Jeffrey Duda
I am a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Fisheries Research Center, stationed in Seattle, Washington.
Research Interests:
My research assignment is to develop and execute a research program focused upon priorities of the USGS Ecosystems mission area, in particular those projects that address complex natural resource issues related to land use, habitat restoration, and species recovery. I have had the pleasure to work in diverse ecosystems and ecoregions throughout the United States, on lands and waters contained in both National Parks and military installations. I have also worked across a range of biological scales, from single species to entire communities.
Over the past decade, I have focused much attention on studying the ecological outcomes of dam removal, especially the historic project on the Elwha River. This involved removal of two long-standing dams, with a major goal of restoring the ecosystem and the native anadromous fish populations that once thrived in the river. Working with a multidisciplinary team within the USGS, as well as strong collaborations with partners like NPS, NOAA, FWS, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, we have developed a portfolio of long-term data sets on physical and biological attributes of the Elwha River before and after dam removal.
Recently I was a member of a dam removal science working group at the USGS John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis. We worked to understand patterns of dam removal science, and to synthesize what is known scientifically about this emerging field. This led to development of the USGS Dam Removal Information Portal, an interactive online tool for visualizing and storing scientific studies associated with dam removals nationwide.
Professional Experience
2004 to Present – Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1998-2004 – Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1993-1995 – Biological Technician, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
Education and Certifications
M.S. 1998. Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
B.S. 1993. Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Affiliations and Memberships*
2015 to Present – Scientific Advisory Board, Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study
2012 to Present – Science Liaison, Board of Directors, Nature Bridge at Olympic National Park
1998 to Present – Ecological Society of America
2008 to Present – Northwest Scientific Association
2010 to Present – American Fisheries Society
Honors and Awards
2014 – NOAA Restoration Center, Excellence in Restoration Award
2013 – Northwest Scientific Association, Honorary Lifetime Membership Award
2011 – U.S. Department of the Interior, Superior Service Award
Science and Products
Elwha River dam removal-Rebirth of a river
The humpbacked species richness-curve: A contingent rule for community ecology
Coastal and lower Elwha River, Washington, prior to dam removal--history, status, and defining characteristics: Chapter 1 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Aquatic ecology of the Elwha River estuary prior to dam removal: Chapter 7 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Establishing spatial trends in water chemistry and stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) in the Elwha River prior to dam removal and salmon recolonization
Growth, morphology, and developmental instability of rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and four hybrid generations
Summary and anticipated responses to Elwha River dam removal: Chapter 9 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Baseline hydrologic studies in the lower Elwha River prior to dam removal
Vegetation of the Elwha River Estuary - Chapter 8
Nearshore biological communities prior to the removal of the Elwha River dams: Chapter 6 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Geomorphology of the Elwha River and its Delta: Chapter 3 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Sediment management strategies associated with dam removal in the State of Washington
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
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Elwha River dam removal-Rebirth of a river
After years of planning for the largest project of its kind, the Department of the Interior will begin removal of two dams on the Elwha River, Washington, in September 2011. For nearly 100 years, the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams have disrupted natural processes, trapping sediment in the reservoirs and blocking fish migrations, which changed the ecology of the river downstream of the dams. All fiveAuthorsJeffrey J. Duda, Jonathan A. Warrick, Christopher S. MagirlThe humpbacked species richness-curve: A contingent rule for community ecology
Functional relationships involving species richness may be unimodal, monotonically increasing, monotonically decreasing, bimodal, multimodal, U-shaped, or with no discernable pattern. The unimodal relationships are the most interesting because they suggest dynamic, nonequilibrium community processes. For that reason, they are also contentious. In this paper, we provide a wide-ranging review of theAuthorsJohn H. Graham, Jeffrey J. DudaCoastal and lower Elwha River, Washington, prior to dam removal--history, status, and defining characteristics: Chapter 1 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Characterizing the physical and biological characteristics of the lower Elwha River, its estuary, and adjacent nearshore habitats prior to dam removal is essential to monitor changes to these areas during and following the historic dam-removal project set to begin in September 2011. Based on the size of the two hydroelectric projects and the amount of sediment that will be released, the Elwha RiveAuthorsJeffrey J. Duda, Jonathan A. Warrick, Christopher S. MagirlAquatic ecology of the Elwha River estuary prior to dam removal: Chapter 7 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
