Mike Thornhill’s Resume

Mike Thornhill

Professional Experience

1998 - Present Consulting Hydrogeologist, President
Thornhill Group, Inc.
(formerly Thornhill & Associates)
Round Rock, Texas
1989 - 1998 Consulting Geologist - Hydrologist,
R.W. Harden & Associates, Inc.
Austin, Texas
1985 - 1989 Graduate Research Geologist,
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma

Education

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE, 1986

Major: Geology Secondary Emphasis: Business

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE, 1990

Major: Geology Emphasis: Hydrogeology

Professional Licenses and Certification

Licensed Professional Geoscientist, Geology, Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) – License No. 858

Registered Professional Geologist, State of Tennessee Geology Registration Section – I.D. Number 5027

Certified Professional Geologist, American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) – CPG No. 9545

Professional Affiliations

American Institute of Professional Geologists

Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers

National Ground Water Association

Texas Ground Water Association

Texas Water Conservation Association

Austin Geological Society

Texas Mining Reclamation Association

Publications, Presentations and Reports

"Depressurization: A Case Study in Fault and Artesian/Water-Table Interactions", in Toxic Substances and the Hydrologic Sciences, proceedings of the 1994 Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Hydrology, April, 1994.

"Hydrogeology and Karst of a New Town: Case Study of Sun City-Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas", in Urban Karst: Geologic Excursions in Travis and Williamson Counties, Texas, Austin Geological Society Guidebook 16, April, 1996.

"River Authorities and Ground-Water Resources", presentation to CLE International Texas Water Law Conference, Houston, Texas, May, 2002.

Numerous consulting reports (listing available upon request).

Specialized Training/Classes

Subsurface and Ground Water Modeling, Superfund University Training Institute, Environmental Protection Agency Course

Texas Water Law Conference, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2003 Continuing Legal Education International (CLE) Conference

Experience Highlights

  • Holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in geology from Oklahoma State University, where he specialized in hydrogeology and studied directly under former department chairman Dr. Wayne Pettyjohn, who is recognized as one of the finest hydrogeologists and instructors in the United States.
  • Has provided professional ground water consulting services in numerous projects across Texas and in several other states. With more than 16 years consulting experience, has conducted numerous projects relating to geology and hydrogeology, particularly as related to the occurrence, movement, quality, availability and protection of ground water and water resources. Clients have included municipalities, law firms, mines and quarries, municipal utility districts, engineering firms, developers, industries, bottled water companies, ground-water conservation districts, water marketers and private landowners.

Examples of types of work include:

