Per Session: Member: $50.00
Non-Member: $70.00
Student Member: $30.00
Student Non-Member: $40.00
All Sessions: Member: $330.00
Non-Member: $700.00
Student Member: $300.00
Student Non-Member: $400.00
Virtual Sponsorship Opportunities! Reach out to dgarrison@grac.org
July 17, 2023
9am - 11am
Capabilities and Functionality of MODFLOW-USG, USG-Transport and MODFLOW 6
Sorab Panday, PhD, GSI Environmental
The session will cover the basics associated with conducting aquifer pumping tests including: the well installation, step drawdown tests, barometric effects, aquifer test design, data collection, and data analysis. The session with explain the hydrodynamics associated with radial groundwater flow to a well and will provide a high-level discussion of the groundwater theory that underlies the different types of pumping tests analyses. Both traditional analysis methods and more advanced analysis methods better suited for complex or heterogeneous aquifers will be explained. The second half of the session will discuss case examples where aquifer test data is presented and analyzed. The case examples will include applications of borehole flowmeter techniques to characterize the three-dimensional aspects of groundwater flow that could be important for efficient well design, for optimizing well field operations, and for better characterization of flow and transport processes.
1pm - 3pm
Technical Writing & Presentation Development 101
Gus Tolley, PhD, Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc
Effective communication of technical information is a vital skill for water industry professionals in both public and private sectors. Most project deliverables include a written technical memo or report, which can range from a couple to several thousand pages depending on the nature of the project. In addition to written deliverables, technical staff are often required to present project updates and/or conclusions to clients, public agency boards, stakeholders, and other water industry professionals (for example, at the 2023 Western Groundwater Congress being held September 12-14th in Burbank, CA). The first half of this course will focus on general approaches for writing and organizing technical documents, while the second half of the course will focus on preparing and delivering oral presentations. Differences between the two mediums will be discussed, with tips and tricks for each provided.
9am - 11am
Catherine Hansford, B.Sc., M.S, Hansford Economic Consulting LLC
As the need to demonstrate progress bears down on groundwater sustainability agencies in California, the costs of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA or the Act) become increasingly more apparent, and increasingly more painful. The State of California (State) has been assisting Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) with grants ranging from technical assistance to pilot projects since passage of the Act. The grants have undoubtedly helped lift the program onto its feet and enabled GSAs to leverage that funding with contributions from member agencies and private contributors. The grants have also set a precedent of unrealistically low fees for long-term funding to support groundwater programs and activities. The outcome is that leverage has, for some, become reliance, and a difficulty in messaging the true cost of reaching groundwater sustainability for many GSAs.
This class explores creation of the annual work program, short and long-term considerations when developing the GSA’s budget, and a review of available funding mechanisms to support operations and capital projects. State funding assistance to take advantage of will be presented, while the pitfall of grants reliance will be stressed. Most GSAs were initially set up with contributions by member agencies until they became more organized. Over time, many GSAs have established fee mechanisms to fund their regulatory activities, and some have established fees, taxes, and other funding mechanisms to fund a wide variety of activities, including building of infrastructure projects. The importance of a robust funding strategy will be discussed, with development of a path forward that navigates State support, private funding support, communitywide support, and specific beneficiary support.
1pm - 3pm
Nick Rebman, Collier Geophysics
Borehole geophysics is a powerful technique for characterizing the subsurface environment in new or existing wells. It involves measuring various physical properties of rocks and soils using downhole instruments and sensors. These measurements can provide information on the lithology, porosity, permeability, and other important properties of the subsurface, which is crucial for a variety of applications such as groundwater exploration, environmental remediation, and geotechnical investigations. This course will cover when and where to use downhole geophysics, broad types and applications of downhole geophysical probes, best practices when developing a survey, overview of borehole geophysics deliverables, and some case studies and lessons learned in the field.
