Noah Knowles
Noah Knowles is a Research Hydrologist with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Science and Products
CASCaDE: Computational Assessments of Scenarios of Change for the Delta Ecosystem
The Delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers provides drinking water supplies to two-thirds of Californians, and is a fragile ecosystem home to threatened and endangered species. The CASCaDE project builds on several decades of USGS science to address the goals of achieving water supply reliability and restoring the ecosystems in the Bay-Delta system.
Model and Data Resources Supporting Water-Quality Modeling of Hydrologic Systems Model and Data Resources Supporting Water-Quality Modeling of Hydrologic Systems
This dataset provides detailed information on availability of model resources (including models and datasets) that support the modeling of six key water-quality constituents (or constituent categories) across the hydrologic system. In addition, resources associated with nine “cross-cutting” topics for modeling water quality are included, with “cross-cutting” defined herein as having...
Data used in projected air and water temperatures for selected regions of the upper San Francisco Estuary and Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change 2020-2099 Data used in projected air and water temperatures for selected regions of the upper San Francisco Estuary and Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change 2020-2099
Understanding the effects of climate change is a substantial challenge in estuarine systems because the mixing of freshwater and ocean water adds complexity to climate change projections. Such climate change projections have been conducted in the San Francisco Estuary as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's CASCaDE Project. In this project, we assessed downscaled air temperature data...
Data used in projected flow analysis in Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change Data used in projected flow analysis in Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change
Yolo Bypass is an ecological feature of the Bay-Delta ecosystem in California that provides floodplain habitat for spawning and rearing of Sacramento Splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) and rearing of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) when inundated. We used outputs from 10 climate change models for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) for greenhouse gas
Data and Associated Code for Projections of Unimpaired Flows, Storage, and Managed Flows for Climate Change Scenarios in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed, California Data and Associated Code for Projections of Unimpaired Flows, Storage, and Managed Flows for Climate Change Scenarios in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed, California
This data release includes data containing projections of unimpaired hydrology, reservoir storage, and downstream managed flows in the Sacramento River/San Joaquin River watershed under scenarios of future climate change generated for the CASCaDE2 project (Computational Assessments of Scenarios of Change for the Delta Ecosystem, phase 2). Code used to produce the data is also included...
Filter Total Items: 31
Gaps in water quality modeling of hydrologic systems Gaps in water quality modeling of hydrologic systems
This review assesses gaps in water quality modeling, emphasizing opportunities to improve next-generation models that are essential for managing water quality and are integral to meeting goals of scientific and management agencies. In particular, this paper identifies gaps in water quality modeling capabilities that, if addressed, could support assessments, projections, and evaluations...
Authors
Lisa Lucas, Craig J. Brown, Dale M. Robertson, Nancy Baker, Zachary Johnson, Christopher Green, Jong Cho, Melinda L. Erickson, Allen Gellis, Jeramy Jasmann, Noah Knowles, Andreas Prein, Paul Stackelberg
Drought in the Delta: Socio-ecological impacts, responses, and tools Drought in the Delta: Socio-ecological impacts, responses, and tools
Droughts are frequent events in the western United States, and can disrupt water supply and degrade water quality, challenging water management in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta). This chapter for the State of Bay–Delta Science report describes what drought means for the Delta, how drought is managed in the Delta, and how drought management has changed over time. Projections of...
Authors
Rosemary Hartman, Noah Knowles, Amanda Fencl, Julia Ekstrom
State of science, gap analysis, and prioritization for southeastern United States water-quality impacts from coastal storms—Fiscal year 2023 program report to the Water Resources Mission Area from the Water Availability Impacts of Extreme Events Program—H State of science, gap analysis, and prioritization for southeastern United States water-quality impacts from coastal storms—Fiscal year 2023 program report to the Water Resources Mission Area from the Water Availability Impacts of Extreme Events Program—H
Tropical cyclones (coastal storm events that include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) cause landscape-scale disturbances that can lead to impaired water quality and thus reduce water availability for use. Stakeholders and scientists at local and national scales have illustrated a need for understanding these risks to water quality. A regional and comprehensive...
Authors
Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Tara Root, Matthew Petkewich, MaryLynn Musgrove, Amy C. Gill, J. Weaver, Christopher H. Conaway, Bruce Lindsey, Francis Parchaso, Noah Knowles, Elizabeth Tomaszewski
Estimating the benefits of floodplain restoration to juvenile Chinook salmon in the upper San Francisco Estuary, United States, under future climate scenarios Estimating the benefits of floodplain restoration to juvenile Chinook salmon in the upper San Francisco Estuary, United States, under future climate scenarios
Many river systems within the Central Valley of California have been disconnected from their floodplains, hypothesized to be partially responsible for declining Chinook salmon populations (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The primary floodplain of the system, Yolo By-Pass (known regionally as “Yolo Bypass”), offered an opportunity to examine whether improved connectivity between the floodplain...
