As a water resources engineer for Hanson, Garrett Litteken focuses on all aspects of water resources engineering, particularly hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for local, state and federal bridge and dam safety projects.

Garrett joined Hanson as an intern in 2013; since then, he has expanded his experience to include computational fluid dynamics (CFD), dam breach modeling, scour estimates and countermeasures, erosion control, site drainage design, storm sewer design and roadway drainage. His portfolio includes developing operations and maintenance manuals; watershed scale models; breach inundation mapping; and providing hydraulic modeling of structures and emergency action plans for dams, including for Lake Decatur Dam in Decatur, Illinois, and Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake, both in McLean County, Illinois.

As a certified floodplain manager, Garrett is experienced with multiscale HEC-HMS hydrologic modeling and HEC-RAS (2D), AdH 2D and SRH 2D hydraulic modeling and CFD (3D) modeling in Flow-3D. He served as co-instructor for SRH 2D modeling under contract to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Proficient in ESRI ArcMap and SMS, Garrett integrates data from multiple sources to develop terrains, process land and soil coverages and enhance model development.

An active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Central Illinois Section, Garrett was recognized as the Young Civil Engineer of the Year in 2022 and received the President Award in 2018. He has held leadership roles as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer for ASCE’s West Branch and Central Illinois Section and as the secretary and vice president of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers’ (ISPE) Central Illinois Section. Garrett is also on ISPE’s Executive Committee, serving as president in 2025. He was also named ISPE’s Young Engineer of the Year in 2024. He is a member of the Association of State Dam
Safety Officials, Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM) and the Society of American Military Engineers.

Garrett has presented technical insights on hydraulic modeling and scour analysis to organizations such as the Illinois Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the IAFSM, where he has twice been awarded Best IAFSM Conference Presentation.

Dedicated to community outreach, Garrett has served as the United Way Committee chair for Hanson, leading campaign efforts to raise money for local charities. He has mentored local fifth- grade students for the Rube Goldberg competition, introducing the students to basic engineering concepts and leading them in their construction efforts. He also promotes science, technology, engineering and math activities through events such as science fair judging and Hanson’s job shadow program.

IN GARRETT’S WORDS
“Hanson has been instrumental in providing me with the tools and ongoing education necessary to stay ahead in the ever-evolving field of hydraulic engineering. The opportunity to work on a wide range of projects across the country, integrating multiple engineering disciplines, ensures that every day presents new challenges and keeps the work both engaging and rewarding.”