Joseph Richards is a Hydrologist with the Central Midwest Water Science Center in Rolla, Missouri.
Joe has worked on many hydrologic studies and tasks throughout his career including: routine and
flood discharge measurements; routine monitoring and event driven groundwater and surface-water
water-quality studies in lakes, rivers, and wetland areas; groundwater modeling; bathymetric and land
surface mapping and map production with data collected using single-beam and multibeam
fathometers, ADCP equipment, RTK GPS equipment, and tripod lidar; UAS data collection and
mapping; basin characteristics determination for low-flow and flood frequency analysis, EPA project
assistance, and many others. Joe serves at the GIS specialist providing GIS support and report
assistance to staff when necessary. Joe serves as Missouri's USGS groundwater specialist interacting
with USGS hydrologists, state cooperators, and the public concerning Missouri groundwater topics and
issues.
Professional Experience
1990-Present USGS, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Rolla, Missouri
Education and Certifications
M.S., Geology, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1990
B.S., Geology & Mathematics, Southwest Missouri State University, 1987
Abstracts and Presentations
Heimann, D.C., Richards, J.M., and Wilkison, D.H., 1997, Agricultural chemicals in alluvial aquifers in Missouri after the 1993 flood: Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 26, no. 2, p.361-371
Science and Products
General water-quality conditions, long-term trends, and network analysis at selected sites within the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network in Missouri, water years 1993–2017
Missouri StreamStats—St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis urban application
The Ozark Plateaus Regional Aquifer Study—Documentation of a groundwater-flow model constructed to assess water availability in the Ozark Plateaus
Altitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
Bathymetric surveys of selected lakes in Missouri--2000-2008
Hydrologic and sediment data collected from selected basins at the Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation, Missouri--2010-11
Groundwater-flow model and effects of projected groundwater use in the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in the vicinity of Greene County, Missouri — 1907-2030
Geohydrologic Investigations and Landscape Characteristics of Areas Contributing Water to Springs, the Current River, and Jacks Fork, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri
Ground-Water Flow, 2004-07, and Water Quality, 1992-2007, in McBaine Bottoms, Columbia, Missouri
Water and Streambed-Sediment Quality in the Upper Elk River Basin, Missouri and Arkansas, 2004-06
Water-Quality Data, 1999-2005, and Ground-Water Level Data, 2004-2005, for McBaine Bottoms, Including the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Columbia, Missouri
Procedural Documentation and Accuracy Assessment of Bathymetric Maps and Area/Capacity Tables for Small Reservoirs
Use of High-Resolution Topo-Bathymetry to Assess Shoreline Topography and Future Development of a Slackwater Harbor near Dardanelle, Arkansas, October 2021
Supporting data for analysis of general water-quality conditions, long-term trends, and network analysis at selected sites within the Missouri Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network, water years 1993–2017
Bathymetric survey data of the Black River from Clearwater Lake Dam near Piedmont, Missouri, to southern Butler County, Missouri
Channel thalweg elevations for a 5 mile reach on the Maumelle River upstream of Lake Maumelle, Little Rock, Arkansas
Bathymetric and supporting data for Sugar Creek Lake near Moberly, Missouri 2018
Bathymetric survey data of the Black River from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to Pocahontas, Arkansas
Bathymetric data for Clearwater Lake near Piedmont, Missouri, 2017
Altitudes and Thicknesses of Hydrogeologic Units of the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018
Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018
Bathymetric contour map, surface area and capacity table, and bathymetric change map for Sugar Creek Lake near Moberly, Missouri, 2018
Bathymetric contour map, surface area and capacity table, and bathymetric difference map for Clearwater Lake near Piedmont, Missouri, 2017
Bathymetric map, area/capacity table, and sediment volume estimate for Millwood Lake near Ashdown, Arkansas, 2013
Differences in Reservoir Bathymetry, Area, and Capacity Between December 20-22, 2005, and June 16-19, 2008, for Lower Taum Sauk Reservoir, Reynolds County, Missouri
Potentiometric Surface of the Ozark Aquifer near Springfield, Missouri, 2006-07
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 23
General water-quality conditions, long-term trends, and network analysis at selected sites within the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network in Missouri, water years 1993–2017
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, collects data pertaining to the surface-water resources of Missouri. Established in 1964, the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network (AWQMN) consisted of 69 sites in 2017. Two additional sites from the National Water-Quality Program are included with the AWQMN sites for the analyses in this report. TheMissouri StreamStats—St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis urban application
To address a major limitation of the functionality of the Missouri statewide StreamStats application in the urban areas of St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, Missouri, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, defined watershed boundaries and hydrography for the study area using high-resolution 3-meter digital elevation data derived from liThe Ozark Plateaus Regional Aquifer Study—Documentation of a groundwater-flow model constructed to assess water availability in the Ozark Plateaus
Recent short-term drought conditions have emphasized the need to better understand the delicate balance between abundance, sustainability, and scarcity of groundwater in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey began construction of a groundwater-flow model as a tool for the assessment of groundwater availability in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. The model was devAltitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
