A Holistic Approach to Groundwater Resource Development and Management

Transcription

1 G R OU N D WAT ER S TA K EH OLD ER WO R K SH O P A Holistic Approach to Groundwater Resource Development and Management The GROUNDWATER STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP is being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the South Central Section of the Geological Society of America. Wednesday, 18 March :30 am 4:30 pm Oklahoma State University 4th Floor of the Student Union Stillwater, Oklahoma SPONSORSHIP PARTNERS Climate change, drought, competition for the same or limited water resources, increasingly stringent regulations and complex legal and political issues make it imperative that a multi-disciplined approach be implemented to resolve water resource challenges. The science of Geology in development of natural resources is well known to the petroleum and mining industries, but the discipline s role in management of groundwater resources and formulation of policy is often overlooked and poorly understood by political, municipal and government stakeholders. Geology is an applied science which draws upon a variety of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, statistics and other scientific disciplines. Therefore, geologists play an important role in protecting public health and safety and are uniquely qualified to provide the specialized expertise needed to ensure successful exploitation, development and management of groundwater resources. The workshop s purpose is to inform groundwater stakeholders about the role geology plays in groundwater resource planning and development, as well as discuss issues related to groundwater management, conservation, water reuse and the changing dynamics of public financing. Go to the link below to register for the workshop and meeting. Registrants may choose to only attend the workshop or may register to attend the entire 3-day event.

2 Jim Roberts is a Groundwater Geologist with Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A. (PEC) in Oklahoma City, OK. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BS degree in Geology and completed post graduate hydrology studies at Oklahoma State University. He is a Professional Associate with PEC, a licensed geologist in Kansas, and has 28 years of professional geological experience working in the groundwater, environmental and petroleum industries. Diminishing Water Resources: The Need for Inter-disciplinary Holistic Approaches to Groundwater Development and Management James W. Roberts LG Professional Engineering Consultants OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA Mr. Roberts professional interests are focused on groundwater geoscience and the utilization of petrophysical logs, hydrology and groundwater chemistry datasets to identify and characterize aquifer sweet spots at local and regional scales. Current and past work includes management and supervisory oversight of projects to address issues related to source identification, supply, water quality and use. Mr. Roberts is recognized among his peers as a technical area expert in the characterization and delineation of geologic, hydrologic and geochemical conditions in bedrock and alluvial aquifers. Mr. Roberts adopted and perfected an empirical method for establishing the relationship between groundwater chemical data and open-hole resistivity logs to quantify and delineate regional and local scale variations in groundwater chemistry in Oklahoma s Permian bedrock aquifers. The technique was developed in cooperation with the US Department of Energy, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Ground Water Protection Council Research Foundation to aid in the establishment of appropriate surface casing depth-setting requirements for the petroleum industry in Oklahoma. Mr. Roberts has broad experience with the application and use of various surface and subsurface investigation and characterization techniques, groundwater chemistry, forensic geochemistry, groundwater law, regulatory permitting, expert witness testimony and public speaking. Over the years he has consulted for a variety of groundwater stakeholders including municipalities, rural water districts, engineering firms, law firms, drilling contractors, nonprofit organizations, ranching operations, state and federal government, petroleum companies, oil and gas service companies, power companies and an investment banking firm.

3 Dr. Todd Halihan is a Professor of Geology at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA and the Chief Technical Officer for Aestus, LLC. The Water Future: Opportunities and Challenges on the Meter Scale TODD HALIHAN PhD, PGp OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA He joined Oklahoma State University in the Fall of 2000 after completing his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. Todd earned his MS in Geology at the University of Missouri Columbia after working as a field assistant and later director of Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas. Dr. Halihan received his BA in physics with honors at Monmouth College in Illinois. Dr. Halihan s professional interests center in subsurface characterization and sustainable water supply. He has been an associate editor for Ground Water and has served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the U.S. Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists. He served as the Chair of the Hydrogeology Division of the Geological Society of America for Dr. Halihan s expertise includes developing methods for site characterization and monitoring of NAPLs using Electrical Resistivity Imaging and developing methods to integrate various hydrogeophysical datasets. Dr. Halihan has geophysical experience including resistivity, electromagnetic methods, and ground penetrating radar. His hydrogeological experience includes developing analytical models for fractured and karstic aquifers and well testing techniques. Dr. Halihan has characterized numerous sites throughout the United States and abroad, including significant work in the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer of Oklahoma and the Great Artesian Basin of Australia.

