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Blue Dot 228: A Watershed Conversation: Carson Jeffres From UC Davis

Carson Jeffres snorkeling on a stream near Mt. Shasta. Photo Courtesy UC Davis.
Carson Jeffres snorkeling on a stream near Mt. Shasta. Photo Courtesy UC Davis.

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.

Dave Schlom is the longtime host and creator of Blue Dot. From surfing to Voyager in interstellar space, rock guitar to orcas in our imperiled oceans, the topics on Blue Dot are as varied as the host’s interests and connections -- which are pretty limitless! An internationally respected space history journalist, Dave is also deeply fascinated by all aspects of the grand workings of nature’s awesome machinery on scales ranging from galactic to subatomic. And topics take in all aspects of the arts and sciences.
Matt Fidler is a producer and sound designer with over 15 years’ experience producing nationally distributed public radio programs. He has worked for shows such as Freakonomics Radio, Selected Shorts, Studio 360, The New Yorker Radio Hour and The Takeaway. In 2017, Matt launched the language podcast Very Bad Words, hitting the #28 spot in the iTunes podcast charts.