Host Dave Schlom visits with research scientist Carson Jeffres from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences to talk about, well, watersheds! What are they? How do they work and what is the vital role that they play in providing fresh water for both ecosystems and society. The UC Davis center is a unique consortium of scientists who use an inter and multidisciplinary approach to study how California's watersheds actually work and what can be done to enhance and protect them, especially in a time of drought and wildfire.
Jeffres came to the center with an interest in native fishes, which depend on clean freshwater to survive and they are also an indicator of watershed health. Working with a variety of scientists and policymakers across diverse interests has shaped his scientific career and unique point of view on how the deceptively simple molecule known as H₂O plays such a complex role in nature and how people depend on it.