A hydrogeologic framework was constructed to represent the altitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units within the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system as part of a regional groundwater-flow model supported by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program. The Ozark Plateaus aquifer system study area is nearly 70,000 square miles and includes parts of Arkansas, Kansas, MissourBathymetric surveys of selected lakes in Missouri--2000-2008
Years of sediment accumulation and abnormally dry conditions in the Midwest in 1999 and 2000 led to the water level decline of many water-supply lakes in Missouri, and caused renewed interest in modernizing outdated area/volume tables for these lakes. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, surveyed the bathHydrologic and sediment data collected from selected basins at the Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation, Missouri--2010-11
Commercial and residential development within a basin often increases the amount of impervious area, which changes the natural hydrologic response to storm events by increasing runoff. Land development and disturbance combined with increased runoff from impervious areas potentially can increase sediment transport. At the Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation in Missouri, there has been an increasGroundwater-flow model and effects of projected groundwater use in the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in the vicinity of Greene County, Missouri — 1907-2030
Recent and historical periods of rapid growth have increased the stress on the groundwater resources in the Ozark aquifer in the Greene County, Missouri area. Historical pumpage from the Ozark aquifer has caused a cone of depression beneath Springfield, Missouri. In an effort to ease its dependence on groundwater for supply, the city of Springfield built a pipeline in 1996 to bring water from StocGeohydrologic Investigations and Landscape Characteristics of Areas Contributing Water to Springs, the Current River, and Jacks Fork, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) is a narrow corridor that stretches for approximately 134 miles along the Current River and Jacks Fork in southern Missouri. Most of the water flowing in the Current River and Jacks Fork is discharged to the rivers from springs within the ONSR, and most of the recharge area of these springs is outside the ONSR. This report describes geohydrologic investigGround-Water Flow, 2004-07, and Water Quality, 1992-2007, in McBaine Bottoms, Columbia, Missouri
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Columbia, Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, collected ground-water quality data, surface-water quality data, and water-level data in McBaine Bottoms, southwest of Columbia. McBaine Bottoms, adjacent to the Missouri River, is the location of the municipal-supply well field for the city of Columbia, the city of ColumbiaWater and Streambed-Sediment Quality in the Upper Elk River Basin, Missouri and Arkansas, 2004-06
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, collected water and streambedsediment samples in the Upper Elk River Basin in southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas from October 2004 through December 2006. The samples were collected to determine the stream-water quality and streambed-sediment quality. In 1998, the Missouri Department of NatWater-Quality Data, 1999-2005, and Ground-Water Level Data, 2004-2005, for McBaine Bottoms, Including the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Columbia, Missouri
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Columbia, Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, collected ground-water quality data from June 1999 through August 2005, surface-water quality data from August 1999 through August 2003, and water-level data from February 2004 through August 2005 in McBaine Bottoms, southwest of Columbia. McBaine Bottoms, adjacent to the MiProcedural Documentation and Accuracy Assessment of Bathymetric Maps and Area/Capacity Tables for Small Reservoirs
Because of the increasing use and importance of lakes for water supply to communities, a repeatable and reliable procedure to determine lake bathymetry and capacity is needed. A method to determine the accuracy of the procedure will help ensure proper collection and use of the data and resulting products. It is important to clearly define the intended products and desired accuracy before conductin - Science
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Use of High-Resolution Topo-Bathymetry to Assess Shoreline Topography and Future Development of a Slackwater Harbor near Dardanelle, Arkansas, October 2021
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Little Rock District (SWL) Civil Works program has a mission to maintain cohesion between physical and naturally developed environments. Evaluation of shoreline stability and adjacent development of a harbor along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System at River Mile 202.6 is essential in establishing a baseline for potential impacts and future monitSupporting data for analysis of general water-quality conditions, long-term trends, and network analysis at selected sites within the Missouri Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network, water years 1993–2017
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), collects data pertaining to the surface-water resources of Missouri. These data are collected as part of the Missouri Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network (AWQMN) and are stored and maintained by the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database. These data constitute a valuableBathymetric survey data of the Black River from Clearwater Lake Dam near Piedmont, Missouri, to southern Butler County, Missouri