Authors
Brock M. Huntsman, Marissa Wulff, Noah Knowles, Ted Sommer, Frederick Feyrer, Larry R. Brown
Climate change scenarios for air and water temperatures in the upper San Francisco Estuary: Implications for thermal regimes and Delta Smelt Climate change scenarios for air and water temperatures in the upper San Francisco Estuary: Implications for thermal regimes and Delta Smelt
Climate projections and their effects in the San Francisco Estuary have been evaluated as part of the US Geological Survey’s CASCaDE2 project. Understanding the ecological effects of climate change can help manage and maintain the ecological health and productivity of the San Francisco Estuary. In this study, we assessed downscaled air temperature data from 10 global climate models (GCMs...
Authors
Brock Huntsman, Larry R. Brown, Marissa Wulff, Noah Knowles, R. Wagner, Frederick Feyrer
The future of sediment transport and streamflow under a changing climate and the implications for long-term resilience of the San Francisco Bay-Delta The future of sediment transport and streamflow under a changing climate and the implications for long-term resilience of the San Francisco Bay-Delta
Sedimentation and turbidity have effects on habitat suitability in the San Francisco Bay‐Delta (Bay‐Delta), concerning key species in the bay as well as the ability of the delta marshes to keep pace with sea level rise. A daily rainfall runoff and transport model of the Sacramento River Basin of northern California was developed to simulate streamflow and suspended sediment transport to...
Authors
Michelle Stern, Lorraine Flint, Alan L Flint, Noah Knowles, Scott Wright
Responses of unimpaired flows, storage, and managed flows to scenarios of climate change in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed Responses of unimpaired flows, storage, and managed flows to scenarios of climate change in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed
Projections of meteorology downscaled from global climate model runs were used to drive a model of unimpaired hydrology of the Sacramento/San Joaquin watershed, which in turn drove models of operational responses and managed flows. Twenty daily climate change scenarios for water years 1980–2099 were evaluated with the goal of producing inflow boundary conditions for a watershed sediment...
Authors
Noah Knowles, Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff, David Pierce, Daniel R. Cayan
High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
We assess flood overtopping potential (when flood water elevation exceeds levee elevation) to the levees surrounding the islands in the interior of California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Because critical natural gas infrastructure is susceptible to overtopping-related disruption, we focus our analysis on regions that are crossed by the network of the state's natural gas pipelines. We...
Authors
Benjamin Brooks, Jennifer Telling, Todd Leroy Ericksen, Craig Glennie, Noah Knowles, Daniel Cayan, Darren Hauser, Adam LeWinter
Modeling managed flows in the Sacramento/San Joaquin watershed, California, under scenarios of future change for CASCaDE2 Modeling managed flows in the Sacramento/San Joaquin watershed, California, under scenarios of future change for CASCaDE2
Projections of managed flows from the Sacramento River/San Joaquin River watershed, California, into the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta under scenarios of future climate change are needed for evaluations of potential impacts on water supply and estuarine ecosystems. A new, multiple-model approach for achieving this is described. First, downscaled global climate model...
Authors
Noah Knowles, Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff
Application of an unstructured 3D finite volume numerical model to flows and salinity dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Application of an unstructured 3D finite volume numerical model to flows and salinity dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta
A linked modeling approach has been undertaken to understand the impacts of climate and infrastructure on aquatic ecology and water quality in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. The Delft3D Flexible Mesh modeling suite is used in this effort for its 3D hydrodynamics, salinity, temperature and sediment dynamics, phytoplankton and water-quality coupling infrastructure, and linkage to a...
Authors
R.C. Martyr-Koller, H.W.J. Kernkamp, Anne A. Van Dam, Mick van der Wegen, Lisa Lucas, N. Knowles, B. Jaffe, T.A. Fregoso
Estuaries: Life on the edge: Chapter 19 Estuaries: Life on the edge: Chapter 19
No abstract available.
Authors
James Cloern, Patrick L. Barnard, Erin Beller, John Callaway, Letitia Grenier, Edwin D. Grosholz, Robin Grossinger, Kathryn Hieb, James Holligaugh, Noah Knowles, Martha Sutula, Samuel Veloz, Kerstin Wasson, Alison Whipple
Trends in Snow Cover in the Continental United States (1950-2010) Trends in Snow Cover in the Continental United States (1950-2010)
No abstract available.
