Bridget R Deemer, Ph.D.
Broadly, I am interested in how human activities are affecting the way that energy and nutrients cycle through ecosystems. My research aims to better characterize how reservoirs can affect the transport and transformation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and other biologically relevant elements.
My research also explores the potential role of management in affecting ecosystem function. Identifying reservoir management win-wins as well as trade-offs is critical as the quantity and quality of water becomes increasingly variable under a changing climate. Currently, I am working on a project to understand how conditions in Lake Powell (and the associated management of Glen Canyon Dam) are affecting ecosystem metabolism in the Colorado River.
Professional Experience
Oct 2016-present: Research ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ
April 2020-2022: Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellow, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)
February-May 2013: Policy Fellow, Army Corps Institute for Water Resources, Alexandria, VA
Education and Certifications
2016 - PhD, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver
• Dissertation: "Patterns and controls on nitrogen removal and greenhouse gas production in reservoir"
2010 - M.S. in Environmental Science, Washington State University
2004 - B.A. in Environmental Studies, Vassar College
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 29
Declines in prey production during the collapse of a tailwater Rainbow Trout population are associated with changing reservoir conditions Declines in prey production during the collapse of a tailwater Rainbow Trout population are associated with changing reservoir conditions
Objective Understanding how energy moves through food webs and limits productivity at various trophic levels is a central question in aquatic ecology and can provide insight into drivers of fish population dynamics since many fish populations are food limited. In this study, we seek to better understand what factors drove a decline of >85% in the number of Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus...
Authors
Michael D. Yard, Charles Yackulic, Josh Korman, Michael Dodrill, Bridget Deemer
Proceedings of the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Reporting Meeting to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Proceedings of the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Reporting Meeting to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program
(Hartwell) This report is prepared primarily to account for work conducted and products delivered in FY 2022 by GCMRC and to inform the Technical Work Group of science conducted by GCMRC and its cooperators in support of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). It includes a summary of accomplishments, modifications to work plans, results, and recommendations related to...
Authors
David Topping, Paul Grams, Emily Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Helen Fairley, Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Anya Metcalfe, Maria Dzul, David Ward, Mariah Giardina, Lucas Bair, Thomas M. Gushue, Caitlin Andrews, Ronald Griffiths, David Dean, Keith Kohl, Michael Moran, Nicholas Voichick, Thomas Sabol, Laura Tennant, Kimberly Dibble, Michael Runge
Appendix 1: Lake Powell water quality monitoring Appendix 1: Lake Powell water quality monitoring
No abstract available.
Authors
Bridget Deemer, Nicholas Voichick, Thomas Sabol, Caitlin Andrews, Bryce Mihalevich
Over half a century record of limnology data from Lake Powell, desert southwest United States: From reservoir filling to present day (1964–2021) Over half a century record of limnology data from Lake Powell, desert southwest United States: From reservoir filling to present day (1964–2021)
Lake Powell is a large water storage reservoir in the arid southwestern United States. Here, we present a 58-yr limnology dataset that captures water quality parameters from reservoir filling to present day (temperature, salinity, major ions, total suspended solids), as well as a 38-yr record of Secchi depth, and a ~ 30-yr record of nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton assemblages...
Authors
Bridget Deemer, Caitlin Andrews, Kristin Strock, Nicholas Voichick, James Hensleigh, John Beaver, Robert Radtke
Drought related changes in water quality surpass effects of experimental flows on trout growth downstream of Lake Powell reservoir Drought related changes in water quality surpass effects of experimental flows on trout growth downstream of Lake Powell reservoir
Flows released from reservoirs are often modified to mitigate the negative ecosystem effects of dams. We estimated the effects of two experimental flows, fall-timed floods and elimination of sub-daily variation in flows on weekends, on growth rates of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Experimental flow effects were compared to...
