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  • Joe Wheaton

sara bangen

Job Title: Researcher - Fluvial Habitat Analyst
Primary Affiliation: Department of Watershed Sciences
Secondary Affiliation: Ecogeomorphology & Topographic Analysis Lab
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education

  • 2006 BS. Environmental Science & Geography. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
  • 2013 MS. Watershed Sciences. Utah State University, Logan, UT.

research

  • General interests are in fluvial geomorphology, watershed processes, fish ecology, land use politics and how all of these elements interplay in the riverine systems of the West.
  • Current research is focused on CHaMP protocol development and deriving geomorphic units that are indicative of stream processes from topography (e.g. DEMs).
  • Graduate research was focused on: i) intercomparing the relative accuracy, precision and efficiency of using newer and established ground-based (e.g. total station, rtkGPS, terrestrial laser scanner) and airborne (e.g. LiDaR) surveying technologies to describe wadeable streambed and near-channel topography, and ii) quantifying the effect of observer variability on ground-based total station surveys.  Through these two studies we were able to provide valuable information related to the feasibility of applying  these technologies at the scale of large watershed habitat monitoring programs.   

bio

Sara is a researcher in the ET-AL lab at Utah State University.  She graduated in  in 2006 from University of Oregon with a BS in Environmental Science and Geography. Since completing her undergraduate degree she has worked for several Columbia River Basin  instream habitat monitoring programs including NOAA's Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program (ISEMP) and the United States Forest Service Pacfish/Infish Biological Opinion Monitoring Program (PIBO-EMP).  As well, Sara spent a year interning with the California Department of Fish and Game on the Northern California coast as an AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project (WSP) member.  She did her Masters in the ET-AL lab and defended in late 2012. She is staying on to continue working on CHaMP protocol development, development of topographically derived instream habitat units and the next generation of habitat metrics.

projects

Current Projects
  • Developing a semi-automated approach to classify geomorphic units from topography
  • Using traditional suitability curve and fuzzy approaches to model salmon habitat quality in the Columbia River basin
  • Creating a more robust fuzzy inference system error model for DEMs derived from TS and rtkGPS surveys of wadeable stream and rivers 
Past Projects
  • Intercomparison of airborne and ground-based topographic survey techniques for characterizing instream habitat, Lemhi River basin, Idaho, USA
  • The influence of crew variability when using high resolution topographic surveys to monitor instream habitat, Upper Grande Ronde River basin, Oregon, USA

scholarly contributions

​Publications
  • Bangen S, McHugh P, Saunders W, Wall C, Bailey P, Wheaton JM. Bouwes N. Expert knowledge-based fuzzy habitat suitability models for steelhead and Chinook salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. In Preparation.
  • Bangen S, Wheaton JM, Bouwes N, Fortney S. 2016. Mapping instream geomorphic units from high resolution topography. Geomorphology. In Preparation.
  • McHugh P, Saunders W, Bouwes N, Wall C, Bangen S, Wheaton JM, Jordan C, Nahorniak M, Ruzycki J, Tattam I. 2016. Linking models across scales to assess the viability and restoration potential of a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Middle Fork John Day River, Oregon, USA. Ecological Modelling. In Preparation.
  • Hensleigh J, Wheaton JM, McHugh P, Bangen S, Welcker C. 2016. Techniques for robustly developing spatially variable uncertainty models for digital elevation models using fuzzy inference systems. 2016. eSURF. In Preparation.
  • Wheaton JM, McHugh P, Bouwes N, Saunders W, Bangen S, Bailey P, Nahorniak M, Wall C, Jordan C. 2016. Upscaling site-scale ecohydraulic models to inform salmonid population-level life cycle modelling and restoration actions – Lessons from the Columbia River basin. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. In Review.
  • Bangen S, Hensleigh J, McHugh P, Wheaton JM. 2016. Error modeling of DEMs from topographic surveys of rivers using Fuzzy Inference Systems. Water Resources Research. DOI: 10.1002/2015WR018299.
  • Wheaton JM, Fryirs K, Brierley G, Bangen S, Bouwes N, O'Brien G. 2015. Geomorphic mapping of fluvial landscapes. Geomorphology. 248: 273-295. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.07.010  
  • Bangen S, Wheaton JM, Bouwes N, Bouwes B, Jordan C. 2014. A methodological intercomparison of topographic survey techniques for characterizing instream habitat. Geomorphology. 206: 343-361. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.10.010
  • Bangen S, Wheaton JM, Bouwes N, Jordan C, Volk C, Ward MB. 2014. Crew variability in topographic surveys for monitoring instream fish habitat: A case study from the Columbia River Basin. Earth Surface Process and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.3600
  • Bangen, SG. 2013. Comparison of topographic surveying techniques in streams. MS Thesis. Utah State University.

