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RMA has joined GEI Consultants as a wholly owned subsidiary. A leading consulting engineering firm, GEI provides multi-disciplined engineering and environmental services to a range of private and public sector clients, both domestically and abroad. For RMA, joining GEI is a perfect fit of shared values, technical expertise, and client service.

“For 50 years we have prided ourselves on being on the cutting edge of developing numerical models and software solutions to address environmental challenges. We are excited for our clients, employees, and partners as we embark on this next chapter for our firm.”

~John DeGeorge, President of RMA

July 24-27, 2023 – Davis, CA

HEC-ResSim WQ Enhancements
Presented by: John DeGeorge (RMA)

June 12-14, 2023 – Trento, Italy

Hatching distribution, abundance, and losses to freshwater diversions of longfin smelt inferred using hydrodynamic and particle-tracking models
Presented by: Ed Gross (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Wim Kimmerer, Josh Korman, Levi Lewis, Scott Burdick (RMA), Lenny Grimaldo

Predicting Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) Concentrations in the Northern San Francisco Estuary
Presented by: Scott Burdick-Yahya (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Ed Gross (RMA), Richard Rachiele (RMA), Rusty Holleman (RMA)

Title: Using Age Tracers to Estimate Ecological Rates in a Phytoplankton Model
Authors: E. Gross (RMA), R. Holleman (RMA), W. Kimmerer, S. Munger, S. Burdick (RMA), J. Durand

E. Gross (RMA), R. Holleman (RMA), W. Kimmerer, S. Munger, S. Burdick (RMA), J. Durand (2023). Using Age Tracers to Estimate Ecological Rates in a Phytoplankton Model, Water, Volume 15, Issue 11.

April 17-19, 2023 — Folsom, CA

Modeling and the Continuum Between Research and Application
Presented by: Rusty Holleman (UC Davis, RMA)
Supporting Authors: David Senn (SFEI), Lawrence Sim (SFEI), Allie King (SFEI), Pradeep Mugunthan (SFEI), Farid Karimpour (SFEI), Brian Bergamaschi (USGS), Tamara Kraus (USGS), Raphe Kudela (UCSC)

If You Could See Me Now: Implementation of the Central Valley Project Water Temperature Modeling Platform
Presented by: Tom Evans (RMA)
Supporting Authors: John DeGeorge (RMA)

Estimating Biogeochemical Rates by a Novel Tracer Approach
Presented by: Edward Gross (UC Davis, RMA)

Hatching distribution, abundance, and losses to freshwater diversions of longfin smelt inferred using hydrodynamic and particle-tracking models
Presented by: Edward Gross (UC Davis, RMA)

Conference website: 2023 CWEMF Annual Meeting

Title: Multi-year landscape-scale efficacy analysis of fluridone treatment of invasive submerged aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta
Authors: S. Khanna, J. W. Gaeta, E. Gross (RMA), J. L. Conrad

S. Khanna, J. W. Gaeta, E. Gross (RMA), J. L. Conrad (2023). Multi-year landscape-scale efficacy analysis of fluridone treatment of invasive submerged aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta, Biological Invasions, Volume 25, Issue 6.

Title: Freshwater Flow Affects Subsidies of a Copepod (Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) to Low Salinity Food Webs in the Upper San Francisco Estuary
Authors: J. Hassrick, J. Korman, W. Kimmerer, E. Gross (RMA), L. Grimaldo, C. Lee, A. Schultz

J. Hassrick, J. Korman, W. Kimmerer, E. Gross (RMA), L. Grimaldo, C. Lee, A. Schultz. (2023). Freshwater Flow Affects Subsidies of a Copepod (Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) to Low Salinity Food Webs in the Upper San Francisco Estuary, Estuaries and Coasts.

Title: Hatching distribution, abundance, and losses to freshwater diversions of longfin smelt inferred using hydrodynamic and particle-tracking models
Authors: E. Gross (RMA), W. Kimmerer, J. Korman, L. Lewis, S. Burdick (RMA), L. Grimaldo

E. Gross (RMA), W. Kimmerer, J. Korman, L. Lewis, S. Burdick (RMA), L. Grimaldo. (2022). Hatching distribution, abundance, and losses to freshwater diversions of longfin smelt inferred using hydrodynamic and particle-tracking models, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Volume 700: 179-196.

Title: Population Abundance and Diversion Losses in a Threatened Estuarine Pelagic Fish
Authors: W. Kimmerer, E. Gross (RMA)

W. Kimmerer, E. Gross (RMA). (2022). Population Abundance and Diversion Losses in a Threatened Estuarine Pelagic Fish, Estuaries and Coasts, Volume 45: 2728-2745.

