Author Archive
Reddy Ganta Earns Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Certification
Reddy Ganta, Certified Crop Avisor (CCA)
EPA proposes new 2011 NPDES CAFO Reporting Rule, Comment Period Open
EPA is proposing the new 2011 Proposed NPDES CAFO Reporting Rule that would require concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to submit basic operational information to EPA.
EPA proposes two options.
Option 1: Every CAFO is required to report this information to EPA, unless states with authorized NPDES programs choose to provide this information on behalf of the CAFOs in their state.
Option 2: CAFOs in focus watersheds that have water quality concerns associated with CAFOs to report information to EPA.
EPA is requesting public comment on both options as well as alternative approaches to gather information. The rule was published Oct. 21, 2011 in the Federal Register with a 60-day comment period. EPA plans to take final action on this proposal by July 2012.
For more information on the CAFO reporting rule please visit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/aforule.cfm#reportingrule
GGI offers a variety of Dairy/CAFO compliance services. If you have specific questions on whether you need a CAFO permit or on the Permit itself, please contact me at lazarus@glorietageo.com or at 505 983 5446 Ext 111.
About GGI
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes. For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com .
GGI presents The Groundwater/Energy/Food Nexus in the 2011 Ground Water Protection Council Annual Forum
The Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) held its Annual Forum in Atlanta in September 2011 and Jay Lazarus, GGI President/Sr. Geohydrologist was an invited speaker. The GGI/NMSU presentation on the Groundwater Energy Food Nexus was presented as an invited talk to the general session on the Water/Agriculture Nexus: Groundwater Quality and Quantity Issues Related to Agriculture.
The invited presentation, The Groundwater-Energy-Food Nexus discussed the complex nexus between and presented data showing how US farm production has increased due to technological advancements and that by designing high specific capacity irrigation and supply wells farmers and irrigators can run their irrigation wells and irrigation systems at lower costs and more efficiently.
Jay co-authored the invited talk on the Groundwater-Energy-Food nexus with Dr. Robert Hagevoort, NMSU Endowed Dairy Chair and Dairy Extension Specialist who wrote the food sections of the presentation.
Please click here to view the presentation: http://www.gwpc.org/meetings/forum/2011/Proceedings/pdf_presentations/12f_Lazarus_Jay.pdf
For more information, please contact me at lazarus@glorietageo.com or at 505 983 5446 Ext 111.
About GGI:
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes.
For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com
GGI presents The Sustainability of groundwater resources in the Santa Fe Properties Land Fair
The sustainability of groundwater resources in the Eldorado area was presented by Meghan Hodgins, GGI Sr. Modeler/Geologist in the informational forum called the “Eldorado/Highway 285 Land Fair” hosted by Santa Fe Properties.
This forum was presented in conjunction with a panel of professionals involved in land development, green building, water studies and conservation, and home and land financing. Concerns over the sustainability of groundwater development, including groundwater supplies and water resources in the Eldorado area were discussed.
Meghan Hodgins, was an invited participant in the “Eldorado/Highway 285 Land Fair” held in Eldorado (Santa Fe, NM) on Sunday September 18th.
For more information or for assistance on the sustainability of groundwater resources in your area, please contact me at hodgins@glorietageo.com or at 505-983-5446 Ext. 109.
About GGI:
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes.
For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) Projects completed by GGI recently
GGI has recently participated in several projects that required a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA). The requirement by investors, both private sources and government sources, for a Phase I ESA to be included in a project scope has become compulsory. Investors have embraced the Phase I ESA to participate in the Landowner Liability Protections offered under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
The Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority (SFCHA) recently completed the construction phase for the Villa Alegre housing community. This project replaced an apartment housing complex built in the late 1960s with “green” housing that is certified LEED Platinum project. The new construction includes environmentally preferred products, high efficiency insulation, heating and cooling using ground-source heat pumps, and supplemental electricity provided by photovoltaic solar panels.
