John L. Fio has 25 years of problem-solving experience. Mr. Fio analyzes groundwater systems, quantifies chemical transport in the subsurface, and evaluates groundwater surface-water interactions. He is a recognized expert on hydrologic and water quality issues in the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley, California.

John Fio:

• Develops and employs numerical models for site, water district, and basin-wide investigations.
• Calculates extraction effects on groundwater levels, stream flow, and lake levels.
• Establishes water quality monitoring programs.
• Designs water management plans.
• Evaluates groundwater quality effects of wastewater and recycled water disposal to land.
• Develops and implements Geographic Information System (GIS) databases.
• Determines water sources using chemical and age-dating techniques.

Professional Experience

January, 1998 - present

Principal Hydrologist, HydroFocus, Inc., Davis, CA

• Water supply master plan, California Water Service Company, South San Francisco, California. Assessed water supply and quality benefits of alternative water supply projects in the Westside Groundwater Basin.
• Data and modeling analysis of regional drainage conditions - San Joaquin Valley, California.
• Groundwater-flow, solute-transport, and water-quality impacts from wastewater disposal to land: sanitary districts and municipalities located in San Joaquin and Contra Costa Counties, California.
• Groundwater quality, sea water intrusion and groundwater flow in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, California. Field data collection, groundwater-flow and geochemical modeling to define seawater intrusion and quantify processes affecting groundwater quality.
• Groundwater extraction to control and remediate solvent plume - San Mateo County. Use of groundwater-flow model and field data collection and analysis to quantify contaminant movement and remediation.
• Quantitative hydrogeochemical assessment of contaminant transport near Menlo Park, California. Development of groundwater-flow and solute-transport models to quantify hydrocarbon transport beneath industrial facility near San Francisco Bay.
• Groundwater recharge and subsurface storage, Merced County, California. Developed and implemented regional groundwater-flow model to assess groundwater recharge and pumping projects.
• Depletion of subsurface flow to the North Platte River, Wyoming and Nebraska. Data analysis and modeling of stream aquifer interactions in support of interstate water rights conflict.
• Hydrologic and geochemical impacts of groundwater pumping and surface water injection- Sacramento County.

1995 to 1997

Senior Project Hydrologist, Hydrologic Consultants, Inc., Sacramento, CA

Project experience in the evaluation of groundwater flow, water quality, and solute transport. Consulting assignments included the following:

• Developed relationships to describe geologic controls and load-flow relationships for Santa Ynez River drainage system. The Santa Ynez River is a significant source of water recharging the Lompoc Groundwater Basin, and the relationships were part of a network of interacting reservoir operations, surface-water, and groundwater-flow and transport models.
• Evaluation of groundwater-flow paths beneath South San Francisco Bay. The groundwater-flow system was quantified using a groundwater-flow model to assess system response to pumping centers located east and west of the Bay.
• Coordination with the California Regional Water Quality Control Board on the remediation of a VOC plume in Mountain View, California.
• Assess the response of groundwater levels, streamflow, and spring discharge to groundwater pumpage in the Mammoth Basin, California.
• Quantifying stream flow depletions owing to increased consumption and groundwater pumping.

1990 to 1995

Research Grade Hydraulic Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey, Sacramento, CA

• Conducted regional and geohydrologic and groundwater quality investigations in the western San Joaquin Valley, California.
• Directed the development of a regional Geographic Information System database for the South San Francisco and Peninsula Area, California.
• Supervised data collection and development of databases, data analyses, and report writing.
• Constructed groundwater flow models for parts of the western San Joaquin Valley and South San Francisco Bay areas, California.
• Interacted with private and public cooperators and funding agencies.

1987 to 1990

Civil Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey, Sacramento, CA

• Conducted field-scale investigations of on-farm drainage systems.
• Developed groundwater-flow model of tile drainage system. Assessed flow paths and salt transport in shallow flow-system. Quantified regional groundwater-flow paths intercepted by on-farm drainage systems.
• Integrated particle-tracking models with groundwater-flow model results to assess advective transport of salts and selenium.

1985 to 1987

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

• Designed and conducted sorption experiments and incorporated results into a solute transport model.
• Assessed the distribution of salts and selenium in unsaturated and saturated soil profiles.
• Developed analytical method to estimate organic selenium concentrations in soil extracts.

