Projects

Some past project examples are below. I have some new project ideas related to communication of science and educating the public on flood risk and watershed health. More to follow.

While working for Otak Kevin collaborated on multiple 2013 Emergency Watershed Protection Phase II projects on Left Hand Creek, Saint Vrain Creek, and Fall River. The Foothills project on Left Hand Creek was a large and challenging project for the Lefthand Watershed Oversight Group. I worked with a team of river professionals at Otak, FlyWater, and Iron Woman to design and construct this $4 million project.

Pictured below is a large wood structure during construction to protect the left bank of the river and the Streamcrest neighborhood below.

Log revetment

The root wads are used to create a guide bank on the outside of the bend. The wood serves two main functions 1) protect the bank from erosion and 2) encourage scour and pool formation at the end of the root wad. When the root wads are installed, the trunk of the tree is buried in the bank and weighted down with large boulders. Large wood structures have gained popularity in river restoration projects to create physical habitat for aquatic species and to return woody material to river reaches where it has been removed.

Comparison of model results with two different model methods.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure modeling and planning at King County, WA

Additional River Restoration Experience – I worked on topographic and bathymetric survey data collection while working for Mussetter Engineering and Tetra Tech. I calibrated one-dimensional hydraulic models for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP). Additionally, I worked on the Rio Grand silvery minnow habitat restoration program collecting topographic data, calibrating hydraulic models in sand bed rivers, designing habitat features to counter act the impacts of in channel impoundments (dam and reservoir) upstream that impacts the flow and sediment regime the silvery minnow historically thrived in. Knowing the geomorphic setting of the river/stream is important to understanding the restoration/mitigation techniques to use.

%d bloggers like this: