Job Title: Researcher Lead
Primary Affiliation: Department of Watershed Sciences
Secondary Affiliation: Ecogeomorphology & Topographic Analysis Lab

education

  • Fisheries Biology (Ph.D.), Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah (December 2007)
  • Resource and Environmental Management (M.R.M.), Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia (October 1994)
  • Wildlife Biology (B.Sc. Honors), University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA (June 1990)
  • Renewable Resource Management (Diploma), Lethbridge Community College, Alberta (May 1987)

research

Stephen research interests are freshwater ecology and watershed management especially as they relate to the conservation and management of anadromous and resident cold water fishes in the Columbia basin. Much of his research focuses on developing and testing fish and stream habitat monitoring protocols and testing the effectiveness of stream restoration on increasing the productivity of salmon and steelhead.

bio

Stephen has worked in Canada and the USA as a consulting fish and wildlife biologist since 1990. After completing his PhD at Utah State in 2007 he began working with Eco Logical Research, Inc. as the project manager of the Asotin Creek Intensively Monitored Watershed Project in southeast Washington. Stephen has also worked to aid in the development and assessment of regional salmonid monitoring programs as a Post Doctoral researcher with Dr. Brett Roper of the USDA Forest Service, Fish and Aquatic Ecology Unit. Stephen’s Post Doctoral research focused on writing a National Forest Fish Inventory and Monitoring Manual for the Forest Service involving a comprehensive review of the statistical design and analyses of fish abundance data. Stephen’s dissertation focused on invasion ecology and issues related to hybridization between native cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout. Prior to starting his PhD Stephen was a biological consultant for 12 years working on a variety of fisheries and wildlife issues including fish inventory, fish passage assessment, watershed analysis, habitat monitoring, impact assessments, and salmonid enhancement projects. In May 2013, Stephen was hired as a Researcher Lead for the Fluvial Habitats group at Utah State University which is a collaborative effort between the labs of Dr. Joe Wheaton and Dr. Nicolaas Bouwes.

projects

scholarly contributions

Peer Reviewed PublicationsConference Papers, Presentations & Posters
  • Bennett, S.N., P. Corbett, and T. Gaines. 2004. Status of westslope cutthroat trout and the potential extent of hybridization with non-native rainbow trout in the Upper Kootenay River, BC. Paper presented at the American Fisheries Society Western Regional meeting, Salt Lake City, UT. Feb 29-March 4, 2004.
  • Poster: Sullivan, M., Detmar, T., Bennett, S., Bouwes, N. and R. Camp. 2011. Developing the Asotin Creek Intensively Monitored Watershed Project: Answering the Question "Does stream restoration increase freshwater production of steelhead?" Presented at American Fisheries Society, Western Division, Seattle, WA. 
Reports
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