April 4-6, 2022 — Folsom, CA

Design of the CVP Water Temperature Modeling Platform
Presented by: John DeGeorge (RMA)

Using Machine Learning to Predict Recovery Strategies for Delta Levee Failure Events
Presented by: Laurence Sanati (DWR) and Ryan Ripken (RMA)
Supporting Authors: John DeGeorge (RMA), Steve Andrews (RMA)

Protocols for Water and Environmental Modeling
Presented by: Rich Satkowski (CWEMF Member) and John DeGeorge (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Jamie Anderson (DWR), Will Anderson(CCWD), Mike Deas (Watercourse Engineering), Ben Geske (Delta Stewardship Council), Tariq Kadir (DWR), Josué Medellín-Azuara (UC Merced), George Nichol (SWRCB, ret.), Nicky Sandhu (DWR), Tad Slawecki (LimnoTech), Ali Taghavi (Woodard & Curran), Chuching Wang (MWD), Sujoy Roy, (Tetra Tech), Paul Hutton (Tetra Tech), Katherine Heidel (Tetra Tech), John Rath (Tetra Tech), and Arushi Sinha (Tetra Tech)

Hydrodynamic, Water Quality, and Ecological Impacts of Levee Breaches in Suisun Marsh
Presented by: Scott Burdick (RMA)
Supporting Authors: John Takekawa (Suisun Resources Conservation District), Richelle Tanner (Chapman U.)

Transport Pathways and Processes in the Northern Delta
Presented by: Steve Andrews (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Paul Stumpner (USGS), Jon Burau (USGS)

Conference website: 2022 CWEMF Annual Meeting

Title: Swimming behavior of emigrating Chinook Salmon smolts
Authors: R. Holleman (RMA), E. Gross (RMA), M. Thomas, A. Rypel, N. Fangue

R. Holleman (RMA), E. Gross (RMA), M. Thomas, A. Rypel, N. Fangue. (2022). Swimming behavior of emigrating Chinook Salmon smolts, PLoS ONE, Volume 17(3): e0263972.

Title: Development and Evaluation of a Chinook Salmon Smolt Swimming Behavior Model
Authors: E. Gross (RMA), R. Holleman (RMA), M. Thomas, N. Fangue, A. Rypel

E. Gross (RMA), R. Holleman (RMA), M. Thomas, N. Fangue, A. Rypel. (2021). Development and Evaluation of a Chinook Salmon Smolt Swimming Behavior Model, Water, Volume 13, Issue 20.

Title: Ecological Effects of Climate-Driven Salinity Variation in the San Francisco Estuary: Can We Anticipate and Manage the Coming Changes?
Authors: C. Ghalambor, E. Gross (RMA), et al.

C. Ghalambor, E. Gross (RMA), et al. (2021). Ecological Effects of Climate-Driven Salinity Variation in the San Francisco Estuary: Can We Anticipate and Manage the Coming Changes?, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, Volume 19, Issue 2, Article 3.

Title: Statistical Evaluation of Behavior and Population Dynamics Models that Predict Movement and Proportional Entrainment Loss of Adult Delta Smelt in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
Authors: J. Korman, E. Gross (RMA), L.Grimaldo

J. Korman, E. Gross (RMA), L.Grimaldo. (2021). Statistical Evaluation of Behavior and Population Dynamics Models that Predict Movement and Proportional Entrainment Loss of Adult Delta Smelt in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 2021, Volume 19, Issue 1, Article 1.

Title: Modeling Delta Smelt Distribution for Hypothesized Swimming Behaviors
Authors: E. Gross (RMA), J. Korman, L.Grimaldo, M. MacWilliams, A. Bever, P. Smith

E. Gross (RMA), J. Korman, L.Grimaldo, M. MacWilliams, A. Bever, P. Smith. (2021). Modeling Delta Smelt Distribution for Hypothesized Swimming Behaviors, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 2021, Volume 19, Issue 1, Article 3.

Invitation to develop new teaming partners to support software development services for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC).

RMA has received a Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC) from USACE to support software development services for HEC. This contract will support ongoing development of a wide range of HEC software products including HEC-HMS, HEC-ResSim, HEC-RAS, HEC-FDA, and the Corps Water Management System (CWMS). For more information on teaming opportunities, please visit Team Partners to Support Software Development Services for USACE.

