Eric William Strom

Eric William Strom passed away on May 28, 2024. He was 61 years old. Eric had a long fruitful career as a geologist, hydrologist, and director with the US Geological Survey (USGS). His work brought him to Chapin, South Carolina for the last twenty years of his life.

Eric’s life will be celebrated by friends and family on August 31, 2024, from 10 am to 12 pm, at Christus Victor Lutheran Church, 400 Harbison Blvd., Columbia, South Carolina, 29212. There will be a one-hour service at 10 am, followed by lunch and visiting in the Fellowship Hall at 11 am. All those who knew and cared about Eric and his family, are welcome. There is ample parking at the church.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, Eric’s family suggests memorial donations be made to any of the following organizations.

• Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens, Columbia, South Carolina https://society.riverbanks.org/donate/honorary-memorial-gifts

• St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) https://secure.aspca.org/donate/memorial

Eric grew up in Dallas, Texas, where finding fossils in the local creek bed was a happy pastime. He graduated from Skyline High School, and through their aeronautics program was able to complete flight school. While in high school, Eric learned to engrave at a local retail shop, and with his paychecks purchased another flying lesson each time he was paid. He had a pilot’s license by the time he graduated.

Eric attended Rice University where he graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor's degree in Geology. During this time he spent a summer mapping in the Brooks Range of Alaska, near the North Pole, where he was transformed by his experience of being alone in the wilderness. After graduation Eric received a National Association of Geology Teachers (NAGT) internship at the USGS Woods Hole Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology. While there he was able to do a wide variety of tasks, including a dive in the Johnson Sea-Link submarine. He loved exploring the ocean floor. Eric also spent time in the Canadian wilderness as a teaching assistant one summer.

He and Kathy Kirchhoff were married in Montara, California on August 4, 1990. They moved immediately to College Station, Texas where he attended graduate school at Texas A&M. He earned his Master’s degree in Geology there in 1993. Eric was honored to win the prestigious Reg Brooks Award upon graduation.

His first choice for work was the USGS, and he was thrilled when he was hired to work as a hydrologist at the USGS Water Resources Division in Mississippi. His focus was groundwater modeling. In 1998 he took a position at the USGS Texas Water Science Center (WSC) as the Groundwater Specialist in Austin. Eventually he moved into management as USGS Associate Director for Investigations. While in Austin, he and Kathy enjoyed acting in the local community theater.

In 2001 Eric and Kathy welcomed their daughter, Michelle, to the delight of the whole family. In 2004 they left Texas for South Carolina where Eric took a position as the Director of the USGS in Columbia, SC. They settled in Chapin, where they had a house in the woods on several acres and Eric could teach Michelle the joys of exploring the trees, creeks, springs, and wildlife right in their backyard.

In addition to his duties in South Carolina, Eric served as the Acting Director of the USGS in Florida in 2009 - 2010. During that time he oversaw the creation of the USGS Florida Water Science Center. Eric managed the 2015 merger of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and became the Director of the newly formed USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC).

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. The damage allowed 4 million gallons of oil to begin releasing into the Gulf waters for 87 days. Eric jumped into action organizing a meeting of all the USGS Water Science Center teams in the Gulf Coast areas. The goal was to immediately begin sampling to establish "baseline conditions in water chemistry and bottom sediments prior to landfall of the oil spill" (https://water.usgs.gov/owq/deephorizonoilspill/). As a thanks for his fast action, he received a letter of thanks from Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior which stated, "With appreciation for your extraordinary contributions to the response and restoration of the Gulf Coast after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Ken Salazar". He received another from the Director of the USGS thanking him on behalf of both herself and the Secretary of the Interior for his efforts. Her letter stated. "The Secretary and I would like to thank you again for all your efforts related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill. Enclosed please find a certificate and coin as tokens of our appreciation. Sincerely, Marcia McNutt, Director, U.S. Geological Survey".

