the University of California's Natural Reserve System. It serves as an experimental site and as a base of operations for research across a large part of the Sierra Nevada, eastern California and western Nevada. Researchers from throughout the US are regular users of the facilities, and the studies range widely among the life and physical sciences. By commonly used metrics (user-days, publications in peer-reviewed journals) the station is intensively used and very productive. Additional information about SNARL may be found at http://vesr.ucnrs.org/.