GGI provided the support for the completion of the Phase I ESA during the entire length of the project. An initial investigation was conducted for the SFCHA prior to demolition of the older housing units. The Phase I ESA included two separate parcels near commercial and residential uses. Additionally, three underground storage tank (UST) sites were in close proximity of the project area. Using historical information compiled by GGI during 20 years of UST site investigations in the Santa Fe area in addition to commercial database reviews, GGI was able to assess the locations and provide a Phase I ESA that satisfied the lending institutes.
GGI continued to provide support with Updates for the original Phase I ESA document. GGI was able to reduce costs for new documents with the reapplication of historical data obtained from subcontractors for the original Phase I ESA while requiring only new database review for the radius searches. GGI also provided a new Phase I ESA for the east parcel of property, the Campo Property, since the older residences were demolished but new construction was delayed beyond the shelf-life of the original Phase I ESA.
Pre Demolition Photographs New Construction Photographs
Water Energy Food Nexus: Sustaining Agricultural Production published in AWRA IMPACT
The Water Energy Food Nexus: Sustaining Agricultural Production article published by GGI discusses water, energy and food relations that the 5th World Water Forum found to be critical issue. Water is used to irrigate food and livestock feed crops. Ground water resources supply significant amounts of water for crop production, especially in arid regions that do not have access to surface water supplies or in regions that use ground water resources to supplement surface water sources.
Agricultural producers need inexpensive power to operate well pumps and to distribute irrigation water. Yet, as ground water levels decline and aquifers are mined, pumping costs increase proportional to ground water head declines. Water is also used in energy production, with energy producers often competing with agricultural water users for scarce groundwater supplies, adding to the competition for water rights.
Jay Lazarus, President and Sr. Geohydrologist of Glorieta Geoscience, Inc. (GGI) is the senior author of this article published in the May, 2010 issue of Water Resources IMPACT, a publication of the American Water Works Association.
For more information Water/Energy/Food Nexus, please contact me at lazarus@glorietageo.com or at 505-983-5446 Ext. 111
About GGI:
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes.
For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com
GGI provides land and water rights purchase assistance to New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
Land and water rights purchase assistance was provided to New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) by Glorieta Geoscience, Inc. (GGI) for the State of New Mexico’s Strategic Water Reserve.
The NMISC purchased 1099 acres from the Vaughan Ranch near Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The property included 11 wells that were subsequently changed from irrigation use to Pecos River flow augmentation.
GGI worked with NMISC staff to evaluate water rights, water supplies and well efficiencies on the Vaughan Ranch prior to purchase. Following the purchase Jim Riesterer, Jay Lazarus, and Paul Drakos of GGI assisted the NMISC with converting the purpose of use of the water rights from irrigation to in-stream flow augmentation, as well as helping ISC to transfer in additional water rights to the wells, up to the current total diversion right of 2564 acre-ft/year.
GGI has also been working with ISC to design and supervise construction of replacement wells for some of the older wells on the property. GGI conducted pumping tests at discharges ranging from 300 to 900 gpm to establish long-term production rates and calculate well efficiencies.
GGI staff also developed a ground water model to quantify the degree of interconnection between the alluvial ground water aquifer and the surface waters of the Pecos River that are subject to Interstate Compact delivery requirements.
For more information or for assistance on water rights purchase/transfer issues, please contact me at lazarus@glorietageo.com or at 505-983-5446 Ext. 111
About GGI:
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes.
For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com
GGI presents Sources and Controls of Emcons at Dairies poster at EmCon 2011
EmCon stands for emerging contaminant. A poster on Sources and Controls of EmCons at Dairies was presented at EmCon 2011 held in Copenhagen, Denmark by Jay Lazarus and Dr. Elke Naumburg of Glorieta Geoscience, Inc. (GGI).
Emcons are chemical compounds such as pharmaceuticals, synthetic and naturally occurring hormones, pesticides and herbicides whose concentrations are measured in the parts per billion or parts per trillion ranges. In evaluating fate and transport of EmCons at dairies, one has to identify the contaminant source, pathway and target.
