Jennifer A. Curtis - Research Geologist - California Water Science Center
Jenny Curtis is a geomorphologist with the USGS California Water Science Center. Her office is located in Eureka, CA and in 1999 she joined the Regional Watershed Hydrology Research Group. For the past 20 years she has investigated “source to sink” research with study areas in mountainous uplands, alluvial lowlands, estuaries and oceanic systems. Recent geomorphic and hydrologic studies include low altitude remote sensing using small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), image classification, change detection using repeat geomorphic and vegetation mapping, sediment dynamics, and regional water balance studies under historic and future climates.
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Publications - see full list on Google Scholar
Science and Products
Amplified impact of climate change on fine-sediment delivery to a subsiding coast, Humboldt Bay, California
Sediment mobility and river corridor assessment for a 140-kilometer segment of the main-stem Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam, California
Regional patterns in hydrologic response, a new three-component metric for hydrograph analysis and implications for ecohydrology, Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area, USA
Quantifying erosion rates by using terrestrial laser scanning at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Nevada County, California, 2014–17
Refining the Baseline Sediment Budget for the Klamath River, California
Geothermal implications of a refined composition-age geologic map for the volcanic terrains of southeast Oregon, northeast California, and southwest Idaho, USA
Assessing geomorphic change along the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011
Geomorphic mapping to support river restoration on the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011
Estimating changes in riparian and channel features along the Trinity River downstream of Lewiston Dam, California, 1980 to 2011
Incorporating cold-air pooling into downscaled climate models increases potential refugia for snow-dependent species within the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, CA
Estimating floodplain sedimentation in the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA
Summary of Optical-Backscatter and Suspended-Sediment Data, Tomales Bay Watershed, California, Water Years 2004, 2005, and 2006
Scotts Creek Nutrient Erosion Study, Lake County, California
Channel Complexity Synthesis - Trinity River Restoration Program
Sediment Mobility and Riparian Corridor Assessment, Klamath River, CA
Examining Erosion at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, a Sierra Nevada Gold Mine
Impact of Climate Change on Future Suitability of the Sierra Nevada for Wolverines
Sedimentation in the Lower Laguna-Mark West Drainage
Sediment supply, salt marsh monitoring, and the carbon budget of Humboldt Bay, CA
Assessing Geomorphic Change in Support of Science-Based Restoration, Trinity River, CA
Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California
Geomorphic map of Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, California
Streamflow, Runoff and Baseflow Estimates for Gaged Basins in the Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area, USA, 1904 to 2015
1992 digital surface model and orthomosaic of Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, California
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 18
Amplified impact of climate change on fine-sediment delivery to a subsiding coast, Humboldt Bay, California
In Humboldt Bay, tectonic subsidence exacerbates sea-level rise (SLR). To build surface elevations and to keep pace with SLR, the sediment demand created by subsidence and SLR must be balanced by an adequate sediment supply. This study used an ensemble of plausible future scenarios to predict potential climate change impacts on suspended-sediment discharge (Qss) from fluvial sources. Streamflow waSediment mobility and river corridor assessment for a 140-kilometer segment of the main-stem Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam, California
This river corridor assessment documents sediment mobility and river response to flood disturbance along a 140-kilometer segment of the main-stem Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam, California. Field and remote sensing methods were used to assess fundamental indicators of active sediment transport and river response to a combination of natural runoff events and reservoir releases during the study pRegional patterns in hydrologic response, a new three-component metric for hydrograph analysis and implications for ecohydrology, Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area, USA
Study RegionOregon, California, Idaho, Nevada and UtahStudy FocusSpatial patterns of hydrologic response were examined for the Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area (NVASA). The utility of established hydrograph-separation methods for assessing hydrologic response in permeable volcanic terranes was assessed and a new three-component metric for hydrograph analysis was developed. The new metric, whiQuantifying erosion rates by using terrestrial laser scanning at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Nevada County, California, 2014–17
