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Seeking Water Resources Engineer
We're looking for a PE-licensed Water Resources Engineer with 3+ years of experience to join our team. Pass it on! Specs on our careers page.
Field Trip to the Elwha: Hike of the Century
Company President Bill Way took a trip out to the Elwha now that the Elwha Dam has been removed, and part of the Glines Canyon Dam – he calls it the hike of the century:
"I took a quite unworldly hike at the Elwha that I highly recommend for restorationists and nature lovers. Somewhat like the blitzed Toutle of 1980, is walking along the former bottom of the Elwha and Glines Canyon reservoirs. Besides the natural process wonder, everyone you cross paths with is enthusiastic and has a story!
Park at the southwest end of former Lake Aldwell at Indian Creek Recreation Area. Here, the river is cutting down through the delta sediments quite quickly - when it reaches historic grade level, it 'finds' the old growth tree stumps. Much of the sands deposited in Lake Aldwell have already been swept downstream, exposing a stump farm of cedar, fir, alder, big-leaf maple, and madrona.
Fir is wet and pulpy on top whereas cedar is hard as a rock. Perfectly preserved axe and saw marks, complete with springboards, appear as if done yesterday, instead of in the 1920’s.
Some areas of stumps have old growth cedar 6 to 10 feet across, whereas other areas have only 60-70 year old stumps with more species diversity. The river, before the dam, apparently avulsed through the young area much more recently. The tree roots are holding the erosive forces in check, with the former river topography shaping back and the old river cobble exposed in places where the present river is. Slabs of sands and muck that are 10 to 20 feet high are peeling away daily along the active river and in blow-outs formed by lateral tributaries!
See more photos of Lake Aldwell.
Drive to parking at the upstream end of former Lake Mills and hike down the clayey, slippery trail about half a mile. Walking sticks are loaned at the trail entrance. Come out at a former delta and witness the famous emerald green waters of the Elwha. This is the last of emerald you will see before walking upstream. The upstream reach is the aptly named 'Grand Canyon of the Elwha'. Being the upstream reservoir, Lake Mills has by far the most load. Keep in mind that except for fines, almost no material has left this reservoir, and still must pass through the downstream river and lower reservoir to the sea. The first several thousand feet has gravels and cobbles and from there down, there are collapsing walls of sands and gravels. Spring runoff should be real exciting! Be safe – truckloads at a time cleave off into the high velocity, cold, LWD-filled river!
If you have time, check out the segment of river between the former pools by the Elwha Ranger Station. There are plenty of secondary river channels and lateral tributary feeds. This is the stuff that grows big healthy fry that don’t have to burn calories in the mainstem. It also should provide a little refugia from the load from the upper reservoir that hasn’t effectively started yet."
Watershed Opens Wenatchee Office
The Watershed Company’s new Wenatchee office is now conducting permitting, restoration, mitigation, planning, landscaping, and critical areas work throughout eastern Washington. While we have worked in eastern and north central Washington extensively throughout our 30-year history, our newly established branch makes it more convenient and cost-effective for our clients. Read more about the services we offer and see project examples from North Central Washington on our Wenatchee office page.
Secret Santa Gift: Edible Culvert
Every December, The Watershed Company staff does a Secret Santa gift exchange. This year, Amy created an edible culvert cake for our new water resources engineer, Sky, complete with salmon, large woody debris, and boulders!
Watershed Hires Water Resources Manager and Landscape Designer
The Watershed Company recently welcomed two new staff members, expanding our capacity in engineering and landscape architecture: Sky Miller, PE, as Water Resources Manager, and Marina French as Landscape Designer.
Sky Miller, P.E., Water Resources Manager
Known for his leadership in developing and implementing strategic ecologically sustainable infrastructure, floodplain and habitat restoration plans and designs, Sky is highly skilled at managing multidisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers and planners. He is an effective public speaker, administrator and engineer and brings a collaborative style to solve complex environmental problems in a fast-paced, public, political, legal and controversial environment. Sky joined The Watershed Company in 2011 from Wildlands, Inc., a regional mitigation and conservation banking firm, where he was the Pacific Northwest regional manager. He is also the former Surface Water division manager at Skagit County. Recent projects with construction completed include the 300-acre Nookachamps Wetland Bank on the Skagit River, and Hylebos Creek Estuary Restoration in Tacoma, Washington.
