Hydrologic Processes

A USGS geospatial data collection initiative in Oregon’s Willamette River Basin uses advanced remote sensing and on‑the‑ground measurements to map major rivers draining the Cascade Range. This work helps track how changing water resources and river channel conditions affect a wide array of water‑management needs, river hazards, recreational users, and habitat for ESA-listed spring Chinook salmon...

Chinook Salmon and Pacific Lamprey are culturally significant fishes to the Tribal community along the Siletz River, Oregon. The USGS studied how streamflow and bedload conditions may influence mainstem spawning habitats.

Migratory wildlife need to balance the benefits of migration and reproduction with the physiological costs. This is particularly challenging in dynamic environments like wetlands, where food levels can vary greatly from year to year. For shorebirds in the Great Basin region, saline or terminal lakes provide essential habitats during their annual life cycle. To understand how changes in hydrology...

The U.S. Geological Survey is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to revolutionize bridge scour monitoring using real-time sonar data collection and bathymetric surveying to remotely monitor sites, collect long-term data for evaluation, and develop and improve hydraulic models that predict scour.