Lisa Porta, P.E.
Principal Water Resources Engineer
California Water Strategy Lead
Areas of Specialization
Groundwater Modeling
Water Supply Planning
Impact Analysis
Groundwater Management
Lisa Porta is an engineer whose expertise includes groundwater and integrated water planning, and she has worked extensively on water resource studies across California and the Western United States. She has developed groundwater models and planning documents for several state and local agencies that are helping water and irrigation districts to better manage their groundwater supplies and to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment (related to California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act [SGMA] and Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program [ILRP]).
In addition to her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Lisa earned a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Water Governance: Frameworks and Negotiations from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. She also completed a two-year, bilingual engineering preparation program in Southern France. Lisa has an international background and is fluent in French, German, and Italian.
Qualifications
At A Glance
Experience since 2008
M.S., Environmental Science & Engineering
Colorado School of Mines
B.S., Biological Systems / Agricultural Engineering (Water Specialty)
Texas A&M University
Select Publications / Community Involvement
Publications
“SGMA Implementation: The Story of Conflict, Collaboration, and Lessons Learned to Reach Groundwater Sustainability.” Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA), HydroVisions, Fall 2023
“Summarizing Technical Aspects of Inadequacies in 2023 DWR Determinations on Re-Submitted 2020 GSPs.” GRA HydroVisions, Summer 2023
“Key Technical Aspects of DWR Reviews on Submitted 2020 GSPs.” GRA HydroVisions, Spring 2022
M&A uses GoldSim software to support decision making in water supply projects
SGMA Experts Interpret DWR’s GSP Assessments
M&A’s Lisa Porta attends International Groundwater Conference in Paris
Community Involvement and Professional Affiliations
International Water Resources Association (IWRA), member
Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA), member
SGMA Implementation Summit and Conflict Resolution Workshop co-chair
GRA former Board Member and Technical Committee Chair
GSA Summit Planning Committee and Chair
Western Groundwater Congress planning committee