Our Team
W. Roger Warner
President, Principal Hydrologist
MS, Hydrology, University of Idaho
BS, Geology, Brigham Young University
AS, Brigham Young University-Idaho (formerly Ricks College)
Mr. Warner has years of professional experience over a wide range of geologic and environmental projects. His work experience has been split between consultation services, governmental agency representative, and academia. He has managed and conducted many varied site investigations over the course of his career and brings to the table a diverse working knowledge of environmental and geological issues. Mr. Warner is a Masters Degreed Hydrologist from the University of Idaho. His project thesis focused on evaluation of conceptual models for spring flows in the American Falls area of Idaho; a topic that continues to be of great concern given today’s water right climate in southern Idaho.
Mr. Warner’s work experience has been unique in the development of a broad range of relationships with agency professionals throughout Eastern Idaho. Mr. Warner worked closely with regional Department of Fish and Game, Department of Environmental Quality, and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel while performing stream protection oversight duties, which also enabled opportunities for interaction with federal agencies such as the U.S Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and others.
Mr. Warner’s water right experience has included numerous opportunities to interact with the region’s top expert water- and water-law professionals where he participated in the formation of reasonable and fundamentally sound solutions to water right problems.
Board Memberships
- President, Eastern Idaho Water Rights Coalition,
- Associate Director-Business Caucus, Idaho Water Users Association,
- Founding Board member, Upper Snake Mitigation Solutions, LLC,
- Founding Board Member, Recharge Development Corporation,
- Chairman, Brigham Young University-Idaho Geology Department Advisory committee
- Commissioner, City of Rigby Planning and Zoning
Email Mr. Warner
Patrick N. Naylor, PE, PG,
Vice President, Principal Hydrologist
MS, Civil Engineering, Brigham Young University
BS, Engineering Geology, Brigham Young University
Mr. Naylor is a Senior Hydrogeologist and Water Resource Engineer with years of experience in hydrogeology, geology, environmental permitting and studies, mining, water resources, civil engineering, and environmental engineering. This experience has been with projects primarily in the West, but has included multiple projects across the U.S., Canada, South America, Africa, and the Pacific region. He has been based in Idaho for most of his professional career and is a demonstrated technical leader and project manager. Mr. Naylor’s approach to his clients’ projects is straight-forward: What is the simplest, most efficient way to solve this problem?
Project work and areas of expertise include hydrogeology; surface water hydrology; water supply for potable, industrial, mining, oil/gas, agricultural and fisheries applications; aquifer recharge; industrial, municipal, oil/gas, and mining permitting; geothermal development and management; geologic characterization; water resource development and management; liner systems; and stream channel realignment, stabilization and restoration. He is experienced in permitting and planning, including NEPA, NPDES, TMDL, SPCC, SWPPP, 401/404 permits, feasibility and baseline studies, source water assessment and protection plans, and water management planning.
Mr. Naylor has a B.S. Degree in Engineering Geology and an M.S. Degree in Civil Engineering, both from Brigham Young University. His M.S. Thesis focused on hydraulic modeling of perched water zones of the Snake River Plain Aquifer underlying the Idaho National Laboratory. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Idaho and Utah, and a licensed Professional Geologist in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Email Mr. Naylor
John B. Rice, P.G., Emeritus
Principal Geologist
MS, Geology, Utah State University
BS, Geology, James Madison University
Mr. Rice finished his career with 38 years of professional experience in environmental consulting and hydrogeology. He has managed and conducted numerous environmental site assessments, subsurface site investigations, remediation projects, and groundwater and surface water studies during his career. Mr. Rice is a registered Professional Geologist (PG) in Idaho, Wyoming, and Virginia. His work experience has been diverse and has included projects on the east and west coasts, in the Midwest, and in the Rocky Mountain region. Throughout his career, Mr. Rice’s experience has routinely included the overall responsibility for the management of contractors and sub-consultants, including drilling firms, various specialty consultants such as wetland and wildlife experts, and analytical laboratories. Mr. Rice has managed and conducted literally hundreds of ASTM Phase I, II and III Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) at a wide range of sites across the nation. Over the years, Mr. Rice has efficiently and successfully taken many commercial and industrial sites from the initial identification of a problem, to investigation of that problem, and ultimately the successful design and implementation of cleanup efforts. Mr. Rice’s career has also included time in the non-profit sector, including 3 years as Research Director with the Friends of the Teton River (FTR) in the Teton Valley of Idaho, and 3 years in private land conservation. This work included scientific studies related to surface water – groundwater interaction, hydrologic alteration and impacts to fisheries, and irrigation-related diversion measurements and management. Mr. Rice’s non-profit service, and the relationships developed with persons in the conservation community, as well as in the key regional public agencies and other regional non-profits, has been of particular benefit on projects where credibility with diverse groups has been necessary to reach compromise and implement mutually beneficial solutions. Mr. Rice retired in 2021 and he and his wife Babette moved back to their homelands in Virginia where they continue their advocacy for sound land conservation.
