Sierra Nevada Aquatic

Research Laboratory

University of California, Santa Barbara

Researchers

It is a primary mission of the UC Natural Reserve to facilitate scientific research. The perennial Convict Creek flows through the reserve and is divided into channels for manipulative studies. In addition, a diversion supplies water to a set of nine artificial streams, each 1 m x 50 m long. Non-aquatic research is also encouraged and the reserve provides easy access to the high Sierra Nevada, Mono Lake, Long Valley, Owens Valley, Yosemite National Park, and the Great Basin. Learn more about some of the main research projects happening at SNARL.

Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Facilities

The reserve offers housing, laboratories, and meeting space for education, research, and public service purposes.

Learn about our facilities

We welcome a wide range of research at SNARL and facilitate research throughout the eastern Sierra region. Please reach out to us at vesr@nrs.ucsb.edu if you have questions about conducting research using SNARL. We maintain a Bibliography of all published research connected to SNARL, and other resources can be found at the Natural Resources of SNARL page.

If you plan to visit SNARL or Valentine as a researcher you will need to associate your visit with an existing research project. Please follow the steps in RAMS to create or select an existing research project. 

Additional Approvals

Installation of equipment will require a consultation and plan for installation, upkeep, and removal. Larger installations will require CEQA approval.

A letter of support from the Reserve Director is required for any grant administered by the University of California Santa Barbara. Please submit a final (or almost finalized) proposal to the Director at least three weeks before the grant submission deadline if you need a letter of support. Contact us at vesr@nrs.ucsb.edu for more info

If your project will involve vertebrate animals, you will need approval of the UCSB Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). For more information visit UCSB Animal Subjects and read Using Wild Vertebrates in Research.

If you project includes human subjects, you will need approval of the UCSB Human Subjects Committee (HSC) which serves as the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

If your project involves drones, you will need to complete an application to fly drones at the Reserve. For questions on drones or the permitting process, reach out to Dr. Brandon Stark at uassafety@ucmerced.edu

As reserve managers, we will not have an opportunity to review your research project until you schedule a visit to our reserve. The visit is where you will specify the dates, people, and resources (amenitites) needed.  

  • Learn about facilities you can use as a researcher and the rates of the amenities offered.
  • Schedule a visit in RAMS every time you plan to come to SNARL. If you are planning to visit during our busy season (June-August) please schedule your visit several months in advance.
  • We will review your visit request and notify you as to whether your visit is approved. 
  • Part of our job is to help you conduct a successful research project, so let us know how we can help. However, beyond basic administrative and field support, we would bill you for our time helping you get your project started.

Guidelines for Research Visitors: 

  • Before you arrive review our Code of Conduct
  • Make sure you have completed all the necessary Permits and Waivers prior to your arrival
  • Review Field Safety information
  • Review and download the General Information Guide.
  • View our Frequently Asked Questions to find answers to questions not covered in the General Information Guide
  • Please check in with the Reserve Director regarding an appropriate place to park. Please do not park in Handicapped spaces if you do not have the necessary documentation, do not park in EV charging spaces if you are not charging an EV, do not park in fire lanes or other areas where parking is restricted, do not park in front of garages or in front of the garbage dumpster.
  • Spouses and family members not engaged in research will be accommodated on a space-available basis. Public accommodations, including campgrounds, are available in the Mammoth and Convict Lake areas.
  • Let reserve staff know if you see anything broken or unusual out in the Reserve.
  • NO firearms, NO smoking, and NO pets are permitted anywhere on the Reserve.

Cleaning

In an effort to keep our facility use rates low no janitorial services are provided. Users are expected to leave residences, labs, offices, and shops cleaner than they found them. In this way conditions will improve instead of degrade. Cleaning supplies are provided in all buildings. Failure to adequately clean up will result in cleaning fees and prejudice future visits by the group.

  • Invoices will be emailed to the indicated person on your project after your visit. Let us know if you used different facilities than were on your RAMS visit request.
  • Make sure to include the SNARL DOI: 10.21973/N3966F for all publications
  • Mention The Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratories in your manuscripts and send us your research! We keep records of published work Zotero
  • Tag, follow, and like us on all our social media platforms. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
  • Inform SNARL staff when projects are soon to be completed at vesr@nrs.ucsb.edu

Graduate Student Grants

We award funding for graduate students conducting research using SNARL or Valentine Reserves.

Graduate student grants