In October 2018, Eric's team undertook the difficult task of responding to Hurricane Florence. An article on the USGS website quoted him as follows. "'I am proud of the USGS staff’s speed, thoroughness and accuracy as they do this essential work in difficult conditions, and under the pressure of time,' said USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center director Eric Strom. 'The team began working well before Florence made landfall, when field crews began installing storm-tide sensors along the coast. Right after the storm passed, we mobilized as many as 60 people at a time to fix or relocate streamgages that were damaged or destroyed, monitor the flooding, and work with forecasters and emergency managers to get them the up-to-date flood information they needed. And now, because the rivers have receded so slowly, we’re in the midst of a long high water mark campaign in two states. It’s been a sustained, coordinated effort in response to a hurricane that triggered record-setting floods.'” Citation here: https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/usgs-crews-work-fast-capture-evidence-devastating-carolina-floods

By the time Eric retired in August 2019, he had spent a total of 27 years serving our US citizens as a federal employee of the USGS, dedicated to science. He had at least 32 published, peer-reviewed research articles, two podcasts, a video, and numerous mentions in media, newspapers and other publications. Eric loved his work with the USGS, and was sad to leave it when IgA Nephropathy forced him into early medical retirement. He bravely struggled with eventual dialysis, and all the difficulties this brought.

Eric began his spiritual life as an infant by being baptized at First Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa (formerly Swedish Lutheran). In Dallas, Texas he attended Advent Lutheran Church and was confirmed as a young teen. While in Lago Vista, Texas he served as a Senior Warden at Lago Vista Episcopalian Church where Michelle was baptized as a baby. When the family moved to Chapin, he enjoyed teaching at Bethel Lutheran Church. He later became a member of Christus Victor Lutheran in the Harbison area.

Eric is survived by his loving family, including his wife, Kathy Kirchhoff Strom, and daughter, Michelle Strom. In addition, he is survived by his father, Edwin Thomas Strom, sister, Laura Strom (Mark Stackpole), and many cousins, nieces, nephews and their children. He is preceded in death by his mother, Charlotte Faye Williams Strom (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/dallas-tx/charlotte-strom-11409166), his grandparents, along with uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.

Here is a link to a Spotify Playlist honoring Eric, and created by his wife, daughter, sister and friend. This list has songs Eric liked, and his family hopes you will enjoy listening to it, and thinking of him.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0C5YyU992LPDtS1cDPpDIu?si=53863c36050e444f

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Below is a Selected Reference list of Eric Strom's professional contributions, including research articles, podcasts, interviews and media mentions, selected and created by Laura Strom, his sister.

Eric W. Strom - Selected References

Arthur, J. K., & Strom, E. W. (1996). Thickness of the Mississippi River alluvium and thickness of the coarse sand and gravel in the Mississippi River alluvium in northwestern Mississippi (No. 96-4305). US Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/wri964305

Chapelle, F. H., Shen, Y., Strom, E. W., & Benner, R. (2016). The removal kinetics of dissolved organic matter and the optical clarity of groundwater. Hydrogeology Journal, 24(6), 1413. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/geol_facpub/168/

Clemson University - PSA. (2014, December 5). 2014 S.C. Water Resources Conference | Eric Strom. YouTube video interview of Eric Strom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDOPbrCYiiE

Danskin, W. R., Kasmarek, M. C., & Strom, E. W. (2000, November). Optimal withdrawal of elastically stored ground water in the Chicot Aquifer, Houston area, Texas. In US Geological Survey Subsidence Interest Group Conference, Proceedings of the technical meeting, Galveston, Texas (pp. 27-29). https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/ofr03-308/pdf/OFR03-308.pdf

Eric Strom—South Atlantic Water Science Center Director | U. S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/eric-strom-south-atlantic-water-science-center-director-0

Holleman, J. Fretwell, S., Shain, A., Lowe, R., Winston, C. (February 16, 2014). SC rolls with 2nd strongest earthquake since 1950. The State. Quote by Eric Strom. https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article13838150.html

