Scott Wright, PE, PMP, BC.WRE, Strategic Growth Director out of our Corvallis, OR office, has been awarded the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) 2025 Outstanding Practitioner in Water Resources Engineering Award. This acclaimed award celebrates leaders in water resources engineering and underscores a commitment to professionalism, preservation, and ethics.
Wright accepted the award at the AAWRE Ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was recognized for his exceptional contributions to the conservation of river systems and habitats throughout the western United States.
Over the past three decades, Wright has worked on more than 40 dam removal projects, restoring hundreds of miles of fish habitat and benefiting numerous species listed under the Endangered Species Act. He has designed innovative techniques for fish-friendly water diversion structures, many of which have become industry standards in Oregon.
Wright remarked, “It’s an honor to be recognized by my peers. In addition, I want to recognize the amazing team that has made this possible. For over a decade, Russell Bartlett, Travis Forsman, and Pete Gruendike have been integral to the success of these projects and my gratitude and appreciation go to those guys who helped bring these projects to life.”
After earning his master’s degree and working with The Natural Resources Conservation Service early in his career, Wright founded and led River Design Group (RDG)’s Oregon office for 20 years before joining SWCA (SWCA acquired RDG in 2024).
His efforts have been critical in the restoration of entire rivers and watersheds. Notably, he spent over 15 years advancing the Klamath River dam removal project on the Oregon-California border, resulting in the removal of four mainstem dams—one of the largest and most significant fish passage restoration efforts in the United States to date.
Another career highlight for Wright was the Gold Ray dam removal on the Rogue River in southern Oregon. Despite an unprecedented timeline of one year, Wright’s team delivered the project on budget and on schedule. “That was a particularly meaningful project for me, as I had grown up around that dam. It was an awesome opportunity to go back and take that one out,” he shared.
In addition to his consulting work, Wright serves as a faculty member in the Ecological Engineering department at Oregon State University, his alma mater, where he is dedicated to developing future water resources engineers.
Scott Wright accepting the AAWRE 2025 Outstanding Practitioner in Water Resources Engineering Award