Anne C. Tillery
Anne Tillery is a desert geomorphologist serving as the Acting Deputy Director of the New Mexico Water Science Center. She supports staff in achieving the science priorities of the center and its cooperators.
Colorado Basin ASIST
Colorado Basin ASIST
The USGS Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) initiative is a landscape scale project to accelerate interdisciplinary science and application of advanced technology for stakeholder-driven challenges in the Colorado River Basin.
New Mexico StreamStats
New Mexico StreamStats
StreamStats for New Mexico was developed in cooperation with the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the U.S Forest Service.
Anne Tillery has 24 years with the Department of the Interior, starting as a Park Ranger with NPS and moving to the USGS as a student hydrologic aid while in college. She's been with the New Mexico Water Science Center since 2007, where she began as a project scientist and progressed into quality assurance and management roles. She has 20 years of experience studying surface water and geomorphic processes of the Southwest.
As a scientist, her research focused on the hydrology, hydraulics, and geomorphology of flooding in desert ephemeral channels and of debris flows following wildfires. During her 18 years with the USGS in New Mexico, she has authored dozens of publications on subjects related to desert geomorphic and hydrologic processes, including post-wildfire hazards, among other topics - some winning national awards.
As a manager, Anne has focused on building the profile of the NMWSC among partners throughout New Mexico and the Colorado River Basin. Anne strives for clear communication of science and the preservation of scientific integrity.
Professional Experience
2022-2024: Executive Secretary for the Office of Science and Technology Policy Subcommittee on Scientific Integrity.
2020-2024: Communications Subgroup lead for the USGS Colorado River Basin: Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) initiative, connecting scientists and stakeholders across the basin in producing and sharing integrated science.
2021: New Mexico Climate and Water Science Advisory Panel charged with summarizing and describing climate change impacts to Water Resources of New Mexico over the next 50 years.
2017-2024: Quality Assurance Specialist for the New Mexico Water Science Center, providing technical assistance, mentoring, document reviews, and guidance to staff towards ensuring quality and integrity of center scientific data and interpretations.
Twenty Years of increasing responsibility as project leader, author of proposals and interpretive publications, and public speaker for studies related to desert southwest geomorphic processes and streamflow statistics.
Education and Certifications
MS Earth and Planetary Science, University of New Mexico, 2003
BS Geology, Arizona State University, 1999
Honors and Awards
2023: John C. Frey Memorial Award, Geological Society of America (GSA) and Association of American State Geologists (AASG), for the best publication in the field of environmental geology.
2023: First Place, National Association of Government Communicators Blue Pencil award for Technical or Statistical report.
2019: E.B. Burwell, Jr. Award, Geological Society of America (GSA), for recognition of outstanding contributions to the interdisciplinary field of engineering geology.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Prediction of spatially explicit rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for post-fire debris-flow generation in the western United States Prediction of spatially explicit rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for post-fire debris-flow generation in the western United States
Early warning of post-fire debris-flow occurrence during intense rainfall has traditionally relied upon a library of regionally specific empirical rainfall intensity–duration thresholds. Development of this library and the calculation of rainfall intensity-duration thresholds often require several years of monitoring local rainfall and hydrologic response to rainstorms, a time-consuming...
Authors
Dennis M. Staley, Jacquelyn Negri, Jason W. Kean, Jayme L. Laber, Anne C. Tillery, Ann M. Youberg
Capturing spatiotemporal variation in wildfires for improving postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessments Capturing spatiotemporal variation in wildfires for improving postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessments
Wildfires can increase the frequency and magnitude of catastrophic debris flows. Integrated, proactive natural hazard assessment would therefore characterize landscapes based on the potential for the occurrence and interactions of wildfires and postwildfire debris flows. This chapter presents a new modeling effort that can quantify the variability surrounding a key input to postwildfire...