Title: Source Water Apportionment of a River Network: Comparing Field Isotopes to Hydrodynamically Modeled Tracers
Authors: L. Tomkovic, E. Gross (RMA), B. Nakamoto, M. Fogel, C. Jeffres

L. Tomkovic, E. Gross (RMA), B. Nakamoto, M. Fogel, C. Jeffres. (2020). Source Water Apportionment of a River Network: Comparing Field Isotopes to Hydrodynamically Modeled Tracers, Water, Special Issue Tracer and Timescale Methods for Passive and Reactive Transport in Fluid Flows. Water 2020, 12(4), 1128.

Title: The Use of Stable Isotope-Based Water Age to Evaluate a Hydrodynamic Model
Authors: E. Gross (RMA), S. Andrews (RMA), B. Bergamaschi, B. Downing, R. Hollerman, S. Burdick (RMA), J. Durand

E. Gross (RMA), S. Andrews (RMA), B. Bergamaschi, B. Downing, R. Hollerman, S. Burdick (RMA), J. Durand. (2019). “The Use of Stable Isotope-Based Water Age to Evaluate a Hydrodynamic Model”, Water, Special Issue Tracer and Timescale Methods for Passive and Reactive Transport in Fluid Flows. Water 2019, 11, 2207.

RMA welcomes Penni Baker to the team as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer. Penni has an Associate degree from Cosumnes River College; a Programming Certificate from California State University, Sacramento; and, 45 years of experience working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hydrologic Engineering Center in various jobs, the last job was as an IT Specialist.

Title: Effects of Drought and the Emergency Drought Barrier on the Ecosystem of the California Delta
Authors: W. Kimmerer, F. Wilkerson, B. Downing, R. Dugdale, E.S. Gross (RMA), K. Kayfetz, S. Khanna, A.E. Parker, J. Thompson

W. Kimmerer, F. Wilkerson, B. Downing, R. Dugdale, E.S. Gross (RMA), K. Kayfetz, S. Khanna, A.E. Parker, J. Thompson. (2019). “Effects of Drought and the Emergency Drought Barrier on the Ecosystem of the California Delta”, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 17(3).

April 22-24, 2019 — Folsom, CA

Wetland Assessment and Drainage Modeling with HEC-RAS
Presented by: Steve Andrews (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Scott Burdick (RMA), John Takekawa (SRCD), Steve Chappell (SRCD), Robert Eddings (CWA), Cliff Feldheim (DWR)

Calibration of the 3D RMA San Francisco Estuary Model for Longfin Smelt Studies
Presented by: Scott Burdick
Supporting Authors: Edward S. Gross, Steve Andrews

Conference website: 2019 CWEMF Annual Meeting

Title: A Comparison of Outflow and Salt Intrusion in the Pre‑Development and Contemporary San Francisco Estuary
Authors: Gross, E. S. (RMA), P. H. Hutton, A. J. Draper

Gross, E. S. (RMA), P. H. Hutton, A. J. Draper. (2018). “A Comparison of Outflow and Salt Intrusion in the Pre‑Development and Contemporary San Francisco Estuary”, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 16(3). jmie_sfews_41354.

September 10-12, 2018 — Sacramento, CA

Anticipating and Communicating Regional Effects of Reconfiguration of Delta Geometry
Presented by: John DeGeorge
Supporting Authors: Steve Andrews, Stacie Grinbergs, Richard Rachiele

Modeling Water Age in the Upper San Francisco Estuary
Presented by: Steve Andrews
Supporting Authors: Ed Gross, Scott Burdick, Bryan Downing (USGS), Brian Bergamaschi (USGS)

Estimation of Adult Delta Smelt Distribution for Hypothesized Swimming Behaviors Using Hydrodynamic, Suspended Sediment, and Particle-Tracking Models
Presented by: Ed Gross
Supporting Author: Ben Saenz, Richard Rachiele, Josh Korman (Ecometric Research), Pete Smith (USGS retired), Lenny Grimaldo (ICF), Michaeal MacWilliams (AnchorQEA), Aaron Bever (AnchoreQEA)

Conference website: 10th Biennial Bay-Delta Science Conference

Caleb DeChant is now a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California. Congratulations Caleb!

June 22-28, 2018 — Chonqing, China

Development of an Integrated Water Quality Modeling Engine for HEC-RAS, HEC-RESSIM, AND HEC-HMS
Presented by: John DeGeorge
Supporting Author: Steve Andrews, Todd Steissberg (USACE-HEC), Zhonglong Zhang (Limnotech)

Conference website: 13th International Conference on Hydroscience & Engineering

Senior Software Developer Ryan Ripken earned his Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology, with a specialization in Computational Perception and Robotics. His program of study included Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning and Computer Vision.
We congratulate Ryan on his achievement as he looks forward to applying his newly acquired knowledge and experience to software development activities at RMA.

