Jessica Z LeRoy, Ph.D.
Dr. Jessica Z LeRoy is interested in applying concepts and techniques from geomorphology and hydrodynamics to help solve real-world problems such as erosion hazards and aquatic invasive species in rivers and lakes.
Jessica's graduate research focused on chute cutoff events on meandering rivers and also included studies on the hydraulic geometry of channels in low gravity environments (e.g., submarine channels and Martian channel features) and the sedimentology of very fine-grained meandering rivers. Jessica joined the U.S. Geological Survey as a Pathways Student Trainee in September 2015 and became a full time Hydrologist in May 2016. Since joining the USGS, she has participated in applied research aimed at mitigating the spread of invasive carps (bighead, silver, and grass carp), as well as projects focusing on scour at bridge piers, beach replenishment, and reservoir sedimentation. She has expertise in using hydroacoustic methods to measure water velocities and bathymetry. She is also currently working on the River Corridors high-value data theme of the National Hydrologic Geospatial Fabric project and is the lead of the CDI Geomorphology Focus Group.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Physical Geography, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dissertation: "From meander bend to oxbow lake: Morphodynamics and sedimentology of chute cutoffs", 2016
M.S. in Physical Geography, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Thesis: "Extreme sediment pulses generated by bend cutoffs along a large meandering river", 2011
B.S. in Physics and B.S. in Earth Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2009
Science and Products
Leveraging the National Water Model to Inform Binational Management of Invasive Carp in North America
Workflow and suitability of National Water Model outputs as inputs to existing invasive carp egg drift model
Filter Total Items: 25
National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2022 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025) National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2022 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025)
This data release presents a national cross-section (XS) database (NXSDB) of bathymetric cross-sections collected during water year (WY) 2022 (October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022). The WY 2022 NXSDB has been approved by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for publication and supersedes the provisional versions. The data were collected by hydrographers during routine site visits to...
National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2023 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025) National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2023 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025)
This data release presents a national cross-section (XS) database (NXSDB) of bathymetric cross-sections collected during water year (WY) 2023 (October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023). The WY 2023 NXSDB has been approved by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for publication and supersedes the provisional version. The data were collected by hydrographers during routine site visits to...
Archive of Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) Simulations of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missour Archive of Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) Simulations of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missour
The Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) version 3.3.1 (Ursic and Langendoen, 2021) was used to predict bank retreat at five locations along Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri, for a selection of design storm scenarios. BSTEM is a macro-enabled Excel spreadsheet (.xlsm file) that simulates the retreat of a bank profile due to a combination of fluvial and geotechnical processes...
Archive of hydrologic and hydraulic models used in the simulation of hydraulic characteristics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri Archive of hydrologic and hydraulic models used in the simulation of hydraulic characteristics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri
Substantial incision and widening of Caulks Creek within the City of Wildwood, Missouri, in western St. Louis County, poses a threat to stormwater and transportation infrastructure along with effects to residential and recreational property. Hydrologic and hydraulic models were used to estimate probabilistic streamflows and characterize and assess spatial and temporal changes in erosion...
Monitoring Data to Support the Operation of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, Illinois, October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019 (ver 2.0, Level 5 rev) Monitoring Data to Support the Operation of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, Illinois, October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019 (ver 2.0, Level 5 rev)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water surface flow reversals, commercial vessel traffic, and temperature and specific conductance in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS) on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago, Illinois. These data are planned to be released on USGS ScienceBase annually. This data release is the summary of all the...
Bathymetry and Water-Quality Data of Surface Water Bodies in Cook County, Illinois, 2023 (ver. 2.0, March 2025) Bathymetry and Water-Quality Data of Surface Water Bodies in Cook County, Illinois, 2023 (ver. 2.0, March 2025)
In 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Cook County Bureau of Technology (BoT), conducted comprehensive hydrographic and water quality surveys, along with activity and disturbance assessments of 58 total waterbodies encompassing lakes, rivers, and canals within Cook County, Illinois. These surveys and assessments describe the bathymetry, water-quality...
Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018 Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018
Beaver Lake was constructed in 1966 on the White River in the northwest corner of Arkansas for flood control, hydroelectric power, public water supply, and recreation. The surface area of Beaver Lake is about 27,900 acres and approximately 449 miles of shoreline are at the conservation pool level (1,120 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). Sedimentation in reservoirs...
