What We Do
We study the physical, chemical, and biological processes that affect water quality in streams and rivers. This is important because clean water is an ecosystem service upon which life depends. Water in the Intermountain West is an increasingly threatened resource. Our work aims to understand and protect healthy freshwater ecosystems.
We are located in BNR 257 on the Utah State University campus. We have facilities for measuring dissolved, particulate, and gaseous substances in water. For a fee we can measure water quality constituents in your samples. See our capabilities, use our analysis order form, or contact us for more information.
Analytical Instruments
Astoria Pacific Autoanalyzer
Analyzes samples for total nitrogen and phosphorus, nitrate, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus.
Dionex Ion Chromatograph
Analysis of anions and cations in water.
Shimadzu TOC/TN-L
Analysis of non-purgeable organic carbon and total nitrogen by catalyzed combustion.
SRI Gas Chromatograph
Measures dissolved gases via one of these three detectors: TCD, ECD, FID
Who We Are
Michelle Baker
Michelle Baker is Professor of Biology and a faculty associate with the Ecology Center at Utah State University.