Water resources experts at Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc. (DBS&A) and Larry Walker Associates (LWA) have teamed up to offer an educational webinar series over lunchtime on what you need to know to implement effective managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects.
More information on the webinars
MAR/ASR: Aboveground Facilities
Tuesday, November 7 | 12 – 12:30 pm PT
Jason Melady, RG, will present on Aboveground MAR/ASR Facilities, covering the following topics:
- When to use recharge wells versus infiltration basins
- Benefits of ASR wells
- ASR project implementation
- ASR facility operation and maintenance
- Case Studies of MAR/ASR projects in:
- Oregon
- Arizona
- New Mexico
Presented by:
Jason Melady, RG
Summit Water Resources, Principal Hydrogeologist
Mr. Melady has over 20 years of experience managing and supporting water resource, groundwater supply, and water rights projects. He provides comprehensive groundwater development strategies for clients through a combination of technical expertise and regulatory knowledge. He is an expert in the design and management of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) well systems; hydrogeologic and groundwater supply investigations; ASR feasibility evaluations; and ASR operational support for municipal, agricultural, and industrial clients.
Previous Webinars
Recharge Project Permitting
Tuesday, September 26 | 12 – 12:30 pm PT
To take advantage of excess water mostly in the winter time to store it in our depleted aquifers needs some careful consideration about the rights to use this water. In this presentation, we will explore the different types of permits available through the Water Right division at the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and discuss benefits and issues with each of them. Examples of two existing groundwater recharge projects, Scott Valley Irrigation District and Omochumne-Hartnel Water District, will be used to explain the application process and to discuss the key issues that need to be clarified ahead of submitting a water rights application.
- Available types of diversion permits
- Analysis of benefits and issues
- How to develop a successful application
- Lesson learned from two existing groundwater recharge projects
Presented by:
Laura Foglia is a Vice President at LWA, assisting with projects in hydrological modeling, groundwater management assistance, and MAR. She leads the groundwater services for the Ukiah Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), the development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) for Siskiyou County, and for the South American Subbasin Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority. She is designing and implementing groundwater recharge projects for the Omochumne-Hartnell Water District, the Scott Valley Irrigation District, and the Dunnigan Water District. Since January 2016, Dr. Foglia is also an Adjunct Faculty Staff in the Land, Air, and Water Resources (LAWR) Department at the University of California, Davis, where she teaches a graduate class on groundwater models and model calibration.
Monitoring to Demonstrate MAR Benefits
Tuesday, October 10 | 12 – 12:30 pm PT
MAR comes in many forms, but the ultimate goal is to put water into groundwater storage for later beneficial use (SWRCB recharge permit requirement). Beyond the standard beneficial use provided to the State Board (e.g., water for irrigation), there may be a variety of secondary benefits from MAR that increase its value as a management action such as improving aquifer water quality or mounding groundwater to reduce stream seepage. We have implemented a range of monitoring tools and methods to measure these benefits with the most common being pressure transducers but going as far as isotope and geochemical sampling to holistically understand the impacts of MAR. Topics include:
- Why to monitor the benefits of MAR
- Minimum monitoring requirements
- Identifying benefits to monitor and methods
- Applying benefit monitoring:
- Cosumnes River
- Dunnigan Water District
- Scott River Valley
Presented by:
Ryan Fulton serves as a Project Engineer for LWA performing specialized work in the groundwater, regulatory, and agricultural market sectors. He has experience working with counties, GSAs, and irrigation/water districts throughout California’s major agricultural regions. Mr. Fulton has performed groundwater and agricultural data analyses pertaining to water supply quality and quantity, performed risk and alternative water supply assessments, developed grant applications for agencies seeking state and federal funds, developed hydrologic models, and prepared GSPs and agricultural water management plans identifying and prioritizing efficient water management practices and projects to increase water supply flexibility and reliability. Mr. Fulton is supporting Dunnigan Water District and other local agencies including Colusa County Water District and the Glenn Groundwater Authority implement groundwater recharge projects.
Andrew Calderwood is a Project Engineer at LWA and is completing his doctoral studies at UC Davis in Physical Hydrology with a focus on surface water–groundwater interactions to aid regional and local water resources management. He has been integral to groundwater modeling and data analysis associated with GSPs within Siskiyou County, California. He also assists water resources clients with recharge permit application and reporting, along with field study, data cleaning and analysis for recharge benefit analysis.
MAR Operations, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation
Tuesday, October 24 | 12 – 12:30 pm PT
The number of MAR facilities in operation has grown over the past decade and many groundwater resource management entities are considering developing these facilities as they look for ways to enhance their groundwater sustainability. MAR facilities, like other water resource infrastructure, require operational and maintenance programs to minimize life-cycle operational costs and maximize the amount of water recharged into the aquifer. Tony Morgan, PG, CHG, will present on the operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation aspects of MAR projects, covering the following topics:
- Pros and cons of water treatment before land application
- Recharge basin/land maintenance
- Effective and efficient project operations
- Best practices for project maintenance
- Rehabilitation challenges and solutions
Presented by:
Tony Morgan, PG, CHG
DBS&A Vice President, Principal Hydrogeologist
Mr. Morgan has nearly 40 years of experience in water supply, water management, and hydrogeological programs for municipal, industrial, and agricultural applications. He has been involved in a broad range of projects related to groundwater supply development and management, including managed aquifer recharge. He has expertise in Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) compliance, including formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), creation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), and conducting groundwater basin studies.