Publications
All of our publications are accessible through the USGS Publication Warehouse. Publications by scientists of the Oregon Water Science Center are listed below.
Filter Total Items: 785
The 2025 “Hacking Limnology” Workshop Series and DSOS Virtual Summit: A half decade of data-intensive aquatic science The 2025 “Hacking Limnology” Workshop Series and DSOS Virtual Summit: A half decade of data-intensive aquatic science
No abstract available.
Authors
Michael Frederick Meyer, Jorrit Mesman, Carolina C. Barbosa, Jonathan J Borelli, Johannes Feldbauer, Merritt Elizabeth Harlan, Robert T. Hensley, Burak Kuyumcu, Robert Ladwig, Isabella Oleksy, Rachel M. Pilla, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Matthew Biddle, Paul J. Kinzel, Carl J. Legleiter, Tadhg Moore, Tylar Murray, Lipa Nkwalale, Brandon Overstreet, Mehraz Rumman, Whitney M. Woelmer
Evaluating effectiveness of flocculation and wave-reduction barriers for restoration of a turbid, terminal lake Evaluating effectiveness of flocculation and wave-reduction barriers for restoration of a turbid, terminal lake
Malheur Lake is a freshwater, shallow lake that provides key habitat for birds along the Pacific Flyway in North America. The lake shifted to a turbid state in the 1990s with suspended-sediment concentrations sometimes exceeding 1000 mg/L and minimal light available in the water column for submerged aquatic vegetation. Resource managers intend to enhance bird habitat quality by restoring...
Authors
Cassandra Smith, Randy Joe Brannan
Beaver dams and their effects on urban streams in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon Beaver dams and their effects on urban streams in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Introduction In response to growing interest in beaver-assisted restoration in the Tualatin River Basin of northwestern Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with Clean Water Services, collected data from 2016–17 and completed a series of studies to: (1) inventory known locations of beaver dams and activity in the Tualatin River Basin, (2) estimate the number of...
Authors
Krista L. Jones, Cassandra D. Smith, James S. White, Stewart A. Rounds, Micelis C. Doyle, Erin K. Leahy
Effects of beaver dams and ponds on water quality in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon Effects of beaver dams and ponds on water quality in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Significant Findings American beavers (Castor canadensis) are native to the Pacific Northwest, and their populations have increased in many locations after being nearly removed by historical trapping. Beaver dams have well-documented effects on water quality in forested streams, but their effects on water quality in urban streams have not been well characterized. The study documented the...
Authors
Cassandra D. Smith, Erin K. Leahy, Krista L. Jones, Stewart A. Rounds
Effects of beaver dams and ponds on the transport and deposition of suspended sediment in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon Effects of beaver dams and ponds on the transport and deposition of suspended sediment in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Significant Findings This study investigated the effects of natural beaver dams and ponds on sediment transport and deposition in two urban beaver-affected reaches in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon. Data were collected during 2016–17 from Fanno Creek at Greenway Park (between SW Hall Boulevard and SW Pearson Court) and Bronson Creek (between NW Laidlaw Road and NW Kaiser...
Authors
Micelis C. Doyle, Cassandra D. Smith, Krista L. Jones, Alexandria E. Costello
Effects of beaver dams and ponds on hydrologic and hydraulic responses of storm flows in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon Effects of beaver dams and ponds on hydrologic and hydraulic responses of storm flows in urban streams of the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Significant Findings American beaver (Castor canadensis) dams fundamentally alter stream hydraulics and hydrology by temporarily impounding water in stream channels. Water managers are interested in how this impoundment translates to changes in hydrograph dynamics, particularly regarding the magnitude and duration of high flows, the temporary storage of storm water, and the range and...
Authors
James S. White, Krista L. Jones, Stewart A. Rounds
Stream network capacity to support beaver dams in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon Stream network capacity to support beaver dams in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon
Significant Findings Beaver dams can help streams connect to their floodplains. These floodplain connections can expand the range of available aquatic habitats and aid in the restoration of stream and floodplain function and processes. American beavers (Castor canadensis) occupy a wide variety of aquatic habitats; however, their ability to build dams, the agent of stream and floodplain...
