​Water is a major component of most natural resources management challenges, especially in the water-limited west. Headwaters understands the unique challenges of managing water in supply-limited environments with a wide range of competing water demands. We believe robust planning and meaningful collaboration are crucial to sustainable water management. Our surface and groundwater hydrologists, planners and engineers excel at planning, permitting, design, implementation, and operation of complex water conservation and supply projects. 

Feature projects:

• PRRIP Water Plan Implementation
• City of Aspen, Colorado, water needs study
• Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) SEIS

Our core competencies include:

• Water supply planning and management at local, county, regional, and statewide levels, including demand forecasting and needs assessment.
• Integrated modeling of physical river systems and operational networks of agricultural, hydropower, and M&I infrastructure for multi-purpose uses employing StateMod, MODSIM, STELLA, and the COHYST models for Nebraska.
• Alternatives screening, operations planning, and effects analyses for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance of regional water supply projects.
• Planning, development, and implementation of water projects for Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance in highly-managed river systems, including groundwater recharge and recapture, re-timing of streamflows using off-channel storage, and leasing from agricultural users. 
• Engineering and hydrologic technical support for Colorado water rights change of use cases, augmentation plans, and substitute water supply plans.
• Historical consumptive use modeling including StateCU, including the  Colorado Decision Support Systems (DSS) databases.
• Municipal, agricultural, and environmental water use accounting.
• Groundwater, surface water, and climatic monitoring
• Groundwater modeling using MODFLOW and AWAS.
• Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods (ATMs)