By: Jolyne Lea, Acting Secretary
The 2021 American Institute of Hydrology (AIH) currently has 410 members. An overwhelming majority of the members specialize in surface water hydrology, which is nearly an equal mix of longtime members (who have been certified for over 20 years) and newer members. AIH currently has 15 Hydrologist-in-Training members. There are currently 14 Certified Hydrologic Technician members. Additionally, there are 23 Emeritus members who support the Institute and their profession. Figure 1 shows the Professional, student, and emeritus members by certification identification.
It is also interesting to look at the longevity of our members. The AIH certification identification can be determined when each person was originally certified by AIH. Members range from those who were founding members at the forming of AIH in 1982, to new members. Figure 2 shows current members’ length of membership. There has been a steady influx of new members since 2005, where over ten new members, per year, were certified.
In figure 3, the membership is grouped in ten-year increments. Over half of the current members (233) have joined within the last twenty years. Long time members of 20-40 years of membership number 151. In the last ten years, AIH has added 112 new members.
Lastly, AIH membership is widely distributed across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The largest number of members are located in California, Colorado and Texas. In addition, the Institute has ten international members: three from Mexico and seven from Canada. Figure 4 shows the members by state/country.
In summary, based on a review of membership in 2021 compared to historical numbers, the AIH membership numbers appear to be strong and continue to expand with new certified members. The AIH Executive Committee is committed to improving the membership certification process, increasing membership benefits, and expanding student membership to keep the Institute strong for the future. But, we urge our members to contact the AIH Executive Committee regarding input on how AIH membership can continue to be improved and to be active by volunteering for roles where you can.