2019 WGC Draft Agenda
Draft Agenda, subject to change.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
7:00-3:00PM Registration & Conference Check-in
Grand Ballroom Foyer (upper level)
Stop by “Ground Control” at any time for staff assistance, directions and program materials
8:00-9:35AM Welcome by Christy Kennedy, GRA Director and Western Groundwater Congress Chair and Opening Keynote Address by Melissa Marshall, Present Your Science
Grand Ballroom (upper level)
Talk Nerdy to Me: Strategies for Successful Science Communication
Melissa Marshall, Present Your Science
Have you ever tried to talk about a new technical project, only to be met with blank stares from your audience? Are you tired of the lifeless, text heavy, bulleted slides that make up most presentations? Did you ever have a slam dunk winner of a technical proposal go in front of a public audience only to be rejected because they didn't "get it"? Join our keynote speaker at the Western Groundwater Congress, scientific presentations expert Melissa Marshall, to learn some practical strategies to immediately transform your technical presentations! Go from blank stares to buy in with your next talk.
9:35-9:55AM Break in the Exhibit Hall
Capitol Ballroom C&D (lower level)
10:00-11:55AM Concurrent Sessions
Track 1: Water Resources
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
The Rest of the Wild West: Statewide Perspectives on Groundwater Management
California has joined other western states in regulating groundwater resources; neighboring states have experimented with different forms of groundwater management over the past few decades. This session will focus on regional issues and the approaches agencies and stakeholders have taken to groundwater management in other western states, as well as what lessons can be gleaned for California as we progress into the SGMA era.
Moderator: Lisa Porta, Montgomery & Associates
- Rachel O'Connor, Environmental Defense Fund
A Comparison of Groundwater Occurrence and Management in the Colorado River Basin - Mark Cross, Montgomery & Associates
Managed Aquifer Recharge in Arizona - Experiences and Lessons Learned - Larry French, Texas Water Development Board
Texas Groundwater Management: Local Issues Meet Statewide Policies - Neil Blandford, Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc.
New Mexico Groundwater: Recent Trends and Challenges
Track 2: SGMA
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
All Things Data!
GSP development and implementation are heavily driven by data. This session will discuss some of the more difficult aspects of data collection and analysis, including evaluation of progress relative to sustainability criteria and integrating monitoring and management activities.
Moderator: Joe Hopkins, Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group
- Rob Gailey, R. M. Gailey Consulting Hydrogeologist PC
Well Impact Calculations for Sustainable Management Criteria under SGMA - Emily Tozzi, Formation Environmental
Integrated Monitoring and Management of Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems - Tom R. Lauknes, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre
The Use of Ground Motion Data from InSAR to Explore and Manage the Groundwater Systems in California's Central Valley
Track 3: Contaminants
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Site Assessment & Remediation
Environmental site assessment and remediation is becoming more streamlined and efficient each year. New technologies for imaging the subsurface result in more effective and targeted remediation programs. New focus on better geologic conceptual models of the subsurface are leading to better groundwater models for both site cleanup and resource management.
Moderator: Murray Einarson, Haley & Aldrich
- Kathryn Dominic, California State Water Resources Control Board
Site Cleanup Subaccount Program – Improving Groundwater Through Grants - Rick Cramer, Burns & McDonnell
Advanced Geologic Analysis of Groundwater Basins in Pleasanton, CA - Brad Cross, ERM
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Geophysical Logging for High Resolution Site Characterization - Martin Hamann, RPS Group
The State Water Resources Control Board’s Site Cleanup Subaccount Program (SCAP): A Consultant’s Perspective
Track 4: Special Topics
Terrace Room (upper level)
One Water & Non-traditional Water Supplies
There is a growing movement to break down the traditional water silos, such as flood control, wastewater treatment, water supply, and create a more integrated, holistic approach to water resources, sometimes called “One Water”. In this session, we will hear from agencies that have broken down some of these silos and have integrated non-traditional water supplies, such as recycled water, brackish water and seawater into their supply portfolios. These agencies are leading the way in viewing water as one resource and turning non-traditional sources of supplies into staples of future supply portfolios.
