USGS staff measuring streamflow at the Solomon Gulch Tailrace with a tethered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. This is one of 12 streamgages that the USGS Alaska Science Center operates in cooperation with hydropower providers across Alaska. Data are used for operation, regulation, and planning purposes.
Jeff Conaway
Surface-water modeling, sediment transport, acoustic Doppler current profilers
Professional Experience
2018 - Present Associate Center Director for Water, Ice, and Landscape Dynamics, USGS Alaska Science Center
2000 - 2018 Hydrologist, USGS Alaska Science Center
Education and Certifications
M.S. 2000 Portland State University Geology
B.S. 1996 University of Alaska Fairbanks Geology
Science and Products
Community Outreach and Engagement
It is critically important that Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and Alaska co-management councils are kept informed of USGS research activities and findings. Involvement of and collaboration with these stakeholders provides valuable perspectives. This page offers information on how USGS communicates and seeks out important perspectives from stakeholders.
Science Support Program and Quick Response Program
USGS Alaska Streamgage Datum to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 Conversion Table
Alaska Streamflow Statistics
Outer Continental Shelf Program
Q&A: USGS and the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day
USGS Transboundary River Monitoring in Southeast Alaska
Satellite-based Remote Sensing of River Discharge
Compilation of Historical Water Temperature Data for Large Rivers in Alaska using the Landsat Satellite Archive
Suspended-Sediment and Solids Sampling
Collaborative Science for Priority Information Needs
Natural Resources Preservation Program
Water Surfaces Elevations from Pressure Transducers on the Tanana River near Fairbanks, Alaska, 2016
Digital orthophotos and field measurements of flow velocity from the Tanana and Nenana Rivers, Alaska, from August 2021
Copper River and Knik River Bathymetric Surveys at Select Alaska Highway Bridges near Flag Point and Butte, Alaska, 2020
USGS staff measuring streamflow at the Solomon Gulch Tailrace with a tethered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. This is one of 12 streamgages that the USGS Alaska Science Center operates in cooperation with hydropower providers across Alaska. Data are used for operation, regulation, and planning purposes.
McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, Alaska. This is the site of deployment of limnocorrals for an Elodea spp. experiment.
McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, Alaska. This is the site of deployment of limnocorrals for an Elodea spp. experiment.
Streamgage number 15905100 at the Atigun River, Alaska. The Alyeska oil pipeline is in the background.
Streamgage number 15905100 at the Atigun River, Alaska. The Alyeska oil pipeline is in the background.
Sounding weight on the Copper River Delta, Alaska
Sounding weight on the Copper River Delta, Alaska
A comparison of contemporary and historical hydrology and water quality in the foothills and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, northern Alaska
Moving Aircraft River Velocimetry (MARV): Framework and proof-of-concept on the Tanana River
Comparison of historical water temperature measurements with landsat analysis ready data provisional surface temperature estimates for the Yukon River in Alaska
QCam: sUAS-based doppler radar for measuring river discharge
Deglacierization of a marginal basin and implications for outburst floods, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
Near-field remote sensing of Alaskan Rivers
Remote sensing of river flow in Alaska—New technology to improve safety and expand coverage of USGS streamgaging
Measurement of long-term channel change through repeated cross-section surveys at bridge crossings in Alaska
Using remotely sensed data to estimate river characteristics including water-surface velocity and discharge
Remote measurement of surface-water velocity using infrared videography and PIV: a proof-of-concept for Alaskan rivers
Evaluation of streambed scour at bridges over tidal waterways in Alaska
Oceanographic gradients and seabird prey community dynamics in glacial fjords
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 22
Community Outreach and Engagement
It is critically important that Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and Alaska co-management councils are kept informed of USGS research activities and findings. Involvement of and collaboration with these stakeholders provides valuable perspectives. This page offers information on how USGS communicates and seeks out important perspectives from stakeholders.