RMA welcomes Software Developer Cody McCoy to the team. Cody holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics from Point Loma Nazarene University and an Associate degree in Computer Programming from American River College.

We congratulate Chris Bradley, RMA’s IT Manager, on passing the Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate and CompTIA Linux+ tests.
Great work!

April 2-4, 2018 — Folsom, CA

Predicted and Observed Water Age in the Cache Slough Complex
Presented by: Ed Gross
Supporting Author: Steve Andrews

Hydraulic Modeling to Estimate Proportional Water Sources to the Lower Sacramento River
Presented by: Lisa Thompson (Regional San)
Supporting Authors: Marianne Guerin (RMA), Richard Rachiele (RMA), Donald J. Smith (RMA), Tim Mussen (Regional San), Justin Nordin (Regional San)

Conference website: 2018 CWEMF Annual Meeting

Title: Using an Isohaline Flux Analysis to Predict the Salt Content in an Unsteady Estuary
Authors: Rayson, M. D., E. S. Gross (RMA), R. D. Hetland, O. B. Fringer

Rayson, M.D., E. S. Gross (RMA), R. D. Hetland, O. B. Fringer, “Using an Isohaline Flux Analysis to Predict the Salt Content in an Unsteady Estuary”, Journal of Physical Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-16-0134.1, 2017.

Title: A three-dimensional numerical study of river plume mixing processes in Otsuchi Bay, Japan
Authors: Sasmal, K., E. Masunaga, A. Webb, O. B. Fringer, E. S. Gross (RMA), M. D. Rayson, H. Yamazaki

Sasmal, K., E. Masunaga, A. Webb, O. B. Fringer, E. S. Gross (RMA), M. D. Rayson, H. Yamazaki, “A three-dimensional numerical study of river plume mixing processes in Otsuchi Bay, Japan”, Journal of Oceanography, Japan. doi:/10.1007/s10872-017-0446-91-18, 2017.

Title: Modeling salt intrusion in the San Francisco Estuary prior to anthropogenic influence
Authors: Andrews, S.W. (RMA), E. S. Gross (RMA), P. H. Hutton

Andrews, S.W., E. S. Gross, P. H. Hutton, “Modeling salt intrusion in the San Francisco Estuary prior to anthropogenic influence”, Continental Shelf Research, 146, 58-81, 2017.

July 24-27, 2017 — Vacaville, CA

Bryan Gray, Rami Gasim and Joey Lewis taught a 4-day robotics class to children at The Leaven in Vacaville, an after-school mentoring and tutoring program for struggling neighborhoods. The children learned programming skills, inspiring them to get more involved in STEM.

The Reporter: Leaven youth learn to program robots

May 15-18, 2017 – Trento, Italy

Tides, Salinity, and Transport in the San Francisco Estuary
Presented by: Stephen Andrews
Supporting Authors: Ed Gross, John DeGeorge

Over-bank free-surface hydrodynamics in HEC-RAS 1D
Presented by: Ben Chacon

March 20-22, 2017 — Folsom, CA

Tides, Salinity, and Transport in the Pre-development San Francisco Estuary
Presented by: Steve Andrews
Supporting Authors: Ed Gross, John DeGeorge

The Influence of Estuarine Circulation on Recruitment from the Ocean to Low Salinity Zone Habitat
Presented by: Ed Gross

Conference website: 2017 CWEMF Annual Meeting

March 1-3, 2017 — Folsom, CA

Insights on Regional Effects of Tidal Marsh Restoration
Presented by: John DeGeorge

Conference website: 2017 IEP Annual Workshop

November 15-17, 2016 — Sacramento, CA

Evaluating Potential Swimming Behaviors of Adult Delta Smelt by Application of a Particle Tracking Model with Alternative Behavior Rules
Presented by: Ed Gross

Examining Hypothesized Delta Smelt Environmental Cues and Swimming Behaviors using an Agent-Based Model
Presented by: Ben Saenz

A Tale of Two Deltas: A Comparison of Transport Processes in the Historical and Contemporary Delta
Presented by: Jon Burau (USGS)
Supporting Author: John DeGeorge (RMA)

A New Dimension to Historical Ecology: Insights from a 3D Hydrodynamic Model of the Pre-Development Estuary
Presented by: Sam Safran (SFEI)
Supporting Author: Steve Andrews (RMA)

Effects of the Emergency Drought Barrier on the Transport of Zooplankton to Delta Smelt Habitat
Presented by: Wim Kimmerer (SFSU)
Supporting Authors: Ed Gross (RMA), Steve Andrews (RMA)

Conference website: 9th Biennial Bay-Delta Science Conference

We are very pleased to announce that USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center has released CWMS 3.0.1.  Many thanks to the RMA Development and QA teams who participated in this project: Shannon Larson, Mark Ackerman, Peter Morris, Andreas Christmann, Shannon Newbold, Rami Gasim, Scott Burdick, Kevin Smith, and Bryan Gray.

