Scientists in the West are looking for gnarled, ancient trees... and boring into them. The tree rings are time capsules, showing cycles of wetness and dryness through the centuries. We take a tree-hunting trip through Wyoming mountains with the state climatologist. He reveals that the West has been spoiled with wet years since Europeans first arrived. The Dust Bowl era and current drought are minor compared to "mega-droughts" in the 1500s and before, which lasted decades. And because the 20th century was so wet, the government has over-allocated water sources like the Colorado River. Climate change could only worsen things. A sound-rich science story.

Scientists in the West are looking for gnarled, ancient trees... and boring into them. The tree rings are time capsules, showing cycles of wetness and dryness through the centuries. We take a tree-hunting trip through Wyoming mountains with the state climatologist. He reveals that the West has been spoiled with wet years since Europeans first arrived. The Dust Bowl era and current drought are minor compared to "mega-droughts" in the 1500s and before, which lasted decades. And because the 20th century was so wet, the government has over-allocated water sources like the Colorado River. Climate change could only worsen things. A sound-rich science story.