Authors
Jessica R. Haas, Matthew P. Thompson, Anne C. Tillery, Joe H. Scott
Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards—A prewildfire evaluation for the Jemez Mountains, north-central New Mexico Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards—A prewildfire evaluation for the Jemez Mountains, north-central New Mexico
Wildfire can substantially increase the probability of debris flows, a potentially hazardous and destructive form of mass wasting, in landscapes that have otherwise been stable throughout recent history. Although the exact location, extent, and severity of wildfire or subsequent rainfall intensity and duration cannot be known, probabilities of fire and debris‑flow occurrence for given...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Jessica R. Haas
Updated logistic regression equations for the calculation of post-fire debris-flow likelihood in the western United States Updated logistic regression equations for the calculation of post-fire debris-flow likelihood in the western United States
Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can generate dangerous flash floods and debris flows. To reduce public exposure to hazard, the U.S. Geological Survey produces post-fire debris-flow hazard assessments for select fires in the western United States. We use publicly available geospatial data describing basin...
Authors
Dennis M. Staley, Jacquelyn A. Negri, Jason W. Kean, Jayme L. Laber, Anne C. Tillery, Ann M. Youberg
Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards: a prewildfire evaluation for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and surrounding areas, central New Mexico Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards: a prewildfire evaluation for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and surrounding areas, central New Mexico
Wildfire can drastically increase the probability of debris flows, a potentially hazardous and destructive form of mass wasting, in landscapes that have otherwise been stable throughout recent history. Although there is no way to know the exact location, extent, and severity of wildfire, or the subsequent rainfall intensity and duration before it happens, probabilities of fire and debris...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Jessica R. Haas, Lara W. Miller, Joe H. Scott, Matthew P. Thompson
Postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessment of the area burned by the 2012 Little Bear Fire, south-central New Mexico Postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessment of the area burned by the 2012 Little Bear Fire, south-central New Mexico
A preliminary hazard assessment was developed of the debris-flow potential from 56 drainage basins burned by the Little Bear Fire in south-central New Mexico in June 2012. The Little Bear Fire burned approximately 179 square kilometers (km2) (44,330 acres), including about 143 km2 (35,300 acres) of National Forest System lands of the Lincoln National Forest. Within the Lincoln National...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Anne Marie Matherne
Estimated probability of postwildfire debris flows in the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire burn area, southwestern New Mexico Estimated probability of postwildfire debris flows in the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire burn area, southwestern New Mexico
In May and June 2012, the Whitewater-Baldy Fire burned approximately 1,200 square kilometers (300,000 acres) of the Gila National Forest, in southwestern New Mexico. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment of the debris-flow potential from 128 basins...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Anne Marie Matherne, Kristine L. Verdin
Survey of hydrologic models and hydrologic data needs for tracking flow in the Rio Grande, north-central New Mexico, 2010 Survey of hydrologic models and hydrologic data needs for tracking flow in the Rio Grande, north-central New Mexico, 2010
The six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos have prior and paramount rights to deliveries of water from the Rio Grande for their use. When the pueblos or the Bureau of Indian Affairs Designated Engineer identifies a need for additional flow on the Rio Grande, the Designated Engineer is tasked with deciding the timing and amount of releases of prior and paramount water from storage at El Vado...
Authors
Anne Tillery, Jack R. Eggleston
Postwildfire preliminary debris flow hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Las Conchas Fire in north-central New Mexico Postwildfire preliminary debris flow hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Las Conchas Fire in north-central New Mexico
The Las Conchas Fire during the summer of 2011 was the largest in recorded history for the state of New Mexico, burning 634 square kilometers in the Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment of the debris...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Michael J. Darr, Susan H. Cannon, John A. Michael
Postwildfire debris flows hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Track Fire, northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado Postwildfire debris flows hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Track Fire, northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado
In June 2011, the Track Fire burned 113 square kilometers in Colfax County, northeastern New Mexico, and Las Animas County, southeastern Colorado, including the upper watersheds of Chicorica and Raton Creeks. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Michael J. Darr, Susan H. Cannon, John A. Michael
Potential errors associated with stage-discharge relations for selected streamflow-gaging stations, Maricopa County, Arizona Potential errors associated with stage-discharge relations for selected streamflow-gaging stations, Maricopa County, Arizona
Potential errors were derived for individual discharge measurements and stage-discharge relations for 17 streamflow-gaging stations in Maricopa County. Information presented primarily consists of stage and discharge data that were used to develop the stage-discharge relations that were in effect for water year 1998. Accuracy of the discharge measurements directly relate to accuracy of...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Jeff V. Phillips, Joseph P. Capesius
Non-USGS Publications**
Tillery, A.C., Sowers, J. M., and Pearce, S., 2006, Creek and Watershed Map of San Mateo and Vicinity, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA, 1:25,800 scale.
