Alexander Totten is a Biologist at the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
Alexander Totten received his bachelors of science in environmental biology from Ferris State University in 2015 and has been a research scientist ever since. He has
a general interest in surface water hydrology. Alexander started working at the USGS in 2011 as a student supporting work conducted by the Lansing USGS research office and the Michigan Bacteriological Research Laboratory (MIBaRL). In 2015, Alexander became a full-time employee focused on the development of water quality assessment and loading in streams across Michigan primarily the Trenton Channel and Detroit River. Currently, Alexander continues to work with his team to develop water quality in tributaries throughout Michigan to understand their general water quality and constituent contributions to our Great Lakes.
Professional Experience
2011 – 2015 U.S. Geological Survey, USGS Michigan Water Science Center, Student Trainee
2015 – Present U.S. Geological Survey, USGS Upper Midwest Science Center, Biologist
Education and Certifications
B.S. 2015, Ferris State University, Environmental Biology
Science and Products
Attributions for nonstationary peak streamflow records across the conterminous United States, 1941-2015 and 1966-2015
The U.S. Geological Survey Dakota Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, analyzed annual peak-flow data to determine if trends are present and provide attribution of trends where possible. Work for the national trend attributions for nonstationary annual peak-flow records was broken into seven regions that are loosely based off of two-digit hydrologic unit wa
Groundwater Seepage Measurements in Northeast Section of Bear Lake, Muskegon County, Michigan, October 2015
Five discrete groundwater seepage measurements were collected to make a direct measurement of the flux of water across the sediment-water interface. Change in volume/time is the volumetric rate of flow. The volumetric rate of flow was used to calculate flux velocity (distance/time), by dividing the specific area of the seepage meter (2.70-square-feet). The change in volume over the time the seepag
Understanding sources and distribution of Escherichia coli at Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach, Macomb County, Michigan
Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach (LSCMB) in Michigan is a public beach near the mouth of the Clinton River that has a history of beach closures for public health concerns. The Clinton River is designated as a Great Lakes Area of Concern, and the park has a Beneficial Use Impairment for beach closings because of elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooper
Spatial distribution of nutrients, chloride, and suspended sediment concentrations and loads determined by using different sampling methods in a cross section of the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River, Michigan, November 2014–November 2015
The Detroit River separates the United States and Canada as it flows from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. The Trenton Channel is a 13-kilometer-long branch of the Detroit River that flows to the west of Grosse Ile before rejoining the Detroit River near its mouth, just before the Detroit River flows into Lake Erie. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed both the Trenton Channel and Detro
Groundwater flux and nutrient loading in the northeast section of Bear Lake, Muskegon County, Michigan, 2015
Bear Lake in North Muskegon, Michigan, is listed as part of the Muskegon Lake area of concern as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This area of concern was designated as a result of eutrophication and beneficial use impairments. On the northeast end of Bear Lake, two man-made retention ponds (Willbrandt Pond East and Willbrandt Pond West), formerly used for celery farming, ma
Occurrence and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria and gene markers of pathogenic bacteria in Great Lakes tributaries, March-October 2011
From March through October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), conducted a study to determine the frequency of occurrence of pathogen gene markers and densities of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in 22 tributaries to the Great Lakes. This project was funded as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and included sampling at 22 locations throughout 6 states that border the Great L
Science and Products
- Data
Attributions for nonstationary peak streamflow records across the conterminous United States, 1941-2015 and 1966-2015
The U.S. Geological Survey Dakota Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, analyzed annual peak-flow data to determine if trends are present and provide attribution of trends where possible. Work for the national trend attributions for nonstationary annual peak-flow records was broken into seven regions that are loosely based off of two-digit hydrologic unit waGroundwater Seepage Measurements in Northeast Section of Bear Lake, Muskegon County, Michigan, October 2015
Five discrete groundwater seepage measurements were collected to make a direct measurement of the flux of water across the sediment-water interface. Change in volume/time is the volumetric rate of flow. The volumetric rate of flow was used to calculate flux velocity (distance/time), by dividing the specific area of the seepage meter (2.70-square-feet). The change in volume over the time the seepag - Publications
Understanding sources and distribution of Escherichia coli at Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach, Macomb County, Michigan
Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach (LSCMB) in Michigan is a public beach near the mouth of the Clinton River that has a history of beach closures for public health concerns. The Clinton River is designated as a Great Lakes Area of Concern, and the park has a Beneficial Use Impairment for beach closings because of elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperSpatial distribution of nutrients, chloride, and suspended sediment concentrations and loads determined by using different sampling methods in a cross section of the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River, Michigan, November 2014–November 2015
The Detroit River separates the United States and Canada as it flows from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. The Trenton Channel is a 13-kilometer-long branch of the Detroit River that flows to the west of Grosse Ile before rejoining the Detroit River near its mouth, just before the Detroit River flows into Lake Erie. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed both the Trenton Channel and DetroGroundwater flux and nutrient loading in the northeast section of Bear Lake, Muskegon County, Michigan, 2015
Bear Lake in North Muskegon, Michigan, is listed as part of the Muskegon Lake area of concern as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This area of concern was designated as a result of eutrophication and beneficial use impairments. On the northeast end of Bear Lake, two man-made retention ponds (Willbrandt Pond East and Willbrandt Pond West), formerly used for celery farming, maOccurrence and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria and gene markers of pathogenic bacteria in Great Lakes tributaries, March-October 2011
From March through October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), conducted a study to determine the frequency of occurrence of pathogen gene markers and densities of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in 22 tributaries to the Great Lakes. This project was funded as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and included sampling at 22 locations throughout 6 states that border the Great L