Julie Blue

Dr. Julie Blue (she/her/hers), ERG’s principal hydrologist, has more than two decades of experience in environmental research for federal agencies related to groundwater, surface water, stormwater, drinking water, wastewater, hazardous waste, and climate change. She has supported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development for many years as a principal investigator and contract manager for a wide variety of research projects.

At ERG, she leads diverse projects on groundwater protection and remediation. These include developing a state-of-the-science report on enhanced aquifer recharge of stormwater, an analysis of how lead isotopes in groundwater can be used to understand the sources of lead contamination, a tool for screening risks posed by aquifer exemption areas, and an evaluation of the remedial technologies available for treating groundwater contamination at former smelting sites. She also has extensive experience developing tools for conducting climate change vulnerability assessments and planning for adaptation. She led a six-year project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a groundbreaking web-based climate change vulnerability assessment tool, now being deployed by the U.S. Army. She was a key contributor to the fourth National Climate Assessment and continues to provide her expertise in support of city, county, state, and national climate adaptation efforts.

Julie holds a B.A. in English and mathematics from Swarthmore College, an M.A. in English from Indiana University, and an M.S. in Earth sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received her Ph.D. in engineering (hydrology) from the University of Arizona.