Lead technician in the Hydrologic Studies section focused on developing remote sensing capabilities within the Washington Water Science Center.
Research Interests:
My research focuses on the use of advanced sensing platforms to remotely collect data and model hydrologic processes. Recent emphasis has been on pairing novel data collection techniques with large, traditionally derived data sets in a meaningful way.
Professional Experience
Post-flood surveying, indirect discharge measurement, St. Vrain, CO
Scientific response, real-time sediment loading, SR530 Landslide, Oso, WA
Scientific response, disaster damage surveys and map production, 2018 Kilauea eruption, Hilo, HI
Aviation Safety Officer
Education and Certifications
BS Environmental Science 2007
Certificate Department of Interior Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot 2017
Certificate Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Commercial Drone Operator 2017
Certificate UAS Remote Data Processing 2019
Honors and Awards
Secretary of the Interior Award for Outstanding Contribution to Aviation Safety (UAS)
USGS Director’s Award for Exemplary Service to the Nation
DOI Office of Aviation Services Safety Award (helicopter)
Science and Products
Suspended-Sediment Data for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500), Washington, June 2018 through September 2022
This data release summarizes discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements and continuous estimates of SSC for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500) for the period between June 01, 2018 and September 30, 2022. Continuous estimates of SSC were derived primarily through calibrated turbidity records. These data were collected to support a better understanding of how water quality i
Daily Nooksack River Basin Nutrient Loading Estimates from 2018 to 2021
The Nooksack River watershed comprises the majority of the Water Resources Inventory Area 1 (WRIA 1) located in Whatcom County in Washington State. From its headwaters in the northwestern Cascade Mountains, the Nooksack River drains approximately 809 square miles, comprising most of western Whatcom County, including agricultural areas and the developed lowlands surrounding the towns of Deming, Eve
Water quality and seepage estimates collected at Lake Spokane, WA, 2016-2019
Shallow nearshore groundwater chemistry and estimates of groundwater seepage were collected across 21 locations along Lake Spokane, WA, beginning in October 2016 and ending in October 2019. Groundwater chemistry was collected using temporary mini-piezometers and seepage rates from Lee-type seepage meters. Sample locations are divided into two distinct types: Core sites, where seepage data and grou
Filter Total Items: 14
Nitrogen and phosphorus loads from groundwater to Lake Spokane, Spokane, Washington, October 2016–October 2019
Shallow nearshore groundwater and estimates of groundwater seepage were collected at 21 locations along the north and south shores of Lake Spokane beginning in October 2016 and ending in October 2019. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in nearshore groundwater ranged from <0.04 to 7.60 milligrams of nitrogen per liter. Nearshore groundwater orthophosphate concentrations ranged from <0.004 to 0.38
Authors
Richard W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman
Preliminary assessment of shallow groundwater chemistry near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washington
Goodell Creek is located within North Cascades National Park and is high-quality habitat for Chinook salmon, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The creation of a levee near the mouth of the creek where it enters the Skagit River has cut off the historical flood plain from the active channel. There is an effort to remove the levee along the left bank of the creek to re
Authors
Rich W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman
Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The Green-Duwamish River transports watershed-derived sediment to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site near Seattle, Washington. Understanding the amount of sediment transported by the river is essential to the bed sediment cleanup process. Turbidity, discharge, suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and particle-size data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from February 20
Authors
Craig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman Peterson, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. Foreman
Geomorphic response of the North Fork Stillaguamish River to the State Route 530 landslide near Oso, Washington
On March 22, 2014, the State Route 530 Landslide near Oso, Washington mobilized 8 million cubic meters of unconsolidated Pleistocene material, creating a valley‑spanning deposit that fully impounded the North Fork Stillaguamish River. The river overtopped the 8-meter high debris impoundment within 25 hours and began steadily incising a new channel through the center of the deposit. Repeat topograp
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, Mackenzie K. Keith, Christopher S. Magirl, J. Rose Wallick, Mark C. Mastin, James R. Foreman
Continuous-flow centrifugation to collect suspended sediment for chemical analysis
Recent advances in suspended-sediment monitoring tools and surrogate technologies have greatly improved the ability to quantify suspended-sediment concentrations and to estimate daily, seasonal, and annual suspended-sediment fluxes from rivers to coastal waters. However, little is known about the chemical composition of suspended sediment, and how it may vary spatially between water bodies and tem
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Richard S. Dinicola, Robert W. Black, Stephen E. Cox, Richard W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman, Craig A. Senter, Norman T. Peterson
Suspended sediment delivery to Puget Sound from the lower Nisqually River, western Washington, July 2010–November 2011
On average, the Nisqually River delivers about 100,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) of suspended sediment to Puget Sound, western Washington, a small proportion of the estimated 1,200,000 metric tons (t) of sediment reported to flow in the upper Nisqually River that drains the glaciated, recurrently active Mount Rainier stratovolcano. Most of the upper Nisqually River sediment load is trapped in Al
Authors
Christopher A. Curran, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher S. Magirl, James R. Foreman
Chemical concentrations and instantaneous loads, Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–15
In November 2013, U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging equipment was installed at a historical water-quality station on the Duwamish River, Washington, within the tidal influence at river kilometer 16.7 (U.S. Geological Survey site 12113390; Duwamish River at Golf Course at Tukwila, WA). Publicly available, real-time continuous data includes river streamflow, stream velocity, and turbidity. Between
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. Foreman, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Stephen K. Sissel
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: fluvial sediment load
The Elwha River restoration project, in Washington State, includes the largest dam-removal project in United States history to date. Starting September 2011, two nearly century-old dams that collectively contained 21 ± 3 million m3 of sediment were removed over the course of three years with a top-down deconstruction strategy designed to meter the release of a portion of the dam-trapped sediment.
