John is a hydraulic engineer, DOI sUAS remote pilot, and Research Hydrologist for the Colorado Water Science Center.
He has 35 years of experience in water resources engineering within the federal government and private sector with an emphasis in surface water, applied research, and project management. These works involved multi-agency collaborations including state DOTs, EPA, JPL, NASA, NOAA, USACE, and USFWS. His research interests include (1) remote sensing from fixed- and drone-based platforms, (2) operationalizing Doppler and pulsed radars to measure river discharge in small- and big-river systems, (3) deploying ground-penetrating radars to measure channel bathymetry and snow depth, and (4) installing flood alert networks related to extreme events including wildfires.
Professional Experience
2000 – U.S. Geological Survey
1991 – 2000 ENSR Consulting and Engineering
1986 – 1991 Delta Environmental Consultants
1985 – 1986 Twin City Testing
Education and Certifications
M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering (Hydraulics), University of Pittsburgh
M.S., Geology, University of Nebraska
B.S., Geology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Science and Products
Streamflows at Baca and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuges using Non-Contact Technology
Under-Ice: Computing Real-time Discharge
Fountain Creek Watershed Flood and Sediment Transport Study
Radar on Drones
Precipitation and Streamgage Flood Warning System
DEFEnS - DEbris and Flood Early warNing System
SWOT - Surface Water and Ocean Topography
Lidar Point Clouds (LPCs), Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and Snow Depth Raster Maps Derived from Lidar Data Collected on Small, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, 2020-22
Radar-based field measurements of surface velocity and discharge from 10 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for various locations in the United States, 2002-19
Near-field remotely sensed streamflow, channel bathymetry, and floodplain topography measurements in the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO collected March 2018
Drone- and ground-based measurements of velocity, depth, and discharge collected during 2017-18 at the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers in Colorado and the Salcha and Tanana Rivers in Alaska, USA
Water-surface elevations derived from submersible pressure transducers deployed along the Salcha River, AK, July -October 2018
Bathymetric survey of the Green River near Jensen, Utah, March 26-29, 2018
Water-surface elevations derived from submersible pressure transducers deployed along the Green River near Jensen, Utah, February-September, 2018
USGS HYDRoacoustic dataset in support of the Surface Water Oceanographic Topography satellite mission (HYDRoSWOT)
The applicability of time-integrated unit stream power for estimating bridge pier scour using noncontact methods in a gravel-bed river
Snow depth retrieval with an autonomous UAV-mounted software-defined radar
Uncertainty in remote sensing of streams using noncontact radars
QCam: sUAS-based doppler radar for measuring river discharge
Predicting the floods that follow the flames
Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge using radars and the probability concept at 10 USGS streamgages
Remote sensing of river flow in Alaska—New technology to improve safety and expand coverage of USGS streamgaging
Computing under-ice discharge: A proof-of-concept using hydroacoustics and the Probability Concept
Engaging the user community for advancing societal applications of the Surface Water Ocean Topography mission
Occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria and the relation to field water-quality parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09
Water-budgets and recharge-area simulations for the Spring Creek and Nittany Creek Basins and parts of the Spruce Creek Basin, Centre and Huntingdon Counties, Pennsylvania, Water Years 2000–06
Effects of high salinity wastewater discharges on unionid mussels in the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania
Non-USGS Publications**
https://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerManuals/EM_1110-1-4001.pdf.
