Government Agencies California Board of Forestry * Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District * Placer County * CALFIRE * US Forest Service * San Mateo Resource Conservation District * City of Santa Cruz * Washington State Forest Practices Board * Cooperative Monitoring, Evaluation & Research * Washington State Department of Natural Resources * City of San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department * Washington State Rural Technology Initiative * University of Washington * Napa Resource Conservation District * California State Parks * San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Private Companies & Landowners Humboldt Redwood Company * Weyerhaeuser * Sierra Pacific Industries * Campbell Timberland Management * Bottle Rock Power Corporation * International Paper * Champion International Corporation * East-West Partners * Hancock Forest Management * Plum Creek * Gleason Skok * Merrill & Ring * Boise Cascade * Price Waterhouse Coopers *
Non-Profit Groups Friends of Squaw Creek * Mattole Salmonid Group * Pinchot Institute * Walker River Irrigation District * Washington State Timber/Fish/Wildlife Cooperative * Mattole Restoration Council * Washington Forest Protection Association * American Forest & Paper Association * Environmental Protection Information Center * National Council for Air & Stream Improvement * Scientific Certification Systems * California Stewardship Institute
Restoration of Creeks, Rivers, Floodplains and Watersheds
We enjoy developing those important technical analysis and design projects that support creek and watershed restoration and management.Projects typically include detailed site assessment, data collection, diagnosis and design.These activities provide the technical basis for restoration and management strategies after coordinating with other scientists and engineers to identify technical project opportunities and constraints.Projects often require facilitating resolution of complex issues with key stakeholders and regulators as projects unfold.Projects range from small local projects to major, multi-million dollar projects.Example projects include:
Lower Squaw Creek Concept Design
Napa River Yountville Concept Design
Bear Creek Concept Design
Yosemite Marsh
Upper Truckee River Restoration – Golf Course Reach
Northstar Highlands Mitigation Design
Oak Knoll Redevelopment Channel Design
Upper Truckee River Middle Reach Restoration
Puyallup Confluence Stabilization Project
Christmas Valley Erosion Control Project
Dry Creek Dam Removal & Channel Restoration Design
Mill Creek Fish Passage Design
Fox Creek Canyon Wetland Design
San Lorenzo River Fish Passage Assessment
Oak Knoll Site Development Plan
Cow/Coleman Creek Restoration
Natural Resource Policy
SWC can provide objective technical expertise to develop strategic approaches to natural resource management and policy issues. Our work typically involves collaborative engagement with various local, state and federal agencies, corporations, and advisory bodies to develop comprehensive, science-based management systems.Our staff have established industry-wide standards for over a dozen management protocols, and have developed several comprehensive framework approaches for integrating adaptive management principles into management and regulatory systems.Example projects include:
California Board of Forestry Riparian Rule Revisions
Washington State Forests & Fish Plan
Walker River Federal Mediation Process
Watershed-Wide Wastewater Discharge Requirements
Kapowsin Tree Farm Riparian Management Policy
Washington State Water Typing Program
Integrated Environmental Management Planning
We lead and/or facilitate collaborative, stakeholder-driven planning projects, often integrating ecological, operational, regulatory, economic and social objectives.Our staff have successfully negotiated 15+ significant environmental conservation and management plans with landowners, regulatory agencies, tribal governments and environmental groups.Plans are typically developed at large-scales (usually from 30,000 to several millions acres). Our experience working with operational and planning elements in managed landscapes supports our capability to develop widely supported management prescriptions.Example projects include:
Pilarcitos Integrated Watershed Management Plan
Supplemental Carmel River Watershed Action Plan
Santa Clara Valley Water District Watershed Asset Management Plan
Mattole Watershed Analysis Review
Champion Watershed Asset Data Inventory System
Klickitat Habitat Conservation Plan
Champion Pacific Timberland Long-term Forest Management Plan
Road Maintenance & Abandonment Programs
Eight (8) Watershed Analysis Prescription Teams
Scientific Assessment
Our staff have led numerous scientific analysis projects to evaluate existing conditions and identify opportunities and constraints for improvement approaches.We’ve led over 28 scientific research studies, several of which resulted in significant regulatory improvements.Analyzed and evaluated cumulative watershed management activities to identify existing and legacy impacts on fish and water quality.Conducted detailed analysis of stream channels, aquatic habitat, landslide risks, riparian conditions, hydrology, and road erosion issues, among others. We are particularly strong at synthesizing information from various assessments into a coherent management framework.Example projects include:
Over 15 watershed analysis projects
Weyerhaeuser Regional Landslide Inventory
Hancock Timber Management Channel Migration Zone Delineation
Milwaukee Tree Farm (Hoh River) Channel Migration Assessment
Kapowsin Riparian Zone Effectiveness Study
Big Creek Road Sediment Erosion Assessment Project
Hillslope Hydrology Studies
Perennial Stream Initiation Mapping Project
Stream Gage Monitoring Projects (many)
Sustainable Forestry
SWC Principal, Mike Liquori has lead or supported the development of sustainable forestry practices for numerous private forests, including large integrated forestry corporations, large multi-ownership Timber Investment Management Organizations, small family-owned forests, and several large state and federal forests. He was a key scientific adviser during the Forests & Fish planning process in Washington State, and was active in its adaptive management program. Mike developed and/or implemented Watershed Analysis projects in Washington, Idaho and Colorado and helped design Watershed Analysis methods. He developed several long-term management plans, including several Landscape Management and Habitat Conservation Plans. He is currently active on the 50,000-acre Jackson Demonstration State Forest Advisory Board in northwestern California. He is also a member of an independent scientific peer review board for the Quincy Library Group project, the largest community forestry project in the United States. He recently supported the California Board of Forestry in its review of rule revisions for Threatened and Impaired Watersheds, and is actively developing Explicit Riparian Design methods to improve ecological functions in actively managed riparian areas. Mike has participated in 4 sustainable forestry audits for both SFI and FSC certification bodies.
