Watch all episodes of USGS On The Road, a web-series about USGS scientists and water science from all corners of Maryland, Delaware, and DC.
Season 2
Servicing Saltwater Monitoring Equipment in the Delaware Bay
It’s quite the trek to get to Ship John Shoal lighthouse, which is several miles off the Delaware coast and only accessible by boat. There, USGS scientists clean and service equipment that plays an important role in our understanding of the salt front in the Delaware Bay.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 7
Original Release Date: February 15, 2023
On Camera: Samantha Woomer, Michael Brownley
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: Servicing Saltwater Monitoring Equipment in the Delaware Bay (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: Delaware Bay at Ship John Shoal Lighthouse NJ - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing, Cinematography), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
Rain Check
Did you know that the USGS maintains a network of precipitation gages that need to be calibrated to ensure accuracy? In this episode, hydro-tech Tyler Bowser services a rain gage in Harford Glen Park.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 6
Original Release Date: February 8, 2023
On Camera: Tyler Bowser
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: Rain Check (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: ATKISSON RESERVOIR NEAR BEL AIR, MD - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
First Stop On The Potomac
Learn how the USGS services the streamgage at Barnum, WV, which is situated along the North Branch Potomac River downstream of Jennings Randolph Lake.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 5
Original Release Date: January 18, 2023
On Camera: Eric Boyd
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: First Stop on the Potomac (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: NORTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER AT BARNUM, WV - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing, Cinematography), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
Stormflow Forensics
It’s an age-old question: If the river floods and no one sees it, did it flood? Yes! High water events leave behind clues such as debris that USGS scientists can observe to indirectly estimate the water level and streamflow during the event.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 4
Original Release Date: January 11, 2023
On Camera: Ashley Ryan, Sarah Queen
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: Stormflow Forensics (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: DEAD RUN TRIBUTARY NEAR WOODLAWN, MD - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing, Cinematography), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
Doing Well In DC
How do we know if D.C. aquifers are protected from human contamination? The USGS samples groundwater for the presence or absence of specific chemical markers known to be of human origin. If we don’t find these markers, it’s a good indication the water is protected.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 3
Original Release Date: January 4, 2023
On Camera: Tim Wilson
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: Doing Well in DC (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: WE Cb 8 - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing, Cinematography), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
The Lake on the Potomac
Why is it important to know how much water is in Jennings Randolph Lake? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers factors water-level data collected by the USGS into how much water they should release downstream into the North Branch Potomac River.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 2
Original Release Date: December 21, 2022
On Camera: Eric Boyd
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: The Lake on the Potomac (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: JENNINGS RANDOLPH LAKE NEAR ELK GARDEN, WV - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing, Cinematography), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
Home Stream Home
Physical Scientists Leah Staub and Zachary Clifton assess a stream along the Chesterville Branch on the Eastern shore of Maryland.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 2, Episode 1
Original Release Date: December 14, 2022
On Camera: Leah Staub, Zach Clifton
Audio Description Version: USGS on the Road: Home Stream Home (AD) | U.S. Geological Survey
Gage Data: CHESTERVILLE BRANCH NEAR CRUMPTON, MD - USGS Water Data for the Nation
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics)
Season 1
Keeping Stormwater Under Control in Clarksburg MD
How can we best manage stormwater in our local Montgomery County, Maryland neighborhoods to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and help aquatic organisms?
Let’s take a #WaterScienceRoadTrip to Clarksburg, MD to learn more about the best stormwater management practices.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 7
Original Release Date: June 9, 2022
See The Full Study Video: Soaking Up Stormwater
Study Page: Unique 20-year study assesses ecosystem response to different types of stormwater management
Learn More: Understanding the Effects of Stormwater Management Practices on Water Quality and Flow
On Camera: Marina Metes
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography, Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)
HIVIS-ability at Serene Lake
What is HIVIS?