**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.
Science and Products
- Science
Streamflows at Baca and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuges using Non-Contact Technology
The goal of this study is to design, install, and operationalize non-contact radar monitoring to measure streamflow at two sites at National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Where traditional monitoring equipment in a stream channel is difficult to operate and maintain, non-contact radar technology is a solution that provides more cost-effective and accurate continuous...Under-Ice: Computing Real-time Discharge
Under-ice discharge is estimated using open-water reference hydrographs; however, the ratings for ice-affected sites are generally qualified as poor. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, conducted a proof-of-concept to develop an alternative method for computing under-ice discharge using hydroacoustics and the Probability Concept.Fountain Creek Watershed Flood and Sediment Transport Study
The Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, is characterized by steep channel slopes and varied land use. Spatially distributed precipitation events result in varying rates of direct runoff. These dynamics contribute to large streamflows and sediment transport, which has caused periodic flooding, and sediment aggradation and deposition in Fountain Creek and its tributary streams. The U.S. Geological...Radar on Drones
Small, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) or drones can be used to monitor extreme flows in basins that (1) respond quickly to precipitation events, (2) are not gaged, (3) are located in terrain that restricts access and equipment deployments, and (4) are altered by events such as wildfires.Precipitation and Streamgage Flood Warning System
Rainfall amounts associated with the September 2013 Colorado Floods exceeded 15 inches in some locations and resulted in significant flooding along the Front Range (Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center, 2013). These events resulted in streamflows that compromised a variety of transportation structures such as bridges and culverts and roadways. By coupling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...DEFEnS - DEbris and Flood Early warNing System
The Waldo Canyon wildfire burned more than 18,000 acres within a perimeter of more than 19,000 acres. In response to the July and August 2013 floods in the Waldo Canyon watershed and in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the U.S. Geological Survey developed a warning system for Waldo Canyon associated with a wildfire burn scar, which are at risk to debris and...SWOT - Surface Water and Ocean Topography
Satellite altimetry associated with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission offers a solution for measuring (1) river stage and slope, (2) water surface area including mean channel width and (3) derivatives such as river discharge. The measurements can be used to track changes in these variables and provide an accounting of the Earth's fresh-water bodies from space at the reach scale... - Data
Lidar Point Clouds (LPCs), Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and Snow Depth Raster Maps Derived from Lidar Data Collected on Small, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, 2020-22
This data release consists of three child items distinguishing the following types of data: light detection and ranging (lidar) point clouds (LPCs), digital elevation models (DEMs), and snow depth raster maps. These three data types are all derived from lidar data collected on small, uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) at study areas in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, from 2020 to 2022. TheRadar-based field measurements of surface velocity and discharge from 10 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for various locations in the United States, 2002-19
Near-field remote sensing methods were used to collect Doppler velocity and pulsed stage radar data at 10 conventional U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in river reaches with varying hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics. Basin sizes ranged from 381 to 66,200 square kilometers and included agricultural, desert, forest, mixed, and high-gradient mountain environments. During the siting and operaNear-field remotely sensed streamflow, channel bathymetry, and floodplain topography measurements in the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO collected March 2018
A USGS Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) Aquatic Airshow field testing and demonstration event occurred March 20-21, 2018, on the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO, USA. At the airshow, a group of USGS scientists and technicians gathered to test non-contact sensors for measuring stream discharge using UAS and a sensor mounted on a tag line. Scientists at the event performed a series of tests to measuDrone- and ground-based measurements of velocity, depth, and discharge collected during 2017-18 at the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers in Colorado and the Salcha and Tanana Rivers in Alaska, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is actively investigating the use of innovative remote-sensing techniques to estimate surface velocity and discharge of rivers in ungaged basins and river reaches that lack the infrastructure to install conventional streamgaging equipment. By coupling discharge algorithms and sensors capable of measuring surface velocity, streamgage networks can be established inWater-surface elevations derived from submersible pressure transducers deployed along the Salcha River, AK, July -October 2018
