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Justin Iverson manages the Groundwater Section of the Oregon Water Resources Department. Prior to joining the Department in 2015, he was a water resources consultant focused on groundwater development and managed aquifer recharge for public and private clients in the Pacific Northwest, Australia, and the South Pacific. Justin earned Honors BS and MS degrees in geology with a minor in civil engineering from Oregon State University and is a registered geologist in Oregon.
Jordan Beamer has been the Assistant Manager in the Surface Water Hydrology Section (SWH) since May 2024. With degrees in earth science (BS), hydrogeology (MS), and water resources engineering (PhD), he is also a registered geologist and certified water rights examiner. He joined OWRD in 2016 and worked in a prior role as Senior Hydrologist. He was OWRD technical lead for the Statewide Evapotranspiration project that developed satellite-based consumptive use estimates from irrigated lands and reservoirs state-wide for 1985-2024. He now manages the team working to update Oregon’s surface water allocation tool and perform basin studies including for Walla Walla River and Fifteenmile Creek.
Chris Kowitz is the North Central Region Manager at the Department. The North Central Region consists of four district offices in The Dalles, Condon, and Pendleton. In this role, he oversees regulatory and policy matters for the region which include surface and groundwater resources in the lower Deschutes, lower John Day, Umatilla, and Walla Walla River watersheds. Chris grew up in Northeast Washington and holds a Bachelors of Environmental Science from Western Washington University. His professional experience includes 20 years working in the natural environment, including natural resources management and restoration, water resource planning, applied research, and policy development. He has worked for city, county, and state governments in the Northwest, specializing in program implementation, inter-jurisdictional coordination, environmental systems, and community engagement.
Jon La Marche earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University and an M.S. in Engineering from the University of Washington, with a focus on hydrologic modeling. He is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in the State of Oregon. Since joining OWRD in 1998, Jon has worked on hydrologic investigations in basins across Oregon, focusing on groundwater/surface-water interactions and the development of hydrologic budgets across a range of spatial scales. Over his 28-year career as a hydrologist, he has collaborated with OWRD hydrogeologists on numerous groundwater investigations in Columbia River Basalt Group settings in north-central Oregon.
Josh Hackett has a M.S. in geohydrology and a B.S. in geology from Portland State University. He joined the Water Resources Department as a hydrogeologist in 2007. Josh works in the north central part of the state investigating and managing groundwater resources in aquifer systems of the Columbia River Basalt Group. He is particularly interested in quantifying the influence of the geologic framework on groundwater recharge, water chemistry, hydraulic head distribution, and the interaction of groundwater and surface water.
Aaron Orr has an M.S. in geohydrology from Portland State University and a B.S. in Earth Science from Western Oregon University. He moved from working in hydrogeologic consulting to the Water Resources Department in 2023. For his first two years with OWRD, Aaron’s focus was in the Walla Walla Basin. Aaron’s hydrogeologic interests are in geochemistry, water chemistry, and investigating how structural controls may guide or limit the movement of groundwater within CRBG aquifers, ultimately exploring how groundwater is recharged and potentially moves through the systems.
Laurel Stratton Garvin holds a doctorate in Geology and Water Resources Science from Oregon State University, a master’s degree in hydrogeology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Whitman College. She has been a registered geologist in the State of Oregon since 2016. Prior to joining OWRD in 2024, she worked as hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey Oregon Water Science Center, where she focused primarily on hydrologic and water quality modeling.
Graham Thomas holds a M.S. in hydrogeology form University of Massachusetts –Amherst and a B.S. in earth sciences from the University of New Mexico. Graham has been working with OWRD since 2022, focusing on running the Harney Valley Conservation Enhancement Program, which pays landowners to retire irrigated farmland and permanently cancel associated groundwater rights to reduce aquifer depletion and support long-term water sustainability. He also helps with numerous other scientific projects within OWRD. Before joining OWRD, Graham worked for the USGS in Massachusetts focused initially on PFAS and nitrogen transportation on Cape Cod. Later his work shifted towards helping run the groundwater and stream gage network to monitor drought in the region.
