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Joshua Valder

Midcontinent Region Science Coordinator

 

 

Education and Certifications

  • Doctorate of Philosophy, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, 2010, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City,SD;

    Masters of Science, Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Adjunct Professor, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

Science and Products

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photo of a dam in a dry stream bed

Rancho Ancón – Water Cycle Augmentation

The USGS is working with partners to understand the impacts of installing structures made from rock, sandbags and wood in channels at a dryland ranch in southern Baja California. Hydrogeological instrumentation, recording observations, modeling hydrogeological scenarios, and an interdisciplinary scientific study of the watershed interactions between water, ecological systems, and human activities...
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Land Change Science Program, Western Geographic Science Center
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Rancho Ancón – Water Cycle Augmentation

The USGS is working with partners to understand the impacts of installing structures made from rock, sandbags and wood in channels at a dryland ranch in southern Baja California. Hydrogeological instrumentation, recording observations, modeling hydrogeological scenarios, and an interdisciplinary scientific study of the watershed interactions between water, ecological systems, and human activities...
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Oil and Gas 4

Estimating National Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development

Project Period: 2016-ongoing Cooperator: U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program Project Chiefs: Ryan McShane and Jeremy McDowell
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Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Estimating National Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development

Project Period: 2016-ongoing Cooperator: U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program Project Chiefs: Ryan McShane and Jeremy McDowell
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Cedar Rapids

Characterizing the Hydrogeological Framework for the Cedar River Alluvial Aquifer System near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, using Airborne Electromagnetic Surveys

Project Period: 2016-18Cooperators: City of Cedar RapidsProject Chiefs: Eddie Haj (Iowa/Illinois Water Science Center) and Joshua Valder (Dakota Water Science Center)
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Dakota Water Science Center
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Characterizing the Hydrogeological Framework for the Cedar River Alluvial Aquifer System near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, using Airborne Electromagnetic Surveys

Project Period: 2016-18Cooperators: City of Cedar RapidsProject Chiefs: Eddie Haj (Iowa/Illinois Water Science Center) and Joshua Valder (Dakota Water Science Center)
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Collecting Water Samples from a Well in Armenia

Armenia - Building Groundwater Management Capacity for the Ararat Valley

Project Period: 2016-17Cooperator: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)Project Chief: Joshua Valder
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Dakota Water Science Center
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Armenia - Building Groundwater Management Capacity for the Ararat Valley

Project Period: 2016-17Cooperator: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)Project Chief: Joshua Valder
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Data to Estimate Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development, Permian Basin, United States, 1980-2019.

One of the largest conventional oil reservoirs in the United States, the Permian Basin, is becoming one of the world?s largest continuous oil and gas producing reservoirs. Continuous, or horizontal well drilling techniques extract oil and gas by directionally drilling and hydraulically fracturing the surrounding reservoir rock. The continuous extraction of oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing re
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New Mexico Water Science Center

Data to Estimate Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development, Williston Basin, United States, 1980-2017 (ver. 3.0, October 2022)

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides data to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Williston Basin during 1980-2017. Data included: Data records from the national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry, FracFocus, including the state, county, latitude and longitude of each well, and the year and volume of water used for hydraulic fracturi
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Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

MODFLOW-NWT model of the glacial aquifer system north of Aberdeen, South Dakota, through water year 2015

A previously developed three-dimensional groundwater flow model (https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20125183) of the three primary aquifers in the region north of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was revised to assist the City of Aberdeen with water-resource planning. The principal aquifers are the Elm, Middle James, and Deep James. The numerical model is intended to be used to (1) simulate hydrologic scenarios o
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Water Resources Mission Area, Dakota Water Science Center

Stratigraphic units of shallow unconsolidated deposits in Deadwood, South Dakota, delineated by real-time kinematic surveys

The City of Deadwood, South Dakota, has been working on a new archeological investigation in preparation for economic growth and expansion within the city limits, through the Deadwood Historic Preservation Office. During the excavation process, buried artifacts and historical features from the late 1800s have been uncovered. The stratigraphy of shallow unconsolidated deposits in the city of Deadwo
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Dakota Water Science Center

