Jaime A Painter
Jaime Painter is the Program Manager for the Water Use and Water Budget Research Science Programs for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Jaime Painter has been with the U.S. Geological Survey since 2000. Her early career was spent employing geospatial analytics toward national, regional, and local topics of water availability and use. Water use science emerged as a natural fit and an area for which USGS had a mission and capacity to improve the state of science. Jaime has worked in the field of water use since 2008 primarily focused on irrigation water use. In her current role as Program Manager, she helps establish pathways to ensure that USGS information enhances the understanding, quantification, prediction, and accessibility of comprehensive and reliable water budget information for all States and territories. Knowing the amount of water society is using today and needs for the future where climate varies, and land-use and population changes is critical to understanding water availability and to assure that future water needs can be met
Professional Experience
2024 – present: Program Manager, Water Use and Water Budget Research Science Programs
2002-2023: Geographer, Water-Use Specialist, South Atlantic Water Science Center, USGS, Norcross, Georgia.
2000-2002: Student Trainee (Hydrology), Georgia Water Science Center, USGS, Norcross, Georgia.
2000-2002: Research Assistant, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
Education and Certifications
MS Geography. University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, 2002
BS Geography. University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia, 2000
Science and Products
Withdrawals for Bottled Water
Water Use in South Carolina, 2015
Water Use in North Carolina, 2015
Water Use in Georgia
Flood-Inundation mapping in Georgia, North and South Carolina
Geospatial (GIS) and Map Resources for the South Atlantic Region
Water Use in Georgia, 2010
Geohydrology and Effects of Climate and Pumpage Change on Water Resources of the Aucilla–Suwannee–Ochlockonee River Basin, South-Central Georgia and Adjacent Areas of Florida, Progress and Significant Results, 2006—2007
Southwest Georgia Agricultural Water Conservation and Metering Program
Aquaculture and Irrigation Water Use Model (AIWUM) 2.0 input and output datasets
Verified Irrigated Agricultural Lands for the United States, 2002-17
2015 calendar-year county-level estimates of actual evapotranspiration for the conterminous United States and Hawaii
Supporting Data for Estimating Selected Low-Flow Frequency Statistics and Mean Annual Flow for Ungaged Locations on Streams in Alabama (ver. 1.1, November 2020)
Estimated Use of Water for Coastal Carolinas Focus Area Study
2015 Georgia water-use information by county and water-use trends by water-planning region
Simulated hydrologic response in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, southeastern United States
Digital surfaces of the bottom altitude and thickness of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer and site data within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain project region
Mississippi Alluvial Plain Extent, November 2017
Geostatistical estimation of the bottom altitude and thickness of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
Improving crop-specific groundwater use estimation in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain: Implications for integrated remote sensing and machine learning approaches in data-scarce regions
Water-use data in the United States: Challenges and future directions
Documentation of methods and inventory of irrigation information collected for the 2015 U.S. Geological Survey estimated use of water in the United States
Methods for estimating selected low-flow frequency statistics and mean annual flow for ungaged locations on streams in Alabama
Prioritizing river basins for intensive monitoring and assessment by the US Geological Survey
Estimated use of water in Georgia for 2015 and water-use trends, 1985–2015
South Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Plan: 2019–23
Groundwater conditions in Georgia, 2015–16
Simulations of hydrologic response in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Southeastern United States
Groundwater-flow budget for the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in southwestern Georgia and parts of Florida and Alabama, 2008–12
Effects of impervious area and BMP implementation and design on storm runoff and water quality in eight small watersheds
Hydrology and water quality in 13 watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia, 2001–15
Aquaculture and Irrigation Water Use Model 2.0 Software
Science and Products
- Science
Withdrawals for Bottled Water
USGS is compiling data on locations and volumes of water withdrawals for bottled water production and learning how, when, and where bottled water withdrawals result in changes to groundwater levels, spring flows, and water quality.Water Use in South Carolina, 2015
To provide estimates of water withdrawal, water use, and return flows to surface water needed for water management, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with This ongoing program focuses on collecting, compiling, and disseminating water-use information for the State.Water Use in North Carolina, 2015
