Eric Reichard
Biography
Eric Reichard is the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey California Water Science Center (USGS-CAWSC). The USGS-CAWSC, which partners with state, local, and federal agencies, provides impartial hydrologic data and scientific analyses to address California’s water issues.
Prior to assuming his current position in 2009, Reichard served as a Program Chief and Research Hydrologist for the USGS. He has led projects addressing a variety of hydrologic issues, including groundwater – surface-water management and seawater intrusion. He received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Rochester, and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Hydrogeology from Stanford University.
Science and Products
Geohydrologic Study of the Central and West Coast Basins of Los Angeles County
Using the new information, along with the recently acquired seismic reflection data, USGS scientists and co-workers have been able to develop a much more detailed understanding of the stratigraphy and structure of the Central and West Coast Basins.
Santa Rosa Plain
The Santa Rosa Plain, home to approximately half of the population of Sonoma County, faces growth in population and demand for water. Water supply is provided by a combination of ground water and water delivered via aqueduct from the Russian River.
Saltwater intrusion in coastal regions of North America
Saltwater has intruded into many of the coastal aquifers of the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but the extent of saltwater intrusion varies widely among localities and hydrogeologic settings. In many instances, the area contaminated by saltwater is limited to small parts of an aquifer and to specific wells and has had little or no effect on...
Barlow, Paul M.; Reichard, Eric G. Emergency use of groundwater as a backup supply: Quantifying hydraulic impacts and economic benefits
Groundwater can play an important role in water‐supply emergency planning. A framework is presented for assessing the hydraulic impacts and associated costs of using groundwater as a backup supply when imported‐water deliveries are disrupted, and for quantifying the emergency benefits of groundwater management strategies that enable better...
Reichard, Eric G.; Li, Zhen; Hermans, Caroline
Sample collection of ash and burned soils from the October 2007 southern California Wildfires
Between November 2 through 9, 2007 scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected samples of ash and burned soils from 28 sites in six areas burned as a result of the Southern California wildfires of October 2007, including the Harris, Witch, Santiago, Ammo, Canyon, and Grass Valley Fires. The primary goal of this sampling and...
Hoefen, Todd M.; Kokaly, Raymond F.; Martin, Deborah A.; Rochester, Carlton J.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Mendez, Greg; Reichard, Eric G.; Fisher, Robert N. Comparison of groundwater flow in Southern California coastal aquifers
Development of the coastal aquifer systems of Southern California has resulted in overdraft, changes in streamflow, seawater intrusion, land subsidence, increased vertical flow between aquifers, and a redirection of regional flow toward pumping centers. These water-management challenges can be more effectively addressed by incorporating new...
Hanson, Randall T.; Izbicki, John A.; Reichard, Eric G.; Edwards, Brian D.; Land, Michael; Martin, Peter Characteristics of Southern California coastal aquifer systems
Most groundwater produced within coastal Southern California occurs within three main types of siliciclastic basins: (1) deep (>600 m), elongate basins of the Transverse Ranges Physiographic Province, where basin axes and related fluvial systems strike parallel to tectonic structure, (2) deep (>6000 m), broad basins of the Los Angeles and...
Edwards, B.D.; Hanson, R.T.; Reichard, E.G.; Johnson, T.A. Stratigraphic controls on saltwater intrusion in the Dominguez Gap area of coastal Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Basin is a densely populated coastal area that significantly depends on groundwater. A part of this groundwater supply is at risk from saltwater intrusion-the impetus for this study. High-resolution seismic-reflection data collected from the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor Complex have been combined with borehole geophysical and...
Edwards, Brian D.; Ehman, Kenneth D.; Ponti, Daniel J.; Reichard, Eric G.; Tinsley, John; Rosenbauer, Robert J.; Land, Michael T. Stratigraphic controls on seawater intrusion and implications for groundwater management, Dominguez Gap area of Los Angeles, California, USA
Groundwater pumping has led to extensive water-level declines and seawater intrusion in coastal Los Angeles, California (USA). A SUTRA-based solute-transport model was developed to test the hydraulic implications of a sequence-stratigraphic model of the Dominguez Gap area and to assess the effects of water-management scenarios. The model is two-...
Nishikawa, Tracy; Siade, Adam J.; Reichard, Eric G.; Ponti, Daniel J.; Canales, A.G.; Johnson, T.A. Space geodetic observation of expansion of the San Gabriel Valley, California, aquifer system, during heavy rainfall in winter 2004-2005
Starting early in 2005, the positions of GPS stations in the San Gabriel valley region of southern California showed statistically significant departures from their previous behavior. Station LONG moved up by about 47 mm, and nearby stations moved away from LONG by about 10 mm. These changes began during an extremely rainy season in southern...
King, N.E.; Argus, D.; Langbein, J.; Agnew, D.C.; Bawden, G.; Dollar, R.S.; Liu, Z.; Galloway, D.; Reichard, E.; Yong, A.; Webb, F.H.; Bock, Y.; Stark, K.; Barseghian, D. Hydrogeologic framework refinement, ground-water flow and storage, water-chemistry analyses, and water-budget components of the Yuma area, southwestern Arizona and southeastern California
The ground-water and surface-water system in the Yuma area in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California is managed intensely to meet water-delivery requirements of customers in the United States, to manage high ground-water levels in the valleys, and to maintain treaty-mandated water-quality and quantity requirements of Mexico. The...
Dickinson, Jesse E.; Land, Michael; Faunt, Claudia C.; Leake, S.A.; Reichard, Eric G.; Fleming, John B.; Pool, D.R. Geohydrology and water-chemistry of the Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
This study of the geohydrology and water chemistry of the Alexander Valley, California, was done to provide an improved scientific basis for addressing emerging water-management issues, including potential increases in water demand and changes in flows in the Russian River. The study tasks included (1) evaluation of existing geohydrological,...
Metzger, Loren F.; Farrar, Christopher D.; Koczot, Kathryn M.; Reichard, Eric G. Geohydrological characterization, water-chemistry, and ground-water flow simulation model of the Sonoma Valley area, Sonoma County, California
The Sonoma Valley, located about 30 miles north of San Francisco, is one of several basins in Sonoma County that use a combination of ground water and water delivered from the Russian River for supply. Over the past 30 years, Sonoma Valley has experienced rapid population growth and land-use changes. In particular, there has been a significant...
Farrar, Christopher D.; Metzger, Loren F.; Nishikawa, Tracy; Koczot, Kathryn M.; Reichard, Eric G.; Langenheim, Victoria E. Geological, hydrological, and biological issues related to the proposed development of a park at the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco, Los Angeles County, California
A new park is being considered for the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles County, California. Components of the park development may include creation of a temporary lake on the Los Angeles River, removal of channel lining along part of the Arroyo Seco, restoration of native plants, creation of walking paths, and...
Land, Michael; Trenham, Peter C.; Ponti, Daniel J.; Reichard, Eric G.; Tinsley, John C.; Warrick, Jonathan A.; Meyer, Robert W.