RMA welcomes Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer Bryan Gray to the team. Bryan is a 2010 graduate of CSU Sacramento with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.  In his spare time, Bryan continues to work with the FIRST Robotics Program, where he has volunteered for the past 12 years.

Title: A Water Balance Model to Estimate Flow Through the Old and Middle River Corridor
Authors: Andrews, S. W. (RMA), E. S. Gross (RMA), P. H. Hutton (MWD)

Andrews, S. W., E. S. Gross, P. H. Hutton. (2016). “A Water Balance Model to Estimate Flow Through the Old and Middle River Corridor”, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 14(2). jmie_sfews_31636.

RMA welcomes Junior Water Resources Specialist Scott Burdick to the team. Scott is a recent graduate of UC Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management with a focus on GIS and Python.

May 30- June 1, 2016 – Trento, Italy

New computational features of HEC-RAS for 1D and 2D free-surface hydrodynamics
Presented by: Ben Chacon

On May 5th, 2016 three of our programmers earned Programmer Certifications.

Congratulations to the following people for earning Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE8 Programmer I.

• Adam Korynta
• Ryan Miles
• Joshua DeGeorge

and to Adam Korynta for earning Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE8 Programmer II.

Great work!

We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Edward Gross has become a Principal of RMA along with Donald Smith, Richard Rachiele, and John DeGeorge. Dr. Gross has worked with RMA since 2011, taking a leading role in the development and application of multi-dimensional models for hydrodynamics, particle tracking, and transport analysis. He is recognized as an expert in estuarine physics and transport processes, particularly in the San Francisco Estuary, and often collaborates with faculty and researchers at Stanford University, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and other universities and research institutes.

April 11-13, 2016 — Folsom, CA

Synthesizing Data, Isotope Analyses and DSM2 Nutrient Model Output to Characterize Nutrient Transformations in the Delta
Presented by: Marianne Guerin
Supporting Authors: C. Kendall, S. Peek, and M. Young (USGS); E. Novick, R. Holleman, T. Jabusch, J. Sun, P. Trowbridge, and D. Senn (SFEI)

Delta Emergency Response Tool: Development and Operational Forecasting
Presented by: Jeremy Hill (DWR)
Supporting Authors: John DeGeorge (RMA) and Shankar Parvathinathan (MBK Engineers)

Recommendations for a Modeling Framework to Answer Nutrient Management Questions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Presented by: Mike Deas (Watercourse Engineering)
Supporting Authors: P.R. Trowbridge, E. Ateljevich, E. Danner, J. Domagalski, C. Enright, W. Fleenor, C. Foe, M. Guerin (RMA), D. Senn, and L. Thompson

Conference website: CWEMF Annual Meeting 2016

On April 11, 2016, at the California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum Annual Meeting, Marianne Guerin was presented with the Distinguished Life Membership Award.

“The California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum’s Distinguished Life Membership Award is given annually to active or past members who, through long and distinguished service, have made a major contribution to the CWEMF and to the California water and environmental modeling profession. The recipient must have been a CWEMF member for at least ten years (not necessarily in a row) and been a regular attendee at the CWEMF Steering Committee Meetings and/or Annual Meetings or have other significant contributions to the organization.”

We congratulate Marianne on receiving this much deserved award!

Title: Time scales in Galveston Bay: An unsteady estuary
Authors: Rayson, M. D., E. S. Gross (RMA), R. D. Hetland, and O. B. Fringer

Rayson, M. D., E. S. Gross, R. D. Hetland, and O. B. Fringer, “Time scales in Galveston Bay: An unsteady estuary”, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 121, doi:10.1002/2015JC011181, 2016.

RMA welcomes Software Quality Assurance Engineer Kevin Smith to the team. Kevin has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and over 10 years’ experience in software quality assurance and technical support.

Our office has moved to Davis! You can now find us at 1756 Picasso Avenue, Suite G in Davis. Our new phone number is 530-564-7043.

