When the Klamath Dams Come Down
On Thursday, April 11, at noon at the Baywood Golf and Country Club, Humboldt-ERFSA, the Emeritus Retired Faculty and Staff Association will present Alison O’Dowd with a program titled, “River Undammed: Exploring Biological Responses to Klamath Dam Removal.” Alison O’Dowd earned her BS in Environmental Science from the University of Oregon and PhD in Aquatic Ecology from UC Berkeley. She is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Environmental Science and Management at Cal Poly Humboldt and the Co-Director of Cal Poly Humboldt’s River Institute. Her research interests are within the fields of aquatic ecology and ecological restoration. More specifically she focuses on stream and wetland restoration, the ecology and eradication of invasive species, the impacts of wildfire on instream communities, and the biological composition of step-pool sequences in mountain streams. Dr. O’Dowd’s research methods primarily use benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality and salmonid food resources in freshwater ecosystems. More recently, her research has explored the impacts of dams and dam removal on downstream ecosystems in the Klamath, Trinity, and Eel Rivers.”
Dr. O’Dowd received a grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board to support research into salmonid food webs in the Klamath River. The project seeks to understand the food web dynamics associated with Klamath Dam removals by examining the water quality, salmonid food resources, and diet in the mainstem Klamath River and associated tributaries before, during, and after Klamath dam removals. Findings will inform the management of fisheries and fish food resources associated with future dam removal projects. It will also advance the field of disturbance ecology by documenting the effects of a large-scale ‘planned’ disturbance.
Find out more about her exciting and important projects by attending the next Humboldt-ERFSA Luncheon Presentation on April 11. All in-person guests at these lectures should be fully COVID-19 vaccinated and may wear masks while attending. Meet and greets begin at 11:30 a.m. Various foods and beverages can be ordered for lunch from Baywood’s regular menu; please arrive early to order lunch. Her presentation will commence at noon. If you would like to read more about Alison and her work, simply search for the keywords “Humboldt environment O’Dowd” and read the article, “When the Klamath Dams Come Down.”
Everyone is invited to these presentations; you need not be retired, a member of Humboldt ERFSA, or purchase lunch. The ERFSA lecture series is open to the North Coast community. If you are retired faculty or staff of Cal Poly Humboldt, please consider joining our organization; find more information at erfsa.humboldt.edu.
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