Steven J. Deverel has over 27 years of hydrologic problem-solving experience in California. Dr. Deverel analyzes groundwater systems, quantifies chemical and physical processes in soils, and evaluates groundwater- and surface-water quality. He is a recognized expert on hydrologic and water quality issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Joaquin Valley, California. Dr. Deverel is a registered professional hydrologist certified by the American Institute of Hydrology and is registered with the State of California as a professional geologist.

Steven Deverel:

• Conducts surface and groundwater quality assessments.
• Develops analytical tools and numerical models to evaluate water movement and solute transport.
• Quantifies chemical and physical processes in the saturated and unsaturated subsurface.
• Applies statistical techniques to analyze land and water resources.
• Evaluates land subsidence.
• Determines water sources using geochemical and age-dating techniques.

Professional Experience

February, 1996 - present

Consulting Hydrologist in Private Practice and Principal Hydrologist and cofounder, HydroFocus Inc. since January, 1998, Davis, CA

Recent project activities include:

• Evaluate drainage alternatives in the western San Joaquin Valley, California. Specific tasks included soil salinity modeling to predict effects of alternatives, groundwater-flow and geochemical modeling for estimating future groundwater quality and hydraulic effects of alternatives.
• Subsidence mitigation strategy evaluation - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Field data collection and modeling to evaluate different wetland management strategies for stopping and reversing the effects of subsidence.
• Evaluate processes affecting water quality - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Field data collection and modeling to estimate organic carbon and salt loads for different wetland and agricultural water management practices.
• Evaluate subsurface flow and canal leakage, Nevada Irrigation District, Grass Valley California. Used water isotopes and modeling to determine effects, rates and nature of leakage.
• Assess pesticide transport in groundwater at EPA Superfund Site - Davis, California. Serves as technical advisor to community group overseeing site activities.
• Identify causes and subsidence rate calculation - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Includes modeling of subsidence and estimating current and future rates.
• Evaluate groundwater supply, flow and quality in relation to land and water management practices in various locations - Examples include grape growing in Sonoma County, gravel mining in Sacramento and Butte counties, golf courses in Marin County, residential development in San Mateo County, agriculture and water transfers in Yuba County, wetlands in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
• Quantitatively evaluate processes affecting groundwater and spring water chemistry and effects of changing groundwater management in Southern Nevada.
• Serves on standing CALFED Science Panel

1994 to 1996

Senior Hydrologist, Hydrologic Consultants, Inc., Davis, CA

Consulting assingments included the following:

• Evaluated sea water intrusion, nitrate contamination and flow of groundwater and nitrate movement in unsaturated zone - Salinas Valley, California.
• Analyzed water supply and quality issues - Santa Ynez Valley, California.
• Developed water resources element of city General Plan - City of Lompoc.
• Advised California Department of Water Resources on issues relating to subsidence in organic soils - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
• Quantified geochemical processes and groundwater flow for gold mining operations - northern Nevada.

1991 to 1994

Supervisort Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Sacramento, CA

Assistant District Chief: Guided hydrologic research, investigations and data collection programs throughout California:

• Supervised and planned research of land- and water-management effects on subsidence and carbon fluxes - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
• Facilitated interactions among diverse projects and personnel.
• Developed and maintained projects investigating processes affecting land and water resources.
• Communicated research results to the resource management community and other audiences using published reports and oral presentations.
• Established long range research and data collection activities.
• Responsible for over 100 employees and an annual budget of over $11 million.

1984 to 1991

Research Chemist, U.S. Geological Survey, Sacramento, CA

Project leader: Directed studies of processes affecting constituent mobility and transport. Evaluated transport processes in aqueous and gaseous phases. Conducted regional, subregional and local scale studies. Guided an interdisciplinary team that integrated multi-scaled data:

• Defined water and solute movement to agricultural drainage systems.
• Identified processes affecting trace element mobility in soil and water.
• Evaluated and implement statistical methods.
• Directed hydrologic study of water quality, carbon fluxes and subsidence in organic soils - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta:
• Identified processes affecting subsidence.
• Related carbon fluxes from organic soils to subsidence and global carbon balance.
• Developed water and land management strategies for reducing subsidence.
• Determined water management effects on drainage water quality.

1980 to 1984

Research Associate, University of California, Davis, CA

• Developed computer code to simulate solute transport and chemical reactions in soils and shallow groundwater.
• Designed and implemented water movement and chemical experiments for the laboratory and field - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
• Completed Ph.D. dissertation on geochemical and hydraulic processes affecting soil and groundwater salinity - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
• Co-authored book chapter on simulating reclamation of salt affected soils.

Academic Background

Ph.D., June, 1983, Soil and Water Science, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California at Davis

MS, September, 1980, Soil-Plant-Water Relations, Department of Vegetable Crops, University of California at Davis

BS, December 1979, Agricultural Science and Management, University of California at Davis

BA, June, 1974, Zoology, University of California at Berkeley

Instructor, "Ground-water Solute Transport Concepts", USGS Denver Training Center, 1988 -1994

Lecturer, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and Associate in the Experiment Station, University of California at Davis, 1988-1992, Taught undergraduate course "Chemistry of the Hydrosphere"

PhD dissertation and oral-exam committee member for University of California, Davis Hydrologic Sciences graduate students, 2001 - present

Professional Affiliations

American Geophysical Union
American Institute of Hydrology - registered professional hydrologist
California Groundwater Resources Association
International Association of Hydrogeologists

Awards and Honors

U.S. Geological Survey Special Achievement Awards: 1985, 1987, 1990, and 1991
Letter of appreciation from Assistant Secretary of the Interior, 1985

Relevant Publications, Reports and Presentations

Vadose-Zone Hydrology, Biogeochemistry and Subsidence

Deverel, S.J., Leighton, D.A. and Finlay, M.R., 2007, Processes affecting agricultural drainwater quality and organic carbon loads in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science Vol 5(2): Article 2.

Deverel, S.J., Thomas, J., Decker, D., Earman, S. and Mihevc, T, 2005, Groundwater evaporation estimates using stable isotope and chloride data, Yelland Playa, Spring Valley, Nevada, Desert Research Institute Division of Hydrologic Sciences, DHS publication 41219

Deverel, S.J., Wang, Bronwen and Rojstaczer, S.A., 1998, Subsidence in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, in (Borchers, J.W., ed.) Proceedings of the Joseph Poland Subsidence Symposium, Association of Engineering Geologists, Special Publication No. 8, Star Publishing, Belmont, California, pp. 489-502.

Deverel, S.J., Rojstazcer, S.A. 1996, Subsidence of agricultural lands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California: Role of aqueous and gaseous carbon fluxes. Water Resources Research 32, 2359-2367.

Deverel, S.J., L.D. Whittig and K.K. Tanji, 1986, Sulfate reduction and calcium carbonate equilibria in a Central California histosol, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 50, 1189-1193.

Deverel, S.J. and R. Fujii, 1985, Distribution and partitioning of selenium in soils and groundwater in California, Agronomy Abstracts, 77:146, Annual American Society of Agronomy Meetings in Chicago.

Fleck, J.A., Deverel, S.J., and R. Fujii, 2005, Processes affecting carbon and disinfection byproduct precursor loads from a restored wetland in the Sacramento-san Joaquin delta, in review.

Rojstazcer, S.A. and Deverel, S.J., 1995, Land subsidence in drained histosols and highly organic mineral soils of California, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 59:1162-1167.

Rojstaczer, S.A. and Deverel, S.J., 1993, Time dependence in atmospheric carbon inputs from drainage of organic soils. Geophysical Research Letters, 20(13): 1383-1386.

Fio, J.L., Fujii, R. and Deverel, S.J., 1991, Evaluation of selenium mobility in soil using sorption experiments and a numerical model, western San Joaquin Valley, California, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 55, 1313-1320.

Rojstaczer, S.A., Hamon, R.E., Deverel, S.J. and Massey, C.A., 1991, Evaluation of selected data to assess the causes of subsidence in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 91 -193.

Fujii, Roger, Deverel, S.J. and D.B. Hatfield, 1988, Distribution of selenium in soils of agricultural fields, Western San Joaquin Valley, California, Soil Science Society America Journal, 52, 1274-1283.

Tanji, K.K., and Deverel, S.J., 1984, Simulation modeling for reclamation of sodic soils, in Soil salinity under irrigation-processes and management, Shainberg, I., and Shalhevet, J., eds., Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

Groundwater Geochemistry and Quality

Deverel, S.J., Leighton, D.A. and Finlay, M.R., 2007, Processes affecting agricultural drainwater quality and organic carbon loads in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science Vol 5(2): Article 2.

Deverel, S.J. and R. Fujii, 1990, Chemistry of trace elements in soils and groundwater In Tanji et al (eds) Agricultural Salinity Assessment and Management Manual, American Society of Civil Engineers.

Deverel, S.J., 1998, Subsidence Reversal in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Report to CALFED Bay-Delta Program, 44 p. Appendix E of Environmental Impact Report.