4 Greg Nieto is an Associate Partner and Senior Vice President with The Baker Group, LP in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where he heads the firm s public finance division. Greg is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma where he majored in finance and attended the university on a wrestling scholarship. He has been with The Baker Group since 1988 and is recognized as a senior member of the public finance industry in Oklahoma. Financing Your Projects: It s Not Just a Loan Anymore GREG NIETO THE BAKER GROUP, LP OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA Greg has worked in public finance since 1981 and is currently a registered representative and general securities principal with FINRA. He is also a Registered Investment Advisor with the Oklahoma Securities Commission. Prior to joining The Baker Group he worked at R. J. Edwards, Inc. and operated a firm with his father Paul Nieto where they served municipal, county and school district clients across Oklahoma.

5 Noel Osborn is Chief of Resource Management of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area and holds BS and MS degrees in Geology from the University of Georgia. Noel began her career in the petroleum industry in Oklahoma where she worked for 8 years as an exploration geologist. She then worked for 21 years with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board where she managed a broad range of groundwater studies and projects, including the ArbuckleSimpson Hydrology Study. Hydrogeologic Characterization of the ArbuckleSimpson Aquifer NOEL OSBORN US NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: CHICKASAW NATIONAL RECREATION AREA SULPHUR, OKLAHOMA Following her tenure with the OWRB, Noel joined the US Geological Survey Oklahoma Water Science Center where for 2-1/2 years she was involved in various groundwater studies, including the Saline Groundwater Assessment of the Southern Midcontinent. Noel continues to work on water-related issues and the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer as part of her duties with the National Park Service.

6 Luca DeAngelis is a Senior Water Resources Engineer/Hydrogeologist with HDR Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in Kansas and Nebraska and professional geologist in Missouri, Nebraska and Wyoming. Mr. DeAngelis has more than 17 years experience in the environmental and water supply industries. He holds a BS in Geological Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and an MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas. The Role of Numerical Modeling in Groundwater Resource Exploitation, Development and Management LUCA DEANGELIS PE, PG HDR ENGINEERING OLATHE, KANSAS His professional experience includes designing over 100 water supply wells throughout the Mid-Continent, including most of Oklahoma s primary aquifers. His water supply experience includes siting, permitting, and design of several horizontal collector wells and large municipal well fields with production capacity ranging from 10 to 100 million gallons per day. Mr. DeAngelis primary area of practice is the evaluation and development of water supply resources for municipal and industrial clients, and the development of design documents to construct water supply infrastructure. His second area of emphasis is the development of groundwater models to assist municipalities with management of their well fields and assisting state agencies with evaluating the sustainability of streamflow and groundwater resources at local and regional scales. Mr. DeAngelis is recognized as a Professional Associate within HDR.

7 Dr. Derek Ryter is a hydrogeologist that has been with the Oklahoma Water Science Center for three years. He hails from southwest Colorado and earned a BS in geological sciences from Fort Lewis College, an MS from Old Dominion University, and a PhD from the University of Oregon. He has been with the Department of the Interior for 10 years, and worked another 15 years in private industry and in higher education. The Nexus of Geology and Hydrology DEREK RYTER PhD, PG USGS OKLAHOMA WATER SCIENCE CENTER OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA Dr. Ryter has a broad background, having performed studies in geomorphology, seismic hazards, climate change and archaeology. He completed his doctoral research on tectonics and seismology of southern California. Derek s expertise includes using geophysical and geological methods for hydrogeological characterization and using complex numerical groundwater-flow models with the latest USGS software to help make groundwater science an accessible tool for water management. Derek is currently leading or participating in hydrogeological investigations in Oklahoma with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the Osage Nation. Other current studies include hydrogeological characterization and numerical groundwater-flow models to optimize water development, determination of water availability and analyses of the effects of drought and increased demand on water resources. He has participated in local- and regional-scale water studies, and has integrated agricultural water use with a numerical groundwaterflow model using the Farm Process.

