It is the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor water resources across the country.   We talk with Chris Wilkowske, a hydrologist with the USGS at the Utah Water Science Center, about the science and methodology of measuring stream flow. We talk about how stream gauges operate and the process of validating and adjusting data, particularly after events like floods. Local examples from the Moab area and the Colorado River highlight the dual purposes of stream gauges for flood monitoring and groundwater assessments. 


Monitoring Stream Flow

This podcast concludes a 3-part series on Moab’s creek corridors.  The series includes restoration processes on the creeks, stream water gauge science, and this episode, fire fuels mitigation along Mill and Pack creeks flowing from the west side of the La Sal Mountains.  Fire risk is high in creek corridors and other overgrown areas. The dense corridors could spread fire quickly through Moab and Spanish Valley.  We talked with Duncan Fuchise, the forest stewardship program manager with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, as he hopped between work sites along the Mill Creek Corridor one morning in March 2025.


Clearing Out the Fuels

Ryan Barton emphasizes the importance of collaboration and negotiation in solving water issues and bringing resilient water systems to the Navajo Nation.  As a hydrologist working for the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources,  Ryan has been involved in projects for over a decade including hydrographic surveys, lake capacity studies, and the San Juan River Basin Crop Inventory.  Science Moab talks with Ryan about his most recent and ongoing efforts to successfully provide drinking water to the Westwater community west of Blanding, UT through extensive collaboration among various entities.  Ryan’s path into hydrology has been influenced by family and childhood experiences of nature conservation.


Creating Water Resiliency on the Navajo Nation

How PFAS From A Military Base Has Sickened Nearby Residents

Randy Irmis, a paleontologist and curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah, discusses his research on the Chinle Formation, (Triassic, ~201 to 230 million years ago) located in southern Utah. The Chinle Formation is characterized by river and stream deposits in a semi-arid environment, and is rich in fossils including vertebrates, plants, and trace fossils. Despite the historical lack of paleontological work in Utah compared to neighboring states, recent discoveries in the Chinle have significantly increased knowledge of life in the Triassic. We talk about the process of collecting and preparing these fossils for study and exhibits at the museum and Randy emphasizes the importance of public lands and the legal and ethical procedures for fossil collection and preservation.

Utah's Chinle Formation:  Understanding Life in the Triassic

Adam Aleksic Responds To Callers' Words

Tony Mancuso is the Sovereign Lands Program Manager for the Green and Colorado Rivers at Utah’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). His management efforts focus on maintaining the health and navigability of waterways under state jurisdiction, including removing invasive species and restoring natural habitats.  Tony talks about specific projects like the New Rapid and Gold Bar side channels aimed at enhancing fish habitats and wetland environments. He also emphasizes the importance of public education and engaging youth through programs like Science Moab. The discussion highlights the challenges, collaborative efforts, and long-term commitments required in resource conservation and management.


Underneath the Rivers:  Stewardship of Utah's Sovereign Lands

Across the Colorado Plateau, pinyon-juniper ecosystems are facing more and more stress due to increasing heat and aridity.  Today we talk with Seth Munson, a plant and ecosystem ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Seth’s research focuses on how dryland ecosystems respond to drought, wildfire, invasive species, and land-use to assist land management decision-making.  He is currently working with the National Park Service to assess the areas of dieback of pinyon-juniper woodlands in the SE Utah Parks.  The research involves both ground surveys and satellite imagery to create maps detailing the intensity and recovery of dieback over time. 


Dieback Dynamics

Brian Davis, an associate professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, loves looking for small fossils. His research focuses on early mammals, particularly teeth, jaws, and skull parts. Brian’s most recent discovery is a mammal fossil quarry in Cisco, Utah, part of the Morrison Formation dating back to the Jurassic period. The site has yielded small animal fossils, including some potentially significant early mammals that correlate with a nearby site in Fruita, CO. We discuss the complexities of fossil excavation, preservation, and the analysis process as well as the importance of student education.

Eureka at Cisco:  Jurassic Mammals

A lichen is a colony of algae or cyanobacteria living interactively with fungus and bacteria in a mutual or symbiotic relationship, but for Steve Leavitt, a lichen is a  hotspot of diversity and  an indicator of ecological health. Steve is in charge of one of the largest lichen collections in North America at BYU where he teaches and directs the Life Science Museum. But most of all, Steve loves his research and being outside.  We talk with Steve about how the unique factors on the Colorado Plateau contribute to diverse lichen communities, how lichens can be used as indicators of air quality, and the impacts of climate change on their distribution. Steve explains how advancements in genetics have led to a step-change in the study of lichens and the broader implications of studying lichens for understanding life on Earth.


The Miracle of Lichen

This show is part of a series exploring Science Moab’s School to Science Program, connecting students with scientists in the field, the lab, and beyond. In this episode, we talk with mentor Emily Lessner, paleontologist for the Bureau of Land Management, and Shadis McDaniel, a recent Grand County High School graduate. Shadis joined Emily on a couple of job shadows, both in the office and in the field.


Nanosaurs & Good Lore

A podcast exploring the science and learning about the scientists from southeast Utah and the Colorado Plateau. Produced by Science Moab, KZMU, and USU Extension