Most of my code this summer starts with a river. Or snow. Or both.
Hi! I’m Eiman Jawwad, a rising junior at Stanford University, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Environmental Engineering originally from Lahore, Pakistan. This summer, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to intern at the Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) in Ashton, Idaho — a place where cold, clear rivers meet powerful conservation work.
I’m working with the Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) as a Science & Technology Intern under the mentorship of Dr. Rob Van Kirk, HFF’s Senior Scientist. Working on a range of data-driven projects building and refining data systems that help monitor and model water flow, snowpack, and climate conditions across the Henry’s Fork and Upper Snake River Basin.
But it’s not just about the code (although there’s a lot of that). It’s about understanding the landscape, the science, and the people behind it.
In my first few weeks, I’ve been focused on improving the way the organization manages real-time and historical hydrologic and climate data. So far, I’ve expanded our daily data pipeline to include stream gages and reservoirs not just from the Henry’s Fork, but also from the South Fork of the Snake River and the Snake River headwaters. This expansion helps provide a more comprehensive view of regional water movement.
Lately, I’ve been working on integrating long-term climate datasets—some dating back to the 1980s—to support model calibration, hydrologic trend analysis, and long-term water availability assessments. It’s been rewarding to write code that doesn’t just run correctly, but that directly supports better decision-making in a complex and changing watershed.
While my work is grounded in code, some of the most unforgettable moments this summer have happened far from a screen. From casting a line into the Teton River on my very first fly-fishing trip to floating the crystal-clear waters of Big Springs, I’ve gotten to experience the ecosystems I’m working to understand through data. A field day at Harriman State Park gave me the chance to explore the zones I usually only see on a map.
Floating the Big Springs
These field moments have helped me understand the stakes of my work. It’s one thing to clean a time series on snowmelt—it’s another to stand where that snow used to be.
Living in the HFF intern suite with other interns has also added a sense of community to the summer — from late-night gaming & movie nights to trips into Yellowstone, it’s been a mix of learning, laughing, and exploring that I’ll never forget.
Hot Spring at Yellowstone National Park
This isn’t the kind of summer where you’re sitting in an office all day writing tests. It’s a place where the work you do with code shows up in conversations about climate, conservation, and community. I came in wanting to understand how software could support environmental work—and I’m sure I will be leaving with a much deeper appreciation for what that actually looks like on the ground (and in the water).
It’s been a first-of-its-kind summer for me, and I know it won’t be the last time I try to bring systems and sustainability together. Grateful to be learning from the team at HFF—and from the rivers themselves.
The photo above captures the unprecedented situation we face at the beginning of April. The photo, of the confluence of Warm River and the Henry’s Fork, was taken on February 7 and shows the shocking lack of snow we experienced in the watershed all winter as a result of record-breaking warm temperatures. How will the warm winter and lack of snow affect water supply, water quantity, and fisheries? The highlights are below. If you want
Every year since 2017, the Henry’s Fork Foundation Science and Technology Team has produced an annual technical report that documents all of our data collection and analysis activities for the year. Water and irrigation year 2025 was a very active year for the team, given one of the hottest and driest summers on record, our 11th year of aquatic invertebrate sampling, and the 20th year of monitoring the rainbow trout spawning run in the Buffalo
Are aquatic insects actually declining? Not in the way many anglers might think. After 11 years of data collected across six sites on the Henry’s Fork, we’re seeing that overall invertebrate communities remain abundant, diverse, and comparable—or better—than other top western trout streams. In fact, key indicators show improving water quality and habitat conditions over time. So why do hatches sometimes feel worse—especially at Last Chance? The short answer: it’s not just about insect
Hello! My name is Otto Lang, and I am a postdoctoral researcher with Boise State University and the Henry’s Fork Foundation. I’m working alongside Rob Van Kirk at the HFF, Lejo Flores, Professor in Geosciences at Boise State University, and Sarah Newcomb at Trout Unlimited. Together, we are in the midst of a two-year WaterSMART project funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to improve predictions of snow water supply across the Upper Snake River
