Taylor S. Cagle Email & Phone Number

Washington, United States

Natural Systems Design (NSD) is a team of scientists, engineers, and planners who are also farmers, fishermen and impassioned river people who have organized our lives to have a positive influence upon our world. Through landscape scale restoration of ecosystems and physical processes, we strive to promote quality of life for local communities and restore balance to natural systems.

Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States

The Coastal & Hydraulics Lab of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research & Development Center has a mission is to deliver solutions to our Nation’s most challenging coastal and hydraulics problems through research, development, and application of cutting-edge science, engineering, and technology.

As a full-time graduate research assistant, I helped operate the 10,000 sq ft physical model of the lower 195 miles of the Mississippi River housed at the Center for River Studies on LSU's Water Campus. My research involved data analysis and report writing on the hydraulics, bedload (sand) transport, dredging, and freshwater and sediment diversions on the Lower Mississippi River Physical Model.My thesis research involved using the physical model and a HEC-RAS model to quantify discharges on the lower Mississippi River. This research is intended to improve our understanding of how the lower Mississippi River's hydraulics and bedload transport will potentially be impacted by future sea level rise and the operation of structures such as sediment diversions.

Civil And Environmental Engineering Department

Within the Construction Materials Research Center: -My research involved implementing steel slag for unpaved roads for a more environmentally friendly alternative to more traditional pavements. -During this time I also helped develop and produce two educational video series "Construction Matters 2" and "Construction Fast Facts." Construction Matters 2 focused on the importance of construction to sustainability, networks, quality of life, and the military. Construction Fast Facts emphasized the importance of things like erosion control, protection of aquatic life while implementing dams, and the benefits of reusing concrete.

Civil And Environmental Engineering Department

Within the Watersheds and Water Quality Research Lab: -The objective of my research was to help restore the structure and function of Catalpa Creek in Mississippi. -My field work included measuring water quality and physical parameters such as dissolved oxygen, conductivity, velocity, and discharge at several different stations along the creek on a weekly basis. Water and macroinvertebrate samples were also collected. -My lab work included analyzing total suspended solids and benthic macroinvertebrates. From these results, a pollution tolerance index was created for the area to aid understanding of Catalpa Creek's water quality in terms of the presence/abundance of macroinvertebrates.

Biological Engineering Department

My research in the Biological Engineering Department involved hydrodynamic modeling in the Gulf of Mexico and studying coastal erosion on Deer Island. I was part of a team that utilized fluorescent and magnetic sediment tracers to map the flow of currents and sand transport on the island. This research was part of a study to better understand the erosion that is occurring on Deer Island in order to make more informed decisions on future beach nourishment.

Master Of Science - Ms, Coastal And Ecological Engineering

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Civil Engineering