The removal of two long-standing dams on the Elwha River in Washington State will initiate a suite of biological and physical changes to the estuary at the river mouth. Estuaries represent a transition between freshwater and saltwater, have unique assemblages of plants and animals, and are a critical habitat for some salmon species as they migrate to the ocean. This chapter summarizes a number ofAuthorsJeffrey J. Duda, Matthew M. Beirne, Kimberly Larsen, Dwight Barry, Karl Stenberg, Michael L. McHenryEstablishing spatial trends in water chemistry and stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) in the Elwha River prior to dam removal and salmon recolonization
Two high-head dams on the Elwha River in Washington State (USA) have changed the migratory patterns of resident and anadromous fish, limiting Pacific salmon to the lower 7.9 km of a river that historically supported large Pacific salmon runs. To document the effects of the dams prior to their removal, we measured carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of primary producers, benthic macroinvertebAuthorsJ.J. Duda, H.J. Coe, S.A. Morley, K.K. KloehnGrowth, morphology, and developmental instability of rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and four hybrid generations
Hybridization of cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii with nonindigenous rainbow trout O. mykiss contributes to the decline of cutthroat trout subspecies throughout their native range. Introgression by rainbow trout can swamp the gene pools of cutthroat trout populations, especially if there is little selection against hybrids. We used rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout O. clarkii bouvieriAuthorsC.O. Ostberg, J.J. Duda, J.H. Graham, S. Zhang, K. P. Haywood, B. Miller, T.L. LerudSummary and anticipated responses to Elwha River dam removal: Chapter 9 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Starting in September 2011, the removal of two large dams on the Elwha River will begin an unprecedented river restoration project because of the size of the dams, the volume of sediment released, the pristine watershed upstream of the dam sites, and the potential for renewing salmon populations. Ecosystem studies of the Elwha watershed indicate that the effects of almost 100 years of damming areAuthorsGuy Gelfenbaum, Jeffrey J. Duda, Jonathan A. WarrickBaseline hydrologic studies in the lower Elwha River prior to dam removal
After the removal of two large, long‑standing dams on the Elwha River, Washington, the additional load of sediment and wood is expected to affect the hydrology of the lower river, its estuary, and the alluvial aquifer underlying the surrounding flood plain. To better understand the surface-water and groundwater characteristics of the river and estuary before dam removal, several hydrologic data seAuthorsChristopher S. Magirl, Christopher A. Curran, Rich W. Sheibley, Jonathan A. Warrick, Jonathan A. Czuba, Christiana R. Czuba, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Patrick B. Shafroth, Jeffrey J. Duda, James R. ForemanVegetation of the Elwha River Estuary - Chapter 8
The Elwha River estuary supports one of the most diverse coastal wetland complexes yet described in the Salish Sea region, in terms of vegetation types and plant species richness. Using a combination of aerial imagery and vegetation plot sampling, we identified 6 primary vegetation types and 121 plant species in a 39.7 ha area. Most of the estuary is dominated by woody vegetation types, with mixedAuthorsPatrick B. Shafroth, Tracy L. Fuentes, Cynthia Pritekel, Matthew M. Beirne, Vanessa B. BeauchampNearshore biological communities prior to the removal of the Elwha River dams: Chapter 6 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Increases in sediment delivery to coastal waters are expected following removal of dams on the Elwha River, Washington, potentially increasing sediment deposition on the seafloor and suspended sediment in the water column. Biological communities inhabiting shallow, subtidal depths (3–18 m) near the mouth of the Elwha River, between the west end of Freshwater Bay and the base of Ediz Hook, were surAuthorsStephen P. Rubin, Ian M. Miller, Nancy Elder, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Jeffrey J. DudaGeomorphology of the Elwha River and its Delta: Chapter 3 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
The removal of two dams on the Elwha River will introduce massive volumes of sediment to the river, and this increase in sediment supply in the river will likely modify the shapes and forms of the river and coastal landscape downstream of the dams. This chapter provides the geologic and geomorphologic background of the Olympic Peninsula and the Elwha River with emphasis on the present river and shAuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, Amy E. Draut, Michael L. McHenry, Ian M. Miller, Christopher S. Magirl, Matthew M. Beirne, Andrew W. Stevens, Joshua B. LoganSediment management strategies associated with dam removal in the State of Washington
Different removal strategies are described for dams in three diverse drainage basins (Wind River, White Salmon River, and Elwha River basins) in the State of Washington (USA). The comparisons between the strategies offer the opportunity to track the effects of sediment resulting from dam decommissioning in the Pacific Northwest and to determine possible effects on socio-economically important specAuthorsC. S. Magirl, P.J. Connolly, B. Coffin, J.J. Duda, A.E. DrautNon-USGS Publications**
Duda, J.J., and A.J. Krzysik. 1998. Radiotelemetry study of a desert tortoise population: Sand Hill Training Area, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories Technical Report 98/39. 75 p.Duda, J.J. 1998. Home range, burrow use, and activity patterns of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the south-central Mojave Desert. M.S. Thesis. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 60 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.
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*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