Authors
Josh Korman, Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Mariah Giardina
Peer review by and for non-native English speakers: Interacting across international limnology societies Peer review by and for non-native English speakers: Interacting across international limnology societies
Scholarly peer review is critical to the scientific process, yet there are limited resources available for students, postdocs, and other early career researchers (ECRs) to learn how to perform effective and time-efficient review. The ASLO Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellows have developed several peer review training resources, including a webinar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utntl1VGy5g)...
Authors
Mary Gradoville, Bridget Deemer, Renee van Dorst
Taking steps to address inequities in open-access publishing through an early career publication honor Taking steps to address inequities in open-access publishing through an early career publication honor
Access to resources—whether human, financial, or social—is a key indicator of research output and, in turn, academic career progression. However, resources are not equally distributed among scientists and disparities often stem from external factors. This reality is particularly impactful for early career researchers (ECRs) who have limited control over the resources available to them to...
Authors
Scott Hotaling, Bridget Deemer, Kelsey Poulson-Ellestad, Laura Falkenberg
Little bugs, big data, and Colorado River adaptive management: Preliminary findings from the ongoing bug flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam Little bugs, big data, and Colorado River adaptive management: Preliminary findings from the ongoing bug flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam
The undammed Colorado River in Grand Canyon was characterized by spring snow-melt floods that sometimes exceeded 100,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). These were followed by occasional flash floods during summer monsoons, then by low flows from fall through early spring (Figure 1; Topping and others, 2003). This seasonally variable flow regime carried huge loads of sediment and was an...
Authors
Theodore Kennedy, Anya Metcalfe, Bridget Deemer, Morgan Ford, Cheyenne Szydlo, Charles Yackulic, Jeffrey Muehlbauer
Experimental reductions in sub-daily flow fluctuations increased gross primary productivity for 425 river kilometers downstream Experimental reductions in sub-daily flow fluctuations increased gross primary productivity for 425 river kilometers downstream
Aquatic primary production is the foundation of many river food webs. Dams change the physical template of rivers, often driving food webs toward greater reliance on aquatic primary production. Nonetheless, the effects of regulated flow regimes on primary production are poorly understood. Load following is a common dam flow management strategy that involves sub-daily changes in water...
Authors
Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Robert O Hall Jr., Michael Dodrill, Theodore Kennedy, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, David Topping, Nicholas Voichick, Michael Yard
Early career researchers have questions about peer review—we asked the ASLO editors for answers Early career researchers have questions about peer review—we asked the ASLO editors for answers
Peer review is the formal means by which the scientific community assesses the originality, reproducibility, validity, and quality of a research study (Bakker and Traniello 2019). As such, peer review assures nonexperts that they can trust a study's findings (Jamieson et al. 2019). Despite the critical importance of peer review, graduate students, postdocs, and other early career...
Authors
Mary Gradoville, Bridget Deemer
Spatiotemporal methane emission from global reservoirs Spatiotemporal methane emission from global reservoirs
Inland aquatic systems, such as reservoirs, contribute substantially to global methane (CH4) emissions; yet are among the most uncertain components of the total CH4 budget. Reservoirs have received recent attention as they may generate high CH4 fluxes. Improved quantification of these CH4 fluxes, particularly their spatiotemporal distribution, is key to realistically incorporating them...
Authors
Matthew Johnson, E Matthews, D Bastviken, Bridget Deemer, Jinyang Du, V Genovese
Half of global methane emissions come from highly variable aquatic ecosystem sources Half of global methane emissions come from highly variable aquatic ecosystem sources
Atmospheric methane is a potent greenhouse gas that plays a major role in controlling the Earth’s climate. The causes of the renewed increase of methane concentration since 2007 are uncertain given the multiple sources and complex biogeochemistry. Here, we present a metadata analysis of methane fluxes from all major natural, impacted and human-made aquatic ecosystems. Our revised bottom...