Moderator: Adam Hutchinson, Orange County Water District
- Manisha Kothari, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
OneWaterSF - A New Way of Thinking - Sandy Scott-Roberts, Orange County Water District
OCWD's Largest Groundwater Replenishment Source - GWRS Final Expansion Project - Lyndsey Bloxom, The Water Replenishment District of Southern California
WRD's Regional Approach to Brackish Water Reclamation in The West Coast Groundwater Basin - Jeremy Crutchfield, San Diego County Water Authority
San Diego's Diversified Water Supply Portfolio: Seawater Desalination
12:00-1:30PM Networking Lunch
Grand Ballroom (upper level)
Students! Did you sign up to join our Student/Professional Networking opportunity? It’s not too late! See registration staff to add your name to the list!
Here's a great opportunity for students and professionals to network over lunch. Sit down at a table of other students and young professionals while teams of industry professionals stop by each table to meet and greet and provide their unique insights into the industry and what it takes to break into and advance as a groundwater professional!
1:40-3:35PM Concurrent Sessions
Track 1: Water Resources
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
Reining in the Horses: Local Approaches and Case Studies
A continuation of the western water theme, this session will provide local perspectives on groundwater management from neighboring western states. The focus will be on what California water managers and stakeholders can learn from challenges and solutions implemented in other western states. Speakers in this session will share valuable insights on what is and is not working in terms of projects and local solutions to groundwater management challenges.
Moderator: Abhishek Singh, INTERA, Inc.
- Margaret A Snyder, Tucson Water
Caring for Your Recharge Project Long Term: These Happy Golden Years - Scott Reinert, El Paso Water
Overview of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant - Shaden Musleh, INTERA, Inc.
An Overview of Groundwater Administration in an Over-appropriated Basin in Colorado: South Platte River Basin - Meghna Babbar-Sebens, Oregon State University
InterACTWEL: A New Decision Support Tool for Adaptation Planning in the Food, Energy and Water Sectors
Track 2: SGMA
SGMA Legal Issues
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
This session will include presentations regarding pressing legal issues related to the implementation of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”), including an update from the California Department of Water Resources regarding its review of GSPs and GSP alternatives, the fee authority of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, mechanisms for allocating groundwater production, and addressing groundwater dependent ecosystems
Moderator: Jessica Diaz, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
- Craig Altare, California Department of Water Resources, Sustainable Groundwater Management Program
Update Regarding DWR Review of GSPs and GSP Alternatives - Mack Carlson,Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Fee Authority of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies - Eric Averett,Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District
Mechanisms for Groundwater Production Allocation - Sierra Ryan,County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency
Addressing Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems
Track 3: Contaminants
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Emerging Contaminants
The Emerging Contaminants sessions feature presentations from state regulators and consultants and scientists investigating and responding to the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment, in particular per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Scientists from DTSC and Water Board will present on California state actions related to PFAS and new approaches to investigating emerging contaminant chemical signatures will be discussed.
Moderator: Erika Houtz, Arcadis
- Dan Bryant, Woodard & Curran
Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): ITRC's PFAS Team Progress and Latest Information - Shahla Farahnak and Scott Coffin, California State Water Resources Control Board
California Water Board's Actions on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - Karla Buechler, Eurofins Environment Testing TestAmerica
Closing the PFAS Mass Balance in Sediments and Tissues: The TOP Assay - Kimberly Gettmann, CalEPA Department of Toxic Substances Control
PFAS: Regulatory Overview & What California is Doing - Randall Holmes, Environmental Defense Fund
Protecting Groundwater Quality from Geogenic and Emerging Contaminants
Track 4: Special Topics
Terrace Room (upper level)
Tools & Technologies
Technological advances have allowed water resource management projects to be performed with the ability to quickly gather and analyze large datasets. This session will discuss the technological tools that are currently being used to efficiently perform basin-wide projects. These technologies include the use of aerial electrical magnetic geophysical systems to improve development of hydrogeological conceptual models; open-source Python programming tools used to manage, analyze and visualize large datasets; and the use of interferometric synthetic aperture radar to infer three-dimensional reservoir volume changes within the Tulare Basin.
Moderator: Ryan Alward, Ramboll
- Rosemary Knight, Stanford University
Update from the GAP (Groundwater Architecture Project): Advancing the Use of Airborne Electromagnetic Data for Groundwater Management - Noah Dewar, Stanford University
Estimating the Depth to the Saturated Zone from Airborne Electromagnetic Data - Don Vasco, Berkeley National Laboratory
Satellite-Based Monitoring of Groundwater Depletion in California's Central Valley - Michael J. Murphy, Terraphase Engineering, Inc.