Conference Papers, Presentations & Posters
  • Poster: Bangen SG, Wheaton JM, and Bouwes, N. 2011. Methodological Intercomparison of Topographic & Aerial Photographic Habitat Survey Techniques, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • Poster: Bangen SG, Wheaton JM, and Bouwes, N. 2011. Crew Variability in Topographic Data: Can Large Stream Habitat Monitoring Programs Reliably Sample Habitat?, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • Poster:  Portugal EP, Bangen SG and Wheaton JM.  2011. The Relative Importance of Insterting IN Breaklines in DEM Creation, AGU Fall Meeting 2011.  American Geophysical Union: San Francisco, CA, H51I-1312.
  • Presentation: Wheaton JM and Bangen SG. 2011. Crew Variability in Topographic Data, Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program Post Pilot Season Workshop.  NOAA: Portland, OR
  • Presentation: Wheaton JM, Bangen SG and Portugal EP. 2011. Topographic Survey Comparisons, Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program Post Pilot Season Workshop.  NOAA: Portland, OR
  • Poster: Bangen SG, Wheaton JM, and Bouwes, N. 2010. Quantifying Stream Habitat: Relative Effort versus Quality of Competing Remote Sensing & Ground-based Survey Techniques, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Reports
  • CHaMP (Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program)♠. 2013. Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program: 2012 - Second Year Lessons Learned Project Synthesis Report 2011-006, Prepared for the Bonneville Power Administration by CHaMP. Published by Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR. 63 pp. 
  • Bangen SG and Wheaton JM, 2012, CHaMP Crew Variability: Influence on Topographic Surfaces & Derived Metrics. Draft Report to Eco Logical Research, Inc. & Columbia Habitat and Monitoring Program: Logan, UT. 88 Pages.
  • Ward, MP, P Nelle, SM Walker (editors)♠. 2012. CHaMP 2011 Pilot Year Lessons Learned Project Synthesis Report, Prepared for the Bonneville Power Administration by CHaMP. Published by Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR. 95 pp. 
  • Bangen SG, Wheaton JM and DeMeurichy KD. 2011. Methodological Intercomparison of Topographic & Aerial Photographic Habitat Survey Techniques.  Ecogeomorphology and Topographic Analysis Lab, Utah State University, Prepared for Eco Logical Research and NOAA, Logan, Utah, 33 pp.
♠ Bangen contributing author. 
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This work is licensed under a
​ 
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
  • Home
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    • Bouwes ELR Lab
    • News & Annoucements
    • New FHC Publications
    • FHC Location
    • FHC Factsheets & Posters
    • Contact
  • People
    • People in the Lab... Coming & Going
    • Graduate Students >
      • Lauren Herbine
      • Karen Bartelt
    • Research Staff >
      • Research Scientists >
        • Joe Wheaton
        • Nicolaas Bouwes
        • Wally Macfarlane
        • Stephen Bennett
      • Technicians >
        • Cashe Rasmussen
        • Chalese Hafen
        • Dylan Baum >
          • Brian Ferrara
    • Where are they now? >
      • Former Graduate Students >
        • Sara Bangen
        • Reid Camp
        • Florence Consolati
        • Daniel Hamill
        • Konrad Hafen
        • James Hensleigh
        • Nate Hough-Snee
        • Alan Kasprak
        • Martha Jensen
        • Ryan Lokteff
        • Connor Penrod
        • Rebecca Rossi
        • Sonya Welsh
      • Research Scientists >
        • Sara Bangen
        • James Hensleigh
        • Natalie Kramer
        • Pete McHugh
        • Elijah Portugal
        • Carl Saunders
        • Eric Wall
        • Gary O'Brien
      • Post-Docs >
        • Nicole Czarnomski
      • Technicians >
        • Micael Albonico
        • Braden Anderson
        • Adan Banda
        • Jordan Burningham
        • Kenny Demeurichy
        • Taylor Dudunake
        • Martha Jensen
        • Joshua Gilbert
        • Jordan Gilbert
        • Thomas Hafen
        • Landon Haycock
        • Matt Meier
        • Chris Smith
        • Geoff Stevens
      • Visiting Scholars >
        • Ester Ramos
  • FHC Projects
    • Current Projects >
      • Beaver Dam Censusing
      • Birch Creek Restoration
      • Escalante Watershed
      • BRAT 2018-2019 >
        • BRAT-Yakama
        • BRAT-John Day
        • BRAT-NF Burnt River
        • BRAT-Idaho
        • BRAT-Utah
        • BRAT-TNC
        • BRAT-GYA
        • Survey123
      • ELR: Asotin LWD Restoration and IMW
