Spring finds us still third rock from the sun, having survived the vagaries of a wild winter, still the watery planet. Hydrology, geology , biology, meteorology, soil and range sciences, forestry and engineering...they are all just windows on this thin-shelled, spherical terrarium we call Earth.
Looking a our planet's watersheds through a range window, Ken Tate has joined the University of California at Davis, Agronomy and Range Science Department as their new Extension Rangeland Watershed Specialist. In 1991, after earning his B.S. and M.S., Ken accepted a USDA National Needs Fellowship in water resources and began work in the Environmental Sciences Program at Oklahoma State University, completing his doctorate at OSU in 1995. Some of you may have met Ken last fall on the WMC field tour to Mammoth and Mono Lake. Ken's e-mail is kwtate@ucdavis.edu, and work phone is (916) 754-8988.
Ranging across the worlds of rocks and water, Rick Weaver is the new hydrologist on the Tahoe National Forest, Downieville Ranger District. Rick brings a background in geology to the job. In the 70's, he studied geology at San Diego State and worked as a well site geologist, or "mud logger", in California, North Dakota and Wyoming until the energy boom went bust. Through the go-go 80's, Rick worked for a geotechnical firm in San Diego. When boom went bust, Rick decided to retrain in hydrology at Chico State, a branch of the California State University system, like the City of Chico, named after a creek, Chico (little) Creek. Following graduation, Rick worked as a hydrologic technician on the Mendocino National Forest for forest hydrologist Bob Faust. Most recently, Rick has worked as a forest hydrologist on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. A belated welcome to watershed, Rick.
Showing that two can play the physical science revolving door game, Mike McCorison of the Angeles National Forest is now the new Air Quality Specialist. Air, water, fluid dynamics are fluid dynamics, right? Needless to say, L.A. and environs presents Mike and colleagues with some air challenges. Ones I'm sure Mike is up to. Progress is being made. The untold story is that despite tremendous regional growth, efforts to improve air quality in the Southland have yielded some significant improvements in the last couple of decades. Anyroad, Mike's transformation leaves a hole at the hydrologist position on the Angeles, the quintessential fire-flood sequence forest.
Going with the flow, past WMC president and PG&E watershed specialist, Donna Lindquist, has a new address: Pacific Gas and Electric Co., 2303 Camino Ramon, Suite #200, San Ramon, CA 94583. Donna's phone number remains (510) 866-5459.
Lots of folks moving around in the water world. Mike Lowry (now Mike McNamara) left the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon to the Winema National Forest to work on the Upper Klamath River basin adjudication. Mike married Sherry Fouray in Tahoe last September and in the spirit of compromise, they both changed their last name to Mike's former middle name: McNamara.
Jules Riley has moved from the Stanislaus National Forest, Summit Ranger District to the Lassen National Forest, Almanor Ranger District. Ken Roby of the Plumas National Forest and various special liaison assignments is also spending part of his time working on Lassen.
The Lassen National Forest has an adjacent National Park by the same name, as does the Sequoia.
The Sequoia National Forest has a new hydrologist, Randall J. (Randy) Gould. Randy is in Kernville, California, across the Great Western Divide from the Supervisor's Office in Porterville. Randy, 41, is from Montana and brings raft of practical experience with him. Prior to working for the Forest Service, Randy worked in the timber industry for 15-years as a heavy equipment operator and diesel mechanic. No slouch in the education department either, Randy obtained a B.A. in environmental geology from the University of Montana at Missoula in 1992. He'll have an M.S. from UM in geology (fluvial geomorphology) once he completes his thesis, hopefully this summer. Most recently Randy worked as a hydrologic technician on the Lolo National Forest and as a private groundwater consultant. Randy and his wife Corinne ave been married for 21 years (congratulations) and have two children, Derek, 19 and Shuana, 17. Over in Porterville, forest hydrologist Terry Kaplan-Henry says, "I cannot begin to tell you how happy and relieved I am to have someone of Randy's caliber to work with. Watch out, I expect great things from the Sequoia."
By the way, if you want to read an interesting white-water novel set in the present-day Kern Valley, pick up a copy of The Hookmen by Timothy Hillmer-out in paperback August 1996.
For those into non-fiction, Clark Farr of Kern County Floodplain Management announces that: "Kern County's stream gage records have been published and are now available. Records include site descriptions, histories and data for 51 crest stage gages, in the Mojave Desert, southern Sierra Nevada and San Joaquin Valley, with record lengths up to 40 years." To order, call Clark Farr for details at (805) 861-2201.
There is a lot to be said in the watershed management game for getting the feel for the place. 1996 marks Jim Frazier's twentieth year as hydrologist on the Stanislaus National Forest. I dare say, no one knows the watersheds between Yosemite's northern boundary and the south bank of the Mokelumne River better than my old friend Jim Frazier- a real thinking, observing, doing person's hydrologist. Watershed science needs more practical people who are intimate with land. Imagine the insights Jim has gained from following a large, catastrophic events, like the Granite Burn, through twenty-years of recovery-awesome. Jim, thanks for the institutional and ecosystem memories and observations so critical to advancing the art and science of watershed management.
Speaking of fragility of institutional memory, the USDA-Forest Service Pacific Southwest Experiment Station closed-out their Cumulative Effects/Snow Hydrology Program as an economy measure. Fortunately, its director, Neil Berg, landed on his Birkenstock-clad feet in Washington, D.C. as the Forest Service's new water quality liaison to the Environmental Protection Agency. Washington's gain is the west's loss. However, sometimes EPA in Washington fails to appreciate the unique types of climates and hydrologic regimes west of the hundredth meridian. Neil's now well placed to help EPA steer clear of such mistakes.
Lots of institutional memory was lost to the Forest Service with Mike Kuehn's recent retirement from his position as Alaska Region hydrologist. Mike, congratulations on a successful Forest service. I'm looking forward to seeing you and Ellie, when you return to your homestead in Camino, California.
Likewise, the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (aka SCS) lost institutional memory with the retirement of Rome Rivera as head of NRCS Water Resources Planning for California. Diane Holcomb has been brought in to fill Rome's shoes. Diane's has a host of varied watershed experience, including work in Alaska State Office of the NRCS. Celestial speaking, I'm sure the northern lights are prettier than Sacramento Valley fog, but duty calls.
Shooting for the stars, Bruce Van Haveren, active in the watershed management field for many years, has been selected to be Science Advisor in the office of the Director, USDI Bureau of Land Management. Bruce started his career in Logan, Utah in the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Stations's Watershed Rehabilitation Research Project under Paul Packer in the late 1960's. Bruce is an 18 year veteran of the BLM.
A rising star, Jim Fitzgerald will complete his M.S. in hydrology this Spring and is looking for employment. Jim has work experience with the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service, Cal State University Chico, and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where he is currently a student. His B.S. is in Geology from CSU Chico. Jim's ambitious and eager to relocate. For Jim's resume or to contact Jim with potential leads, e-mail him at fitzgera@nevada.edu or call him at (702) 247-9778. Jobs are scarce right now, so it's more important than ever that we watersheders nurture the young talent.
And remember, if you've reached a watershed in your career or have an interesting tidbit of watershed news, let your colleagues know about it. Drop a line to Name Stream & Tributaries, c/o Clay Brandow, 1528 Brown Drive, Davis, CA 95616, or call me at (916) 227-2663. D.G. address is C.Brandow:R05K. Internet e-mail finds me at: clay_brandow@fire.ca.gov
