I am a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Fisheries Research Center, stationed in Seattle, Washington.
Research Interests:
My research assignment is to develop and execute a research program focused upon priorities of the USGS Ecosystems mission area, in particular those projects that address complex natural resource issues related to land use, habitat restoration, and species recovery. I have had the pleasure to work in diverse ecosystems and ecoregions throughout the United States, on lands and waters contained in both National Parks and military installations. I have also worked across a range of biological scales, from single species to entire communities.
Over the past decade, I have focused much attention on studying the ecological outcomes of dam removal, especially the historic project on the Elwha River. This involved removal of two long-standing dams, with a major goal of restoring the ecosystem and the native anadromous fish populations that once thrived in the river. Working with a multidisciplinary team within the USGS, as well as strong collaborations with partners like NPS, NOAA, FWS, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, we have developed a portfolio of long-term data sets on physical and biological attributes of the Elwha River before and after dam removal.
Recently I was a member of a dam removal science working group at the USGS John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. We worked to understand patterns of dam removal science, and to synthesize what is known scientifically about this emerging field. This led to development of the USGS Dam Removal Information Portal, an interactive online tool for visualizing and storing scientific studies associated with dam removals nationwide.
Professional Experience
2004 to Present – Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1998-2004 – Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1993-1995 – Biological Technician, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
Education and Certifications
M.S. 1998. Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
B.S. 1993. Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Affiliations and Memberships*
2015 to Present – Scientific Advisory Board, Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study
2012 to Present – Science Liaison, Board of Directors, Nature Bridge at Olympic National Park
1998 to Present – Ecological Society of America
2008 to Present – Northwest Scientific Association
2010 to Present – American Fisheries Society
Honors and Awards
2014 – NOAA Restoration Center, Excellence in Restoration Award
2013 – Northwest Scientific Association, Honorary Lifetime Membership Award
2011 – U.S. Department of the Interior, Superior Service Award
Science and Products
Reconnecting the Elwha River: Spatial patterns of fish response to dam removal
Dam removal and river restoration
Riverscape approaches in practice: Perspectives and applications
Vegetation of the Elwha River Estuary - Chapter 8
Shifting food web structure during dam removal—Disturbance and recovery during a major restoration action
Environmental DNA is an effective tool to track recolonizing migratory fish following large‐scale dam removal
Use of environmental DNA to detect the invasive aquatic plants Myriophyllum spicatum and Egeria densa in lakes
Morphodynamic evolution following sediment release from the world’s largest dam removal
Sediment pulses can cause widespread, complex changes to rivers and coastal regions. Quantifying landscape response to sediment-supply changes is a long-standing problem in geomorphology, but the unanticipated nature of most sediment pulses rarely allows for detailed measurement of associated landscape processes and evolution. The intentional removal of two large dams on the Elwha River (Washingto
Evaluation of environmental DNA surveys for identifying occupancy and spatial distribution of Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and Lampetra spp. in a Washington coast watershed
Complexities, context, and new information about the Elwha River
Conceptualizing ecological responses to dam removal: If you remove it, what's to come?
Natural resource condition assessment: Olympic National Park
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
USGS science supporting the Elwha River Restoration Project
National Dam Removal Database: A living database for information on dying dams
Dam removal: synthesis of ecological and physical responses
Riverscape snorkeling surveys of salmonid distribution and abundance before (2007, 2008) and after (2018, 2019) dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an Effective Tool to Track Recolonizing Migratory Fish Following Large-Scale Dam Removal, field data
Ecological parameters in the Elwha River estuary before and during dam removal (ver. 2.0, August 2020)
Detection of invasive aquatic plants Myriophyllum spicatum and Egeria densa in lakes using eDNA, field and mesocosm data
USGS Dam Removal Science Database v4.0
2015 environmental DNA surveys for lampreys in Chehalis River tributaries, Washington
Data in support of 5-year sediment budget and morphodynamic analysis of Elwha River following dam removals
Concentrations of environmental DNA (eDNA) during sockeye salmon spawning in 2016, Hansen Creek, Alaska, USA
Distribution and seasonal differences in Pacific Lamprey and Lampetra spp eDNA across 18 Puget Sound watersheds, 2014 and 2015
Data collected in 2008-2014 to assess nearshore subtidal community response to increased sediment load during removal of the Elwha River dams, Washington State, USA
Dam Removal Information Portal Dashboard Python Dash Software
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 78
Reconnecting the Elwha River: Spatial patterns of fish response to dam removal
The removal of two large dams on the Elwha River was completed in 2014 with a goal of restoring anadromous salmonid populations. Using observations from ongoing field studies, we compiled a timeline of migratory fish passage upstream of each dam. We also used spatially continuous snorkeling surveys in consecutive years before (2007, 2008) and after (2018, 2019) dam removal during summer baseflow tDam removal and river restoration
