Preparing for nature’s worst, S11E8

The Klamath River is transforming after four dams were removed in 2024. In this episode, we join the research team studying the impacts of the dam removals on plant and algae. Hear from the students and faculty about what they are learning at the confluence of engineering and ecology.   BONUS CONTENT  River Rebalance (story)  Mark Bransom Heads the Historic Klamath Dam Removals (video)  How Engineers Decommissioned Four Dams Along the Klamath River (lecture video)  Rewilding the Klamath (story)  What it Takes to Take Down a Dam (podcast) 

The removal of four dams from the Klamath River was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture the interplay of science, engineering, and culture. Desirée Tullos, professor of water resources engineering at Oregon State University assembled a collaborative team that unites Western science and traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous people.   BONUS CONTENT:  What it Takes to Take Down a Dam (podcast) Unrestricted Flow (video about River Engineering field trip on the Klamath)   

This is a historic year on the Klamath River, where the biggest dam removal in the U.S. is underway. The hope for the monumental engineering project is that it will restore some balance to a damaged ecological system. We hear from Mark Bransom, who is overseeing the demolition and restoration, about why and how it’s happening and some of the challenges of the project. Bonus content: Video: Mark Bransom heads the historic dam removals  Clean Water Showcase: May 21-22, 2024.  Join us at the 2024 Clean Water Showcase hosted by Oregon State University to learn more about innovative and leading work to protect this precious resource through talks by keynote speakers, panel discussions, student presentations, and professional development activities.  Video: Sowing Seeds Series: Episode 4 with Brook Thompson 

Will swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles be able to aid humans in wildland firefighting or package delivery? Research summarized in a new paper in Field Robotics represents a big step towards realizing such a future. In this interview, Professor Julie A. Adams describes the research showing that one person can supervise more than 100 autonomous ground and aerial robots. 

The final episode of the season occupies a time of transition, as spinoff company Espiku ramps up. We get an update on two systems that received patents and a third that could provide an environmentally benign technology for extracting lithium. We also hear from four graduating students who reflect on their experiences. Bonus content:  Tapping technology to ensure the world has enough clean water  OSU-Cascades spinout is semifinalist in $4 million federal lithium extraction contest

The pandemic didn’t stop Bahman Abbasi’s desalination research. In this third episode, we learn about the successful lab-scale demonstration of his team’s technology and the next steps toward its commercialization. Plus, the team takes on a new project to clean up wastewater from oil and gas production. Bonus content:  Espiku, OSU spin-off company  Turning freshwater into saltwater, Bend Source article 

In the second episode of this four-part season, we travel to Bend, Oregon to visit the Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory and meet the team that is inventing a new technology to desalinate water. Bahman Abbassi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, talks about building the lab from the ground up, and graduate student Mohammed Elhashimi demonstrates their system to desalinate water.  Bonus content:  Quest for Clean Water (story, video)  Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory 

Can turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. This is the first episode in a four-part season. Bonus content OSU-Cascades researcher awarded $2 million for research turning salt water into drinking water Department of Energy Solar Desalination program Energy Systems Engineering — OSU-Cascades

What is Oregon doing to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfire? Researchers at Oregon State University are working with the state Legislature to help them make informed decisions about how to prepare for natural hazards.  BONUS CONTENT: “A Song for Japan” project Japan 2011 Earthquake Japan quake: Infrastructure damage will delay recovery. BBC News, March 17, 2011 Mar 11, 2011 CE: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, National Geographic 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help, World Vision Earthquake and tsunami Oregon Resilience Plan, Supporting documents Oregon should make itself resilient for a big quake, by Yumei Wang, Jay Raskin and Edward Wolf, The Oregonian, Jan. 9, 2011. Will the Cascadia Earthquake be the Worst Disaster North America’s Ever Seen? | Weathered (PBS Terra video) Partners Preparing for the Big One, S4E5, Engineering Out Loud The Tsunami Could Kill Thousands? Can They Build and Escape? OSU Newport facility built vertically for earthquake, tsunami (KOIN) Oregon State University president affirms decision for new marine studies building location Preparing for an Earthquake, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wildfire Senate Bill 762 Oregon’s work to minimize wildfires gets a boost from federal legislation, Oregon Capital Chronicle, November 17, 2021 As Oregon’s wildfire season fades, new approaches to managing risk need to take hold, Oregon Capital Chronical, October 6, 2021. Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires, United Nations report. Protect your Property from Wildfires, Federal Emergency Management Agency https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/preparing-for-natures-worst 

Can plants fortify Oregon’s coastal dunes against storm surge? Meagan Wengrove, assistant professor of coastal and ocean engineering, built scale versions of dunes in one of the world’s largest wave flumes to find out. BONUS CONTENT: Protecting coastal regions with natural defenses New faculty members bring expertise in wave energy, structural and coastal engineering Four College of Engineering faculty win early-career investigator awards https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/dune-erosion-solutions-s11e7