2013 Legend

Tom Osborne

Tom Osborne is honored as the 2013 Water Legend for a long distinguished career in hydrology. Tom began practicing hydrology in Montana in 1976 and has been active in AWRA-Montana as a frequent presenter and sponsor. Tom is President of HydroSolutions Inc, a hydrologic and environmental consulting firm he started in 1989. Tom conducts hydrological, water quality and environmental investigations, remediation measures, strategic regulatory consulting and permitting, and provides expert services in support of litigation. He has successfully completed hundreds of hydrologic and environmental projects for private and governmental entities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Upper- Midwestern United States. Tom has developed a reputation surpassed by few in the hydrology community with his serious ethical approach to science. He knows that his success and the success of his clients and company rest upon honest and unbiased presentation of facts and data.

Tom is extremely generous with his time outside his professional life, serving as a board member of Hope 2 One Life, a nonprofit that provides health care, clean water and education to refugees and impoverished citizens in Uganda. Tom has been instrumental in obtaining funding through grants, and has traveled to Uganda to oversee the installation of community water supply wells and irrigation projects.

Tom took the podium at the annual conference banquet and reflected on lessons of a long and varied career in water resources culminating in the recitation of his poem titled Hydrology’s Last Epoch. The presence of so many young water professionals at the conference gives reason for optimism for the changing of the guard Tom spoke of.