To provide estimates of water withdrawal, water use, and return flows to surface water needed for water management, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), used data from the following sources: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, North Carolina Department of Agriculture, National Golf Foundation, USGS National Water Availability and Use Science Project and Duke Energy. This ongoing...Water Use in Georgia
To provide estimates of water withdrawal, water use, and return flows to surface water needed for water management, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (GaEPD), developed the Georgia Water-Use Program in 1979. This ongoing program focuses on collecting, compiling, and disseminating water-use information...Flood-Inundation mapping in Georgia, North and South Carolina
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has created flood-inundation maps for selected streamgage sites in Georgia, North and South Carolina. These maps depict the approximate area that would be inundated at selected water levels, ranging from approximately top-of-bank to the maximum observed water level. The inundated areas depicted on these maps are approximate, and accuracy of the maps is a function...Geospatial (GIS) and Map Resources for the South Atlantic Region
Map and Geographical Information System (GIS) resourcesWater Use in Georgia, 2010
Total water use, for 2010,was estimated at 4,680 Mgal/d which included 1,130 Mgal/d of water delivered by public suppliers to domestic, commercial and public use, and industrial customer and publics supply losses. About 6.7 Mgal/d of water was delivered from public suppliers in Alabama and Tennessee to customers in Georgia. Furthermore, 2,230 Mgal/d of water was returned to surface-water bodies in...Geohydrology and Effects of Climate and Pumpage Change on Water Resources of the Aucilla–Suwannee–Ochlockonee River Basin, South-Central Georgia and Adjacent Areas of Florida, Progress and Significant Results, 2006—2007
Episodic droughts and increased pumpage since the mid-1970s have caused unprecedented ground-water level decline in the Upper Floridan aquifer in much of the roughly 8,000 square-mile Aucilla-Suwannee-Ochlockonee (ASO) River Basin. To address concerns about water availability, USGS worked with Georgia Environmental Protection Division to improve understanding of the hydrogeologic framework and...Southwest Georgia Agricultural Water Conservation and Metering Program
During 2008-2015, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated methods to estimate agricultural water use and growing season pumping rates through the analysis of water-meter data throughout southwest Georgia. Reports are available by year. - Data
Aquaculture and Irrigation Water Use Model (AIWUM) 2.0 input and output datasets
Datasets are inputs and outputs of Aquaculture and Irrigation Water Use Model (AIWUM) 2.0. AIWUM 2.0 employs remote sensing data sets and machine learning utilizing Distributed Random Forests, an ensemble machine learning algorithm to estimate annual and monthly groundwater use for irrigation and aquaculture (2014–20) throughout this region at 1 km resolution, using annual pumping data from flowmVerified Irrigated Agricultural Lands for the United States, 2002-17
The spatial extents of verified irrigated lands were compiled from various federal and state sources across the nation and combined into a single Geographic Information System (GIS) geodatabase for the purpose of model training and validation. In cooperation with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), researchers at the University of Wisconsin (UW) generated a nation-wide map of irrigated lands using remo2015 calendar-year county-level estimates of actual evapotranspiration for the conterminous United States and Hawaii
Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) values estimated for specified areas including 1) total county areas; 2) potentially irrigated areas within each county; and 3) mapped extents of irrigated lands within each county provided by some states. These ETa estimates were provided to the USGS National Water Use Science Project by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center (Gabriel SenaySupporting Data for Estimating Selected Low-Flow Frequency Statistics and Mean Annual Flow for Ungaged Locations on Streams in Alabama (ver. 1.1, November 2020)
Streamflow data and statistics are vitally important for proper protection and management of both the water quality and water quantity of Alabama streams. Such data and statistics are available at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, also referred to as streamgages or stations, but are often needed at ungaged stream locations. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey, in coopEstimated Use of Water for Coastal Carolinas Focus Area Study
The Cape Fear and Pee Dee River Basins in North Carolina and South Carolina were chosen as a focus area study (FAS) for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Census (NWC) in 2016. The objective of the NWC is to place technical information and tools in the hands of stake holders so that they can make decisions on water availability. The USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center, comprised2015 Georgia water-use information by county and water-use trends by water-planning region