Tillery, A., Fawcett, P., McFadden, L., Scuderi, L., and McAuliffe, J., 2003, Late Holocene behavior of small drainage basins on the Colorado Plateau: influences of Lithology, Basin Form and Climate Change, in Geology of the Zuni Plateau: New Mexico Geological Society, p. 197-207.
Fawcett, P., Tillery, A. and. Gutzler, D.S., 2001, Elevation dependence of the ENSO precipitation signal in the Southwest United States in Proceedings of the American Meteorological Society Symposium on Climate Variability, the Oceans, and Societal Impact, p. 235-236.
**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.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Prediction of spatially explicit rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for post-fire debris-flow generation in the western United States Prediction of spatially explicit rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for post-fire debris-flow generation in the western United States
Early warning of post-fire debris-flow occurrence during intense rainfall has traditionally relied upon a library of regionally specific empirical rainfall intensity–duration thresholds. Development of this library and the calculation of rainfall intensity-duration thresholds often require several years of monitoring local rainfall and hydrologic response to rainstorms, a time-consuming...
Authors
Dennis M. Staley, Jacquelyn Negri, Jason W. Kean, Jayme L. Laber, Anne C. Tillery, Ann M. Youberg
Capturing spatiotemporal variation in wildfires for improving postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessments Capturing spatiotemporal variation in wildfires for improving postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessments
Wildfires can increase the frequency and magnitude of catastrophic debris flows. Integrated, proactive natural hazard assessment would therefore characterize landscapes based on the potential for the occurrence and interactions of wildfires and postwildfire debris flows. This chapter presents a new modeling effort that can quantify the variability surrounding a key input to postwildfire...
Authors
Jessica R. Haas, Matthew P. Thompson, Anne C. Tillery, Joe H. Scott
Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards—A prewildfire evaluation for the Jemez Mountains, north-central New Mexico Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards—A prewildfire evaluation for the Jemez Mountains, north-central New Mexico
Wildfire can substantially increase the probability of debris flows, a potentially hazardous and destructive form of mass wasting, in landscapes that have otherwise been stable throughout recent history. Although the exact location, extent, and severity of wildfire or subsequent rainfall intensity and duration cannot be known, probabilities of fire and debris‑flow occurrence for given...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Jessica R. Haas
Updated logistic regression equations for the calculation of post-fire debris-flow likelihood in the western United States Updated logistic regression equations for the calculation of post-fire debris-flow likelihood in the western United States
Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can generate dangerous flash floods and debris flows. To reduce public exposure to hazard, the U.S. Geological Survey produces post-fire debris-flow hazard assessments for select fires in the western United States. We use publicly available geospatial data describing basin...
