A woman wearing a baseball cap kneels next to a riverbank full of rocks. She is holding a red clipboard.

The Morrison Riverscapes Lab is collaborative and hands-on group.

We investigate the dynamics of river processes to better understand how rivers change over time. Our work centers on interactions between flow, sediment transport, channel form, and ecosystems to assess how these processes shape river networks and surrounding communities. Using field-based research and integrative analysis, we generate insights that guide river restoration and environmental stewardship. We are committed to collaborative science that advances knowledge while addressing real-world challenges facing rivers and their ecosystems.

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Ryan R. Morrison, PhD

I am an Associate Professor and water resources engineer at Colorado State University in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. My research interests include hydrodynamic interactions in river-floodplain systems, large-scale human impacts to river corridors, fluvial responses to wildfire and flood disturbances, and responses of headwater streams to process-based restoration.

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Meet the team

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    Cat McClure (Postdoc)

    Biogeomorphic Impacts of Future Hydroclimatic Variability in the Yampa and Green River Basins.

    I am a postdoctoral researcher working alongside the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service to better understand interactions between water, sediment, and vegetation on the Green and Yampa Rivers in Colorado and Utah. In my free time I enjoy trail and ultra running, backcountry skiing, biking, and birding. 

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    Ashar Ali (PhD student)

    Research Topic: TBD

  • A photograph of a man by a narrow stream running through red rocks. He is wearing a hiking backpack and a broad-rimmed brown hat.

    Nicholas Christensen (PhD student)

    Role of River Network Configuration and Floodplain Restoration on Flood Attenuation

    I am passionate about experiencing and understanding the natural world in both my professional and personal life. I enjoy challenging myself and connecting with the bio-geo-hydrological systems. I am happiest on the side of a cliff listening to the birds or a river rushing below. My favorite bird is the White Throated Swift, and my favorite river is the mighty Merced. 

  • A woman stands in front a mountain body of water. She is wearing a sweatshirt and oatmeal-colored beanie.

    Elise Cordle (MS student)

    Linking Habitat Diversity and Brook Trout Habitat Preference Following Low-Tech Process-Based River Restoration

    I am a Masters student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department. In my free time I enjoy hiking, painting, and camping. My favorite river is the McKenzie River in Oregon, and my favorite wildflower is an Alpine Forget-me-not.

  • A photograph of a smiling man in front of bare winter trees. He has facial hair and is wearing a blue zip-up jacket over a black hoodie.

    Steven Griffin (PhD student)

    Post-wildfire hydrologic responses and improvements to post-burn downslope transportation infrastructure design

  • A woman with a long braid is standing in front of a mountain stream bank. She is wearing a light blue sunshirt with a hood and fishing waders.

    Aleah Hahn (PhD student)

    Modeling Large Wood in River Restoration

    I am a PhD candidate, yogi, cyclist, diver, whitewater adventurist, and baker. I love seeing Western Tanagers and Mountain Bluebirds along the Poudre River when navigating rapids. 

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    Rafin Hasan (PhD student; co-advised with Dr. Antonio Alves Meira Neto)

    Investigation of Groundwater Connectivity in Headwater Streams Driven by Subsurface Heterogeneity and Stream Restoration

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    Weimin Li (PhD student)

    Numerical Simulations to Study Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Suitable Habitat in the Middle Rio Grande River in New Mexico

  • A woman on a hiking trail is wearing a green baseball cap and is carrying backpacking equipment on her back. In the background is a canyon with striated rock layers.

    Mariah Papac (MS student)

    The Effects of Process Based Restoration on Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Floodplains

    I am a master’s student in the CEE department.  In my free time, I love to spend time outside, whether it be running, mtn biking, skiing, or lizard-ing next to a river. I also enjoy reading and baking with my cat! My favorite rivers are Little Cottonwood Creek (UT) and the Laramie River (CO).

  • A woman wearing a charcoal baseball cap, sunglasses, and a pink sun shirt stands in front of a mountain creek and snowy mountains

    Rachel Spurrier (Research associate)

    Science communication & research coordination

    I support the research group’s special projects, outreach, and processes. A writer by training and a data practitioner through experience, I’m at my happiest when writing about science or digging into a dataset. My favorite river and flower are both from my home state, Kansas: the Verdigris River and the common sunflower.

Research group alumni

  • A man wearing a gray CSU hoodie stands with his arms extended in front of a mountain valley. There is snow on some of the mountains in the background.

    Brady Jones (MS, graduated 2025)

    Research Topic: Influence of Channel and Floodplain Post-Fire Treatments on Sediment and Flow Processes

  • A smiling woman wearing a white t-shirt stands in front of rows of leafy green trees in a park.

    Kayla Schultz (MS, graduated 2025)

    Research Topic: Loss of Beaver Dams Decreases Floodplain Connectivity in Colorado Headwater Streams

  • A man holding a dog is on a hiking trail. Tall mountains are in the background. He is wearing a baseball cap with sunglasses perched on the bill.