Water-withdrawal, water-use, and water-return information have been collected and compiled for each county in Georgia every 5 years since 1980 using data obtained from various Federal, State, private agencies, and on-line sources. For 2015, water use, water withdrawal, and water returns were estimated for each county in Georgia. Off-stream water use in 2015 is estimated for the categories of domesSimulated hydrologic response in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, southeastern United States
The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin (ACFB), which is home to multiple fish and wildlife species of conservation concern, is regionally important for water supply and has been a recent focus of complementary water-resources, ecological, and climate-change research. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Census, a water-availability study of the ACFB was conducted fDigital surfaces of the bottom altitude and thickness of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer and site data within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain project region
Bottom altitudes of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) were compiled from interpretations of subsurface geophysical logs (log picks) at about 10,000 boreholes and wells located throughout the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) that were available from previous investigations. Five sources of the bottom altitude data are listed numerically in the Cross Reference section (below) andMississippi Alluvial Plain Extent, November 2017
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) has become one of the most important agricultural regions in the US, and it relies heavily on a groundwater system that is poorly understood and shows signs of substantial change. The heavy use of the available groundwater resources has resulted in significant groundwater-level declines and reductions in base flow in streams within the MAP. These impacts are li - Maps
Geostatistical estimation of the bottom altitude and thickness of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) caps a shallow system of aquifers and confining units in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) that extends across 45,000 square miles of the midwestern and southern United States from Illinois to Louisiana. Irrigation water from the MRVA is required to sustain extensive crop production, which has resulted in groundwater-level declines since the - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 39
Improving crop-specific groundwater use estimation in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain: Implications for integrated remote sensing and machine learning approaches in data-scarce regions
Study regionThe Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) in the United States (US).Study focusUnderstanding local-scale groundwater use, a critical component of the water budget, is necessary for implementing sustainable water management practices. The MAP is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the US and extracts more than 11 km3/year for irrigation activities. Consequently, groundwater-leAuthorsSayantan Majumdar, Ryan Smith, Md Fahim Hasan, Jordan Wilson, Vincent E. White, Emilia L. Bristow, James R. Rigby, Wade Kress, Jaime A. PainterWater-use data in the United States: Challenges and future directions
In the United States, greater attention has been given to developing water supplies and quantifying available waters than determining who uses water, how much they withdraw and consume, and how and where water use occurs. As water supplies are stressed due to an increasingly variable climate, changing land-use, and growing water needs, greater consideration of the demand side of the water balanceAuthorsLandon Marston, Abdel Abdallah, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Kerim Dickson, Pierre D. Glynn, Sara Larsen, Forrest Melton, Kyle Onda, Jaime A. Painter, James Prairie, Benjamin Ruddell, Richard Rushforth, Gabriel B. Senay, Kimberly ShafferDocumentation of methods and inventory of irrigation information collected for the 2015 U.S. Geological Survey estimated use of water in the United States
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Use Science Project strives to report water-use estimates using the best available information for the period of the estimates. The information available on water used for irrigation activities varies from State to State and in some areas from county to county within a State, which results in many information sources and methods being used to estimaAuthorsJaime A. Painter, Justin T. Brandt, Rodney R. Caldwell, Jonathan V. Haynes, Amy L. ReadMethods for estimating selected low-flow frequency statistics and mean annual flow for ungaged locations on streams in Alabama
Streamflow data and statistics are vitally important for proper protection and management of the water quality and water quantity of Alabama streams. Such data and statistics are generally available at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, also referred to as streamgages or stations, but are often needed at ungaged stream locations. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey, inAuthorsToby D. Feaster, Katharine R. Kolb, Jaime A. Painter, Jimmy M. ClarkPrioritizing river basins for intensive monitoring and assessment by the US Geological Survey
