Alex Headman
Alex Headman is a Geographer in the Watersheds and Fluvial Systems Section at the Washington Water Science Center.
Alex is a full-stack developer and geospatial data scientist. He has over a decade of experience in GIS and has been professionally and non-professionally writing software since he can remember. His research interests are remote sensing applications for geohazards, science communication and data science.
Professional Experience
Geographer, USGS Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, WA (2017-present)
Physical Scientist, USGS Utah Water Science Center, Salt Lake City, UT (2013-2016)
Education and Certifications
M.S., Geography, University of Utah, 2016
Science and Products
Conceptual hydrogeologic framework and groundwater budget near the southeastern part of Puget Sound, Washington
More than 1 million people live within the active model area (AMA) in the southeastern part of the lowlands surrounding Puget Sound, or Puget Lowland, Washington, and groundwater is the source for approximately one-half of their public, domestic, and irrigation water demands. The 887-square-mile AMA, located in King and Pierce Counties, represents the area of analysis for the conceptual hydrogeolo
Authors
Wendy B. Welch, Valerie A.L. Bright, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Sarah B. Dunn, Alexander O. Headman, Elisabeth T. Fasser
Evaluation of groundwater resources in the Upper White River Basin within Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, 2020
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service, investigated groundwater gains and losses on the upper White River within Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. This investigation was conducted using stream discharge measurements at 14 locations within 7 reaches over a 6.5-mile river length from near the White River’s origin at the terminus of the Emmons Glaci
Authors
Leland T. Fuhrig, Andrew J. Long, Alexander O. Headman
Prediction of the probability of elevated nitrate concentrations at groundwater depths used for drinking-water supply in the Puget Sound basin, Washington, 2004–19
The Puget Sound basin encompasses the 13,700-square-mile area that drains to the Puget Sound and the adjacent marine waters of Washington State. Well more than 4 million people live within the basin, with numbers continuing to increase, who rely on the basin’s natural resources including groundwater. The Puget Sound Partnership was created by a Washington State statute to implement a science-based
Authors
Robert W. Black, Elise E. Wright, Valerie A.L. Bright, Alex O. Headman
Machine-learning model to delineate sub-surface agricultural drainage from satellite imagery
Knowing subsurface drainage (tile-drain) extent is integral to understanding how landscapes respond to precipitation events and subsequent days of drying, as well as how soil characteristics and land management influence stream response. Consequently, a time series of tile-drain extent would inform one aspect of land management that complicates our ability to explain streamflow and water-quality a
Authors
Fleford Santos Redoloza, Tanja N. Williamson, Alex O. Headman, Barry J. Allred
Variable-density groundwater flow and contaminant transport, Operable Unit 1, Naval Base Kitsap, Keyport, Washington
Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) have migrated to groundwater beneath a former 9-acre landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) on Naval Base Kitsap, which was active from the 1930s through 1973 on the Keyport Peninsula, in Kitsap County, Washington. Biodegradation of CVOCs at OU-1 limits the mass of dissolved-phase CVOCs in groundwater that discharges to surface water, but contaminant conc
Authors
Richard M. Yager, Wendy B. Welch, Alex O. Headman, Richard S. Dinicola
Using machine learning to map topographic-soil & densely-patterned sub-surface agricultural drainage (tile drains) from satellite imagery
In the mid-1800s, tile-drains were installed in poorly-drained soils of topographic lows as water management to protect cropland during wet conditions; consequently, estimations of tile-drain location have been based on soil series. Most tile drains are in the Midwest, however each state has farms with tile and tile-drain density has increased in the last decade. Where tile drains quickly remove w
Long-term water-quality trends for rivers and streams within the contiguous United States using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Mission Area (WMA) is working to address a need to understand where the Nation is experiencing water shortages or surpluses relative to the demand for water need by delivering routine assessments of water supply and demand. It is also improving understanding of the natural and human factors affecting the balance between supply and demand. A key part of these
Index of vulnerability for elevated nitrates in groundwater in the Puget Sound Basin, Washington, 2000–2019
This data release consists of the initial well input data for the logistic regression model, the conceptual well data for logistic mapping, the logistic mapping output data, the logistic mapping output vulnerability and vulnerability difference rasters, and supporting geographic information system (GIS) files for the study titled 'Index of Vulnerability for Elevated Nitrates in Groundwater in the
Sediment Volume and Bedrock of the Similkameen River Above Enloe Dam Near Oroville, Washington
This data release contains 3-meter gridded rasters of depth to bedrock below bathymetric surface, the thickness of unconsolidated sediment, and the volume of unconsolidated sediment within a 2.6-km reach of the Similkameen River, Okanogan County, Washington, impounded by Enloe Dam. These rasters were calculated from continuous resistivity profiles (CRP) surveyed using a SuperSting R8 8-channel res
Continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) in the Similkameen River above Enloe Dam, Okanogan County, Washington
A continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) survey was conducted in a 1.2-mile reach of the Similkameen River upstream of Enloe Dam in December 2021 in Washington State. The survey was performed to characterize the resistivity of the water column and subbottom materials using the CRP method. The survey consisted of eight longitudinal profiles roughly equivalent in length and conducted in the right, l
Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources for Haw Creek, Indiana
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER-KY; Williamson and others, 2009) provides the ability to simulate streamflow for ungaged basins. This model integrates TOPMODEL (Beven and Kirkby, 1979) for pervious portions of the landscape with simulation of flow generated from impervious surfaces (USDA, 1986). A restructured version of this decision support tool translates the abil
Particulate mercury isotope results, fiber optic thermal survey data, and nearshore surface sediment results at the Bremerton Naval Complex, Washington, USA, 2020-21
This data release contains four data sets that support ongoing U.S. Geological Survey investigations, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, at the Bremerton Naval Complex (BNC), Sinclair Inlet, Washington. Child item #1 includes reported concentrations of mercury isotopes in 28 samples of new (2018-19) or archived (2008-09) particulate samples from the BNC, surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet, or su
Soil Water Balance Model of the White River Basin, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA, 1999-2020
This archive documents a Soil Water Balance (SWB) model of the The White River Basin, Washington and immediate surrounding environs. The SWB model is used to estimate surface processes of a water budget including precipitation, interception, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, etc. for the upper White River area from January 1999 - December 2020.
Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources for the Commonwealth of Kentucky updated for 2019
In 2009, the Kentucky Water Science Center completed the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER-KY), which provided the ability to simulate streamflow for the period 1980-2000. This model integrated TOPMODEL (Beven and Kirkby, 1979) for pervious portions of the landscape with simulation of flow generated from impervious surfaces (USDA, 1986). Associated products included a flow
Bathymetry of the Similkameen River Above Enloe Dam Near Oroville, Washington
This data release provides the results of the bathymetric survey of the Similkameen River directly above Enloe Dam which took place over three days in late September 2020. The bathymetric survey was completed to enable an instrument-based estimate of the volume of legacy sediment impounded behind Enloe Dam. A shoreline water level survey collected points at the river?s edge using Trimble R8 GNSS
Soil Water Balance (SWB) Model of Keyport, Washington
This archive documents a Soil Water Balance (SWB) model of the Naval Base at Keyport, Washington and immediate surrounding environs. The SWB model is used to estimate hydrological processes of a water budget including interception, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, etc.) for the Keyport area during January 1980 - December 2015.
Puget Sound Stormwater Action Monitoring Basin Characteristics
The Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) program is a cumulative and regional monitoring effort in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Under the SAM program, the status and trends of water chemistry, sediment chemistry, habitat and biota in small streams and nearshore marine waters in the Puget Lowlands are monitored and documented. As part of recommendations to the program made in 2018, sit
Uinta Basin Ground and Surface Water Quality Records
This database includes water quality records compiled at the request of the Bureau of Land Management for the Uinta Basin in Utah and Colorado. All data contained within this database are publically available via the United States Geological Survey's National Water Information System (NWIS) database (available at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis). Data collected and provided by the states of Utah a
Transboundary Watersheds Geonarrative
Explore the geonarrative highlighting USGS research activities in transboundary watersheds in the northwest. The USGS is establishing baseline water quality conditions in rivers that cross the US-Canadian border.
