Joint Congress of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and the Latin-American Association of Underground Hydrology for Development (ALHSUD)

In mid-October, Montgomery & Associates staff presented two papers and a poster at the Joint Congress of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and the Latin-American Association of Underground Hydrology for Development (ALHSUD). The congress was held in Zacatecas, Mexico, from October 11-15, 2004. Professionals from all over the world attended to share their expertise. Primary authors for the two Montgomery & Associates papers were Mr. Mark Cross and Mr. Joseph Baker; the poster was presented by Mr. Mike Rosko.

Mark Cross presented "Hydrogeologic Investigations for Siting of Large-scale Artificial Recharge Facilities in Arizona, USA". Co-author of this paper is Mr. Chuck Collum of the Central Arizona Project. Artificial recharge of aquifers in Arizona becomes increasingly common and substantial benefits can be realized by conducting hydrogeologic investigations as part of a phased development and implementation process. The Western Arizona Recharge Project, being conducted by Central Arizona Water Conservation District, serves as a current example of the application of hydrogeologic investigations to the siting, design, and permitting of large-scale recharge facilities. View abstract

Joseph Baker's paper (which was presented by M. Cross) focused on "Characterization and Remediation of TCE Contamination at a Superfund Site – Traditional and Innovative Approaches". Leslie Katz, also of M&A, co-authored the paper. Complexities of a heterogeneous aquifer present a range of hydrogeologic challenges to remediation specialists. A combination of both traditional and more innovative strategies may offer the best solution to remediation of multiple contaminants in non-uniform hydrogeologic settings. View abstract

Mike Rosko's poster was titled "Documenting Historic Environmental Conditions Using Landsat Satellite Images". Landsat satellite data using wavelengths in the visible and infrared spectrum can be analyzed to reconstruct historic baseline conditions for areas where environmental parameters have not previously been measured. Conditions to be measured include health and abundance of vegetation, areal extent of vegetation, and areal extent of surface water. Baseline data provide a reference for comparison with results for future monitoring and can help distinguish between human-induced environmental changes and those resulting from natural phenomena. Mr. Rosko will present a paper on this topic at the 32nd International Symposium of the Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry to be held next spring in Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Rosko can be reached at (520) 881-4912 or mrosko@elmontgomery.com.