Branch Highlights

Central Coast Branch

By Bradley J. Herrema , Hatch & Parent

The Central Coast Branch met September 7 th to hear Kay Mercer, Coordinator of the Santa Barbara and Southern San Luis Obispo Counties Agricultural Watershed Coalition, speak on "How to Make a Cooperative Monitoring Program for Agricultural Runoff Really Work."  Ms. Mercer discussed agricultural grower requirements under the Conditional Agricultural Waiver and the associated Cooperative Monitoring Program.  Ms. Mercer also discussed the challenges for agriculture in compliance with future water quality requirements.

After the speaker meeting, new Branch Officers for 2006 were chosen. Brad Herrema, Hatch & Parent, is our new President, and Bill O'Brien, Kennedy Jenks, Vice-President.  Selected as Treasurer was Sam Schaefer of SAIC, and Randy Dean, of CH2M Hill, was elected Secretary.

On November 2 nd Bob Will, of Schlumberger Water Services, gave a talk on the application of advanced oilfield technologies for aquifer characterization and groundwater resource management.  Mr. Will described his experience utilizing oilfield technologies to characterize an aquifer, and his current projects applying this technology in aquifer storage and recovery and water quality modeling projects.

The Central Coast Branch will hold its next meeting in the first week of February 2006.