The removal of dams from rivers has become a common and widespread practice in the United States and Europe. Although often initiated by factors like economics and safety, ecosystem restoration is often a desired benefit and outcome of dam removal. We describe the physical and ecological effects that the placement and removal of dams have on rivers. We then focus on the drivers of dam removal, preRiverscape approaches in practice: Perspectives and applications
Landscape perspectives in riverine ecology have been undertaken increasingly in the last 30 years, leading aquatic ecologists to develop a diverse set of approaches for conceptualizing, mapping and understanding ‘riverscapes’. Spatiotemporally explicit perspectives of rivers and their biota nested within the socio-ecological landscape now provide guiding principles and approaches in inland fisheriVegetation of the Elwha River Estuary - Chapter 8
The Elwha River estuary supports one of the most diverse coastal wetland complexes yet described in the Salish Sea region, in terms of vegetation types and plant species richness. Using a combination of aerial imagery and vegetation plot sampling, we identified 6 primary vegetation types and 121 plant species in a 39.7 ha area. Most of the estuary is dominated by woody vegetation types, with mixedShifting food web structure during dam removal—Disturbance and recovery during a major restoration action
We measured food availability and diet composition of juvenile salmonids over multiple years and seasons before and during the world’s largest dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington State. We conducted these measurements over three sediment-impacted sections (the estuary and two sections of the river downstream of each dam) and compared these to data collected from mainstem tributaries not dirEnvironmental DNA is an effective tool to track recolonizing migratory fish following large‐scale dam removal
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a potentially powerful tool for use in conservation and resource management, including for tracking the recolonization dynamics of fish populations. We used eDNA to assess the effectiveness of dam removal to restore fish passage on the Elwha River in Washington State (USA). Using a suite of 11 species‐specific eDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, weUse of environmental DNA to detect the invasive aquatic plants Myriophyllum spicatum and Egeria densa in lakes
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis offers a promising tool for rapid and early detection of aquatic plant invasive species, but currently suffers from substantial unknowns that limit its widespread use in monitoring programs. We conducted the first study to test the factors related to eDNA-based detectability of 2 invasive aquatic plants, Egeria densa and Myriophyllum spicatum, over extended periodMorphodynamic evolution following sediment release from the world’s largest dam removal
Sediment pulses can cause widespread, complex changes to rivers and coastal regions. Quantifying landscape response to sediment-supply changes is a long-standing problem in geomorphology, but the unanticipated nature of most sediment pulses rarely allows for detailed measurement of associated landscape processes and evolution. The intentional removal of two large dams on the Elwha River (Washingto
ByEcosystems, Natural Hazards, Water Resources, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Fisheries Program (unpublished), Arizona Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Sediment Lab Suite and Carbon Analysis LaboratoryEvaluation of environmental DNA surveys for identifying occupancy and spatial distribution of Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and Lampetra spp. in a Washington coast watershed
Surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA) have become an important and multifaceted tool for monitoring and identifying distributions and occupancy of aquatic species. This tool is attractive because it is powerful, easy to apply, and provides an alternative to traditional field survey methods. However, validating eDNA survey methods against traditional field survey methods is warranted prior to their aComplexities, context, and new information about the Elwha River
Recently, Hand et al. (2018) discussed the socio- ecological complexities surround-ing natural resource policy, science, and management in the Columbia River Basin, using a case study of dam removal on the Elwha River in Washington State (WebFigure 1a). We feel compelled to provide additional historical context and correct some of the information provided by Hand et al. about the Elwha. The his-toConceptualizing ecological responses to dam removal: If you remove it, what's to come?
One of the desired outcomes of dam decommissioning and removal is the recovery of aquatic and riparian ecosystems. To investigate this common objective, we synthesized information from empirical studies and ecological theory into conceptual models that depict key physical and biological links driving ecological responses to removing dams. We define models for three distinct spatial domains: upstreByEcosystems, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Species Management Research Program, Arizona Water Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, Oregon Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Fisheries Research CenterNatural resource condition assessment: Olympic National Park
The Natural Resource Assessment Program aims to document condition and trends of selected park resources while identifying emerging issues and information needs. This information is intended to serve as a platform for natural resource managers to use in developing future resource stewardship priorities and planning.Olympic National Park (OLYM) on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula protects remarkableNon-USGS Publications**
Duda, J.J., and A.J. Krzysik. 1998. Radiotelemetry study of a desert tortoise population: Sand Hill Training Area, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories Technical Report 98/39. 75 p.Duda, J.J. 1998. Home range, burrow use, and activity patterns of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the south-central Mojave Desert. M.S. Thesis. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 60 p.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Science
USGS science supporting the Elwha River Restoration Project
The Elwha River Restoration Project has reconnected the water, salmon, and sediment of a pristine river and coast of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.National Dam Removal Database: A living database for information on dying dams
