Junior Geologist

Anchor QEA expands coal combustion residuals capabilities. June 18, 2026 - Anchor QEA Anchor QEA has expanded its coal combustion residuals (CCR) practice with the addition of three experienced technical professionals, new leadership roles and a broader strategic focus on helping the power and energy sector address evolving federal and state regulations, groundwater monitoring requirements and corrective action decisions. Known for technically complex work involving remediation, restoration, resilience and revitalization, Anchor QEA bolstered its CCR resources by adding Wayne Weber as a principal CCR subject matter expert, Kelly Ferri as a senior geologist, and Matt Barickman as a staff geochemist. With more than a decade of experience in the firm, Joe Smith has assumed a CCR program leadership role to drive support for utility clients grappling with compliance and groundwater remediation challenges. The expanded team reflects growing demand from utilities responding to the Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 CCR Rule, the 2024 Legacy Rule, and proposed revisions currently under consideration. Anchor QEA's CCR services include groundwater monitoring and modeling, alternative and geogenic source demonstrations, monitored natural attenuation evaluations, corrective measure assessments, pre-design investigations, field pilot studies and in situ treatment approaches. The move builds on a CCR program established at Anchor QEA by Jim Redwine and others, whose work helped position the firm as a recognized technical resource for complex groundwater and geochemical challenges associated with CCR sites. The expertise of Dimitri Vlassopoulos and Anchor QEA's environmental geochemistry laboratory in Portland, Oregon, continue to play a central role in the firm's national work involving investigation and remediation of arsenic, cobalt, lithium, molybdenum and other Appendix IV constituents; alternative source demonstrations; monitored natural attenuation; and in situ treatment evaluations. "Historically, Anchor QEA has focused primarily on technically challenging CCR work involving geochemistry, remediation strategy and corrective action evaluation," says Smith, who is based in the Mid-Atlantic region. "A big part of that work has been helping utilities better understand site conditions so they can make informed long-term groundwater management decisions. Often, the result is that our clients avoid remediation approaches that are far more intensive and expensive than necessary." Smith says evolving federal requirements and increased compliance obligations are creating demand for technical and regulatory expertise earlier in the CCR process. "As the regulatory environment evolves, utilities need better guidance throughout the broader compliance process," he says. "Adding these talented subject experts deepens and expands our ability to support clients across the full spectrum of CCR work." Weber, who holds professional licenses as both an engineer and a geologist, brings extensive experience supporting utilities and power cooperatives on CCR regulatory and compliance matters, including EPA enforcement and interpretation of evolving federal CCR requirements. He is based in the Midwest region. "In addition to a wealth of remediation experience, Wayne adds strategic regulatory insight that really complements our existing technical remediation expertise," says Smith. Ferri is a senior geologist and project manager with experience leading large, multi-site CCR monitoring and compliance programs for utilities across the Southeast, including program oversight for more than 26 units regulated under federal and state CCR programs. Her background also includes site assessment, groundwater remediation and regulatory reporting for coal ash impoundments and landfills. Based in the Mountain West region, Barickman is a geologist and geochemist with experience in CCR compliance, corrective action, groundwater monitoring, and monitored natural attenuation evaluations. His prior experience includes regulatory compliance and remediation projects involving CCR facilities and PFAS investigations. Several members of Anchor QEA's CCR team recently presented technical work at the 2026 World of Coal Ash Conference. Weber presented on geochemical modeling related to CCR groundwater evaluation, while Barickman discussed monitored natural attenuation evaluations for CCR contaminants. Other Anchor QEA presenters included managing geochemist Jason Stuckey, who presented on naturally occurring (geogenic) studies for various CCR constituents and senior managing geologist Chuck Pippin, who presented on pre-design investigations in fractured bedrock. About Anchor QEA Anchor QEA's mission is to transform its environment and communities, with integrity and vibe. Headquartered in Seattle, the firm has more than 25 offices in the U.S. and Canada. Services include engineering, environmental sciences, planning and restoration, and innovation and technology for public and private clients. Related insights. June 17, 2026 - By Joe Smith, PE, and Wayne Weber, PE, PG May 7, 2026 - Steven S. Brown, PhD