The U.S. Geological Survey deployed seven submersible pressure transducers on the bottom of the Salcha River in July 2018. An additional transducer was left out of the water to correct for barometric pressure fluctuations. At the time of deployment, the bank position near each transducer and the water-surface elevation were measured with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment. The traBathymetric survey of the Green River near Jensen, Utah, March 26-29, 2018
A topographic and bathymetric survey was collected along a reach of the Green River downstream of Dinosaur National Monument. The surveyed reach extends approximately 16 kilometers upstream and 6 kilometers downstream of the U.S. Route 40 bridge near Jensen, Utah. The topographic and bathymetric data include survey point data for 382 cross sections over 22 kilometers and are provided as a text filWater-surface elevations derived from submersible pressure transducers deployed along the Green River near Jensen, Utah, February-September, 2018
Twenty one submersible pressure transducers were deployed along the Green River near Jensen Utah in late February 2018. At some locations two transducers were deployed at different elevations to capture the expected range of water level fluctuations, an "upper" and "lower" transducer. Two additional transducers were left out of the water to correct for barometric pressure fluctuations. At the timeUSGS HYDRoacoustic dataset in support of the Surface Water Oceanographic Topography satellite mission (HYDRoSWOT)
HYDRoSWOT HYDRoacoustic dataset in support of Surface Water Oceanographic Topography is a data set that aggregates channel and flow data collected from the USGS streamgaging network and includes 200,000+ records of USGS acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements. The data set includes a variety of fields including: mean depth, mean velocity, discharge, stage, water-surface w - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 21
The applicability of time-integrated unit stream power for estimating bridge pier scour using noncontact methods in a gravel-bed river
In near-field remote sensing, noncontact methods (radars) that measure stage and surface water velocity have the potential to supplement traditional bridge scour monitoring tools because they are safer to access and are less likely to be damaged compared with in-stream sensors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of radars for monitoring the hydraulic conditions that contribute toAuthorsLaura A. Hempel, Helen F. Malenda, John Fulton, Mark F. Henneberg, Jay Cederberg, Tommaso MoramarcoSnow depth retrieval with an autonomous UAV-mounted software-defined radar
We present results from a field campaign to measure seasonal snow depth at Cameron Pass, Colorado, using a synthetic ultrawideband software-defined radar (SDRadar) implemented in commercially available Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) software-defined radio hardware and flown on a small hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We coherently synthesize an ultrawideband signal from steppeAuthorsS. Prager, Graham A. Sexstone, Daniel J McGrath, John Fulton, Mahta MoghaddamUncertainty in remote sensing of streams using noncontact radars
Accounting for freshwater resources and monitoring floods are vital functions for societies throughout the world. Remote-sensing methods offer great prospects to expand stream monitoring in developing countries and to smaller, headwater streams that are largely ungauged worldwide. This study evaluates the potential to estimate discharge using eight radar units that have been installed over streamsAuthorsMushfiqur Rahman Khan, Jonathan J Gourley, Jorge Duarte, Humberto Vergara, Daniel Wasielewski, Pierre-Alain Ayral, John FultonQCam: sUAS-based doppler radar for measuring river discharge
The U.S. Geological Survey is actively investigating remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) from satellite-, high altitude-, small, unmanned aircraft systems- (sUAS or drone), and permanent (fixed) deployments. This initiative is important in ungaged basins and river reaches that lack the infrastructure to deploy conventional streamgaging equipment. By coupling alternatAuthorsJohn W. Fulton, Isaac E. Anderson, C.-L. Chiu, Wolfram Sommer, Josip Adams, Tommaso Moramarco, David M. Bjerklie, Janice M. Fulford, Jeff L. Sloan, Heather Best, Jeffrey S. Conaway, Michelle J. Kang, Michael S. Kohn, Matthew J. Nicotra, Jeremy J. PulliPredicting the floods that follow the flames
No abstract available.AuthorsJonathan J Gourley, Humberto Vergara, Ami Arthur, Robert A III Clark, Dennis M. Staley, John Fulton, Laura A. Hempel, David C. Goodrich, Katherine Rowden, Peter R. RobichaudNear-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge using radars and the probability concept at 10 USGS streamgages
Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) were measured using coherent, continuous wave Doppler and pulsed radars. Traditional streamgaging requires sensors be deployed in the water column; however, near-field remote sensing has the potential to transform streamgaging operations through non-contact methods in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agenciesAuthorsJohn Fulton, Chris A. Mason, Jack R. Eggleston, Matthew J. Nicotra, C.-L. Chiu, Mark F. Henneberg, Heather Best, Jay Cederberg, Stephen R. Holnbeck, R. Russell Lotspeich, Christopher Laveau, Tommaso Moramarco, Mark E. Jones, Jonathan J Gourley, Danny WasielewskiRemote sensing of river flow in Alaska—New technology to improve safety and expand coverage of USGS streamgaging
