Hydros Consulting has extensive experience developing and applying water quality models for rivers, lakes, watersheds, and reservoirs. In addition to hydrodynamics, our modeling experience includes simulation of temperature, eutrophication processes (nutrients, algae, dissolved oxygen, water clarity), and metals. We also peer review existing models, as needed.

We develop appropriate modeling tools and apply them effectively, keeping the focus on project objectives, to generate useful and defensible products for the client. Our models have been used to support:

• Evaluation of Management Alternatives

• Large Water Supply Project Permitting

• Surface Water Quality-Related Litigation

• Attainment of Permit Requirements

• Development of Surface Water Quality Standards

• Decision Making for Source Water Protection

Project examples for water quality modeling include:

• Three Lakes Model (Northern Water)

• Poudre River Dynamic Temperature Model (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

• Chatfield Reservoir Model (Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company)

• Poudre River Water Quality Model (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

• Cherry Creek Reservoir Model (Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority)

• Mining Pit Lake – Confidential Client

• Horsetooth Reservoir (Northern Water)

• Colorado River Temperature Model (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

• Windy Gap Reservoir (Northern Water)

• Clear Creek (City of Westminster)

• Halligan Reservoir (City of Fort Collins)

• Seaman Reservoir (City of Fort Collins)

• Gross Reservoir (Denver Water)

• Standley Lake (City of Westminster)

• Pumped Storage Reservoir Modeling, Ongoing (Confidential Client)

• Lake Mead (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

Hydros has extensive experience in the development and implementation of water resource management plans for customers ranging in size from municipal water utilities to state and federal agencies charged with managing entire river basins. Our staff of experts help clients understand the hydrologic, physical, environmental, and legal frameworks that guide and constrain their water supply systems. We commonly develop modeling and analysis tools to assist decision-makers in developing informed, effective, policies for both short-term operations and long-term planning.

Examples of our work in this area include:

• Colorado River Risk Study – Colorado River Water Conservation District and Southwestern Water Conservation District

• Daily River Operations Models (DROM) – Lower Colorado River Authority

• Implementation of Forecasting and Drought Response policies into a Regional Water Supply Model (TRWD)

• Long-Term Planning Model of the Lower Colorado River Authority (Texas) Service Area

• City of Westminster, Colorado Water Supply and Drought Response Planning

Modeling is a core component of our business. We utilize a number of off-the-shelf commercial as well as proprietary modeling tools as part of our service portfolio. Our clients utilize these models for everything from near real-time river operations to long-term planning studies. Ancillary to model development are a number of complementary services, including system characterization, climate change modeling and paleo-hydrology, coupled surface and ground water modeling frameworks, water rights and water accounting, stochastic modeling, and policy-driven modeling analyses.

We are experts in the development and application of models using a variety of platforms, including:

• RiverWare

• MODFLOW

• StateMod

• The HEC suite of tools (HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, HEC-DSS)

• WAM/WRAP (water rights)

• Custom modeling tools developed in-house

Almost every project we undertake involves either the development of models or the modification and application of existing models. Many involve integration and use of multiple modeling tools to address complex resource management problems. Examples include:

• Colorado River Operations Modeling – Bureau of Reclamation

• Surface and Ground Water Modeling of the Rio Grande (Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado)

• San Juan River Basin Water Rights Administration Model

• Daily River Operations Models (DROM) – Lower Colorado River Authority

• City of Westminster Colorado Water Rights, Water Quality, and Watershed Modeling

• Water Planning and Operations Models for the Tarrant Regional Water District (Texas)

Hydros Consulting has wide-ranging experience supporting our clients with water quality permitting and development of site-specific standards. Our permitting work includes Federal (NEPA) and State (401 Certifications) including extensive interactions with regulatory agencies. We also help our clients develop site-specific standards proposals, including successfully advocating for their adoption into regulation.

