As the aftershocks of Kathryn Schulz’s article The Really Big One in The New Yorker continue to reverberate across western Washington, Aspect is fielding questions from concerned family members, friends, and clients. Will everything west of I-5 really be “toast”? Should I be worried about a landslide on the hill in my backyard? Is my house going to hold up against a 9.0 quake?
Read MoreGeology Field Trip!
More than 30 members of Aspect’s technical staff participated in a regional geology workshop. The workshop was led by Puget Lowland geology guru Kathy Troost of the University of Washington and Troost Geosciences. Friday morning was devoted to lectures and discussion of the geology of the area, and in the afternoon participants got their hands dirty practicing identifying and classifying samples of local soils. Saturday, Ms. Troost led the group to the classic field locations for regional geology: Alki Point, Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park, Herrings’s House Park on the Duwamish, Discovery Park, and ended with an overview at Kerry Park on Queen Anne.
Aspect's Dan Haller Breaks Down Water Rights for Appraisers and Realtors
Dan Haller is speaking at a water rights seminar for the Appraisal Institute in Seattle on Friday, June 5th. Dan shares information with appraisers and realtors on the ins-and-outs of water rights, factors that influence their value, and how they can be transferred.
The Threatened Bull Trout: Potential Impact of High Flow Events and Temperature on Spawning Habitat
Jared Bean – a Senior Staff Hydrogeologist with Aspect – along with co-authors from the University of Montana and the USGS, recently published a study, “Multi-scale hydrogeomorphic influences on bull trout (Salvelinus conluentus) spawning habitat,” in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Read more about Jared’s study and the importance of protecting and enhancing existing high quality bull trout habitat HERE.
Ecology's Effort to Update Its Water Quality Assessment - The Aspect Perspective
Owen Reese, an Associate Water Resources Engineer with Aspect, authored a guest post for the Miller Nash Graham & Dunn blog, Science Law and the Environment. Click below to see what Ecology’s efforts to update the Water Quality Assessment for Fresh Water means for NPDES permit holders.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Environmental Consultants
For an interdisciplinary WWU course focused on the Science and Management of Contaminated sites (SMoCS), Aspect’s Steve Germiat gave budding environmental consultants a “real life” experience in the MTCA cleanup process.
Steve first joined the class and Ecology staff on a rainy Saturday morning at an industrial waterfront site, viewing and discussing Aspect’s K-C Everett Mill RI/FS project that the class is using as a case study. The following month, dry in a warm classroom, Steve walked the students through the MTCA cleanup process in general, while introducing soil and groundwater sampling methods, data analysis/presentation, and remedial technology options.
In addition to the exciting scientific and technological challenges of environmental remediation, Steve addressed the more mundane nuts and bolts of a consultant’s role and the skills and attributes that enable a consultant to excel.
About SMoCS
In collaboration with Washington State Department of Ecology Toxics Cleanup Program, WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment (Huxley) offers undergraduate students a course series in the Science and Management of Contaminated sites (SMoCS). The SMoCS series includes three courses that build knowledge of the contaminated site cleanup process in Washington State with an emphasis on how scientific investigations are conducted, use of the technical documents associated with cleanups, the roles of different parties in cleanup decisions, and enhanced professional skills. For more information on the program visit http://faculty.wwu.edu/harperr3/SMoCS.shtml.
Tim Flynn Advises Proposed ASR Legislation
As hydrogeologists, we understand the variable and sometimes finite nature of groundwater sources and importance to promote water storage opportunities in the State. We study storage alternatives – including Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) – to help our clients meet municipal and industrial water supply needs. In assessing the feasibility of ASR with Washington clients, we have experienced firsthand the challenges and uncertainties in designing, permitting, and funding projects.
Casual conversation after an OCR advisory group meeting led Senator Jim Honeyford, (R-Sunnyside), to turn to Aspect’s Tim Flynn for technical insight in drafting a senate bill designed to help streamline the ASR permitting process. Tim testified to Committee on behalf of SB5018 in late January. He has since been collaborating with the Department of Ecology to clarify the technical and regulatory issues and streamline the ASR permitting process.
Read a Yakima Herald article about Sen Honeyford’s bill and Tim’s support of the legislation.
Dan Haller to Speak on Water Rights
Aspect’s Dan Haller will join state Ecology and Fish and Wildlife folks in a panel discussion on mitigation strategies at an upcoming Water Rights Transfers Seminar. Designed to provide practical information of vital interest to most water right holders, the annual seminar is being held November 13 and 14 in Seattle. For the complete agenda and registration information see http://www.theseminargroup.net/seminar.lasso?seminar=14.wamWA
Meet Aspect's Newest! Project Scientist Jason McCormick
Aspect welcomes project scientist Jason McCormick to our Yakima Office team!
Bringing a wealth of water rights and project management experience from his most recent position with Washington Water Trust (WWT), Jason’s water rights knowledge will further deepen our growing water practice.
Prior to WWT, Jason worked with Dan Haller at Ecology in the Office of Columbia River where he was involved in the Kennewick Irrigation District pump exchange, City of Roslyn, Quad Cities, permit writing, and GIS mapping of approximately 1,200 Columbia River surface and ground water rights.
Jason is a native of eastern Washington with roots in the towns of Brewster, Tonasket, Yakima, and Zillah. He graduated cum laude from CWU with a BA in Geography and Land Studies and a focus on water resources and physical geography.
A true Northwesterner, Jason spends his off hours pursuing steelhead and salmon with a fishing rod in hand, hunting, hiking, and backpacking with his family.
Parker's GIS Conference Summer Tour 2014
Parker will be speaking at the WAURISA Washington State GIS Conference in Tacoma, WA on May 14th, 2014 and at the Esri User Conference in San Diego, CA on July 15th, 2014.
Read MoreWater Rights Ready for Certification?
Moving a water right from permit to certificate is the final step in the water right permitting process. Certification secures the water right for a needed water supply. With increasing demand for limited water resources, the surety certification provides can be critical.
To make the process quicker and more efficient, the Washington State Department of Ecology established the Certified Water Right Examiners (CWRE) program. Beginning August 2013, CWRE are authorized to conduct proof examinations for water users to support Ecology decision-making on issuance of water rights certificates.
Four Aspect staff were among the first to be certified as CWRE by Ecology. Tyson Carlson, Dan Haller, Bill Sullivan and Breean Zimmerman are qualified to conduct the proof examinations needed to receive a certificated water right for permitted use. With CWREs in our Seattle, Wenatchee and Yakima locations, Aspect is available to support water right permittees across the state.
For more information on Ecology’s CWRE program visit:
Dan Haller Speaks at Washington Water Law Conference
Aspect’s Dan Haller spoke at the Water Law in Washington conference on August 27 in Seattle, WA.
In a session on New Tools in Water Resource Management, Dan discussed how the Washington State Department of Ecology uses the Washington Irrigation Guide to determine water duty and extent and validity of irrigation water rights.