Water. It’s arguably our most important natural resource, and the control and management of water in the Western United States has a storied history. Beyond that, “water” was also the theme of our March media contest. And the entries submitted by our field personnel provide varied views into how this resource shapes the landscape and supports its organisms. They also show off the many forms and functions of water, to say nothing of the sheer beauty it can impart to our natural places. Our winning submission, seen above, came from Research Associate Sarah Marino, who is serving with the National Park Service (NPS) as a research librarian at Yellowstone National Park’s Heritage and Research Center. It shows what happens when “hot water meets frozen at this snowy hot spring in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin.”
Enjoy more of our watery submissions below.








