Jennifer LaVista
Communicating USGS science throughout the Southwest and Midwest regions
Biography
Over the last decade, Jennifer has worked on a number of USGS large-scale communication efforts including the Glen Canyon High Flow Experiment, the Coast Salish Tribal Journey, the 2011 Japan earthquake and has been on-site at numerous historic floods. Her favorite topics to cover include natural hazards and water-quality issues.
Jennifer has a Masters in Health Science Communications from the University of Florida (2006), as well as a Masters Certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University. She is a former ABC affiliate news producer.
When she's not working, you can find Jennifer hiking, skiing, climbing or camping with her husband and dog, Pepper. She is an avid traveler and also enjoys practicing aerial arts.
Science and Products
USGS Measures Flooding Across Texas
Reporters: Do you want to accompany a USGS field crew as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista or Lynne Fahlquist.
Midwest US: What’s in Your Stream? Get Online to Find Out!
An online interactive tool for learning about pesticides, nutrients, and the overall health of Midwest streams is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey. This information can be used by the public and resource managers to better understand the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic organisms in streams.
USGS Prepares to Measure Flooding Across Arizona
Reporters: Do you want to accompany a USGS field crew as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista or Jim Leenhouts
New Report on Channel Bed Erosion Helps Assess Bridge Stability in St. Louis
A new assessment of channel bed erosion near 13 highway bridges in the greater St. Louis, Missouri, area is now available in an online report from the U.S. Geological Survey, produced in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Red Dye Study Will Examine Water Flow through Auxiliary Lock 14 near the Quad Cities
U.S. Geological Survey scientists will inject a harmless, bright red fluorescent dye into the auxiliary lock at Locks and Dam 14 on the Mississippi River near Pleasant Valley, Iowa, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, weather permitting. If needed, a backup date is scheduled for June 27, 2017.
The Vital Nature of Streamgaging
Gary Moore spent the last three days of 2015 stacking hefty bags of sand in front of a fellow church member’s brick home. With only 1,000 feet between the house and the swelling Mississippi and Meramec Rivers, Moore and other volunteers worked quickly, in frigid temperatures, to assemble a 10-foot high, 1,000-foot-long sandbag wall to ward off floodwaters.
USGS Measures Record Flooding in Missouri
Reporters: Do you want to interview USGS scientists as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista.
Asian Carp Would Have Adequate Food to Survive in Lake Michigan
If invasive bighead carp and silver carp spread into Lake Michigan, there would be enough food available for these particular species of Asian carp to survive, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Assessing the Magnitude of Missouri’s 2016 New Year's Flood
An assessment of the flooding that occurred in the Meramec River Basin from December 2015–January 2016 is available in a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey. The report includes peak stages and streamflows, historical comparisons and flood-frequency statistics from the record flood.
USGS Crews Measure Flooding in Northeast Iowa
Reporters: Do you want to accompany a USGS field crew as they measure flooding? Please contact Jason McVay at 319-430-6962.
Moving Barges Have Potential to Transport Invasive Fish
When a moving barge encounters small fish in the Illinois Waterway there is a possibility that the fish will become trapped in the gap between barges, according to a new study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Rainfall Following Drought Linked to Historic Nitrate Levels in Some Midwest Streams in 2013
Highest concentrations found in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.