Recorded along the banks of the Green River inside Dinosaur National Monument, Joey sits down with Dusty Perkins to explore the science, beauty, and ecological complexity of the Green and Yampa Rivers.

Dusty serves as Program Manager for the National Park Service’s Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network and is a lead scientist on the Big Rivers Monitoring Project. In this conversation, he explains how scientists monitor some of the American West’s most iconic river systems, what happens when rivers are dammed and regulated, and why long-term ecological monitoring is critical for the future of these landscapes.

From endangered fish and invasive species to river morphology, sediment flow, snowpack decline, and the emotional experience of rafting through canyon country, this episode offers a rare look at the science shaping our public lands.

In this episode, we explore: 

•  What the Big Rivers Monitoring Project actually does 
•  How the Green and Yampa Rivers differ ecologically 
•  The impact of Flaming Gorge Dam on river systems 
•  Why sediment and seasonal flooding are essential to river health 
•  The role of invasive species like tamarisk 
•  How endangered fish species depend on natural river cycles 
•  Why long-term monitoring matters in national parks 
•  The effects of declining snowpack and aridification across the West 
•  What it’s like conducting science on multi-day rafting expeditions 
•  The emotional connection scientists develop with these landscapes 

Key Takeaways

•  The Yampa River remains one of the last relatively free-flowing desert rivers in the American West. 
•  Dams dramatically alter water temperature, sediment transport, and seasonal flooding patterns. 
•  Native fish and plant species evolved over thousands of years around natural spring runoff cycles. 
•  River complexity — including back channels and floodplains — creates biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. 
•  Long-term monitoring gives park managers the scientific data needed to make informed conservation decisions. 

Featured Locations

• Dinosaur National Monument
• Echo Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Green River
• Yampa River

Learn More

Explore the work of the Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network through the National Park Service official website

Learn more about Dinosaur National Monument through the National Park Service Dinosaur page