GRACast: Groundwater Modeling – Explained in Layman’s Terms
Presented by:
Lindsay A. Swain, PG, CHG
Senior Hydrogeologist
Dudek
INTRODUCTION:
Groundwater models help us visualize and assess groundwater issues and solutions, but their functionality can be difficult to convey in layman’s terms so that everyone can understand the value and possible limitations of groundwater models. This presentation will explain the differences between the model solving program and the groundwater-basin-data-set model. The presentation will also discuss the advantages of developing models to analyze future groundwater conditions and potential effects of proposed management plans and actions. The presentation will also include description of some common modeling terms, including steady state, transient, finite difference, and finite element. Finally, I will explain the value of using a model with limited data for prediction.
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Non-Members*
*Registration after June 21 is $100 for Members* and $125 for
Non-Members*
SPEAKER BIO:
Lindsay Swain, PG, CHG, is a senior hydrogeologist at Dudek, with 50 years’ technical and supervisory experience in hydrologic environments from desert to rainforest throughout the United States. In 2002, after 33 years with the U.S. Geological Survey, Mr. Swain retired as Chief of all USGS operations for the State of Indiana, and he has been consulting in groundwater studies throughout California since.
His areas of expertise include water resource management and supply, water supply assessments in desert basins, groundwater quality investigations and analysis, groundwater models/development and review, and aquifer storage and recharge. Much of Mr. Swain’s recent work has been in preparing water districts for implementation of California’s new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. To date he has been involved in the development of five Groundwater Sustainability Plans. Mr. Swain’s technical expertise includes developing one of the first groundwater solute-transport models in the nation for the Upper Coachella Valley. Mr. Swain also participated in the development of the groundwater model for California’s Central Valley, where he developed the program to include water from aquifer compaction and land subsidence into the model. He was also responsible for the first and, so far, only, analysis of the chemical quality of groundwater for all the Hawaiian Islands, and has evaluated the carbonate and crystalline aquifers in an 11-state area from New Jersey to Alabama. When stationed in USGS headquarters, Mr. Swain peer reviewed the initial MODFLOW release by McDonald and Harbaugh (1988).
MODERATOR BIO:
Michael Bombard is a senior hydrogeologist with GHD, Inc. At GHD, he is concentrating on projects involving water resources management. He has over 30 years of experience in conducting and managing subsurface investigations in addition to managing projects that involved the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater. His experience includes managing multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts for the Department of Defense, conducting oversight activities for USEPA, managing and coordinating emergency response efforts for petroleum releases, and working with legal counsel in support of projects involving property transfer for land developers in Northern California. He has a BA in Geology from the University of California at Berkeley, and is licensed as a California Professional Geologist/Certified Hydrogeologist and Washington State Licensed Geologist/Hydrogeologist.