About Us
You’ll find a broad spectrum of experience and qualifications across Northern Rockies Engineering staff, including civil and environmental engineers, hydrogeologists, hydrologists, geologists, aquatic ecologists, and GIS specialists. Our projects and clients are located throughout the West.
Our company principals have unsurpassed experience and ensure every project meets our exacting standards and your specific needs.
Lewis Burton, PE – Principal Civil and Water Resource Engineer
Lew is a civil and water resource engineer who has completed hundreds of planning, design, and construction management projects including public water systems, waste disposal systems, geothermal energy, pipelines, dams, and irrigation infrastructure. Lew formerly owned and was principal engineer at Gateway Engineering & Surveying of Bozeman and was responsible for leading design and permitting of many high-end residential and commercial developments in Southwestern Montana. Lew’s water resource projects include high hazard dam inspection, stream channel rehabilitation projects, erosion control, irrigation diversion structures, mine reclamation, and drainage management. In his 45-year career, Lew’s duties have ranged from managing the entire USDA Soil Conservation Service engineering program in the State of Alaska to being the principal and owner of two civil engineering firms.
Scott Payne, PhD, PG – Principal Environmental Scientist
Scott is a PhD hydrogeologist with over 30 years of experience as an environmental and water resource project manager. His experience includes water resource planning, environmental site assessment and remediation, watershed assessment, regulatory permitting, water supply evaluation and development, Superfund technical assistance, and numerical groundwater modeling. Scott is the author of Strategies for Accelerating Cleanup at Toxic Waste Sites, published by CRC Press and marketed internationally. Scott’s book outlines streamlining regulatory processes, effectively negotiating decisions and actions, identifying win-win solutions, instilling environmental leadership, and applying practical solutions to challenging environmental problems. Scott’s site remediation projects include toxic and hazardous waste site characterization on large complex sites, feasibility studies, cleanup plans, and Brownfields redevelopment. Scott is a registered professional geologist in Wyoming and California.
Ian Magruder, MS – Principal Water Resource Scientist
Ian is a professional hydrogeologist with extensive experience in the planning and permitting of water and wastewater systems, environmental site investigation, Superfund technical assistance, water rights consulting, and water resource planning. He has worked on subdivision and sanitation approval for a variety of commercial, residential, and industrial developments in Montana, and provides water rights support to private individuals, businesses, and government agencies, including a report prepared for Montana DNRC providing a comprehensive look at water availability in Western Montana. He has worked with municipal, commercial, and industrial wastewater discharge permitting. Ian has an extensive background in modeling and formerly studied under one of the industry’s leading authors of applied groundwater modeling techniques.