November 8-12, 2015 – Portland, Oregon

The influence of gravitational circulation on estuarine recruitment of negatively buoyant organisms
Presented by: Edward Gross, Wim Kimmerer and Rusty Holleman

October 14-16, 2015 — Oakley, California

Modeling Potential Impacts of Channel Barriers and Levee Failures on Delta Water Quality
Presented by: John DeGeorge
Supporting Authors: Richard Rachiele, Stacie Grinbergs, Steve Andrews

May 18-20, 2015 – Trento, Italy

Hydrodynamic and salinity changes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, 1850-present
Presented by: Stephen Andrews
Supporting Authors: Ed Gross, John DeGeorge

New computational features of HEC-RAS for 2D free-surface hydrodynamics
Presented by: Ben Chacon

RMA welcomes Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Developer Ryan Miles to the team. Ryan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Game and Simulation Programming.

March 21-22, 2015 — UC Davis Campus

The National Science Foundation in coordination with the Delta Stewardship Council and UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences sponsored the Integrated Modeling Workshop to explore ways to improve development and application of modeling for multipurpose management of estuarine systems, with emphasis on the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. At the workshop John DeGeorge demonstrated the DWR Delta-Emergency Response Tool (ERT) and USACE Corps Water Management System Control and Visualization Interface (CWMS-CAVI), two software applications developed by RMA. The Delta-ERT, developed for the California Department of Water Resources, provides rapid evaluation of potential impacts of levee failure events in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The US Army Corps of Engineers CWMS-CAVI facilitates integrated modeling for real-time water control operations including rainfall runoff, reservoir operations, river hydraulics, and flood consequence components.

Workshop website: Integrated Modeling for Adaptive Management of Estuarine Systems
Workshop

March 18-20, 2015 — Folsom, CA

Using Isotopes to Quantify Nitrate Versus Ammonium Contributions to Phytoplankton
Presented by: Carol Kendall (USGS)
Supporting Author: Steve Silva, Megan Young, Sara Peek, Tamara Krauss (USGS), Calla Schmidt (USF), Marianne Guerin (RMA), Alex Parker (CSUM), Will Stringfellow (LLNL)

Conference website: IEP 2015 Workshop

On March 9, 2015, at the California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum Annual Meeting, RMA’s president, Don Smith was presented with the Career Achievement Award.

“The California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum’s Career Achievement Award is given to individuals for significant contributions over their career in developing, using or promoting computer modeling to Analyze California’s water-related problems.”

We congratulate Don on receiving this much deserved award!

March 9-11, 2015 — Folsom, CA

3D Modeling Comparison of Salinity in the Historical and Contemporary Delta
Presented by: Steve Andrews
Supporting Author: Edward Gross and John DeGeorge

2014 Drought Forecast Modeling in 1, 2 and 3D
Presented by: John DeGeorge
Supporting Authors: Richard Rachiele, Stacie Grinbergs and Steve Andrews

Project updates: Characterizing and Quantifying Nutrient Sources, Sinks and Transformations in the Delta
Presented by: Marianne Guerin (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Carol Kendall and Megan Young (USGS), David Senn and Emil Novak (SFEI)

Conference website: CWEMF Annual Meeting 2015

February 10th – 12th, 2015 — Davis, CA
Peter Morris, Shannon Larson, Adam Korynta and John DeGeorge provided a three-day training class on the Corps Water Management System Report Generation Interface (CWMS-REGI).  The class included lectures and hands on workshops for gathering and organizing water control data, entering that data into the CWMS Oracle database and use of REGI for daily operations, reporting and operations support.  The class was attended by over 30 USACE District staff from across the country.

October 28-30, 2014 — Sacramento, CA

Development of a Three-Dimensional, Stratified Flow Model of the Natural Delta
Presented by: Stephen Andrews and John DeGeorge
Supporting Authors: Edward Gross and Stacie Grinbergs

Reducing Uncertainty in the Design of in-Delta Sampling Experiments Using Particle-Tracking Models
Presented by: Marianne Guerin (RMA)
Supporting Author: Tamara Krauss (USGS)

Individual Based Modeling of Juvenile Chinook Salmon
Presented by: Ed Gross
Supporting Authors: Michael MacWillimans (Delta Modeling Associates), Benjamin Saenz (RMA), Aaron Bever (Delta Modeling Associates)

Quantifying Nutrient Loads and Transformations in the Delta
Presented by: Emily Novick (SFEI)
Supporting Authors: David Senn (SFEI), Marianne Guerin (RMA), Carol Kendall (USGS), Megan Young (USGS), Anthony Malkassian (SFEI/ UCSC), Don Yee (SFEI)