1983 to 1984

Research Assistant, University of California, Davis, CA

• Conducted an assessment of methods used to analyze for selenium in soil extracts, aqueous samples, and animal tissues.
• Implemented experiments to assess arsenic volatilization from soils.
• Conducted laboratory analyses to estimate the buffering capacity of soils in response to acidic deposition.

Academic Background

Master of Science, 1987, Civil Engineering, University of California at Davis
Bachelor of Science, 1984, Soil and Water Science, University of California at Davis

Professional Affiliations

American Society of Civil Engineers
Association of Groundwater Scientists and Engineers
California Groundwater Resources Association

Awards and Honors

U.S. Geological Survey Performance Award: 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994
Citation for Outstanding Performance, University of California, Davis (1981)
Edward Kraft Scholarship Prize, University of California, Davis (1981)

Relevant Publications

Hydrogeology of the San Francisco Bay Area

Metzger, L.F. and Fio, John L., 1997, Ground-water development and the effects on ground-water levels and water quality in the Town of Atherton, San Mateo County, California, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4033, 31p.

Fio, John L., and Leighton, D.A., 1995, Geohydrologic framework, Historical Development of the ground-water system, and general hydrologic and water-quality conditions in 1990, south San Francisco Bay and Peninsula area, California: U.S. Geologic Survey Open-File Report 94-357, 46 p.

Leighton, D.A., Fio, John L., and Metzger, L.F., 1995, Database of well and areal data, South San Francisco Bay and Peninsula area, California: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigation Report 94-4151, 47 p.

Geochemistry and Salt Migration

Fio, John L., Fujii, R. and Deverel, S.J., 1991, Selenium mobility and distribution in irrigated and nonirrigated alluvial soils: Soil Science Society of America Journal, v. 55, p. 1313-1320.

Deverel, S.J., and Fio, John L., 1991, Ground-water Flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California. 1: Geochemical Assessment, Water Resources Research, v. 27, no. 9, 2233-2246 p.

Fio, John L., and Fujii, R., 1990, Selenium speciation methods and application to soil saturation extracts from San Joaquin Valley, California: Soil Science Society of America Journal, v. 54, p. 363-369.

Fujii, R, and Fio, John L., 1988, Partitioning and speciation of soluble and adsorbed selenium in soils: Agronomy Abstracts, Amer. Soc. Agron. Annual meetings, Anaheim, California, p. 196-97.

Numerical Modeling - Groundwater flow and contaminant transport

Fio, John L., 1997, Geohydrologic effects on drainwater quality: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ASCE 123(3).

Fio, John L., and Leighton, D.A., 1994, Effects of ground-water chemistry and flow on quality of drainflow in the western San Joaquin Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-72, 28 p.

Fio, John L., 1994 Calculation of a water budget and delineation of contributing sources to drain flows in the western San Joaquin Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-45, 28 p.

Barlow, Paul M., Wagner, B.J., Belitz, K., and Fio, John L., 1993, Effects of Management alternatives on the shallow, saline ground water in the western San Joaquin Valley, California, Water Fact Sheet, Open-File Report 93-665.

Fio, John L., and Deverel, S.J., 1991, Ground-water flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California. 2: Quantitative hydrologic assessment. Water Resources Research, v. 27, no. 9, 2247-2257 p.

Fio, John 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, California. Abstract for technical session on ground-water flow systems and land use: relation to quality of shallow ground water, Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers, Anaheim, California, in Journal of Ground Water, v. 28, no. 5, p. 788-789.

Fio, John L., and Deverel, S.J., 1989, Ground-water flow to subsurface drains in the western San Joaquin Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Second National Symposium on Water Quality, Orlando, Florida, November 12-17, 1989, abstracts and technical sessions, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 89-409, p. 25.

Fio, John L., and Deverel, S.J., 1988, Ground-water flow to subsurface agricultural drains in the western San Joaquin Valley, California: Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 69, no. 44.

Monitoring

Leighton, D.A. and Fio, John L., 1995, Evaluation of a monitoring program for assessing the effects of management practices on the quantity and quality of drainwater from thePanoche Water District, Western San Joaquin Valley, California, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-731, 25 p.

Puckett, L.K., Alemi, M.M., Fan, A.M., Fio, John L., Hansen, D., Wallender, and W., Wernette, F., 1992, Long-term monitoring plan, San Joaquin Valley Drainage Implementation Program.