Caroline Elliott
Carrie is a Geologist at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
She has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey since 2002 in the River Studies Branch at the Columbia Environmental Research Center in Columbia, Missouri. Her work with the River Studies Branch has addressed physical habitat on large rivers at multiple spatial scales using a variety field, GIS, and remote-sensing tools. Carrie works on a variety of interdisciplinary projects related to river corridor habitat dynamics and geomorphology including hydroacoustic mapping and landscape-scale habitat classification.
Education and Certifications
M.S. in Geology, Utah State University, 2002
B.A. in Geology with a concentration in Natural History, Carleton College, 1998
Science and Products
Adult Pallid Sturgeon Reproductive Ecology
CERC fish biologists study migrations, reproductive cues, and spawning behaviors of reproductive wild and hatchery-origin pallid sturgeon (HOPS) in the Missouri River Basin.
River-Corridor Habitat Dynamics
River-Corridor Habitat Dynamics research seeks to improve the scientific basis for ecological restoration of large rivers. Emphasis is placed on understanding how hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics combine to create dynamic habitats for native and exotic fauna and flora.
Geomorphic Trends and Dynamics, Missouri National Recreational River
The two mainstem Missouri River segments of the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) represent some of the least altered channel form and most complex physical habitat on the Missouri River. The 39-mile segment is located in an inter-reservoir reach between Fort Randall Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake and the 59-mile segment is located below Gavins Point Dam, the downstream-most water control...
Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP)
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) is a multidisciplinary project conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Missouri River Recovery Program–Integrated Science Program. CERC scientists are working with river scientists and managers to develop methods, baseline information, and research approaches that are critical contributions to recovery success of the...
Pallid Sturgeon Habitat Dynamics
CERC scientists apply advanced measurement and modeling approaches to quantifying habitats in large rivers. Our research has been applied to improving the understanding of the reproductive ecology of the endangered pallid sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus albus ) in the Missouri River.
Southeast Regional Assessment Project (SERAP): Assessing Global Change Impacts on Natural and Human Systems in the Southeast
The Southeastern United States spans a broad range of physiographic settings and maintains exceptionally high levels of faunal diversity. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are increasingly under threat due to rapid human development, and management agencies are increasingly aware of the potential effects that climate change will have on these ecosystems. Natural resource managers and conserv
Flow, turbulence, and bathymetric measurements of the Missouri River at Searcys Bend, near Huntsdale, Missouri September 16, 2021
This dataset includes measurements of flow, turbulence, and bathymetry generated from multibeam bathymetry for a short reach of the Missouri River at Searcys Bend (SB) near Huntsdale, Missouri. Flow and turbulence were characterized using a Signature 1000 mounted on an anchored moving boat and an Aquadopp mounted on a tripod near the bed. Repeat bathymetric measurements were made in small patches
Field Data and Models of the Missouri River at Sheepnose Bend, near Lexington, Missouri, 2019-2021
This project includes field data and data supporting models of the Missouri River at Sheepnose (SN) bend, near Lexington, Missouri. Field datasets include a topobathymetric digital elevation model (DEM) for a 10-km reach of the Missouri River, repeat surveys of channel bathymetry from 2019-2021, water surface elevation profiles, velocity data collected with acoustic Dopper current profiler (ADCP).
