David A Saad

In the Environmental Hydrodynamics Branch, Dave oversees a diverse group of multi-disciplinary researchers and scientists who study the connections between surface and groundwater hydraulics and chemical and ecological fate and transport.  This includes human and natural influences on the quality of surface and groundwater.

Dave has been with the USGS since 1987 where he has been a scientist (hydrologist), project manager, team leader, and supervisor in the Pennsylvania and Upper Midwest Water Science Centers and the Water Mission Area. In Pennsylvania, he worked on projects evaluating coal-mining reclamation methods and the effects on acid-mine drainage.  In Wisconsin, Dave was the groundwater specialist and study unit chief of the Western Lake Michigan Drainages study unit of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program.  He also worked on groundwater modeling projects for the Water Science Center.  Dave also developed regional SPARROW (stream-water quality) models of the Midwest for NAWQA and binational SPARROW models of the Great Lakes Basin in collaboration with the International Joint Commission and the National Research Council Canada.  In addition to being a branch chief with the Water Mission Area, Dave is currently project manager for “Quantifying Water Reuse and Return Flow Influences on Water Quality and Suitability”.  This project is looking at the influences of return flow on water availability and is utilizing SPARROW models to achieve project goals.