Chiloquin, OR

Fluvial Geomorphologist, Klamath Tribes
Employer Type: Local Government

My research examines the effects of hydrogeomorphic processes on aquatic and riparian habitat quality.  I am currently working to develop a better understanding of the relative roles of human and non-human influences in shaping channel-floodplain dynamics of the Umatilla and Sprague Rivers in Oregon.  I am applying research results to the development and implementation of science-based collaborative river management and restoration programs.  Funded projects include studies focused on the effects of floods on habitat complexity (Umatilla, doctoral research), processes and patterns of erosion and deposition (Sprague), interactions between channel processes and riparian vegetation communities (Sprague), hydrogeomorphology of spawning areas for endangered suckers (Sprague), effectiveness monitoring of stream restoration projects (Sprague), and thermal patterns and variability of channel-floodplain systems (Upper Klamath Basin).   I am active in the organization of scientific information to bridge basic and applied environmental geoscience.  Examples of recent efforts include chairing sessions at the 2009 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (a three-part session entitled The Science, Management, and Restoration of Aquatic Systems in Arid and Semi-Arid Basins), the 2010 Klamath Basin Science Conference (Watershed Processes Plenary Session), and the upcoming 2011 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (Tribal Rivers as Confluences of Environmental and Cultural Restoration).  I maintain an interest in environmental science education in Oregon by hosting student internships at the Klamath Tribes Research Station and serving as a member of the Advisory Board of the Environmental Sciences Program at the Oregon Institute of Technology.  

Courses I've taken that prepared me for my current job:
Various (and excellent) geography seminars by Pat McDowell and Andrew Marcus
Geog 620 & 621 Theory and Practice of Geography
Geog 562 Views of the Environment with Peter Walker
Law 610 Water Resources Law

• University Club (of Portland, Oregon) Fellowship, 2005 Graduate Research Fellowship (supported by NSF Award 0215291), University of Oregon, Department of Geography, 2003-2005 Outstanding Undergraduate Award, Ohio University, Department of Geography, 1995