Channel geometry, banklines and floodplain inundation over a range of discharges in two segments of the Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota and Nebraska, 1955-2018
These datasets describe channel adjustments over a 60-year period to dams in the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR), South Dakota and Nebraska. Datasets include a channel geometry analysis from cross-sections, banklines digitized and interpreted to predict future bank erosion sites from aerial photography, and models of floodplain inundation over a range of discharges. There are two MNRR
Pallid Sturgeon Spawning Habitat in the Lower Missouri River
Lack of reproduction has been hypothesized to be a factor in the decline of the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) through much of its range. Spawning habitat and behavior have only recently been documented on the Lower Missouri River, which comprises over 1,300 river kilometers of undammed river. This data consists of habitat measurements for ten pallid sturgeon spawning events from 2008-2013
Acoustic Doppler current profiler raw measurements on the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, 2000-2016, Columbia Environmental Research Center
Between the years 2000 and 2016, scientists and technicians from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) have collected over 400 field-days worth of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, primarily for the purposes of assessing physical aquatic habitat for the pallid sturgeon. Scientists and technicians
Filter Total Items: 35
Ecological inferences on invasive carp survival using hydrodynamics and egg drift models
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), are invasive species in North America. However, they hold significant economic importance as food sources in China. The drifting stage of carp eggs has received great attention because egg survival rate is strongly affected by river hydrodynamics. In
Authors
Ruichen Xu, Duane Chapman, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Robert B. Jacobson, Binbin Yang
Bedform distributions and dynamics in a large, channelized river: Implications for benthic ecological processes
Sand bedforms are fundamental habitat elements for benthic fish in large, sand-bedded rivers and are hypothesized to provide flow refugia, food transport, and ecological disturbance. We explored bedform distributions and dynamics in the Lower Missouri River, Missouri, with the objective of understanding the implications of these features for benthic fish habitat, particularly for the endangered pa
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, R. B. Jacobson, Bruce Call, Maura O Roberts
Geomorphic classification framework for assessing reproductive ecology of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon), Fort Peck segment, Upper Missouri River, Montana and North Dakota
The segment of the Upper Missouri River between Fort Peck Dam and the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea is home to a population of the endangered Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon). Lack of population growth (recruitment failure) has been attributed to inadequate dispersal distance of larvae between spawning locations and the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea, where conventional wisdom holds that anoxic
Authors
Robert B. Jacobson, Caroline M. Elliott, Edward Bulliner
Turbulence near a sandbar island in the lower Missouri River
River turbulence is spatially variable due to interactions between morphology of rivers and physical mechanics of flowing water. Understanding the variation of turbulence in rivers is important for characterizing transport processes of soluble and particulate materials in these systems. We present an exploratory effort to understand ecologically relevant flow patterns using measurements of mean fl
Authors
Geng Li, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Brandon James Sansom, R. B. Jacobson, Binbin Wang
Spatiotemporal patterns and environmental drivers of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) abundance along the Missouri River, USA
Context: Changes in disturbance regimes, including reductions in flooding and geomorphic dynamism from dam construction and flow regulation, have facilitated invasion by eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), an upland tree species, in the understory of floodplain forests along the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR).Objectives: Our aim was to determine the spatiotemporal patterns and
Authors
Nadeesha D. Illeperuma, Mark D. Dixon, Caroline M. Elliott, Kimberly I. Magnuson, Miyuraj H H. Withanage, James E. Vogelmann
Evaluations of Lagrangian egg drift models: From a laboratory flume to large channelized rivers
To help better interpret computational models in predicting drift of carp eggs in rivers, we present a series of model assessments for the longitudinal egg dispersion. Two three-dimensional Lagrangian particle tracking models, SDrift and FluEgg, are evaluated in a series of channels with increasing complexity. The model evaluation demonstrates that both models are able to accommodate channel compl
Authors
Geng Li, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Duane Chapman, Robert B. Jacobson, Binbin Wang
Sixty years of channel adjustments to dams in the two segments of the Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota and Nebraska
The Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) consists of two Missouri River segments managed by the National Park Service on the border of South Dakota and Nebraska. Both river segments are unchannelized and maintain much of their pre-dam channel form, but upstream dams have caused reductions in peak flow magnitudes and sediment supply. The 39-mile segment is located between Fort Randall and Ga
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. Jacobson
A three-dimensional Lagrangian particle tracking model for predicting transport of eggs of rheophilic-spawning carps in turbulent rivers
Grass carp, bighead carp, and silver carp spawn in flowing water. Their eggs, and then larvae, develop while drifting. Hydraulic conditions and water temperature control spawning locations, egg survival, and the downstream distance traveled before the hatched larvae can swim for low velocity nursery habitats. Existing egg drift models simulate the fluvial transport of carp eggs but have limitation
Authors
Geng Li, Binbin Wang, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Duane Chapman, R. B. Jacobson
Characterization of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) spawning habitat in the Lower Missouri River
Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish) globally have declined throughout their range due to river fragmentation, habitat loss, overfishing, and degradation of water quality. In North America, pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) populations have experienced poor to no recruitment, or substantial levels of hybridization with the closely related shovelnose sturgeon (S. platorynchus). The Lowe
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, Aaron J. Delonay, Kimberly Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson
Deposition potential and flow-response dynamics of emergent sandbars in a braided river
Sandbars are ubiquitous in sandy‐braided rivers throughout the world. In the Great Plains of the United States, recovery and expansion of emergent sandbar habitat (ESH) has been a priority in lowland rivers where the natural extent of sandbars has been degraded. Recovery efforts are aimed at protection of populations of the interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) and piping plover (Charadrius melo
Authors
Jason S. Alexander, Brandon McElroy, Snehalata Huzurbazar, Caroline M. Elliott, Marissa L. Murr
Interior Least Tern sandbar nesting habitat measurements from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery
Sandbars of large sand-bedded rivers of the central United States serve important ecological functions to many species, including the endangered Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum, ILT). The ILT is a colonial bird that feeds on fish and nests primarily on riverine sandbars during its annual breeding season of around May through July, depending on region. During this time, ILTs require bare s
Authors
Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. Jacobson, Casey Lott
Bend-scale geomorphic classification and assessment of the Lower Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa, to the Mississippi River for application to pallid sturgeon management
Management actions intended to increase growth and survival of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) age-0 larvae on the Lower Missouri River require a comprehensive understanding of the geomorphic habitat template of the river. The study described here had two objectives relating to where channel-reconfiguration projects should be located to optimize effectiveness. The first objective was to dev
Authors
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael E. Colvin, Edward A. Bulliner, Darcy Pickard, Caroline M. Elliott
Science and Products
Adult Pallid Sturgeon Reproductive Ecology
CERC fish biologists study migrations, reproductive cues, and spawning behaviors of reproductive wild and hatchery-origin pallid sturgeon (HOPS) in the Missouri River Basin.
River-Corridor Habitat Dynamics
River-Corridor Habitat Dynamics research seeks to improve the scientific basis for ecological restoration of large rivers. Emphasis is placed on understanding how hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics combine to create dynamic habitats for native and exotic fauna and flora.
Geomorphic Trends and Dynamics, Missouri National Recreational River
The two mainstem Missouri River segments of the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) represent some of the least altered channel form and most complex physical habitat on the Missouri River. The 39-mile segment is located in an inter-reservoir reach between Fort Randall Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake and the 59-mile segment is located below Gavins Point Dam, the downstream-most water control...
Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP)
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) is a multidisciplinary project conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Missouri River Recovery Program–Integrated Science Program. CERC scientists are working with river scientists and managers to develop methods, baseline information, and research approaches that are critical contributions to recovery success of the...
Pallid Sturgeon Habitat Dynamics
CERC scientists apply advanced measurement and modeling approaches to quantifying habitats in large rivers. Our research has been applied to improving the understanding of the reproductive ecology of the endangered pallid sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus albus ) in the Missouri River.