Marina French, Landscape Designer
Marina French (formerly Alvarez) combines her training and experience in ecology and landscape design to plan and create living spaces that integrate human and natural elements. She has developed management and recreational plans for regional, state and national parks areas and participated in the site design of projects throughout the West and internationally. Her assessments optimize the human experience while achieving goals for environmental and cultural preservation. Marina recently joined The Watershed Company from Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects. She is enjoying mitigation design and putting on her boots to monitor projects after installation. In addition to a steady stream of mitigation projects and private residential design projects, Marina is currently working on a site plan for the 42nd Street End Park for the City of Yarrow Point, and the exciting mixed-use Ballard Greenfire Campus plan, which includes green roofs, p-patches, and a stormwater biofiltration garden.
Jim Creek Restoration Concept Designs Completed for Sound Salmon Solutions
Fisheries biologists at The Watershed Company recently assisted Sound Salmon Solutions with restoration designs along 1 mile of Jim Creek near Arlington. Reach analysis prior to conceptual design included extensive field assessment and review of stream conditions. Design concepts were completed for twelve in-stream and streambank projects, and hydraulic modeling was used to determine the relative hydraulic effects of the proposed project. Read more about the project on the Sound Salmon Solutions website.
Watershed to Assist with Beaver Pond Natural Area Restoration Plan
The Watershed Company is pleased to announce being selected by Seattle Parks to complete Phase One of the Beaver Pond Natural Area restoration plan. We will be helping Seattle Parks and local residents envision upgrades to the Thornton Creek stream corridor just downstream of Thornton Place, across from Northgate Mall. Upgrades will include stream realignment and floodplain enhancements, invasive removal and native planting, wayfinding elements, trail improvements, entrance improvements and possibly other amenities as well.
American Fisheries Society Conference Next Week!
Come see us at the American Fisheries Society conference next week in Seattle! We will be at booth 96 - drop by and enter our daily drawing to win a Gurgle Pot.
We have also organized a symposium, Effective Fish Habitat Conservation: Assessment, Protection, and Rehabilitation (Part 1, Part 2). Sarah Sandstrom is facilitating the symposium on Tuesday, and three Watershed Company staff are presenting: Dan Nickel will discuss SMP policies to improve shoreline conditions; Mark Garff will speak about convincing property owners to restore shorelines; Greg Johnston is teaming with Kerry Ritland of the City of Issaquah to discuss restoration planning and implementation in the City.
Details
Symposium: Effective Fish Habitat Conservation: Assessment,
Protection, and Rehabilitation
Part
1: Tuesday, 8AM-3PM, Convention Center Room 607
Part
2: Wednesday, 1:15PM-5:15PM, Convention Center Room 603
Dan Nickel
Shoreline
Master Program Updates: Using Policy to Improve Shoreline Conditions in
Washington State
Tuesday, 10:30AM, Convention Center Room 607
Mark Garff
Bring
Back the Beach: Removing Barriers While Improving Habitat
Tuesday,
10:45AM, Convention Center Room 607
Greg Johnston and Kerry Ritland (City of Issaquah)
Setting
a Path for Urban Restoration Projects—Assessment, Prioritization,
Planning, and Implementation at the City of Issaquah, WA
Wednesday,
4:25PM, Convention Center Room 603
In-Water Work
A quick heads-up to our friends in construction - most fish windows for in-water construction end August 31! The Watershed Company can assist with fish removal and exclusion on your projects.
Seeking Water Resources Engineer
We are looking for a Water Resources Engineer. Please see our careers page for qualifications, benefits, and application instructions.
Come visit us at the Salmon Recovery Conference
Come visit us at our booth at the Salmon Recovery Conference in Grand Mound, WA, this Tuesday or Wednesday (April 26 and 27).
Company Service Project at Squak Valley Park
During the last week of October, The Watershed Company volunteered with Mountains to Sound Greenway to plant native trees and shrubs at Squak Valley Park North. Despite intermittent rain, our crew of 20 had a great time and planted 483 plants!
Over the past year, our scientists and landscape architects helped the City of Issaquah design a final stream and wetland restoration plan that improves salmonid habitat and meets nearby homeowner concerns about flooding. Learn more about our work on our Squak Valley Park project page.
We helped with planting across the creek from the park proper, where a newly-created backwater will help prevent flooding in the area.
Watershed Company president Bill planted in front of an engineered log jam on Issaquah Creek.
Environmental planner Amy doesn't mind getting a little mud on her face for a good cause.
Landscape architect Courtney enjoyed planting at a site that she helped design.
Mountains to Sound Greenway is sponsoring volunteer planting days at Squak Valley Park North throughout winter 2010 and spring 2011 - more details available on their website.
