SENIOR GEOLOGIST/HYDROGEOLOGIST ASSOCIATE
Nevada City, California
Email: stevebaker@operationunite.co
Education
Bachelors Degree, Geology, (1979) – The Ohio State University
Professional Licenses
Registered Geologist, California, RG No. 4354
Certified Hydrogeologist, California, CHG No. 181
Registered Geologist, Washington, RG No. 2950
Certified Hydrogeologist, Washington, No. 2950
Professional Experience
Founder, Operation Unite® Initiative, 2010-Present
Developed a public relation initiative that brings people together to solve water problems. Remedies are placed in communities through outreach programs. Mr. Baker completed a 10-year fractured rock aquifer study in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains, developed the Know Your Water® program, Neighborhood Water Alliance program, the Operation Unite® Groundwater Sustainability Outreach program and the Operation Unite® Public Facilitation program. All programs are designed to facilitate adaptability, resourcefulness, collaboration and a greater knowledge about water in rural residential and agricultural communities by managing their own groundwater resource. Resource industries also use selected outreach programs to respond to community concerns related to water availability, water quality and water rights. Mr. Baker also created and contributes to Operation Unite’s Living Water® programming. Selected public facilitation programs focus on encouraging water conservation, reuse and recycling in urban and suburban areas.
Principal, HydroSolutions of California, Inc. 1985-2014
Founded HydroSolutions of California, Inc. (HSCI) in 1985 as a high tech environmental consulting company involved in the assessment and control of pollution liabilities. In addition to the duties as president of HSCI, Mr. Baker managed approximately 400 projects of the firm. Potential responsible party investigations, groundwater monitoring programs, site characterization of petroleum, solvents and metals, vapor extraction and bioremediation of soils, well head protection programs and aquifer analysis were some project objectives performed by Mr. Baker. Mr. Baker also supported the company by participating in the community development program of over three hundred presentations, workshops, classes and seminars.
Mr. Baker has been asked to join 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 California Governor Wilson’s first pilot project in Antioch, California. HydroSolutions of California, Inc. contributed as a team member alongside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory, the California Department of Toxic Substance Control, California Regional Water Quality Control District, the lender and the property developer. The pilot project was a cooperative effort to return a blighted cannery property located in Antioch, California to a productive part of the community. Environmental issues included hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide soil gas issues, petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in both subsurface sediment and groundwater. The site is located adjacent the San Joaquin River.
Historic Professional Experience
President, HydroSolutions of California, 1985-2014
Senior Staff Hydrogeologist, Woodward-Clyde Consultants 1984-1985
Staff Hydrogeologist, J.H. Kleinfelders & Associates, Inc. 1984
Staff Hydrogeologist, The Earth Technology Corporation 1984
Staff Geologist, Willard-Owens, Associates 1980-1983
Selected Speaking Engagements
California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum, 2019 Annual Meeting, “Where the Rubber Meets the Road.”
American Ground Water Trust Annual Conference, 2019, “Groundwater Management in Fractured Rock Aquifers Serving Rural Neighborhoods, Vineyards, Farms and Ranches.”
The Seminar Group, 2019, “Managing Groundwater for Cannabis Cultivation.”
American Institute of Professional Geologists, University of California Davis Student Chapter, 2018, “A Geologist Personal Journey.”
American Ground Water Trust, 2018, Moderator
Auburn Democrats, 2018, “A Catalyst to solving California’s Water Divide.”
The Water Values Podcast, 2017, “Spreading Groundwater Knowledge.”
The Seminar Group, 2017, “Managing Groundwater for Cannabis Cultivation.”
Amador County, 2017, “The Know Your Water Program.”
Stanislaus County Water Advisory Committee, 2017, “Fruit for Thought.”
Eldorado County, 2016, “The Know Your Water Program.”
Nevada County Board of Realtors, 2016, “The Know Your Water Program.”
KVMR, 2016, Live radio round table discussing California water issues with the Democratic, Republican and Tea Parties.
Nevada County Democratic Party, 2016, “A Political Party Platform.”
Nevada County Board of Realtors, 2016, “Plan Your Water Future: Hands-on with the Experts.”
KVMR, 2015, “Nevada County Community Water Forum”, live audience and broadcast.
