JAMES PACKMAN
M.S., Forest Engineering

James Packman is a hydrologist and senior project manager with Taylor Associates, Inc. He has been working in various areas of water resources since 1994 with positions including hydrologist, wetland scientist, academic researcher, soil bioengineering technician, and environmental educator. With over 15 years of experience, James combines ecological science, engineering discipline, and creativity to solve problems in water resources.

James’ responsibilities at Taylor Associates, Inc. include providing project management and technical contribution for projects relating to water quality planning and assessment, analysis of storm water best management practices (BMP), evaluation of fisheries habitat and restoration projects, environmental permit compliance, fluvial and hillslope geomorphology, sediment pollution transport and source tracing, and non-point pollution source control. James is a statistics specialist and contributes to statistical design and data analysis on a variety of projects. His statistical experience also includes a one-year teaching assistantship in advanced undergraduate statistics courses.

With a background as an educator and an undergraduate dual degree in English and Geology, James has exceptional communication skills. He excels at explaining technical information to a diversity of audiences in written and verbal formats. He has prepared project planning documents, data reports, environmental impact statements, habitat restoration designs, standard operating procedures, and permit compliance reports. James has also given verbal and poster presentations summarizing project information and data to clients, at conferences, and for professional continuing education groups. In 2001, James won first prize for Best Poster at the annual review of research for the University of Washington’s Water Center.

For his master’s thesis, James researched how land-use and watershed conditions affect water quality and geomorphology in Puget Lowland fish-bearing streams. As part of his graduate studies James also developed and published a multivariate water quality model to use turbidity as an indicator of other water quality parameters; this work was used as a pilot study for assessing water and sediment quality in experimental zero-impact residential development.

James has been president of the Washington Hydrologic Society since 2007 where he helps organize educational talks and field trips for water resource professionals in the Puget Sound area. Outside of work, James enjoys skiing, yoga, gardening, soccer, and travel.