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors water level (water surface elevation relative to an arbitrary datum) and measures streamflow in Alaska rivers to compute and compile river flow records for use by water resource planners, engineers, and land managers to design infrastructure, manage floodplains, and protect life, property, and aquatic resources. Alaska has over 800,000 miles of rivers includingAuthorsJeff Conaway, John R. Eggleston, Carl J. Legleiter, John W. Jones, Paul J. Kinzel, John W. FultonComputing under-ice discharge: A proof-of-concept using hydroacoustics and the Probability Concept
Under-ice discharge is estimated using open-water reference hydrographs; however, the ratings for ice-affected sites are generally qualified as poor. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, conducted a proof-of-concept to develop an alternative method for computing under-ice discharge using hydroacoustics and the Probability Concept.The studyAuthorsJohn W. Fulton, Mark F. Henneberg, Taylor J. Mills, Michael S. Kohn, Brian Epstein, Elizabeth Hittle, William C. Damschen, Christopher D. Laveau, Jason M. Lambrecht, William H. FarmerEngaging the user community for advancing societal applications of the Surface Water Ocean Topography mission
Scheduled for launch in 2021, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will be a truly unique mission that will provide high-temporal-frequency maps of surface water extents and elevation variations of global water bodies (lakes/reservoirs, rivers, estuaries, oceans, and sea ice) at higher spatial resolution than is available with current technologies (Biancamaria et al. 2016; AlsdorfAuthorsFaisal Hossain, Margaret Srinivasan, Craig Peterson, Alice Andral, Ed Beighley, Eric Anderson, Rashied Amini, Charon Birkett, David M. Bjerklie, Cheryl Ann Blain, Selma Cherchali, Cédric H. David, Bradley D. Doorn, Jorge Escurra, Lee-Lueng Fu, Chris Frans, John W. Fulton, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Subimal Ghosh, Colin Gleason, Marielle Gosset, Jessica Hausman, Gregg Jacobs, John W. Jones, Yasir Kaheil, Benoit Laignel, Patrick Le Moigne, Li Li, Fabien Lefèvre, Robert R. Mason,, Amita Mehta, Abhijit Mukherjee, Anthony Nguy-Robertson, Sophie Ricci, Adrien Paris, Tamlin Pavelsky, Nicolas Picot, Guy Schumann, Sudhir Shrestha, Pierre-Yves Le Traon, Eric TrehubenkoOccurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria and the relation to field water-quality parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, collected surface-water samples from the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries during the period 2001–09 to assess the occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria during both wet- and dry-weather conditions. AAuthorsJohn W. Fulton, Edward H. Koerkle, Jamie L. McCoy, Linda F. ZarrWater-budgets and recharge-area simulations for the Spring Creek and Nittany Creek Basins and parts of the Spruce Creek Basin, Centre and Huntingdon Counties, Pennsylvania, Water Years 2000–06
This report describes the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with ClearWater Conservancy and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to develop a hydrologic model to simulate a water budget and identify areas of greater than average recharge for the Spring Creek Basin in central Pennsylvania. The model was developed to help policy makers, natural resourAuthorsJohn W. Fulton, Dennis W. Risser, R. Steve Regan, John F. Walker, Randall J. Hunt, Richard G. Niswonger, Scott A. Hoffman, Steven L. MarkstromEffects of high salinity wastewater discharges on unionid mussels in the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania
We examined the effect of high salinity wastewater (brine) from oil and natural gas drilling on freshwater mussels in the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania, during 2012. Mussel cages (N = 5 per site) were deployed at two sites upstream and four sites downstream of a brine treatment facility on the Allegheny River. Each cage contained 20 juvenile northern riffleshell mussels Epioblasma torulosa rangianAuthorsKathleen A. Patnode, Elizabeth Hittle, Robert Anderson, Lora Zimmerman, John W. FultonNon-USGS Publications**
Fulton J.W., Spalding R.F., 1986, Groundwater RDX and TNT residues in Hall County, Nebraska, Open File Report, Conservation and Survey Division, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, p. 35.Fulton, J.W., 1987, The distribution of explosive residues and nitrate-nitrogen in the groundwater west of Grand Island, Nebraska, M.S. Thesis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, p. 66.Spalding, R. F., and Fulton, J. W., 1988, Groundwater munition residues and nitrate near Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S.A.: Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, v. 2, no. 2, p.139–153, https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-7722(88)90004-6.ENSR Corporation (Contributing Author), 1994, Soil vapor extraction and bioventing, EM 1110-1-4001. Prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, https://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerManuals/EM_1110-1-4001.pdf.ENSR Corporation (Contributing Author), 1997, In Situ Air Sparging, EM 1110-1-4005. Prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, https://pdhonline.com/courses/c468/in%20situ%20air%20sparging%20manual.pdf
https://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerManuals/EM_1110-1-4001.pdf.