Southeast Regional Assessment Project (SERAP): Assessing Global Change Impacts on Natural and Human Systems in the Southeast
The Southeastern United States spans a broad range of physiographic settings and maintains exceptionally high levels of faunal diversity. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are increasingly under threat due to rapid human development, and management agencies are increasingly aware of the potential effects that climate change will have on these ecosystems. Natural resource managers and conserv
Flow, turbulence, and bathymetric measurements of the Missouri River at Searcys Bend, near Huntsdale, Missouri September 16, 2021
This dataset includes measurements of flow, turbulence, and bathymetry generated from multibeam bathymetry for a short reach of the Missouri River at Searcys Bend (SB) near Huntsdale, Missouri. Flow and turbulence were characterized using a Signature 1000 mounted on an anchored moving boat and an Aquadopp mounted on a tripod near the bed. Repeat bathymetric measurements were made in small patches
Field Data and Models of the Missouri River at Sheepnose Bend, near Lexington, Missouri, 2019-2021
This project includes field data and data supporting models of the Missouri River at Sheepnose (SN) bend, near Lexington, Missouri. Field datasets include a topobathymetric digital elevation model (DEM) for a 10-km reach of the Missouri River, repeat surveys of channel bathymetry from 2019-2021, water surface elevation profiles, velocity data collected with acoustic Dopper current profiler (ADCP).
Channel geometry, banklines and floodplain inundation over a range of discharges in two segments of the Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota and Nebraska, 1955-2018
These datasets describe channel adjustments over a 60-year period to dams in the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR), South Dakota and Nebraska. Datasets include a channel geometry analysis from cross-sections, banklines digitized and interpreted to predict future bank erosion sites from aerial photography, and models of floodplain inundation over a range of discharges. There are two MNRR
Pallid Sturgeon Spawning Habitat in the Lower Missouri River
Lack of reproduction has been hypothesized to be a factor in the decline of the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) through much of its range. Spawning habitat and behavior have only recently been documented on the Lower Missouri River, which comprises over 1,300 river kilometers of undammed river. This data consists of habitat measurements for ten pallid sturgeon spawning events from 2008-2013
Acoustic Doppler current profiler raw measurements on the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, 2000-2016, Columbia Environmental Research Center
Between the years 2000 and 2016, scientists and technicians from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) have collected over 400 field-days worth of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, primarily for the purposes of assessing physical aquatic habitat for the pallid sturgeon. Scientists and technicians
Filter Total Items: 35
Ecological inferences on invasive carp survival using hydrodynamics and egg drift models
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), are invasive species in North America. However, they hold significant economic importance as food sources in China. The drifting stage of carp eggs has received great attention because egg survival rate is strongly affected by river hydrodynamics. In
Authors
Ruichen Xu, Duane Chapman, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Robert B. Jacobson, Binbin Yang
Bedform distributions and dynamics in a large, channelized river: Implications for benthic ecological processes
Sand bedforms are fundamental habitat elements for benthic fish in large, sand-bedded rivers and are hypothesized to provide flow refugia, food transport, and ecological disturbance. We explored bedform distributions and dynamics in the Lower Missouri River, Missouri, with the objective of understanding the implications of these features for benthic fish habitat, particularly for the endangered pa
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, R. B. Jacobson, Bruce Call, Maura O Roberts
Geomorphic classification framework for assessing reproductive ecology of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon), Fort Peck segment, Upper Missouri River, Montana and North Dakota
The segment of the Upper Missouri River between Fort Peck Dam and the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea is home to a population of the endangered Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon). Lack of population growth (recruitment failure) has been attributed to inadequate dispersal distance of larvae between spawning locations and the headwaters of Lake Sakakawea, where conventional wisdom holds that anoxic
Authors
Robert B. Jacobson, Caroline M. Elliott, Edward Bulliner
Turbulence near a sandbar island in the lower Missouri River
River turbulence is spatially variable due to interactions between morphology of rivers and physical mechanics of flowing water. Understanding the variation of turbulence in rivers is important for characterizing transport processes of soluble and particulate materials in these systems. We present an exploratory effort to understand ecologically relevant flow patterns using measurements of mean fl
