Bruce K. Darling, Ph.D., P.G., C.P.G. Biography

Section District Representatives

District II Representative

Bruce K Darling, Ph.D., P.G., C.P.G.
Consultant
Bastrop, Texas
Email: bkdarling@aipg-tx.org

Bruce K. Darling, Ph.D., P.G., is a hydrogeologist and consulting geologist with more than four decades of experience in energy and mineral resources, hydrogeology, geochemistry, and mineral- and water-resource economics. He is a licensed Professional Geologist in Texas (P.G. No. 57) and Louisiana (P.G. No. 16). He holds a Ph.D. in geology and has advanced academic training in hydrogeology and geochemistry, mineral economics, and energy and mineral resources.

Dr. Darling’s technical experience includes the delineation of regional and subregional groundwater systems, isotope hydrology, geochemical modeling, the hydrology of arid and semiarid regions, naturally occurring radioactive materials, contaminant transport, and water-resource planning and management. He has led projects involving the assessment of sites proposed for processing and disposal of low-level radioactive waste; aquifer storage and recovery projects in Florida and Texas; in-situ recovery uranium mining; and the natural attenuation and restoration of groundwater at former uranium-recovery sites.

A significant part of Dr. Darling’s consulting practice has focused on groundwater economics. He has developed economic models for private- and public-sector clients seeking to understand the value of developed and undeveloped groundwater resources. This work has helped inform decisions involving groundwater transactions, the negotiation of water leases, and the permanent acquisition of groundwater rights in Texas.

His professional experience includes service as a Research Associate in hydrogeology and geochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology, as a Hydrogeologist and Geochemist with Leggette, Brashears & Graham, and as a consultant with Geosyntec Consultants. See his ResearchGate profile that lists more than 80 research publications and other professional contributions, including journal articles, conference papers, technical reports, presentations, and field guides. His work addresses subjects such as aquifer storage and recovery, stable-isotope geochemistry, groundwater valuation, uranium-mine restoration, saline groundwater, groundwater–surface water interaction, and the origins of natural gas in groundwater.

Dr. Darling has also contributed extensively to AIPG-TX field and educational programs, including the preparation and revision of the guidebook for the 2023 AIPG-TX Spring Field Trip, “Geology of Hudspeth County, Texas.”