Authors
Judith Rosentreter, Alberto Borges, Bridget Deemer, Meredith Holgerson, Shaoda Liu, Chunlin Song, John Melack, Peter Raymond, Carlos Duarte, George H. Allen, David Olefeldt, Benjamin Poulter, Tom Batin, Bradley Eyre
Non-USGS Publications**
Deemer, B.R., J.A. Harrison, 2019, Summer redox dynamics in a eutrophic reservoir and sensitivity to a summer’s end drawdown event: Ecosystems, v: 22, p. 1618-1632, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00362-0.
Reed, D.C., B.R. Deemer, S. van Grinsven, and J.A. Harrison. 2017. Are elusive anaerobic pathways key methane sinks in eutrophic lakes and reservoirs? Biogeochemistry doi: 10.1007/s10533-017-0356-3
Hayes, N.M, B.R. Deemer, J.R. Corman, N.R. Razavi, and K.E. Strock. 2017. Key differences between lakes and reservoirs modify climate signals: A case for a new conceptual model. Limnology and Oceanography Letters doi: 10.1002/lol2.10036
Harrison, J.A., B.R. Deemer, M.K. Birchfield, and M.T. O’Malley. 2017. Reservoir water level drawdowns accelerate and amplify methane emission. Environmental Science & Technology doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03185
Deemer, B.R., J.A. Harrison, S. Li, J. Beaulieu, T. DelSontro, N. Barros, M.A. dos Santos, J.F.Bezerra-Neto, S.M. Powers, and J.A. Vonk. 2016. Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoir water surfaces: A new global synthesis. BioScience doi: 10.1093/biosci/biw117
Deemer, B.R., S.M. Henderson, and J.A. Harrison. 2015. Chemical mixing in the bottom boundary layer of a eutrophic reservoir: the effects of internal seiching on nitrogen dynamics. Limnology and Oceanography 60: 1642-1655.
Deemer, B.R., K.E. Goodwin, T.A. Lee, M.K. Birchfield, K. Dallavis, J. Emerson, D. Freeman, E. Henry, L. Wynn, and J.A. Harrison. 2012. Elevated nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in urbanizing southwest Washington streams. Northwest Science 86: 237-247.
Henderson, S.M., and B.R. Deemer. 2012. Vertical propagation of lakewide internal waves. Geophysical Research Letters 39: doi:10.1029/2011GL050534.
Deemer, B.R., J.A. Harrison, and E.W. Whitling. 2011. Microbial dinitrogen and nitrous oxide production in a small eutrophic reservoir: an in situ approach to quantifying hypolimnetic process rates. Limnology and Oceanography 56: 1189-1199.
**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: 29
Declines in prey production during the collapse of a tailwater Rainbow Trout population are associated with changing reservoir conditions Declines in prey production during the collapse of a tailwater Rainbow Trout population are associated with changing reservoir conditions
Objective Understanding how energy moves through food webs and limits productivity at various trophic levels is a central question in aquatic ecology and can provide insight into drivers of fish population dynamics since many fish populations are food limited. In this study, we seek to better understand what factors drove a decline of >85% in the number of Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus...
Authors
Michael D. Yard, Charles Yackulic, Josh Korman, Michael Dodrill, Bridget Deemer
Proceedings of the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Reporting Meeting to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Proceedings of the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Reporting Meeting to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program
(Hartwell) This report is prepared primarily to account for work conducted and products delivered in FY 2022 by GCMRC and to inform the Technical Work Group of science conducted by GCMRC and its cooperators in support of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). It includes a summary of accomplishments, modifications to work plans, results, and recommendations related to...
Authors
David Topping, Paul Grams, Emily Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Helen Fairley, Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Anya Metcalfe, Maria Dzul, David Ward, Mariah Giardina, Lucas Bair, Thomas M. Gushue, Caitlin Andrews, Ronald Griffiths, David Dean, Keith Kohl, Michael Moran, Nicholas Voichick, Thomas Sabol, Laura Tennant, Kimberly Dibble, Michael Runge
Appendix 1: Lake Powell water quality monitoring Appendix 1: Lake Powell water quality monitoring
No abstract available.
