John W Fulton
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.
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...