    James Molloy (MS, graduated 2025; co-advised with Dr. Ryan Bailey)

    Research Topic: Linking Floodplain Processes to Hydrologic Modeling with SWAT+ gwflow in the Lower Arkansas River Basin

  • A woman in waders and a brown beanie holds surveying equipment while standing in a stream.

    Bijoux Schoner (MS, graduated 2025)

    Research Topic: Monitoring Large Wood in Urban River Restoration

  • A man wearing waders and brown baseball cap holds a tall ruler in front of him like a staff.

    Danny White (PhD, graduated 2023)

    Research Topic: Experimental Flume and Numerical Studies Into the Influence of Floodplain Vegetation on River-Corridor Hydrodynamic Processes

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    Jack Derbique (MS, graduated 2023)

    Research Topic: Calibrating 2D Hydraulic Models Using End-Members of Watershed Response to Wildfire

  • A man in a red jacket is standing on skis in snow. He is wearing sunglasses and a black beanie.

    Will Creed (MS, graduated 2023)

    Research Topic: Error Propagation of Effective Discharge Calculations in Analytical Designs for River Restorations

  • A man with black-rimmed glasses smiles and stands in front of a bookshelf full of books.

    Matthew Lurtz (PhD, graduated 2023)

    Research Topic: Response of Riparian Vegetation to Agricultural Practices in an Arid Climate

  • A woman wearing a black Colorado State University polo smiles at the camera.

    Dixie Poteet (MS, graduated 2023; co-advised with Dr. Aditi Bhaskar)

    Research Topic: Impacts of Urban Development on Stream Hydrology and Morphology in a Semi-Arid Environment

  • A man wearing a green Colorado State University t-shirt stands in front of a red canyon.

    Evan Schulz (MS, graduated 2023)

    Research Topic: Evaluating Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions in Floodplains using SWAT+ and gwflow

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    Richard Knox (PhD, graduated 2022; co-advised with Dr. Ellen Wohl)

    Research Topic: The Geography of Artificial Levees in the United States

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    Kira Simonson (MS, graduated 2022)

    Research Topic: Quantifying Floodplain Health in the Contiguous United States using an Index of Integrity

  • A woman in a pink off-the-shoulder dress sits on a white folding chair. Lush trees are in the background.

    Chenchen Ma (MS, graduated 2022)

    Research Topic: Decreasing Stream Habitat for Greenback Cutthroat Trout Under Future Climate Projections in Headwater Streams of Colorado

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    Heechan Han (PhD, graduated 2021)

    Research Topic: Improving Hydrologic Modeling of Runoff Processes Using Data-Driven Models

  • A man with a moustache, beard, and wire-rimmed glasses stands by a snowy cliff face.

    Nick Brouillard (MS, graduated 2021)

    Research Topic: Hydrodynamics of Meandering Compound Channels with Varied Emergent Floodplain Vegetation Densities

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    Naveen Kumar (MS, graduated 2021; co-advised with Dr. Timothy Gates)

    Research Topic: Modeling Reach-Scale Groundwater-Stream Exchange Along the Riparian Corridor

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    Ben Tyner (MEng, graduated 2021)

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    Elaina Passero (MS, graduated 2020)

    Research Topic: Development of a Decision Support System for Concurrently Evaluating Changes in Instream and Floodplain Habitats Caused by Flow Modifications

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    Marissa Karpack (MS, graduated 2019)

    Research Topic: Quantitative Assessment of Floodplain Functionality in Colorado Using an Index of Integrity

  • A woman in a royal blue jacket and light blue beanie stands in front of fall foliage.

    Kara Scheel (MS, graduated 2018)

    Research Topic: Toward Understanding Changes in Large-Scale Floodplain Connectivity Caused by Levees

Meet our collaborators

A logo of a tree above three wavy lines. The text to the right of the tree and water says "Intermountain West Transformation Network"
An orange logo of a sun shape. Surrounding the shape is the text "Indigenous Land & Data Stewards Lab"
A logo of three overlapping water droplets. Encircling the droplets is text that reads "Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed"
A logo of a blue flower surrounded by fire. The text under the flower says "Fire Ecology Lab"
A logo in the shape of a wave. The text above the wave says "Fluvial Geomorphology @ CSU"
A logo of green mountain outline in front of a yellow semi-circle and blue oval. The text reads "Rocky Mountain Research Station"

Our lab in action

  • A woman wearing aders stands in a stream holding a blue bucket

  • A person in a red jacket with a hood walks away from the camera. She is carrying surveying equipment including orange flags.

  • A woman wearing waders carries an orange bucket toward the camera

  • A man in waders looks into a yellow monitor he's holding. He is standing in the middle of a snowy stream.

  • A woman in pink hiking pants and a plaid shirt bends over in a grassy mountain field.

  • A person with survey equipment looks away from the camera. In the background is a stream and burned trees on a mountain slope.

  • Three women stand in front of a dirt road wearing matching sun shirts

Join the lab