Month: April 2025

Bio:

Chris has a master’s degree in restoration ecology from the University of Wisconsin. Chris started his dam removal journey while working for the Neponset River Watershed Association. He has been with DER since 2020. In his current role, Chris manages dam removal projects throughout the Commonwealth, supports a team of restoration specialists, and works to further develop and advance the practice of dam removal in Massachusetts.

Bio:

Dr. Allison Roy is Unit Leader with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dr. Roy works closely with state and federal agencies to co-produce research that characterizes anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystems and assesses responses to conservation and restoration. Her field-based research typically employs large spatial gradients to identify stressor responses and species-habitat relationships within lakes and streams. Her graduate students and postdocs have worked on numerous projects in New England that have informed winter lake drawdown guidance, dam removal prioritization, water conservation, freshwater mussel restoration, and river herring management.

Presentation:

Restoring Aquatic Habitats Through Dam Removal

Bio:

Bryan is the Assistant Regional Engineer for the Wachusett and Sudbury Section of the Division of Water Supply Protection. He has been with the agency for over seven years working on maintenance and improvement projects for our stormwater systems, roads, dams, and other infrastructure. In recent years, his work has also involved stream restoration projects. He had a prior career as a civil engineering consultant. He is also a member of the Hubbardston Conservation Commission, and he enjoys spending time out on local trails, paddling different water bodies, and playing music.

Bio:

Dan is an Environmental Analyst for the Wachusett and Sudbury Section of the Division of Water Supply Protection. He has been with the agency for over 11 years and currently manages water quality and hydrologic monitoring programs for the Wachusett watershed and tributaries. Prior to working for DCR, Dan worked in southeastern PA for a county water resources authority, working on projects related to flood-protection and drinking water supply reservoir. He initially became interested in problems of drinking water supply and water quality as a Peace Corp volunteer in Paraguay. While not working Dan enjoys many outdoor activities, traveling, and tinkering with computers and electronics.

Bio:

Anna Renkert is the Development & Engagement Manager at the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, where she wears many hats including fundraising, communications, event planning, and outreach to connect individuals and member organizations in support of river conservation across the state. She supports Mass Rivers educational programming, like the Dam Busters webinar series, to build community and share knowledge that advances the movement for rivers. Anna holds a B.A. in Political Science from Colorado College. Outside of work, she enjoys playing soccer, mountain biking, and backpacking.

Bio:

Monica Ghosh Driggers spent her childhood following her dad, a civil-environmental engineer,
around the country as he worked on water quality issues. She began her own career examining
water rights issues in the Intermountain West and went on to spend nearly 30 years working with
policy makers in California, Massachusetts, and other states to make changes to criminal and
civil justice processes . In her current role as the Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Rivers
Alliance, Monica oversees work on the organization’s programs, such as the popular Dam
Busters webinar series and the Rainwater Readiness stormwater workshops, as well as managing
grants and publications. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver and an A.B. from the University of Chicago.

Bio:

Ken Canfield is the chief forester for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection in the Quabbin and Ware River watersheds. He helps manage 80,000 acres of state-owned watershed land. Since receiving a degree in forestry from Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) Ken has worked as a forester for twenty-five years on private, state, and federal land in northern California, Alaska, Maine, and Massachusetts.