Science Support Program and Quick Response Program
This is a nation-wide collaborative program, supported by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, through which USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff address priority research needs identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. On this page, we highlight research taking place in Alaska as part of this program.USGS Alaska Streamgage Datum to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 Conversion Table
To obtain stream water-surface elevation values in NAVD88 add the following conversion factor to gage height values.Alaska Streamflow Statistics
The USGS conducts various studies of streamflow statistics for data collected at streamflow-gaging stations. Streamflow statistics for gaged streams and methods for estimating those statistics for ungaged streams are used by water resource planners and managers for designing infrastructure, managing floodplains, and protecting life, property, and aquatic resources. The most recent USGS studies of...Outer Continental Shelf Program
This is a nation-wide collaborative program, supported by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, through which USGS and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management staff address priority research needs identified by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. On this page, we highlight research taking place in Alaska as part of this program.Q&A: USGS and the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day
For the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day , the USGS Alaska Science Center will host a “treat station” along the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail where people can learn about the USGS streamgage on the creek and about common birds of Chanshtnu.USGS Transboundary River Monitoring in Southeast Alaska
The USGS Alaska Science Center operates super gages on the Alsek, Taku, Stikine, Unuk and Salmon Rivers. Discrete water quality, sediment, and biological sampling are also collected at each gage location. Discrete water quality samples are also collected annually at the Canada-Alaska border crossings of the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk Rivers. Water quality data collection began in 2018 on the Unuk...Satellite-based Remote Sensing of River Discharge
The U.S. Geological Survey and NASA are collaborating on a study to develop methods to estimate river flows from satellite observations.Compilation of Historical Water Temperature Data for Large Rivers in Alaska using the Landsat Satellite Archive
Water temperature plays a large role in freshwater ecosystems in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. It affects the physical and biological features of rivers, like how the water interacts with the landscape and the life cycles of organisms that live in the river. For example, unseasonably warm water temperatures in Alaska’s large rivers in 2019 caused large numbers of salmon to die before they could reachSuspended-Sediment and Solids Sampling
Suspended-sediment samples are collected on each visit at both gage and border site locations.Collaborative Science for Priority Information Needs
One of the primary missions of the USGS is to address the science needs of Department of Interior bureaus, particularly those that manage natural resources and lands. This mission is fulfilled through the research and other activities of USGS scientists but also specifically through three USGS nationally-funded programs listed below.Natural Resources Preservation Program
This is a nation-wide collaborative program, supported by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, through which USGS and National Park Service staff address priority research needs identified by the National Park Service. On this page, we highlight research taking place in Alaska as part of this program. - Data
Water Surfaces Elevations from Pressure Transducers on the Tanana River near Fairbanks, Alaska, 2016
This dataset includes locations, and water surface elevations from two submersible pressure transducers deployed in the channel of the Tanana River downstream of Fairbanks Alaska in 2016.Digital orthophotos and field measurements of flow velocity from the Tanana and Nenana Rivers, Alaska, from August 2021
This data release includes digital orthophotos acquired from a fixed-wing aircraft and field measurements of flow velocity from the Tanana and Nenana Rivers near Nenana, Alaska, obtained on August 18 and 19, 2021. This parent data release includes links to child pages for two data sets produced during the study: 1. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) field measurements of flow velocity fromCopper River and Knik River Bathymetric Surveys at Select Alaska Highway Bridges near Flag Point and Butte, Alaska, 2020
In 2020, the Alaska Science Center and the Idaho Water Science Center conducted bathymetric surveys at three highway bridge structures. The bridge structures (NBI 331 and 1187) at Flag Point near Cordova, AK are located on Alaska State Route 10 (commonly referred to as the Copper River Highway). Bridge structure NBI 539 on the Knik River is located on the Old Glenn Hwy near Butte, AK. These bathym - Multimedia
Streamflow discharge measurement at Solomon Gulch Tailrace, Valdez, AlaskaStreamflow discharge measurement at Solomon Gulch Tailrace, Valdez, Alaska
USGS staff measuring streamflow at the Solomon Gulch Tailrace with a tethered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. This is one of 12 streamgages that the USGS Alaska Science Center operates in cooperation with hydropower providers across Alaska. Data are used for operation, regulation, and planning purposes.
USGS staff measuring streamflow at the Solomon Gulch Tailrace with a tethered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. This is one of 12 streamgages that the USGS Alaska Science Center operates in cooperation with hydropower providers across Alaska. Data are used for operation, regulation, and planning purposes.
An aerial view of McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, AlaskaAn aerial view of McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, AlaskaMcKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, Alaska. This is the site of deployment of limnocorrals for an Elodea spp. experiment.
McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, Alaska. This is the site of deployment of limnocorrals for an Elodea spp. experiment.
USGS Station streamgage 15905100 at the Atigun River, AlaskaUSGS Station streamgage 15905100 at the Atigun River, AlaskaStreamgage number 15905100 at the Atigun River, Alaska. The Alyeska oil pipeline is in the background.
Streamgage number 15905100 at the Atigun River, Alaska. The Alyeska oil pipeline is in the background.