Authors
Bridget Deemer, Nicholas Voichick, Thomas Sabol, Caitlin Andrews, Bryce Mihalevich
Over half a century record of limnology data from Lake Powell, desert southwest United States: From reservoir filling to present day (1964–2021) Over half a century record of limnology data from Lake Powell, desert southwest United States: From reservoir filling to present day (1964–2021)
Lake Powell is a large water storage reservoir in the arid southwestern United States. Here, we present a 58-yr limnology dataset that captures water quality parameters from reservoir filling to present day (temperature, salinity, major ions, total suspended solids), as well as a 38-yr record of Secchi depth, and a ~ 30-yr record of nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton assemblages...
Authors
Bridget Deemer, Caitlin Andrews, Kristin Strock, Nicholas Voichick, James Hensleigh, John Beaver, Robert Radtke
Drought related changes in water quality surpass effects of experimental flows on trout growth downstream of Lake Powell reservoir Drought related changes in water quality surpass effects of experimental flows on trout growth downstream of Lake Powell reservoir
Flows released from reservoirs are often modified to mitigate the negative ecosystem effects of dams. We estimated the effects of two experimental flows, fall-timed floods and elimination of sub-daily variation in flows on weekends, on growth rates of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Experimental flow effects were compared to...
Authors
Josh Korman, Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Mariah Giardina
Peer review by and for non-native English speakers: Interacting across international limnology societies Peer review by and for non-native English speakers: Interacting across international limnology societies
Scholarly peer review is critical to the scientific process, yet there are limited resources available for students, postdocs, and other early career researchers (ECRs) to learn how to perform effective and time-efficient review. The ASLO Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellows have developed several peer review training resources, including a webinar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utntl1VGy5g)...
Authors
Mary Gradoville, Bridget Deemer, Renee van Dorst
Taking steps to address inequities in open-access publishing through an early career publication honor Taking steps to address inequities in open-access publishing through an early career publication honor
Access to resources—whether human, financial, or social—is a key indicator of research output and, in turn, academic career progression. However, resources are not equally distributed among scientists and disparities often stem from external factors. This reality is particularly impactful for early career researchers (ECRs) who have limited control over the resources available to them to...
Authors
Scott Hotaling, Bridget Deemer, Kelsey Poulson-Ellestad, Laura Falkenberg
Little bugs, big data, and Colorado River adaptive management: Preliminary findings from the ongoing bug flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam Little bugs, big data, and Colorado River adaptive management: Preliminary findings from the ongoing bug flow experiment at Glen Canyon Dam
The undammed Colorado River in Grand Canyon was characterized by spring snow-melt floods that sometimes exceeded 100,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). These were followed by occasional flash floods during summer monsoons, then by low flows from fall through early spring (Figure 1; Topping and others, 2003). This seasonally variable flow regime carried huge loads of sediment and was an...
Authors
Theodore Kennedy, Anya Metcalfe, Bridget Deemer, Morgan Ford, Cheyenne Szydlo, Charles Yackulic, Jeffrey Muehlbauer
Experimental reductions in sub-daily flow fluctuations increased gross primary productivity for 425 river kilometers downstream Experimental reductions in sub-daily flow fluctuations increased gross primary productivity for 425 river kilometers downstream
Aquatic primary production is the foundation of many river food webs. Dams change the physical template of rivers, often driving food webs toward greater reliance on aquatic primary production. Nonetheless, the effects of regulated flow regimes on primary production are poorly understood. Load following is a common dam flow management strategy that involves sub-daily changes in water...
Authors
Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Robert O Hall Jr., Michael Dodrill, Theodore Kennedy, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, David Topping, Nicholas Voichick, Michael Yard
Early career researchers have questions about peer review—we asked the ASLO editors for answers Early career researchers have questions about peer review—we asked the ASLO editors for answers
Peer review is the formal means by which the scientific community assesses the originality, reproducibility, validity, and quality of a research study (Bakker and Traniello 2019). As such, peer review assures nonexperts that they can trust a study's findings (Jamieson et al. 2019). Despite the critical importance of peer review, graduate students, postdocs, and other early career...