Email Mr. Rice
Bryce A. Contor
Principal Hydrologist
MS, Hydrology, University of Idaho
BS, Agricultural Economics, Brigham Young University
AS, Farm Crops Management, Ricks College
Mr. Contor has worked in the hydrology field for years, including ten years with the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute where he served as a research hydrologist, and five years with Idaho Department of Water Resources where he served as a Senior Water Resource Agent. Prior to that he farmed and served on the board of directors of a small canal company.
With the Institute, Mr. Contor served as principal investigator on hydrologic projects as diverse as preparing water budgets for large numerical aquifer models, investigating remote sensing of evapotranspiration on irrigated lands, developing tools to calculate the economic demand for irrigation water, and investigating managed recharge of aquifers. He has published in national peer-reviewed scientific journals and has authored numerous technical completion reports for the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. At Idaho Department of Water Resource, Mr. Contor measured flow in pipelines and open channels, investigated water-right claims and made water-right recommendations in the Snake River Basin Adjudication.
Mr. Contor holds an M.S. Degree in hydrology from the University of Idaho. His hydrologic specialties include groundwater/surface-water interactions and MODFLOW aquifer modeling, water-budget analysis, pipeline and open-channel flow measurement, and statistics. GIS specialties include aerial land photography interpretation and manipulation of remote-sensing data. Economics specialties are water banking and economic demand for irrigation water. Mr. Contor also specializes in drone work and can take aerial photography of your land/buildings/waterways, and more.
Email Mr. Contor:
Kristin M. Moore
Senior Water Rights Analyst
BS, Geology, Brigham Young University, Idaho
Ms. Moore has years of experience working in water rights and GIS analysis. She has a BS in Geology from Brigham Young University — Idaho that she earned in 2004. Prior to joining for RMEA in 2007, she worked as a GIS analyst for Idaho Water Resources Research Institute in carbon sequestration research. This introduction led Ms. Moore to a position with Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) to aid in the Snake River Basin Adjudication process. As an employee of IDWR, she worked with Idaho Code regarding water rights and water law and she built relationships with agency employees that have proven to be invaluable in the consulting business today.
Since coming to work for RMEA, Ms. Moore has been a key player in numerous water right transfers, appropriations of new water rights, and developing sound mitigation plans for a variety of water right issues. She has been involved in pioneering new and exciting water right solutions for municipalities, commercial companies, and local farmers.
Email Ms. Moore:
Katherine Ware
Senior Geologist
BS, Geology, Idaho State University
Certificate Welding, Bridgerland Applied Technology
Assoc. Business Management, Casper College
Katherine has five years of professional experience as an environmental geologist and has
worked for RMEA for four years. She specializes in groundwater sampling, monitoring, and
assessment for landfills, gas stations, fuel spills, and contaminated sites. She also performs data and chemical analysis and statistical assessments.
Katherine has extensive experience with Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), site investigations, soil sampling, and contaminated soil and groundwater remediation in eastern and central Idaho and western Wyoming. She has experience with assessment and removal of above-ground and underground petroleum storage tanks, along with a strong background in commercial/industrial construction with an emphasis in blueprint reading and structural design. Katherine also specializes in aerial photography of your land using drones and is a licensed drone pilot, a service which RMEA uses to optimize ESAs and other site evaluations.
