Garrett Akie
Garrett is a Hydrologist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center (COWSC), in Lakewood, CO.
I started with the USGS in 2019 as a Hydrologic Technician. My interests are snow hydrology and surface water quality. My current research focuses on the effects of wildfire on water quality in streams. I also use high-performance computing and physically based modeling to support studies of snow processes and snow water resource availability. Prior to attending graduate school, I developed wastewater desalination technologies and hold a patent for an osmotic separation system and method.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Hydrology, Colorado School of Mines, 2018
B.A., Geology, Hamilton College, 2012
Science and Products
In-stream and laboratory fDOM data from wildfire affected streams of the western United States, 2021-22
After wildfires occurred in the western United States during 2020, in-stream water quality monitors and automatic samplers were deployed in four burned watersheds and one unburned watershed. In-stream water temperature, turbidity, and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) were measured at high frequency, and the fDOM data were corrected for temperature and turbidity effects...
Continuous water-quality data for selected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 2011 - 19 (ver. 3.0, October 2023)
This data release contains water-quality and discharge data collected at seven stream sites and one groundwater spring in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/2010 to 9/30/2019 using in-situ sensors and field meters. Data were collected for the purpose of quantifying downstream transport of aquatic carbon and exchange fluxes of...
NGWOS Ground Based Discrete Snowpack Measurements
Ground-based discrete snowpack measurements were collected during winter field campaigns starting in 2020. These data were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) Upper Colorado River Basin project focusing on the relation between snow dynamics and water resources. This data release consists of three child items. Each child...
Continuous water-quality data for selected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 2011-19 (ver. 2.0, January 2022)
This data release contains water-quality and discharge data collected at seven stream sites and one groundwater spring in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/2010 to 9/30/2019 using in-situ sensors and field meters. Data were collected for the purpose of quantifying downstream transport of aquatic carbon and exchange fluxes of...
Historical simulated snowpack for the Lake Sherburne, MT watershed and vicinity, water years 1980-2019
Abstract This data release contains historical SnowModel (Liston and Elder, 2006) output for the Lake Sherburne, MT watershed and surrounding area. The two quantities simulated for this release were snow water equivalent depth (swed), the liquid water equivalent depth stored as snow in the simulation domain, and runoff (roff), which includes snowmelt at the snow-soil interface and...
Continuous water-quality data for selected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 2011-19
This data release contains water-quality and discharge data collected in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/2010 through 9/30/2019 using in-situ sensors and field meters. Data were collected for the purpose of quantifying exchange fluxes of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) from streams. Parameters include daily mean dissolved CO₂...
Climatological data for the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 1992-2019
This data release contains hourly means of climatological data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/1991 to 9/30/2019 at three weather stations in the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado. In order of increasing elevation, the three weather stations are Loch Vale meteorological station at RMNP, Colo. (Main weather station, USGS station...
Hysteretic response of suspended-sediment in wildfire affected watersheds of the Pacific Northwest and Southern Rocky Mountains
Wildfires can have a profound impact on hydrosedimentary interactions, or the relationship between sediment and runoff, in forested headwater streams. Quantification of sediment-runoff dynamics at the event scale is integral for understanding source areas and transport of suspended-sediment through a watershed following wildfire. Here we used high-frequency turbidity and stream discharge...
Authors
Gregory D. Clark, Sheila F. Murphy, Katherine Skalak, David Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Kurt D. Carpenter, Sean E. Payne, Brian Ebel
An intercomparison of DOC estimated from fDOM sensors in wildfire affected streams of the western United States
Wildfires in the western United States (US) have been demonstrated to affect water quality, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), in streams. Elevated post-wildfire DOC concentration poses a potential risk to drinking water treatment systems. In-stream measurements of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), a proxy for DOC, have shown potential to detect dynamic changes in DOC...
Authors
Garrett Alexander Akie, David Clow, Sheila F. Murphy, Gregory D. Clark, Michael Meador, Brian Ebel
Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado
In 2020, Colorado experienced the most severe wildfire season in recorded history, with wildfires burning 625 357 acres across the state. Two of the largest fires burned parts of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and a study was initiated to address concerns about potential effects on drinking water quality from mobilization of ash and sediment. The study took advantage of a wealth of...
Authors
David Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Sheila F. Murphy, Evan John Gohring
Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S.
Mountain headwater streams actively cycle carbon, receiving it from terrestrial landscapes and exporting it through downstream transport and gas exchange with the atmosphere. Although their importance is now widely recognized, aquatic carbon fluxes in headwater streams remain poorly characterized. In this study, aquatic carbon fluxes were measured in 15 mountain headwater streams and...
Authors
David Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Robert G. Striegl, Colin A. Penn, Graham A. Sexstone, Gabrielle L. Keith
Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Monitoring Study
Snowpacks collect atmospheric deposition throughout the snowfall season and offer a unique opportunity to obtain a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters]. The purpose of the snowpack network is to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow resulting from atmospheric...
Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Map
Since 1993, the CO Water Science Center has been collecting a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters], in an effort to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow. This data is provided here via an interactive map with available data and charts by site.
Science and Products
In-stream and laboratory fDOM data from wildfire affected streams of the western United States, 2021-22
After wildfires occurred in the western United States during 2020, in-stream water quality monitors and automatic samplers were deployed in four burned watersheds and one unburned watershed. In-stream water temperature, turbidity, and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) were measured at high frequency, and the fDOM data were corrected for temperature and turbidity effects...
Continuous water-quality data for selected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 2011 - 19 (ver. 3.0, October 2023)
This data release contains water-quality and discharge data collected at seven stream sites and one groundwater spring in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/2010 to 9/30/2019 using in-situ sensors and field meters. Data were collected for the purpose of quantifying downstream transport of aquatic carbon and exchange fluxes of...
NGWOS Ground Based Discrete Snowpack Measurements
Ground-based discrete snowpack measurements were collected during winter field campaigns starting in 2020. These data were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) Upper Colorado River Basin project focusing on the relation between snow dynamics and water resources. This data release consists of three child items. Each child...
Continuous water-quality data for selected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 2011-19 (ver. 2.0, January 2022)
This data release contains water-quality and discharge data collected at seven stream sites and one groundwater spring in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/2010 to 9/30/2019 using in-situ sensors and field meters. Data were collected for the purpose of quantifying downstream transport of aquatic carbon and exchange fluxes of...
Historical simulated snowpack for the Lake Sherburne, MT watershed and vicinity, water years 1980-2019
Abstract This data release contains historical SnowModel (Liston and Elder, 2006) output for the Lake Sherburne, MT watershed and surrounding area. The two quantities simulated for this release were snow water equivalent depth (swed), the liquid water equivalent depth stored as snow in the simulation domain, and runoff (roff), which includes snowmelt at the snow-soil interface and...
Continuous water-quality data for selected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 2011-19
This data release contains water-quality and discharge data collected in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/2010 through 9/30/2019 using in-situ sensors and field meters. Data were collected for the purpose of quantifying exchange fluxes of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) from streams. Parameters include daily mean dissolved CO₂...
Climatological data for the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 1992-2019
This data release contains hourly means of climatological data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/1991 to 9/30/2019 at three weather stations in the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado. In order of increasing elevation, the three weather stations are Loch Vale meteorological station at RMNP, Colo. (Main weather station, USGS station...
Hysteretic response of suspended-sediment in wildfire affected watersheds of the Pacific Northwest and Southern Rocky Mountains
Wildfires can have a profound impact on hydrosedimentary interactions, or the relationship between sediment and runoff, in forested headwater streams. Quantification of sediment-runoff dynamics at the event scale is integral for understanding source areas and transport of suspended-sediment through a watershed following wildfire. Here we used high-frequency turbidity and stream discharge...
Authors
Gregory D. Clark, Sheila F. Murphy, Katherine Skalak, David Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Kurt D. Carpenter, Sean E. Payne, Brian Ebel
An intercomparison of DOC estimated from fDOM sensors in wildfire affected streams of the western United States
Wildfires in the western United States (US) have been demonstrated to affect water quality, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), in streams. Elevated post-wildfire DOC concentration poses a potential risk to drinking water treatment systems. In-stream measurements of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), a proxy for DOC, have shown potential to detect dynamic changes in DOC...
Authors
Garrett Alexander Akie, David Clow, Sheila F. Murphy, Gregory D. Clark, Michael Meador, Brian Ebel
Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado
In 2020, Colorado experienced the most severe wildfire season in recorded history, with wildfires burning 625 357 acres across the state. Two of the largest fires burned parts of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and a study was initiated to address concerns about potential effects on drinking water quality from mobilization of ash and sediment. The study took advantage of a wealth of...
Authors
David Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Sheila F. Murphy, Evan John Gohring
Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S.
Mountain headwater streams actively cycle carbon, receiving it from terrestrial landscapes and exporting it through downstream transport and gas exchange with the atmosphere. Although their importance is now widely recognized, aquatic carbon fluxes in headwater streams remain poorly characterized. In this study, aquatic carbon fluxes were measured in 15 mountain headwater streams and...
Authors
David Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Robert G. Striegl, Colin A. Penn, Graham A. Sexstone, Gabrielle L. Keith
Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Monitoring Study
Snowpacks collect atmospheric deposition throughout the snowfall season and offer a unique opportunity to obtain a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters]. The purpose of the snowpack network is to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow resulting from atmospheric...
Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Map
Since 1993, the CO Water Science Center has been collecting a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters], in an effort to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow. This data is provided here via an interactive map with available data and charts by site.