Research

Research

Research Interests

My main research interests are: (1) the effect of landscape disturbance (e.g. forestry, agriculture, mining, urbanization, wildfire, climate change) on the behaviour, fluxes and fate of water, sediment and chemicals in the environment at a range of time and space scales; and (2) the development of appropriate information and advice for improved management of land and water resources. Specific interests include:

  • Landscape disturbances on aquatic systems
  • Effects of wildfire and forest disturbance on soil erosion and sediment fluxes
  • Sediment sources, transport, storage and budgets
  • Sediment management in river basins
  • Environmental fallout radionuclides and other environmental tracers
  • Sediment source fingerprinting
  • Nutrients and contaminants in soils, sediment and water
  • Mountain geomorphic processes
  • Ecology-water-sediment interactions

Selection of present and recent research projects

Forest Renewal British Columbia (FRBC) Endowed Research Chair Operating Grant. This supports several projects including: sediment fingerprinting in Canadian watersheds; radionuclides in proglacial environments; impacts of wildfire on soil erosion and fine-grained sediment dynamics in forested aquatic systems; composition and quality of urban street sediment in Prince George and its impact on air and water quality. Duration: 2007 ongoing.

British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BC-SRIF) Tsecmenulecwem-kt (We Repair the Land) - Deadman Recovery & Resiliency Initiative. Project team: Skeetchestn Indian Band (Principal Investigator, PI), Pacific Salmon Foundation, BC Ministry of Forests, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), 蹤獲扞⑹, Thompson Rivers University, University of British Columbia, Secwepemc Fisheries Commission, Urban Systems, Palmer Consultants. Duration: 2023 2026.

British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BC-SRIF) Evaluating Climate Change Scenarios for the Quesnel Watershed to Determine Flood, Fire and Temperature Risks Posed to Upper Fraser Salmon Stock. Project team: 蹤獲扞⑹ (Stephen D矇ry, Peter Jackson, Phil Owens, Ellen Petticrew (PI)), University of British Columbia (Bernard Laval), Fisheries and Ocean Canada (Dan Selbie, Svein Vagle). Duration: 2023 2026.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Complementary Measures Program via Artemis Gold Inc. Evaluating Watershed Disturbances that Affect Fish in the Upper Fraser River. Project team: 蹤獲扞⑹ (Stephen D矇ry, Eduardo Martins, Phil Owens) and EcoFish Consulting. Duration: 2024 2026.

NSERC Discovery Grant Advancing Techniques to Fingerprint Sediment Sources in Disturbed Watersheds. Duration: 2018 2024.

Nechako Environmental Enhancement Fund (NEEF) Integrated Watershed Research in the Nechako River Basin: Phases 1 to 3. Project team: 蹤獲扞⑹ (Stephen D矇ry, Eduardo Martins, Phil Owens, Margot Parkes and Ellen Petticrew; co-PIs). Duration: 2014 2025.

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Environmental Damages Fund Evaluating the Resiliency of Aquatic Ecosystems to a Catastrophic Mine Tailings Spill Event: the 2014 Mount Polley Incident in the Quesnel River Watershed, British Columbia: Phases 1 and 2 and extension. Project team: 蹤獲扞⑹ (Stephen D矇ry, Phil Owens, Ellen Petticrew (PI)), UBC (Sue Baldwin, Bernard Laval), U of Lethbridge (Greg Pyle), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Eddy Carmack, Dan Selbie, Svein Vagle). Duration 2016 2023.

NSERC Collaborative Research and Development Grant Contributions of Climate Change and Hydro-Electric Regulation to the Variability and Change of Freshwater-Marine Coupling in the Hudson Bay System. Project team: University of Manitoba (David Barber (PI) and others), 蹤獲扞⑹ (Stephen D矇ry, Phil Owens and Ellen Petticrew), University of Quebec, Trent University, University of Laval, and other institutions.  Duration: 2015 2019.

Canada Foundation for Innovation (John R Evans Leaders Fund) Infrastructure to Support Innovations in Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Research. Project team: University of Manitoba (David Lobb, PI) and 蹤獲扞⑹ (Phil Owens, co-PI). Duration 2014 2018.

Environment Canada, Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund (LWBSF) Designing and Managing Riparian Areas to Filter Phosphorus and Sediment. Project team: 蹤獲扞⑹ (Phil Owens, PI) and University of Manitoba (David Lobb). Duration: 2013 2017.

Selection of Present and Recent Graduate Students and Researchers

  • Dr Leticia Gaspar (Post-doctoral research associate)
  • Dr David Gateuille (Post-doctoral research associate)
  • Dr Kristen Kieta ((Post-doctoral research associate)
  • Dr Neil Williams (Post-doctoral research associate)
  • Barry Booth (Research Manager, co-supervised with D矇ry, Parkes, Petticrew)
  • Bruno Sobral (Research Manager, co-supervised with D矇ry, Martins, Parkes)
  • Todd French (Research associate, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)
  • Jordan Lindgren (Research associate, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)
  • Masoud Goharrokhi (PhD student, co-supervised with David Lobb)
  • Kristen Kieta (PhD student, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)
  • Alex Koiter (PhD student, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)
  • Dominic Reiffarth (PhD student, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)
  • Kristina Anderson (MSc student)
  • Katrina Caley (MSc student)
  • Kristen Kieta (MSc student)
  • Mike Leggat (MSc student)
  • Gabrielle Lint (MSc student, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)
  • James Rankin (MSc student, co-supervised with Faran Ali)
  • Michael Samoil (MSc student, co-supervised with Faran Ali)
  • Ty Smith (MSc student)
  • Richelle Sussbauer (MSc student)
  • Jason Vanrobaeys (MSc student, co-supervised with Michael Campbell)
  • Aaron Zwiebel (MSc student, co-supervised with Ellen Petticrew)