John W Fulton
John is a Research Hydrologist and DOI Remote Pilot for the Colorado Water Science Center.
John serves as a subject matter expert for all things non-contact. He collaborates with federal and state partners including state DOTs, EPA, FHWA, JPL, NASA, NOAA, USACE, and USFWS.
John’s research interests include (1) near-field remote sensing from fixed- and drone-based platforms, (2) Doppler and pulsed radars and cameras to measure river discharge, (3) ground-penetrating radars to measure channel bathymetry and snow depth, and (4) flood alert networks related to extreme precipitation events in post-wildfire basins.
Science and Products
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...
Science and Products
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...