Kevin Lewis, CESSWI, QSP

Senior Scientist

Kevin Lewis, CESSWI, QSP Senior Scientist

Mr. Kevin Lewis has 17 years of professional experience managing and performing stormwater and surface water quality monitoring studies, sediment investigations, and geologic projects. He has performed these projects for federal, state, and local agencies throughout Northern and Central California. His water quality management expertise includes National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal stormwater permitted projects, special stormwater studies for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), surface water quality studies, receiving water quality sampling, and combined sewer monitoring programs. As project manager for municipal clients, Mr. Lewis has collaborated with San Francisco Bay Area stormwater agency staff to implement compliance monitoring projects and has authored reports detailing urban creeks bioassessments, pollutants of concern monitoring, stressor/source identification studies, low-impact development stormwater effectiveness evaluations, trash outfall loadings assessments, total maximum daily load (TMDL) monitoring, pesticides and toxicity sampling, receiving waters monitoring, and public outreach campaigns regarding the risk of consuming PCBs and mercury in fish tissue. Mr. Lewis’ sediment quality expertise spans monitoring, site design, field logistics, source property investigations, GIS mapping, dredge material vibracore studies, and QA/QC management.

Mr. Lewis’ expertise also includes installation, operation, and maintenance of remote monitoring stations for stormwater best management practice (BMP) efficacy studies; calibration of water quality monitoring systems; installation and operation of stream rating equipment; and acquisition, management, and presentation of time series data. He has extensive experience in the collection of stormwater and sediment composite and grab samples, generation of field quality control samples, and laboratory data validation. He has performed onsite assembly and installation of inclinometers to monitor dam conditions and seismic stability at several dams, and he has managed QA/QC oversight for dredge materials use and disposal studies.

Kevin Lewis, CESSWI, QSP

Senior Scientist

Stormwater Management

Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit Compliance Monitoring Services, Contra Costa County, California As project manager for Contra Costa Clean Water Program’s NPDES municipal stormwater compliance monitoring program, manages and implements several monitoring projects. Work includes pollutants of concern monitoring, legacy pollutants source area sampling, low-impact development monitoring, mercury and methylmercury sampling, trash monitoring, and pesticides and toxicity sampling. Also performs sampling site selection; physical, chemical, and biological monitoring; water and sediment sampling; and comprehensive analysis and reporting. Installed, maintained, and operated a stormwater sampling and monitoring station and performed stormwater and freshwater grab sampling. Under Municipal Regional Permit 2.0, leads the annual bioassessment monitoring investigations at 10 tributaries to San Francisco Bay, which includes benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and analysis, physical habitat assessments, algae sampling and analysis, stream-walk surveys, water-quality instrument deployments, chlorine sampling, and water quality grab sampling. Additional responsibilities include conducting pesticides and toxicity monitoring during dry and wet seasons in water and sediment, assessing water quality and toxicity QA/QC data, and participating in the creek status site selection process by meeting desktop candidate site review and access requirements using GIS data. For trash monitoring, participates in Bay Area Municipal Stormwater Collaborative Workgroups to refine methods for field assessments. Performs fieldwork for qualitative and quantitative monitoring of trash loads in receiving waters and prepares annual monitoring reports detailing the methods and results at random (probabilistic) and targeted trash hot spots throughout Contra Costa County.

Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit Compliance Monitoring Services, Alameda County, California Under the Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program, implemented pollutants of concern and long-term trend monitoring stations in San Leandro Creek, assisted with the implementation of the Ettie Street Pump Station Diversion Pilot study, and performed 20 annual creek status bioassessments and stream surveys. The stations were configured to collect fully automated, whole-storm, flow-weighted or time-based composite samples. The Ettie Street pilot study was initiated in response to Alameda County’s Municipal Regional NPDES stormwater discharge permit to determine efficacy of a diversion BMP to reduce the discharge of legacy pollutants into urban runoff. Served as lead stormwater monitoring field technician responsible for equipment specifications, procurement, installation, calibration, operation, and maintenance. Conducted urban stream impact assessments along stream corridors to document areas of severe erosion, impacted stream buffers, stormwater outfalls, utility impacts, and channel modifications. Managed and performed the stream rating of San Leandro Creek.

