Water Resources

WATER RESOURCES

Senior hydrogeologist responsible for the Denver Water Lawn Irrigation Return Flow Project.  Project included accretion analysis to tributaries to the South Platte River. Activities included report preparation, analysis of appropriate boundary conditions, evaluation of recharge to underlying bedrock aquifers, aquifer data analysis, aquifer spatial property distributions, numerical modeling, and coordination and management of GIS coverage development. Coverages including the bedrock surface, water table, saturated thickness and transmissivity maps for the service area were developed and used for calculation of unit response functions. Also responsible for the surface water analysis to determine outdoor water use and return flow across 25 subbasins of the service area using the Cottonwood Curve and modified Blaney-Criddle methods.

Constructed a numerical flow model for an area within Box Elder Creek, Colorado to evaluate wellfield development potential using PEST.  

Evaluated nontributary Petitions for development of the Upper Pierre aquifer (Pawnee aquifer) by various entities on behalf of Denver Water, and prepared technical reports for anticipated expert witness testimony.

Participated as expert witness in Water Court proceedings on behalf of Denver Water acting as Objector to Noble Energy’s application to develop nontributary water rights in the Upper Pierre aquifer.  A successful outcome by Objectors was awarded in December 2015 resulting in protection of senior water rights in the South Platte tributary system.  As part of the successful outcome, I performed technical review of Applicant’s ground water modeling and hydrogeologic characterization both of which were inadequate to support acquisition of the water right.

Evaluated injury and mitigation measures to other water rights associated with development of a gravel pit along Fountain Creek, Colorado.

Principal hydrogeologist for injury analysis of water supply wells from proposed gravel quarry development near Colorado Springs.

Numerical modeling of Denver Basin aquifer multi-completion wells for pumping and ASR analyses.

Evaluated ditch water rights tributary to North Fork of South Platte for transfer and exchange potential.

Hydrogeologist/ground water modeler responsible for aquifer characterization, and construction and calibration (with PEST) of a numerical model of the Hay Gulch alluvial aquifer. The model was used for prediction of aquifer response from additional development and injury analysis to existing water rights, and ASR scenarios.

Senior ground water modeler for updating of the Colorado Senate Bill 74 model with current data, and added greater resolution for use as a water-resources planning tool for Colorado Springs Utilities. The model was used for prediction of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) effects under varying demand alternatives. Also prepared the Environmental Impact Statement report [portion related to numerical modeling of DBA development] for Co Spgs Southern Delivery System, and associated modeling.

Senior hydrogeologist for evaluation of the modeling completed by opposing experts relating to ground water and surface water interactions and water rights impacts due to pumping in the Camp Verde area, Arizona. Supported entity opposing injunction initiated by Salt River Project (SRP). Prepared reports, exhibits and deposition related materials for submittal to the Water Court.

Senior hydrogeologist for the characterization of the shallow aquifer system associated with the New Cache La Poudre in support of the Augmentation Plan. On this project also participated in water rights application process for irrigators along the New Cache La Poudre and South Platte River. Specifically evaluated potential accretion rates from recharge ponds and canal to offset stream depletions from ground water pumping. Developed stream depletion factor maps, and mapped the transmissivity and bedrock surface across the NCLP area.

Performed numerical modeling for injury analysis related to a well relocation application to El Paso County District Court.

Performed the ground water modeling of San Luis Valley in support of the Rio Grande Decision Support System for the Colorado State Engineer’s Office. Data evaluation, model construction, parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis activities were performed to provide the SEO with a water-resource operations model.

Responsible for evaluation of the impact to upper water table aquifer when pumping from lower confined aquifers in the San Luis Valley in support of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument water rights case. Employed analytic solutions to determine timing of observable effects to water table aquifer.

Principal investigator/senior hydrogeologist for evaluation of complex hydrogeology along the Rio Grande near Del Norte and Sevenmile Plaza for the Colorado SEO, and identified the existence and extent of faulting and its structural control on the stream-aquifer system.  Analyzed available well data, prepared cross-sections and report.

Reviewed existing, complex numerical model of the Sandia Uplift/Hagan Basin area in New Mexico. Developed accessory Fortran programs to analyze productive units represented in the HUF package.

Converted the regional ground water and surface water model of Mesilla Basin in New Mexico to provide greater vertical discretization and improve the model’s capability as a conjunctive use tool for the New Mexico State Engineer’s Office. Also evaluated the historic relationships between ground water pumping, irrigation drainflow, canal deliveries, reservoir releases and streamflow to understand basin hydraulics to aid in design of conjunctive use tool development.

Multi-aquifer well completion analyses using the MCW module with MODFLOW. Applied the analytical solutions of Sokol (steady flow) and Papadopulos (non-steady flow) for confirmation of MCW results.

Used multi-completion well analysis to evaluate historic water level decline and production at supply wells in the Arapahoe Aquifer (an interbedded sandstone/siltstone aquifer).

Constructed a flow model of the alluvial aquifer in the Lost Creek Basin northeast of Denver.   Performed flow modeling using inverse techniques (UCODE).  Assessed injury resulting from a transfer of water rights to a proposed wellfield in the south end of the basin. Evaluated the impact of variable pumping schedules, and variable levels of drought using the model. Performed contaminant transport modeling using MT3D to simulate 40 years of nitrate loading in the basin corresponding with agricultural/irrigation development and changes in land use. Calibration to within 1-2 mg/l provided validation of the underlying flow model.

Evaluated hydraulic characteristics of a fractured and faulted flow regime in the Sierra Nevada mtns in  California to assess the impact to a spring water supply from tunneling activities by the LA Metro Water Supply District.  Participated in flow model construction and calibration. Performed fault/fracture delineation using photo imagery and geomorphology.  Predictions using the flow model were made under variable tunnel-grouting scenarios.

Prepared Fortran programs for wellfield analysis, pre- and post-processing of MODFLOW and UCODE model results.

Performed inverse flow modeling (using UCODE) for the shallow and deep aquifer system underlying the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in San Luis Valley, Colorado to determine the impact of proposed ground water pumping on ephemeral creek flows.

Provided technical expertise for the objector legal team regarding the South Park Conjunctive Use Project in the Colorado Mountains. Responsibilities involved evaluation of the hydrogeology and ground water flow model, review of the applicant’s operational plan, and assessment of impacts to ground water and surface water rights in the project area.

Participated in the (Colorado) South Metropolitan Water Supply Study including the evaluation of different alternatives of conjunctive use of ground water pumping and surface water supply for the South Metro area growth plan. Evaluation included assessment of well-interference effects at individual entity supply areas, and impacts between neighboring entities.

Performed stream depletion and accretion analyses for a site in Park County (CO) using a numerical model in support of a water rights application. Various aquifer recharge scenarios were evaluated to optimize timing of return flows to the river.

Participated in water rights evaluation at various sites in the Front Range by assessing Denver Basin Aquifer characteristics beneath properties.

Performed pumping test analyses to evaluate long-term interference impacts from neighboring water districts ground water pumping operations in the alluvial aquifer.

Participated in tracer studies for wastewater disposal, and pumping tests for development of water resources at ski areas in Vermont.