Talks at Tahoe: Legacy of James E. Church’s snow science research preserved with Dr. Carlos Ramirez-Reyes

Because we experienced one of the biggest winters in more than 40 years and since we reside in a high desert environment, it is critical for scientists and researchers to understand how winter snow impacts spring and summer streamflows and water supply. That’s where James E. Church and his snow surveying legacy come in. His curiosity, love of nature and adventure, coupled with his ability to recognize a need for forecasting streamflow, Church figured out and perfected a way to measure snow moisture content along various snow course locations found across the Sierra Nevada. Dr. Carlos Ramirez-Reyes will discuss how an interdepartmental team of experts from across the University Libraries worked together to digitize, preserve, and make accessible data found in the James Edward Church Papers manuscript collection.