Our Story
Natural Channel Design Engineering, Inc., also known as NCD Engineering (NCDE), is a civil / environmental engineering consulting firm with an interdisciplinary team of civil engineers and natural resource specialists. We provide services in conservation engineering, restoration ecology, natural resource planning and river engineering and weed management. NCDE specializes in research, assessment, design and planning of natural resources. NCDE has been operating for over 20 years and has designed, managed, obtained permits, and supervised construction of numerous riparian and aquatic restoration projects throughout the southwest. NCDE has extensive experience in watershed assessment, geomorphology, hydrology, hydraulics, wetland and riparian ecology, wildlife biology, vegetation, bioengineering, drainage, erosion control, irrigation, wetland delineation, stream bank stabilization, GIS and spatial modeling. NCDE has applied that expertise to community planning, design and permitting of projects for federal, state and county agencies, tribal entities, municipalities, and private owners. The goal of our research, education and design services is to improve the health, resilience and ecosystem function of our aquatic and riparian resources.
Our Philosophy
Our work utilizes a combination of stream assessments and geomorphic evaluations supplemented by analytic assessments. We also consider how society and the natural processes of rivers can coincide. Stream channel assessment requires three distinct steps: characterization of existing conditions, identification of the potential, or reference condition, for the system, and finally comparing the existing condition against the potential of the system to identify stream needs and design criteria. Once these parameters are established, an analytical assessment of critical velocities, shear stresses, and other physical processes are incorporated to complete the design to meet project objectives.
Stream channels are created and maintained by the processes of their watersheds. In simplistic terms, their primary functions are to convey flood flows, transport sediment, and dissipate energy. The inherent stability of any natural channel is dependent on an appropriate dimension, pattern, and profile of the bankfull channel and associated floodplain and terraces. Closely matching the central tendencies of the natural channel in both form and process results in a design that works with the existing stream processes rather than against it reducing instability and maintenance cost. We have successfully extended these principles to a range of projects including habitat enhancement, bank stabilization, transportation infrastructure, drainage design, cultural resource protection, fish passage, and watershed planning efforts in both urban and rural environments. We have pioneered ways to safely and effectively integrate river community needs.
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Our Team
The Natural Channel Design Engineering team has the experience and expertise to provide professional Civil Engineering and Natural Planning Resources services throughout the Southwest region of the United States. Following are brief team resumes and bios:
Ilan Moses Feder
CEO
Ilan is trained as a civil engineer and has 30 years of experience in construction project management, entrepreneurship, and the creation of new engineering practices. Ilan is an expert at engineering review and control with all types of construction and infrastructure projects including preconstruction review of engineering and bidding documents to identify potential change orders and time-consuming delays during the project. He has provided third party review of payments to contractors as well as change order reviews for both domestic and international clients with a total project value of over $20 billion. In the past two years, his focus has been on developing potential solutions in order to alleviate water shortages in arid regions. His new mission with NCDE is to strengthen our role in engineering and environmental services in the region through the creation of joint ventures between engineering and technical firms to successfully design and implement solutions to large, complex environmental problems.
Ilan and his wife live in Sedona, AZ and enjoy the climate and culture of their chosen home.
Mark Wirtanen
Restoration Specialist, Biologist
Mark is a biologist and engineering technician for Natural Channel Design Engineering. Mark serves as a field biologist and project manager for riparian and geomorphic studies and restoration projects in rivers of the arid southwest. He has experience in all phases of project restoration design including site assessments, topographic survey, project design and construction management. Mark holds an Arizona Agriculture Commercial Applicators Certification for herbicide application.
Prior to working for NCDE, Mark worked for 7 years as a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Flagstaff. He then worked for 2 years as a field technician at the College of Engineering at Northern Arizona University where he surveyed different stream types and co-authored a study on Regional Relationships for Bankfull Stage in Natural Channels of Arizona and New Mexico. In 2000, Mark went to work for Natural Channel Design Engineering.