July 19, 2023
9am - 11am
Basic Design Principles for Monitoring, Production, and Recharge Wells
Kevin McGillicuddy, PG, Chief Hydrogeologist for the Roscoe Moss Company
He has nearly 40 years of experience as a professional geologist specializing in development of ground water for municipal use. Kevin was a founding member and Chair of the CA/NV AWWA Water Well Technology Committee, member of the AWWA A100 Well Standards Committee and is a current member of the CA DWR Well Standards Update Committee. Prior to joining Roscoe Moss Company, he worked as Director of Recharge Operations and as a Senior Hydrogeologist for the Orange County Water District in Fountain Valley, CA. He is a Registered Geologist in the State of California. He is also the recipient of the 2022 National Groundwater Association’s McEllhiney Distinguished Lecturer Award.
1pm - 3pm
Intro to Construction, Development, and Operations of Production and Injection Wells – Lessons Learned from Orange County, CA
John Bonsangue, PG, Principal Hydrogeologist, OCWD
The Orange County Water District (OCWD) manages the groundwater basin underlying the northern two thirds of the county. The 250 square mile basin contains hundreds of large scale and smaller scale groundwater production and injection wells. This talk will provide an overview of the well systems used in Orange County, then explore the methods and best field practices for well construction, well development, and maintenance. The talk will also discuss the best practices for production vs. injection wells and share other lessons learned from operating the OCWD wells for over 20 years.
July 20, 2023
9am - 11am
Improving Well Rehabilitation Outcomes with Science Based Approaches
Jim Bailey, LHG, RG, National Well Services Director, Shannon & Wilson Inc. Long term well performance is dependent on many factors including how the well is designed, constructed, and later how it is operated and maintained. This presentation will discuss the importance of well development for maintaining long term well performance. The talk will describe a multi-facetted, science based approach to developing well specific rehabilitation plans. Topics will include an overview and discussion of:
• Key well design and construction factors impacting rehabilitation
• Mechanisms of well screen and filter pack clogging
• Research related to well rehabilitation methods and approaches
• Real world successes and failures
• Well maintenance efforts that help minimize loss of performance
1pm - 3pm
Steven Young, Ph.D., PE, PG, INTERA Incorporated
The session will cover the basics associated with conducting aquifer pumping tests including: the well installation, step drawdown tests, barometric effects, aquifer test design, data collection, and data analysis. The session with explain the hydrodynamics associated with radial groundwater flow to a well and will provide a high-level discussion of the groundwater theory that underlies the different types of pumping tests analyses. Both traditional analysis methods and more advanced analysis methods better suited for complex or heterogeneous aquifers will be explained. The second half of the session will discuss case examples where aquifer test data is presented and analyzed. The case examples will include applications of borehole flowmeter techniques to characterize the three-dimensional aspects of groundwater flow that could be important for efficient well design, for optimizing well field operations, and for better characterization of flow and transport processes.
July 21, 2023
9am - 11am
Matt Tonkin, Ph.D. and Erica DiFilippo, Ph.D., SSPA
The presence of inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent data (i.e., “imperfect” data) can present challenges for the spatial and/or temporal analysis of environmental data. These imperfect data can arise from a variety of causes including (but not limited to) infrequent or irregular sampling; other changes in monitoring programs over time and space; the presence of non-detects (i.e., censored data); and the influence of physiochemical processes that are not accounted for in the conceptual site model (CSM). This short course will discuss and present some common – and less common – techniques employed by groundwater professionals to undertake analyses using imperfect data. This will include methods for identifying outliers; working with both spatially and temporally discontinuous datasets; and for handling censored data will be discussed.
1pm - 3pm
Contouring and Interpolating Groundwater Levels: Best and Worst Practices
Igor Pavlovskii, PhD, WSP
The class will provide a broad overview of the groundwater level mapping and associated issues:
1. Motivation for groundwater level contouring
2. Features distinguishing groundwater levels from other commonly interpolated properties
3. Appropriate and inappropriate interpolation techniques
4. Commonly used interpolation software
5. Typical pitfalls during interpolation and interpretation of groundwater levels
6. Adaption of the groundwater level interpolation workflow to regional differences
Several relevant aspects will be illustrated using combination of publicly available and synthetic datasets. It is recommended that attendees install QGIS long-term release prior to this session.
