California Watershed

I am deeply interested in water systems, riparian ecosystems, soil, and the way humans interface with these systems. In California, water represents not only a natural topic but also a political topic. Being from Southern California, my entire life has passed by under the backdrop of historic draughts. After moving to the Bay Area in 2018, I saw more water than ever before in my life. Every wet season it seemed gave birth to bigger and bigger storms. Then came Winter of 2023. California was in the midst of a historic draught and dangerously depleting reservoirs -- until atmospheric rivers swooped in and somehow revitalized the state. Much work has been done to document the aftermath; the safety levels of our reservoirs and the damage by flooding and landslides in vulnerable communities. I set out to hike the East and West faces of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, CA. I documented the land, the rivers, and the sky. Water, even when needed, can be a devastating force. Though through that devastation, chances for life are born. Toppled trees become nutrients for future ecosystems and so forth. My project is an attempt to cohabit with our nature's weather systems.