Open-Source Python Tools for Environmental Data Processing, Analysis, and Visualization
3:35-4:00PM Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:00-5:00PM Concurrent Sessions
Track 1: Water Resources
2019 David Keith Todd Lecturers
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
Hear from GRA’s 2019 David Keith Todd distinguished lecturers – Maurice Hall and David Sandino! Dr. Hall’s distinguished career with water resources management focuses on environmental habitat, lending invaluable perspective to sustainable groundwater management practices. Attorney Sandino, who is former Chief Counsel of the California Department of Water Resources, provides unique insight from a state regulatory perspective for successful implementation of California’s landmark legislation and relates rules under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). For any Western Groundwater Congress attendees who previously heard either speaker earlier this year at a GRA Branch or university lecture, please attend – both speakers have a different “story” to tell that you will not want to miss.
Moderator: Jenny Pensky, University of California, Santa Cruz
- David Sandino, Esq., California Department of Water Resources
- Maurice Hall, Ph.D., Ecosystems-Water, Environmental Defense Fund
Track 2: SGMA
GSP Part Deux – Implementation, a Panel Discussion
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
With the submittal of the 2020 GSPs this January, the challenges of GSP implementation are up next. This panel discussion will focus on anticipated issues relating to GSP implementation, including ongoing coordination between basins, financing GSP implementation, improvements to technical analyses and balancing groundwater sustainability with economic impacts
Moderator: Leslie Dumas, Woodard & Curran
- Emmett Campbell, Mojave Water Agency
- Andrew Garcia, Central Delta-Mendota Region Multi-Agency GSA
- Jarrett Martin, Central California Irrigation District
- Andy Rodgers, Santa Rosa Plain GSA
- Briana Seapy, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Kathleen Stone, Jacobs Engineering
Track 3: Contaminants
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Emerging Contaminants
The Emerging Contaminants sessions feature presentations from state regulators, consultants, and scientists investigating and responding to the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment, in particular per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Scientists from DTSC and Water Board will present on California state actions related to PFAS and new approaches to investigating emerging contaminant chemical signatures will be discussed.
Moderator: Erika Houtz, Arcadis
- Erika Houtz, Arcadis
Forensic Tools for Assessing PFAS Sources - Peter Zawislanski, Terraphase Engineering Inc.
New Screening Levels for Petroleum Metabolites in Groundwater: Implications for Fuel Release Sites
5:00-8:00PM President’s Reception
Grand Ballroom (upper level)
Houston, we have ENTERTAINMENT! Got the right stuff? Try your luck at Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette. Use your WGC bucks to play games or trade them in for additional raffle tickets!
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
7:00-3:00PM Registration
Grand Ballroom Foyer (upper level)
Stop by “Ground Control” at any time for staff assistance, directions and program materials
6:30-7:30AM Darcy Dash 5k
Dust off your running shoes and join us for the Darcy Dash 5k! Runners/walkers please meet in the hotel lobby by 6:30AM
8:30-9:55AM General Session
GRA Awards Breakfast, Emeritus Director Induction & Legislative Update
Grand Ballroom (upper level)
The Emeritus Director designation is conferred upon former Directors who have performed substantial, consistent and recognizable service to GRA during their terms. GRA will be honoring five former Directors and their contributions during this session.
GRA Director Brad Herrema, a water rights attorney, will provide an update regarding groundwater related legislation pending during the present legislative session. Brad will describe GRA’s legislative advocacy efforts during the present legislative session and highlight and summarize legislation affecting groundwater rights and quality.
9:55-10:25 Break in Exhibit Hall
10:30-12:25PM Concurrent Sessions
Track 1: Water Resources
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
Hot Topics in Groundwater Law
This session will include presentations regarding hot topics in California groundwater law, including a case study regarding the Pajaro Valley groundwater recharge pilot project, PFAs, PFOs and other current groundwater quality concerns, legal issues in adjudicated groundwater basins, and the ongoing dialogue regarding whether the State should consider groundwater recharge to be a beneficial use of water.
