Kevin J Neese

Established in 1999 to honor the late GRA Director, geologist, and attorney, the Kevin J. Neese award recognizes a recent, significant accomplishment by a person, persons, or entity that fosters the understanding, development, protection, and management of groundwater.

If you would like to suggest a recipient for this award, fill out the nomination form.

Congratulations to 2023 Kevin J. Neese Award Recipient,

City of Santa Monica, Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP)

for implementing innovative design to mitigate impacts on surrounded communities and developing state-of-the-art stormwater harvesting project to balance the water demand and creating a sustainable future for community.

Previous Kevin J. Neese Award recipients include:

• 2023 - City of Santa Monica, Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP)
• 2022 - Orange County Water District, PFAS Program
• 2021 - California Department of Water Resources (DWR), Airborne Electromagnitic Survey Program
• 2020 - Water Replenishment District of Southern California's Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling & Environmental Learning 
• 2019 - National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Land Subsidence Monitoring Team for developing detailed information on land subsidence across the San Joaquin Valley during the 2012 to 2016 drought.
• 2018 - UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, and Colorodo School of Mines for their joint 2018 study titled LA Sustainable Water Project:Los Angeles City-Wide Overview
• 2017 - The Center for Groundwater Evaluation and Management (GEM) at Stanford University’s School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences in recognition for their groundbreaking research and application of geophysics to the evaluation and management of groundwater resoures: Hydrogeophysics.
• 2015 - California Department of Water Resources for its significant contributions to local agencies to advance groundwater planning, management, and conjunctive use with Regional Partnerships, Integrated Regional Water Management, and Drought Grant programs
• 2014 - Governor Jerry Brown for his vision and leadership in development of the sustainable groundwater management legislation
• 2013 - Santa Clara Valley Water District for implementing its unique Domestic Well Testing Program
• 2012 - David L. Orth, General Manager of the Kings River Conservation District for his leadership and dedication to the collaborative initiatives to develop the Upper Kings River Basin Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
• 2011 - Sacramento County Environmental Management Department for its Abandoned Well Program
• 2010 - Senator Fran Pavley for leadership in the enactment of the comprehensive, statewide groundwater level monitoring legislation in California
• 2009 - U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center for development of a new, three-dimensional groundwater-modeling tool for California's Central Valley and report Groundwater Availability of the Central Valley Aquifer
• 2008 - Orange County Water District for its Groundwater Replenishment System (GRS), a new water purification plant that became operational last January
• 2007 - University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Groundwater Hydrology Program for its efforts to engage scientists, regulators, farm advisors, dairy industry representatives, and dairy farmers to better understand the effects of dairy operations on water quality
• 2006 - Senator Sheila Kuehl for her work to improve the production and availability of information about the state of our groundwater resources
• 2004 - California Department of Water Resources for publication in 2003 of its updated Bulletin 118: "California's Groundwater"
• 2002 - Glenn County Water Advisory Committee for formulating a significant groundwater management ordinance that was adopted by the Glenn County Board of Supervisors
• 2001 - American River Basin Cooperating Agencies and Sacramento Groundwater Authority Partnership for fostering the understanding and development of a cooperative approach to regional planning, protection and management of groundwater
• 2000 - Board of Directors of the Chino Basin Watermaster for delivering a remarkable OBMP that created a consensus-based approach for making water supplies in the Chino Basin more reliable and cost effective
• 1999 - Governor Gray Davis for his work and leadership in addressing MTBE