As a research hydrologist, Dr. John Hammond works to better understand how streamflow is generated in areas across the United States, and also work to better forecast hydrological conditions for coming weeks and months as well as to predict how the water cycle might shift in different locations in coming decades. His current work is focused on better predicting drought in streamflow and groundwater time series, improving our understanding and ability to map patterns in streamflow variability for headwater areas, understanding how declining snowpacks will affect water availability in the western and northeastern U.S., and understanding how wildfires alter the ways streamflow is generated and what this means for a future with more wide-spread or more frequent fires.
What led you to a natural resources education/career?
I completed my undergraduate at the University of Maryland with a broad degree in Environmental Science. While I was there, I was lucky enough to get a job as a National Park Ranger at North Cascades National Park where I fell in love with seasonal snowpacks and the streams and rivers seasonal snowmelt sustains. I knew that I wanted to learn more about how snowmelt becomes streamflow, and more broadly how and when streamflow is generated across the country. I decided to attend Oregon State University’s Water Resources Science program to learn as much as I could about the field of hydrology, and conducted research on climate change signals in streamflow above dams in the Columbia River Basin, and whether these signals were passing to locations below dams. I then got my first experience working for USGS as a surface water contractor in the office where I now work. During that time, I learned a bit about urban hydrology and how to model floods, but I also gained an appreciation for the streamflow and groundwater data collected and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey at tens of thousands of sites across the U.S and abroad. When I saw a posting for a PhD position at CSU with Dr. Stephanie Kampf to study streamflow generation in snow-dominated areas and how this might change with climate change, I knew I had to jump at the opportunity! Working with Dr. Kampf and other members of her lab taught me a wide variety of coding, remote sensing, modeling, and field data collection skills; many of which I use every day in my current position. Working in the Kampf lab, and being a part of the wider ESS and NREL communities, fostered the exchange of interdisciplinary ideas and knowledge, and also taught me more effective ways to communicate science.
What advice do you have for current students or recent grads?
I think it’s always a good idea to reach out and get to know people at the organization where you might want to work someday. Those connections can help you demonstrate your skills, learn about the type of work folks might be hiring for in the near future, and determine whether the organization would be a good fit for your career objectives, personal interests, and socially.