Geomorphic change, hydrology, and hydraulics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri Geomorphic change, hydrology, and hydraulics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri
Caulks Creek is a small stream that flows through the city of Wildwood in western St. Louis County, Missouri. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Wildwood, has documented historical and recent geomorphic change along Caulks Creek, simulated the hydrologic and hydraulic response of Caulks Creek to a variety of design storm scenarios, and simulated bank retreat...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, David C. Heimann, Kyle D. Hix, Charles V. Cigrand, Tyler J. Burk
Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 2—Optimal river conditions for egg and larval drift Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 2—Optimal river conditions for egg and larval drift
This study uses a one-dimensional steady-state hydraulic model and the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) to model the drift and dispersion of grass carp eggs and larvae in the Maumee River, Ohio, for 180 scenarios representing different combinations of 10 river flows, 6 water temperatures, and 3 spawning locations. The FluEgg simulations were used to quantify in-river suspended...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, Henry F. Doyle, P. Ryan Jackson, Charles V. Cigrand
Effects of climate change on the hydrologic and hydraulic response of the Caulks Creek basin, Wildwood, Missouri Effects of climate change on the hydrologic and hydraulic response of the Caulks Creek basin, Wildwood, Missouri
The city of Wildwood, Missouri, has identified fluvial erosion along Caulks Creek as a management priority due to potential effects to infrastructure and property. The upper and middle reaches of Caulks Creek flow intermittently (only immediately after precipitation), whereas the lower reach flows perennially. This study examines the effects of climate change and added storage on the...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, David C. Heimann, Tyler Joseph Burk, Charles V. Cigrand, Kyle D. Hix
Hydrologic modeling and river corridor applications of HY_Features concepts Hydrologic modeling and river corridor applications of HY_Features concepts
The WaterML2: Part 3 - Surface Hydrology Features (HY_Features) Conceptual Model was published by OGC in 2018. This report documents the use of HY_Features concepts in support of two key tasks: (1) local to continental hydrologic modeling; and (2) referencing river corridor data to hydrographic networks. The presented use cases are applicable in hydroscience research and assessments...
Authors
David L. Blodgett, J. Michael Johnson, Andrew R. Bock, Jessica Z. LeRoy, Martin R Wernimont
Historical hydrologic and geomorphic conditions on the Black River and selected tributaries, Arkansas and Missouri Historical hydrologic and geomorphic conditions on the Black River and selected tributaries, Arkansas and Missouri
The Black River flows through southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas to its confluence with the White River in Arkansas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Clearwater Dam on the Black River and a series of dams in the White River Basin primarily for flood control. In this study, the hydrology and geomorphology of the Black River are examined through an analysis of annual mean...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, Richard J. Huizinga, David C. Heimann, Evan M. Lindroth, Henry F. Doyle
Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) user’s manual Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) user’s manual
The Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) was developed to simulate the transport and dispersion of invasive carp eggs and larvae in a river. FluEgg currently (2020) supports modeling of bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), with the planned addition of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) once developmental data are...
Authors
Marian M. Domanski, Jessica Z. LeRoy, Michael Berutti, P. Ryan Jackson
Non-USGS Publications**
Sambrook Smith, G. H., Best, J. L., Leroy, J. Z. and Orfeo, O. (2016), The alluvial architecture of a suspended sediment dominated meandering river: the Río Bermejo, Argentina. Sedimentology, 63: 1187–1208. doi:10.1111/sed.12256
Sambrook Smith, G. H., J. L. Best, O. Orfeo, M. E. Vardy, and J. A. Zinger (2013), Decimeter-scale in situ mapping of modern cross-bedded dune deposits using parametric echo sounding: A new method for linking river processes and their deposits, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 3883–3887, doi:10.1002/grl.50703.
Zinger, J. A., B. L. Rhoads, J. L. Best, and K. K. Johnson (2013), Flow structure and channel morphodynamics of meander bend chute cutoffs: A case study of the Wabash River, USA, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 118, 2468–2487, doi:10.1002/jgrf.20155.
Konsoer, K., J. Zinger, and G. Parker (2013), Bankfull hydraulic geometry of submarine channels created by turbidity currents: Relations between bankfull channel characteristics and formative flow discharge, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 118, 216–228, doi:10.1029/2012JF002422.
