Meet the Water and Resource Conservation Staff
Kamie Loeser, Director
Kamie is no stranger to Butte County. A product of Butte College and CSU, Chico, she began her career in 1991 as a Planning Analyst for the Town of Paradise’s Wastewater Design Assessment District and Onsite Sanitation Division. While pursuing her master’s degree in Rural and Town Planning, Kamie worked on the Butte Creek Existing Conditions Report and other grant funded watershed projects for the CSUC Research Foundation. She then transitioned into community planning and environmental consulting focusing on projects located throughout Northern California. In this role, her work included the preparation of long-range planning documents, public outreach and engagement for community action plans, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) impact analyses.
For ten years, starting in 2009, Kamie served as the Principal Planner and Environmental Department Manager at NorthStar, a local engineering firm, focusing on CEQA and regulatory permitting compliance for land use and infrastructure projects including roadways, bridges, culverts, and water and wastewater conveyance facilities. In this position, she worked with numerous local districts, cities, and counties as well as state and federal agencies.
For the last two years Kamie has served as the contract general manager for Durham Irrigation District, which provided her the opportunity to participate on the Vina GSA Management Committee and assist with the preparation of the Vina GSP. Most recently, she has led the Stormwater Practice Area team for West Yost Associates.
As Butte County’s Director of Water and Resource Conservation, it is Kamie’s intention to:
- inform the County’s decision-making process’;
- implement County goals, policies, and regulations;
- work cooperatively with local, regional, and state agencies;
- engage with the citizens, landowners, and stakeholders of the County; and
- sustainably manage, conserve, and protect Butte County’s water and other resources including our groundwater, water supplies, and State Water Project allocation.
Contact Kamie by phone at 530.552.3590.
Christina Buck, Assistant Director
Christina Buck first worked for Butte County Water and Resource Conservation as a student intern during the summers of 2005 and 2006. She returned in 2012, as the Water Resources Scientist and became Assistant Director in 2018. She leads projects to develop data and tools to support SGMA implementation and the development of Groundwater Sustainability Plans for the subbasins within Butte County. Recent work includes participating in studies to better understand groundwater conditions and recharge, updates to the Butte Basin Groundwater Model, and regional coordination through the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan. Prior to working for the County, she conducted graduate work at UC Davis participating in a variety of projects related to hydrogeology and groundwater-surface water interaction, water resources management, and field studies. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Hydrology from UC Davis and a Ph.D. in Hydrologic Sciences also from UC Davis.
Contact Christina by phone at 530.552.3593.
Kelly Peterson, Water Resources Scientist
Kelly Peterson joined Butte County Water and Resource Conservation as their Water Resources Scientist in March, 2018. Kelly has a diverse background in water quality and quantity, natural resource and agricultural restoration projects, wetlands delineations, and various wildlife and habitat surveys. For the past several years, she has been conducting state and environmental permitting and environmental compliance for projects throughout northern California. Previously, she was the District Manager for the Butte County Resource Conservation District. During her tenure at the Butte County RCD, she provided leadership on projects benefiting Butte County landowners. Kelly has extensive experience with state and federal grants from her work with the Butte RCD, Western Shasta RCD and the Chico State Research Foundation. She is active in the Forest Ranch Fire Safe Council. She received a Bachelors degree in Natural Resource Planning and Interpretation from CSU Humboldt and a Masters degree in Environmental Science from CSU Chico.
Contact Kelly by phone at 530.552.3588.