      • Price River Channel Analysis
    • Past Projects >
      • BLM >
        • BLM: Historic Sand Cliff Signatures Public Archeology Program
      • DOE: ICRRR >
        • DOE/ICRRR: Geomorphic Change Detection 4.0 Software Development
        • DOE/ICRRR: Geomorphic Change Detection in the Grand Canyon
        • DOE/ICRRR: MoRPHED PhD Studentship
      • Idaho Power Company >
        • Idaho Power: TLS Data Analysis
      • ELR >
        • ELR/BPA: CHaMP Grand Ronde Crew Variability Study
        • ELR/BPA: ISEMP Lemhi Topographic Survey Technique Intercomparison
        • ELR/BPA: ISEMP Bridge Creek Restoration & IMW
        • ELR/FHC/CTWS: Pine Creek Beaver Assisted Restoration Pilot Project
      • NSF >
        • NSF: zCloudTools: Making Point Clouds Useful for Earth Science
        • NSF: Sensitivity of Braided River Morphodynamics to Sediment Supply
      • UDWR >
        • UDWR: Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT)
      • USFS >
        • USFS Classification of Columbia River Basin Riparian Vegetation
        • USFS: Comparison of Traditional Versus Ground-Based LiDaR Instream Haibtat Assessments
        • USFS: Temple Fork Watershed Fish & Beaver Ecology
      • USGS >
        • USGS: Big Rivers Monitoring Protocol Development
        • USGS: Dynamism and Persistence of Eddy Sand Bars in Grand Canyon
        • USGS: Riparian Vegetation Analysis
        • USGS: Support in Geographic and Geomorphic Information Analysis for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
      • Other Sponsors (one off) >
        • BPA/SFR: Development of CHaMP Transformation Tool
        • GCT: Pilot Study: Testing the Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT)
        • NOAA: Linking Fisheries,
        • NPS: Assessment of Indicator Sites
        • USU: Tracking Ecogeomorphic Dynamics in Beaver Dam Complexes
    • Study Site Pages >
      • Bridge Creek >
        • 2009 BDSS Structures
        • Bridge Creek April 2010 Drone Survey
      • River Feshie >
        • The River Feshie Catchment
        • Our Research
        • The Team
        • Posters, Papers, & More
        • Photo Gallery
  • Resources
    • ETAL Reading Group >
      • ETAL Reading Group Zotero Library
    • Courses & Workshops >
      • Courses & Workshops by Joe
    • Guides & Tips >
      • Figure Preparation Tutorials
      • Basic Computing Tips & Tricks >
        • Database & SQL Intro
        • Batch Unzip Script
        • Get a QR Code
        • GeoJSON
        • Markdown
        • Special Characters
        • USU VPN
      • GIS Help >
        • ArcGIS Education Edition
        • GIS Data Sources >
          • Connecting To The APFO Services
          • Connecting to the Utah AGRC Discover Imagery and Base Map Server
          • High Resolution Imagery for Utah State
      • How to Use Specific Software >
        • Adobe Illustrator >
          • Making GCD Figures for ET-AL Lab Using ArcGIS & Adobe Illustrator
        • ArcGIS Desktop - ArcMap >
          • GIS Tutorials
          • Creating DEMs, TINs and Terrains
          • How to divide polylines into a specified segment length
          • Simple Change Detection in ArcGIS
          • Working with Styles in ArcGIS
          • Fixing ActiveX Warning in ArcGIS 10.5
        • Box >
          • Migrating to Box Drive from Box Sync
        • EndNote >
          • EndNote X4 Basics
        • FastStone Capture
        • GitHub >
          • Make a GitHub Account
        • Picasa >
          • Geotagging images & making albums
        • Word >
          • Saving Word Documents as PDFs
          • Using Styles Effectively in Manuscripts & Reports
        • Zotero >
          • Adding from Browser
          • Cite-While-you-Write >
            • Citing in Google Docs
            • Cite in Word
      • Reccomended Software & Utilities
      • Surveying & Geomatics >
        • rtkGPS
      • Writing Resources >
        • Writing Literature Reviews (for Grads)
        • Writing Scientific Papers
        • Uploading Content to Research Gate
    • Lab Members Only >
      • Internal Resources >
        • When you First Start
        • Standard Software Suite
        • Lab Software License
        • Virtual Computing
        • Editing Workshop Flyers & Webpages
        • Travel
        • Vignettes
      • Internal FHC Announcements
      • FHC Workshops
      • ETAL Projects on Box
      • ETAL Non Project on Box
    • River Links >
      • Classification Schemes >
        • Eco-Geo-Hydro Mess
      • Free Literature
      • Rivers in the News
      • Videos & Galleries
  • Joe Wheaton