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Robert C. Hilldale, Christopher A. Curran, Jeffrey J. Duda, Timothy D. Straub, Marian M. Domanski, James R. Foreman
Transport and deposition of asbestos-rich sediment in the Sumas River, Whatcom County, Washington
Heavy sediment loads in the Sumas River of Whatcom County, Washington, increase seasonal turbidity and cause locally acute sedimentation. Most sediment in the Sumas River is derived from a deep-seated landslide of serpentinite that is located on Sumas Mountain and drained by Swift Creek, a tributary to the Sumas River. This mafic sediment contains high amounts of naturally occurring asbestiform ch
Authors
Christopher A. Curran, Scott W. Anderson, Jack E. Barbash, Christopher S. Magirl, Stephen E. Cox, Katherine K. Norton, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Andrew R. Spanjer, James R. Foreman
Water and nutrient budgets for Vancouver Lake, Vancouver, Washington, October 2010-October 2012
Vancouver Lake, a large shallow lake in Clark County, near Vancouver, Washington, has been undergoing water-quality problems for decades. Recently, the biggest concern for the lake are the almost annual harmful cyanobacteria blooms that cause the lake to close for recreation for several weeks each summer. Despite decades of interest in improving the water quality of the lake, fundamental informati
Authors
Rich W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman, Cameron A. Marshall, Wendy B. Welch
Discharge, water temperature, and selected meteorological data for Vancouver Lake, Vancouver, Washington, water years 2011-13
The U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership in a 2-year intensive study to quantify the movement of water and nutrients through Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Washington. This report is intended to assist the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership in evaluating potential courses of action to mitigate seasonally driven blooms of harmful cyanobacteria and to improv
Authors
James R. Foreman, Cameron A. Marshall, Rich W. Sheibley
Nitrogen deposition effects on diatom communities in lakes from three National Parks in Washington State
The goal of this study was to document if lakes in National Parks in Washington have exceeded critical levels of nitrogen (N) deposition, as observed in other Western States. We measured atmospheric N deposition, lake water quality, and sediment diatoms at our study lakes. Water chemistry showed that our study lakes were ultra-oligotrophic with ammonia and nitrate concentrations often at or below
Authors
Richard W. Sheibley, Mihaela Enache, Peter W. Swarzenski, Patrick W. Moran, James R. Foreman
Science and Products
- Data
Suspended-Sediment Data for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500), Washington, June 2018 through September 2022
This data release summarizes discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements and continuous estimates of SSC for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500) for the period between June 01, 2018 and September 30, 2022. Continuous estimates of SSC were derived primarily through calibrated turbidity records. These data were collected to support a better understanding of how water quality iDaily Nooksack River Basin Nutrient Loading Estimates from 2018 to 2021
The Nooksack River watershed comprises the majority of the Water Resources Inventory Area 1 (WRIA 1) located in Whatcom County in Washington State. From its headwaters in the northwestern Cascade Mountains, the Nooksack River drains approximately 809 square miles, comprising most of western Whatcom County, including agricultural areas and the developed lowlands surrounding the towns of Deming, EveWater quality and seepage estimates collected at Lake Spokane, WA, 2016-2019
Shallow nearshore groundwater chemistry and estimates of groundwater seepage were collected across 21 locations along Lake Spokane, WA, beginning in October 2016 and ending in October 2019. Groundwater chemistry was collected using temporary mini-piezometers and seepage rates from Lee-type seepage meters. Sample locations are divided into two distinct types: Core sites, where seepage data and grou - Publications
Filter Total Items: 14
Nitrogen and phosphorus loads from groundwater to Lake Spokane, Spokane, Washington, October 2016–October 2019
Shallow nearshore groundwater and estimates of groundwater seepage were collected at 21 locations along the north and south shores of Lake Spokane beginning in October 2016 and ending in October 2019. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in nearshore groundwater ranged from <0.04 to 7.60 milligrams of nitrogen per liter. Nearshore groundwater orthophosphate concentrations ranged from <0.004 to 0.38AuthorsRichard W. Sheibley, James R. ForemanPreliminary assessment of shallow groundwater chemistry near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washington
Goodell Creek is located within North Cascades National Park and is high-quality habitat for Chinook salmon, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The creation of a levee near the mouth of the creek where it enters the Skagit River has cut off the historical flood plain from the active channel. There is an effort to remove the levee along the left bank of the creek to reAuthorsRich W. Sheibley, James R. ForemanSuspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The Green-Duwamish River transports watershed-derived sediment to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site near Seattle, Washington. Understanding the amount of sediment transported by the river is essential to the bed sediment cleanup process. Turbidity, discharge, suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and particle-size data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from February 20AuthorsCraig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman Peterson, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. ForemanGeomorphic response of the North Fork Stillaguamish River to the State Route 530 landslide near Oso, Washington