8 Mike Thornhill is founder and president of Thornhill Group, Inc. (TGI) headquartered in Round Rock near Austin, Texas. Mike holds BS and MS degrees in geology from Oklahoma State University. Some Groundwater is Just a Little Salty: Brackish Water as an Alternative MICHAEL THORNHILL PG, CPG PRESIDENT THORNHILL GROUP, INC. ROUND ROCK, TEXAS Upon graduating, Mr. Thornhill began his career in groundwater consulting in 1989 with a leading firm in Austin, Texas, and later founded TGI in With more than 25 years of consulting experience, his clients have included municipalities, municipal utility districts, engineering firms, law firms, mines and quarries, industries, oil and gas companies, bottled water companies, irrigators, developers, groundwater conservation districts, water marketers and private landowners. Mr. Thornhill is a leading professional in supervising and conducting projects including regional and local aquifer and water availability assessments; well and well-field evaluations and design; groundwater quality and contamination assessments; brackish groundwater development and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) investigations; water law and policy assessments; computer modeling; expert witness services; depressurization and dewatering design, implementation and monitoring; regulatory permitting; spring and bottled water source assessments and development; water valuation; and water marketing and project development. TGI is currently engaged in projects that will develop fresh and brackish groundwater resources and provide supplies of approximately 650,000 acre-feet per year, or 580 million gallons per day (MGD) in Texas and Oklahoma, with wells ranging in depth from 50 to 4,000 feet having individual well yields ranging from 50 to 5,000 gallons per minute. As a long-time member of the OSU Boone Pickens School of Geology Graduate Advisory Board, Mr. Thornhill has been instrumental in the development of a graduate-level course entitled Integrated Petroleum Water Resources Management (IPWRM).

9 John Gornick is an account manager for Layne Christensen Company in the company s Guthrie, Oklahoma office. John has been with Layne for 23 years where he has managed and supervised numerous projects which required expertise in well drilling, completion, design and rehabilitation methods associated with the installation of municipal, industrial and aquifer storage and recovery wells at sites across the US. Technical Requirements of Completing High Yield Public Supply Wells JOHN GORNICK LAYNE CHRISTENSEN COMPANY GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA John possesses extensive experience and expertise in the implementation and use of drilling technologies including reverse circulation, air rotary, coring and mud rotary. Prior to joining Layne John was a driller for the US Bureau of Reclamation and served as a Missile Guidance Systems Specialist with the Strategic Air Command in the US Air Force.

10 Saba Tahmassebi is the Agency Chief Engineer for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. He has been with the DEQ for over 20 years and has served in several environmental programs in various capacities over the years. Water Reuse Initiatives and Innovative Wastewater Disposal Options in Oklahoma SABA TAHMASSEBI PhD, PE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA Saba received his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at San Diego, an MS degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Southern California and a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. He is a Certified Public Manager and teaches statistics and environmental science courses at the University of Phoenix.

11 G R OU N D WAT ER S TA K EH O L D E R > Workshop Program < 8:30 am 9:00 am Registration < 9:00 am 9:30 am Diminishing Water Resources: The Need for Inter-disciplinary Holistic Approaches to Groundwater Development and Management James W. Roberts, LG Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A. < 9:30 am 10:00 am The Water Future: Opportunities and Challenges on the Meter Scale Todd Halihan, PhD, PGp Oklahoma State University < 10:00 am 10:30 am Financing Your Projects: It s Not Just a Loan Anymore Greg Nieto The Baker Group, LP < 10:30 am 10:45 am Break < 10:45 am 11:15 am Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer Noel Osborn NPS - Chickasaw National Recreation Area < 11:15 am 11:45 am The Role of Numerical Modeling in Groundwater Resource Exploitation, Development and Management Luca DeAngelis, PE, PG HDR < 11:45 am 1:15 pm Dine-In Lunch with Core Workshop

12 G R O UN DWAT ER STAKEHOL D ER W O RKSHO P PROG RAM C ONTINUED > < 1:15 pm 1:30 pm Think-Share I: Stakeholder Discussion of Groundwater Perceptions and Priorities < 1:30 pm 2:00 pm The Nexus of Geology and Hydrology Derek Ryder, PhD, PG USGS - Oklahoma Water Science Center < 2:00 pm 2:30 pm Some Groundwater Is Just a Little Salty: Brackish Water as an Alternative Michael Thornhill, PG, CPG Thornhill Group, Inc. < 2:30 pm 2:45 pm Break < 2:45 pm 3:15 pm Think-Share II: Stakeholder Ranking of Groundwater Priorities < 3:15 pm 3:45 pm Technical Requirements of Completing High Yield Public Supply Wells John Gornick Layne Christensen Company < 3:45 pm 4:15 pm Water Reuse Initiatives and Innovative Wastewater Disposal Options in Oklahoma Saba Tahmassebi, PhD, PE Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality < 4:15 pm 4:30 pm Open Discussion and Closing Remarks: Groundwater s Future and Next Steps