  • Aquifer and Water Availability Assessments
    • Experience throughout most of Texas includes all major and many minor aquifers in the State, including extensive experience in the Carrizo and Wilcox (Simsboro and Calvert Bluff), Edwards-Balcones Fault Zone, Edwards-Trinity Plateau, Trinity (Antlers and Twin Mountain), Hueco Bolson, Rio Grande Alluvium, High Plains (Ogallala), Sparta, Queen City and Gulf Coast aquifers.
    • Conducted extensive water availability investigations for large potential supplies from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Central Texas and East Texas areas.
    • Conducted ground-water availability assessments for Carrizo-Wilcox, Sparta and Queen City aquifers in East Texas.
    • Conducted ground-water availability assessments for portions of the Gulf Coast and Brazos River Alluvium aquifers in Southeast Texas.
    • Has conducted investigations in the Colorado River Alluvium aquifer in Travis and Bastrop counties including ground-water availability, well field siting studies, drilling and testing, municipal well completion and evaluations of hydrologic connection between the river and the aquifer.
    • Assessments for municipal, irrigation and industrial supplies, as well as assessments for marketing of available supplies.
    • Availability assessments and well-siting investigations for several wells in the Colorado River Alluvium in Travis County to obtain a new supply of more than 4 million gallons per day.
    • Assessments for feasibility and applications for Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) projects, and for ground-water supplies to supply a seven (7) million gallon per day reverse osmosis (RO) plant.
  • Well and Well-Field Evaluations and Design
    • Evaluations and planning with respect to existing or potential wells and well fields in several aquifers with wells ranging from 50 to 3,500 feet deep, and well capacities ranging from 10 to 3,000 gallons per minute in numerous aquifers.
    • Aquifer testing and analysis, modeling and well efficiency evaluations.
    • Assisting project engineers in well design, specification preparation, bidding and contractor selection and inspection of drilling, construction, completion and testing procedures.
    • Monitoring programs to evaluate historic production characteristics of wells and to monitor aquifer water levels and water quality.
    • Conducting and assisting project engineers in developing and conducting well treatment and rehabilitation to remedy physical, chemical and biological fouling.
  • Ground-Water Quality and Contamination Assessments
    • Designing and implementing monitoring programs including drilling, monitor well completion, sampling and interpretation of laboratory results.
    • Sites include landfills, mines and quarries, oil field brines, and petroleum spills.
    • Injection well mechanical integrity.
    • Experienced in assessing background aquifer conditions.
    • Piper, Stiff, pattern and other diagrammatic and statistical methods.
    • Experience with solute transport modeling.
  • Computer Modeling
    • Computer calculations and ground-water flow modeling such as IMAGEW-1, PLASM, and MODFLOW, and solute transport modeling including Randomwalk and Plume.
    • Working knowledge of CAD and GIS software and applications.
  • Expert Witness Services
    • Expert witness testimony and investigations for plaintiffs and defendants, including cases involving hydrogeology, well construction, contamination, dewatering, water value and hydrologic impacts.
    • Expert witness for Circle C in Circle C vs. City of Austin (SOS), relating to the surface and subsurface hydrogeology within the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District.
    • Expert witness for Perrier (Ozarka) in Sipriano et al. vs. Ozarka (Texas Supreme Court) "Rule of Capture" case.
    • Technical consultation and expert witness services for regulated activities including land application of treated effluent in the Barton Creek watershed and other watersheds, and contested CCN applications.
  • Depressurization and Dewatering Design, Implementation and Monitoring
    • Planning, implementation, operations oversight and monitoring of depressurization/dewatering systems associated with lignite mining operations.
    • Assisted project engineers in design, and conducted field inspection of completion of wells and well fields pumping up to 2,000 gpm and 14 mgd, respectively.
    • Conducted investigations to determine probable hydrologic consequences of depressurization and dewatering operations. Additionally, assisted mine personnel in designing and conducting monitoring programs.
    • Monitoring and data collection systems for operations and State submittals.
  • Regulatory, Permitting and Other Submittals to State/Local Agencies
    • Compiled applicable portions of permit applications and compliance submittals for lignite mines – Railroad Commission of Texas.
    • Assisted project engineers in obtaining approval for construction and usage of water wells for public water systems – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (Water Utilities Division).
    • Conducted and supervised hydrogeologic assessment, monitoring plans and results – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (Municipal Solid Waste Division).
    • Spring water approvals – Texas Department of Health and United States Food and Drug Administration.
    • Edwards Aquifer geologic assessments – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (Edwards Program).
    • Permit application submittals and other documentation for the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District.
    • Technical and expert support regarding wastewater irrigation discharge applications in the Barton Springs contributing zone – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
  • Hydrogeologic Investigations for Mining and Industrial Sites
    • Exploration, permitting and compliance, dewatering/depressurization, probable hydrologic consequences and mitigation services for lignite mines in Texas and Mississippi.
    • Permitting, water supply and probable hydrologic consequences investigations for limestone and gravel quarries in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties.
    • Mechanical integrity and hydrogeologic investigation for injection wells associated with uranium mining.
    • Hydrogeologic assessments and water-quality monitoring and evaluations associated with municipal solid waste landfills and industrial operations.
  • Geologic and Hydrogeologic Assessments
    • Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and karst assessments.
    • Surface and subsurface assessments of soils and geology relating to development properties and potential recharge features.
    • Geologic and hydrogeogeologic characterization investigations for landfills, land application of wastewater, composting sites and others.
    • Lignite drilling, coring, coal quality sampling and analyses.
    • Geophysical log interpretations.
  • Spring and Bottled Water Source Assessments and Development
    • Hydrogeologic assessments and facilities design for several spring water and bottled water companies in Texas.
    • Provides consulting services to Nestlé Waters North America (formerly Perrier Group of America) for all spring-water sites in Texas (Ozarka, Aberfoyle).
    • Evaluated major springs in Texas, Florida, Georgia, California and Alabama.
  • Field Investigations
    • Designed, conducted and managed numerous field programs for collecting geologic and hydrologic information.
    • Well inventory, drilling, aquifer testing, sampling and geologic mapping.
  • Presentations and Public Forums
    • Published and unpublished presentations to professional societies including the American Institute of Hydrology, American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) International.
    • Presentations of proposals and project status to city councils, county commissioners, and public audiences.
    • Participation in advisory groups including county appointed groups and private business groups.