Cooperative Matching Funds Program Manager for the Water Mission Area
Hydrologic Studies Chief for the USGS Dakota Water Science Center
Joel Galloway has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey for 29 years in North Dakota, Arkansas, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming and is currently the Acting Cooperative Matching Fund Program Manager for the Water Mission Area and Hydrologic Investigations Section Chief for the USGS Dakota Water Science Center. He has a Master of Science degree in environmental/civil engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the University of North Dakota. Joel has authored or coauthored over 50 scientific reports and journal articles on different water-quality, groundwater, and surface-water topics.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Civil Engineering, 2001 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota
B.S., Geology, 1996 University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Science and Products
Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Water resources
Evaluation of salinity and nutrient conditions in the Heart River Basin, North Dakota, 1970–2020
Measurements of streamflow gain and loss on the Souris River between Lake Darling and Verendrye, North Dakota, August 31 and September 1, 2021
Evaluation of hydrologic simulation models for fields with subsurface drainage to mitigated wetlands in Barnes, Dickey, and Sargent Counties, North Dakota
Groundwater assessment for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds associated with Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014–18
Characterization of historical and stochastically generated climate and streamflow conditions in the Souris River Basin, United States and Canada
Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality
Stochastic model for simulating Souris River Basin regulated streamflow upstream from Minot, North Dakota
Streamflow, sediment transport, and geomorphic change during the 2011 flood on the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan, ND
Runoff and water-quality characteristics of three Discovery Farms in North Dakota, 2008–16
Flood effects provide evidence of an alternate stable state from dam management on the Upper Missouri River
Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Cooperative Matching Funds Projects
Urban Waters Federal Partnership Cooperative Matching Funds Projects
Data and scripts used in water-quality trend and load analysis in the Heart River Basin, North Dakota, 1970-2020
Historical and Stochastically Generated Climate and Streamflow Data for the Souris River Basin, United States and Canada
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 52
Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Water resources
The Williston Basin has been a leading oil and gas producing area for more than 50 years. While oil production initially peaked within the Williston Basin in the mid-1980s, production rapidly increased in the mid-2000s, largely because of improved horizontal (directional) drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods. In 2012, energy development associated with the Bakken Formation was identified as aEvaluation of salinity and nutrient conditions in the Heart River Basin, North Dakota, 1970–2020
The Heart River Basin is predominantly an agricultural basin in western North Dakota and is approximately 3,350 square miles. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Grant County Soil Conservation District, completed a study to assess spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in the Heart River Basin. ThMeasurements of streamflow gain and loss on the Souris River between Lake Darling and Verendrye, North Dakota, August 31 and September 1, 2021
Dry conditions during 2020 and 2021 affected the water supply within the Souris River Basin and highlighted the need for better understanding of the streamflow dynamics for managing the resource during low-flow conditions. In June 2021, a loss of streamflow was observed on the Souris River between U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on the Souris River near Foxholm, North Dakota (site 1), and nearEvaluation of hydrologic simulation models for fields with subsurface drainage to mitigated wetlands in Barnes, Dickey, and Sargent Counties, North Dakota
Proper identification of wetlands, along with a better understanding of the hydrology of mitigated wetlands, is needed to assist with conservation efforts aimed at maintaining the productivity and ecological function (wetland mitigation) of agricultural lands. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, completed a studGroundwater assessment for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds associated with Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014–18
In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey began a study in cooperation with the Defense Logistics Agency and the U.S. Air Force to estimate groundwater-flow direction, install groundwater monitoring wells, and collect soil and groundwater samples for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds to identify the presence of hydrocarbon contamination at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, specifically around FuelsCharacterization of historical and stochastically generated climate and streamflow conditions in the Souris River Basin, United States and Canada
The Souris River Basin is a 61,000-square-kilometer basin in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada and the State of North Dakota in the United States. Greater than average snowpack during the winter of 2010–11, along with record-setting rains in May and June 2011, resulted in historically unprecedented flooding in the Souris River Basin. The severity of the 2011 flood led the UnitedGeochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality
Thirty water wells were sampled in 2018 to understand the geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin and assess potential effects of shale-oil production from the Three Forks-Bakken petroleum system (TBPS) on groundwater quality. Two geochemical groups are identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Group 1 represents the younger (median 4He = 21.49 × 10−8 cm3 STP/g), less chemStochastic model for simulating Souris River Basin regulated streamflow upstream from Minot, North Dakota
The Souris River Basin is a 24,000 square-mile basin in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, and the State of North Dakota in the United States. Above-average snowpack during the winter of 2010–11, along with record-setting rains in May and June of 2011, led to record flooding that caused extensive damage to Minot, North Dakota, and numerous smaller communities in Saskatchewan, MaStreamflow, sediment transport, and geomorphic change during the 2011 flood on the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan, ND
Geomorphic change from extreme events in large managed rivers has implications for river management. A steady-state, quasi-three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was applied to a 29-km reach of the Missouri River using 2011 flood data. Model results for an extreme flow (500-year recurrence interval [RI]) and an elevated managed flow (75-year RI) were used to assess sediment mobility through examinatRunoff and water-quality characteristics of three Discovery Farms in North Dakota, 2008–16
Agricultural producers in North Dakota are aware of concerns about degrading water quality, and many of the producers are interested in implementing conservation practices to reduce the export of nutrients from their farms. Producers often implement conservation practices without knowledge of the water quality of the runoff from their farm or if conservation practices they may implement have any eFlood effects provide evidence of an alternate stable state from dam management on the Upper Missouri River
We examine how historic flooding in 2011 affected the geomorphic adjustments created by dam regulation along the approximately 120 km free flowing reach of the Upper Missouri River bounded upstream by the Garrison Dam (1953) and downstream by Lake Oahe Reservoir (1959) near the City of Bismarck, ND, USA. The largest flood since dam regulation occurred in 2011. Flood releases from the Garrison DamEnvironmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4 M L (million liters) of wastewater (300 g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify geochemical - Science
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Cooperative Matching Funds Projects
New projects from coast to coast will advance the research on harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lakes, reservoirs and rivers. The vivid emerald-colored algal blooms are caused by cyanobacteria, which can produce cyanotoxins that threaten human health and aquatic ecosystems and can cause major economic damage.Urban Waters Federal Partnership Cooperative Matching Funds Projects
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership reconnects urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies, particularly those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution or economic distress. The UWFP draws upon Environmental Justice principles—the idea that all people, regardless of race, religion, national origin, or economic station, deserve... - Data
Data and scripts used in water-quality trend and load analysis in the Heart River Basin, North Dakota, 1970-2020
A comprehensive study to evaluate salinity and nutrient conditions in the Heart River Basin, North Dakota was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Grant County Soil Conservation District. In this dataset three zipped folders are provided which contain all files necessary to run trend, load, and geochemical models andHistorical and Stochastically Generated Climate and Streamflow Data for the Souris River Basin, United States and Canada
The North Dakota State Water Commission and International Joint Commission partnered with USGS to characterize the climate and streamflow in the Souris River Basin and develop a set of daily streamflow traces from 10-day stochastic streamflow traces discussed in Kolars and others (2016).The Kolars and others (2016) dataset is provided and was used to determine the statistical characteristics of hi