Sounding weight on the Copper River Delta, AlaskaSounding weight on the Copper River Delta, Alaska
Sounding weight on the Copper River Delta, Alaska
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 22
A comparison of contemporary and historical hydrology and water quality in the foothills and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, northern Alaska
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a unique landscape in northern Alaska with limited water resources, substantial biodiversity of rare and threatened species, as well as oil and gas resources. The region has unique hydrology related to perennial springs, and the formation of large aufeis fields—sheets of ice that grow in the river channels where water reaches the surface in the winter and freAuthorsJoshua C. Koch, Heather Best, Carson Baughman, Charles Couvillion, Michael P. Carey, Jeff ConawayMoving Aircraft River Velocimetry (MARV): Framework and proof-of-concept on the Tanana River
Information on velocity fields in rivers is critical for designing infrastructure, modeling contaminant transport, and assessing habitat. Although non-contact approaches to measuring flow velocity are well established, these methods assume a stationary imaging platform. This study eliminates this constraint by introducing a framework for moving aircraft river velocimetry (MARV). The workflow takesAuthorsCarl J. Legleiter, Paul J. Kinzel, Mark Laker, Jeff ConawayComparison of historical water temperature measurements with landsat analysis ready data provisional surface temperature estimates for the Yukon River in Alaska
Water temperature is a key element of freshwater ecological systems and a critical element within natural resource monitoring programs. In the absence of in situ measurements, remote sensing platforms can indirectly measure water temperature over time and space. The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has processed archived Landsat imagery into analysis ready data (ARD), includinAuthorsCarson Baughman, Jeff ConawayQCam: sUAS-based doppler radar for measuring river discharge
The U.S. Geological Survey is actively investigating remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) from satellite-, high altitude-, small, unmanned aircraft systems- (sUAS or drone), and permanent (fixed) deployments. This initiative is important in ungaged basins and river reaches that lack the infrastructure to deploy conventional streamgaging equipment. By coupling alternatAuthorsJohn W. Fulton, Isaac E. Anderson, C.-L. Chiu, Wolfram Sommer, Josip Adams, Tommaso Moramarco, David M. Bjerklie, Janice M. Fulford, Jeff L. Sloan, Heather Best, Jeffrey S. Conaway, Michelle J. Kang, Michael S. Kohn, Matthew J. Nicotra, Jeremy J. PulliDeglacierization of a marginal basin and implications for outburst floods, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
Suicide Basin is a partly glacierized marginal basin of Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, that has released glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs) annually since 2011. The floods cause inundation and erosion in the Mendenhall Valley, impacting homes and other infrastructure. Here, we utilize in-situ and remote sensing data to assess the recent evolution and current state of Suicide Basin. We focus on theAuthorsChristian Kienholz, Jamie Pierce, Eran Hood, Jason M. Amundson, Gabriel Wolken, Aaron Jacobs, Skye Hart, Katreen Wikstrom-Jones, Dina Abdel-Fattah, Crane Johnson, Jeffrey S. ConawayNear-field remote sensing of Alaskan Rivers
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Laboratory (GSTL), in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), acquired remotely sensed data from several Alaskan rivers in 2017 and 2018 with the goal of developing a methodology for measuring streamflow from a helicopter. CRREL operates a custom airborne lidAuthorsPaul J. Kinzel, Carl J. Legleiter, Jonathan M. Nelson, Jeff Conaway, Adam LeWinter, Peter Gadomski, Dominic FilianoRemote sensing of river flow in Alaska—New technology to improve safety and expand coverage of USGS streamgaging
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors water level (water surface elevation relative to an arbitrary datum) and measures streamflow in Alaska rivers to compute and compile river flow records for use by water resource planners, engineers, and land managers to design infrastructure, manage floodplains, and protect life, property, and aquatic resources. Alaska has over 800,000 miles of rivers includingAuthorsJeff Conaway, John R. Eggleston, Carl J. Legleiter, John Jones, Paul J. Kinzel, John W. FultonMeasurement of long-term channel change through repeated cross-section surveys at bridge crossings in Alaska
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been working with Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) since 1993 to provide hydraulic assessments of scour for bridges throughout Alaska. The purpose of the program is to evaluate, monitor, and study streambed scour at bridges in Alaska; this includes surveying streambed elevations at regular intervals and monitoring real-time bAuthorsKarenth L. Dworsky, Jeffrey S. ConawayUsing remotely sensed data to estimate river characteristics including water-surface velocity and discharge
This paper describes a project combining field studies and analyses directed at providing an assessment of the accuracy of remotely sensed methods for determining river characteristics such as velocity and discharge. In particular, we describe a remote sensing method for surface velocities using mid-wave thermal camera videography combined with image analysis. One of the critical problems in thisAuthorsJonathan M. Nelson, Paul J. Kinzel, Carl J. Legleiter, Richard R. McDonald, Brandon Overstreet, Jeffrey S. ConawayRemote measurement of surface-water velocity using infrared videography and PIV: a proof-of-concept for Alaskan rivers
Thermal cameras with high sensitivity to medium and long wavelengths can resolve features at the surface of flowing water arising from turbulent mixing. Images acquired by these cameras can be processed with particle image velocimetry (PIV) to compute surface velocities based on the displacement of thermal features as they advect with the flow. We conducted a series of field measurements to testAuthorsPaul J. Kinzel, Carl J. Legleiter, Jonathan M. Nelson, Jeffrey S. ConawayEvaluation of streambed scour at bridges over tidal waterways in Alaska
The potential for streambed scour was evaluated at 41 bridges that cross tidal waterways in Alaska. These bridges are subject to several coastal and riverine processes that have the potential, individually or in combination, to induce streambed scour or to damage the structure or adjacent channel. The proximity of a bridge to the ocean and water-surface elevation and velocity data collected over aAuthorsJeffrey S. Conaway, Paul V. SchauerOceanographic gradients and seabird prey community dynamics in glacial fjords
Glacial fjord habitats are undergoing rapid change as a result of contemporary global warming, yet little is known about how glaciers influence marine ecosystems. These ecosystems provide important feeding, breeding and rearing grounds for a wide variety of marine organisms, including seabirds of management concern. To characterize ocean conditions and marine food webs near tidewater glaciers, weAuthorsMayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Erica N. Madison, Jeffrey S. Conaway, N. Hillgruber - News