Sarah Pearce

Senior Scientist

Clean Water Program

Watershed Monitoring and Modeling

Watershed Science & Management

Wetland Monitoring & Assessment

510-847-3976

[email protected]

Ms. Pearce received her B.S. in Geosciences in 1999 from Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas and her M.S. in Geomorphology from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA in 2001. Her master's research focused on the hydraulic geometry of ephemeral streams as they interacted with blind thrust faults and fault-propagation-folds associated with the continued uplift of the San Bernardino Mountains, Southern California. Ms. Pearce joined SFEI in 2001 and is currently working with the Watersheds and Wetlands group within the Resilient Landscapes program. Over the previous 20 years, she has carried out a number of projects focusing on fluvial geomorphic process in Bay Area streams and making interpretations of the data toward an understanding of the way beneficial uses such as sediment supply, salmonid habitat, bank stability, riparian function, flood control, water supply, and aesthetic value are influenced by land and water management in adjacent and upstream areas. Communication mechanisms for this policy and environmental management related scientific information have included direct interaction with environmental stewardship groups, development of high quality, peer-reviewed technical reports, and presentations at conferences and directly to local environmental managers. Ms. Pearce is also the training coordinator for the state for the California Rapid Assessment Method for wetlands (CRAM) (www.cramwetlands.org), and a member of the statewide Level 2 Committee which oversees CRAM and other rapid assessment methods. She is one of the most tenured practitioners and trainers in the state, with experience in all wetland types.

Related Projects, News, and Events

North Coast WRAMP Demonstration: Mapping Standards (Project)

The North Coast WRAMP Demonstation Project focused on mapping and assessing the condition of aquatic resources within the Santa Rosa Plain, CA using GIS based mapping protocols consistent with BAARI. A new regional Mapping Standards Methodology (NCARI) was developed to add regional wetland types not covered in BAARI's documentation.

California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM): Bar-Built Estuarine Wetlands (Project)

The CRAM Bar-Built Estuarine module is used for assessing reaches of coastal rivers and streams that are ecologically influenced by seasonal closures of their tidal inlets.

California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM): Slope Wetlands (Project)

CRAM is a cost-effective and scientifically defensible rapid assessment method for monitoring and assessing the ecologcial conditions of wetlands throughout California. It takes less than half a day to assess a wetland area, and is designed evaluate the condition of the wetland based on it's landscape setting, hydrology, physical structure and biological structure. Because the methodology is standardized for over seven types of wetlands, ecological condition scores can be compared at the local, regional and statewide landscape scales.

National science experts gather to discuss Flood Control 2.0 (News)

A panel of nationally and internationally renowned scientists gathered in the Bay Area at the beginning of June 2015 to provide feedback on the EPA-funded Flood Control 2.0 project. SFEI hosted a two-day meeting with the panel that included a focused technical discussion with the project team and a broader discussion about future flood control and ecosystem management challenges at the Bay interface with invited guests from Bay Area flood control districts and natural resources agencies.

Web Services Available for CRAM and Wetland Projects (News)

Web services provide a standard way to access geo-referenced data online. SFEI now provides web services for the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) Assessment Areas and California Wetland Projects data layers.Although potential uses are numerous, typically web services allow one machine to exchange data with another for timely, automated, and efficient sharing of information. Different service types provide different levels of access to the data, including serving image tiles of the data or the features and attributes themselves.