About WWL

 Click Here for profiles of our Principals

          Western Water & Land, Inc. offers comprehensive solutions through a blend of environmental, scientific, and engineering practices to meet the demanding environmental challenges confronting our clients.  Our demonstrated performance of providing technically sound and cost efficient solutions is based on our appreciation of how the issues we address impact our clients, our technical expertise, and our understanding of the regulatory arena. 

           Our services are routinely used to perform projects requiring expertise in surface water and groundwater hydrology, water resource planning and protection, water rights and plans for augmentation, permitting and environmental compliance, mining, abandoned mine lands, soil and sediment, stormwater management, and environmental program management. 

           Western Water & Land conducts comprehensive investigations in surface and groundwater resources applying modern technology and methods with a practical and efficient approach.  Our knowledge of hydrologic and geologic processes allows complete investigations of land use issues including characterization and management of water resources, assessment and remediation of contaminated lands (soils and mine wastes), land reclamation, and related applications of the earth sciences.   

          The Principals at Western Water & Land have participated in statewide environmental projects since 1984, with our focus over the last 16 years being in western Colorado, eastern Utah, and the surrounding region.  Our personnel are well versed in the area’s geologic and hydrologic systems and understand the environmental issues affecting our clients in the region. 

          Our knowledge of Colorado and Federal environmental regulations and permitting requirements allow us to provide our clients with effective regulatory compliance direction and support.  We have worked extensively with the state’s regulatory agencies, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Division of Water Resources, the State Engineers’ Office, and the Division of Minerals and Geology.  We have also worked with such federal agencies as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  We also routinely work with counties and municipalities in our region.

WWL Key Personnel

Education:

      MS, Environmental Geology, Colorado State University, 1983

BA, Geology, University of Colorado, 1979

MBA, University of Phoenix, 1997

  Training:

        Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Surface and Underground (current)

        Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) 40-Hour HAZWOPER (current)

        Confined-Space Entry (current)

  Registration:

        Certified Professional Geologist – Wyoming (PG-991)  

           Mr. Merrill has more than 20 years of technical and management experience in resolving environmental issues confronting industry and public lands managers in Colorado and eastern Utah.  He has managed, technically directed, and performed numerous environmental programs involving surface water and groundwater hydrology, water resource management and protection, water rights, geochemical characterizations, human-health and ecological risk evaluation, land reclamation, facility and mine closure, stormwater management, and regulatory compliance. 

           Mr. Merrill’s expertise is routinely used to develop and implement programs designed to assess the surface water and groundwater quality and quantity impacts resulting from proposed, present, and past operations conducted within the watershed.  These programs typically involve one or more of the following tasks:  (1) geochemical characterization of surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment, and biota; (2) flow monitoring; (3) consumptive use analysis; (4) stream depletion modeling; (5) human-health and ecological risk evaluation; and (6) development and analysis of appropriate mitigative measures.  He has been responsible for assessing environmental impacts at active and inactive mine and mill sites, preparation of Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis documents, closure of RCRA-regulated units and solid waste management units, technical oversight of construction operations during reclamation, and implementation of RI/FS studies under CERCLA.    

            Mr. Merrill is also skilled in providing the technical information needed to support surface water and storage water rights and plans for augmentation, including water supply evaluation, water demand requirements, historical consumptive use analysis, stream depletion impacts resulting from site operations (consumptive uses, water transfers, diversions), impacts to groundwater, reservoir surveys and volume calculations, replacement sources, and substitute water supply plans. 

           Our clients routinely use Mr. Merrill’s regulatory compliance expertise and strong working relationships with regulatory agency personnel to develop and oversee compliance programs; properly apply NEPA requirements and applicable or relevant and appropriate requirement; and prepare the annual documentation required for stormwater management, plans for augmentation and substitute water supply plans, RCRA-permitted facilities, and mine permits.  He is also skilled in stormwater management and served on work groups assembled by the CDPHE Water Quality Control Division to assist in the state’s implementation of the EPA’s NPDES Phase II Rule.    

Education:

      MS, Hydrology, University of Arizona, 1988

        BS, Geology, Colorado State University, 1980

  Training:

        Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Surface and Underground (current)

        Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) 40-Hour HAZWOPER (current)

        Confined-Space Entry (current)

  Registration:

        Certified Professional Geologist – Wyoming (PG-3229)

        U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Certified Wetlands Delineator

        Member, National Ground Water Association 

          Mr. Smith has 18 years experience in the environmental industry as a professional hydrologist, and five years as a professional geologist.  Mr. Smith’s experience encompasses a broad range of environmental hydrological applications and investigations including those associated with energy development, surface water and groundwater hydrology, watershed studies, water rights applications, water supply and treatment, contaminant hydrology at industrial facilities, active mine operations, abandoned mine lands, and solid-waste management.  Mr. Smith has extensive working knowledge and experience in assessing water quality and chemistry, groundwater/surface water interactions, aquifer contaminant distributions, the measurement and interpretation of unsaturated zone hydrogeologic data, and parameter estimation for groundwater modeling.  He has conducted numerous projects involving design, implementation, and interpretation of water quality data in surface and groundwater.  Mr. Smith has designed several passive water treatment systems for mine water drainage (acidic and alkaline conditions) and evaluated options for disposal of waters generated during energy exploration and development.  Mr. Smith is also formally trained in wetlands delineation. 

           Mr. Smith has specific experience addressing the environmental issues confronting industry within the Piceance Basin in western Colorado.  He was responsible for managing and directing site activities at two large oil shale operations under temporary cessation.  In addition, he has been responsible for the design and oversight of actions to mitigate environmental impacts resulting from energy exploration and development as well as management of data collected to support oil shale development efforts.  

           Mr. Smith has been a technical leader and project manager on numerous complex hydrogeologic site characterization projects that have involved contaminant delineation and numerical groundwater flow and transport modeling.  Specific work experience includes the design and implementation of comprehensive site characterizations including design, installation, and permitting of groundwater monitoring wells, unsaturated zone instrumentation, sampling and analysis of water and soils, bedrock characterization, hydraulic testing and analysis, radioisotopic age dating, areal recharge estimation using environmental tracers, and the development and application of saturated/unsaturated groundwater flow and transport models. 

           Mr. Smith has broad experience in project management encompassing project planning, permitting, budget development, team assimilation, operation and maintenance, and facility closure issues.  He has extensive experience interfacing and negotiating with state and federal regulatory agencies including the U.S. EPA, U.S. BLM, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.  He has prepared work plans, final project and RI/FS reports, and Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EECA) reports and other documents.