Sources of EmCons at dairies are green water lagoons and the improperly land-applied green water. Lined lagoons prevent seepage of green water into the vadose zone and underlying aquifers. Breakdown of Emcons by manure-borne bacteria, ultraviolet light or other processes occurs.
Contaminant transport pathways include seepage through the vadose zone from lagoons and/or land application fields to target aquifers or runoff from land application fields to surface water. Most large dairies reuse the green water for crop irrigation and predictive, proactive green water management is necessary to insure that the green water is land-applied at agronomic rates.
Predictive models such as GGI’s CAFOweb© software allow dairies to manage nutrient applications to fields in real time and at agronomic rates.
The poster presented a series of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that, when implemented, control discharges of Emcons to surface and/or ground water. The poster was well received and reprints are currently being requested by Germany’s Federal Environment Agency.
For more information on EmCons at Dairies, please contact me at lazarus@glorietageo.com or at 505-983-5446 Ext. 111.
About GGI:
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes.
For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com
GGI Talk on New Mexico Hydrology, Water Rights and Santa Fe Area Hydrology at Santa Fe Properties
New Mexico Water Rights, New Mexico Hydrology, State Engineer application and approval processes, and Santa Fe area hydrology and water rights were some of the topics presented in a talk on July 26, 2011 at Santa Fe Properties, Santa Fe’s largest, locally-owned real estate brokerage. Jay Lazarus, GGI President/Sr. Geohydrologist and Meghan Hodgins, GGI Sr. Modeler/Geologist presented the talk.
The forum was hosted by Liz Cale, Qualifying Broker at Santa Fe Properties, and the talk was attended by 75 real estate brokers and sales associates.
The post-presentation discussions were focused on the following water rights purchase/transfer related issues:
· Water rights related to the Aamodt litigation
· How to work with buyers and sellers of water rights.
· How to evaluate the validity of a water right
· How to properly advise clients on the processes involved in purchasing and transferring water rights in the Santa Fe area and Middle Rio Grande.
For more information on the talk or If you need assistance on any of the above water rights purchase/transfer issues, please contact me at lazarus@glorietageo.com or at 505-983-5446 Ext. 111
About GGI:
Founded in 1979 in Santa Fe, NM, GGI has been providing quality professional consulting services in groundwater development, water rights, geomorphology, dairy regulatory compliance and environmental sciences. GGI serves federal, state, and municipal entities, tribal governments, private corporations, and individuals. We pride ourselves in our ability to listen to our clients’ goals and help turn these goals into successes.
For more information please visit our website at www.glorietageo.com
Sediment Transport Study, Geomorphic Surveys and GIS Analysis completed by GGI and LANL
GGI has conducted several sediment transport studies, geomorphic surveys, geomorphic mapping projects, and GIS analyses for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and New Mexico Bureau of Geology. In May, 2011, GGI and LANL staff completed geomorphic surveys of eight canyon reaches around the Laboratory where sediment transport mitigation measures have been implemented. The surveys were conducted to evaluate geomorphic changes at sediment transport mitigation sites in the Los Alamos and Pueblo canyon watersheds within and near LANL that occurred in 2010.
Geomorphic Surveys using high precision GPS: Surveys were conducted using a combination of a differentially corrected global positioning system (GPS) and a total station tied to GPS control points, depending on tree cover. Surveys were supplemented with sediment thickness measurements obtained from hand-dug or hand-augered holes at some locations. Baseline survey data previously collected by GGI and LANL staff before the 2010 monsoon season were compared with subsequent survey data obtained in 2010 and 2011, following the summer 2010 monsoon season. A total of 11 channel (thalweg) profiles and 84 cross-sections perpendicular to the thalweg were surveyed.
GIS Analysis: Data from the post-2010 monsoon surveys were overlain on the pre-monsoon profiles and cross-sectional areas of sediment deposition or erosion were calculated using GIS. Cross-sectional areas were then extrapolated between the sections surveyed to allow a calculation of approximate net sediment deposition or erosion in the surveyed reach.
Results: Results of the surveys showed that net sediment deposition occurred in all but one of the areas surveyed in the Los Alamos and Pueblo canyon watershed.