Houston, N. A., Garcia, C. A., & Strom, E. W. (2003). Selected hydrogeologic datasets for the Ogallala Aquifer, Texas (No. 2003-296). US Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr03296

Huston, S. S., Strom, E. W., Burt, D. E., & Mallory, M. J. (2010). Simulation of projected water demand and groundwater-levels in the Coffee Sand and Eutaw-McShan aquifers in Union County. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/wri004268

Introduction to USGS water science in South Carolina | U. S. Geological Survey. (July 2009). Podcast interview of Eric Strom. https://www.usgs.gov/media/audio/introduction-usgs-water-science-south-carolina

Kasmarek, M. C., & Strom, E. W. (2002). Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow and land-surface subsidence in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston area, Texas (Vol. 2, No. 4022). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=y4juAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Eric+W.+Strom&ots=9ttD5ss566&sig=1Z-QRMCBP3yT6FtaoQfI62dNFB0

Kasmarek, M. C., & Strom, E. W. (2002). Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow and land-surface subsidence in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston area, Texas, USGS WRI 2002-4022. Texas. Prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston, 61.

Kemper County ICGG Project: Environmental Impact Statement. (2010). United States: (n.p.).Page 4-49 cites Eric Strom’s 1998 groundwater modeling work in Mississippi.

Mahler, B. J., Gary, M. O., Canova, M. G., Strom, E. W., Fahlquist, L., & Dorsey, M. E. (1999). Volatile organic compound and pesticide data for public water-supply reservoirs and wells. Texas, 2001, 02-093. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr02-093/pdf/ofr02-093.pdf

Mahler, B. J., Gary, M. O., Canova, M. G., Strom, E. W., Fahlquist, L., Dorsey, M. E., & Department Of The Interior Washington, DC. (2002). Volatile organic compound and pesticide data for public water- supply reservoirs and wells, Texas, 1999-2001 (No. 2002-93). US Geological Survey. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA441255

McCallum, B. (2017). USGS monitoring for regional studies and critical events: 2017 SEACCOP PIO Session. USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center. Cites Eric Strom as the director of the USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center. https://seacccop.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/seaccop-pio-2017-mccallum.pdf

Ogallala Aquifer—Different water law by state. (2017, March 7). Coyote Gulch. Map citation to Eric Strom. https://coyotegulch.blog/2017/03/07/ogallala-aquifer-different-water-law-by-state/

Shen, Y., Chapelle, F.H., Strom, E.W. et al. (2015) Origins and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in groundwater. Biogeochemistry 122, 61–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-0029-4

Strom, E. W. (1993). A model of the large hydraulic gradient at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site, based on hydraulic conductivity contrasts between Cenozoic and Paleozoic rocks (Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University). Correction: this is a master’s thesis.

Strom, E. W. (1995). Investigation of the location and depth of water-bearing sands in Jackson and Harrison counties, Mississippi (No. 180-95). US Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1995/0180/report.pdf

Strom, E. W. (1997). Hydrogeologic interpretations of natural-gamma logs for 31 shallow wells in the Memphis, Tennessee, area (Vol. 97, No. 4181). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BRPc21LKmjcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Eric+W.+Strom&ots=MfUjwOhhsQ&sig=IF9V_KbCwHWjDxnNtfKRKQiKXc8

Strom, E. W. (1998). Hydrologic interpretations of natural gamma logs for Memphis, Tennessee Area US. https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1997/4181/report.pdf

Strom, E. W. (1998). The rivers of Mississippi. Marine Resources and History of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Volume Two: Mississippi’s Coastal Environment. Jackson, Mississippi: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, 425-438. (Book chapter).