Tracing Nitrate and Ammonium Dynamics within the San Joaquin- Sacramento River Confluence Region Using Stable Isotopes
Presented by: Megan Young (USGS)
Supporting Authors: Carol Kendall (USGS), Rachel Mixon (USGS), Marianne Guerin (RMA), Sara Peek (USGS), Alex Parker (California Maritime Academy)

Conference website: Bay-Delta Science Conference 2014

The USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center has released a new update of the HEC-RAS version 5.0 beta which includes: spatially varying Manning’s n values for 2D Flow Areas; velocity plotting for 1D and 2D areas; and improved hydraulic structure connections for 2D Flow Areas. The RAS2D computational engine was developed by Ben Chacon at RMA for HEC.

September 29th thru October 1st, 2014 — Fort Worth, TX
John DeGeorge and Mark Ackerman provided a two-day workshop on the new features of the USACE Corps Water Management System – Control and Visualization Interface (CWMS-CAVI) version 3.0. Attendees included staff from the Galveston, Fort Worth, Little Rock, and Tulsa District offices. This training workshop was set up to facilitate the national deployment of the CWMS system for real-time water control operations.

RMA welcomes Caleb DeChant to the team. Caleb comes to RMA with a strong academic and practical background in civil engineering, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and computer programming. He received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Portland State University in June 2014.

September 9-12, 2014 — San Francisco, CA

Delta Turbidity Forecasting Using the Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework (WARMF) and RMA11
Presented by: Mr. Scott Sheeder (Systech Water Resources) and Marianne Guerin (RMA)

August 18, 2014 — Davis, CA

Class Lecture: Introduction to 1D/2D Unsteady Flow River Hydraulics and Equations
Presented by: Ben Chacon

Software: HEC-RAS

RMA welcomes new Systems Administrator Christopher Bradley to the team. Chris brings nine years of IT experience and is a Certified Information Security Manager and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator.

June 1-5, 2014 – Portland, OR

Columbia River Treaty 2014/2024 – Integrating Numerical Models, HEC-WAT Plug-in Technology
Presented by: John DeGeorge (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Mark Ackerman (RMA), Penni Baker (USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center)

Columbia River Treaty 2014/2024 – Distributed Computing for HEC-WAT/FRA
Presented by: Ryan Ripken (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Joshua M. DeGeorge, John DeGeorge (RMA), Matthew J. Fleming, Penni Baker (USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center)

Columbia River Treaty 2014/2024 — Monte Carlo Simulation in HEC-WAT
Presented by: Beth Faber (USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center)
Conference Proceeding Lead Author: Ben Chacon (RMA)
Supporting Authors: John DeGeorge (RMA), Matthew Flemming (USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center)

Conference website: ASCE/EWRI World Environmental & Water Resources

RMA welcomes Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Developer Adam Korynta to the team. Adam is a recent UCLA graduate.

Title: Tidal migration of estuarine zooplankton investigated using a particle-tracking model
Authors: Kimmerer, W.J., Gross, E.S. (RMA), and MacWilliams, M.L.,

Kimmerer, W.J., Gross, E.S., and MacWilliams, M.L., “Tidal migration of estuarine zooplankton investigated using a particle-tracking model”, Limnography and Oceanography, 59(3), 901-916, 2014.

May 19-20, 2014 – Trento, Italy

Unstructured grid particle tracking model formulation and testing
Presented by: Edward Gross (RMA)
Supporting Authors: Gerard Ketefian (RMA), Guus Stelling (Delft)

Development and Calibration of the Historical Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Model
Presented by: Stephen Andrews
Supporting Authors: John DeGeorge, Ed Gross, Stacie Grinbergs

Subgrid Bathymetry Free-Surface Hydrodynamics in HEC-RAS
Presented by: Ben Chacon

RMA welcomes Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer / Developer, Deziree Dizon, to the team.

February 24-26, 2014 — Folsom, CA

Modeling seasonal nutrient transformations and losses in the Delta: Project findings on the effects of using time-and-space-varying DICU concentrations in DSM2 V8.1.2
Presented by: Marianne Guerin

Development of the 3D Natural Delta Model
Presented by: Stephen Andrews
Supporting Authors: John DeGeorge, Ed Gross, Stacie Grinbergs

Conference website: 2014 California Water and Environment Modeling

Title: Variation of fish habitat and extent of the low-salinity zone with freshwater flow in the San Francisco Estuary
Authors: Kimmerer, W.J., MacWilliams, M.L., and Gross, E.S. (RMA)

Kimmerer, W.J., MacWilliams, M.L., and Gross, E.S., “Variation of fish habitat and extent of the low-salinity zone with freshwater flow in the San Francisco Estuary”, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 11(4), 2013.

