SENIOR GEOLOGIST/HYDROGEOLOGIST ASSOCIATE
Stephen J. Baker, P.G., P.H. California and Washington Registered Geologist and Certified Hydrogeologist, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelors Degree in geology from The Ohio State University in 1979. His professional career took him immediately to the western United States where he worked in groundwater resource development and pollutant investigations in Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada and California.
He started his consulting firm, HydroSolutions of California, Incorporated in California in 1985 with a focus on pollution liabilities affecting real estate. During its 29 years of operation, Stephen completed over 400 projects. His projects varied from potential responsible party investigations to groundwater monitoring programs, site characterization of petroleum, solvents and metals, vapor extraction and bioremediation of soils, well head protection programs and aquifer analysis. He completed one of the only fractured rock aquifer studies in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California in 2016 that focused on supply vulnerability and a groundwater management approach that can be implemented where a self reliant, independent, and many time, difficult population resides.
In addition, Mr. Baker contributed to numerous state and national efforts to solve water related problems. He contributed in 1986-87 to the development of the pollution liability environmental disclosure policy for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. This program became one of the first approaches used by banks and real estate communities in the nation to even the playing field between small and large lenders. During the early 1990s, Mr. Baker became the founding Advisory Board Member of the Cooperative Solution Program and a Board of Director for the Institute of Environmental Solutions in California. HydroSolutions of California, Inc. worked as the environmental consulting firm of Governor Wilson’s first pilot project in Antioch, California. He is currently on the technical national advisory committee of the American Institute of Professional Geologists.
Mr Baker presented two workshops on environmental assessments and western U.S. groundwater supply and conveyance issues at Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University in Nanded, India in 2012. He also produced numerous water-related radio spots with citizens of India, Afghanistan, South Korea, Yemen, Vietnam and the Island of Tuvalu. His outreach utilizes radio, television and Internet news and articles in newspapers and magazines.
Mr. Baker’s public relations successes have been recognized through awards related to the American Institute of Professional Geologists Section Leadership Award 2015, Broadcaster Achievement Award for radio station KVMR in 2014 and 2017 and the National Groundwater Association special recognition award in 2012. He has produced 258 radio short segments for a radio series titled, “Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing”, produced numerous live round table discussions concerning relevant water topics on the radio, and appeared in local Sacramento News, KNCO, KLOVE, KAHI and Chico Public Radio. He has presented to the public topics including groundwater management, California water, fractured rock aquifer systems, climate change and moderated a public/stakeholder facilitation session for the American Ground Water Trust.
Mr. Baker offers a hydrogeologic expertise and a public engagement capacity for building public responsibility of water related projects. He combines his technical knowledge with his ability to build trust and responsibility with the public.
Feel free to contact us to discuss your project needs or to arrange a speaking engagement by one of our Associates for a professional training session, a technical conference, society meeting, or for a graduation ceremony or other function where the knowledge and experience of our Associates may be of interest to your group. For additional information regarding Mr. Baker, see his CV (more).
