Planning for Water and Environmental Impacts

Communities, farmers, and industries must plan for resilient and reliable water structures, particularly in drought-prone regions. As communities look to protect resources, support growth, and build resilience, they seek out Geosyntec to address complex water challenges and secure sustainable supplies.

Our team brings together hydrogeologists, water resources engineers, climate modelers, water-rights specialists, former agency staff, and permitting experts with federal, state, and local experience to develop lasting water-supply strategies. We serve clients across the United States, with particular focus on the American West.

Drought Planning, Declining Groundwater, and Climate Studies

As climate change brings more frequent and severe droughts, proactive planning is critical. From parcels to basins, our team supports clients with drought planning, groundwater management, and climate adaptation. We model groundwater declines, forecast climate impacts, and apply strategies such as aquifer storage and recovery, stormwater capture and recharge, water banking, and water rights management.

State and Regional Water Plans

Our practitioners integrate hydrogeology, water rights, engineering, environmental science, and multi-jurisdictional communication to develop roadmaps that assess surface and groundwater supplies, identify current and future water needs, and create strategies for clean and reliable drinking water. We help clients account for changing precipitation, declining snowpack, drought, and shifting groundwater, in collaboration with farmers, municipalities, industries, Tribes, utilities, and residents. Together, we build solutions communities can rely on.

Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Planning

Reservoirs, conveyance pipelines, flood control structures, and water and wastewater treatment upgrades, can all require review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state laws, including the California Environmental Quality Act and Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act. To prepare complex environmental impact statements under NEPA and state equivalents, we bring together technical experts across disciplines to translate complex input into clear, defensible, actionable plans.

Municipal Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Planning

Municipalities work to anticipate future needs, meet regulatory requirements, and prioritize infrastructure investments for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. We help them assess their needs for local groundwater, surface water, storage, and alternative sources. We then identify sustainable supply opportunities; secure water rights, and plan investments that align with growth and climate-change pressures.