Cartoon GIF cross-section of river sediments filling the bottom of Lake Powell from pre-Glen Canyon dam to today.
Casey Root
Casey has primarily focused on basin-scale geospatial studies since joining the U.S. Geological Survey in 2016 to address water quality and availability studies associated with Great Salt Lake and the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Casey has worked at the USGS Utah Water Science since 2018 after interning at the USGS New York Water Science Center during graduate school. His work includes calculating the first update of elevation-area-capacity relationships in Lake Powell since 1986 and developing a new topobathymetric dataset of Great Salt Lake to provide updated estimates of volume and area. He is an active contributor with state and local cooperators in questions concerning Great Salt Lake, such as salinity and critical minerals, and the Upper Colorado River Basin, including studies on trends in salinity and sediment transport, and is a member of the Geospatial Analysis and Applications Core Technology Team, which is a group of scientists in the USGS focused on questions related to contaminants and environmental health across spatial scales.
Prior to joining the USGS, Casey’s academic and professional career focused on sedimentary geology in both the petroleum and mining industries. Casey transitioned to water-related studies during his internship with the USGS and assisted in developing geospatial models to identify large-scale closed depressions and focused-recharge features of karst aquifers in New York state.
Science and Products
New study confirms loss of storage capacity in Lake Powell
Beginning in 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, completed topobathymetric surveys of Lake Powell for the first update of elevation-area-capacity relationships since 1986. The recent report presents results of these surveys and comparisons with estimates from previous surveys. Current storage capacity at full pool (3702.91 feet above NAVD 88) is 25,160...
Lake Powell Coring
In response to the August 5, 2015, Gold King Mine Spill from the Bonita Peak Mining District that resulted in the release of three-million gallons of mine-impacted waters, the Utah Water Science Center, in partnership with the Utah Division of Water Quality, National Park Service, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, cored the San Juan and Colorado River deltas in multiple locations in Lake Powell...
Statewide Assessment of New York’s Karst Aquifers With an Inventory of Closed-Depression and Focused-Recharge Features
Background: The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and Health (NYS DOH) are concerned about groundwater contamination in the carbonate-bedrock aquifers in New York, especially relating to the unintended introduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and liquid manure to these aquifers. These carbonate rocks form extensive aquifers that transmit, and can...
River sediments filling the bottom of Lake Powell
Cartoon GIF cross-section of river sediments filling the bottom of Lake Powell from pre-Glen Canyon dam to today.
Lake Powell, SIR 2022-5017 Cover image
Lake Powell report, SIR 2022-5017, Elevation-Area-Capacity Relationships of Lake Powell in 2018 and Estimated Loss of Storage Capacity Since 1963, cover image showing past lake levels.
Lake Powell report, SIR 2022-5017, Elevation-Area-Capacity Relationships of Lake Powell in 2018 and Estimated Loss of Storage Capacity Since 1963, cover image showing past lake levels.
Glen Canyon Dam
South side of Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell. Used as back-image on USGS Report, SIR 2022-5017.
South side of Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell. Used as back-image on USGS Report, SIR 2022-5017.
Science and Products
New study confirms loss of storage capacity in Lake Powell
Beginning in 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, completed topobathymetric surveys of Lake Powell for the first update of elevation-area-capacity relationships since 1986. The recent report presents results of these surveys and comparisons with estimates from previous surveys. Current storage capacity at full pool (3702.91 feet above NAVD 88) is 25,160...
Lake Powell Coring
In response to the August 5, 2015, Gold King Mine Spill from the Bonita Peak Mining District that resulted in the release of three-million gallons of mine-impacted waters, the Utah Water Science Center, in partnership with the Utah Division of Water Quality, National Park Service, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, cored the San Juan and Colorado River deltas in multiple locations in Lake Powell...
Statewide Assessment of New York’s Karst Aquifers With an Inventory of Closed-Depression and Focused-Recharge Features
Background: The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and Health (NYS DOH) are concerned about groundwater contamination in the carbonate-bedrock aquifers in New York, especially relating to the unintended introduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and liquid manure to these aquifers. These carbonate rocks form extensive aquifers that transmit, and can...
River sediments filling the bottom of Lake Powell
Cartoon GIF cross-section of river sediments filling the bottom of Lake Powell from pre-Glen Canyon dam to today.
Cartoon GIF cross-section of river sediments filling the bottom of Lake Powell from pre-Glen Canyon dam to today.
Lake Powell, SIR 2022-5017 Cover image
Lake Powell report, SIR 2022-5017, Elevation-Area-Capacity Relationships of Lake Powell in 2018 and Estimated Loss of Storage Capacity Since 1963, cover image showing past lake levels.
Lake Powell report, SIR 2022-5017, Elevation-Area-Capacity Relationships of Lake Powell in 2018 and Estimated Loss of Storage Capacity Since 1963, cover image showing past lake levels.
Glen Canyon Dam
South side of Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell. Used as back-image on USGS Report, SIR 2022-5017.
South side of Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell. Used as back-image on USGS Report, SIR 2022-5017.