Moderator: Brad Herrema, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
- Michael Kiparsky,Wheeler Water Institute, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment
Pajaro Valley Groundwater Recharge Pilot Project Case Study - Ken Sansone,SL Environmental Law Group
PFAs, PFOs and Other Groundwater Quality Concerns - DerekHoffman, Gresham Savage
Legal Issues in Adjudicated Groundwater Basins - Ryan Bezerra, Bartkiewicz, Kronick & Shanahan
Recharge of Groundwater as a Beneficial Use
Track 2: SGMA
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
Groundwater-Surface Water Interconnection: Quantifying Stream Depletion
This session will address the quantification of stream depletion caused by groundwater pumping in interconnected groundwater-surface water systems. Presentations will discuss the use of and limitation of models and other methods in addressing this sustainability criteria.
Linda Bond, California Department of Water Resources
- Gilbert Barth, Ph.D., S. S. Papadopulos and Associates, Inc.
Understanding and Conveying Groundwater's Role in a Changing World - Douglas Tolley, University of California Davis
Integrated Hydrologic Model Evaluation for Non-Modelers - Kip K. Allander, US Geological Survey; Nevada Water Science Center
Limitations of the Basin Yield Approach to Groundwater Resource Management. - Jeffrey Sanchez, California State Water Resources Control Board
Evaluating Stream Depletions in Small Watersheds and Headwaters of California - stream Depletion Risk Assessment Framework & Tools
Track 3: Contaminants
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Data Management and Visualization
With the proliferation of sensors and processors that image the environment from depths thousands of feet below -- to miles above -- the ground surface, management and visualization of environmental data is becoming a fundamental component of water resources and environmental assessment and remediation projects. New technologies and approaches are providing unprecedented understanding and visualization of the subsurface environment.
Moderator: Mike Milczarek, GeoSystems Analysis, Inc.
- Michael J. Messina, Terraphase Engineering
Data Management Technology for Lead in School Drinking Water - Sanford (Sandy) Britt, QED Environmental Systems, Inc.
An Equipment Manufacturer's Perspective on Regulatory Guidance and Ambiguity - Bryant Jurgens, US Geological Survey
Identifying Areas of Degrading and Improving Groundwater-Quality Conditions in the State of California, 1974-2014 - Darush Mobini, Haley & Aldrich
Free your Data with Power BI – Make Your Data Available for Analysis on Demand
Track 4: Special Topics
Terrace Room (upper level)
Big Data - Instrumentation Tech and Water
This session will focus on how big data and technology can be used to build trust, level the playing field, and enable more efficient and sustainable water management decision-making at larger scales than previously possible.
Moderator: Robyn Grimm, Environmental Defense Fund
- Hiroko Mori, GSI Environmental Inc
Application of Network Analysis for Ecohydrology - Heather Dodson, Texas Water Development Board
Groundwater Data Collection and Dissemination in Texas - Justin Huntington, Desert Research Institute
OpenET: Filling the Biggest Gap in Water Data for the Western U.S. - Jim Schneider, Olsson
Leveraging Technology to Turn Groundwater Managers into Groundwater Modelers
12:30-2:30 PM Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon
Grand Ballroom (upper level)
GRA's Awards Program is to recognize noteworthy projects and unique individual contributions related to the education, protection, and management of groundwater in California.
2:30-4:00 PM Concurrent Workshops
Watering the Weed
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
Cannabis production has increased dramatically since the passage of Prop 64 in 2016, and California’s permitted cannabis operations are on track to produce up to nine million tons of crop this year. From cannabis fields in Humboldt to state-of-the-art indoor facilities in the heart of the desert, cannabis operations are popping up like a weed, bringing with them demand for land, energy, and—you guessed it—water.
Workshop Moderators:
- Kiernan Brtalik, Rincon Consultants
- John Sisser, Rincon Consultants
- Brooke Wangsgard, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
- Daniel Schultz, State Water Resources Control Board
Extreme Makeover: Groundwater Presentations Edition
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
Do you have an exciting (or not so exciting) story to tell? Do you use the same presentation slides time and time again? We all know the water industry is acronym and data-heavy, but your presentations can still be accessible and memorable to everyone! This workshop will focus on easy and implementable tips and tricks to help you better understand your audience, maximize your communication assets, adapt your presentation, and revitalize your slides and delivery.