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Little Rock District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a bathymetric survey of the Black River from Clearwater Lake Dam near Piedmont, Missouri, to southern Butler County, Missouri, from June 16-19, 2020 and from June 22-24, 2020. One hundred and eight sites were surveyed at pre-established transect locations along a 45-mile reach atChannel thalweg elevations for a 5 mile reach on the Maumelle River upstream of Lake Maumelle, Little Rock, Arkansas
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) did a bathymetric survey of the lower reach of the Maumelle River upstream of Lake Maumelle, near Little Rock, Arkansas, from July 9-11, 2019. Channel bed elevations (thalweg) were collected to support a USACE modeling effort on a 5-mile reach of the Maumelle River. In parts of the reach where the waterBathymetric and supporting data for Sugar Creek Lake near Moberly, Missouri 2018
Sugar Creek Lake is located approximately 4 miles northwest of Moberly, Missouri, in Randolph County, and has a full-pool surface area of approximately 330 acres. The lake primarily is used for recreation and drinking-water supply for the town of Moberly, Missouri. An earthen dam approximately 38-feet high and 1,125-feet long was constructed across the Sugar Creek valley in 1922. The elevation ofBathymetric survey data of the Black River from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to Pocahontas, Arkansas
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the State of Arkansas made a bathymetric survey of the Black River from Popular Bluff, Missouri, to Pocahontas, Arkansas from July 12-25, 2018. One hundred sites were surveyed at pre-established transect locations along a 131-mile reach at distances spaced from about 0.1 to 4.8 miles apart. River-channel cross sections were surveyed to determinBathymetric data for Clearwater Lake near Piedmont, Missouri, 2017
Clearwater Lake, on the Black River near Piedmont in Reynolds County, Missouri, was constructed in 1948 and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood-risk reduction, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat. The lake area is about 1,800 acres with about 34 miles of shoreline at the conservation pool elevation of 498 feet. Periodically, many lakes operated by the U.S. Army Corps ofAltitudes and Thicknesses of Hydrogeologic Units of the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
A hydrogeologic framework was constructed to represent the altitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units within the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system (hereinafter referred to as the Ozark system). The Ozark system study area is nearly 70,000 square miles and includes parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Nine hydrogeologic units were selected for delineation within the Ozark system and - Maps
Bathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018
Beaver Lake was constructed in 1966 on the White River in the northwest corner of Arkansas for flood control, hydroelectric power, public water supply, and recreation. The surface area of Beaver Lake is about 27,900 acres and approximately 449 miles of shoreline are at the conservation pool level (1,120 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). Sedimentation in reservoirs can result iBathymetric map and surface area and capacity table for Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas, 2018
Beaver Lake was constructed in 1966 on the White River in the northwest corner of Arkansas for flood control, hydroelectric power, public water supply, and recreation. The surface area of Beaver Lake is about 27,900 acres and approximately 449 miles of shoreline are at the conservation pool level (1,120 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). Sedimentation in reservoirs can result iBathymetric contour map, surface area and capacity table, and bathymetric change map for Sugar Creek Lake near Moberly, Missouri, 2018
Managers of water-supply lakes need an accurate estimate of the lake capacity to ensure that enough water is available for uses such as: providing consistent recreation pool levels, preserving downstream aquatic habitat, flood abatement, water supply, and power generation. Lake capacity is particularly important for managers of water-supply lakes during periods of drought, unexpected population grBathymetric contour map, surface area and capacity table, and bathymetric difference map for Clearwater Lake near Piedmont, Missouri, 2017
Clearwater Lake, on the Black River near Piedmont in Reynolds County, Missouri, was constructed in 1948 and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood-risk reduction, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat. The lake area is about 1,800 acres with about 34 miles of shoreline at the conservation pool elevation of 498 feet. Since the completion of the lake in 1948, sedimentation likBathymetric map, area/capacity table, and sediment volume estimate for Millwood Lake near Ashdown, Arkansas, 2013
Millwood Lake, in southwestern Arkansas, was constructed and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for flood-risk reduction, water supply, and recreation. The lake was completed in 1966 and it is likely that with time sedimentation has resulted in the reduction of storage capacity of the lake. The loss of storage capacity can cause less water to be available for water supply, andDifferences in Reservoir Bathymetry, Area, and Capacity Between December 20-22, 2005, and June 16-19, 2008, for Lower Taum Sauk Reservoir, Reynolds County, Missouri
On December 14, 2005, the embankment of the upper reservoir at the Taum Sauk pump storage facility, Reynolds County, Missouri, catastrophically failed and flooded the East Fork Black River, depositing debris and sediment in Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, the lower Taum Sauk Reservoir, and downstream in the Black River (location map). A bathymetric survey conducted December 20-22, 2005, documentedPotentiometric Surface of the Ozark Aquifer near Springfield, Missouri, 2006-07
INTRODUCTION A study of the water resources of the Springfield, Missouri, area in the 1970s determined that a cone of depression, formed by ground-water pumping, had developed in the Ozark aquifer beneath the city (Emmett and others, 1978). Continued ground-water usage in the 1970s and 1980s caused concern that ground-water resources would not be sufficient to meet the future needs of Springfie