Water & Environmental Engineer, Expert Witness

Why attorneys should hire me:

I have excellent skills in providing expert testimony, in assisting with questioning of opposing experts, and in reviewing opposing expert's analyses and testimony. I combine Ph.D. level engineering expertise and 26 years of practical hands-on engineering experience with a lawyer's training in analysis and argument. I think and speak the language of both attorneys and engineering/technical experts..

Specific areas of expertise include:

• Hydrology / Hydraulics / Modeling
• Flooding / Floodplains and mapping / Storm Drainage / Flood Insurance Studies
• Canals / Pipelines / Water systems -- Safety / Designs / Hydraulics
• Dams / Spillways / Reservoirs -- Safety / Designs / Hydraulics / Modeling
• Tunnels / Hydropower -- Safety / Designs / Hydraulics
• Water quality / Salinity / Erosion / Sedimentation / Modeling
• NEPA Environmental Impact / Wetlands / Endangered Species / NPDES Permits
• Water Rights Assessments / Evaluations / Hydrographic Surveys / Compacts
• Water Management and Conservation
• Watershed / River Management / Modeling
• Public Lands and Wildland Hydrology
• Irrigation Systems
• Streamflow Measurements / Estimates
• Federal Reclamation Regulations / Rights / Contracts / History

More detail on Experience and Skills:

Hydrology/Hydraulics/Modeling

Expert in hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, river basins, and groundwater. Physical and statistical evaluation of all aspects of the hydrologic systems including storm precipitation, storm flood runoff, river and stream flood depth, snow melt, river and bridge hydraulics, spillway and reservoir operations, detention basins, canals, culverts, groundwater, and streamflow and climatological measurements and data analyses. Have modeled numerous watersheds, river basins, lakes, and reservoirs for storm runoff and for water supply and yield. Have modeled urban hydrologic systems for runoff and flooding. Have measured streamflows, precipitation, snowfall and snowmelt, and all other climatological parameters. Have completed numerous statistical analyses and operational analyses of hydrologic data and hydrologic systems.

Flooding/Floodplains and mapping/Storm Drainage/Flood Insurance Studies

Expert in storm drains and detention pond designs, operations, and master plans; riverine flooding; and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain mapping, flood hydology and hydraulics. Have performed numerous flooding analyses of rivers, streams, and lakes. Have current ongoing experience in assistance with opposing party depositions/ questioning and evaluation, discovery assistance, affidavits, giving depositions, giving trial testimony, and performing engineering analyses for a Hurricane Georges/reservoir operations plaintiff case in Mississippi. Have completed analyses/designs for numerous storm drains, detention basins, large reservoirs and spillways, canals, FEMA flood insurance studies and mapping.

Canals/Pipelines/Water Systems -- Safety / Designs / Hydraulics

Expert in canal and large diameter pipelines designs and operations. Have designed and/or reviewed designs for water conveyance pipelines ranging from 8-inches to 96-inches in diameter. Have performed canal break investigations and have completed pipeline design, sizing, and hydraulic analyses for water supply aqueducts and canals throughout the western United States. Have completed water system network analyses for city water systems. Have completed cost estimates and performed water system repayment and rate studies.

Dams / Spillways / Reservoirs -- Safety / Designs / Hydraulics

Expert in operations and hydrologic/hydraulic designs of dams, spillways and reservoirs. Have completed numerous spillway evaluations/designs, dam breaks and dam break analyses; and spillway designs and operations. Have participated in dam and spillway inspections and analyses including analysis and preparation of Corps of Engineers Phase I Inspection reports. Have ongoing experience in assistance with opposing party depositions/questioning and evaluation, discovery assistance, affidavits, giving depositions, giving trial testimony, and performing engineering analyses for a reservoir/spillway operations flooding case in Mississippi.

Tunnels / Pump Stations / Hydropower -- Safety / Designs / Hydraulics

Expertise in evaluation of water transmission tunnels and in design and evaluation of pump stations, hydropower systems, and penstocks including evaluation of hydraulic performance and safety, energy output, rate studies, and energy marketing. Have performed water tunnel inspections, evaluations, and remedial designs. Have completed conceptual designs and evaluations of pump stations and hydropower facilities including feasibility studies, cost estimating, hydraulic performance studies, power capacity and energy production studies, power rate studies, and economic feasibility studies.

