Wesley Henson, Ph.D.
Wesley Henson is a Research Hydrologist in San Diego, California. His research focuses on developing decision tools and methods to improve water management for food and water security and water resource sustainability.
Wes grew up in the dusty parched deserts of northern Nevada. He holds degrees in Geology, Hydrogeology, and Agricultural and Biological Engineering. He began his career with the USGS in 2009 and currently leads a Food and Water Security Research Team. His team helps address critical water resource issues, both nationally and internationally. Much of his current work is centered in a key US agricultural region—the Central Coast of California.
His research centers on incorporating additional hydrologic processes in hydrologic models so they are more suitable to address a wide variety of the challenges water managers must address. These methods include:
- Methods for estimating recharge, runoff, and land use.
- Quantifying regional scale uncertainty in water budgets (e.g., Sea Water Intrusion)
- Evaluating aquifer vulnerability to contaminants
- Nitrate biogeochemistry, and
- Development and simulation of karst aquifer preferential flow paths.
Science and Products
Salinas Valley Operational Model: Interlake Tunnel and San Antonio Spillway Modification Project
An operational model for Salinas Valley is needed to evaluate and compare ecosystem, conservation, and water demands. This model must simulate current operations, assess benefits of and evaluate scenarios for tunnel operation and potential reservoir and spillway modifications.
Salinas and Carmel Rivers Basin Study: Paso Robles Model Update
The existing Paso Robles Basin Model (PRBM) needed to be updated and enhanced to achieve the timeline and objectives of the Salinas Carmel River Basin Study (SCRBS) for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and local partners.
Salinas and Carmel River Basins Study
Together, the Salinas and Carmel river basins include some of the world’s most fertile agricultural lands and are internationally known for their natural beauty; ecological diversity; multi-national cultural history; and recreation opportunities such as fishing, auto racing, and golfing. The area is oftentimes referred to as the “Salad Bowl of the World” or “America’s Salad Bowl” because of the...
SGMApy: An open source platform for computing sustainability metrics and visualizing MODFLOW data
Climate change and demographic changes have underscored the need to improve effectiveness of managing valuable water resources for sustainability. In 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) established a framework for sustainable, local groundwater management. SGMA requires groundwater-dependent regions to halt overdraft and bring basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge...
Pajaro Valley Hydrologic Model Update, Data Collection, and Analysis for Sustainability
The Pajaro Valley is home to a billion-dollar agricultural industry, providing food and food processing services for the nation. The water for these enterprises is supplied, in large part, by the groundwater resources (aquifers) in the area. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PV Water) and the USGS have partnered to improve aquifer monitoring software, allowing better quantification and...
Simulation of Water Resources Management in the Pajaro Valley
Two key hydrologic issues in all coastal aquifer systems are the delineation and the management of the renewable water resources. The proper development and management of the renewable resources helps to minimize ground-water mining of the lower aquifer systems, and minimizes overdraft and seawater intrusion of the upper aquifer system while maximizing the sustainable yield of the renewable water...
Science and Products
- Science
Salinas Valley Operational Model: Interlake Tunnel and San Antonio Spillway Modification Project
An operational model for Salinas Valley is needed to evaluate and compare ecosystem, conservation, and water demands. This model must simulate current operations, assess benefits of and evaluate scenarios for tunnel operation and potential reservoir and spillway modifications.Salinas and Carmel Rivers Basin Study: Paso Robles Model Update
The existing Paso Robles Basin Model (PRBM) needed to be updated and enhanced to achieve the timeline and objectives of the Salinas Carmel River Basin Study (SCRBS) for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and local partners.Salinas and Carmel River Basins Study
Together, the Salinas and Carmel river basins include some of the world’s most fertile agricultural lands and are internationally known for their natural beauty; ecological diversity; multi-national cultural history; and recreation opportunities such as fishing, auto racing, and golfing. The area is oftentimes referred to as the “Salad Bowl of the World” or “America’s Salad Bowl” because of the...SGMApy: An open source platform for computing sustainability metrics and visualizing MODFLOW data
Climate change and demographic changes have underscored the need to improve effectiveness of managing valuable water resources for sustainability. In 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) established a framework for sustainable, local groundwater management. SGMA requires groundwater-dependent regions to halt overdraft and bring basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge...Pajaro Valley Hydrologic Model Update, Data Collection, and Analysis for Sustainability
The Pajaro Valley is home to a billion-dollar agricultural industry, providing food and food processing services for the nation. The water for these enterprises is supplied, in large part, by the groundwater resources (aquifers) in the area. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PV Water) and the USGS have partnered to improve aquifer monitoring software, allowing better quantification and...Simulation of Water Resources Management in the Pajaro Valley
Two key hydrologic issues in all coastal aquifer systems are the delineation and the management of the renewable water resources. The proper development and management of the renewable resources helps to minimize ground-water mining of the lower aquifer systems, and minimizes overdraft and seawater intrusion of the upper aquifer system while maximizing the sustainable yield of the renewable water... - Data
- Publications
- Software