Clean Watersheds for a Clean Bay EPA Water Quality Improvement Grant Study, San Francisco Bay Area, California Assisted in the evaluation of a variety of potential control options to reduce mass loadings of various pollutants in stormwater runoff to the San Francisco Bay. Responsibilities included the design of equipment specifications as well as the procurement, installation, calibration, and operation of temporary automated stormwater sampling systems and leading field sampling crews.

Stormwater Characterization and BMP Effectiveness Monitoring for TMDL Compliance, Central and Northern California As mandated by the California State Water Resources Control Board, the TMDL study continues Caltrans’ efforts to characterize load inputs and evaluate the effectiveness of installed best management practices in load reduction statewide. Maintained four characterization stations within Caltrans Districts 1, 4 and 5 (in North Weott, Myers Flat, Tiburon, and Santa Cruz) and one pair of BMP effectiveness stations within Caltrans District 5, (in Santa Cruz). Conducted BMP and characterization site reconnaissance and selection as well as analysis, design, construction, operation, and maintenance for remote, semiautomated stormwater monitoring stations. Coordinated with field sampling personnel and analytical laboratory managers. Was available for troubleshooting equipment issues and implementing emergency repairs. Also trained junior staff according to the project’s quality assurance project plan and sampling and analysis plan procedures. Authored site-specific health and safety plans and post-storm technical memoranda. Assisted with statewide end-of-season technical memoranda.

Emerging Contaminant Monitoring, Del Norte, Humboldt, Merced, Mendocino, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties, California Served as field lead for this 3-year Caltrans sampling program to characterize concentrations of emerging contaminants in roadway stormwater discharges to Caltrans’ fish passage projects. The effectiveness of Caltrans’ approved and pilot BMP treatment control devices was also tested at a subset of locations.

San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Bioretention Pilot Project Stormwater Quality Monitoring and Reporting, Oakland, California Participated in confined space entry field operations for the installation and maintenance of sampling and flow monitoring equipment within the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (SFOBB) bioretention basins. Performed remote camera operations within the basin underdrain system to investigate the integrity of the basin drainage. Participated in storm event monitoring and grab sampling at influent and effluent points to each bioretention basin. Performed QA/QC sample preparation, sample labeling, and chain-of-custody documentation.

Areas of Special Biological Significance Stormwater Outfall and Ocean Receiving Water Monitoring and Reporting, Central and Northern California For this Caltrans monitoring project, stormwater was collected as grab samples at noncoupled and coupled outfalls and ocean receiving water sites that were tributaries to areas of special biological significance (ASBS) in Redwoods National Park, Saunders Reef, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Año Nuevo Point, and Carmel Bay for up to three events annually for a comprehensive suite of physical, microbiological, and chemical analyses as well as single- and three-species toxicity testing. Monitoring of the Caltrans sites was performed in coordination with the respective Central and Northern California Regional Monitoring Group ocean outfall and receiving water sampling as well as with Southern California Coastal Water Research Project ocean reference water sampling. Responsibilities included site reconnaissance, sampling preparations, event mobilization, sample collection, and sample handling. As senior crew leader, specialized in the safe and successful collection of ocean receiving water samples, coordinated with laboratories for bottle procurement and storm event sample handling, and performed traffic control shoulder closures that were necessary for the safe collection of roadway storm drain inlet samples. Responsibilities also included remote field installation and maintenance of samplers, flow meters, solar panels, and communications equipment; team leaderships for single- and multiple-day stormwater monitoring events involving sample collection and handling, QA/QC oversight, field sampling documentation, and stream gauging; sample labeling and chain-of-custody documentation; primary shipping courier contact; and multiple, intensive (24/7) sample packaging and time-sensitive shipping arrangements.

Stormwater Runoff Monitoring Program, Porous Pavement Pilot Study, Santa Nella, California Serves as a field lead for this Caltrans stormwater BMP effectiveness study for open-graded friction course permeable pavement overlays. Three newly installed porous asphalt overlay types are tested against a newly installed dense graded control station. The test types included rubberized and nonrubberized asphalt and two different gradations of aggregate. Performs equipment installation, automated flow-weighted composite sampling, and reporting. This project includes pollutograph monitoring for emerging contaminants to investigate the effectiveness of porous pavement overlays in reducing emerging contaminant loads to receiving waters. Conducts twice annual in situ permeability tests across a transect of the travel lanes to track the change of porosity over time.

