River Recovery in the Wake of Large Floods

Rivers are resilient, and recover remarkably quickly after large disturbances such as floods or dam removals. Floods often enhance habitat and river function, and mitigate the effects of future flooding in the long term. Nevertheless, there is a major role for humans to play in facilitating recovery. The last century of damming, straightening, and building berms and levees along channels has increased the intensity of and destruction wrought by major flood events. In the wake of flood events like Hurricane Helene, we have a significant opportunity to rethink the way we interact with rivers and build flood-resilient infrastructure that also supports diverse ecosystems.

In this talk, Jordan Fields, Aquatic Resiliency Scientist with Trout Unlimited, discusses lessons learned in the 13 years since the catastrophic flooding in Central Vermont during Tropical Storm Irene and highlights specific strategies that enhance flood resilience for communities while also improving habitat for fish.

Jordan grew up in Central Vermont where he learned the power and dynamism of rivers the hard way when his hometown was rocked by the once-in-a-century flooding brought by Tropical Storm Irene during the first week of his senior year of high school. Jordan spent the next six weeks shoveling sediment out of his neighbors’ homes and asking himself: ‘where did all this come from?’ and ‘what will happen if storms like this become more common?’ He’s been trying to find answers to those questions ever since: earning a BA in Geosciences from Williams College in 2017; working for the river restoration consulting firm cbec eco engineering in Sacramento, CA; and then going on to earn a Master’s degree and PhD at Dartmouth College in Fluvial Geomorphology. He’s now an Aquatic Resiliency Scientist with TU, based in Boise.