HIVIS stands for Hydrologic Imagery Visualization and Information System. HIVIS is a network of cameras across the United States that serve as remote “eyes on the ground,” providing the USGS and its cooperators with the ability to monitor conditions in near real-time at sites where a camera is installed.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 6
Original Release Date: June 1, 2022
See the Camera Feed: HIVIS Network - Lake Serene
Explore the entire HIVIS network: HIVIS Dashboard
On Camera: Chuck Walker (Interviewed), Michael Geissel, Nicholas Giro
Audio Description Version: HIVIS-ability at Serene Lake (AD)
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography, Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)
Securing Sediment Samples at Hickey Run
The USGS wants to know where nutrient-rich sediment in the DC area is coming from.
Through its sediment fingerprinting project with the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, the USGS is looking into the sources of the excess sediments that are found in Hickey Run and the National Arboretum.
Why It’s Important: This sediment contains important nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. But too much sediment can block sunlight from aquatic plants, while excess nutrients can stimulate phytoplankton growth that use up all the oxygen in the water.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 5
Original Release Date: May 18, 2022
On Camera: Zach Clifton
Audio Description Version: Securing Sediment Samples at Hickey Run (AD)
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography, Editing), David Fisher (Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)
Swamp Surveillance - Nassawango Creek
How do land use and best management practices affect the Chesapeake Bay watershed?
To find out, USGS scientists trudge through the muddy swamp of Nassawango Creek on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for a water science partnership with Virginia Tech.
The USGS is conducting an ecological assessment of regions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and assessing how best management practices (BMPs) on the landscape affect stream health. USGS is monitoring water quality, water temperature, salinity, flow, and geomorphology, while researchers from VA Tech are surveying macroinvertebrates and fish. Put together, these data can be used to determine the effects of land use and BMPs on stream conditions, and how those stream conditions affect biodiversity.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 4
Original Release Date: May 11, 2022
On Camera: Tristan Mohs (Interviewed), Anthony Tallman, Ashley Melvin, Jacob Mavrogeorge
Audio Description Version: Swamp Surveillance at Nassawango Creek (AD)
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography, Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)
Powerful Water Samples - Conowingo Dam
USGS hydro-techs Shane and Kelly collected water samples at Conowingo Dam. The USGS routinely samples for water-quality conditions at Conowingo Dam as part of the USGS National Water Quality Network (NWQN).
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 3
Original Release Date: May 4, 2022
Learn More About The National Water Quality Network: USGS National Water Quality Network
View Real Time Data From This Gage: Susquehanna River at Conowingo, MD (01578310)
On Camera: Kelly McVicker (Interviewed), Shane Mizelle
Audio Description Version: Powerful Water Samples From Conowingo Dam (AD)
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography, Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)
Sediment Fingerprinting - Langdon Park
It’s not just the big rivers and streams. USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center scientists also collect samples from local parks.
Zach and Leah collected sediment auger samples from Langdon Park in Washington, D.C. as part of a study to find the sources of sediment runoff. The sediment will later be analyzed at in-house and third-party labs for geochemical signatures in a process known as sediment fingerprinting.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 2
Original Release Date: April 27, 2022
On Camera: Leah Staub (Interviewed), Zach Clifton
Audio Description Version: Sediment Fingerprinting in Langdon Park (AD)
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography), David Fisher (Cinematography, Editing, Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)
Also See: Sediment Source Assessment Using Sediment Fingerprints
Anacostia River Water Quality - Bladensburg Waterfront Park
Join Ashley and Nick at Bladensburg Waterfront Park along the Anacostia River.
The gage in this park is “supercharged” to monitor the “BIG 5” water-quality parameters: dissolved-oxygen concentration, pH, specific conductance, water temperature, and turbidity.
What’s more, it will soon be equipped with a semi-autonomous bacteria sampler so that scientists and policymakers can monitor the river’s bacteria concentration.
Series: USGS On The Road: Season 1, Episode 1
Original Release Date: April 20, 2022
Learn more: Newly Installed Super Gauge Helps USGS Monitor Water Quality, Bacteria Levels in Lower Anacostia River
And check out the real time data from this site: ANACOSTIA RIVER AT BLADENSBURG WATERFRONT PARK, MD - USGS Water Data for the Nation
On Camera: Nicholas Giro, Ashley Ryan
Audio Description Version: Monitoring Water Quality on the Anacostia River (AD)
Credits: Neel Hodgkinson (Cinematography, Editing), David Fisher (Cinematography, Graphics), Matthew Pajerowski & Caitlyn Dugan (Production)