Sierra Phillips

Sierra is a hydrologist and engineer-in-training specializing in ecohydrology, hydraulic modeling and restoration design. At Balance, Sierra has worked on flood studies, restoration design, adaptive management planning and hydrologic monitoring. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Hydrologic Sciences at UC Santa Barbara where she was first introduced to the field of restoration ecology. Sierra worked on coastal sage scrub, grassland, and wetland restoration sites across campus during and after earning her Bachelor’s degree. Her interest in hydrology led her to work in civil engineering for the next four years where she found a passion for hydraulic modeling and analysis. Sierra’s desire to blend her interests in hydrology, hydraulics, and riparian ecology brought her back to school to study riverine physical processes and riparian ecology. She currently splits her time between working at Balance and as a PhD student in Hydrologic Sciences at UC Davis. Her research interests include understanding the relationships between riparian vegetation, hydrology, and topography and the development of ecohydraulic tools to aid in the design of restoration projects and evaluation of habitat. She is an active developer of the open-source river analysis software, River Architect, and has spent the last four years studying the lower Yuba River in Northern California in the Pasternack Lab. She looks forward to applying her scientific expertise with practical engineering skills to provide robust analyses and solutions to our clients. In her free time, Sierra spends warmer months rock climbing, trail running, and gardening and cooler months snowboarding, baking, knitting and crocheting. She strongly believes that soup is for every season, and you will often find her enjoying the company of her dog Baloo.