Kara Morris is a Senior Hydrographer and lead of the Hydrographics group at the Oregon Water Resources Department. She joined OWRD in 2008 and has worked in the Hydrographics group since 2011. Kara holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Studies and is registered with the American Institute of Hydrology as a Hydrologic Technician. For the Fifteenmile basin study, she will be overseeing all gaging station data collection. Kara brings extensive technical expertise in deploying and managing networks of continuous monitoring hardware and ensuring rigorous streamflow data quality. She previously provided hydrographic and data collection support for the Walla Walla basin study.
Mukesh Mehata holds a doctorate in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He has been working as ET/Water Use Analyst at Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) since March 2025. Prior to joining OWRD, he gained six years of experience in evapotranspiration (ET) and net irrigation water requirement analysis, including work with HYDRUS-1D and soil water balance models. During his postdoctoral research at University of California-Davis, he developed expertise in remote sensing, ArcGIS Pro, and big data analysis using R-programing.
Shaun Finn holds an M.S. in Geophysics from Boise State University and a B.S. in Earth Science with a minor in Mathematics from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Before joining the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), Shaun spent seven years teaching high school science and mathematics in Washington State. Shaun now serves as the North Central Region Well Inspector for OWRD. Here, he ensures that new well construction complies with state standards and regulations. Working alongside assistant watermasters and the regional manager, Shaun helped establish a clear inspection and enforcement pathway for Irrigation Backflow Prevention requirements. He also supports the department’s geophysical investigations through the operation and application of the agency’s geophysics trailer. Interests include mapping projects alongside geophysics data collection and processing.
Amanda Lowe is the Senior Water Advisor for the North Central and East Regions of Oregon. Amanda brings a strong history of community relationship-building and working lands management to this role. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Communications from Washington State University and a Master of Science in Agriculture and Extension Education from University of Idaho. Amanda has been with OWRD since January of 2026, having spent nine years with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in the Range, Agriculture, and Forestry program. Senior Water Advisors facilitate complex water issue problem solving and resolution building, and also assist with large-scale project implementation and management.
Bob Wood is the District 3 Watermaster. Bob has been with OWRD for 28 years, with 22 of those years as Watermaster in The Dalles. Bob is the local contact for OWRD and works with landowners and other stakeholders in the Fifteenmile Basin. Watermasters regulate water use and enforce Oregon’s water laws, collect stream flow and groundwater data, do dam safety inspections and other duties. Bob has a bachelor's degree in environmental studies and political science from Eastern Oregon University.
Kate Fitzgerald is an Assistant Watermaster with the Oregon Water Resources Department’s Field Services Division for the past 10 years. She supports the work Bob does in the Fifteenmile and Eightmile Basins. Kate has a bachelor’s in Natural Resource Management from Oregon State University.
Ross Deardorff is an Assistant Watermaster with the Oregon Water Resources Department’s Field Services Division for the past 4 years. He supports coordination efforts in the Walla Walla and Fifteenmile basins, working across agencies and community partners to streamline data collection and coordinate management actions. Before joining OWRD, Ross spent more than eleven years with the Oregon Department of Agriculture and previously served in the U.S. Army. He studied at the University of Idaho and Eastern Oregon University.
Jasmine Loupe is an Assistant Watermaster with the Oregon Water Resources Department’s Field Services Division for the past 10 years. Through her work in the North Central and Klamath regional offices, she supports the daily management, measurement, and distribution of water across diverse basins. Jasmine is known for her strong field skills and expertise in wiring and equipment deployment. Before joining the agency, she earned her degree in water resources at Spokane Community College.
Charlotte Regula-Whitefield is a Community Engagement Coordinator at the Department, specializing in science communication and outreach. With nearly 20 years of experience working alongside rural communities in Oregon, Alaska, and Maine, she focuses on building strong community relationships based on a shared understanding of science. Drawing on her academic background in natural resources, including her PhD and Masters degrees, she brings a combination of research and engagement skills to help the Department best integrate community concerns and knowledge into water planning.