Mark has conducted research, geomorphologic assessments and has helped design numerous stream stabilization and restoration projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah and Nevada. He prepares biological assessments, conducts preliminary jurisdictional delineations and Army Corp 404 permits.
Allen Haden
Aquatic Ecologist
Allen is an ecologist with geomorphic training and a long history of working with engineers to achieve ecological goals with engineering plans. His academic training, research and work experience allow him to integrate ecological and geomorphic principles into engineering designs that are able to restore or enhance physical and ecological functions of channels, floodplains and riparian areas. His understanding of the requirements for engineering design and construction of flood control, erosion control, and water conveyance combined with his knowledge of species requirements and functions of southwestern ecological systems provide a practical means of crossing these disciplines to achieve multiple goals from projects. He has expertise in sampling and statistical techniques for monitoring biological and physical aspects of riparian/aquatic/wetland habitats, as well as an understanding of life history requirements and threats to southwestern native species. His major interest is the interaction of habitat changes and nonnative species on native aquatic insects and fish. He has extensive experience with habitat enhancement projects and has designed and provided construction observation services for numerous restoration projects. He has authored and coauthored several refereed manuscripts on effects of nonnative species and links between habitat quality and ecology of aquatic communities.
Since beginning with NCDE in 2006, he has had a role in nearly every project the company has performed. Project roles have ranged from geomorphic analysis of aquatic habitat and fish passage to project management on multi-year, multi-million dollar habitat creation projects. He also conducts annual training programs focused on utilizing stream geomorphology of southwestern streams to assess, design and monitor restoration and erosion control projects.
Michael Kearly
Civil Engineer P.E., CFM
Michael is a licensed civil engineer in six states in the southwestern US (AZ, CO, NM, NV, TX, & UT), with over 26 years of civil engineering experience. He has been with NCDE since 2013 and served initially as Project Engineer and is now in the role of Senior Licensed Civil Engineer. Prior to joining NCDE, Michael served 2 years as the Assistant County Engineer for Coconino County, Arizona, and served as Project Engineer and Lead Designer with Turner Engineering, Inc. from 2000-2011.
Through his experience, he has completed the design of numerous projects including residential and commercial development. During his career, he has designed large public infrastructure projects including local and arterial roads, water mains, sewer mains, storm drains and regional stormwater detention facilities. He is a Certified Floodplain Manager with experience in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulatory floodplains and preparing submittals for compliance with the Clean Water Act (PJDs and 404 permits). During his career, Michael has acquired over 21 years of experience in hydrologic and hydraulic modeling of watersheds in the arid southwest and planning for stormwater mitigation for developed and undeveloped sites.
Michael grew up in the American Southwest and is now based in northern Arizona with his professional and recreational interests focused in the region.
Cathy Scudieri
Restoration Ecologist, Biologist
Cathy has been with NCDE since 2011 and has designed the revegetation plans for numerous NCDE restoration projects. She has experience researching appropriate native plants for restoration projects in southwestern ecosystems. Cathy prepares engineering designs and drawings. She has conducted geomorphic assessments on channels across Arizona and assisted with watershed assessments for watersheds damaged by wildfire. Cathy has experience preparing submittals for compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act including PJDs, wetland delineations, and biological assessments (for projects that may affect listed species).
Prior to joining NCDE, Cathy worked for the US EPA in Chicago for 10 years as an environmental engineer working in municipal wastewater permitting under the Clean Water Act and spent 3 years as a biological (plants) technician with the US Forest Service (Rocky Mountain Research Station) in Flagstaff. She has authored several refereed manuscripts on her ecological restoration research.
Jake Fleishman
Civil Engineer P.E., CFM
Jake has been with NCDE since 2016. Jake is a licensed civil engineer in four states in the southwestern US (AZ, NM, CO and UT), with over 7 years of civil engineering experience. Prior to joining NCDE, Jake worked as a field technician for the Ecological Restoration Institute for 3 years collecting landscape data in diverse and remote settings. Jake also spent time as an intern project engineer in Cameron, AZ for Vastco, Inc., gaining experience in heavy civil construction on a highway expansion project. Jake’s role at Natural Channel Design Engineering includes hydrualic and hydrologic modeling, design, drawing construction plans with materials estimates and costs, and geomorphic assessment. He specializes in geomorphic restoration techniques in both urban and rural stream settings.