Strom, E. W. (1998). Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow in the Cretaceous-Paleozoic aquifer system in northeastern Mississippi (Vol. 98, No. 4171). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yojuAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22Eric+W.+Strom%22&ots=UVBivx0mLP&sig=XLhJeBV2vKTpi_InB5uumMW73yU

Strom, E. W., Burt, D. E., & Oakley, W. T. (1995). Hydrogeology and analysis of ground-water withdrawal from the Catahoula Aquifer System in the Natchez Area. https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1995/4171/report.pdf

Strom, E. W., Houston, N. A., & Garcia, C. A. (2003). Selected hydrogeologic datasets for the Jasper Aquifer, Texas (No. 2003-299). US Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr03299

Strom, E. W., Houston, N. A., & Garcia, C. A. (2003). Selected hydrogeologic datasets for the Evangeline Aquifer, Texas (No. 2003-298). US Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr03298

Strom, E. W., Houston, N. A., & Garcia, C. A. (2003). Selected hydrogeologic datasets for the Chicot Aquifer, Texas (No. 2003-297). US Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr03297

Strom, E. W., & Mallory, M. J. (1995). Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow in the Eutaw-McShan Aquifer and in the Tuscaloosa aquifer system in northeastern Mississippi (Vol. 94, No. 4223). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8MVW17n6S5EC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22Eric+W.+Strom%22&ots=2YzZdw43JE&sig=PcUrV-tD0u8C5wYdYPPLm4VQzzA

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1995). Hydrogeology and analysis of ground-water withdrawal from the Catahoula aquifer system in the Natchez area, Adams County, Mississippi (Vol. 95, No. 4171). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=u2fuAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA2&dq=%22Eric+W.+Strom%22&ots=Tbd0_dG4t9&sig=Nu9EJfqYtDwEZdOLBnQ_thm4Z7E

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1995). Hydrogeology and analysis of ground-water withdrawal in the Mendenhall-D'Lo area, Simpson County, Mississippi (Vol. 95, No. 4013). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=52buAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22Eric+W.+Strom%22&ots=ld0gr9iEK-&sig=RwNA3QmLe9zI9_N0b--h0Yk0F-E

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1996). Location and depth of sand and clay intervals in Jackson County, Mississippi (Vol. 96, No. 4051). US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kmzuAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22Eric+W.+Strom%22&ots=-3Pb83699V&sig=uof6H4Yf2xOPq4isuzQNXZXERRw

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1997). Water level measurements and the location and depth of sand and clay intervals for selected wells in Jackson County, Mississippi, October 1966-July 1997 (No. 97-551). https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/0551/report.pdf

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1997). Water-quality measurements for selected wells in Harrison County, Mississippi, October 1996-July 1997 (No. 97-595). https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr97595

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1998). Water-level measurements for selected wells in the Jackson, Mississippi, area, August 1997-June 1998 (No. 98-388). US Geological Survey; Branch of Information Services [distributor]. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/0388/report.pdf

Strom, E. W., & Oakley, W. T. (1998). Water-quality data for selected wells in Harrison County, Mississippi, April 1998 (No. 98-386). US Geological Survey; Branch of Information Services [distributor]. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/0386/report.pdf

USGS crews work fast to capture evidence of devastating Carolina floods | U. S. Geological Survey. (October 2018). Quote by Eric Strom. https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/usgs-crews-work-fast-capture-evidence-devastating-carolina-floods

USGS water activities in South Carolina—Update | U. S. Geological Survey. (May 2011). Podcast interview with Eric Strom. https://www.usgs.gov/media/audio/usgs-water-activities-south-carolina-update

Valentine, P. C., Strom, E. W., Lough, R. G., & Brown, C. L. (1993). Maps showing the sedimentary environment of eastern Georges Bank. US Dep. Interior, US Geol. Sur. Misc. Invest. Ser., Map I-2279-B, scale, 1(250,000). https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/i2279B

Valentine, P. C., Strom, E. W., & Brown, C. L. (1992). Maps showing the sea-floor topography of eastern Georges Bank (No. 2279-A). https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/i2279A

Valentine, P. C., Strom, E. W., Lough, R. G., & Brown, C. L. (1993). Maps showing the sedimentary environment of eastern Georges Bank. US Geological Service. MAP I-2279-B. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/i2279B