Brooke Beers ’25
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Understanding Watershed Processes in Complex Terrain: Mountain Hydrology at Snodgrass Hillslope
Minor(s): Sustainable Energy
The western United States has a deep reliance on the Colorado River for water supply and hydropower, which is directly related to snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains. I worked with another intern and a Ph.D. candidate to investigate the dynamics of a headwater system on Snodgrass Mountain near Crested Butte, Colorado. We collected several sources of data, including soil moisture and temperature, climate information and drone flights. This project involved a great amount of physical work on the mountain, precision in maintaining our equipment setup and also gave me the opportunity to do some primary data analysis. Additionally, I gathered independent data about plant species diversity and soil texture/ size, which I plan to develop into a senior thesis. This experience has taught me that I thrive in a setting involving fieldwork, which I hope to incorporate into my future career path.
2024
Water and Agriculture
Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Colorado
Reed Maxwell, William and Edna Macaleer Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute; Harry Stone, Ph.D. candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering