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Aaron J. Porter

Aaron Porter is a hydrologist and Project Chief at the U.S. Geological Survey's Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center (VA-WV-WSC) in Richmond, VA.

Aaron has been involved in a wide variety of USGS water-resources investigations since 2014. His primary focus has been on utilizing streamflow and continuous water-quality monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient and sediment dynamics in, and loadings from, small urban watersheds. Aaron is currently the project chief for the Hampton Roads Regional Stormwater Monitoring Program, Salem Source-Water Monitoring, the VA-WV-WSC demonstation gage at Mechumps Creek, and the project chief for the Fairfax County Water Resources Monitoring Program and the Hampton Roads Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program.

Education and Certifications

  • M.S. in Environmenal Science (2011) from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a focus on microbial ecology in wetland environments

  • B.A. in English with a minor in Public and Urban Planning from Virginia Tech (2005)

Science and Products

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Monitoring instrumentation at the bridge over the Roanoke River at Salem, VA

Source Water Monitoring on the Roanoke River in Salem, Virginia

The Roanoke River is the primary source of the City of Salem's drinking water. Threats to water quality in rivers like the Roanoke have increased in recent years, and water authorities as well as residents are concerned about preventing source water contamination. Realtime water quality monitoring is a valuable tool in alerting water authorities such as Salem Water when there are anomalous...
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Source Water Monitoring on the Roanoke River in Salem, Virginia

The Roanoke River is the primary source of the City of Salem's drinking water. Threats to water quality in rivers like the Roanoke have increased in recent years, and water authorities as well as residents are concerned about preventing source water contamination. Realtime water quality monitoring is a valuable tool in alerting water authorities such as Salem Water when there are anomalous...
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Fairfax County Water Resources Monitoring Measurments Illustration

Fairfax County Water Resources Monitoring Network

In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested into the implementation of Best Management Practices in Fairfax County, Virginia, with the goal of improving water quality. Research has demonstrated that best management practices are effective at smaller scales, but less information is available to document the effectiveness of these best management practices at the watershed...
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Fairfax County Water Resources Monitoring Network

In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested into the implementation of Best Management Practices in Fairfax County, Virginia, with the goal of improving water quality. Research has demonstrated that best management practices are effective at smaller scales, but less information is available to document the effectiveness of these best management practices at the watershed...
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A culvert in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Hampton Roads Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) in cooperation with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to implement a water-quality monitoring program in six major cities across the Hampton Roads region. This long-term monitoring program consists of a network of 12 water-quality monitoring stations, 2 per jurisdiction, across the cities...
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Hampton Roads Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) in cooperation with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to implement a water-quality monitoring program in six major cities across the Hampton Roads region. This long-term monitoring program consists of a network of 12 water-quality monitoring stations, 2 per jurisdiction, across the cities...
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Climate, Landscape, and Water-Quality Metrics for Selected Watersheds in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018

This data release documents spatiotemporal water-quality, landscape, and climatic conditions in Fairfax County, Virginia from 2007 through 2018. These data were used to evaluate the water-quality and ecological condition of 20 Fairfax County watersheds monitored since 2007. Data include measures of water-quality, precipitation, air temperature, land use, land cover, wastewater and stormwater infra
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Inputs and Selected Outputs Used to Assess Stormwater Quality and Quantity in Twelve Urban Watersheds in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 2016 - 2020

