All of us—people, fish, and many other creatures—depend on the water in Utah’s rivers. The choices we make about how to develop water resources have big impacts on river habitats. In “Decisions Downstream,” an exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah, watershed scientist Sarah Null teams up with artists Chris Peterson and Carsten Meier to explore new ways of seeing river habitats. Critical water decisions are being made in Utah. “Decisions Downstream” highlights the water development tools, trade offs, and alternatives that can guide our choices.
Today, we’ll talk with Sarah Null, Associate Professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University, about new water management models, trade offs in decision-making about watersheds, and art-science collaborations. We’ll also talk about the future of the Great Salt Lake and the fraught politics of the Mekong river system in Southeast Asia.