James J Duncker
James J Duncker is a hydrologist with USGS, Central Midwest Water Science Center in Urbana, Illinois.
James has been with the USGS since 1983, starting his USGS career as a student field assistant in the USGS DeKalb Field Office collecting streamflow and groundwater data throughout northern Illinois. In 1988, he transferred to the USGS Illinois District Office in Urbana as a hydrologist working on a wide range of urban hydrology studies. These projects allowed him to combine streamflow data collection experience with hydrologic studies to develop an understanding of urban hydrology in northeastern Illinois.
Some of his projects included: the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA) program, monitoring the diversion of Lake Michigan water to the Illinois River Basin. The LMDA project provided learning experience in hydroacoustic flow measurements using acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP's). The LMDA project helped define the complex hydraulic setting of the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) and contributed to the application of hydroacoustic flow measurement technologies within the USGS. For much of his career he worked jointly with the University of Illinois Department of Civil Engineering-Hydro systems Laboratory and the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD). These projects have focused on urban hydraulics and hydrology throughout the Chicago area; and utilized our experience in hydroacoustic data collection to the challenging canal, sewer, and tunnel environments and provided data for calibration of hydraulic models. This partnership (U. of Illinois, MWRD and USGS) work continues today with studies to evaluate the effectiveness of urban stormwater best management practices.
In 2008, James began working on a large multi-agency effort to prevent invasive Asian carp from becoming established in the Great Lakes. This project is an interesting multi-disciplinary collaboration of biologists, hydrologists, and engineers to study the life history of these invasive species and to develop, test, and implement effective control technologies.
Professional Experience
1983-Present USGS, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Urbana, Illinois
Project Chief of HSPF rainfall-runoff modeling studies in Du Page and Lake counties
Project team member of a joint USEPA-USGS HSPF watershed modeling study for the proposed Crandon Mine project
Project chief for the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting project
Project chief of bathymetric survey of Chicago River
Instrumentation coordinator for the USGS-Illinois Water Science Center
Education and Certifications
BS Geology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 1982
Abstracts and Presentations
Oberg , K. A., and Duncker, J. J., 1999, Investigation of Anomalous Flows in the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois. Seattle, WA, in Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers Conference of Water Resources Engineering, August 8-12, 1999
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Velocity profiling in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near the US Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier near Romeoville, Illinois
On August 31, 2015, USGS Illinois Water Science Center staff deployed a 2000 kHz side-looking acoustic Doppler velocity meter (ADVM) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) at the Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS). These data were collected as a fully loaded commercial barge tow traversed the EDBS and passed the ADVM three times, and as several smaller vessels and an unloaded barge to
Filter Total Items: 30
Water-quality sampling plan for evaluating the distribution of bigheaded carps in the Illinois Waterway
The two nonnative invasive bigheaded carp species (bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp H. molitrix) that were accidentally released in the 1970s have spread widely into the rivers and waterways of the Mississippi River Basin. First detected in the lower reaches of the Illinois Waterway (IWW, the combined Illinois River-Des Plaines River-Chicago Area Waterway System) in the 1990
Authors
James J. Duncker, Paul J. Terrio
Hydrologic monitoring for Chicago’s Sustainable Streetscapes Program
The Chicago Department of Transportation’s Sustainable Streetscapes Program is an innovative program that strives to convert Chicago’s neighborhood commercial areas, riverwalks, and bicycle facilities into active, attractive places for Chicagoans to live, work, and play. The objective of each project is to create flourishing public places while improving the ability of infrastructure to support de
Authors
James J. Duncker, William S. Morrow
Simulation of hypothetical Asian carp egg and larvae development and transport in the Lockport, Brandon Road, Dresden Island, and Marseilles Pools of the Illinois Waterway by use of the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) model
As part of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting an assessment of the vulnerability of the Chicago Area Waterway System and Des Plaines River to Asian carp (specifically, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp) and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp)) spawning and recruitment. As part of this assessment, the USACE req
Authors
Elizabeth A. Murphy, Tatiana Garcia, P. Ryan Jackson, James J. Duncker
Hydrology of and Current Monitoring Issues for the Chicago Area Waterway System, Northeastern Illinois
The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) consists of a combination of natural and manmade channels that form an interconnected navigable waterway of approximately 90-plus miles in the metropolitan Chicago area of northeastern Illinois. The CAWS serves the area as the primary drainage feature, a waterway transportation corridor, and recreational waterbody. The CAWS was constructed by the Metropolita