Through interactive and hands-on activities, you will learn how to revamp your public speaking and communications skills and make your technical presentations digestible and relevant to any audience. Our expert workshop instructors will bring applied communications experience that is specific to the water industry and tried and tested by groundwater professionals at public agencies and private firms.
Workshop Instructors:
- Samantha Salvia, Woodard & Curran
- Lyndsey Bloxom, WRD Water Resources Senior Analyst
- Jenn Swart, WRD Communications & Education Services Rep.
2:30-5:00 PM Workshop
Sampling and Analysis for PFAs Compounds
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Expert instructors in this workshop will provide much needed clarity and direction on your PFAS sampling and analytical programs. They will share the latest PFAS sampling guidance documents -- including the SWRCB's new California PFAS Sampling Guide -- and discuss the current "best practices" for sampling and analyzing environmental media for PFAS. Several case studies will be shared, illustrating practical methods to identify "false positives" and other biases in PFAS data sets, which is critical to forensic analysis of PFAS sources and attenuation evaluations.
Workshop Instructors:
- Jason Brown, Confluence Environmental
- Karla Buechler, Eurofins Environment Testing TestAmerica
- Erika Houtz, PhD, Arcadis
- David Kaminski, QED Environmental Systems
- Francis Thie, Blaine Tech Services
4:00-6:00 PM Workshop Companions
Water in the Beer Making Process (and Beer Tasting!)
Capitol Ballroom Patio - Outside, through the Exhibit Hall!
To all beer lovers: Come meet local Sacramento Region brewers and taste their finely crafted and unique beers; you will learn about Sacramento’s own micro brewing business and have the opportunity to ask questions about beer brewing on the moon! Grab a beer and wander through the exhibit hall, check out the poster session and network with regional branch leadership!
WGC Poster Session in the Exhibit Hall
Capitol Ballroom C/D (lower level)
Here’s a hypothesis: You can learn as much from a 5-minute conversation with a colleague in front of a well-designed poster as you can at a full-length presentation. Help test this by visiting the poster exhibit, which is full of exciting research, innovative projects, and passionate groundwater professionals with big ideas!
5:00-7:00 PM Meet Your Branch Reception
Capitol Ballroom Patio - Outside, through the Exhibit Hall!
Make sure you’re wearing your “Mission Patch” and stroll through the reception to meet branch leaders and other branch members!
Thursday, September 19, 2019
7:00AM-12:00PM Registration
Grand Ballroom Foyer (upper level)
Stop by “Ground Control” at any time for staff assistance, directions and program materials
8:00-9:55AM Concurrent Sessions
Track 1: Water Resources
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
Accessing the Resource: Regulation, Technology and Design of Wells
Groundwater is only a water resource if you can get it out of the ground, and the ground available for well installation is ever decreasing. Wells today are designed to last longer than a professional’s career and are a significant long-term investment for the owner. This session begins with an update to the California standards regarding wells, then walks through some innovations in the siting, design, and long-term management of the well asset.
Moderator: Bill DeBoer, Jacobs Engineering
- Julie Haas, California Department of Water Resources
Improving Groundwater Protection in California through Updated Well Standards - Logan Wicks, GEOSCIENCE Support Services, Inc.
Planning Future Well Projects to Meet Water Needs Using Groundwater Models: A Case Study How Groundwater Modeling Helped Locate and Design Injection Wells for an Indirect Potable Reuse Water Supply Project - Geno Mammini, Clear Creek Associates
Nitrate Reduction Through Well Design in Queen Creek, Arizona - Gavin Devries, San Jose Water and Michael Bombard, GHD, Inc
Groundwater Well Asset Management Planning: San Jose Water's Plan for Efficient, Cost-Effective and Sustainable Use of Groundwater Assets to Meet Future Needs
Track 2: SGMA
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
SGMA Monitoring Networks & Metering
Data collection is going to be a big part of GSP implementation. Presenters in this session will talk about methods for tracking private groundwater extractions, optimizing data collection and using this information in water budgets.
Moderator: Rob Schuman, Kleinfelder
- Kyle Tracy, Woodard & Curran
Leveraging Existing Technology and Expertise to Track Private Well Groundwater Extraction - Rick Iger, Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group
Wetlands & Water Budgets - Farid Achour, GSI Environmental Inc.
