Brian Tillemans - October 8, 2004
by Brian Coggan

     Brian Tillemans has a fine name, if I may say so. He was also kind enough to spend a morning with us discussing the Owens River Gorge. Brian is the water resources manager for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). We met Brian along one of the aqueducts used to generate electricity for LA. He was tolerant of us climbing over the huge metal tube and later mentioned that a helicopter flying overhead was for aqueduct security. I wondered what would have happened if the helicopter had seen us monkeying around on the aqueduct before Brian did.

     Brian gave us a short history of the Gorge since its dewatering in 1951 and rewatering in '91. Then he continued with their restoration of the Gorge. Other stream restoration projects have been active, which means that the stream channels were shaped with bulldozers and vegetation was planted by hand. Brian has found, however, passive restoration to be more effective. In the Owens River Gorge, Brian regulates stream flows in a lesser volume, but similar pattern to natural stream flow fluctuations. The LADWP has a ten year plan to incrementally increase stream flow volume. Brian has found that a natural flow pattern, with spring floods and lower summer flows, favors native species and preserves stream channel integrity (which are some of the greatest challenges in stream restoration). Passive management is also much cheaper than active management.

     Like many other scientists we have met, Brian resents the politics and social drudgery that plagues his work, saying, "Sometimes I think we are regulating ourselves to death." But he also had a belief uncommon with speakers we have met. He reminded us that there is always more than one side to any given situation. We should educate ourselves on all perspectives, he told us, and then make up our own minds.