Cascade Orchard Irrigation Company Modernization Project: interview with Tim Walsh, COIC president. Supplying reliable irrigation to over 200 households, Cascade Orchard Irrigation Company (COIC) is a key piece of infrastructure for residents in the lower Icicle Valley. I sat down with Tim Walsh, President of COIC, to discuss the newly completed COIC Modernization Project. A lifelong advocate for salmon, Tim has been closely involved with the effort for the past decade and shared insights on the project's journey to support both people and the river. Q: Can you start by explaining what this project is all about, and what inspired it? A: The project is trying to do a couple of different things, including putting more water back into Icicle Creek - a primary goal of the Icicle Work Group. COIC has the oldest water rights on the Icicle, but the gravity fed irrigation system was very antiquated and required constant attention. It had its weaknesses in the sense that it diverted significantly more water than the shareholders were using. The goal for this project was to get water back into Icicle Creek to benefit the aquatic habitat, while simultaneously providing the shareholders of Cascade Orchard Irrigation System a better way to get water. The result is a more efficient pump-back, pressurized irrigation system that allows shareholders to continue using the water, while simultaneously retaining more water in the Icicle. A: Chelan County Natural Resource District (CCNRD) had been communicating with COIC for at least 15 years. Additionally, Daniel Wilkenson, a past COIC president, started conversations with Washington Water Trust (WWT) about the benefits of a project here. Those relationships were the catalyst for the project. Q: Who has been involved in making this project possible? A: WWT, COIC and Anchor QEA were the trifecta that gave the project traction, along with Strider Construction. There was a shareholder advisory group pulled together by WWT and Daniel Wilkenson - that's where I became involved with this project. Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board helped formulate a plan and a list of contingencies that Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board thought the shareholders would accept and put it to a vote. WWT was working with Anchor QEA for the preliminary design; Anchor ultimately designed the entire project. WWT was working from the water rights perspective of the whole thing. Ultimately, the groups that got Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board across the line were the Icicle Work Group and the CCNRD, executing the design via the contractor, Strider Construction. I don't think the project would have happened without CCNRD stepping in and managing it. Q: How does improving irrigation efficiency translate into more water in the stream for salmon? A: Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board is moving away from the mechanics of a gravity-fed system to gain irrigation efficiency and increase streamflow. In the previous system, water had to run all the time, even when people weren't using it. In a gravity-fed system, more water than is consumed must flow through to maintain water movement. If a shareholder needs one gallon of water, two gallons must be sent down the ditch, or the last person down the line gets nothing. In its case, Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board were diverting water from the Icicle into the Wenatchee River so that pipes along the ditch could divert that water to its shareholders. This effectively robbed the Icicle of unused water. With its new pump system, the amount of water drawn from the Icicle automatically adjusts to shareholder demand. So, less demand means less water needs to be taken out and what isn't used stays in the Icicle. Q: Have you seen any measurable changes in the river since the project began? A: It's been too short of a time frame to see any measurable change in habitat yet, but I think that Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board is a drop in a bigger bucket and there is a cumulative effort happening that just hasn't come true yet. However, thanks to this project, there are an additional 12 cfs* remaining in the Icicle River from the original diversion point, which Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board shared with Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, to where the new pump station draws water today. If Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board keep watching, I know Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board will eventually see more salmon, and habitat on the Icicle will benefit as a whole. *editor's note: Cubic feet per second (cfs) is a common way to describe water flow. It tells how many cubic feet of water pass a point each second. One cfs equals about 450 gallons per minute. Q: What kind of benefits are the residents seeing? A: The most amazing benefit is higher water pressure. With the gravity-fed system some homes got more water pressure than others and many shareholders had to pay for their own pump system just to get sufficient water. Now, Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board deliver pressurized water to everyone's parcel. Residents constantly tell Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board: "This is great - we have water!". Q: What has been the most rewarding part of this project? A: Finishing! Over 10 years ago Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board had a board meeting and talked about sending volunteers to meet with WWT and start this conversation. There were so many hurdles along the way that seemed impossible to clear. I've never been involved in something that took so long to come to fruition, so seeing it work today is pretty amazing. My message to any other entity thinking of a project like this is that both water users and habitat will come out ahead. It's a win-win. To learn more about this project, and other Icicle Work Group projects, check out their webpage!