Harper Beckers
Harper Beckers is a Computer Scientist with Web Informatics and Mapping (WIM) as part of the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
Professional Experience
2022-present, Computer Scientist, USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center
2020-2022, Hydrologic Technician, USGS Dakota Water Science Center.
2015-2020, Student (admin), USGS Dakota Water Science Center.
Education and Certifications
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science, 2020, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Science and Products
Using machine learning in Minnesota’s StreamStats to predict fluvial sediment
A thorough understanding of fluvial sediment transport is essential for addressing key environmental issues such as aquatic habitat degradation, flooding, excess nutrients, and challenges with river restoration. Fluvial sediment samples are valuable for addressing these concerns, but their collection is often impractical across all rivers and timeframes of interest. In addition...
Authors
Joel T. Groten, J. William Lund, Erin N. Coenen, Andrea S. Medenblik, Harper N. Wavra, Mike Kennedy, Gregory D. Johnson
Changes in streamflow seasonality associated with hydroclimatic variability in the north-central United States among three discrete temporal periods, 1946–2020
Study regionNorth-central United StatesStudy focusThis study uses circular statistics to characterize the seasonal properties of annual maximum (AMS) and peaks-over-threshold (POT) streamflow time series for 841 and 623 selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages, respectively, without regulation or substantial diversion among common 75-, 50-, and 30-year trend periods through...
Authors
Nancy A. Barth, Harper N. Wavra, Anthony R Koebele, Steven K. Sando
Introduction and methods of analysis for peak streamflow trends and their relation to changes in climate in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Flood-frequency analysis, also called peak-flow frequency or flood-flow frequency analysis, is essential to water resources management applications including critical structure design and floodplain mapping. Federal guidelines for doing flood-frequency analyses are presented in a U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods Report known as Bulletin 17C. A basic assumption within...
Authors
Karen R. Ryberg, Thomas M. Over, Sara B. Levin, David C. Heimann, Nancy A. Barth, Mackenzie K. Marti, Padraic S. O'Shea, Chris Sanocki, Tara Williams-Sether, Harper N. Wavra, T. Roy Sando, Steven K. Sando, Milan S. Liu
Estimated daily mean streamflow in Iowa using the Flow-Duration Curve Transfer Method StreamStats application
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates many streamgages throughout the country that provide historical and real-time daily streamflow information. Accurate estimates of daily streamflow and the percentage of time that a certain volume of streamflow occurs or is exceeded in a stream is crucial information for structure design and other activities conducted by federal, state, and local...
Authors
Mackenzie K. Marti, Harper N. Wavra, Andrea S. Medenblik
A National Tool for Graphing and Synthesizing Continuous and Discrete Water-Quality Data
Provide synthesis of water quality data to better understand the Nation’s water resources
Results from investigating changes in streamflow seasonality associated with hydroclimatic variability in the north-central United States among three discrete temporal periods, 1946–2020
This data release contains results of a study investigating changes in streamflow seasonality associated with hydroclimatic variability in the north-central United States, including nine States (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). Peak-flow records from unregulated U.S. Geological Survey streamgages were used to evaluate...
Peak Streamflow Data, Climate Data, and Results from Investigating Hydroclimatic Trends and Climate Change Effects on Peak Streamflow in the Central United States, 1921–2020
Peak-flow frequency analysis is crucial in various water-resources management applications, including floodplain management and critical structure design. Federal guidelines for peak-flow frequency analyses, provided in Bulletin 17C, assume that the statistical properties of the hydrologic processes driving variability in peak flows do not change over time and so the frequency...
GageStats Services
The Gage Statistic (GageStats) Services were developed to provide gage characteristics and streamflow statistics to support the StreamStats application via RESTful principles. The StreamStats application uses GageStats Services to display the gages and related gage pages. These services provide U.S. Geological Survey developed and published gage characteristics such as drainage area or...
