Integrated Water Resources Management

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Management of surface and groundwater resources is an increasingly important, yet complex task.  Competing uses for water include drinking water supply, hydroelectric power, commercial fishing, recreation, industry, agriculture, and waste disposal.  A complex array of regulations have been developed to balance competing uses and to protect the quantity, quality, and ecological resources of the nation’s water resources.  ENSR is a leader in water resources management, with expertise in integrating all the technical aspects as well as the regulatory and legal issues of water resources projects.

The range of ENSR’s water resources capabilities is unsurpassed.  Our capabilities in water resources studies include the design and implementation of large field data collection programs, data analysis and interpretation, computer modeling of water resource systems, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, engineering design, water resources permitting, and regulatory compliance.  ENSR has extensive experience in using this expertise for water supply studies, watershed management, and lake management studies.

ENSR’s capabilities and expertise are enhanced by our diverse laboratory capabilities.  This includes the operation and maintenance of a physical hydraulic laboratory with complete model fabrication shops and an aquatic toxicity laboratory with capabilities in routine testing and specialty studies.

Integrated Water Resources Management Project

ENSR evaluated a range of water supply options and permitted the use of POTW gray water for a power plant on the headwaters of the Charles River, MA. Given the sensitivity of the location, a full environmental impact assessment was performed and a site-specific instream flow was developed for the protection of habitat. In addition to a full range of biological and water quality assessments, this involved sophisticated estimation of historical stream flows and evaluation of potential water supply short-falls.  As part of the ongoing monitoring program, ENSR installed and for over 10 years has maintained a permanent gauging station – the only privately operated streamflow gauge in New England maintained to USGS standards. Due to recent drought conditions in the northeast, ENSR has recently been contracted by the facility to develop a backup water supply from a bedrock aquifer.

• Water Supply
• Watershed Management
• Lake and Reservoir Management
• Spring Source Water Supply Project
• Reedy River TMDL Project
• Lake Waco Project