Our Mission
Annear Water Resources (AWR) provides its clients science based, practical solutions and long-term strategies to advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our water resources and communities.
Our Vision
AWR exists to be a trusted long-term partner, providing creative and innovative water resources and environmental solutions aligned with our clients’ evolving needs.
Our Values
Integrity
We practice honesty and openness with our clients. We are accountable for the quality, defensibility, and clarity of our work and follow through on our commitments.
Trusted Partnerships
We listen carefully to our clients’ needs, constraints, and concerns. We collaborate as an extension of your team, providing steady guidance and helping anticipate and navigate both expected and unexpected challenges.
Innovation
We believe in bringing savvy, budget-sized innovative and creative solutions to our clients’ projects, whether through technology or thoughtful application of new methodologies.
Rob Annear
Growing up, Rob was always looking to the stars with a desire to one day be an astronaut. However, after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, his starry-eyed career aspirations shifted from the heavens above to the waters below—to become a water resources and environmental engineer—which he credits to a lot of his childhood spent in and around water.
For the past 20+ years, Rob has specialized in hydrodynamic and water quality modeling throughout the United States for its rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and the coastal and ocean environments. His expertise has also called him to serve as an expert witness in this area.
Annear Water Resources, LLC (AWR) was founded so that Rob could continue to provide his clients with solutions and strategies for a more sustainable future for their water resource needs.
The Pacific Northwest has been Rob’s home for more than three decades. Outside of his passion to provide right-sized water resources solutions that support community economies and environmental health, he is equally passionate about making time for his family, traveling, hiking, snowboarding, cycling, and trying new microbeers and board games.
Noah Benitez-Nelson
Noah Benitez-Nelson is a research scientist with expertise in hydrology, biogeochemistry, civil engineering, and meteorology. He has always been drawn to the water. As a kid, Noah spent countless hours swimming in the river near his home, exploring its bends and currents. Even after moving across the country, his passion for water never faded.
During his master’s thesis, Noah developed a surface-groundwater-runoff model to predict the timing of groundwater recovery in drought-prone California basins. After graduation, he led a multidisciplinary contracting team as a project manager for NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), where he developed data science tools and served as a science liaison to the Architecture and Engineering sector.
At AWR, Noah applies his scientific expertise and contracting experience to solve complex water resource challenges in the Pacific Northwest. His work supports sustainable watershed management, groundwater resilience, and data-driven solutions for clients navigating evolving environmental conditions.
Outside of work, Noah can be found exploring nature—from mountain biking and snowboarding to hiking with his fiancée and their dog.
Anurag Mishra
Anurag’s passion for the environment started early—from organizing community cleanups to writing about environmental issues. He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in Agricultural Engineering, specializing in water resources.
With more than twenty years of experience in water resources modeling, Anurag has supported projects involving watersheds, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and stormwater systems across the U.S. He also enjoys teaching and mentoring, and has delivered numerous modeling courses and workshops.
Anurag is excited to join Annear Water Resources and continue using engineering and science to solve real world environmental challenges.
Outside of work, you’ll likely find him hiking, biking, skiing, playing badminton, running, or reading.
Qiaochu Sun
Qiaochu Sun brings more than five years of experience in water resources engineering, stormwater management, and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) planning. Growing up in a coastal city affected by water shortages sparked her interest in water resource challenges and the complex relationship between people, policy, and the built environment.
Her doctoral research focused on how communities adopt private GSI and how municipal incentive policies can support more cost-effective stormwater management. Through physical modeling, behavioral analysis, policy evaluation, and stakeholder engagement, Qiaochu’s work connects technical analysis with practical decision-making.
At AWR, Qiaochu is excited to apply her modeling, research, and stakeholder engagement experience to real-world water resources projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, table tennis, building LEGO sets, and reading.
Sia Bassam
Sia is an environmental and water resources professional with experience in watershed modeling and management, hydrodynamics, water quality modeling, and water rights permitting. His professional path has been shaped by his roles at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and previous engineering consulting work in Oregon, where he’s applied advanced models and statistical tools to enhance water resource management and sustainability.
In addition to his technical expertise, Sia has recently expanded his knowledge in business strategy and project management through an executive MBA program. This additional layer of education equips him to bring together scientific insight and strategic business solutions, ensuring that his projects achieve technical excellence and align with broader organizational goals.
Outside of work, Sia’s love for the outdoors mirrors his professional passions. Whether it’s hiking with his dog, road cycling, or creativity in the kitchen, he embraces exploration and a dedication to making a positive impact on the environment and life.
Why Choose Us
Water Resources + Environmental Experts
25+ years of water resources and environmental consulting in the Pacific Northwest and across the United States.
Extensive Regulatory Experience
Extensive experience working with clients and the regulatory community.
Agile + Responsive
Adaptable to the changing needs of our clients, we have the ability to identify and collaborate with the right expertise to help a client.