Open- and Gap-Graded Asphalt Pavements Water Quality Project, Caltrans District 1, 4 and 5, California A pilot study was designed to evaluate stormwater runoff quality from open- and gap-graded pavements to that of conventional (dense-graded) pavements. The project included nine statewide paired sites. For the paired sites, the test stations consisted of a freeway or highway segment with a relatively new porous pavement overlay. The test station was paired with a control station consisting of a nearby section of the same road that was paved with conventional dense-graded pavement. Responsible for monitoring seven site locations within Caltrans Districts 1 and 5. Served as senior field crew leader responsible for installation, operation, maintenance, and demobilization of remote monitoring stations; automated flow meter/controller and sampler programming during storm sampler pacing adjustments; and a special field filtration study to help determine if immediate field filtration yielded different results than filtrations performed later at an analytical laboratory.

Ornamental Roadside Vegetated Treatment Sites Stormwater Quality Study, San Mateo and Napa Counties, California The Caltrans Ornamental Roadside Vegetated Treatment Sites (ORVTS) pilot study comprised two types of study sites: expanded roadside vegetated treatment sites (ERVTS) and groundcover roadside vegetated treatment sites. The purpose of the ORVTS study at the ERVTS sites was to evaluate the ability of groundcover vegetation species to provide treatment of highway runoff and to compare treatment potential to existing grass and for vegetation within the Caltrans rights-of-way. Served as field crew leader responsible for maintenance and operation of six automated, flow-weighted stormwater monitoring and sampling stations; remote instrument communication for data acquisition and programming control; storm event monitoring, including composite and grab sampling, field documentation, and preparation and transfer of samples to analytical laboratories; equipment demobilization and decommissioning; and maintenance of site vegetation.

Water Quality Monitoring

Pipeline Safety Enhancement Program, San Francisco Bay Area, California Acted as the primary operator of an atomic absorption mercury analyzer spectrometer for Bay Area test segments. Provided timely and accurate reporting of total mercury concentrations in aqueous samples of cleaning solutions, rinse solutions, wastewater, and pipe solid samples. Managed onsite communication and data sharing with the water quality team and project coordinators while successfully operating an onsite mobile laboratory and adhering to diverse and fluctuating work schedules.

Willits Bypass Project, Water Quality Assessment, Outlet Creek Watershed, Willits, California As mandated by the Section 401 water quality certification permit of the Clean Water Act, approved by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, Caltrans implemented a multiyear baseline monitoring study to characterize the water quality and stream flow rates within the watershed of Outlet Creek in Little Lake Valley. Designed, installed, and operated 20 monitoring sites. Selected, installed, calibrated, and maintained water quality instruments for continuous measurements of multiple general water quality parameters. Collected monthly and storm event grab samples at all 20 monitoring locations. Performed high-flow stream gauging using an acoustic Doppler current profiler at each monitoring location. Those data were used to develop site-specific and watershed flow relationships for development of time series discharge datasets. In addition to water quality data collection, also conducted stream bank erosion studies and longitudinal stream surveys and participated in gravel spawning habitat analysis for salmonids within the Outlet Creek watershed, a tributary to the Eel River.

Construction Environmental Engineering Support Services, San Francisco Bay, California Served as field scientist for SFOBB implosion water quality monitoring. Performed in-bay instrument profiling with a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) recorder immediately following implosions to test whether water quality was affected and to what extent and duration.

Dredged Material Management

Dredge Material Sediment Sampling, Characterization, Reporting, and Disposal Consultation Services, USACE San Francisco District, Central and Northern California The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducts dredging of navigable waterways throughout the San Francisco Bay and Northern California coastline harbors and rivers as part of its operations and maintenance dredging program. Results of analyses and tests are evaluated to determine the channel sediments suitability for multiple disposal/reuse options. Performed vibracore sediment sampling of federal channels in the Oakland Inner and Outer Harbors, Pinole Shoal, Redwood City Harbor, Suisun Bay, and New York Slough. Responsible for the mobilization of sample processing equipment and supplies; sample handling, processing (subsampling, stratigraphy and sedimentology), and adherence to QA/QC procedures; sample labeling and chain-of-custody documentation; and packaging and shipping of samples. Managed data presentation for comprehensive sediment suitability reports.

