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Jason C Fisher

Jason Fisher is lead modeler at the USGS Idaho Water Science Center's Idaho National Laboratory Project Office.

Jason's research experience includes groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling, optimization of long-term monitoring networks, multilevel groundwater monitoring, and analysis of water-quality characteristics and trends. Recently he has been focusing on reproducible model building.

Professional Experience

  • Lead Programmer, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) AQUARIUS Samples Integration Project (ASIP) Python and R Tools (PyRT) Team, October 2020 - Present

  • Hydrologist, USGS Idaho Water Science Center, Idaho National Laboratory Project Office (INLPO), October 2008 - Present

  • Research Engineer, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS), January - October 2008

  • Project Scientist, University of California, Merced (UCM), January 2007 - January 2008

  • Contractor, American Institute of Biological Sciences, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) group. January 2005 - October 2008

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Engineering, UCM, January 2004 - January 2008

  • Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, January 2002 - January 2004

  • Teaching Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, January 2001 - January 2002

  • Computer Programmer, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redwood Sciences Laboratory (RSL), January 2000 - January 2002

  • Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, RSL, January 1997 - January 2000

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, 2005, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Hydrology and Water Resources Program

  • M.S., Civil Engineering, 2003, UCLA

  • M.S., Environmental Systems, 2000, Humboldt State University

  • B.S., Environmental Resources Engineering, 1998, Humboldt State University, water resources emphasis

  • Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, RSL, January 1997 - January 2000

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Science and Products

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Depiction of the 3D aquifer model - Idaho National Laboratory

Groundwater Flow Modeling - Idaho National Laboratory

Numerical models are being used to better understand the flow of groundwater and the transport of radiochemical and chemical constituents in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system.The models, developed at the INL, afford scientists a framework to organize their knowledge and concepts of groundwater systems and to provide insights for water-resource managers for future water demands and...
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Idaho Water Science Center
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Groundwater Flow Modeling - Idaho National Laboratory

Numerical models are being used to better understand the flow of groundwater and the transport of radiochemical and chemical constituents in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system.The models, developed at the INL, afford scientists a framework to organize their knowledge and concepts of groundwater systems and to provide insights for water-resource managers for future water demands and...
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Filter Total Items: 16

Optimization of the Idaho National Laboratory water-quality aquifer monitoring network, southeastern Idaho

Long-term monitoring of water-quality data collected from wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has provided essential information for delineating the movement of radiochemical and chemical wastes in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, southeastern Idaho. Since 1949, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, has maintained as many as 200 wells in the
Authors
Jason C. Fisher, Roy C. Bartholomay, Gordon W. Rattray, Neil V. Maimer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head, water temperature, and chemical constituents in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2014–18

Radiochemical and chemical wastewater discharged to infiltration ponds and disposal wells since the early 1950s at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), southeastern Idaho, has affected the water quality of the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer. In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, added a multilevel well-monitoring network to their o
Authors
Brian V. Twining, Roy C. Bartholomay, Jason C. Fisher, Calvin Anderson
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

colorspace: A toolbox for manipulating and assessing colors and palettes

The R package colorspace provides a flexible toolbox for selecting individual colors or color palettes, manipulating these colors, and employing them in statistical graphics and data visualizations. In particular, the package provides a broad range of color palettes based on the HCL (hue-chroma-luminance) color space. The three HCL dimensions have been shown to match those of the human visual syst
Authors
Achim Zeileis, Jason C. Fisher, Kurt Hornik, Ross Ihaka, Claire D. McWhite, Paul Murrell, Reto Stauffer, Claus O. Wilke
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and perched groundwater zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, emphasis 2016–18

Since 1952, wastewater discharged to infiltration ponds (also called percolation ponds) and disposal wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has affected water quality in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer and perched groundwater zones underlying the INL. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains groundwater-monitoring networks a
Authors
Roy C. Bartholomay, Neil V. Maimer, Gordon W. Rattray, Jason C. Fisher
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and perched groundwater zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, emphasis 2012-15

Since 1952, wastewater discharged to in ltration ponds (also called percolation ponds) and disposal wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has affected water quality in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer and perched groundwater zones underlying the INL. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains groundwater-monitoring networks at
Authors
Roy C. Bartholomay, Neil V. Maimer, Gordon W. Rattray, Jason C. Fisher
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Groundwater-flow model for the Wood River Valley aquifer system, south-central Idaho

A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow was developed for the Wood River Valley (WRV) aquifer system, Idaho, to evaluate groundwater and surface-water availability at the regional scale. This mountain valley is located in Blaine County and has a drainage area of about 2,300 square kilometers (888 square miles). The model described in this report can serve as a tool for water-rights
Authors
Jason C. Fisher, James R. Bartolino, Allan H. Wylie, Jennifer Sukow, Michael McVay
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head and temperature in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2011-13

