Watersheds, river systems and California's native freshwater fishes will get a boost with the opening of a new building at UC Davis dedicated to their study.

The new building was paid for with $3 million from the state's Proposition 13, the 2000 water bond approved by voters; $2 million from campus funds; and private gifts.

It will house the offices of the Center for Watershed Sciences, as well as the Davis campus office of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center. It also contains state-of-the-art aquatic biology, sedimentology and water quality laboratories.

The watershed center is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of critical issues in watershed science, with a focus on the sustainable restoration and management of Northern California stream, lake and estuarine ecosystems.

The center works extensively on projects that bring together university researchers with public and private agencies. The restoration of fall flows to the Cosumnes River, begun Oct. 17, is a prime example.