NRDA For Oil Spills

Pipeline P00547 Incident, Huntington Beach, California Served as field scientist for the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill response. Work included monitoring for both the natural resource damage assessment effort and the assessment of potential contaminants in recreational and commercial fish species for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Served as field crew for sandy beach surveys, fin fish and bivalve collection, and recreational use surveys.

Emergency Response

Fire Debris and Tree Removal Assessment and Management Services Project, CZU Complex Fire, Santa Cruz Mountains, California The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery was tasked by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to manage structural debris and hazard tree removal projects following the 2020 California fires. Served as project manager for the sampling of potentially hazardous surficial sediment on properties following debris removal and scaping of surface sediment. Composite samples were collected per proscriptive project protocols, following strict QA/QC procedures, through proper chain of custody.

Monitoring

Santa Clara Valley Water District, Geologic Monitoring Program, Santa Clara Valley, California The Santa Clara Valley Water District operates 10 reservoirs in Santa Clara County. The reservoirs are highly visible elements of both water supply and flood protection programs for Santa Clara County residents. To ensure operation, environmental benefit, and dam safety, supported continuous monitoring of dam safety through the installation of sensitive monitoring equipment at four area dams. Performed onsite assembly and installation of Little Dipper In-Place Inclinometers^TM to monitor dam condition and seismic stability. Performed the dam crest installation of inclinometers at the Anderson, Almaden, Calero, and Guadalupe dams.

Watershed Identification and Determination of Water Quality Volume, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California Provided architectural and engineering services to Caltrans in the identification of watersheds and determination of the water quality volume (WQV) for freeway and nonfreeway corridors in Caltrans District 7. The site included Caltrans maintenance yards and rest areas situated in Los Angeles and Ventura counties within the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Used as-built specifications of the impervious areas that existed before and after December 1994. Compiled the areas and WQVs from approximately 84 miles of highway. Identified watersheds and determined the water quality volume.

Installation of Strong Motion Seismic Instrument, USACE, Omaha District, Hot Springs, North Dakota Procured, tested, and installed high-dynamic-range motion accelerograph and ancillary equipment for installation at four dam sites. The Kinnemetrics ETNA model was specified so that the accelerograph would be consistent with those at the other Omaha District dams, which is required for software compatibility, data consistency, and servicing.

Design and Installation of a Remote Wireless Monitoring System, San Bernardino, California This project’s goal was to design and install a remote wireless monitoring system to measure spring flow and water quality in the San Bernardino Mountains. Because of the rugged terrain, the monitoring system employed a network of repeaters and a 22-mile radio link to a cellular modem collection point. Critical data from this system were collected every 30 minutes and displayed graphically on a password-protected webpage. Responsibilities included site installation, operation, and maintenance of remote monitoring stations; extensive field documentation; calibration of water quality monitoring systems and routine downloading of water quality and spring flow data; and client communication to relay water quality or spring flow concern while maintaining good client relations.

Modeling

University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) Geology Department, GIS Mapping Program, Owens Valley, California Applied ArcGIS software to interpret imagery of active faults, ancient shorelines, glacial deposits, and young volcanoes of the Owens Valley and Mono Basin. Applied fundamental geospatial mapping techniques to provide vector interpretation on raster data sets, including digital elevation models and slope maps of the field area. Observed, measured, and described the relationship between field conditions and geologic history. Performed spatial analyses with advanced GIS components to produce geologic maps in the structurally complex Poleta Fold Belt. Transferred images and interpretation to handheld computers for field investigation using linked GPS units.

Fisheries

U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, GIS Mapping Program, UCSC, Santa Cruz, California Created GIS coverage areas incorporating sea otter foraging activities with the location of gill and trammel net fishing throughout Southern California. The project explored the spatial relationship between sea otter foraging habitat and currently permitted areas of gill and trammel net fishing. Provided quantitative documentation and displayed a spatial distribution of conflict outside the designated marine sanctuary as defined by the Marine Life Protection Act.

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