Chris Liszewski
Civil Engineering Technician E.I.T.
Chris has been at NCDE since 2019 and works as an Engineer-in-Training. Chris prepares drawings, conducts field surveys, and assists in report compilation. Prior to earning his EIT and joining the NCDE team, Chris worked as an automobile technician and an outdoors adventure guide. Chris has been in Flagstaff since 1995 and enjoys the many outdoors recreational opportunities of the region.
Sam Ebright
GIS Remote Sensing Specialist, Commercial Drone Pilot
Sam is a licensed drone pilot and GIS-based remote sensing professional. He holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Forestry; as well as a B.S. in Spanish. In his graduate research, he studied spatiotemporal relationships of deforestation and wildfires in Vietnam, by using satellite detected data. He can provide UAV imagery collection for mapping and analysis. He can also use UAV imagery to produce topographic models of sparsely vegetated areas. His work at NCDE focuses on landscape prioritization using remotely sensed data. Landscape prioritization can help guide land managers to making the largest ecological impacts with limited time and funding. Prior to NCDE, Sam worked with the Forest Service as a wildland firefighter and advised national monitoring protocols for the CFLRP. As a student, he worked in the NAU Forest Ecology Lab collecting samples, conducting dendrochronology, and studied post-fire aspen regeneration with multispectral imagery.
Sue Porter
Sue works part-time as an administrative assistant at NCDE. Born and raised in Maine, Sue traveled west in her college years and fell in love with the canyons, colors, and wide open spaces of the southwest. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.F.A in Ceramics. Sue has worked as a river guide, a professional baker, a mom, and an artist but has always kept her day job in bookkeeping and business management. She’s lived in Flagstaff since 1984 where she raises a family and operates a small business with her husband. In her free time she enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, birding, and boating throughout the Southwest.
Duke MacArthur
Civil Engineering Technician, E.I.T.
Haley Lucas
Ecologist, Engineering Technician
Haley joined NCDE in 2023 and has a background in natural resource conservation and civil engineering design. Originally from Wisconsin, Haley has a B.S. in Environmental Science from UW-Green Bay and an M.S. in Freshwater Science & Technology from UW-Milwaukee, specializing in aquaculture and aquaponics. Her experience includes work with Wisconsin County Land & Water Conservation, assessing lake habitat, creating shoreline stabilization and protection with natural materials, designing rain gardens, grassed waterways and wetland scrapes. Additionally, she spent a year working for a civil engineering firm, honing skills in Civil 3D drafting. With NCDE, Haley merges her skills of ecology, conservation and civil engineering to design stream channel restorations and post-fire recovery projects.
Susie Smith
Susie started with NCDE at the end of 2019. Originally from eastern Oregon, Susie has worked in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Alaska as a botanist, fire fighter, back country ranger, and geologist. She settled in Flagstaff in 1985 to complete a Quaternary Studies MS program at NAU and never left. She works part-time at NCDE helping with administration and office duties.
Our Founders
Tom Moody was first and foremost a conservationist. As a boatman working in both the Grand Canyon and internationally or as a salmon fisherman in Alaska, he had a constant appreciation of rivers. As an engineering student, he realized that there had to be a better way to work with stream channels than to keep adding hardened riprap to fix erosion. His wife, Stephanie Yard was an engineer, dealing with drainage and stream channels at the Natural Resources Conservation Service. She also saw a need for a different way of thinking about stream channel conservation. Tom began with research on utilizing stream geomorphic principles in the arid southwest while he was at Northern Arizona University. This research continued and matured after the pair formed Natural Channel Design and they began utilizing these concepts along with standard engineering practice to repair and enhance channels across the southwest. Due to their foresight and passion, NCDE has been at the forefront of research education and design of stream restoration practice in the southwest.