Publications

This paper introduces the use of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements as input for the Acoustic Mapping Velocimetry (AMV) method, a technique for characterizing the dynamics of riverine bedforms. The performance of this new approach, ADCP-AMV, is compared with input from a multibeam echosounder through a field study conducted on the Mississippi River (USA). A virtual...

Phosphorus (P) management remains a challenge in agricultural watersheds. The Choptank River Conservation Effects Assessment Project watershed, located in Maryland and Delaware and draining to the Chesapeake Bay, contains legacy soil P from historical dairy and poultry manure applications. These practices elevated soil P beyond crop needs, contributing to persistent P export to aquatic...

The use of winter cover crops and conservation tillage are agricultural practices promoted to reduce nutrient and sediment loss from cropland, improve soil health, increase infiltration, and support farm nutrient cycling and ecosystem services. However, environmental performance of these practices is variable in the working farm landscape. The Lower Chesapeake Bay research project within...

Many stream-channel infrastructure, habitat enhancement, and restoration projects are undertaken on streams throughout Arkansas by Federal, State, and local agencies as well as by private organizations and businesses with limited data on local geomorphology and streamflow conditions. Equations that relate drainage area above stable stream reaches to the basin characteristics, bankfull...

The Obed River is the last undammed river in Tennessee. The Obed Wild and Scenic River is managed by the National Park Service and covers a protected area of the Obed River headwaters (including four contributing tributaries). The Obed Wild and Scenic River supports a unique ecosystem with eight federally listed species. The National Park Service is responsible for preserving the...

Cover crops play a critical role in providing agroecological services such as improving soil health, reducing erosion and nitrogen loss, and suppressing weeds, which are closely tied to their performance such as accumulated biomass. This study evaluated the Active Canopy Sensor (ACS) -214, an active proximal sensing device equipped with its own light-emitting red and near-infrared...

Suspended sediment (SS) continues a century-long decline in the Lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers, United States. In this study, we use the WRTDSplus model to estimate concentrations and loads for total, fine (

During the spring and summer of 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted single-well slug tests on selected observation wells within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain in Arkansas and Mississippi to estimate hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity values for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial and middle Claiborne aquifers. Well and aquifer data were collected from field measurements...

Closed depressions and sinking streams in karst landscapes pose difficulties for water-resources management, in the construction of roads and other public works, and in hydrologic and hydrogeomorphic analyses. Digital elevation models (DEMs) can be used to identify the location and determine the size and shape of closed depressions, but separating artificial depressions due to error from...

To improve estimates of the frequency of annual peak flows for ungaged locations on non-urban, unregulated streams in Tennessee, generalized least-squares multiple linear-regression techniques were used to relate annual peak flows from streamgages operated by the U.S. Geological Survey to physical, climatic, and land-use characteristics of their drainage basins. Geospatial data acquired...

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) drive most riverine floods on the United States (U.S.) West Coast. However, estimating flood risk based solely on AR intensity and duration is challenging because precipitation phase, antecedent conditions, and physical watershed characteristics (e.g., slope and soil depth) can influence the magnitude of floods. Here, we analyze how antecedent soil moisture (ASM)

Crop residue serves an important role in agricultural systems as high levels of fractional crop residue cover (fR) can reduce erosion, preserve soil moisture, and build soil organic carbon. However, the ability to accurately quantify fR at scale has been limited. In this study we produced annual maps of fR for farmland in Maryland, USA using WorldView-3 (WV3) imagery paired with on-farm