About Us
We are a small engineering consulting firm in northern Colorado with nearly 75 years of combined experience in water resources, water rights, and agricultural engineering. Our staff is made up of professional and pragmatic individuals eager to tackle your water resources related challenges.
Branden B. Effland, P.E.
Principal, Co-Founder
Branden brings over 20 years of engineering experience related to water resources, water rights, and water supply planning. He has assisted municipal and private clients with water rights filings, water rights inventories, diligence investigations, historical consumptive use analyses, transfers, augmentation plans, raw water supply planning, availability and exchange modeling, and reservoir operations modeling.
Branden is a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado.
Education
- B.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines, 1999
Contact Branden at branden.effland@summitwatereng.com or (303) 557-2262 Ext. 1
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Jason M. Brothers, P.E.
Principal, Co-Founder
Jason has assisted private, municipal, and agricultural clients solve water resources challenges for nearly 20 years. His work has included water rights evaluations and transfers, preparation of expert opinions for water litigation, analyses for changes of use and water right filings, irrigation and agricultural drainage design and planning, livestock facility engineering, GIS analysis. He has experience with several crop consumptive use models. Jason has provided expert testimony in several civil and water court matters.
Jason is a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado and Utah.
Education
- M.S. Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering with a minor in Water Resources Planning and Management, University of Nebraska, 2001
- B.S. Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland, 1999
Contact Jason at jason.brothers@summitwatereng.com or (303) 557-2262 Ext. 2
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Ryan C. Cook, P.E.
Design Manager
With more than 15 years in civil planning, design, permitting and construction; Ryan has provided civil engineering expertise from the feasibility through operation of projects up to $100m. His design experience includes surface water conveyance, groundwater collection, and wastewater treatment. In his design manager role he prepares conceptual design, construction, and as-built document packages.
Ryan is a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado.
Education
- B.S. Civil Engineering Technology, Pennsylvania College of Technology, 2011
Contact Ryan at ryan.cook@summitwatereng.com or (303) 557-2262 Ext. 709
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Josh Leininger
Senior Water Resources Analyst
Josh has more than 10 years of engineering experience in water rights and water resources. He has assisted municipal and private clients with water rights filings, expert opinions for litigation, water rights inventories, diligence investigations, historical consumptive use analyses, GIS analysis, substitute water supply plans, and augmentation plans.
Education
- B.S. Environmental Science, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 2011
Contact Josh at josh.leininger@summitwatereng.com or (303) 557-2262 Ext. 3
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Stephanie Brothers, P.E.
Water Resources Engineer
Stephanie has over 20 years of civil engineering experience, including nearly 15 years serving as the Town of Berthoud Public Works Director/ Town Engineer. Her experience includes work as a project manager and supervisor for water source acquisition, raw water source management, and water infrastructure projects. Ms. Brothers has led and coordinated many municipal projects including public infrastructure and utility work involving multiple stakeholders. She has extensive experience managing public works projects requiring coordination between members of the public, the municipality, regulatory agencies, and other governmental agencies. In addition, Ms. Brothers brings the unique perspective of having directed municipal water department operations. Additional duties also include management of municipal water supply and non-potable water supply with Ditch company coordination.
Stephanie is a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado.
Education
- B.S. Civil Engineering, Arizona State University, August 2001
- Water Rights Certificate, Aims Community College, November 2005
Contact Stephanie at stephanie.brothers@summitwatereng.com or (303) 557-2262 Ext. 707
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Paige H. Small, E.I.T.
Water Resources Engineer
Paige has over 1 year of engineering experience in water rights and water resources. She has assisted on various projects including reservoir accounting, GIS analysis, historical consumptive use analysis, water budget analysis and development, water acquisition diligence, soil moisture accounting, and return flow operation analysis.
Paige is a licensed Engineer in Training and is working towards her Professional Engineering license in Colorado.
Education:
- B.S. Environmental Engineering with a minor in Geology, University of Colorado Boulder, 2022
Contact Paige at paige.small@summitwatereng.comor (303) 557-2262 Ext. 708
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Byron Cowles
CAD Manager/ Field Technician
Byron has over 20 years of experience as a civil engineering technician and CAD designer. In addition to these duties, Byron has served as a field surveyor, construction inspector, and quality assurance/ quality control technician. He has been involved in the development of several projects ranging from river diversion structures, head gates, pump stations, dams, tunnels, and various other civil projects. As an engineer specialist his task is to assist the engineer in the preparation of plans and specifications, cost estimates, and quality assurance of construction.
Contact Byron at byron.cowles@summitwatereng.com or (303) 557-2262 Ext. 6
Locals
Summit Water Engineers understand the challenges Colorado and the West face when it comes to a limited water supply and an ever-growing demand. We take pride in assisting our clients to develop solutions to difficult challenges related to managing this finite resource.