Dr. Rory Cowie

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Dr. Rory Cowie is the founder and president of Alpine Water Resources, a science-driven environmental consulting firm based in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. He brings more than two decades of experience in mountain hydrology, environmental monitoring, and watershed science, with a focus on high-alpine systems impacted by legacy mining. 

Rory holds a PhD in Mountain Hydrology from the University of Colorado and a BA in Ecology and Wildlife Biology from Colorado College. His work has taken him to mountain regions around the world, including the Rocky Mountains, Alaska Range, Italian Alps, Himalaya, and East Africa, with extensive long-term engagement in the San Juan Mountains. His technical expertise includes hydrologic fluxes, surface-groundwater interactions, water quality remediation, environmental monitoring design, and climate impacts on water resources. 

As president of Alpine Water Resources, Rory provides technical leadership and scientific oversight for complex projects supporting federal agencies, engineering firms, and regional partners. He is committed to delivering rigorous, actionable science that protects alpine ecosystems while supporting resilient infrastructure and downstream communities. 

 Elizabeth Howe serves as Fractional Chief Operating Officer for Alpine Water Resources, supporting operational strategy, systems development, and organizational scale. She brings executive leadership experience across utilities, infrastructure, and mission-driven organizations, with a career focused on translating complex technical work into effective, high-performing operations. 

Elizabeth works closely with AWR leadership to strengthen internal systems, align staffing and project delivery, and support long-term organizational resilience. Her role ensures that Alpine Water Resources’ scientific expertise is matched by clear processes, strong financial controls, and operational discipline—positioning the firm for sustainable growth while maintaining technical excellence. 

 Jack Klim serves as Operations Director, Field Manager at Alpine Water Resources, where he oversees all field-based operations, safety programs, and logistics. He is responsible for coordinating seasonal fieldwork, monthly monitoring activities, and environmental sampling across AWR projects in remote, high-alpine environments. 

Jack leads the company’s Avalanche Program and serves as Lead Avalanche Forecaster for field operations, ensuring safe access to winter monitoring sites and field routes. He manages field equipment, vehicles, and resources, maintains health and safety plans, and develops master field calendars to prioritize work efficiently. 

 Matthew Cecil is a Research Associate, Environmental Scientist at Alpine Water Resources, supporting hydrologic assessment, environmental monitoring, and technical reporting for mining-impacted alpine watersheds. His work includes year-round data collection in hazardous mountain environments, maintenance and deployment of hydrologic monitoring equipment, and interpretation of hydrologic and climate data. 

Matthew also conducts avalanche hazard forecasting to support winter field operations and monitored sites. He contributes to client deliverables through technical writing, data summaries, and regulatory-support documentation, bridging rigorous field science with analytical reporting. 

 Krista Beyer is a Field Technician at Alpine Water Resources, supporting environmental monitoring, sampling, and data collection for high-alpine watershed projects. She assists with field operations across challenging terrain and variable conditions, contributing to reliable execution of monitoring programs. 

Krista brings a background in civil engineering with a focus on hydrology, along with hands-on experience in outdoor operations and field safety. 

 Nate Rock serves as Instrument Specialist, Field Technician at Alpine Water Resources, leading the installation, maintenance, and operation of environmental monitoring equipment. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Nate supports hydrologic data collection through careful instrument deployment, troubleshooting, and field logistics. 

He plays a key role in ensuring data reliability by maintaining equipment performance in demanding alpine conditions and supporting safe, efficient field operations. 

Brenden joined the Alpine Water Resources team in 2025 after founding Backdrop, an analytics engineering and data visualization consulting firm. After completing a Master of Science in Business Analytics, Brenden transitioned out of teaching and student services and into building and maintaining data products. He specializes in building data pipelines, transforming data, performing analysis, and designing data visualizations.

At Alpine Water Resources, Brenden is responsible for managing environmental data systems, analysis workflows, and visualization tools that support hydrologic monitoring and reporting. He brings more than a decade of experience in analytics engineering and data infrastructure. 

Brenden works closely with AWR scientists and field staff to transform complex datasets into clear, actionable insights for clients, supporting sound decision-making and regulatory compliance.