How long were you/have you been with the district?
I worked for the District for 13 years, and have been on the board for two plus.

When did you start and in what capacity?
2002, primarily to work on WDOE Entiat/Mad River stream gage installation, startup and operation.

What was the district like when you started? Main focus of projects/programs/resource concerns, etc?
Farm planning in coordination with NRCS, Entiat Watershed Planning, natural resource outreach & education.

What has been one of the most impactful projects you remember during your time with the CD?
The Tyee Ranch side channel project was certainly the largest in scope. Re-connected about 1200 feet of side channel habitat for juvenile salmon and installed several rock & LWD habitat complexity structures in the mainstem and other existing side channels.

Can you think of a story from your time at the CD you would love to tell folks?
A cautionary tale of field safety, and what NOT to do. In my very early days at CCD, I was doing some very late-season scouting, alone, for a site to install a bank-operated cableway at the WDOE Entiat Falls gage. I had no radio and had hiked a couple miles in, there was snow on the ground and ice in the river, and I managed to fall through the ice with both legs. Luckily, it was shallow and my feet were on the bottom, but it still took some gymnastics to get myself free. And needless to say, the hike back out wasn’t so pleasant. I was fortunate, and it’s something to laugh about now, but it really illustrates the point of how easy it is for someone, especially working alone in the field, to get into trouble.

What are your hopes/vision for CCD in the next 5-10 years? And/or beyond?
I think that CCD is on the right track for the foreseeable future. It was heavily involved in salmon recovery for many years, and did some good work, but the scope of our efforts suffered, I think, during that period, and it’s good to see the district working actively across a diverse field of local resource concerns.

Anything else to share?
Keep up the good work.