Authors
James J. Duncker, Kevin K. Johnson
Evaluation of a mass-balance approach to determine consumptive water use in northeastern Illinois
A principal component of evaluating and managing water use is consumptive use. This is the portion of water withdrawn for a particular use, such as residential, which is evaporated, transpired, incorporated into products or crops, consumed by humans or livestock, or otherwise removed from the immediate water environment. The amount of consumptive use may be estimated by a water (mass)-balance appr
Authors
P.C. Mills, James J. Duncker, Thomas M. Over, Marian Domanski, Frank L. Engel
Evaluation of the potential for hysteresis in index-velocity ratings for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Lemont, Illinois, as a part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting is mandated by a U.S. Supreme Court decree in order to monitor, and limit, the State of Illinois’ annual diver
Authors
P. Ryan Jackson, Sumit Sinha, Som Dutta, Kevin K. Johnson, James J. Duncker, Marcelo H. Garcia
Control-structure ratings on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lockport, Illinois
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago regulate flows through control structures along the Lake Michigan lakefront and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) for Lake Michigan diversion accounting, flood control, sanitary, and navigation purposes. This report documents the measurement and computation of flow through the Lockport Cont
Authors
Timothy D. Straub, Kevin K. Johnson, Jon Hortness, James J. Duncker
Comparison of index velocity measurements made with a horizontal acoustic Doppler current profiler
The State of Illinois' annual withdrawal from Lake Michigan is limited by a U.S. Supreme Court decree, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Lemont, Illinois as a part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Every 5 years, a technical review commi
Authors
P. Ryan Jackson, Kevin K. Johnson, James J. Duncker
The role of the U.S. Geological Survey in Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting in Illinois, 1984-2010
The State of Illinois' annual withdrawl from Lake Michigan is limited by a U.S. Supreme Court decree. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago area waterway system (CAWS) as part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA) overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Every five years, the USGS streamgage practices in the CAWS are
Authors
Kevin K. Johnson, James J. Duncker, P. Ryan Jackson
Computation and error analysis of discharge for the Lake Michigan Diversion Project in Illinois: 1997-99 water years
Acoustic velocity meters (AVM's) and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP's) were used to measure streamflow at four streamflow-gaging stations in the Chicago River system. The streamflow data were used to compute discharge and to determine the uncertainty in the computed annual mean discharge at each station for the Lake Michigan Diversion Project in Illinois. Descriptions of the instrumentat
Authors
James J. Duncker, Thomas M. Over, Juan A. Gonzalez
Effect of temporal resolution on the accuracy of ADCP measurements
The application of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP's) in river flow measurements is promoting a great deal of progress in hydrometry. ADCP's not only require shorter times to collect data than traditional current meters, but also allow streamflow measurements at sites where the use of conventional meters is either very expensive, unsafe, or simply not possible. Moreover, ADCP's seem to of
Authors
J. A. Gonzalez-Castro, K. Oberg, James J. Duncker
Comparison of estimates of uncertainty of discharge at US geological survey index-velocity gages on the Chicago sanitary and ship canal, Illinois
Estimates of uncertainty of discharge at time scales from 5 minutes to 1 year were obtained for two index-velocity gages on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC), Ill., instrumented with acoustic velocity meters (AVMs). The velocity measurements obtained from the AVMs are corrected to a mean channel velocity by use of an index velocity rating (IVR). The IVR is a regression-derived relation be
Authors
T.M. Over, James J. Duncker, J. A. Gonzalez-Castro
Science and Products
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- Data
Filter Total Items: 13
Velocity profiling in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near the US Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier near Romeoville, Illinois
On August 31, 2015, USGS Illinois Water Science Center staff deployed a 2000 kHz side-looking acoustic Doppler velocity meter (ADVM) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) at the Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS). These data were collected as a fully loaded commercial barge tow traversed the EDBS and passed the ADVM three times, and as several smaller vessels and an unloaded barge to - Maps
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Filter Total Items: 30
Water-quality sampling plan for evaluating the distribution of bigheaded carps in the Illinois Waterway
The two nonnative invasive bigheaded carp species (bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp H. molitrix) that were accidentally released in the 1970s have spread widely into the rivers and waterways of the Mississippi River Basin. First detected in the lower reaches of the Illinois Waterway (IWW, the combined Illinois River-Des Plaines River-Chicago Area Waterway System) in the 1990AuthorsJames J. Duncker, Paul J. TerrioHydrologic monitoring for Chicago’s Sustainable Streetscapes Program