Fulton, J.W., 1999, Comparison of conventional and probability-based modeling of open-channel flow in the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania, USA, M.S. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.Chiu, C.-L., Tung, N.C., Hsu, S.M., and Fulton, J.W., 2001, Comparison and assessment of methods of measuring discharge in rivers and streams, Research Report No. CEEWR-4, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Corato G., Moramarco T., Tucciarelli T., Fulton J.W., 2015, Continuous discharge monitoring using non-contact methods for velocity measurements: Uncertainty analysis. In: Lollino G., Arattano M., Rinaldi M., Giustolisi O., Marechal JC., Grant G. (eds) Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 3. Springer, Cham., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09054-2_123.Durand, M., Gleason, C.J., Garambois, P.A., Bjerklie, D., Smith, L.C., Roux, H., Rodriguez, E, Bates, P.D., Pavelsky, T.M., Monnier, J., Chen, X., Di Baldassarre, G., Fiset, J.-M., Flipo, N., Frasson, R. P. d. M., Fulton, J.W., Goutal, N., Hossain, F., Humphries, E., Minera, J. T., Mukolwe, M. M., Neal, J. C., Ricci, S., Sanders, B. F., Schumann, G., Schubert, J. E., and Vilmin, L., 2016, An intercomparison of remote sensing river discharge estimation algorithms from measurements of river height, width, and slope, Water Resour. Res.,52, 4527–4549, doi:10.1002/2015WR01843.Bjerklie, D.M., Birkett, C.M., Jones, J.W., Carabajal, C., Rover, J.A., Fulton, J.W., and Garambois, P.-A., 2018, Satellite remote sensing estimation of river discharge: Application to the Yukon River Alaska, Journal of Hydrology, 561, p. 1000-1018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.04.005.Lane, J.W., Jr., Fulton, J.W., Onufer, A., Dawson, C.B., 2019, Development of a drone-deployed ground-penetrating radar system for non-contact bathymetry of freshwater systems, AGU-SEG Airborne Geophysics Workshop, Davie, FL, June 11-13, https://agu.confex.com/agu/19workshop1/webprogram/Paper478877.htmlMoramarco, T., Barbetta, S., Bjerklie, D.M., Fulton, J. W., and Tarpanelli, A., 2019, River bathymetry estimate and discharge assessment from remote sensing. Water Resources Research, 55, p. 6692-6711, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR024220.l.2018.04.005.Lane, Jr., J.W., Dawson, C.B., White, E.A., and Fulton, J.W., 2020, Non-contact measurement of river bathymetry using sUAS Radar: Recent developments and examples from the Northeastern United States, SEG Global Meeting Abstracts : 119-122, https://doi.org/10.1190/iceg2019-031.1Bjerklie, D. M., Fulton, J. W., Dingman, S. L., Canova, M. G., Minear, J. T., and Moramarco, T., 2020, Fundamental hydraulics of cross sections in natural rivers: Preliminary analysis of a large data set of acoustic Doppler flow measurements, Water Resources Research, 56, e2019WR025986, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025986.**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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