Women in STEM: Meet the Hydro Project Engineer building habitat for future generations of salmon
Standing on a log jam in the McKenzie River, Val Chang watches as 100-foot-tall cedar trees begin to flutter, then shake, then thrash. The drone of the helicopter heightens to a roar. Her colleagues upstream look up to watch a bundle of treetops delicately slide into the water.
The pilot releases the cable, planting a brushy logjam into the river – new fish habitat in the stretch of river below Tamolitch Falls/Blue Pool.
The treetop bundles give baby fish places to hide and find food. The helicopter also places 6,000 tons of rock to provide right-sized spawning gravels for Chinook salmon and bull trout.
The sticks and stones effort is one of a dozen EWEB projects to renew its license to operate the Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project.
“There really is quite an artistic touch to this,” Chang says. “Our biologists and design engineers have a heavy hand in shaping the artistry that is habitat restoration.”
Chang found herself at the uppermost reaches of the McKenzie through her job as an EWEB Hydro Project Engineer, but her journey to get here was full of surprises, guided by key mentors, and developed over different geographies.
Chang was born in Los Angeles, where the L.A. River, encased in concrete, was her only point of reference for waterways. She enjoyed math and science in high school.
When she decided to pursue a career in engineering, Chang became the first in her extended family to go to college.
“I just chose something that seemed interesting to me,” she said, crediting her college job experiences with propelling her career pathway. “I realized that my training as a civil engineer can lead me to a variety of positions, and I really like the problem-solving aspects.”
Growing up in urban L.A., Chang didn’t have the opportunity to connect with wild rivers.
“I wasn’t an outdoors kid,” she said, recalling that she didn’t go camping until college.
But on family trips to Taiwan, where Chang’s parents came from, Chang experienced water in different forms. There, fast-flowing rivers surge through the high mountain ranges that run North-South across the island. Trips to these waters inspired her to learn more about rivers and how they impact different communities.
Following educational and career pursuits, Chang moved on to live in and explore rivers in Northern California, Mount Rainier, and now Oregon. “Out here, I’ve just found rivers to be cool places to work. I quite like being outside now. And I'm really pleased to be able to have a career that allows me exposure to that.”
Being the first in her family to pursue higher education and finding herself in jobs that she “didn’t really know existed,” Chang says her mentors were vital to her success.
“You know, I certainly didn't see myself specifically here,” she said. “I'm here today in large part due to the mentorship that I've received in my career and in my personal life too. It definitely takes a village.”
Now, she’s eager to pay it forward by mentoring others who are exploring STEM careers. “I’d tell other women in STEM – find a team, find mentors, and seek people who are doing things that interest you. That support really makes a difference.”
For Chang, working at a public utility like EWEB adds another layer of meaning. Habitat restoration doesn’t just support ecosystems – it also connects directly to people, recreation, and community well-being. From trail closures and public outreach to collaborating with the Forest Service, her projects involve much more than engineering.
“I feel proud to represent EWEB and the work we do,” Chang says. “It’s not just about infrastructure – it’s about improving the community we’re part of.”