The abandoned hydraulic mine pit at Malakoff Diggins near Grass Valley, California, can produce large volumes of eroded sediment transportable by storm runoff. Sediment-laden water discharged from the pit is a major source of heavy metals to Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River. To develop a comprehensive sediment budget for the Malakoff Diggins mine pit and identify sources of sediment and metalRefining the Baseline Sediment Budget for the Klamath River, California
Four dams in the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project (KHP) in Oregon and California (Figure 1) are currently scheduled to be removed over a period of a few weeks or months, beginning in January 2021. The Klamath dam removal will be the largest in the world by almost all measures, and is an unprecedented opportunity to advance science of river responses to such events. The KHP contains approximatelGeothermal implications of a refined composition-age geologic map for the volcanic terrains of southeast Oregon, northeast California, and southwest Idaho, USA
Sufficient temperatures to generate steam likely exist under most of the dominantly volcanic terrains of southeast Oregon, northeast California, and southeast Idaho, USA, but finding sufficient permeability to allow efficient advective heat exchange is an outstanding challenge. A new thematic interpretation of existing state-level geologic maps provides an updated and refined distribution of the cAssessing geomorphic change along the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011
The Trinity River Restoration Program, one of the nation’s largest adaptively managed river restoration programs, requires periodic assessment to determine the effectiveness of management actions in restoring channel dynamics and habitat features. This study documents riparian and channel changes along an intensively managed 65-kilometer reach of the Trinity River in California, downstream from LeGeomorphic mapping to support river restoration on the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011
Historic land use, dam construction, water storage, and flow diversions in the Trinity River watershed have resulted in downstream geomorphic change, loss of salmonid habitat, and declines in salmonid populations. The USGS in cooperation with the Trinity River Restoration Program, a multi-agency partnership tasked with implementing federally mandated restoration, completed a geomorphic change asseEstimating changes in riparian and channel features along the Trinity River downstream of Lewiston Dam, California, 1980 to 2011
Dam construction, flow diversion, and legacy landuse effects reduced the transport capacity, sediment supply, channel complexity and floodplain-connectivity along the Trinity River, CA below Lewiston Dam. This study documents the geomorphic evolution of the Trinity River Restoration Program’s intensively managed 65-km long restoration reach from 1980 to 2011. The nature and extent of riparian andIncorporating cold-air pooling into downscaled climate models increases potential refugia for snow-dependent species within the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, CA
We present a unique water-balance approach for modeling snowpack under historic, current and future climates throughout the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion. Our methodology uses a finer scale (270 m) than previous regional studies and incorporates cold-air pooling, an atmospheric process that sustains cooler temperatures in topographic depressions thereby mitigating snowmelt. Our results are intended to sEstimating floodplain sedimentation in the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA
We present a conceptual and analytical framework for predicting the spatial distribution of floodplain sedimentation for the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA. We assess the role of the floodplain as a sink for fine-grained sediment and investigate concerns regarding the potential loss of flood storage capacity due to historic sedimentation. We characterized the spatial distribution of sedimSummary of Optical-Backscatter and Suspended-Sediment Data, Tomales Bay Watershed, California, Water Years 2004, 2005, and 2006
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Point Reyes National Seashore, is studying suspended-sediment transport dynamics in the two primary tributaries to Tomales Bay, Lagunitas Creek and Walker Creek. Suspended-sediment samples and continuous optical backscatter (turbidity) data were collected at three locations during water years 2004?06 (October 1, 2003?September 30, 2006): at two sites - Science
Scotts Creek Nutrient Erosion Study, Lake County, California
Clear Lake, the largest natural lake entirely within California, has a severe problem with harmful algal blooms which can be detrimental to aquatic life by depriving it of oxygen when the algae dies, sinks, and decays. A driving factor of these conditions are the nutrient loads being carried into the lake by soil erosion and the transport of sediment from the lake’s tributaries. Recently, an...Channel Complexity Synthesis - Trinity River Restoration Program