Water quality / Salinity / Erosion / Sedimentation /Modeling

Expert in riverine and lake water quality analysis, salinity managment, erosion prediction and control and river sediment prediction, management, and removal. Have performed a water quality computer modeling studies, salinity management and modeling studies, erosion control studies, and sediment management and removal studies and modeling. Have conducted erosion surveys, predicted construction sediment yields, estimated river sediment transport and loads, constructed erosion control structures, designed and constructed sedimentation basins. Have conducted water quality sampling, laboratory analysis, and monitoring of rivers, lakes, recreation areas, and springs.

NEPA Environmental Impact / Wetlands / Endangered Species /NPDES Permits

Expert in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), wetlands issues, endangered species, and NPDES water quality permitting. Experienced in permitting problems and issues for streams, lakes, and groundwater. Hold certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from University of Utah College of Law. Have participated in NEPA compliance hearings, scoping meetings, and public involvement meetings. Have reviewed and assisted in preparation of environmental impact statements. Have reviewed and made comments on interagency endangered species habitat evaluations including comments on study assumptions, findings, and recommendations. Have evaluated needs for 404 stream and wetlands alteration permits. Have evaluated hydrologic effects of canal lining on adjacent wetland areas. Have completed NPDES analyses and obtained NPDES permits. Have completed hydrologic permitting analysis for coal loading facility including surface runoff and groundwater movement and pumping issues.

Water Rights Assessments / Evaluations / Hydrographic Surveys / Compacts

Expert in water right assessments and evaluations. Have completed various water rights related investigations involving most of the major river systems of the Western U.S. including evaluation of interstate river compacts and evaluation of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation water rights, laws, and contracts. Have completed water right title abstracts and title train analyses. Have completed water rights valuations and water rights yield analyses throughout the Western United States. Have completed and reviewed state water right hydrographic surveys. Have prepared state water right proofs for wells and hydroelectric plants, have prepared water?right applications and change applications, and have participated in state engineer water right hearings. Have evaluated water right impacts of dam removals.

Water Management and Conservation

Expert in water conservation and water management. Have completed water conservation and management studies for river basins, reservoirs, irrigation projects, and municipal/domestic supply and use. These studies and projects have succeeded in conserving many thousands of acre-feet of water for new uses throughout the western United States.

Watershed / River Management / Modeling

Expert in watershed and river management and modeling. Have evaluated watershed management practices for both water quantity and quality. Have modeled the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and numerous watersheds, rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs throughout the West. Modeling has focused on flooding issues, water quality issues, water supply issues, instream flow needs, and fish and aquatic endangered species habitat enhancement and needs.

Public Lands and Wildland Hydrology

Expert in history, disposition, and preservation of public lands and in hydrologic issues and analyses on public lands. Have extensively researched the history of the disposition and preservation of the public lands of the United States including homesteading, railroad grants, federal reclamation and irrigation projects and the creation of national forests, national monuments, Indian reservations, and wilderness areas. Have studied and modeled the hydrologic systems of public lands including the effects of logging, road building, grazing, mining and other activities of man as well as effects on threatened and endangered species.

Irrigation Systems

Expert in agriculture and outdoor irrigation systems. Have sized, designed and managed construction of irrigation canals, pressure pipelines, diversion structures, screening devices, check structures, meters, bridges, culverts, canal linings and seepage control. Experienced in irrigation canal operations, mainentance, inspections, and safety. Have estimated crop consumptive use requirements. Prepared irrigation project rehabilitation plans for large Bureau of Reclamation projects. Trained in both irrigation project management including irrigation scheduling and use of linear and dynamic computer programming and modeling.

Streamflow Measurements / Estimates

Expert in analyzing, measuring, and estimating streamflow. Have measured streamflow in rivers and streams. Have analyzed and used gaging station rating curves. Have assessed accuracy of stream gaging and have estimated streamflow on ungaged streams.

Federal Reclamation Regulations / Rights / Contracts / History

Expert in U.S. Bureau of Reclamation procedures, regulations, repayment, and contracts. Extensively researched history and federal-state laws governing U.S. Bureau of Reclamation water supply projects. Evaluated rights and interests of water users in numerous Reclamation project water repayment contracts including water rights and rights to hydropower and other revenues. Evaluated effect on state water right interests of the proposed draining of Lake Powell and the proposed decommissioning of Glen Canyon Dam.