Think Out Loud

OSU study shows faster water flows from warming winters, with impacts on water supply in Pacific Northwest

This past winter tied Oregon’s record for the warmest winter ever recorded. The warmer temperatures have led to record-low snowpack levels not only in Oregon but across many other western states [https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09]. Climate change will likely make our winters not only warmer but also rainier, as more of the winter precipitation falls as rain instead of snow.    That rain and melting snow are also expected to move faster through our landscape into rivers and streams in the Pacific Northwest through the coming decades, according to a new study [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-46539-1] led by scientists at Oregon State University. Scientists developed a model that estimates current and future water transit times based on precipitation events in a tributary of the Yakima River. Faster water flows through the landscape could be a variable that water managers may need to consider when planning for summer months when water demand is greatest.    Zach Butler is a postdoctoral researcher at OSU and the lead author of the study. He joins us for more details.

Prescribed Burns Associations let community members take part in controlled burnings

Prescribed burns are carefully planned fires on public lands [https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9496-landowners-options-prescribed-burning] to help reduce the risk of wildfires in communities. They're often conducted by by government agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management [https://www.blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/oregon-washington/prescribed-fire], but new groups of community members are now getting involved. Prescribed Burn Associations, also known as PBAs, are local groups of community members, land owners and other volunteers that conduct prescribed burns on private land. They also work closely with certified burn managers for planning, securing permits and more to prepare the site for fire.   Chris Adlam is a regional fire specialist for Oregon State University's Extension Program. Aaron Krikava is an organizer for the Rogue Valley PBA. They both join us to share more on what PBAs are and the impact they have had in Oregon.

Portland State University report highlights best ways to support people experiencing homelessness

“What is the most effective way to support people experiencing homelessness?” That’s the question a new report called “The Pathways Study” tries to answer. Researchers at the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative at Portland State University surveyed more than 500 people who are or have been homeless. The study focused on what people experiencing homelessness say they need most and what programs and services are helping them survive–and for some, get housing.    Kathleen Conte is the lead investigator of the study, and Cassie Marusa is a member of the 17-person Lived Experience Committee that helped produce it. They join us to share more about the study and their recommendations as Portland continues to grapple with how to provide housing to those without it.

Portland podcaster and puzzle enthusiast explains what is speed puzzling

Over the pandemic, the sale of puzzles skyrocketed [https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/13/833346707/with-people-stuck-at-home-jigsaw-puzzle-sales-soar]. And while people of all ages enjoy piecing together jigsaw puzzles as a more leisurely activity, others take it at a much more serious and at a competitive level. Speed puzzling is a competition where everyone is given the exact same puzzle and individuals, duos or teams work together to complete it the fastest. Last month, USA Jigsaw Nationals brought together puzzle lovers across the country to Atlanta to compete. Portlander Rob Shields was one of the attendees. He is a speed puzzling enthusiast as well as the host of "Piece Talks," a speed puzzling podcast. He joins us to share more on what he saw at the nationals and what makes speed puzzling so appealing.

Scientist looks to microbe found in extreme environments to help protect Washington apples

When it comes to growing apples, no state dominates like Washington. It accounts for roughly 6 in 10 of all the apples grown in the U.S. One of the major threats facing this top crop is fire blight. The bacterial disease attacks apple and pear trees and can ruin an entire harvest, costing roughly $100 million annually in losses [https://cals.cornell.edu/news/2024/02/genetic-mapping-may-lead-fire-blight-resistant-apples] for the U.S. apple industry. The fire blight bacteria can also develop resistance to the antibiotic orchardists have typically used to protect their fruit trees.   But that resistance may have met its match in a compound that Washington State University microbiologist and associate professor Cynthia Haseltine [https://news.wsu.edu/news/2026/04/10/extreme-microbe-may-change-how-apples-are-protected/]calls “the universal assassin” for its ability to kill not only fire blight bacteria but also other harmful pathogens. Haseltine has spent nearly a decade developing this compound that is derived from a microbe found in extreme environments like volcanic vents and hot springs.    The compound is now being field tested for the first time in central Washington. It’s also shown promise in the lab at killing listeria bacteria which can grow on equipment in fruit packing plants.    Haseltine joins us to share details of the grant she was recently awarded to expand production and real-world testing of this novel approach to protecting Washington apples.