Optimizing Sampling Frequency Using Transducers within Groundwater Monitoring Wells to Comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) - Joseph Fillingham, Wellntel
Stakeholder Well Monitoring Networks in Overdraft Basins to Facilitate Sustainable Management
Track 3: Contaminants
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Vapor Intrusion
CalEPA has been reassessing their approach for evaluating the vapor intrusion pathway (VI) throughout California, incorporating recommendations from the USEPA 2015 VI Guidance. Because of this, VI practitioners and PRPs in California have been facing recent challenges of guidance documents in flux and varying opinions by state regulators, which can make it challenging to make progress and to close out sites, especially where future buildings are planned. Please join this session which will provide updates on approaches to VI mitigation, as well as challenges and successes to date.
Moderator: Gina Plantz, Haley & Aldrich
- Cheryl Prowell, Regional Water Quality Control Board
San Francisco RWQCB’s VI Mitigation Fact Sheet - Tom Hatton, Clean Vapor, LLC and Richard Rago, Haley & Aldrich
Demonstrating Performance in Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Systems - Lisa J. Campe, Woodard & Curran
In Flux & A Case Study of a Vapor Intrusion Site that Transitioned from Active to Passive Sub Slab Depressurization Systems (SSDS)
Track 4: Special Topics
Terrace Room (upper level)
Groundwater in the Agricultural Space
While agriculture is a significant part of groundwater management, many aspects of agriculture’s role in this system are not well understood. This session includes speakers working to improve our understanding of key facets of the agricultural groundwater system.
Jack Rice, Western Resource Strategies, LLC
- Nick Osman, The Freshwater Trust
BasinScout: Groundwater Sustainability Decision Support Tool for Integrating Agricultural Management Practices and Costs under SGMA - Hanna Ouaknin, University of California, Davis
Irrigation and Nitrogen Management and Monitoring to Improve Almond Production While Minimizing Groundwater Nitrate - Francisco Flores-Lopez, California Department of Water Resources, Statewide Infrastructure Investigation Branch
Manage Aquifer Recharge Using Floodwaters on Agricultural Fields - Christopher Heppner, EKI Environment & Water, Inc.
Comparison of Methods to Estimate the Water Budget of Agricultural Lands
9:55-10:25 Break in the Exhibit Hall
10:30AM-12:25PM Concurrent Sessions
Track 1: Water Resources
Capitol Ballroom A (lower level)
Replenish or Perish – Surviving and Thriving in the Era of SGMA
The need for increased water storage in California was evident during our recent multi-year drought. Increasing recharge and exercising aquifer storage holds great promise in quenching our ever-increasing thirst, addressing the challenges of achieving sustainable groundwater management by 2040, mitigating for an uncertain climate future, and providing for water dependent ecosystems. This session highlights programs in Orange and Yolo Counties that have overcome these challenges, features innovative recharge tools being developed at Stanford and novel recharge strategies applied in Roseville.
Moderator: Chris Petersen, GEI Consultants
- Karissa Pepin, Stanford University – Department of Geophysics
Utilizing Geophysical Imaging to Assess Sites for Managed Aquifer Recharge - Ricardo Medina, Orange County Water District
Targeting Clogged Areas for Cleaning Through Better Data: Improving Groundwater Recharge Basin Management - Kristin Sicke, Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District - Utilizing Excess Winter Stormwater Flows for Groundwater Recharge
- Chris Petersen and Trevor Kent, GEI - Conjunctive use through Aquifer Storage and Recovery - Providing Local Water Supply Reliability and Maintaining Sustainable Management of Groundwater
Track 2: SGMA
Capitol Ballroom B (lower level)
SGMA Modeling - Focus on Climate Change
The Emergency GSP Regulations required the use of Climate Change Factors or an alternative methodology in development of the GSP Water Budgets in order to account for anticipated future climate change impacts on the State’s water supplies. This session will focus on the consideration of climate change in groundwater modeling and implications of those modeling results on planning efforts
Moderator: Can Dogrul, California Department of Water Resources
- Cameron Tana, Montgomery & Associates
Evaluating Climate Change Scenarios for Groundwater Sustainability Plans to Address Local Considerations - Dominick Amador, Woodard & Curran
Conducting Climate Change Evaluations for Groundwater Sustainability Plans Maximizing the Value of Available Information and Tools - Sercan Ceyhan, Hydrologic Research Laboratory, University of California, Davis
