Jonathan Warrick
My research focuses on the intersection of rivers and the sea. Topics include the movement of sediment within and from coastal watersheds, and how sediment can alter coastal landscapes and habitats. Recently these subjects have been addressed in my work on the Elwha River, Washington, where the largest dam removal project in U.S. history was completed in 2014.
In The News
2017, Los Angeles Times article, “Highway 1 was buried under a massive landslide. Months later, engineers battle Mother Nature to fix it”
2016, The Department of Interior and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, International RiverPrize Finalist
2015, New York Times article, “When Dams Come Down, Salmon and Sand Can Prosper”
2014, National Geographic news article, “World’s Largest Dam Removal Unleashes U.S. River After Century of Electric Production”
2013, Book, “Elwha: A River Reborn”
2012, Front-page Seattle Times article, “Dam gone, nature rebuilds Elwha River beach”
2009, Science Daily article, “Sediment Yield From The Tectonically Active Semiarid Western Transverse Ranges Of California”
2006, Environmental Science & Technology news article, “California’s Shifting Sands”
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, GS-15, 2016-present, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California
Research Geologist, GS-14, 2008-2016, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California
Research Geologist, GS-13, 2004-2008, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, GS-12, 2002-2004, USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Menlo Park, California
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., 2002, University of California, Santa Barbara
M.Sc., 1995, University Wisconsin-Madison
B.Sc., 1993, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Science and Products
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, April and May 2014
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2014
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, January 2015
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2016
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2015
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, February 2016
Dam Removal Information Portal (DRIP)—A map-based resource linking scientific studies and associated geospatial information about dam removals
Highstand shelf fans: The role of buoyancy reversal in the deposition of a new type of shelf sand body
Coastal change from a massive sediment input: Dam removal, Elwha River, Washington, USA
Sediment yields from small, steep coastal watersheds of California
Rapid water quality change in the Elwha River estuary complex during dam removal
Dam removal in the United States is increasing as a result of structural concerns, sedimentation of reservoirs, and declining riverine ecosystem conditions. The removal of the 32 m Elwha and 64 m Glines Canyon dams from the Elwha River in Washington, U.S.A., was the largest dam removal project in North American history. During the 3 yr of dam removal—from September 2011 to August 2014—more than te
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: coastal geomorphic change
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: source-to-sink sediment budget and synthesis
Understanding landscape responses to sediment supply changes constitutes a fundamental part of many problems in geomorphology, but opportunities to study such processes at field scales are rare. The phased removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, exposed 21 ± 3 million m3, or ~ 30 million tonnes (t), of sediment that had been deposited in the two former reservoirs, allowing a comp
Kelp, cobbles, and currents: Biologic reduction of coarse grain entrainment stress
Eel River margin source-to-sink sediment budgets: revisited
Trend analyses with river sediment rating curves
Earth is (mostly) flat: Apportionment of the flux of continental sediment over millennial time scales: COMMENT
Hyperpycnal plume-derived fans in the Santa Barbara Channel, California
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Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, April and May 2014
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2014
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, January 2015
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2016
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2015
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, February 2016
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta system - Maps
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Dam Removal Information Portal (DRIP)—A map-based resource linking scientific studies and associated geospatial information about dam removals
The removal of dams has recently increased over historical levels due to aging infrastructure, changing societal needs, and modern safety standards rendering some dams obsolete. Where possibilities for river restoration, or improved safety, exceed the benefits of retaining a dam, removal is more often being considered as a viable option. Yet, as this is a relatively new development in the historyAuthorsJeffrey J. Duda, Daniel J. Wieferich, R. Sky Bristol, J. Ryan Bellmore, Vivian B. Hutchison, Katherine M. Vittum, Laura Craig, Jonathan A. WarrickHighstand shelf fans: The role of buoyancy reversal in the deposition of a new type of shelf sand body
Although sea-level highstands are typically associated with sediment-starved continental shelves, high sea level does not hinder major river floods. Turbidity currents generated by plunging of sediment-laden rivers at the fluvial-marine interface, known as hyperpycnal flows, allow for cross-shelf transport of suspended sand beyond the coastline. Hyperpycnal flows in southern California have deposiAuthorsElisabeth Steel, Alexander R. Simms, Jonathan Warrick, Yusuke YokoyamaCoastal change from a massive sediment input: Dam removal, Elwha River, Washington, USA
The removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, provides an ideal opportunity to study coastal morphodynamics during increased sediment supply. The dam removal project exposed ~21 million cubic meters (~30 million tonnes) of sediment in the former reservoirs, and this sediment was allowed to erode by natural river processes. Elevated rates of sand and gravel sediment transport in theAuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew W. Stevens, Ian M. Miller, George M. Kaminsky, Melissa M. FoleySediment yields from small, steep coastal watersheds of California
Global inventories of sediment discharge to the ocean highlight the importance of small, steep watersheds (i.e., those having drainage areas less than 100,000 km2 and over 1000 m of relief) that collectively provide a dominant flux of sediment. The smallest of these coastal watersheds (e.g., those that have drainage areas less than 1000 km2) can represent a large portion of the drainage areas of aAuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, John M. Melack, Blair M. GoodridgeRapid water quality change in the Elwha River estuary complex during dam removal
Dam removal in the United States is increasing as a result of structural concerns, sedimentation of reservoirs, and declining riverine ecosystem conditions. The removal of the 32 m Elwha and 64 m Glines Canyon dams from the Elwha River in Washington, U.S.A., was the largest dam removal project in North American history. During the 3 yr of dam removal—from September 2011 to August 2014—more than te
AuthorsMelissa M. Foley, Jeffrey J. Duda, Matthew M. Beirne, Rebecca Paradis, Andrew Ritchie, Jonathan A. WarrickLarge-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: coastal geomorphic change
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m3 of mud, sand, and gravel since 1927, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, initiated in September 2011, induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the geomoAuthorsGuy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew W. Stevens, Ian M. Miller, Jonathan A. Warrick, Andrea S. Ogston, Emily EidamLarge-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: source-to-sink sediment budget and synthesis
Understanding landscape responses to sediment supply changes constitutes a fundamental part of many problems in geomorphology, but opportunities to study such processes at field scales are rare. The phased removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, exposed 21 ± 3 million m3, or ~ 30 million tonnes (t), of sediment that had been deposited in the two former reservoirs, allowing a comp
AuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, Jennifer A. Bountry, Amy E. East, Christopher S. Magirl, Timothy J. Randle, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew C. Ritchie, George R. Pess, Vivian Leung, Jeff J. DudaKelp, cobbles, and currents: Biologic reduction of coarse grain entrainment stress
Models quantifying the onset of sediment motion do not typically account for the effect of biotic processes because they are difficult to isolate and quantify in relation to physical processes. Here we investigate an example of the interaction of kelp (Order Laminariales) and coarse sediment transport in the coastal zone, where it is possible to directly quantify and test its effect. Kelp is ubiquAuthorsClaire C Masteller, Noah J Finnegan, Jonathan Warrick, Ian M. MillerEel River margin source-to-sink sediment budgets: revisited
The Eel River coastal margin has been used as a representative source-to-sink sediment dispersal system owing to its steep, high-sediment yield river and the formation of sedimentary strata on its continental shelf. One finding of previous studies is that the adjacent continental shelf retains only ~25% of the Eel River fine-grained sediment (less than 63 μm) discharged over time scales of both inAuthorsJonathan A. WarrickTrend analyses with river sediment rating curves
Sediment rating curves, which are fitted relationships between river discharge (Q) and suspended-sediment concentration (C), are commonly used to assess patterns and trends in river water quality. In many of these studies it is assumed that rating curves have a power-law form (i.e., C = aQb, where a and b are fitted parameters). Two fundamental questions about the utility of these techniques are aAuthorsJonathan A. WarrickEarth is (mostly) flat: Apportionment of the flux of continental sediment over millennial time scales: COMMENT
Recent synthesis of 10Be-derived denudation rates by Willenbring et al. (2013) suggests that the “flat” areas of the world, those with average slopes ofAuthorsJ.A. Warrick, John D. Milliman, D.E. Walling, R.J. Wasson, J.P.M. Syvitski, Stephen F. ArnoHyperpycnal plume-derived fans in the Santa Barbara Channel, California
Hyperpycnal gravity currents rapidly transport sediment across shore from rivers to the continental shelf and deep sea. Although these geophysical processes are important sediment dispersal mechanisms, few distinct geomorphic features on the continental shelf can be attributed to hyperpycnal flows. Here we provide evidence of large depositional features derived from hyperpycnal plumes on the contiAuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, Alexander R. Simms, Andy Ritchie, Elisabeth Steel, Pete Dartnell, James E. Conrad, David P. Finlayson - Software
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