Fellow Story

Restoring the San Joaquin River

Fellow(s): Peter Vorster, Jim Downing, Mark Tompkins
Topic(s): Water Resources

After 60 years, the San Joaquin River again flows to the sea and salmon runs are being restored. But many challenges remain in the river's revival. Featuring Switzer Fellows Peter Vorster and Mark Tompkins. Produced by 2003 Switzer Fellow Jim Downing.

Meet the Fellows in this Story

Peter Vorster

Peter Vorster

1990 Fellow
Peter Vorster has 40 years of experience as a hydrogeographer, much of it focused on California's water resources and the landmark water conflicts in the Eastern Sierra (Mono Lake and the Owens Valley) and the San Francisco Bay-Delta...
Jim Downing

Jim Downing

2003 Fellow
Jim was previously the Executive Editor of California Agriculture, the peer-reviewed journal of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He has worked in natural resource management for 20 years as a...

Mark Tompkins

2004 Fellow
Mark Tompkins earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley, where he investigated the role of floodplains in river restoration efforts. Floodplains provide important aquatic and...