2011 Darcy Lecturer in Spokane...

next week, speaking about salt water intrusion in the Godomey aquifer, Cotonou, Benin, West Africa.  The lecture is free and open to the public:

Thursday, April 7th, 2011, 5:30—7 pm
Dr. Steve Silliman
Gonzaga University, Jepson 108

Dr. Silliman directs a research program to manage the sole‐source aquifer for the 2 million people of Cotonou, Benin.  The groundwater wells serving this population are located about 6 km north of the Atlantic coast and as close as 1 km to a large lake, and withdraw water from partially confined portions of this complex aquifer system. This vital water resource is threatened by saltwater intrusion from the lake and the ocean, and anthropogenic contamination. The presentation will cover numerical modeling, hydraulic testing, water quality characterization, and electrical resistivity surveys. Discussion of a number of technical and social/cultural issues encountered during this research effort illustrates the value of close cooperation with in‐country collaborators in technical and social science disciplines.