Projected 21st Century Trends in the Groundwater Stresses of a Northern California Aquifer Based on an Ensemble of Dynamically Downscaled Future Climate Projections and an Integrated Hydrological Modeling Framework - Nathan Van Schmidt, University of California, Santa Cruz
Modeling the Coupled Impacts of Climate and Land-Use Change on Groundwater Sustainability for Vulnerable Social and Ecological Coastal Communities
Track 3: Contaminants
Sacramento Room (lower level)
Contaminants & Environmental Cleanup and Real Estate
The California economy has been booming, resulting in unprecedented pressure to construct new office space, industrial buildings, and housing in highly competitive real estate markets. Affordable housing is needed near employment centers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California, and their development has unique challenges. Much of the new construction is occurring on environmentally impacted properties in urban industrial areas. Awareness of environmental issues during redevelopment and concerns about potential exposure to residual hazardous substances have never been higher, resulting in innovative and balanced approaches to ensure that occupants of the newly constructed properties and the nearby community are protected from exposure to environmental contaminants. State-wide and local environmental regulators recognize the need to assist in streamlining the process for redevelopment of former industrial properties for housing and continue to work with the redevelopment community to move these projects to completion while also fulfilling their mission of long-term protection of the public and environment.
In this session, institutional, engineering, legal, and regulatory professionals will discuss issues relevant to the development of affordable housing. Following the four talks, the speakers will participate in a panel to explore issues and solutions for affordable housing redevelopment.
Moderator: Timothy Wood, GSI Environmental Inc.
- John Van Vlear, Newmeyer & Dillion and Peter Garcia, DTSC
How the DTSC and Environmental Lawyers Marshal Technical Data and Site Realities to Clear the way for Affordable Housing Projects with Hazardous Substance Impacts.and Occupancy - Steven Armann, US EPA Region 9
Addressing PCB Contamination at Redevelopment Sites - Melissa Schuetz, Terraphase Engineering, Inc.
Transforming an Oil Field Waste Disposal Facility into Residences and Habitat - North Shore at Mandalay Bay - Annette Walton, Stanford University and Susan Gallardo, GSI Environmental Inc.
Development of Faculty Housing: The Environmental Challenges of Building Residences in the Stanford Research Park.
Track 4: Special Topics
Terrace Room (upper level)
SGMA Projects & Actions
In this session we will hear how local agencies are developing projects and management actions to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the SGMA. Speakers will cover their experience working on new and existing groundwater management actions in basins with diverse hydrologic and stakeholder conditions.
Moderator: Trevor Joseph, City of Roseville
- Rob Swartz, Regional Water Authority
Expanding Conjunctive Use through Establishment of the Sacramento Regional Water Bank - Sarah Heard, The Nature Conservancy
SGMA’s First Groundwater Market: A Case Study of Fox Canyon - John Lindquist, United Water Conservation District
Not Thrilled About Asking Your Customers for an Additional $500 Million to Maintain Their Existing Water Supply? An Example of the Benefits of Thoroughly Evaluating Future Water Demand under SGMA and Ranking Water-Supply Projects to Optimize Cost Efficiency - Brian Lockwood, Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
Water Resources Management in the Pajaro Valley
12:30-2:45PM Lunch & 2020 David Keith Todd Lecturers
Grand Ballroom (upper level)
The Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA) created the David Keith Todd Distinguished Lecture Series to honor Dr. David Keith Todd (GRA 1999 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient) for his enormous contributions to groundwater science and technology, and to foster interest and excellence in applied groundwater science and technology. Annually, the lectureship is awarded to qualified individuals who personify Dr. Todd's lifelong dedication to groundwater resources.
This session will be the first time a GRA audience hears from our 2020 lecturers – you don’t want to miss out!
Moderator: Wes Miliband, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
- Graham Fogg, Professor of Hydrogeology and Hydrogeologist, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources - UC Davis
- Tess Dunham, Shareholder, Somach Simmons & Dunn Attorneys at Law
2:45-3:00PM
Closing Remarks by Christy Kennedy, GRA Director and Western Groundwater Congress Chair