John Jastram is a Hydrologist who serves as the Chief of the Watershed Studies Section and the Program Development Specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey's Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center in Richmond, VA.
John has been involved with a wide variety of USGS water-resources investigations since 2002, mostly focused on utilizing continuous water-quality monitoring to improve nutrient and sediment load estimation, and application of these methods in small urban watersheds. John became the Chief of the Watershed Studies Section in 2020. In this role he provides leadership for a team of scientists conducting monitoring- and modeling-based studies of surface water quality. John is also responsible for providing program development leadership within the Center.
Education and Certifications
M.S. in Environmental Science and Engineering, Virginia Tech
B.S. in Environmental Analysis and Planning, Frostburg State University
Science and Products
Harmful Algal Blooms Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
PFAS Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Fairfax County Water Resources Monitoring Network
Stream temperature rising throughout the Chesapeake Bay region
Roanoke River Study
Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring in Indian Creek
Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring for the Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project
Climate, Landscape, and Water-Quality Metrics for Selected Watersheds in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018
Environmental Sampling of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Middle Chickahominy River Watershed, Virginia, 2021-2022 (ver. 2.0, September 2023)
Inputs and Selected Outputs Used to Assess Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Streamflow, Water-Chemistry, and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Selected Streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018
Evaluating drivers of hydrology, water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrates in streams of Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18
Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey
Spatial and temporal patterns in streamflow, water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates of selected streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18
Science to support water-resource management in the upper Roanoke River watershed
U.S. Geological Survey Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Hampton roads regional Water-Quality Monitoring Program
Contaminants in urban waters—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey
Air- and stream-water-temperature trends in the Chesapeake Bay region, 1960-2014
Fluvial geomorphology and suspended-sediment transport during construction of the Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project in Roanoke, Virginia, 2005–2012
Evaluation and application of regional turbidity-sediment regression models in Virginia
Rising air and stream-water temperatures in Chesapeake Bay region, USA
Synthesis of thirty years of surface water quality and aquatic biota data in Shenandoah National Park: Collaboration between the US Geological Survey and the National Park Service
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.
Geonarrative: Coastal Resilience Initiative
The Coastal Resilience Initiative geonarrative is a data-driven, interactive narrative that shares information about the USGS-led Coastal Resilience Initiative while allowing viewers to explore past and ongoing work and access coastal science tools. The Initiative's mission is to provide information to protect lives, property, resources, and the economic well-being of coastal communities in the No
Science and Products
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Harmful Algal Blooms Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Excessive accumulations of algae that impair waterbodies, called harmful algal blooms (HABs), can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, reduce the quality of water resources, and can pose significant risks to human and animal health. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with state, regional, and local partners to evaluate the drivers and distribution of harmful algal...PFAS Investigations at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Exposure to some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. The Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works with local and regional partners to determine the drivers and distribution of PFAS contamination in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water supplies across Virginia and West Virginia.Fairfax County Water Resources Monitoring Network
In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested into the implementation of Best Management Practices in Fairfax County, Virginia, with the goal of improving water quality. Research has demonstrated that best management practices are effective at smaller scales, but less information is available to document the effectiveness of these best management practices at the watershed...Stream temperature rising throughout the Chesapeake Bay region
U.S. Geological Survey research, published in the journal Climatic ChangeRoanoke River Study
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Wilmington District and the City of Roanoke, Virginia began construction of a congressionally authorized Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project (RRFRP) in 2005. RRFRP implementation activities include: construction activities, stream bank vegetation changes, and floodplain geometry changes which are occurring in a complicated urban river system. These...Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring in Indian Creek
The primary objective of the USGS monitoring effort will be to identify whether the construction of the Indian Creek pipeline crossings will adversely impact the sediment water quality in Indian Creek. To accomplish this goal, continuous real-time water-quality monitoring will be the primary focus of the effort.Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring for the Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project
This project: (1) initiates a continuous water-quality monitoring study for the Roanoke River in the area upstream and downstream of the RRFRP project area; (2) provides a mechanism for detecting short- and long-term changes in Roanoke River suspended sediment water quality during and after the RRFRP implementation; and (3) assesses trends in suspended sediment water quality in this section of the... - Data
Climate, Landscape, and Water-Quality Metrics for Selected Watersheds in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018
This data release documents spatiotemporal water-quality, landscape, and climatic conditions in Fairfax County, Virginia from 2007 through 2018. These data were used to evaluate the water-quality and ecological condition of 20 Fairfax County watersheds monitored since 2007. Data include measures of water-quality, precipitation, air temperature, land use, land cover, wastewater and stormwater infraEnvironmental Sampling of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Middle Chickahominy River Watershed, Virginia, 2021-2022 (ver. 2.0, September 2023)
These data were collected to understand the occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the middle Chickahominy River watershed. Specifically, this effort was initiated to: 1. Determine concentrations of PFAS in surface water at select locations in the middle Chickahominy River watershed; 2. Determine concentrations of PFAS in edible portions of fish at select locations in the midInputs and Selected Outputs Used to Assess Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Streamflow, Water-Chemistry, and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Selected Streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018
Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and suspended-sediment (SS) loads, in Fairfax County, Virginia streams have been calculated using monitoring data from five intensively monitored watersheds for the period from water year (October - September) 2008-2017. Nutrient and suspended-sediment loads were computed using a surrogate (multiple-linear regression) approach with lab analyzed N, P, and SS samples as - Publications
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Evaluating drivers of hydrology, water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrates in streams of Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18
In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with Fairfax County, Virginia, to establish a long-term water-resources monitoring program to evaluate the hydrology, water quality, and ecology of Fairfax County streams and the watershed-scale effects of management practices. Fairfax County uses a variety of management practices, policies, and programs to protect and restore its water resources, butAuthorsJames S. Webber, Jeffrey G. Chanat, Aaron J. Porter, John D. JastramTechnical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey
The challenges associated with field measurements of turbidity are well known and result primarily from differences in reported values that depend on instrument design and the resulting need for reporting units that are specific to those designs. A critical challenge for making comparable turbidity measurements is the selection and use of appropriate turbidity standards for sensor calibration. TheAuthorsGuy M. Foster, Lindsey R. King, John D. Jastram, John K. Joiner, Brian A. Pellerin, Jennifer L. Graham, Thomas J. WilliamsSpatial and temporal patterns in streamflow, water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates of selected streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007–18
Urbanization substantially alters the landscape in ways that can impact stream hydrology, water chemistry, and the health of aquatic communities. Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are the primary tools used to mitigate the effects of urban stressors such as increased runoff, decreased baseflow, and increased nutrient and sediment transport. To date, Fairfax County Virginia’s stormwater mAuthorsAaron J. Porter, James S. Webber, Jonathan W. Witt, John D. JastramScience to support water-resource management in the upper Roanoke River watershed
Flooding, excessive sedimentation, and high bacteria counts are among the most challenging water resource issues affecting the Upper Roanoke River watershed. These issues threaten public safety, impair the watershed’s living resources, and threaten drinking water supplies, though mitigation is costly and difficult to manage.Urban development, land disturbance, and changing climatic patterns continAuthorsJames S. Webber, John D. JastramU.S. Geological Survey Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. In support of this mission, the USGS Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center works in cooperatioAuthorsJohn D. JastramHampton roads regional Water-Quality Monitoring Program
IntroductionHow much nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids are contributed by the highly urbanized areas of the Hampton Roads region in Virginia to Chesapeake Bay? The answer to this complex question has major implications for policy decisions, resource allocations, and efforts aimed at restoring clean waters to Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. To quantify the amount of nitrogen, phosphoruAuthorsAaron J. Porter, John D. JastramContaminants in urban waters—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey
Streams and estuaries with urban watersheds commonly exhibit increased streamflow and decreased base flow; diminished stream-channel stability; excessive amounts of contaminants such as pesticides, metals, industrial and municipal waste, and combustion products; and alterations to biotic community structure. Collectively, these detrimental effects have been termed the “urban-stream syndrome.” WateAuthorsJohn D. Jastram, Kenneth E. HyerAir- and stream-water-temperature trends in the Chesapeake Bay region, 1960-2014
Water temperature is a basic, but important, measure of the condition of all aquatic environments, including the flowing waters in the streams that drain our landscape and the receiving waters of those streams. Climatic conditions have a strong influence on water temperature, which is therefore naturally variable both in time and across the landscape. Changes to natural water-temperature regimes,AuthorsJohn D. Jastram, Karen C. RiceFluvial geomorphology and suspended-sediment transport during construction of the Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project in Roanoke, Virginia, 2005–2012
Beginning in 2005, after decades of planning, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) undertook a major construction effort to reduce the effects of flooding on the city of Roanoke, Virginia—the Roanoke River Flood Reduction Project (RRFRP). Prompted by concerns about the potential for RRFRP construction-induced geomorphological instability and sediment liberation and the detrimental effects thesAuthorsJohn D. Jastram, Jennifer L. Krstolic, Douglas Moyer, Kenneth HyerEvaluation and application of regional turbidity-sediment regression models in Virginia
Conventional thinking has long held that turbidity-sediment surrogate-regression equations are site specific and that regression equations developed at a single monitoring station should not be applied to another station; however, few studies have evaluated this issue in a rigorous manner. If robust regional turbidity-sediment models can be developed successfully, their applications could greatlyAuthorsKenneth Hyer, John D. Jastram, Douglas Moyer, James S. Webber, Jeffrey G. ChanatRising air and stream-water temperatures in Chesapeake Bay region, USA
Monthly mean air temperature (AT) at 85 sites and instantaneous stream-water temperature (WT) at 129 sites for 1960–2010 are examined for the mid-Atlantic region, USA. Temperature anomalies for two periods, 1961–1985 and 1985–2010, relative to the climate normal period of 1971–2000, indicate that the latter period was statistically significantly warmer than the former for both mean AT and WT. StatAuthorsKaren C. Rice, John D. JastramSynthesis of thirty years of surface water quality and aquatic biota data in Shenandoah National Park: Collaboration between the US Geological Survey and the National Park Service
The eastern United States has been the recipient of acidic atmospheric deposition (hereinafter, “acid rain”) for many decades. Deleterious effects of acid rain on natural resources have been well documented for surface water (e.g., Likens et al. 1996; Stoddard et al. 2001), soils (Bailey et al. 2005), forest health (Long et al. 2009), and habitat suitability for stream biota (Baker et al. 1993). SAuthorsKaren C. Rice, John D. Jastram, John E. B. Wofford, James P. SchaberlNon-USGS Publications**
Jastram, J.D., Zipper, C.E., Zelazny, L.W., and Hyer, K.E., 2010, Increasing Precision of Turbidity-Based Suspended Sediment Concentration and Load Estimates: Journal of Environment Quality, v. 39, no. 4, p. 1306 – 1316.
**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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Geonarrative: Coastal Resilience Initiative
The Coastal Resilience Initiative geonarrative is a data-driven, interactive narrative that shares information about the USGS-led Coastal Resilience Initiative while allowing viewers to explore past and ongoing work and access coastal science tools. The Initiative's mission is to provide information to protect lives, property, resources, and the economic well-being of coastal communities in the No