The Henderson Award


Tom Henderson enjoying life

To honor our recently departed friend and colleague Tom Henderson, Montana AWRA has created the Henderson Award. This award is available to students and career professionals who best exemplify the qualities of passion, excellence, and vibrancy.  All Henderson Award nominees will be highlighted at the AWRA closing ceremony.

This award is meant to honor Tom’s memory but also to provide encouragement to our wonderful colleagues and friends within our Montana water community. Remember, Montana AWRA is greater than a conference and our professional work. Always regard the AWRA board and community as friends and family as you go forward and call on us whenever needed.

Please click on the following link for Henderson Award nominations:

Henderson Award Nomination Form

Henderson Award Winners

  • 2019: Camela Carstarphen, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
  • 2022: Matt Norberg, Montana DNRC
  • 2025: Abbie Ebert, Montana DEQ

In Memory of Tom Henderson

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, our friend and colleague, Tom Henderson passed away.

Tom Henderson was a Project Manager and Hydrogeologist with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Tom received a Bachelor’s in Geology from Oberlin College and a PhD in groundwater modeling from the University of British Columbia.

His work experience includes coal mine reclamation in Kentucky, environmental consulting in Colorado, and abandoned mine reclamation in Montana. His greatest work success was the McLaren Tailings Reclamation Project at the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. The project prevented catastrophic failure of the site’s tailings impoundment, and successfully returned a previously unusable area to its historical landscape. The team also cleaned up Soda Butte Creek flowing into Yellowstone National Park, leading to the creek’s removal this year from Montana’s list of Impaired Waters – the first such delisting in Montana. The McLaren project was completed in October 2014, and in 2015 DEQ was awarded the American Council of Engineering Companies Engineering Excellence Award for the cleanup, along with project consultant Pioneer Technical Services. In 2016, the McLaren Cleanup won the first-ever National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs award for environmental cleanup.

In the midst of the McLaren project, Tom became project manager for the construction of a new drinking water system for the community of Sand Coulee near Great Falls. In 2016, both the Sand Coulee and McLaren projects won national awards from the Office of Surface Mining for Abandoned Mine Reclamation.

Tom was a brilliant and unique individual who exemplified passion, excellence, and vibrancy. Tom loved life, and traveled around the world backpacking with his family. He is survived by his wife, Kate and their three children.

Soda Butte Creek Tribute to Tom Henderson