About Us
Engineers with 30 years farming experience
William Brinkop
William Brinkop is one of the original partners of Aquagen Engineers. Bill received a B.S. in Biological Systems and Agricultural Engineering from UC Davis in 1990 and a M.S. degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley in 1991. Bill worked for a water and waste water treatement consulting engineering firm for two years and obtained his civil engineering license in California. With a passion for aquaculture, Bill went back to UC Davis for a PhD in Biological Systems Engineering focusing on intensive recirculating aquaculture. Over those four years Bill developed a state of the art computer model for recirculating aquaculture systems. In 1995, Bill worked with Gary Grace (another engineer from UC Davis) on a cogeneration facility in Sacramento which produced electricity from waste gas and used the heat generated to warm water for a fish farm. At this time, Aquagen Engineers partnership was formed.
Red Top Aquafarm
Aquagen's primary goal was to develop a new and unique intensive aquaculture facility combined with cogeneration. They found a suitable site in Central California and began construction in 1996. This was the first and most advanced recirculating bass farm in the United States and against many odds it became profitable in just one year post construction. It has remained a profitable operation to this day. We are uniquely qualified to provide consulting and engineering services due to our robust experience farming fish profitably in RAS for decades.
Experience
We have been actively involved in designing, constructing, operating, managing, maintaining, improving and continously learning about instensive aquaculture operations for over 30 years. We also have experience farming almonds and row crops using aquaculture discharge.