StreamStats Channel Width Weighting Services
This software release contains Python functions for weighting multiple non-independent estimates of a variable. Weighting is determined by the standard error of prediction of each estimate and the correlation between the estimation methods. The methodology for weighting estimates from either two or three different methods is described in Chase and others (2020). A function is also...
Science and Products
Using machine learning in Minnesota’s StreamStats to predict fluvial sediment
A thorough understanding of fluvial sediment transport is essential for addressing key environmental issues such as aquatic habitat degradation, flooding, excess nutrients, and challenges with river restoration. Fluvial sediment samples are valuable for addressing these concerns, but their collection is often impractical across all rivers and timeframes of interest. In addition...
Authors
Joel T. Groten, J. William Lund, Erin N. Coenen, Andrea S. Medenblik, Harper N. Wavra, Mike Kennedy, Gregory D. Johnson
Changes in streamflow seasonality associated with hydroclimatic variability in the north-central United States among three discrete temporal periods, 1946–2020
Study regionNorth-central United StatesStudy focusThis study uses circular statistics to characterize the seasonal properties of annual maximum (AMS) and peaks-over-threshold (POT) streamflow time series for 841 and 623 selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages, respectively, without regulation or substantial diversion among common 75-, 50-, and 30-year trend periods through...
Authors
Nancy A. Barth, Harper N. Wavra, Anthony R Koebele, Steven K. Sando
Introduction and methods of analysis for peak streamflow trends and their relation to changes in climate in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Flood-frequency analysis, also called peak-flow frequency or flood-flow frequency analysis, is essential to water resources management applications including critical structure design and floodplain mapping. Federal guidelines for doing flood-frequency analyses are presented in a U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods Report known as Bulletin 17C. A basic assumption within...
Authors
Karen R. Ryberg, Thomas M. Over, Sara B. Levin, David C. Heimann, Nancy A. Barth, Mackenzie K. Marti, Padraic S. O'Shea, Chris Sanocki, Tara Williams-Sether, Harper N. Wavra, T. Roy Sando, Steven K. Sando, Milan S. Liu
Estimated daily mean streamflow in Iowa using the Flow-Duration Curve Transfer Method StreamStats application
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates many streamgages throughout the country that provide historical and real-time daily streamflow information. Accurate estimates of daily streamflow and the percentage of time that a certain volume of streamflow occurs or is exceeded in a stream is crucial information for structure design and other activities conducted by federal, state, and local...
Authors
Mackenzie K. Marti, Harper N. Wavra, Andrea S. Medenblik
A National Tool for Graphing and Synthesizing Continuous and Discrete Water-Quality Data
Provide synthesis of water quality data to better understand the Nation’s water resources
Results from investigating changes in streamflow seasonality associated with hydroclimatic variability in the north-central United States among three discrete temporal periods, 1946–2020
This data release contains results of a study investigating changes in streamflow seasonality associated with hydroclimatic variability in the north-central United States, including nine States (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). Peak-flow records from unregulated U.S. Geological Survey streamgages were used to evaluate...
Peak Streamflow Data, Climate Data, and Results from Investigating Hydroclimatic Trends and Climate Change Effects on Peak Streamflow in the Central United States, 1921–2020
Peak-flow frequency analysis is crucial in various water-resources management applications, including floodplain management and critical structure design. Federal guidelines for peak-flow frequency analyses, provided in Bulletin 17C, assume that the statistical properties of the hydrologic processes driving variability in peak flows do not change over time and so the frequency...
GageStats Services
The Gage Statistic (GageStats) Services were developed to provide gage characteristics and streamflow statistics to support the StreamStats application via RESTful principles. The StreamStats application uses GageStats Services to display the gages and related gage pages. These services provide U.S. Geological Survey developed and published gage characteristics such as drainage area or...
StreamStats Channel Width Weighting Services
This software release contains Python functions for weighting multiple non-independent estimates of a variable. Weighting is determined by the standard error of prediction of each estimate and the correlation between the estimation methods. The methodology for weighting estimates from either two or three different methods is described in Chase and others (2020). A function is also...