Project examples related to permitting and/or site-specific standard development include:

• Poudre River Water Quality Model (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

• Water Quality Standards for Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

• Site-Specific Chlorophyll a Standard - Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo Board of Waterworks)

• Poudre River Dynamic Temperature Model (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

• Chlorophyll a Standard Development for Standley Lake (City of Westminster)

• Windy Gap Firming Project EIS Technical Support (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

• Northern Integrated Supply Project EIS (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

• Northern Integrated Supply Project 401 Certification Technical Analyses (Northern Water)

• Halligan Water Supply Project 401 Certification Technical Analyses, Ongoing (City of Fort Collins)

• Site Specific Nutrient Standard Development for Halligan Reservoir (ongoing)

• Site-Specific Nutrient Standard Development for Cherry Creek Reservoir, Ongoing (Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority)

• Site-Specific Chlorophyll a Standard Development for Rueter-Hess Reservoir, Ongoing (Parker Water)

Hydros provides expert services in the areas of water rights permitting, change cases, plans of augmentation and substitute water supply, water rights portfolio management, and consumptive use analysis. We also have expertise in interstate compacts, tribal water rights, and international treaty compliance. We use a variety of analytical tools including water rights models (StateMod, RiverWare), data observations from wells, remote sensing platforms, and other sources to quantify historical use, evaluate potential impacts of new wells or diversions, and protect our clients existing rights from injury by others. We also have the water quality expertise to address water quality aspects of water rights and compact compliance, for example in our work on compliance with the 1944 Mexico Treaty on the Colorado River.

Project examples include:

• Expert Witness: Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado No. 141 Original (U.S. Supreme Court) (Client: State of New Mexico)

• Pre-acquisition evaluation of the Shoshone Power Plant Water Rights (Colorado River District)

• Expert Witness: Consumptive Use Analysis and Plans of Augmentation, San Luis Valley, Colorado (Private Client)

• Umatilla River Water Rights Settlement (Westland Irrigation District and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation)

• Colorado River Operations Modeling – Bureau of Reclamation (1944 Treaty with the Republic of Mexico, including Minute 242 regarding salinity)

• San Juan River Basin Water Rights Administration Model (New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission)

• Expert Witness: Ringgold Reservoir (Texas) Water Rights Permit – Contested Hearing (Private Client)

• Pecos River Adjudication Settlement (New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission)

• Division 3 Water Rights – Groundwater Sustainability in the San Luis Valley

At Hydros Consulting, we are experts in surface water quality data analysis. Data analysis and developing a clear understanding of site-specific factors impacting water quality are critical for most of our projects. Such analyses are the requested end-product in some cases. In others, data analysis is an important early step in the larger effort, such as a modeling project, that supports decision-making and furthers defensiveness of the findings. Hydros Consulting also supports clients in collection of critical data, including development of sampling and analysis plans and collection of field observations and grab samples for laboratory analysis.

Project examples focused on water quality data analysis include:

• Big Thompson State of the Watershed Reports (Big Thompson Watershed Forum)

• Three Lakes Annual Reports (Northern Water, Grand County, and U.S Bureau of Reclamation)

• Poudre River Water Quality Model (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

• Cherry Creek Reservoir Model (Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority)

• Water Quality Index Development (Three Lakes Technical Committee)

• State of Colorado Temperature Studies (Water Quality Control Division)

• Northern Integrated Supply Project 401 Certification Technical Analyses (Northern Water)

• Halligan Water Supply Project 401 Certification Technical Analyses, Ongoing (City of Fort Collins)

Variability in water supply in the western U.S., punctuated by drought and exacerbated by climate change, is placing increased stress on water supply systems. Our team of experts has a wide array of experience in the development and use of forecasting tools to help water managers better understand risks and uncertainties associated with drought, climate change, and increasing water demands. We have developed forecasting tools that are used by clients to optimize their system operations to take advantage of variable water supply conditions. We often utilize climate models and paleo-hydrologic data to develop hydrologic data for models in order to stress-test their systems beyond the bounds of historical hydrologic records.

We have applied these tools for a number of client projects, including:

Colorado River Risk Study – Colorado River Water Conservation District and Southwestern Water Conservation District

Optimization of Reservoir Operations through use of Downscaled Climate Predictors, Tarrant Regional Water District, Texas

Impacts of Climate Change on Water Supply Reliability – City of Westminster, Colorado

Water Supply Forecasting for the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico

Drought Contingency Plan – Colorado River District and Upper Colorado River Commission