Mary Anne Andrei

Rafael Pease knows the importance of a watershed. Originally from France, he divides his time between the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and the Andes of Chile. As a splitboard mountaineer, environmentalist, and filmmaker he explores the connections of humans to mountain environments. His passion for snow gives him first-hand knowledge of the effects of climate change on watersheds. Travel with him into the Colorado high country, learn why he cares about watersheds, and experience the thrill of shredding powder that eventually melts and flows all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

When snow falls on Berthoud Summit in Colorado, people down the watershed benefit from the snowmelt that makes its way to their communities in the spring and summer months. But how much water is in snow? And how is it measured? Meet two snow scientists responsible for monitoring snowpack in the Rocky Mountains and gathering data used to predict water supplies in the affected river basins each season.

Water is used in every step of the beer making process, but only a small amount makes it into the bottle. The impact of the craft beer industry on water resources is an industry-wide concern. Meet the brewmeisters of Baere Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado, and the founder of the Rare Fish Rare Beer Project as they team up to give back to the resource and raise awareness about the endangered fish species that inhabit their watershed.

The Switzer family has been ranching atop the Ogallala Aquifer in the Sandhills of Nebraska for generations. As their family grows, their water needs grow. See how they have adapted to balance family and land for a sustainable future.

They say great water makes great pizza. And Omaha's Krystin Marsh puts that to the test. While she fondly remembers summer days wading in the shallow Platte River and playing on the sandbars, today her business relies on pure, clean water to make the best New York-style pizza in Omaha.

In March 2019, Nebraskans bore witness to the worst flooding in generations. Survey the damage with hydrologists from the National Weather Service and the USGS’s Nebraska Water Science Center. And follow the center’s technicians through the seasons, as they collect and distribute long-term water flow data that can be used by local, state, and federal agencies to predict the next flood event and help save lives.