Authors
Noah Knowles
Science and Products
CASCaDE: Computational Assessments of Scenarios of Change for the Delta Ecosystem
The Delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers provides drinking water supplies to two-thirds of Californians, and is a fragile ecosystem home to threatened and endangered species. The CASCaDE project builds on several decades of USGS science to address the goals of achieving water supply reliability and restoring the ecosystems in the Bay-Delta system.
Model and Data Resources Supporting Water-Quality Modeling of Hydrologic Systems Model and Data Resources Supporting Water-Quality Modeling of Hydrologic Systems
This dataset provides detailed information on availability of model resources (including models and datasets) that support the modeling of six key water-quality constituents (or constituent categories) across the hydrologic system. In addition, resources associated with nine “cross-cutting” topics for modeling water quality are included, with “cross-cutting” defined herein as having...
Data used in projected air and water temperatures for selected regions of the upper San Francisco Estuary and Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change 2020-2099 Data used in projected air and water temperatures for selected regions of the upper San Francisco Estuary and Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change 2020-2099
Understanding the effects of climate change is a substantial challenge in estuarine systems because the mixing of freshwater and ocean water adds complexity to climate change projections. Such climate change projections have been conducted in the San Francisco Estuary as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's CASCaDE Project. In this project, we assessed downscaled air temperature data...
Data used in projected flow analysis in Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change Data used in projected flow analysis in Yolo Bypass under 20 scenarios of climate change
Yolo Bypass is an ecological feature of the Bay-Delta ecosystem in California that provides floodplain habitat for spawning and rearing of Sacramento Splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) and rearing of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) when inundated. We used outputs from 10 climate change models for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) for greenhouse gas
Data and Associated Code for Projections of Unimpaired Flows, Storage, and Managed Flows for Climate Change Scenarios in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed, California Data and Associated Code for Projections of Unimpaired Flows, Storage, and Managed Flows for Climate Change Scenarios in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed, California
This data release includes data containing projections of unimpaired hydrology, reservoir storage, and downstream managed flows in the Sacramento River/San Joaquin River watershed under scenarios of future climate change generated for the CASCaDE2 project (Computational Assessments of Scenarios of Change for the Delta Ecosystem, phase 2). Code used to produce the data is also included...
Filter Total Items: 31
Gaps in water quality modeling of hydrologic systems Gaps in water quality modeling of hydrologic systems
This review assesses gaps in water quality modeling, emphasizing opportunities to improve next-generation models that are essential for managing water quality and are integral to meeting goals of scientific and management agencies. In particular, this paper identifies gaps in water quality modeling capabilities that, if addressed, could support assessments, projections, and evaluations...
Authors
Lisa Lucas, Craig J. Brown, Dale M. Robertson, Nancy Baker, Zachary Johnson, Christopher Green, Jong Cho, Melinda L. Erickson, Allen Gellis, Jeramy Jasmann, Noah Knowles, Andreas Prein, Paul Stackelberg
Drought in the Delta: Socio-ecological impacts, responses, and tools Drought in the Delta: Socio-ecological impacts, responses, and tools
Droughts are frequent events in the western United States, and can disrupt water supply and degrade water quality, challenging water management in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta). This chapter for the State of Bay–Delta Science report describes what drought means for the Delta, how drought is managed in the Delta, and how drought management has changed over time. Projections of...
Authors
Rosemary Hartman, Noah Knowles, Amanda Fencl, Julia Ekstrom
State of science, gap analysis, and prioritization for southeastern United States water-quality impacts from coastal storms—Fiscal year 2023 program report to the Water Resources Mission Area from the Water Availability Impacts of Extreme Events Program—H State of science, gap analysis, and prioritization for southeastern United States water-quality impacts from coastal storms—Fiscal year 2023 program report to the Water Resources Mission Area from the Water Availability Impacts of Extreme Events Program—H
Tropical cyclones (coastal storm events that include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) cause landscape-scale disturbances that can lead to impaired water quality and thus reduce water availability for use. Stakeholders and scientists at local and national scales have illustrated a need for understanding these risks to water quality. A regional and comprehensive...
Authors
Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Tara Root, Matthew Petkewich, MaryLynn Musgrove, Amy C. Gill, J. Weaver, Christopher H. Conaway, Bruce Lindsey, Francis Parchaso, Noah Knowles, Elizabeth Tomaszewski
Estimating the benefits of floodplain restoration to juvenile Chinook salmon in the upper San Francisco Estuary, United States, under future climate scenarios Estimating the benefits of floodplain restoration to juvenile Chinook salmon in the upper San Francisco Estuary, United States, under future climate scenarios
Many river systems within the Central Valley of California have been disconnected from their floodplains, hypothesized to be partially responsible for declining Chinook salmon populations (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The primary floodplain of the system, Yolo By-Pass (known regionally as “Yolo Bypass”), offered an opportunity to examine whether improved connectivity between the floodplain...