The US Geological Survey (USGS) is currently (2020) integrating its water science programs to better address the nation’s greatest water resource challenges now and into the future. This integration will rely, in part, on data from 10 or more intensively monitored river basins from across the USA. A team of USGS scientists was convened to develop a systematic, quantitative approach to prioritize cAuthorsPeter C. Van Metre, Sharon L. Qi, Jeffrey R. Deacon, Cheryl A. Dieter, Jessica M. Driscoll, Michael N. Fienen, Terry A. Kenney, Patrick M. Lambert, David P. Lesmes, Christopher Allen Mason, Anke Mueller-Solger, MaryLynn Musgrove, Jaime A. Painter, Donald O. Rosenberry, Lori A. Sprague, Anthony J. Tesoriero, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, David M. WolockEstimated use of water in Georgia for 2015 and water-use trends, 1985–2015
Water-withdrawal, water-use, and water-return information have been collected and compiled for each county in Georgia every 5 years since 1980 using data obtained from various Federal, State, and private agencies, as well as additional online sources. For 2015, water use, water withdrawal, and water returns were estimated for each county, water-planning region, major river basin, and principal aquAuthorsJaime A. PainterSouth Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Plan: 2019–23
Executive SummaryThe South Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Planning Team has developed a unified strategic science plan to guide the science vision of the South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) in response to the merging of the Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Water Science Centers. This plan proposes a path forward to keep SAWSC science activities relevant to the mAuthorsThomas F. Cuffney, Ana M. Garcia, Arthur J. Horowitz, Jacob H. LaFontaine, James E. Landmeyer, Anna M. McKee, Kristen Bukowski McSwain, Jaime A. Painter, John M. Shelton, Christopher A. SmithGroundwater conditions in Georgia, 2015–16
The U.S. Geological Survey collects groundwater data and conducts studies to monitor hydrologic conditions, define groundwater resources, and address problems related to water supply, water use, and water quality. In Georgia, water levels were monitored continuously at 157 wells during calendar years 2015 and 2016. Because of missing data or short periods of record (less than 5 years) for severalAuthorsDebbie W. Gordon, Jaime A. PainterSimulations of hydrologic response in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Southeastern United States
A suite of hydrologic models has been developed for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin (ACFB) as part of the National Water Census, a U.S. Geological Survey research program that focuses on developing new water accounting tools and assessing water availability and use at the regional and national scales. Seven hydrologic models were developed using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling SAuthorsJacob H. LaFontaine, L. Elliott Jones, Jaime A. PainterGroundwater-flow budget for the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in southwestern Georgia and parts of Florida and Alabama, 2008–12
As part of the National Water Census program in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated the groundwater budget of the lower ACF, with particular emphasis on recharge, characterizing the spatial and temporal relation between surface water and groundwater, and groundwater pumping. To evaluate the hydrologic budget of the lower ACF River Basin, a gAuthorsL. Elliott Jones, Jaime A. Painter, Jacob H. LaFontaine, Nicasio Sepúlveda, Dorothy F. SifuentesEffects of impervious area and BMP implementation and design on storm runoff and water quality in eight small watersheds
The effects of increases in effective impervious area (EIA) and the implementation of water quality protection designed detention pond best management practices (BMPs) on storm runoff and stormwater quality were assessed in Gwinnett County, Georgia, for the period 2001-2008. Trends among eight small watersheds were compared, using a time trend study design. Significant trends were detected in threAuthorsBrent T. Aulenbach, Mark N. Landers, Jonathan W. Musser, Jaime A. PainterHydrology and water quality in 13 watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia, 2001–15
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, established a Long-Term Trend Monitoring (LTTM) program in 1996. The LTTM program is a comprehensive, long-term, water-quantity and water-quality monitoring program designed to document and analyze the hydrologic and water-quality conditions of selected watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia. WateAuthorsBrent T. Aulenbach, John K. Joiner, Jaime A. Painter - Software
Aquaculture and Irrigation Water Use Model 2.0 Software
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the US and extracts more than 11 km3/year for irrigation activities. The heavy drivers of groundwater use are aquaculture and crops, which include rice, cotton, corn, and soybeans (Wilson, 2021). Consequently, groundwater-level declines in the MAP region (Clark and others, 2011) pose a substantial challenge - News