On March 22, 2014, the State Route 530 Landslide near Oso, Washington mobilized 8 million cubic meters of unconsolidated Pleistocene material, creating a valley‑spanning deposit that fully impounded the North Fork Stillaguamish River. The river overtopped the 8-meter high debris impoundment within 25 hours and began steadily incising a new channel through the center of the deposit. Repeat topograpAuthorsScott W. Anderson, Mackenzie K. Keith, Christopher S. Magirl, J. Rose Wallick, Mark C. Mastin, James R. ForemanContinuous-flow centrifugation to collect suspended sediment for chemical analysis
Recent advances in suspended-sediment monitoring tools and surrogate technologies have greatly improved the ability to quantify suspended-sediment concentrations and to estimate daily, seasonal, and annual suspended-sediment fluxes from rivers to coastal waters. However, little is known about the chemical composition of suspended sediment, and how it may vary spatially between water bodies and temAuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Richard S. Dinicola, Robert W. Black, Stephen E. Cox, Richard W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman, Craig A. Senter, Norman T. PetersonSuspended sediment delivery to Puget Sound from the lower Nisqually River, western Washington, July 2010–November 2011
On average, the Nisqually River delivers about 100,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) of suspended sediment to Puget Sound, western Washington, a small proportion of the estimated 1,200,000 metric tons (t) of sediment reported to flow in the upper Nisqually River that drains the glaciated, recurrently active Mount Rainier stratovolcano. Most of the upper Nisqually River sediment load is trapped in AlAuthorsChristopher A. Curran, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher S. Magirl, James R. ForemanChemical concentrations and instantaneous loads, Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–15
In November 2013, U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging equipment was installed at a historical water-quality station on the Duwamish River, Washington, within the tidal influence at river kilometer 16.7 (U.S. Geological Survey site 12113390; Duwamish River at Golf Course at Tukwila, WA). Publicly available, real-time continuous data includes river streamflow, stream velocity, and turbidity. BetweenAuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. Foreman, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Stephen K. SisselLarge-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: fluvial sediment load
The Elwha River restoration project, in Washington State, includes the largest dam-removal project in United States history to date. Starting September 2011, two nearly century-old dams that collectively contained 21 ± 3 million m3 of sediment were removed over the course of three years with a top-down deconstruction strategy designed to meter the release of a portion of the dam-trapped sediment.AuthorsChristopher S. Magirl, Robert C. Hilldale, Christopher A. Curran, Jeffrey J. Duda, Timothy D. Straub, Marian M. Domanski, James R. ForemanTransport and deposition of asbestos-rich sediment in the Sumas River, Whatcom County, Washington
Heavy sediment loads in the Sumas River of Whatcom County, Washington, increase seasonal turbidity and cause locally acute sedimentation. Most sediment in the Sumas River is derived from a deep-seated landslide of serpentinite that is located on Sumas Mountain and drained by Swift Creek, a tributary to the Sumas River. This mafic sediment contains high amounts of naturally occurring asbestiform chAuthorsChristopher A. Curran, Scott W. Anderson, Jack E. Barbash, Christopher S. Magirl, Stephen E. Cox, Katherine K. Norton, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Andrew R. Spanjer, James R. ForemanWater and nutrient budgets for Vancouver Lake, Vancouver, Washington, October 2010-October 2012
Vancouver Lake, a large shallow lake in Clark County, near Vancouver, Washington, has been undergoing water-quality problems for decades. Recently, the biggest concern for the lake are the almost annual harmful cyanobacteria blooms that cause the lake to close for recreation for several weeks each summer. Despite decades of interest in improving the water quality of the lake, fundamental informatiAuthorsRich W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman, Cameron A. Marshall, Wendy B. WelchDischarge, water temperature, and selected meteorological data for Vancouver Lake, Vancouver, Washington, water years 2011-13
The U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership in a 2-year intensive study to quantify the movement of water and nutrients through Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Washington. This report is intended to assist the Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership in evaluating potential courses of action to mitigate seasonally driven blooms of harmful cyanobacteria and to improvAuthorsJames R. Foreman, Cameron A. Marshall, Rich W. SheibleyNitrogen deposition effects on diatom communities in lakes from three National Parks in Washington State
The goal of this study was to document if lakes in National Parks in Washington have exceeded critical levels of nitrogen (N) deposition, as observed in other Western States. We measured atmospheric N deposition, lake water quality, and sediment diatoms at our study lakes. Water chemistry showed that our study lakes were ultra-oligotrophic with ammonia and nitrate concentrations often at or belowAuthorsRichard W. Sheibley, Mihaela Enache, Peter W. Swarzenski, Patrick W. Moran, James R. Foreman