Experience
Watershed Sciences, Inc. has provided airborne remote sensing services and high quality map products to the university and government research, engineering, and hazard mapping communities since 1999. We have successfully acquired, processed, and delivered more than 5 million acres of LiDAR data (often in conjunction with true-color orthophotos) and over 12,000 miles of thermal data nationwide. Contracted projects have been accomplished across a wide variety of landscapes including coastal beaches, alluvial valleys, rugged forests, desert scrub, and mountain summits. We have delivered both small and large projects, several with extents exceeding 500,000 acres.
Company owners Russ Faux and Matt Boyd have a combined 26 years of professional experience, and our lead staff has a broad range of educational and professional backgrounds in remote sensing, water quality, hydrology and environmental field research. Watershed Sciences has continued to increase its staff size and expertise over the years to support continuous field operations and improve upon deliverable turn-around time and reporting for large projects.
We are continually active in photogrammetry, remote sensing conferences and training sessions to remain up-to-date with the latest innovations in technology. We work closely with local universities and agency research facilities to support ongoing research, sponsor part-time student employees and interns, and provide teaching seminars disseminating the valuable applications of remote sensing.
Publications and Peer Reviews
Danielescu, S., K.T.B. MacQuarrie, and R.N. Faux. 2009. The integration of thermal infrared imaging, discharge measurements and numerical simulation to quantify the relative contributions of freshwater inflows to small estuaries in Atlantic Canada. Hydrological Processes 23(20): 2847-2859.
Evans, J.S., A.T. Hudak, R. Faux, and A.M.S. Smith, 2009. Discrete return LiDAR in natural resources: recommendations for project planning, data processing, and deliverables. Remote Sensing 1: 776-794.
Faux et al., 2009. Use of Airborne Near-Infrared LiDAR for Determining Channel Cross-Section Characteristics and Monitoring Aquatic Habitat in Pacific Northwest Rivers: A Preliminary Analysis, in Bayer, J.M., and Schei, J.L., eds., PNAMP Special Publication: Remote Sensing Applications for Aquatic Resource Monitoring, Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership, Cook, Washington, chap. 6, p. 43-60.
Turner, D.F., G. Pelletier, and B. Kasper. 2009. Dissolved Oxygen and pH Modeling of a Periphyton Dominated, Nutrient Enriched River. Journal of Environmental Engineering. (Scheduled for August 2009 publication.)
Boeder, M. and H. Chang. 2008. Multi-scale analysis of oxygen demand trends in an urbanizing Oregon watershed, USA. Journal of Environmental Management 87(4): 567-581
Danielescu, S., K. T. B. MacQuarrie, R. N. Faux. 2007. Use of thermal imagery and hydrograph separation to identify and quantify discharge in estuaries. Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrogeologist, XXXV Congress: Groundwater and Ecosystems, Lisbon Portugal.
Faux, R.N. and B.A. McIntosh. 2006. Stream temperature assessment: Using thermal infrared remote sensing. Conservation in Practice 1(1): 38-41
Remlinger, B. and M. Boeder. 2005. Select Water Quality Data and Descriptive Statistics for the Upper Snake River Watershed in Wyoming, Teton Conservation District.
Torgersen, C.E., R. Faux, B.A. McIntosh, N. Poage, and D.J. Norton. 2001. Airborne thermal remote sensing for water temperature assessment in rivers and streams. Remote Sensing of Environment 76(3): 386-398.
Faux, R.N., H. Lachowsky, P. Maus, C.E. Torgersen, and M.S. Boyd. 2001. New approaches for monitoring stream temperature: Airborne thermal infrared remote sensing. Inventory and Monitoring Project Report, Integration of Remote Sensing. Remote Sensing Applications Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Faux, R.N., Linking GIS and a surface irrigation model to evaluate regional effects of furrow irrigation strategies, M.S. thesis, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 1997.
Other Staff Publications & Presentations
Hebel, C.L., J.E. Smith, K. Cromack Jr. 2009. Invasive plant species and soil microbial response to wildfire burn severity in the Cascade Range of Oregon. Applied Soil Ecology 42:150-159.
Taft, O.W., P.M. Sanzenbacher, and S.M. Haig. 2008. Movements of wintering Dunlin and changing habitat availability in an agricultural wetland landscape. Ibis 150: 541-549.
Smesrud, J., M. Boyd, B. Kasper, and S. Eisner. 2007. An Energy Balance Model for Predicting Effluent Heat Reduction through Wetlands. Presented at the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association 2007 Annual Conference.
Taft, O.W., P.M. Sanzenbacher, and S.M. Haig. 2007. Importance of Willamette Valley farmlands to wintering shorebirds. NRCS technical note (http://policy.nrcs.usda.gov/media/pdf/tn_b_45_a.pdf)
Taft, O.W. and S.M. Haig. 2006. Importance of wetland landscape structure to shorebirds wintering in an agricultural landscape. Landscape Ecology 21: 169-184.
Taft, O.W. and S.M. Haig. 2006. Landscape context mediates influence of local food abundance on wetland use by wintering shorebirds in an agricultural landscape. Biological Conservation 128: 298-307.
Taft, O.W. and S.M. Haig. 2005. The value of agricultural wetlands as invertebrate resources for wintering shorebirds. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 110: 249-256.
Taft, O.W., S.M. Haig, and C. Kiilsgaard. 2004. Use of radar remote sensing (RADARSAT) to map important winter wetland habitat for shorebirds in an agricultural landscape. Environmental Management 33: 749-762.
Boyd, M. and B. Kasper. 2003. Analytical Methods for Dynamic Open Channel Heat and Mass Transfer – Methodology for the Heat Source Model Version 7.0. Watershed Sciences, Inc. Portland, Oregon.
Taft, O.W. and S.M. Haig. 2003. Historical wetlands in Oregon’s Willamette Valley: implications for restoration of winter waterbird habitat. Wetlands 23:51-64.
Boyd, M. and B. Kasper. 2002. Improvements in Stream Temperature Assessment. Proceedings for American Institute of Hydrology Fall Symposium 2002. Hydrologic Extremes: Challenges for Science and Management.