Zinger, J. A., B. L. Rhoads, and J. L. Best (2011), Extreme sediment pulses generated by bend cutoffs along a large meandering river, Nat. Geosci., 4, 675–678, doi:10.1038/ngeo1260.
**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.
USGS Fluvial Erosion Hazards (FEH) Primer USGS Fluvial Erosion Hazards (FEH) Primer
This primer highlights methods used in regional and reach-scale assessments of fluvial erosion hazards (FEH) . Fluvial erosion includes bed erosion, meaning lowering of the bed of a stream, as well as bank erosion, which refers to the retreat of stream banks that occurs as a stream widens or migrates laterally.
Science and Products
Leveraging the National Water Model to Inform Binational Management of Invasive Carp in North America
Workflow and suitability of National Water Model outputs as inputs to existing invasive carp egg drift model
Filter Total Items: 25
National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2022 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025) National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2022 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025)
This data release presents a national cross-section (XS) database (NXSDB) of bathymetric cross-sections collected during water year (WY) 2022 (October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022). The WY 2022 NXSDB has been approved by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for publication and supersedes the provisional versions. The data were collected by hydrographers during routine site visits to...
National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2023 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025) National Cross-Section Database (NXSDB), Water Year 2023 (schema version 1.2.0, September 2025)
This data release presents a national cross-section (XS) database (NXSDB) of bathymetric cross-sections collected during water year (WY) 2023 (October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023). The WY 2023 NXSDB has been approved by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for publication and supersedes the provisional version. The data were collected by hydrographers during routine site visits to...
Archive of Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) Simulations of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missour Archive of Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) Simulations of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missour
The Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) version 3.3.1 (Ursic and Langendoen, 2021) was used to predict bank retreat at five locations along Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri, for a selection of design storm scenarios. BSTEM is a macro-enabled Excel spreadsheet (.xlsm file) that simulates the retreat of a bank profile due to a combination of fluvial and geotechnical processes...
Archive of hydrologic and hydraulic models used in the simulation of hydraulic characteristics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri Archive of hydrologic and hydraulic models used in the simulation of hydraulic characteristics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri
Substantial incision and widening of Caulks Creek within the City of Wildwood, Missouri, in western St. Louis County, poses a threat to stormwater and transportation infrastructure along with effects to residential and recreational property. Hydrologic and hydraulic models were used to estimate probabilistic streamflows and characterize and assess spatial and temporal changes in erosion...
Monitoring Data to Support the Operation of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, Illinois, October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019 (ver 2.0, Level 5 rev) Monitoring Data to Support the Operation of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, Illinois, October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019 (ver 2.0, Level 5 rev)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water surface flow reversals, commercial vessel traffic, and temperature and specific conductance in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS) on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago, Illinois. These data are planned to be released on USGS ScienceBase annually. This data release is the summary of all the...
Bathymetry and Water-Quality Data of Surface Water Bodies in Cook County, Illinois, 2023 (ver. 2.0, March 2025) Bathymetry and Water-Quality Data of Surface Water Bodies in Cook County, Illinois, 2023 (ver. 2.0, March 2025)
In 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Cook County Bureau of Technology (BoT), conducted comprehensive hydrographic and water quality surveys, along with activity and disturbance assessments of 58 total waterbodies encompassing lakes, rivers, and canals within Cook County, Illinois. These surveys and assessments describe the bathymetry, water-quality...
Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018 Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018
Beaver Lake was constructed in 1966 on the White River in the northwest corner of Arkansas for flood control, hydroelectric power, public water supply, and recreation. The surface area of Beaver Lake is about 27,900 acres and approximately 449 miles of shoreline are at the conservation pool level (1,120 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). Sedimentation in reservoirs...