December 5, 2013 — RMA Office, Fairfield, CA

John DeGeorge led a discussion with local high school students on the application of computer programming in support of California water resources management, with special focus on visualization of hydrodynamic and water quality modeling of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Title: Mixing observations at a constricted channel of a semi-closed estuary: Tokyo Bay
Authors: Kokubu, Y., Yamazaki, H., Nagai, T., and Gross, E.S. (RMA)

Kokubu, Y., Yamazaki, H., Nagai, T., and Gross, E.S., “Mixing observations at a constricted channel of a semi-closed estuary: Tokyo Bay”, Continental Shelf Research, 69, 1-16, 2013.

September 5, 2013 — Anaheim, CA

Real-Time Modeling Tool Developed for DWR’s Delta Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response and Recovery Program
Presented by: John DeGeorge (RMA) and Jeff Twitchell (GEI)
Supporting Authors: Martin McCann, Jr. (Jack R. Benjamin & Associates, Inc.), Dustin Jones, (CA Department of Water Resources)

Conference website: 2013 Floodplain Management Conference

July 22, 2013

An Overview of Delta Hydrodynamics and Transport
Presented by: John DeGeorge

Title: Hydrodynamic Simulation of Circulation and Residence Time in Clifton Court Forebay
Authors: MacWilliams, M.L., and Gross, E.S. (RMA)

MacWilliams, M.L., and Gross, E.S., “Hydrodynamic Simulation of Circulation and Residence Time in Clifton Court Forebay”, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 11(2), 2013.

May 27-29, 2013 — Trento, Italy

Analysis of a Proposed Operable Barrier for Salinity Control in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Presented by: Stephen Andrews
Supporting Authors: Stacie Grinbergs, Richard Rachiele, John DeGeorge, Ed Gross, Marianne Guerin

Comparison of Diffusion Wave and Shallow Water Equation Simulation of Free-Surface Hydrodynamics in HEC-RAS
Presented by: Ben Chacon

Title: Characterization of the Microcystis bloom and its nitrogen supply in San Francisco Estuary using stable isotopes
Authors: P. W. Lehman, C. Kendall, M. A. Guerin (RMA), M. B. Young, S. R. Silva, G. L. Boyer and S. J. Teh

P. W. Lehman, C. Kendall, M. A. Guerin, M. B. Young, S. R. Silva, G. L. Boyer and S. J. Teh. In press. Characterization of the Microcystis bloom and its nitrogen supply in San Francisco Estuary using stable isotopes. Estuaries and Coasts. DOI: 10.1007/s12237-014-9811-8

March 6, 2013

An RMA Animation Tool for Visualizing QUAL Model Output
Presented by: Marianne Guerin and Richard Rachiele

Presentation PDF: Animation Tool for Visualizing QUAL

Marianne Guerin of RMA has completed her two-year tenure as Convener of the California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum. As Convener, Marianne worked at re-invigorating CWEMF after a slide in participation during the Great Recession of 2008. By sponsoring half-day “Hot Topics” seminars that presented a factual review of controversial topics, CWEMF regained footing as an impartial forum for educating the modeling community. Now as Past-Convener, she provides mentoring to the new Convener, Ben Bray with EBMUD. Thanks Marianne for your hard work for CWEMF!

Evaluating Productivity Potential for Prospect Island Restoration Alternatives Using Particle Tracking Methods
Presented by: Stephen Andrews
Supporting Authors: Richard Rachiele, John DeGeorge

A New Regression Relationship of X2 with Delta Outflow
Presented by: Ed Gross
Supporting Authors: Gerard Katefian

How Good Is My Model? Assessing Model Skill in a Regulatory Environment
Presented by: Marianne Guerin

January 17, 2013 — Sacramento, CA

Recent Projects Modeling Local and Regional Impacts of Tidal Marsh Restoration
Presented by: John DeGeorge
Supporting Authors: Donald Smith, Richard Rachiele, Edward Gross, Stacie Grinbergs, Marianne Guerin, Stephen Andrews

November 13-14, 2012 —Sacramento, CA

Modeling is for Developing Insights
Invited panel members included: Jon Burau (USGS), John DeGeorge (RMA), John Durand (UC Davis), Greg Gartrell (CCWD), Marianne Guerin (CWEMF), Jay Lund (UC Davis), Pete Smith (USGS – ret.), William Smith (MWH), Mark Stacy (UCB), Staff — Chris Enright (DSC)