Message from the Director—Oregon Water Science Center, Winter 2026 Newsletter
Updates from the Center Director, Joanna Thamke.
As we begin 2026 at the Oregon Water Science Center (ORWSC), I want to recognize the resilience and dedication our staff demonstrated throughout 2025, a year of challenges, growth, and collaboration.
The year began with a hiring freeze and significant federal workforce reductions. While USGS experienced many departures, ORWSC remained strong, thanks to the commitment and expertise of our staff.
Midyear, our Klamath Falls Field Office faced an unexpected transition after the government ended our long-standing building lease. Due to quick action and teamwork with our Department of Interior partners, we relocated to a secure and welcoming facility on the Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Falls campus. We’re excited about this new chapter and invite you to visit our new office, or any of our other locations. Please contact us first to arrange a visit.
In the fall, we navigated the longest government shutdown in history. Despite this, our dedicated staff ensured that monitoring sites continued delivering critical data to support flood forecasters, dam operators, emergency managers, and those who protect life and property.
As 2025 ended, a powerful atmospheric river brought major flooding to northwest Oregon. Our staff rose to the occasion, providing timely information during this extreme weather event. At peak, 19 streamgages in Oregon were in flood stage.
Looking ahead, ORWSC will continue building programs with our partners, like the 6PPD-Q study featured in this newsletter, publishing ongoing research, and monitoring hundreds of stations across Oregon. The year also marks important staffing milestones. In January, one of our senior hydrobiological researchers, Kurt Carpenter, retired after decades of dedicated service and research that shaped our science. And after four decades with the USGS, I will retire at the end of May. Serving as ORWSC Director has been the highlight of my career, and I remain humbled and impressed by the talent and commitment of our center staff.
ORWSC’s core mission—providing scientific information to our partners and the public—leans on the USGS mission and remains timeless. We’re excited for the future and continuing our strong partnerships with agencies, communities, and stakeholders across Oregon and beyond. Your engagement and support are vital as we focus on our mission to support Oregon’s water resources.
-Joanna Thamke