The Chicago Department of Transportation’s Sustainable Streetscapes Program is an innovative program that strives to convert Chicago’s neighborhood commercial areas, riverwalks, and bicycle facilities into active, attractive places for Chicagoans to live, work, and play. The objective of each project is to create flourishing public places while improving the ability of infrastructure to support deAuthorsJames J. Duncker, William S. MorrowSimulation of hypothetical Asian carp egg and larvae development and transport in the Lockport, Brandon Road, Dresden Island, and Marseilles Pools of the Illinois Waterway by use of the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) model
As part of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting an assessment of the vulnerability of the Chicago Area Waterway System and Des Plaines River to Asian carp (specifically, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp) and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp)) spawning and recruitment. As part of this assessment, the USACE reqAuthorsElizabeth A. Murphy, Tatiana Garcia, P. Ryan Jackson, James J. DunckerHydrology of and Current Monitoring Issues for the Chicago Area Waterway System, Northeastern Illinois
The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) consists of a combination of natural and manmade channels that form an interconnected navigable waterway of approximately 90-plus miles in the metropolitan Chicago area of northeastern Illinois. The CAWS serves the area as the primary drainage feature, a waterway transportation corridor, and recreational waterbody. The CAWS was constructed by the MetropolitaAuthorsJames J. Duncker, Kevin K. JohnsonEvaluation of a mass-balance approach to determine consumptive water use in northeastern Illinois
A principal component of evaluating and managing water use is consumptive use. This is the portion of water withdrawn for a particular use, such as residential, which is evaporated, transpired, incorporated into products or crops, consumed by humans or livestock, or otherwise removed from the immediate water environment. The amount of consumptive use may be estimated by a water (mass)-balance apprAuthorsP.C. Mills, James J. Duncker, Thomas M. Over, Marian Domanski, Frank L. EngelEvaluation of the potential for hysteresis in index-velocity ratings for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Lemont, Illinois, as a part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting is mandated by a U.S. Supreme Court decree in order to monitor, and limit, the State of Illinois’ annual diverAuthorsP. Ryan Jackson, Sumit Sinha, Som Dutta, Kevin K. Johnson, James J. Duncker, Marcelo H. GarciaControl-structure ratings on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lockport, Illinois
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago regulate flows through control structures along the Lake Michigan lakefront and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) for Lake Michigan diversion accounting, flood control, sanitary, and navigation purposes. This report documents the measurement and computation of flow through the Lockport ContAuthorsTimothy D. Straub, Kevin K. Johnson, Jon Hortness, James J. DunckerComparison of index velocity measurements made with a horizontal acoustic Doppler current profiler
The State of Illinois' annual withdrawal from Lake Michigan is limited by a U.S. Supreme Court decree, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Lemont, Illinois as a part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Every 5 years, a technical review commiAuthorsP. Ryan Jackson, Kevin K. Johnson, James J. DunckerThe role of the U.S. Geological Survey in Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting in Illinois, 1984-2010
The State of Illinois' annual withdrawl from Lake Michigan is limited by a U.S. Supreme Court decree. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago area waterway system (CAWS) as part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA) overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Every five years, the USGS streamgage practices in the CAWS areAuthorsKevin K. Johnson, James J. Duncker, P. Ryan JacksonComputation and error analysis of discharge for the Lake Michigan Diversion Project in Illinois: 1997-99 water years
Acoustic velocity meters (AVM's) and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP's) were used to measure streamflow at four streamflow-gaging stations in the Chicago River system. The streamflow data were used to compute discharge and to determine the uncertainty in the computed annual mean discharge at each station for the Lake Michigan Diversion Project in Illinois. Descriptions of the instrumentatAuthorsJames J. Duncker, Thomas M. Over, Juan A. GonzalezEffect of temporal resolution on the accuracy of ADCP measurements
The application of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP's) in river flow measurements is promoting a great deal of progress in hydrometry. ADCP's not only require shorter times to collect data than traditional current meters, but also allow streamflow measurements at sites where the use of conventional meters is either very expensive, unsafe, or simply not possible. Moreover, ADCP's seem to ofAuthorsJ. A. Gonzalez-Castro, K. Oberg, James J. DunckerComparison of estimates of uncertainty of discharge at US geological survey index-velocity gages on the Chicago sanitary and ship canal, Illinois
Estimates of uncertainty of discharge at time scales from 5 minutes to 1 year were obtained for two index-velocity gages on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC), Ill., instrumented with acoustic velocity meters (AVMs). The velocity measurements obtained from the AVMs are corrected to a mean channel velocity by use of an index velocity rating (IVR). The IVR is a regression-derived relation beAuthorsT.M. Over, James J. Duncker, J. A. Gonzalez-Castro