Keith C. Wilson
Senior Water Rights Analyst, Emeritus
BS, Agricultural Engineering, Louisiana Tech University
BS, Zoology, Louisiana Tech University
Mr. Wilson finished his career with over 35 years of professional experience in water rights in eastern Idaho. He worked for over 26 years as a Senior Resource Agent in the Eastern Regional Office of the Idaho Dept. of Water Resources (IDWR), assisting with the Snake River Basin Adjudication, completing water right licensing recommendations, complex transfers, conducting water supply related research, working with individual water right owners, municipalities, commercial and industrial water users, and the regional water districts. Mr. Wilson holds two B.S. degrees, in Agricultural Engineering and Zoology, both from Louisiana Tech University.
Mr. Wilson retired in 2016 and he and his wife Eileen enjoy their time with their grandchildren and Keith’s love of motorsports and, of course, all things relating to Amsoil. Keith’s emeritus status allows him to be a part of our work community when warranted. We appreciate Keith and celebrate his contributions to the water right community of eastern Idaho.
Michelle M. Mortimer
Staff Water Rights Analyst
JD, University of Wyoming College of Law
MA, Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming
BS, Law and Constitutional Studies, Utah State University
Ms. Mortimer graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law with her Juris Doctorate, as well as a master’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources. She finished both degrees in three years. She passed the Idaho State Bar the fall of 2021. She is an attorney at the law firm of Rigby Andrus & Rigby and works with Rocky Mountain Environmental as a staff water rights analyst. Her master’s thesis was on the possibility of an expanded water market in the Snake River Basin, inspired by work she did with Rocky Mountain Environmental as a staff water rights analyst during her summers between law school. Ms. Mortimer grew up on a small dairy farm in Rigby, Idaho.
Sonja Schaat
Bookkeeper
BS, Business Management, Brigham Young University-Idaho
Ms. Schaat came on board as a bookkeeper for RMEA in 2019. Her career has been fulltime wife and mother. She graduated 2003 with a degree in business management. Before joining the staff, she served on the P&Z commission which brought to light a need for consistent, reliable civic information. She helped form a 501c3 and community newsletter to provide local citizens with information needed to encourage participation in municipal and county decisions. Ms. Schaat is a self-proclaimed foodie, and enjoys raising morale by balancing the books and sharing food.
Rachelle Lavariega Herrera
Staff Environmental Scientist
BS, Environmental Science, University of Idaho
Academic Certificate, Global Climate Change, University of Idaho
Rachelle is a 2022 graduate of the University of Idaho in 2022 with a BS in Environmental
Science. She began working for Rocky Mountain Environmental Associates in February 2023 as a Staff Environmental Scientist 1. Rachelle is in RMEA’s Environmental Group, focusing on support for Phase I and Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessments, groundwater monitoring and sampling, Nutrient-Pathogen Evaluations, GIS, and report preparation. Rachelle is building a broad skillset to support RMEA’s environmental service offerings.
Thane Kindred
Staff Geologist 2
MS, Geology, Idaho State University
BS, Geology, Brigham Young University
Thane began work at RMEA in January of 2022 as an intern while finishing his MS degree in
Geology at Idaho State University. As an intern, Thane participated in environmental site assessments, assisted with development of a program designed to optimize water rights transfers, and applied analytical methods to water rights issues. After completing a thesis focused on improving predictive models of stream drying on sub-watershed scales and then receiving his MS degree in August 2022, Thane became a full-time Staff Geologist 1 at RMEA. He has performed field sampling of soil and groundwater, participated in Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, assisted in water right transfers and applications for water right permits, performed groundwater analytical modeling, and prepared reports. Thane has participated in meetings of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Modeling Committee and has performed analysis of groundwater-surface water interactions in support of water right transfers. Thane has received training for statistical analysis of landfill groundwater monitoring data and uses this training to provide statistical analysis of quarterly groundwater monitoring data at multiple solid waste landfills in eastern Idaho. Thane also has strengthened his GIS skills and uses them to support data analysis, mapping and report preparation. Thane has shown an aptitude for technical analysis and was promoted to Staff Geologist 2 in August 2023.