Deverel, S.J., Fio, J.L., Dubrovsky, N.M., 1994, Distribution and mobility of selenium in groundwater in the western San Joaquin Valley of California in Selenium in the Environment, Benson, S. and Frankenburger, W. (eds). Marcel Decker, New York.

Deverel, S.J. and Fio, J.L., 1991, Groundwater flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California. I. Geochemical assessment, Water Resources Research, 27, 2233 - 2246.

Deverel, S.J., 1990, Distribution and mobility of selenium in irrigated areas in the western United States. American Association for the Advancement of Science, annual meeting, Davis California (invited presentation).

Deverel, S.J., 1986, Process affecting the occurrence and mobility of selenium in shallow groundwater of agricultural areas, San Joaquin Valley, California, EOS 67:936, invited paper at Fall AGU meetings in San Francisco, California.

Deverel, S.J. and R.B. Bell, 1988, Carbon mass transfer and isotopic evolution in irrigated, semi-arid agricultural areas, EOS, 69:1194,.

Deverel, S.J. and S.P. Millard, 1988, Distribution and mobility of selenium and other trace elements in shallow ground water of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, Environmental Science and Technology, 22, 697-702.

Deverel, S.J. and Roger Fujii, 1988, Processes affecting the distribution of selenium in shallow groundwater of agricultural areas, Western San Joaquin Valley, California, Water Resources Research, 24, 516-524.

Deverel, S.J., Gilliom, R.J., Fujii, Roger, Izbicki, J.A., and Fields, J.C., 1984, Distribution of selenium and other inorganic constituents in shallow ground water of the San Luis Drain Service Area, San Joaquin Valley, California: A preliminary study, U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation Report 84-4319.

Deverel, S.J., 1985, Selenium in the San Joaquin Valley of California In 1984 National Water Summary, U.S.G.S. Water Supply Paper 2275.

Fujii, Roger and S.J. Deverel, 1988, Mobility and distribution of selenium and salinity In groundwater and soil of drained agricultural fields, western San Joaquin Valley, California: In Jacobs, L.W. and others (ed.), Selenium in Agriculture and the Environment: American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, Special Publication no. 23, pp. 195-212.

Fujii, Roger and S.J. Deverel, 1986, Mobility and distribution of selenium in artificially drained agricultural fields, Agronomy Abstracts, 78:30, Invited paper in special symposium "Selenium in Agriculture" at annual American Society of Agronomy Meetings in New Orleans.

Dubrovsky, N.M., Deverel, S.J. and Gilliom, R.J., 1993, Multiscale approach to regional groundwater quality assessment: selenium in the San Joaquin Valley, California in Regional Ground-water Quality (Alley, W.M, editor), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

McNeal, J.M., Feder, G.L., Wilbur, W.G. and Deverel, S.J., 1990, Environmental concerns related to selenium in the Western United States in Proceedings of a U.S. Geological Survey Workshop on Environmental Geochemistry (Doe, B.R., ed.) U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1033.

Statistics

Deverel, S.J., 1989, Geostatistical and principal-component analysis of ground-water chemistry and soil-salinity data, San Joaquin Valley, California, In Ragone, S. (ed.) Regional characterization of water quality, International Association of Hydrologic Sciences Publication no. 182 pp. 11-18.

Millard, S.P. and S.J. Deverel, 1988, Non-parametric statistical methods for comparing two sites based on data with multiple non-detect limits, Water Resources Research, 24, 2087-2098.

Ground Water Hydrology

Deverel, S.J. and Gallanthine, S.K., 1989, Distribution of salinity and selenium in relation to hydrologic and geochemical processes, San Joaquin Valley, California, Journal of Hydrology 109, 125-149.

Deverel, S.J., 1988, Geohydrologic aspects of water-quality problems of the San Joaquin Valley, California, Proceedings on Planning Now for Irrigation and Drainage, Irrigation and Drainage Division, American Society of Civil Engineers, Lincoln, Nebraska, July, 1988 pp. 694-699 (invited paper).

Fio, J.L. and Deverel, S.J., 1991, Groundwater flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California, II. Quantitative hydrologic assessment, Water Resources Research, 27, 2247 - 2257.

Fio, J.L. and S.J. Deverel, 1988, Groundwater flow to subsurface agricultural drains in the western San Joaquin Valley, California, EOS, 69:1188, AGU meetings, December 1988, San Francisco, California.

Fio, J.L. and Deverel, S.J., 1990, Interaction of shallow ground water and subsurface drains: Implications for selenium transport and distribution in the western San Joaquin Valley, Groundwater, 28,788-789.