Science and Products
Conceptual hydrogeologic framework and groundwater budget near the southeastern part of Puget Sound, Washington
More than 1 million people live within the active model area (AMA) in the southeastern part of the lowlands surrounding Puget Sound, or Puget Lowland, Washington, and groundwater is the source for approximately one-half of their public, domestic, and irrigation water demands. The 887-square-mile AMA, located in King and Pierce Counties, represents the area of analysis for the conceptual hydrogeolo
Authors
Wendy B. Welch, Valerie A.L. Bright, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Sarah B. Dunn, Alexander O. Headman, Elisabeth T. Fasser
Evaluation of groundwater resources in the Upper White River Basin within Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, 2020
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service, investigated groundwater gains and losses on the upper White River within Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. This investigation was conducted using stream discharge measurements at 14 locations within 7 reaches over a 6.5-mile river length from near the White River’s origin at the terminus of the Emmons Glaci
Authors
Leland T. Fuhrig, Andrew J. Long, Alexander O. Headman
Prediction of the probability of elevated nitrate concentrations at groundwater depths used for drinking-water supply in the Puget Sound basin, Washington, 2004–19
The Puget Sound basin encompasses the 13,700-square-mile area that drains to the Puget Sound and the adjacent marine waters of Washington State. Well more than 4 million people live within the basin, with numbers continuing to increase, who rely on the basin’s natural resources including groundwater. The Puget Sound Partnership was created by a Washington State statute to implement a science-based
Authors
Robert W. Black, Elise E. Wright, Valerie A.L. Bright, Alex O. Headman
Machine-learning model to delineate sub-surface agricultural drainage from satellite imagery
Knowing subsurface drainage (tile-drain) extent is integral to understanding how landscapes respond to precipitation events and subsequent days of drying, as well as how soil characteristics and land management influence stream response. Consequently, a time series of tile-drain extent would inform one aspect of land management that complicates our ability to explain streamflow and water-quality a
Authors
Fleford Santos Redoloza, Tanja N. Williamson, Alex O. Headman, Barry J. Allred
Variable-density groundwater flow and contaminant transport, Operable Unit 1, Naval Base Kitsap, Keyport, Washington
Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) have migrated to groundwater beneath a former 9-acre landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) on Naval Base Kitsap, which was active from the 1930s through 1973 on the Keyport Peninsula, in Kitsap County, Washington. Biodegradation of CVOCs at OU-1 limits the mass of dissolved-phase CVOCs in groundwater that discharges to surface water, but contaminant conc
Authors
Richard M. Yager, Wendy B. Welch, Alex O. Headman, Richard S. Dinicola
Using machine learning to map topographic-soil & densely-patterned sub-surface agricultural drainage (tile drains) from satellite imagery
In the mid-1800s, tile-drains were installed in poorly-drained soils of topographic lows as water management to protect cropland during wet conditions; consequently, estimations of tile-drain location have been based on soil series. Most tile drains are in the Midwest, however each state has farms with tile and tile-drain density has increased in the last decade. Where tile drains quickly remove w
Long-term water-quality trends for rivers and streams within the contiguous United States using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Mission Area (WMA) is working to address a need to understand where the Nation is experiencing water shortages or surpluses relative to the demand for water need by delivering routine assessments of water supply and demand. It is also improving understanding of the natural and human factors affecting the balance between supply and demand. A key part of these
Index of vulnerability for elevated nitrates in groundwater in the Puget Sound Basin, Washington, 2000–2019
This data release consists of the initial well input data for the logistic regression model, the conceptual well data for logistic mapping, the logistic mapping output data, the logistic mapping output vulnerability and vulnerability difference rasters, and supporting geographic information system (GIS) files for the study titled 'Index of Vulnerability for Elevated Nitrates in Groundwater in the
Sediment Volume and Bedrock of the Similkameen River Above Enloe Dam Near Oroville, Washington
This data release contains 3-meter gridded rasters of depth to bedrock below bathymetric surface, the thickness of unconsolidated sediment, and the volume of unconsolidated sediment within a 2.6-km reach of the Similkameen River, Okanogan County, Washington, impounded by Enloe Dam. These rasters were calculated from continuous resistivity profiles (CRP) surveyed using a SuperSting R8 8-channel res
Continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) in the Similkameen River above Enloe Dam, Okanogan County, Washington
A continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) survey was conducted in a 1.2-mile reach of the Similkameen River upstream of Enloe Dam in December 2021 in Washington State. The survey was performed to characterize the resistivity of the water column and subbottom materials using the CRP method. The survey consisted of eight longitudinal profiles roughly equivalent in length and conducted in the right, l
Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources for Haw Creek, Indiana
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER-KY; Williamson and others, 2009) provides the ability to simulate streamflow for ungaged basins. This model integrates TOPMODEL (Beven and Kirkby, 1979) for pervious portions of the landscape with simulation of flow generated from impervious surfaces (USDA, 1986). A restructured version of this decision support tool translates the abil
Particulate mercury isotope results, fiber optic thermal survey data, and nearshore surface sediment results at the Bremerton Naval Complex, Washington, USA, 2020-21
This data release contains four data sets that support ongoing U.S. Geological Survey investigations, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, at the Bremerton Naval Complex (BNC), Sinclair Inlet, Washington. Child item #1 includes reported concentrations of mercury isotopes in 28 samples of new (2018-19) or archived (2008-09) particulate samples from the BNC, surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet, or su
Soil Water Balance Model of the White River Basin, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA, 1999-2020
This archive documents a Soil Water Balance (SWB) model of the The White River Basin, Washington and immediate surrounding environs. The SWB model is used to estimate surface processes of a water budget including precipitation, interception, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, etc. for the upper White River area from January 1999 - December 2020.
Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources for the Commonwealth of Kentucky updated for 2019
In 2009, the Kentucky Water Science Center completed the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER-KY), which provided the ability to simulate streamflow for the period 1980-2000. This model integrated TOPMODEL (Beven and Kirkby, 1979) for pervious portions of the landscape with simulation of flow generated from impervious surfaces (USDA, 1986). Associated products included a flow
Bathymetry of the Similkameen River Above Enloe Dam Near Oroville, Washington
This data release provides the results of the bathymetric survey of the Similkameen River directly above Enloe Dam which took place over three days in late September 2020. The bathymetric survey was completed to enable an instrument-based estimate of the volume of legacy sediment impounded behind Enloe Dam. A shoreline water level survey collected points at the river?s edge using Trimble R8 GNSS
Soil Water Balance (SWB) Model of Keyport, Washington
This archive documents a Soil Water Balance (SWB) model of the Naval Base at Keyport, Washington and immediate surrounding environs. The SWB model is used to estimate hydrological processes of a water budget including interception, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, etc.) for the Keyport area during January 1980 - December 2015.
Puget Sound Stormwater Action Monitoring Basin Characteristics
The Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) program is a cumulative and regional monitoring effort in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Under the SAM program, the status and trends of water chemistry, sediment chemistry, habitat and biota in small streams and nearshore marine waters in the Puget Lowlands are monitored and documented. As part of recommendations to the program made in 2018, sit
Uinta Basin Ground and Surface Water Quality Records
This database includes water quality records compiled at the request of the Bureau of Land Management for the Uinta Basin in Utah and Colorado. All data contained within this database are publically available via the United States Geological Survey's National Water Information System (NWIS) database (available at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis). Data collected and provided by the states of Utah a
Transboundary Watersheds Geonarrative
Explore the geonarrative highlighting USGS research activities in transboundary watersheds in the northwest. The USGS is establishing baseline water quality conditions in rivers that cross the US-Canadian border.