Authors
Geng Li, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Brandon James Sansom, R. B. Jacobson, Binbin Wang
Spatiotemporal patterns and environmental drivers of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) abundance along the Missouri River, USA
Context: Changes in disturbance regimes, including reductions in flooding and geomorphic dynamism from dam construction and flow regulation, have facilitated invasion by eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), an upland tree species, in the understory of floodplain forests along the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR).Objectives: Our aim was to determine the spatiotemporal patterns and
Authors
Nadeesha D. Illeperuma, Mark D. Dixon, Caroline M. Elliott, Kimberly I. Magnuson, Miyuraj H H. Withanage, James E. Vogelmann
Evaluations of Lagrangian egg drift models: From a laboratory flume to large channelized rivers
To help better interpret computational models in predicting drift of carp eggs in rivers, we present a series of model assessments for the longitudinal egg dispersion. Two three-dimensional Lagrangian particle tracking models, SDrift and FluEgg, are evaluated in a series of channels with increasing complexity. The model evaluation demonstrates that both models are able to accommodate channel compl
Authors
Geng Li, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Duane Chapman, Robert B. Jacobson, Binbin Wang
Sixty years of channel adjustments to dams in the two segments of the Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota and Nebraska
The Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) consists of two Missouri River segments managed by the National Park Service on the border of South Dakota and Nebraska. Both river segments are unchannelized and maintain much of their pre-dam channel form, but upstream dams have caused reductions in peak flow magnitudes and sediment supply. The 39-mile segment is located between Fort Randall and Ga
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. Jacobson
A three-dimensional Lagrangian particle tracking model for predicting transport of eggs of rheophilic-spawning carps in turbulent rivers
Grass carp, bighead carp, and silver carp spawn in flowing water. Their eggs, and then larvae, develop while drifting. Hydraulic conditions and water temperature control spawning locations, egg survival, and the downstream distance traveled before the hatched larvae can swim for low velocity nursery habitats. Existing egg drift models simulate the fluvial transport of carp eggs but have limitation
Authors
Geng Li, Binbin Wang, Caroline M. Elliott, Bruce Call, Duane Chapman, R. B. Jacobson
Characterization of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) spawning habitat in the Lower Missouri River
Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish) globally have declined throughout their range due to river fragmentation, habitat loss, overfishing, and degradation of water quality. In North America, pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) populations have experienced poor to no recruitment, or substantial levels of hybridization with the closely related shovelnose sturgeon (S. platorynchus). The Lowe
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, Aaron J. Delonay, Kimberly Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson
Deposition potential and flow-response dynamics of emergent sandbars in a braided river
Sandbars are ubiquitous in sandy‐braided rivers throughout the world. In the Great Plains of the United States, recovery and expansion of emergent sandbar habitat (ESH) has been a priority in lowland rivers where the natural extent of sandbars has been degraded. Recovery efforts are aimed at protection of populations of the interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) and piping plover (Charadrius melo
Authors
Jason S. Alexander, Brandon McElroy, Snehalata Huzurbazar, Caroline M. Elliott, Marissa L. Murr
Interior Least Tern sandbar nesting habitat measurements from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery
Sandbars of large sand-bedded rivers of the central United States serve important ecological functions to many species, including the endangered Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum, ILT). The ILT is a colonial bird that feeds on fish and nests primarily on riverine sandbars during its annual breeding season of around May through July, depending on region. During this time, ILTs require bare s
Authors
Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. Jacobson, Casey Lott
Bend-scale geomorphic classification and assessment of the Lower Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa, to the Mississippi River for application to pallid sturgeon management
Management actions intended to increase growth and survival of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) age-0 larvae on the Lower Missouri River require a comprehensive understanding of the geomorphic habitat template of the river. The study described here had two objectives relating to where channel-reconfiguration projects should be located to optimize effectiveness. The first objective was to dev
Authors
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael E. Colvin, Edward A. Bulliner, Darcy Pickard, Caroline M. Elliott