Geomorphic change, hydrology, and hydraulics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri Geomorphic change, hydrology, and hydraulics of Caulks Creek, Wildwood, Missouri
Caulks Creek is a small stream that flows through the city of Wildwood in western St. Louis County, Missouri. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Wildwood, has documented historical and recent geomorphic change along Caulks Creek, simulated the hydrologic and hydraulic response of Caulks Creek to a variety of design storm scenarios, and simulated bank retreat...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, David C. Heimann, Kyle D. Hix, Charles V. Cigrand, Tyler J. Burk
Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 2—Optimal river conditions for egg and larval drift Reproduction of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Maumee River, Ohio: Part 2—Optimal river conditions for egg and larval drift
This study uses a one-dimensional steady-state hydraulic model and the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) to model the drift and dispersion of grass carp eggs and larvae in the Maumee River, Ohio, for 180 scenarios representing different combinations of 10 river flows, 6 water temperatures, and 3 spawning locations. The FluEgg simulations were used to quantify in-river suspended...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, Henry F. Doyle, P. Ryan Jackson, Charles V. Cigrand
Effects of climate change on the hydrologic and hydraulic response of the Caulks Creek basin, Wildwood, Missouri Effects of climate change on the hydrologic and hydraulic response of the Caulks Creek basin, Wildwood, Missouri
The city of Wildwood, Missouri, has identified fluvial erosion along Caulks Creek as a management priority due to potential effects to infrastructure and property. The upper and middle reaches of Caulks Creek flow intermittently (only immediately after precipitation), whereas the lower reach flows perennially. This study examines the effects of climate change and added storage on the...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, David C. Heimann, Tyler Joseph Burk, Charles V. Cigrand, Kyle D. Hix
Hydrologic modeling and river corridor applications of HY_Features concepts Hydrologic modeling and river corridor applications of HY_Features concepts
The WaterML2: Part 3 - Surface Hydrology Features (HY_Features) Conceptual Model was published by OGC in 2018. This report documents the use of HY_Features concepts in support of two key tasks: (1) local to continental hydrologic modeling; and (2) referencing river corridor data to hydrographic networks. The presented use cases are applicable in hydroscience research and assessments...
Authors
David L. Blodgett, J. Michael Johnson, Andrew R. Bock, Jessica Z. LeRoy, Martin R Wernimont
Historical hydrologic and geomorphic conditions on the Black River and selected tributaries, Arkansas and Missouri Historical hydrologic and geomorphic conditions on the Black River and selected tributaries, Arkansas and Missouri
The Black River flows through southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas to its confluence with the White River in Arkansas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Clearwater Dam on the Black River and a series of dams in the White River Basin primarily for flood control. In this study, the hydrology and geomorphology of the Black River are examined through an analysis of annual mean...
Authors
Jessica Z. LeRoy, Richard J. Huizinga, David C. Heimann, Evan M. Lindroth, Henry F. Doyle
Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) user’s manual Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) user’s manual
The Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) was developed to simulate the transport and dispersion of invasive carp eggs and larvae in a river. FluEgg currently (2020) supports modeling of bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), with the planned addition of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) once developmental data are...
Authors
Marian M. Domanski, Jessica Z. LeRoy, Michael Berutti, P. Ryan Jackson
Non-USGS Publications**
Sambrook Smith, G. H., Best, J. L., Leroy, J. Z. and Orfeo, O. (2016), The alluvial architecture of a suspended sediment dominated meandering river: the Río Bermejo, Argentina. Sedimentology, 63: 1187–1208. doi:10.1111/sed.12256
Sambrook Smith, G. H., J. L. Best, O. Orfeo, M. E. Vardy, and J. A. Zinger (2013), Decimeter-scale in situ mapping of modern cross-bedded dune deposits using parametric echo sounding: A new method for linking river processes and their deposits, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 3883–3887, doi:10.1002/grl.50703.
Zinger, J. A., B. L. Rhoads, J. L. Best, and K. K. Johnson (2013), Flow structure and channel morphodynamics of meander bend chute cutoffs: A case study of the Wabash River, USA, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 118, 2468–2487, doi:10.1002/jgrf.20155.
Konsoer, K., J. Zinger, and G. Parker (2013), Bankfull hydraulic geometry of submarine channels created by turbidity currents: Relations between bankfull channel characteristics and formative flow discharge, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 118, 216–228, doi:10.1029/2012JF002422.
Zinger, J. A., B. L. Rhoads, and J. L. Best (2011), Extreme sediment pulses generated by bend cutoffs along a large meandering river, Nat. Geosci., 4, 675–678, doi:10.1038/ngeo1260.
**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.
USGS Fluvial Erosion Hazards (FEH) Primer USGS Fluvial Erosion Hazards (FEH) Primer
This primer highlights methods used in regional and reach-scale assessments of fluvial erosion hazards (FEH) . Fluvial erosion includes bed erosion, meaning lowering of the bed of a stream, as well as bank erosion, which refers to the retreat of stream banks that occurs as a stream widens or migrates laterally.