KVMR, 2015, “What happens if too many wells go dry in the community?”, roundtable discussion live broadcast.
KVMR, 2015, “The consequences of a community losing its groundwater resource.”, roundtable discussion live broadcast.
KLOVE, 2015, “Speaking on Drought in the West.”
NCTV, 2015, “Farmers Market in Grass Valley”, live television broadcast.
Lorman Educational, 2006, “Effects of Climate Change On Development, Infrastructure, Water Resources Management And Business Opportunities In California”, San Francisco, California.
University of California Extension, 1988, “Hazardous Material Underground Storage Tanks”, Riverside, California.
Commercial Industrial Developers Associations”, 1988, “Pollution Liabilities Affecting Real Estate.”
Achievements & Other Contributions
Elected 2019 National Executive Committee member for the American Institute of Professional Geologist.
American Institute of Professional Geologists Section Leadership Award 2015. The AIPG Section Leadership Award is to recognize one or more of its members who have demonstrated a long-term commitment and have been long-term contributors to AIPG at the section level.
Completed a 10-year fractured groundwater study in Placer and Nevada counties, presented to numerous industry, governmental and non-profit groups in California.
Broadcaster Achievement Award, December 2014. In-depth coverage of water and drought issues, policy and procedures during the worst drought impacting California.
Lecturer and Media programming, January-February 2013, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, India. Presented two lectures; the western U.S. permit exempt well issue and the California Delta vs conveyance issue, book reviewed two water resource books on India and interviewed people of India, Afghanistan, South Korea, Tuvalu, Yemen and Vietnam.
National Groundwater Association, 2012 Special Recognition Award; individual that demonstrates dedication, service, and commitment to the groundwater industry and community through involvement and achievement on a local or regional level.
Appointed by Board of Supervisor Terry Lamphier to the Nevada County, California Sewage Disposal Technical Advisory Group in 2012.
Support development of the hydrogeologist exams for the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists, 2012.
Mr. Baker obtained a special variance to the Nevada County Land Use & Development Code Chapter L-X 1.6 for authorized performance of well and spring yield tests.
Completion of 40 hour Hazardous Waste Site Operations Course designated to comply with Federal OSHA Interim Final Rule 29 CFR 1910.1120.
Completion of eight hour Health & Safety Training for supervisors of hazardous waste workers to comply with Federal OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.120(e)(4).
Federal Home Loan Bank Board, 1987. Member, “Environmental Risk Task Force”, of the California Savings and Loan League. Scope of involvement is the development of an alert bulletin and R-Memorandum.
Colorado Department of Health and American Institute of Professional Geologists, 1984. Committee member for providing technical support for the development of state groundwater quality regulations.
National Groundwater Association, Member, “Pres Corp Educators”, group for educating the news media on subsurface pollution related issues. Sponsored by the Association of Groundwater Scientists & Engineers.
Institute of Environmental Solutions, 1990s. Founding Advisory Board Director for the Cooperative Solution representing environmental remedial loan review.
University of California, Davis, University Extension, 1990. Instructor for Environmental Hazardous Management Program certificate program.
Technical Conferences & Seminars Attendance
Conference on, ”Managing Aquifers for Sustainability, Protection, Restoration, Replenishment and Water Reuse”, September 2004, Groundwater Resource Association
Conference on, ”Fractured Rock Conference: State of the Science and Measuring Success in Remediation”, September 2004, National Groundwater Association
Workshop on, ”Isotopic and Hydrogeological Characterization of Fractured Rock Settings: Current & Novel Approaches”, November 2003, National Groundwater Association
Workshop on, ”Computer Modeling of Natural Attenuation & Bioremediation Systems”, December 2000, National Groundwater Association
Short Course on, “DNAPLs in Fractured Geologic Media: Monitoring, Remediation & Natural Attenuation”, December 1999, National Groundwater Association
Conference on, ” Western U.S. Mining-Impacted Watersheds: Joint Conference on Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment Technologies”, October 1998, U.S. EPA
Workshop on, “Groundwater Management 95”, February 1995, POWER
Workshop on,” Wellhead Protection Programs: Tools for Local Governments”, June 1990, United States Environmental Protection Agency
Workshop on, ”Analysis and Design of Aquifer Tests”, March 1989, National Groundwater Association