From 2011 to 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Project Office, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected depth-discrete measurements of fluid pressure and temperature in 11 boreholes located in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Each borehole was instrumented with a multilevel monitoring system (MLMS) consisting of a series of valved measurem
Authors
Brian V. Twining, Jason C. Fisher
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Water-quality characteristics and trends for selected wells possibly influenced by wastewater disposal at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 1981-2012

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, analyzed water-quality data collected from 64 aquifer wells and 35 perched groundwater wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from 1981 through 2012. The wells selected for the study were wells that possibly were affected by wastewater disposal at the INL. The data analyzed included tritium, strontium-90, major ca
Authors
Linda C. Davis, Roy C. Bartholomay, Jason C. Fisher, Neil V. Maimer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Optimization of water-level monitoring networks in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer using a kriging-based genetic algorithm method

Long-term groundwater monitoring networks can provide essential information for the planning and management of water resources. Budget constraints in water resource management agencies often mean a reduction in the number of observation wells included in a monitoring network. A network design tool, distributed as an R package, was developed to determine which wells to exclude from a monitoring net
Authors
Jason C. Fisher
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head and temperature in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2009–10

During 2009 and 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Idaho National Laboratory Project Office, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected quarterly, depth-discrete measurements of fluid pressure and temperature in nine boreholes located in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Each borehole was instrumented with a multilevel monitoring system consisting of a series of valved measu
Authors
Brian V. Twining, Jason C. Fisher
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Water-quality characteristics and trends for selected sites at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 1949-2009

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, analyzed water-quality data collected from 67 aquifer wells and 7 surface-water sites at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from 1949 through 2009. The data analyzed included major cations, anions, nutrients, trace elements, and total organic carbon. The analyses were performed to examine water-quality trends that migh
Authors
Roy C. Bartholomay, Linda C. Davis, Jason C. Fisher, Betty J. Tucker, Flint A. Raben
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

A comparison of U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional model estimates of groundwater source areas and velocities to independently derived estimates, Idaho National Laboratory and vicinity, Idaho

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, evaluated a three-dimensional model of groundwater flow in the fractured basalts and interbedded sediments of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Laboratory to determine if model-derived estimates of groundwater movement are consistent with (1) results from previous studies on wat
Authors
Jason C. Fisher, Joseph P. Rousseau, Roy C. Bartholomay, Gordon W. Rattray
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Rundel, P. W., Graham, E. A., Allen, M. F., Fisher, J. C. and Harmon, T. C. (2009), Environmental sensor networks in ecological research. New Phytologist, 182: 589–607. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02811.x
Singh, M., Batalin, M., Chen, V., Stealey, M., Jordan, B., Fisher, J.C., Harmon, T.C., Hansen, M.H., and Kaiser, W.J., 2006, Autonomous robotic sensing experiments at San Joaquin River: International Conference on Robotics and Automation (43% acceptance rate), 8 p.
Goldman, J., Ramanathan, N., Ambrose, R., Caron, D.A., Estrin, D., Fisher, J.C., Gilbert, R., Hansen, M.H., Harmon, T.C., Jay, J., Kaiser, W.J., Sukhatme, G.S., and Tai, Y.-C., 2007, Distributed sensing systems for water quality assessment and management: White Paper published and prepared by the Foresight and Governance Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 36 p.
Harmon, T.C., Ambrose, R.F., Gilbert, R.M., Fisher, J.C., Stealey, M., and Kaiser, W.J., 2007, High resolution river hydraulic and water quality characterization using rapidly deployable networked infomechanical systems (NIMS RD): Environmental Engineering Science, 24(2), p. 151-159.
Fisher, J.C., 2005, A coupled systems approach to solute transport within a heterogeneous vadose zone-groundwater environment: Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 91 p.
Fisher, Jason C. 2000. Simulation of partially saturated - saturated flow in the Caspar Creek E-road groundwater system. M.S. Thesis, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California. 107 p.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

inlcolor---Color palettes for the U.S. Geological Survey Idaho National Laboratory Project Office

The R package inlcolor provides access to a variety color schemes. Used to support packages and scripts written by researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Idaho National Laboratory Project Office (INLPO). Key features of this package are (1) a simple and consistent API, (2) support for qualitative, diverging, and sequential color schemes, (3) support for combining color pallets u
By
Idaho Water Science Center

inlpubs---Bibliographic information for the U.S. Geological Survey Idaho National Laboratory Project Office

The R package inlpubs may be used to search and analyze 366 publications that cover the 74-year history of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Idaho Water Science Center, Idaho National Laboratory Project Office (INLPO). The INLPO publications were authored by 253 researchers trying to better understand the effects of waste disposal on water contained in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and th
By
Idaho Water Science Center

ObsNetQW---Assessment of a water-quality aquifer monitoring network

The establishment of an efficient aquifer water-quality aquifer monitoring network is a critical component in the assessment and protection of groundwater quality. A periodic evaluation of the monitoring network is mandatory to ensure effective data collection and possible redesigning of existing network. This package assesses the efficacy and appropriateness of an existing water-quality aquifer m
By
Idaho Water Science Center

Science and Products

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government