Authors
James S. White, Cassandra D. Smith, Krista L. Jones, Stewart A. Rounds
Assessment of channel morphology, hydraulics, and bedload transport along the Siletz River, western Oregon Assessment of channel morphology, hydraulics, and bedload transport along the Siletz River, western Oregon
Significant Findings Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) are native, anadromous fish species in the Siletz River Basin, western Oregon, that face many threats to their survival in freshwater and the ocean. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon seek to mitigate freshwater threats to Chinook salmon and Pacific lamprey, where...
Authors
Krista L. Jones, Mackenzie K. Keith, Tessa M. Harden, James S. White, Stan van de Wetering, Jason B. Dunham
Hyperspectral imaging of river bathymetry using an ensemble of regression trees Hyperspectral imaging of river bathymetry using an ensemble of regression trees
Remote sensing has emerged as an effective tool for characterizing river systems, and machine learning (ML) techniques could make this approach even more powerful. To explore this possibility, we developed an ML-based workflow for hyperspectral imaging of river bathymetry using an ensemble of regression trees (HIRBERT). This approach involves using paired observations of depth and...
Authors
Carl J. Legleiter, Paul J. Kinzel, Brandon Overstreet, Lee R. Harrison
Framework developed for geomorphic mapping of Fern Ridge Lake, Oregon, 2023 Framework developed for geomorphic mapping of Fern Ridge Lake, Oregon, 2023
The construction and operation of large reservoirs in the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, influences important cultural, biological, and other natural or economic resources in affected river corridors. The present-day landforms and cover within the reservoirs have been shaped by a variety of processes, including the pre-dam valley setting and geomorphic processes related to dam...
Authors
Mackenzie K. Keith, Heather D. Bervid
Clarifying the trophic state concept to advance macroscale freshwater science and management Clarifying the trophic state concept to advance macroscale freshwater science and management
For over a century, ecologists have used the concept of trophic state (TS) to characterize an aquatic ecosystem's biological productivity. However, multiple TS classification schemes, each relying on a variety of measurable parameters as proxies for productivity, have emerged to meet use-specific needs. Frequently, chlorophyll a, phosphorus, and Secchi depth are used to classify TS based...
Authors
Michael Frederick Meyer, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Carolina C. Barbosa, Davi G.F. Cuhna, Walter Dodds, Stephanie E. Hampton, César Ordóñez, Rachel M. Pilla, Amina Pollard, Joshua A. Culpepper, Alexander K. Fremier, Tyler V. King, Robert Ladwig, Dina M. Leech, Shin-Ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Isabella Oleksy, Simon N. Topp, Richard Woolway, Ludmila S Brighenti, Kate Colleen Fickas, Brian P. Lanouette, Jianning Ren, Mortimer Werther, Xiao Yang
Clarifying the trophic state concept to advance macroscale freshwater science and management Clarifying the trophic state concept to advance macroscale freshwater science and management
For over a century, ecologists have used the concept of trophic state (TS) to characterize an aquatic ecosystem's biological productivity. However, multiple TS classification schemes, each relying on a variety of measurable parameters as proxies for productivity, have emerged to meet use-specific needs. Frequently, chlorophyll a, phosphorus, and Secchi depth are used to classify TS based...
Authors
Michael Frederick Meyer, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Carolina C. Barbosa, Davi G.F. Cuhna, Walter Dodds, Stephanie E. Hampton, César Ordóñez, Rachel M. Pilla, Amina Pollard, Joshua A. Culpepper, Alexander K. Fremier, Tyler V. King, Robert Ladwig, Dina M. Leech, Shin-Ichiro S Matsuzaki, Isabella Oleksy, Simon N. Topp, R. Iestyn Woolway, Ludmila S. Brighenti, Kate Fickas, Brian P. Lanouette, Jianning Ren, Mortimer Werther, Xiao Yang