Kate Hirschfelt – Page 2 – Sacramento Water Forum

Kerry Schmitz, Water Supply Division Chief, Sacramento County Water Agency

Water Caucus Educational background Bachelor of Civil Engineering, University of Nevada Reno, with an emphasis on Environmental Engineering Professional experience I started at the Spink Corporation doing water system modeling for six years. I was hired by Sacramento County to work…

Holger Fuerst, Engineering Manager, MacKay & Somps Civil Engineers, Representing the Building Industry Association (BIA)

Business Caucus Educational background I grew up in a Navy family in Germany. There, I graduated with my “Abitur” after 13th grade. (Back then, Germany had an additional year of high schooling compared to the traditional school system in the United States). For…

Clyde Macdonald, Representing the Save the American River Association

Environmental Caucus Educational background Bachelor of Science in Engineering, UC Davis, and Master of Business Administration, UC Berkeley Professional experience I worked virtually all of my career for the California Legislature in various capacities: Legislative Analyst’ Office; Chief of Staff…

Gary Bardini, P.E., Director of Planning for the Sacramento Flood Control Agency

Public Caucus Educational background Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. I’m also a Licensed Civil Engineer. Professional experience 35 years of public service with the State of California and the Sacramento area providing…

Ashlee Casey, Senior Engineer, Sacramento Water Forum

Water Forum Staff Educational background Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, University of Portland (Oregon) and a Master’s in Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University Professional experience Leading and supporting water resources planning projects in California, including drought planning, flood management, and…

Get to know a few of the engineers making a difference in the Water Forum

February 20-26 marks National Engineers Week—a time to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world. Here at the Water Forum, engineers are found in every caucus and on the Water Forum team. In honor of this special week, we…

Weather whiplash brings challenges to the American River this winter

By Jessica Law Winter is historically a time of relative ease for American River salmon and steelhead. The punishing dry months of summer and fall are in the past, and winter storms have returned to cool down water temperatures and…

Reflecting on 2021, Welcoming 2022

By Jessica Law When I started as the new Water Forum Executive Director a year ago, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. As life would have it, 2021 was full of surprises.…

Surviving the Summer: Monitoring conditions for salmonids on the Lower American River

By Jessica Law The Water Forum and its members maintained a strong focus on water operations and temperature management as we moved through the drought this year. In weekly cross-caucus meetings we poured over the latest projections, debated the merits…

Reclamation Implements Folsom Reservoir Power Bypass to Help Protect Salmon on the Lower American River

This week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation initiated a Folsom Power Bypass to reduce river water temperatures and protect salmonids as spawning season begins on the Lower American River. A power bypass allows Reclamation to access and release cold water…