Chris Alford
Associate Director, California Conservation
Department: Conservation
Area of Focus: Chris works to protect instream flows to increase water supply reliability, improve water quality, provide critical aquatic habitat, and reduce flood risk. She works on state level instream flow policy and water law as well as individual water right transfers and instream flow enhancement projects. She plays an active role in American Rivers' coastal instream flow program and Sierra water trust program.
Background: Chris joined American Rivers in 2011. She previously served as the Natural Resources Planner for Yolo County where she managed the Cache Creek Resources Management Program, was the project manager for the county's Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Program, and led efforts to conserve and restore Central Valley grassland prairie and vernal pool habitats.
Chris has conducted geomorphic and vegetation, and habitat assessments in a variety of watersheds throughout California while working as a researcher for UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and the California Department of Water Resources. Her graduate work at UC Berkeley focused on the physical and institutional challenges of managing surface water flows for both human and environmental uses in California's central coast watersheds.
Education: B.S. in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Davis
M.L.A in Environmental Planning from the University of California, Berkeley
Favorite River: Rogue River