The Trinity River Restoration Program implements the Department of Interior directive to restore the fisheries of the Trinity River impacted by dam construction and related diversions. The multi-agency program is one of the nation’s largest adaptively managed river restoration efforts and requires periodic assessment to determine its effectiveness in restoring channel dynamics and habitat features...Sediment Mobility and Riparian Corridor Assessment, Klamath River, CA
The Klamath River is the third largest river flowing into the Pacific Ocean from the continental U.S. The headwaters of the Klamath are located in the Cascade Range in southeastern Oregon and the river flows through northern California to its estuary. Beginning in the 1860s, the flow and water quality of the Klamath started to change due to the building of dams and other water diversions for...Examining Erosion at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, a Sierra Nevada Gold Mine
Located in Nevada County, California, Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park was the Sierra Nevada’s largest hydraulic gold mine, operating from 1866 to 1884. Historically, part of the process of hydraulic mining included using mercury to extract gold from produced sediment through the process of amalgamation. This process left thousands of pounds of mercury and other heavy metals in the area...Impact of Climate Change on Future Suitability of the Sierra Nevada for Wolverines
The endeavor to ensure a viable population of the threatened wolverine to the mountains of California requires the characterization of suitable habitat.Sedimentation in the Lower Laguna-Mark West Drainage
The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) and the San Francisco District office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CORPS) have identified issues associated with sedimentation in the lower Laguna de Santa Rosa and Mark West Creek in Sonoma County. Human activities in the watershed over the last 200 years have accelerated erosion and sediment delivery to the Laguna reducing the water storage capacity...Sediment supply, salt marsh monitoring, and the carbon budget of Humboldt Bay, CA
Suspended-sediment measurements are essential for coastal planning, resource management, and for assessing the sustainability of salt marshes in relation to expected sea-level rise. Suspended sediment can have positive or negative effects, depending on its characteristics and amount, and on the location and ecosystem services of interest. Sediment deposition in salt marshes helps sustain marsh...Assessing Geomorphic Change in Support of Science-Based Restoration, Trinity River, CA
Historic landuse, dam construction, water storage and flow diversion within the Trinity River watershed resulted in downstream geomorphic changes that simplified the river planform and lead to dramatic losses of salmonid habitat and significant population declines. The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) requested the USGS complete an assessment of geomorphic change that could be used to... - Data
Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California
This data release includes grain-size measurements of sediment samples collected from the substrate surface and uppermost 10 cm of sediment deposits in the Klamath estuary, northern California. Samples were collected using a BMH-60 bed-material sampler deployed from a boat, or by hand trowel from subaerial or shallow-water (less than 0.5 m water depth) regions along the estuary margins and side chGeomorphic map of Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, California
One of the largest hydraulic mines (1.6 km2) is located in Californias Sierra Nevada within the Humbug Creek watershed and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park (MDSHP). MDSHPs denuded and dissected landscape is composed of weathered Eocene auriferous sediments susceptible to chronic rill and gully erosion whereas block failures and debris flows occur in more cohesive terrain. This data release incStreamflow, Runoff and Baseflow Estimates for Gaged Basins in the Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area, USA, 1904 to 2015
The U.S. Geological Survey's Water Availability and Use Study Program (WAUSP) (https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/gwrp/activities/regional.html) supports quantitative assessments of groundwater availability in areas of critical importance. As part of a WAUSP study in the arid to semi-arid Northwest Volcanic Aquifer Study Area (NVASA), estimates of runoff and baseflow were determined for 312 streamflow-gag1992 digital surface model and orthomosaic of Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, California
One of the largest hydraulic mines (1.6 km2) is located in Californias Sierra Nevada within the Humbug Creek watershed and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park (MDSHP). MDSHPs denuded and dissected landscape is composed of weathered Eocene auriferous sediments susceptible to chronic rill and gully erosion whereas block failures and debris flows occur in more cohesive terrain. This data release inc