Authors
Brock M. Huntsman, Marissa Wulff, Noah Knowles, Ted Sommer, Frederick Feyrer, Larry R. Brown
Climate change scenarios for air and water temperatures in the upper San Francisco Estuary: Implications for thermal regimes and Delta Smelt Climate change scenarios for air and water temperatures in the upper San Francisco Estuary: Implications for thermal regimes and Delta Smelt
Climate projections and their effects in the San Francisco Estuary have been evaluated as part of the US Geological Survey’s CASCaDE2 project. Understanding the ecological effects of climate change can help manage and maintain the ecological health and productivity of the San Francisco Estuary. In this study, we assessed downscaled air temperature data from 10 global climate models (GCMs...
Authors
Brock Huntsman, Larry R. Brown, Marissa Wulff, Noah Knowles, R. Wagner, Frederick Feyrer
The future of sediment transport and streamflow under a changing climate and the implications for long-term resilience of the San Francisco Bay-Delta The future of sediment transport and streamflow under a changing climate and the implications for long-term resilience of the San Francisco Bay-Delta
Sedimentation and turbidity have effects on habitat suitability in the San Francisco Bay‐Delta (Bay‐Delta), concerning key species in the bay as well as the ability of the delta marshes to keep pace with sea level rise. A daily rainfall runoff and transport model of the Sacramento River Basin of northern California was developed to simulate streamflow and suspended sediment transport to...
Authors
Michelle Stern, Lorraine Flint, Alan L Flint, Noah Knowles, Scott Wright
Responses of unimpaired flows, storage, and managed flows to scenarios of climate change in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed Responses of unimpaired flows, storage, and managed flows to scenarios of climate change in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed
Projections of meteorology downscaled from global climate model runs were used to drive a model of unimpaired hydrology of the Sacramento/San Joaquin watershed, which in turn drove models of operational responses and managed flows. Twenty daily climate change scenarios for water years 1980–2099 were evaluated with the goal of producing inflow boundary conditions for a watershed sediment...
Authors
Noah Knowles, Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff, David Pierce, Daniel R. Cayan
High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
We assess flood overtopping potential (when flood water elevation exceeds levee elevation) to the levees surrounding the islands in the interior of California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Because critical natural gas infrastructure is susceptible to overtopping-related disruption, we focus our analysis on regions that are crossed by the network of the state's natural gas pipelines. We...
Authors
Benjamin Brooks, Jennifer Telling, Todd Leroy Ericksen, Craig Glennie, Noah Knowles, Daniel Cayan, Darren Hauser, Adam LeWinter
Modeling managed flows in the Sacramento/San Joaquin watershed, California, under scenarios of future change for CASCaDE2 Modeling managed flows in the Sacramento/San Joaquin watershed, California, under scenarios of future change for CASCaDE2
Projections of managed flows from the Sacramento River/San Joaquin River watershed, California, into the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta under scenarios of future climate change are needed for evaluations of potential impacts on water supply and estuarine ecosystems. A new, multiple-model approach for achieving this is described. First, downscaled global climate model...
Authors
Noah Knowles, Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff
Application of an unstructured 3D finite volume numerical model to flows and salinity dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Application of an unstructured 3D finite volume numerical model to flows and salinity dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta
A linked modeling approach has been undertaken to understand the impacts of climate and infrastructure on aquatic ecology and water quality in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. The Delft3D Flexible Mesh modeling suite is used in this effort for its 3D hydrodynamics, salinity, temperature and sediment dynamics, phytoplankton and water-quality coupling infrastructure, and linkage to a...
Authors
R.C. Martyr-Koller, H.W.J. Kernkamp, Anne A. Van Dam, Mick van der Wegen, Lisa Lucas, N. Knowles, B. Jaffe, T.A. Fregoso
Estuaries: Life on the edge: Chapter 19 Estuaries: Life on the edge: Chapter 19
No abstract available.
Authors
James Cloern, Patrick L. Barnard, Erin Beller, John Callaway, Letitia Grenier, Edwin D. Grosholz, Robin Grossinger, Kathryn Hieb, James Holligaugh, Noah Knowles, Martha Sutula, Samuel Veloz, Kerstin Wasson, Alison Whipple
Trends in Snow Cover in the Continental United States (1950-2010) Trends in Snow Cover in the Continental United States (1950-2010)
No abstract available.
Authors
Noah Knowles