Authors
Mary Gradoville, Bridget Deemer
Spatiotemporal methane emission from global reservoirs Spatiotemporal methane emission from global reservoirs
Inland aquatic systems, such as reservoirs, contribute substantially to global methane (CH4) emissions; yet are among the most uncertain components of the total CH4 budget. Reservoirs have received recent attention as they may generate high CH4 fluxes. Improved quantification of these CH4 fluxes, particularly their spatiotemporal distribution, is key to realistically incorporating them...
Authors
Matthew Johnson, E Matthews, D Bastviken, Bridget Deemer, Jinyang Du, V Genovese
Half of global methane emissions come from highly variable aquatic ecosystem sources Half of global methane emissions come from highly variable aquatic ecosystem sources
Atmospheric methane is a potent greenhouse gas that plays a major role in controlling the Earth’s climate. The causes of the renewed increase of methane concentration since 2007 are uncertain given the multiple sources and complex biogeochemistry. Here, we present a metadata analysis of methane fluxes from all major natural, impacted and human-made aquatic ecosystems. Our revised bottom...
Authors
Judith Rosentreter, Alberto Borges, Bridget Deemer, Meredith Holgerson, Shaoda Liu, Chunlin Song, John Melack, Peter Raymond, Carlos Duarte, George H. Allen, David Olefeldt, Benjamin Poulter, Tom Batin, Bradley Eyre
Non-USGS Publications**
Deemer, B.R., J.A. Harrison, 2019, Summer redox dynamics in a eutrophic reservoir and sensitivity to a summer’s end drawdown event: Ecosystems, v: 22, p. 1618-1632, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00362-0.
Reed, D.C., B.R. Deemer, S. van Grinsven, and J.A. Harrison. 2017. Are elusive anaerobic pathways key methane sinks in eutrophic lakes and reservoirs? Biogeochemistry doi: 10.1007/s10533-017-0356-3
Hayes, N.M, B.R. Deemer, J.R. Corman, N.R. Razavi, and K.E. Strock. 2017. Key differences between lakes and reservoirs modify climate signals: A case for a new conceptual model. Limnology and Oceanography Letters doi: 10.1002/lol2.10036
Harrison, J.A., B.R. Deemer, M.K. Birchfield, and M.T. O’Malley. 2017. Reservoir water level drawdowns accelerate and amplify methane emission. Environmental Science & Technology doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03185
Deemer, B.R., J.A. Harrison, S. Li, J. Beaulieu, T. DelSontro, N. Barros, M.A. dos Santos, J.F.Bezerra-Neto, S.M. Powers, and J.A. Vonk. 2016. Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoir water surfaces: A new global synthesis. BioScience doi: 10.1093/biosci/biw117
Deemer, B.R., S.M. Henderson, and J.A. Harrison. 2015. Chemical mixing in the bottom boundary layer of a eutrophic reservoir: the effects of internal seiching on nitrogen dynamics. Limnology and Oceanography 60: 1642-1655.
Deemer, B.R., K.E. Goodwin, T.A. Lee, M.K. Birchfield, K. Dallavis, J. Emerson, D. Freeman, E. Henry, L. Wynn, and J.A. Harrison. 2012. Elevated nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in urbanizing southwest Washington streams. Northwest Science 86: 237-247.
Henderson, S.M., and B.R. Deemer. 2012. Vertical propagation of lakewide internal waves. Geophysical Research Letters 39: doi:10.1029/2011GL050534.
Deemer, B.R., J.A. Harrison, and E.W. Whitling. 2011. Microbial dinitrogen and nitrous oxide production in a small eutrophic reservoir: an in situ approach to quantifying hypolimnetic process rates. Limnology and Oceanography 56: 1189-1199.
**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.