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and total suspended solids (TSS) loads, in Hampton Roads, Virginia stormwater conveyance systems have been calculated using monitoring data from 12 intensively monitored watersheds for the period from water year (October - September) 2016 through 2020. Nutrient and TSS loads were computed using a surrogate (multiple-linear regression) approach with lab analyzed N, P,
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Inputs and Selected Outputs Used to Assess Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Streamflow, Water-Chemistry, and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Selected Streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and suspended-sediment (SS) loads, in Fairfax County, Virginia streams have been calculated using monitoring data from five intensively monitored watersheds for the period from water year (October - September) 2008-2017. Nutrient and suspended-sediment loads were computed using a surrogate (multiple-linear regression) approach with lab analyzed N, P, and SS samples as
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Inside a storm drain. Three stormwater pipes meet, and a ladder sits at the junction.
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In a stormwater drain, a bilge pump sprays water at a sonde to rid it of algae.
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A USGS researcher stands outside of a stormwater drain.
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The interior of a stormwater pipe.
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Two USGS researchers take flow measurements in a stormwater drain.
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Fairfax Virginia Water Quality Sample Results link
Lick Run concrete lined channel
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Evaluating drivers of hydrology, water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrates in streams of Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with Fairfax County, Virginia, to establish a long-term water-resources monitoring program to evaluate the hydrology, water quality, and ecology of Fairfax County streams and the watershed-scale effects of management practices. Fairfax County uses a variety of management practices, policies, and programs to protect and restore its water resources, but
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James S. Webber, Jeffrey G. Chanat, Aaron J. Porter, John D. Jastram
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Stormwater quantity and quality in selected urban watersheds in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 2016–2020

Urbanization can substantially alter sediment and nutrient loadings to streams. Although a growing body of literature has documented these processes, conditions may vary widely by region and physiographic province (PP). Substantial investments are made by localities to meet federal, state, and local water-quality goals and locally relevant monitoring data are needed to appropriately set standards
Authors
Aaron J. Porter
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Identifying key stressors driving biological impairment in freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA

Biological communities in freshwater streams are often impaired by multiple stressors (e.g., flow or water quality) originating from anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, agriculture, or energy extraction. Restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA seek to improve biological conditions in 10% of freshwater tributaries and to protect the biological integrity of existing healt
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Rosemary M. Fanelli, Matt J. Cashman, Aaron J. Porter
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Water Resources Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Spatial and temporal patterns in streamflow, water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates of selected streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18

Urbanization substantially alters the landscape in ways that can impact stream hydrology, water chemistry, and the health of aquatic communities. Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are the primary tools used to mitigate the effects of urban stressors such as increased runoff, decreased baseflow, and increased nutrient and sediment transport. To date, Fairfax County Virginia’s stormwater m
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Aaron J. Porter, James S. Webber, Jonathan W. Witt, John D. Jastram
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Hampton roads regional Water-Quality Monitoring Program

IntroductionHow much nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids are contributed by the highly urbanized areas of the Hampton Roads region in Virginia to Chesapeake Bay? The answer to this complex question has major implications for policy decisions, resource allocations, and efforts aimed at restoring clean waters to Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. To quantify the amount of nitrogen, phosphoru
Authors
Aaron J. Porter, John D. Jastram
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Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Wood, Joseph D., Elliott, David, Garman, Greg, Hopler, David, Lee, William, McIninch, Stephen, Porter, Aaron J., Bukaveckas, Paul A., 2016, Autochthony, allochthony and the role of consumers in influencing the sensitivity of aquatic systems to nutrient enrichment: Food Webs, vol 7, p. 1-12
Wood JD, Franklin RB, Garman G, McIninch S, Porter AJ, Bukaveckas PA. Exposure to the cyanotoxin microcystin arising from interspecific differences in feeding habits among fish and shellfish in the James River Estuary, Virginia. Environ Sci Technol. 2014 May 6;48(9):5194-202. doi: 10.1021/es403491k. Epub 2014 Apr 11. PMID: 24694322.
Porter, Aaron J, 2011, Microbial Community Function in Freshwater Wetland Soils: Using Extracellular Enzyme Analysis to Study the Effect of Moisture and Vegetation: Virginia Commonwealth University, Master Thesis, http://doi.org/10.25772/KMGV-ZR84

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Geonarrative Collection: Hampton Roads Stormwater Monitoring

Learn more about the U.S. Geological Survey's important water quality monitoring work in the Hampton Roads Region through our interactive webpage.

By
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Geonarrative: How and why are conditions changing in Fairfax streams?

This interactive narrative summarizes a new U.S. Geological Survey report wherein monitoring data collected between 2007 and 2018 are used to provide insights into the changing water quality of urban streams in Fairfax County and the potential role of water-quality management practices.

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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

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