About

Currently Principal Hydrogeological Engineer, BGC Engineering, Vancouver, BC.

Recent research programs:

Long-term watershed response to climate

• Hydrology, Ecology and Disturbance (HEAD) (sponsored by NSERC-CRD, Syncrude, Canadian Natural Resources (CNRL))

Oil-sand mine reclamation

• Hydrogeology and Ecohydrology of Sandhill Watershed and Perched Analogues (sponsored by Syncrude)
• Ecohydrogeology of Opportunistic and Constructed Wetlands (sponsored by Syncrude)

Canadian Mountain Network

• Managing Groundwater Resources in Mountainous Areas: Planning for and Adapting to Drought Conditions

Dr. Mendoza is retired and is not accepting further students.

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Research

Research Areas

• Numerical modeling of groundwater flow and transport processes
• Groundwater and wetland hydrology of the Boreal Plain
• Reclamation of wetlands and forestlands on oil-sands mining leases
• Gas and vapour transport in the subsurface

Research Interests 

Dr. Mendoza is a physical and contaminant hydrogeologist with over 35 years’ experience analyzing groundwater flow and contaminant transport at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, with particular emphasis on interactions between the near-surface (geologic) and surface (wetland and forestland) environments, as well as the biosphere and atmosphere. He has extensive experience writing numerical codes, analyzing field data and developing conceptual models, and applying numerical models to non-linear hydrogeological problems. Such problems include interactions between surface water and groundwater, water supply and resource evaluation, mine reclamation, density-dependent transport and the migration of contaminants, including multi-phase flow and dissolution of oily liquids, in the subsurface. 

The research projects directed by Dr. Mendoza and his collaborators range from monitoring, modeling and understanding the ecohydrogeologic interactions between wetland and forestland units on the (relatively) undisturbed Boreal Plain of Alberta, to parallel and complementary studies on previously reclaimed oil-sand mining leases, to the design, long-term monitoring and evaluation of newly reconstructed and reclaimed landscapes for oil-sands mining companies. 

Research Synthesis

Devito, K., Mendoza, C., and Qualizza, C. (2012). Conceptualizing water movement in the Boreal Plains. Implications for watershed reconstruction. Synthesis report prepared for the Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development, Environmental and Reclamation Research Group. 164p. doi: 10.7939/R32J4H

Available from the University of Alberta Education and Research Archive: http://hdl.handle.net/10402/era.30206

See also:

Mendoza, C., and Devito, K. (2014). Ecohydrology applications to ecosystem reconstruction after oil-sand mining. Geophysical Research Abstracts. Vol: 16. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280947864_Ecohydrology_applications_to_ecosystem_reconstruction_after_oil-sand_mining

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Teaching

Retired. Former instructor for:

• Introduction to Hydrogeology
• Contaminant Hydrogeology
• Quantitative Hydrogeology (Numerical Modelling)
• Applied Hydrology
• Environment Earth