San Diego State University has launched the One Water Laboratory (OWL) at its Mission Valley campus to combat regional water scarcity and pollution. supported by a $2.6 million grant from the San Diego River Conservancy,the facility will serve as a hub for research, education,and hands-on environmental training.
A $2.6 million commitment to the San Diego River watershed
The San Diego River Conservancy has provided $2.6 million in grant funding to establish the One Water Laboratory (OWL) as a cornerstone of regional environmental stewardship. As the report notes, this financial support also serves to honor the legacy of Deanna Spehn, a foundational figure who helped create the Conservancy and championed the protection of San Diego's natural resources before her passing in 2022.
This investment comes at a time when Southern California faces increasing pressure from drought and extreme weather. According to the university, the OWL will allow faculty and students to move beyond theoretical models to test innovative technologies within a "living watershed." The facility is designed to support a wide range of disciplines, including wastewater treatment, microbiology, and the study of how wildfires affect local watersheds.
Filtering stormwater via Mission Valley's bioretention basins
The One Water Laboratory features a 480-square-foot modular building paired with specialized outdoor infrastructure designed to manage local water cycles. A key component of the site includes bioretention basins located throughout the river park, which are engineered to capture and filter stormwater runoff from the surrounding landscape. This process cleans the water before it flows into the San Diego River and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean.
Beyond technical research, the facility is intended to serve as a community educational resource. The university plans to host learning opportunities for regional partners , community members,and local K-12 schools. By providing hands-on training in fields like hydrology and watershed science, the OWL aims to build a more environmentally literate workforce for the region.
The first step toward an SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District
San Diego State University intends to use the OWL as the foundational research facility for a much larger development project. Hala Madanat, the university's vice president for research and innovation, indicated that the laboratory represents only the beginning of the planned Mission Valley site. The university's long-term goal is to transform the area around Snapdragon Stadium into a comprehensive "Innovation District."
This proposed district is envisioned as a collaborative ecosystem where the university, industry leaders, and community partners can work together on real-world environmental challenges. By integrating academic research with commercial application, SDSU hopes to create a scalable model for climate resilience that can be applied both regionally and globally.
Which industry partners will join the OWL's mission?
While the university aims to foster deep collaboration between academia and the private sector, the report does not name any specific industry partners currently committed to the project. It remains unclear which commercial entities will participate in the upcoming Innovation District or how the university intends to formalize these high-level partnerships.. Furthermore, while the $2.6 million grant has successfully launched the OWL, the total projected budget required to complete the full vision of the Mission Valley Innovation District has not yet been disclosed.
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