Dr. G. Mathias Kondolf

Dr. G. Mathias (Matt) Kondolf is a professor of Landscape Architecture and Geography at the University of California, Berkeley. His research and teaching focuses on rivers, their transformations by humans, and their resilience and active restoration. He studies a variety of rivers, including salmon-bearing rivers and Mediterranean-climate rivers, and the effects of human alterations like dams, dredging and gravel mining. His work emphasizes understanding river processes and history as a basis for restoration strategy, the need to learn from each restoration project, and the need for scientific rigor when approaching restoration.

His current research interests include (1) analysis of changes in land use, sediment delivery, and channel form in southeastern France, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River basin in California, and other Mediterranean-climate regions; (2) effects of dams on physical and ecological processes in rivers, and strategies for process-based ecosystem restoration; (3) sediment management in aging reservoirs; (4) geomorphic/ecological post-project assessment of river restoration projects; and (5) land-use planning in flood-prone regions of California and Mississippi deltas and integrating geomorphic insights into restoration strategies for these regions.

As the 2011 Frederick J. Clarke Fellow, Dr. Kondolf will provide advice on river-related environmental issues.

More about the Frederick J. Clarke Fellowship