What We Do

Lichen Land & Water Inc. is a small land and water resource sciences firm based in Portland, Oregon, with work throughout the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain West. We are working with our partners to advance the ways we manage watersheds, floodplains, and landscapes for benefits of ecosystems and people.

Our specific services include:

  • River restoration design and assessment
  • Geomorphic and sediment assessment
  • Feasibility assessments
  • Irrigation efficiency upgrades
  • Hydraulic modeling
  • GIS, remote sensing, and analysis
  • Watershed monitoring
  • Adaptive management strategies
  • Salmon recovery planning and policy
  • Grant writing and funding acquisition
  • Watershed planning (urban to rural)
  • Land conservation planning
  • Fish passage
  • Floodplain resilience (planning and policy)
  • Teaching and community partnerships
  • Hazard and risk assessments
  • Science communication
  • Project management
  • Facilitation

How We Help

Our current projects are:

  • Building integrated plans to reduce risk and improve ecosystem function in developed floodplains through river analytics and collaborative engagement
  • Restoring streams, rivers, and floodplains to provide benefits for salmon and address downstream water quality and quantity concerns
  • Advancing understanding of watershed processes and recovery potential through analysis of geomorphic and hydrologic studies
  • Creating action-oriented strategies to recover salmonids in the face of climate change
  • Refining the ways agencies measure, monitor, and track watershed restoration progress at multiple scales
  • Convening partners to share learning, adaptively manage, and prioritize restoration actions over large watersheds and basins
  • Improving ecosystem, agricultural, and fire resilience through water delivery system upgrades

Who We Are

Nick Legg, PG, CEG

Principal Geomorphologist | President

Nick established Lichen in 2024 to build a science-based practice and advance health and safety in our watersheds and communities. He draws on nearly two decades of work restoring watersheds as a geologist and geomorphologist, with an emphasis on dynamic streams and floodplains of the Pacific Northwest. He promotes progress on complex environmental challenges through a collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach, informed by his formal education in both geomorphology and economics.

In his work on large-scale technical assessments, restoration designs, and strategic planning efforts, Nick has advanced the practice in channel migration zone management, sediment evaluation, floodplain restoration, and urban stream resilience. His organizational knowledge gained through leadership positions in companies and non-profit boards further informs his approach to strategic initiatives with clients and partners. Outside of work, Nick spends time exploring the Pacific Northwest with his wife, two young girls, and dog.

Education:

  • M.S. Geology - Oregon State University
  • B.S. Geology & Economics - University of Wisconsin

Licenses:

  • Professional Geologist (OR G2560, WA 3056)
  • Certified Engineering Geologist (OR E2560)

Nick Cook, PhD, PE

Senior Engineer

Nick is an experienced engineer dedicated to the analysis and design of restoration in riverine, tidal, and wetland environments. Nick set out from home state of Mississippi 20 years ago to use engineering to help the environment. Since then, his scientific and engineering pursuits have yielded a well-rounded skillset to build stream and watershed resilience. His specialties include hydrology, site assessment and monitoring, hydraulic modeling, GIS analysis and mapping, and development of plans, specifications, and estimates for project delivery. He has specific experience designing and implementing wood habitat structures, instream and floodplain restoration, and fish passage. His diverse project experience includes regional and watershed-scale studies, multi-reach project prioritization efforts, restoration of streams, wetlands, and estuaries, and stream crossing replacements. Nick's approach to these projects integrates local knowledge, appropriately rigorous study of the limiting factors and opportunities, and streamlined work processes that yield products that do justice to our rivers, streams, wetlands, and estuaries.

When not working, you can find Nick outside growing vegetables in his garden, tending native northwest plants in his backyard habitat area (and identifying the birds that visit), or taking on an outdoor adventure with his dog and wife. When homebound, Nick is usually reading a good book with one of his three cats sleeping nearby.

Education:

  • PhD Biological Systems Engineering - Virginia Tech University
  • M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering - George Mason University
  • B.S. Physics - University of Mississippi

Licenses:

  • Engineer (OR, #96803, 2020; WA, #23022976, 2024; ID, Pending)
  • Stream Functional Assessment Method (SFAM) Certified
  • WSDOT Fish Passage and Stream Restoration (FPSRD) program (#FPT22-13644)
  • WSDOT Scour Certification (#SCR23-04044)

Dominique Shore, GIT

Geomorphologist

Dominique Shore is a dedicated geomorphologist with 4 years of experience in managing and restoring stream environments. With a strong background in geology and practical training in sediment transport and low-tech restoration methods, Dominique has successfully led numerous projects focused on enhancing river and floodplain health. She has also completed numerous monitoring projects to assess water quality and quantity trends in response to climatic shifts and restoration action.

Dominique's collaborative approach and ability to secure funding have been pivotal in executing river and floodplain restoration projects. She is dedicated to outreach and education, ensuring that scientific knowledge translates to practical, on-the-ground restoration efforts. While not working on restoring rivers, Dominique spends her free time floating and fishing them in the Intermountain West.

Education:

  • M.S. Geology - Utah State University
  • B.S. Geology - Fort Lewis College

Licenses:

  • Geologist-In-Training (OR T3001)
  • FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107)

Alex Thornton-Dunwoody, EIT

Geomorphologist

Alex is a geomorphologist specializing in watershed restoration, sediment dynamics, and floodplain management. His interdisciplinary background in geomorphology, hydrology, and data science is complemented by a broad technical skillset that includes hydraulic modeling, GIS, remote sensing, drone-based mapping, Python coding, and machine learning. Alex enjoys working on projects that integrate field data collection with modeling and analysis to support restoration design, watershed assessments, and floodplain resilience planning. He is motivated by projects that support healthy ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.

Prior to joining Lichen Land & Water, Alex earned his master's degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Colorado State University, where he collected field data with drones, developed hydraulic models, created LiDAR and SfM coregistration workflows, and applied machine learning to post-fire watershed studies. He has also worked in stormwater engineering consulting, and agricultural management, which informs his interdisciplinary approach to applied science and problem-solving. Outside of work, you might find Alex riding his bike, running on trails, spending time in the kitchen, or taking a long walk around the neighborhood with his wife and dog.

Education:

  • M.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering - Colorado State University
  • B.S. Biological Systems Engineering - University of California, Davis

Licenses:

  • Engineer in Training (WA 22009504)
  • FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107)

Mike Curran, LG

Geomorphologist

Mike joined Lichen in 2025 to work on projects where improving river and ecosystem function directly support community resilience. His approach to geomorphology is grounded in the idea that healthy, functioning river systems are fundamental to the wellbeing of the communities that depend on them—and that understanding these systems in their full geologic and ecological context is essential to supporting both.

With professional experience in river restoration and geomorphic assessment across the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast, Mike brings a systems-thinking approach to watershed challenges. His work emphasizes field-based observation, remote sensing analysis, and understanding how rivers behave within their broader landscape context

Mike holds diverse professional and academic backgrounds. He has taught middle-school math, is certified in swiftwater rescue, has worked internationally in remote field settings, and brings risk management experience from his time as an EMT. This interdisciplinary perspective shapes how he approaches projects where watershed health and community safety overlap. When he’s not working, Mike loves sharing adventure sports with his wife and dog and is known for unicycling around his neighborhood.

Education:

  • M.S. Geomorphology - Simon Fraser University
  • B.A. Geology - Colorado College

Licenses:

  • Licensed Geologist (WA 23013774)