Jon Hortness
Mr. Jon Hortness is the Acting Regional Director for the Midcontinent Region (DOI Regions 3 and 5) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Mr. Hortness provides leadership for the activities being conducted at six USGS Water Resources Mission Area science centers and five Ecosystems Mission Area science centers across eleven states, spanning from the northern Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes and south to Kansas.
As the Great Lakes Science Coordinator for the Midcontinent Region, he also served as the USGS Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Program Coordinator.
Jon currently manages and coordinates all USGS activities funded under the GLRI. In that role, he also serves as the USGS Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Program Coordinator. Jon currently manages and coordinates all USGS activities funded under the GLRI. Jon works closely with USGS Science Center and Mission Area staff and other Federal Agencies to plan and implement GLRI projects and to identify areas where USGS can support restoration activities by providing relevant scientific information. He also helps to coordinate other USGS efforts in the Great Lakes basin with regional and national USGS programs, State Agencies, and Tribes. In addition, Jon represents USGS on several committees, workgroups, and teams that support the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) with Canada.
Jon began his career with the USGS, as a student in what is now the Dakota Water Science Center in Rapid City, SD. He worked for 8 years as a Hydraulic Engineer in the Idaho Water Science Center in Boise, ID. After a brief stint in private consulting, he rejoined the USGS as the Chief of the Northern Illinois Field Office of the Illinois Water Science Center in 2007. Since 2014, Jon has supported the Midcontinent Region with Great Lakes and GLRI efforts and he has been the Great Lakes Science Coordinator since 2017.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 25
Long-term Monitoring of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands and Contributions to the Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program
The Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (CWMP) is an EPA-led program to monitor the health of all Great Lakes coastal wetlands larger than four hectares. USGS scientists are working with Principal Investigators from many State and academic institutions to conduct data collection, implement standardized sampling protocols, analyze multiparameter data, and communicate results to the public.
Restoring Wetland Habitat and Function at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Hydrologic connectivity is essential to maintaining coastal wetland services and functionality. Impounded wetlands often do not provide essential services such as flood mitigation and nutrient retention, nor can they be utilized as spawning and nursery habitat by important Great Lakes fishes. The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge manages hundreds of acres of historical coastal wetland habitat...
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Ecology, Restoration, and Decision-Support Tools
USGS scientists developed the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment (GLCWRA) decision support tool to help resource managers prioritize where to invest in restoration activities. The Functional Assessment analysis tool helps managers quantify changes in ecosystem services associated with restoration actions.
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework – Active Adaptive Management
Non-native Phragmites australis (Common Reed) has become established across the Great Lakes basin, outcompeting native plants and degrading natural habitats. Phragmites is managed using a variety of resource-intensive techniques, yet effectiveness of treatment may vary due to infestation level, application methods, environmental conditions, or other factors. With the goal to reduce uncertainty in...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative and the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework
Broad coordination is required to overcome large-scale regional challenges such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites. Individual management actions may have local impact, but their implementation can be inefficient and landscape-scale impacts are limited. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites to Foster the Restoration of the Great Lakes
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative
Addressing a large-scale regional issue such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites requires broad cross-sector coordination. Little progress is made and cost efficiencies are reduced when each entity works independently. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a regional level with a common agenda and...
Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN
Water-quality “super” gages (also known as “sentry” gages) provide real-time, continuous measurements of the physical and chemical characteristics of stream water at or near selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A super gage includes streamflow and water-quality instrumentation and representative stream sample collection for laboratory analysis. USGS...
Foundations for Future Restoration Actions: Supporting Lake Partnerships
USGS supports Federal, State, and local and Tribal partner agencies with implementing aspects of Great Lakes Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) goals involving restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. This support includes coordination with Tribal natural-resources departments, USEPA, and other Federal, State, and local agencies. USGS scientists and managers participate in various...
Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI)
Since 2002, environmental organizations from the United States and Canada have teamed up each year to assess conditions in one of the five Great Lakes. This program is called the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI). Each year, the survey focuses on a series of research areas, such as phosphorus and nitrogen input and movement through the food web, phytoplankton and zooplankton...
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
The USGS collaborates with local, state, federal, tribal, university, and industry partners to conduct the science necessary to understand the causes and effects of toxic HABs and inform water management and public health decisions. USGS is characterizing the life cycle of HABs, their asociated toxins, and the genes responsible for cyanotoxin production. This work is enhancing the ability of Great...
Nutrient Monitoring Activities
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems. Reduction in nutrient inputs to the Great Lakes is a priority under both the Great lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. To support these efforts, USGS scientists across the Great Lakes region are monitoring the transport of nutrients at key locations.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 25
Long-term Monitoring of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands and Contributions to the Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program
The Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (CWMP) is an EPA-led program to monitor the health of all Great Lakes coastal wetlands larger than four hectares. USGS scientists are working with Principal Investigators from many State and academic institutions to conduct data collection, implement standardized sampling protocols, analyze multiparameter data, and communicate results to the public.
Restoring Wetland Habitat and Function at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
Hydrologic connectivity is essential to maintaining coastal wetland services and functionality. Impounded wetlands often do not provide essential services such as flood mitigation and nutrient retention, nor can they be utilized as spawning and nursery habitat by important Great Lakes fishes. The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge manages hundreds of acres of historical coastal wetland habitat...
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Ecology, Restoration, and Decision-Support Tools
USGS scientists developed the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment (GLCWRA) decision support tool to help resource managers prioritize where to invest in restoration activities. The Functional Assessment analysis tool helps managers quantify changes in ecosystem services associated with restoration actions.
Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework – Active Adaptive Management
Non-native Phragmites australis (Common Reed) has become established across the Great Lakes basin, outcompeting native plants and degrading natural habitats. Phragmites is managed using a variety of resource-intensive techniques, yet effectiveness of treatment may vary due to infestation level, application methods, environmental conditions, or other factors. With the goal to reduce uncertainty in...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative and the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework
Broad coordination is required to overcome large-scale regional challenges such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites. Individual management actions may have local impact, but their implementation can be inefficient and landscape-scale impacts are limited. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites to Foster the Restoration of the Great Lakes
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the...
Invasive Phragmites Science: Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative
Addressing a large-scale regional issue such as controlling a persistent invasive plant like Phragmites requires broad cross-sector coordination. Little progress is made and cost efficiencies are reduced when each entity works independently. The highly successful Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative builds collaboration and facilitates communication on a regional level with a common agenda and...
Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, IN
Water-quality “super” gages (also known as “sentry” gages) provide real-time, continuous measurements of the physical and chemical characteristics of stream water at or near selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A super gage includes streamflow and water-quality instrumentation and representative stream sample collection for laboratory analysis. USGS...
Foundations for Future Restoration Actions: Supporting Lake Partnerships
USGS supports Federal, State, and local and Tribal partner agencies with implementing aspects of Great Lakes Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) goals involving restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. This support includes coordination with Tribal natural-resources departments, USEPA, and other Federal, State, and local agencies. USGS scientists and managers participate in various...
Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI)
Since 2002, environmental organizations from the United States and Canada have teamed up each year to assess conditions in one of the five Great Lakes. This program is called the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI). Each year, the survey focuses on a series of research areas, such as phosphorus and nitrogen input and movement through the food web, phytoplankton and zooplankton...
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
The USGS collaborates with local, state, federal, tribal, university, and industry partners to conduct the science necessary to understand the causes and effects of toxic HABs and inform water management and public health decisions. USGS is characterizing the life cycle of HABs, their asociated toxins, and the genes responsible for cyanotoxin production. This work is enhancing the ability of Great...
Nutrient Monitoring Activities
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems. Reduction in nutrient inputs to the Great Lakes is a priority under both the Great lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. To support these efforts, USGS scientists across the Great Lakes region are monitoring the transport of nutrients at key locations.