Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Your Trusted Partner for Environmental Services Solutions
Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) is an independent, employee-owned company providing innovative and specialized hydrotechnical engineering and geoscience consulting services. Founded in 1972, we remain true to a culture shaped by technical excellence, client dedication, and a passion for water resource management. Our team of 200 professionals combines practical knowledge with sophisticated modeling to address complex hydrologic and hydraulic challenges. We serve clients globally, delivering solutions for freshwater and coastal environments through field analysis, physical modeling, and project monitoring. Our work spans five decades, with thousands of projects completed across North America, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.We prioritize social responsibility and environmental sustainability, maintaining long-term commitments to water-based projects in developing countries. Our employee-owned structure fosters a people-oriented approach, ensuring creative and productive teams dedicated to technical innovation. With offices in North America and international operations in Bangladesh and Brazil, we blend local perspective with worldwide experience. Our principals, as active technical leaders, oversee service delivery to ensure practical, effective solutions. We celebrate diversity, invest in professional development, and treat employees with respect, reflecting our core values of excellence and community impact.
Services
Aquatic Habitat Design
Coastal Engineering
Flood Hazard Assessment
Hydraulic Modeling
Ecosystem Restoration
Details
- Year established: 1972
Highlights and features
- We have 50 years of experience in hydrotechnical engineering and geoscience consulting.
- Our employee-owned structure ensures client-focused innovation and accountability.
- We operate the largest physical hydraulic modeling facility in western North America.
- Our global expertise spans projects across six continents.
- We prioritize environmental sustainability and social responsibility in all projects.
Services
Aquatic Habitat Design
We design and implement aquatic habitat solutions that balance ecological needs with human infrastructure. Our approach integrates hydrological analysis, geomorphological modeling, and biological considerations to create sustainable ecosystems. Projects include riverine restoration, wetland creation, and fish passage improvements.
Coastal Engineering
Our coastal engineering services address erosion, storm surge, and sea-level rise challenges. Using advanced numerical modeling and physical simulations, we develop resilient shoreline protection systems. Solutions include breakwater design, beach nourishment, and living shoreline implementations that maintain natural processes.
Flood Hazard Assessment
We conduct comprehensive flood hazard assessments using hydrodynamic modeling and historical data analysis. Our risk management strategies incorporate floodplain mapping, infrastructure resilience planning, and early warning system design to protect communities and ecosystems from water-related threats.
Hydraulic Modeling
Our hydraulic modeling services utilize cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics and physical scale models to simulate water flow behavior. This enables precise analysis of dam operations, bridge hydraulics, and sediment transport patterns for infrastructure planning and environmental impact assessments.
Ecosystem Restoration
We specialize in restoring degraded aquatic ecosystems through science-based interventions. Our methods combine hydrological restoration, vegetation reintroduction, and sediment management to revive natural processes while meeting regulatory requirements and enhancing biodiversity.
People
Erik Rowland
Senior Engineer
Erik Rowland leads complex hydrotechnical projects with 25+ years of experience in river engineering and floodplain management. He specializes in integrating physical modeling with field data to develop practical solutions for challenging water resource issues.
Wil Hilsen
Project Manager
Wil Hilsen manages flood hazard assessment projects across North America. With expertise in hydrological modeling and climate change adaptation, he delivers risk management strategies that balance community safety with environmental sustainability.
Andre Zimmermann
Hydroclimate Specialist
Andre Zimmermann oversees BC Hydro's hydroclimate monitoring network. His work in climate data analysis and hydrometric station maintenance supports critical water management decisions across British Columbia's diverse hydrological regions.
Robyn Andrishak
Regional Director
Robyn Andrishak leads NHC's Spokane office, focusing on watershed management and infrastructure protection. She brings 20 years of experience in hydrometric data collection and analysis for water resource planning in the Pacific Northwest.
Guilherme de Lima
Brazil Operations Lead
Guilherme de Lima directs NHC's Brazilian operations, specializing in tropical hydrology and dam safety assessments. His work bridges North American engineering standards with South American environmental challenges, ensuring sustainable water resource development.
Questions
What services does Northwest Hydraulic Consultants offer?
We provide hydrotechnical engineering, geoscience consulting, hydraulic modeling, ecosystem restoration, and flood hazard assessment services for freshwater and coastal environments.
How long has NHC been in business?
Northwest Hydraulic Consultants has delivered water resource solutions since 1972, with 50 years of technical expertise and project experience.
Do you work on international projects?
Yes, we operate globally with completed projects across six continents and ongoing operations in Bangladesh and Brazil.
What makes NHC different from other consultants?
As an employee-owned firm, we combine technical excellence with personal accountability, maintaining the largest physical hydraulic modeling facility in western North America.
How do you approach environmental sustainability?
We integrate environmental considerations into all projects, prioritizing ecosystem restoration and sustainable water management practices that benefit both communities and natural habitats.
Can you handle complex water resource challenges?
Our team specializes in solving complex issues using advanced modeling techniques, field analysis, and 50+ years of experience addressing diverse hydrological and hydraulic problems.