The United States has over 2 million dams on rivers and streams (Graf, 1999), and more than 84,000 of the larger dams are documented in the congressionally mandated National Inventory of Dams (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2015). The average age of these National Inventory of Dams is 52 years; by the year 2030, over 80 percent will be at least 50 years old (American Society of Civil Engineers, 201Dam removal: synthesis of ecological and physical responses
Dam decommissioning is rapidly emerging as an important river restoration strategy in the U.S., with several major removals recently completed or in progress. But few studies have evaluated the far-reaching consequences of these significant environmental perturbations, especially those resulting from removals of large (>10-15 m tall) structures during the last decade. In particular, interactions b - Data
Riverscape snorkeling surveys of salmonid distribution and abundance before (2007, 2008) and after (2018, 2019) dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington
We used snorkel surveys in the Elwha River, conducted in consecutive years before (2007, 2008) and after (2018, 2019) dam removal to assess changes in fish distribution and density. In total, we counted 54,616 Chinook Salmon, Bull Trout, Steelhead, and trout (Rainbow Trout and Coastal Cutthroat Trout combined) in 22 common reaches spanning 65 river kilometers. The occupancy of juvenile Chinook SalEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) is an Effective Tool to Track Recolonizing Migratory Fish Following Large-Scale Dam Removal, field data
We collected environmental DNA (eDNA) data from the Elwha River, home to the world?s largest dam removal project, to track the spatial and temporal patterns of species responses following dam removal. In total, we collected data for 11 different fish taxa, sampled at 25 sites ranging across 56 river kilometers in a wilderness river for 4 years following dam removal. We show that eDNA can effectiveEcological parameters in the Elwha River estuary before and during dam removal (ver. 2.0, August 2020)
The Elwha and Glines Canyon dams were removed from the Elwha River in Washington State from 2011 to 2014. We collected data for a variety of metrics in the estuary and on the river delta before (2006-2011) and during (2012-2014) dam removal to assess how increased sediment transport and deposition affected habitats, vegetation, invertebrates, and fish.Detection of invasive aquatic plants Myriophyllum spicatum and Egeria densa in lakes using eDNA, field and mesocosm data
We conducted a study to test the factors related to detectability of two invasive aquatic plants (Egeria densa and Myriophyllym spicatum) using environmental DNA (eDNA), over extended periods of time, and specifically examined how plant growth stage and abundance relates to eDNA detection in semi-natural and natural conditions. This dataset is from sampling performed in summer of 2018 in lakes witUSGS Dam Removal Science Database v4.0
This database is the result of an extensive literature search aimed at identifying documents relevant to the emerging field of dam removal science. In total the database contains 214 citations that contain empirical monitoring information associated with 181 different dam removals across the United States and abroad. Data includes publications through 2016 and supplemented with the U.S. Army Corps2015 environmental DNA surveys for lampreys in Chehalis River tributaries, Washington
Columns of data representing Chehalis River tributary, sample reach locations, dates of water sampling, quantitative PCR results, and whether lamprey were sampled by electrofishing in each sample reach. ***Please note that the title of this data release used to be "Environmental DNA surveys for lampreys in Chehalis River tributaries, Washington, from 2015 and 2017," but was updated for version 2.Data in support of 5-year sediment budget and morphodynamic analysis of Elwha River following dam removals
Two large dams were removed from the Elwha River in Washington, starting in 2011 and ending in 2014. The Elwha and the Glines Canyon dams were located approximately 7 km and 20 km upstream, respectively, from the Elwha River's mouth on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The dams trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment. Dam removal changed the river's sediment budget and water flow, which affecteConcentrations of environmental DNA (eDNA) during sockeye salmon spawning in 2016, Hansen Creek, Alaska, USA
This dataset contains environmental DNA (eDNA) concentrations and spawning adult abundances for sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in Hansen Creek, a small tributary in the Wood River watershed, southeast Alaska, USA. We took temporally- and spatially-replicated eDNA samples during the spawning period (mid-July through August), along with fish counts (live, naturally dead, and killed), dissolvedDistribution and seasonal differences in Pacific Lamprey and Lampetra spp eDNA across 18 Puget Sound watersheds, 2014 and 2015
These data contain all the raw results needed to support the conclusions for the final product. These data are water sampling locations (latitude and longitude), date of water sampling, quantitative PCR values for each water sample, and stream flow at USGS stream gauging stations on sampling day.Data collected in 2008-2014 to assess nearshore subtidal community response to increased sediment load during removal of the Elwha River dams, Washington State, USA
Data are time series of substrate grain size, remotely sensed water column turbidity, and measures of abundance (e.g., density, percent cover) of the nearshore subtidal (3-17 m depth) benthic community (vegetation, invertebrates, and fish) collected before (2008-2011) and during dam removal (2012-2014). - Web Tools
- Software
Dam Removal Information Portal Dashboard Python Dash Software
The Dam Removal Information Portal (DRIP) contains information about the geographic locations of dam removals and any associated scientific studies evaluating outcomes to physical, biological, and water quality parameters. This application uses Python DASH to help distribute and visualize information from the Dam Removal Information Portal API (DRIP API). - News
- Multimedia
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government