Authors
Dennis M. Staley, Jacquelyn A. Negri, Jason W. Kean, Jayme L. Laber, Anne C. Tillery, Ann M. Youberg
Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards: a prewildfire evaluation for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and surrounding areas, central New Mexico Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards: a prewildfire evaluation for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and surrounding areas, central New Mexico
Wildfire can drastically increase the probability of debris flows, a potentially hazardous and destructive form of mass wasting, in landscapes that have otherwise been stable throughout recent history. Although there is no way to know the exact location, extent, and severity of wildfire, or the subsequent rainfall intensity and duration before it happens, probabilities of fire and debris...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Jessica R. Haas, Lara W. Miller, Joe H. Scott, Matthew P. Thompson
Postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessment of the area burned by the 2012 Little Bear Fire, south-central New Mexico Postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessment of the area burned by the 2012 Little Bear Fire, south-central New Mexico
A preliminary hazard assessment was developed of the debris-flow potential from 56 drainage basins burned by the Little Bear Fire in south-central New Mexico in June 2012. The Little Bear Fire burned approximately 179 square kilometers (km2) (44,330 acres), including about 143 km2 (35,300 acres) of National Forest System lands of the Lincoln National Forest. Within the Lincoln National...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Anne Marie Matherne
Estimated probability of postwildfire debris flows in the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire burn area, southwestern New Mexico Estimated probability of postwildfire debris flows in the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire burn area, southwestern New Mexico
In May and June 2012, the Whitewater-Baldy Fire burned approximately 1,200 square kilometers (300,000 acres) of the Gila National Forest, in southwestern New Mexico. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment of the debris-flow potential from 128 basins...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Anne Marie Matherne, Kristine L. Verdin
Survey of hydrologic models and hydrologic data needs for tracking flow in the Rio Grande, north-central New Mexico, 2010 Survey of hydrologic models and hydrologic data needs for tracking flow in the Rio Grande, north-central New Mexico, 2010
The six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos have prior and paramount rights to deliveries of water from the Rio Grande for their use. When the pueblos or the Bureau of Indian Affairs Designated Engineer identifies a need for additional flow on the Rio Grande, the Designated Engineer is tasked with deciding the timing and amount of releases of prior and paramount water from storage at El Vado...
Authors
Anne Tillery, Jack R. Eggleston
Postwildfire preliminary debris flow hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Las Conchas Fire in north-central New Mexico Postwildfire preliminary debris flow hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Las Conchas Fire in north-central New Mexico
The Las Conchas Fire during the summer of 2011 was the largest in recorded history for the state of New Mexico, burning 634 square kilometers in the Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment of the debris...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Michael J. Darr, Susan H. Cannon, John A. Michael
Postwildfire debris flows hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Track Fire, northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado Postwildfire debris flows hazard assessment for the area burned by the 2011 Track Fire, northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado
In June 2011, the Track Fire burned 113 square kilometers in Colfax County, northeastern New Mexico, and Las Animas County, southeastern Colorado, including the upper watersheds of Chicorica and Raton Creeks. The burned landscape is now at risk of damage from postwildfire erosion, such as that caused by debris flows and flash floods. This report presents a preliminary hazard assessment...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Michael J. Darr, Susan H. Cannon, John A. Michael
Potential errors associated with stage-discharge relations for selected streamflow-gaging stations, Maricopa County, Arizona Potential errors associated with stage-discharge relations for selected streamflow-gaging stations, Maricopa County, Arizona
Potential errors were derived for individual discharge measurements and stage-discharge relations for 17 streamflow-gaging stations in Maricopa County. Information presented primarily consists of stage and discharge data that were used to develop the stage-discharge relations that were in effect for water year 1998. Accuracy of the discharge measurements directly relate to accuracy of...
Authors
Anne C. Tillery, Jeff V. Phillips, Joseph P. Capesius
Non-USGS Publications**
Tillery, A.C., Sowers, J. M., and Pearce, S., 2006, Creek and Watershed Map of San Mateo and Vicinity, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA, 1:25,800 scale.
Tillery, A., Fawcett, P., McFadden, L., Scuderi, L., and McAuliffe, J., 2003, Late Holocene behavior of small drainage basins on the Colorado Plateau: influences of Lithology, Basin Form and Climate Change, in Geology of the Zuni Plateau: New Mexico Geological Society, p. 197-207.
Fawcett, P., Tillery, A. and. Gutzler, D.S., 2001, Elevation dependence of the ENSO precipitation signal in the Southwest United States in Proceedings of the American Meteorological Society Symposium on Climate Variability, the Oceans, and Societal Impact, p. 235-236.
**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.