Delineation of selected lithologic units using airborne electromagnetic data near Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Cedar Rapids, began a study in 2013 to better understand the effects of drought stress on the Cedar River alluvial aquifer. After an evaluation of the existing groundwater-flow models for the alluvial aquifer, a plan was begun to construct an updated groundwater-flow model capable of evaluating the effect of prolonged drought and increase
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Dakota Water Science Center

Occurrence of volatile organic compounds in selected urban streams in the United States, 1995-2003

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program sampled 37 urban streams throughout the United States for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 1995 to 2003. These urban streams were selected to (1) characterize stream water quality from areas draining predominantly residential and commercial land uses and (2) determine which natural and human factors affect stream
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Water Resources Mission Area, Dakota Water Science Center

Volatile organic compounds in samples from domestic and public wells, 1985-2002

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program recently completed a national study of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Nation's ground water (Zogorski and others, 2006). Part of this assessment emphasizes the occurrence of 55 VOCs in samples from 2,401 domestic wells and 1,096 public wells during 1985-2002. Samples were collected prior to any treatmen
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Water Resources Mission Area, Dakota Water Science Center

The occurrence of volatile organic compounds in aquifers of the United States

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program recently completed a national assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water (Zogorski and others, 2006). As part of this assessment, samples of ambient ground water collected from 3,498 wells during 1985-2002 were selected for characterizing the occurrence of 55 VOCs in 98 aquifer studies. The 55 VOCs
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Water Resources Mission Area, Dakota Water Science Center
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Tapwater exposures, effects potential, and residential risk management in Northern Plains Nations

In the United States (US), private-supply tapwater (TW) is rarely monitored. This data gap undermines individual/community risk-management decision-making, leading to an increased probability of unrecognized contaminant exposures in rural and remote locations that rely on private wells. We assessed point-of-use (POU) TW in three northern plains Tribal Nations, where ongoing TW arsenic (As) interve
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Water Resources Mission Area, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Assessment of streamflow trends in the eastern Dakotas, water years 1960–2019

Hydrologic extremes, whether periods of drought or flooding, are occurring more frequently with greater severity and can have substantial economic impacts. Along with flooding, the timing and volume of streamflow also is changing across the United States. The focus of this report is to characterize a unique trend in mean annual streamflow occurring in eastern North and South Dakota, hereafter refe
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Dakota Water Science Center

Virtual training prepared for the former Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water—Streamgaging, fluvial sediment sampling, bathymetry, and streamflow and sediment modeling

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) created a virtual training series for the Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW), now known as the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority (NWARA), to provide critical hydrological training as an alternative to an in-person training. The USGS was scheduled to provide in-person surface-water training for NWARA during 2020; however, travel was halted bec
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Water Resources Mission Area, Dakota Water Science Center, Nebraska Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, International Programs

Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19, with comparisons to the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana

The Permian Basin, in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico is one of the largest conventional oil and gas reservoirs in the United States and is becoming one of the world’s largest continuous oil and gas (COG) reservoirs. Advances in technology have enabled oil and gas to be extracted from reservoirs that historically were developed using conventional, or vertical, well drilling techniques. Conv
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Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma Water Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Conceptual and numerical groundwater flow model of the Cedar River alluvial aquifer system with simulation of drought stress on groundwater availability near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for 2011 through 2013

Between July 2011 and February 2013, the City of Cedar Rapids observed water level declines in their horizontal collector wells approaching 11 meters. As a result, pumping from these production wells had to be halted, and questions were raised about the reliability of the alluvial aquifer under future drought conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Cedar Rapids, com
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Central Midwest Water Science Center

Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey started a topical study to quantify water use in areas of continuous oil and gas (COG) development. The first phase of the study was completed in 2019 and analyzed the Williston Basin. The second phase of the study analyzed the Permian Basin using the same techniques and approaches used for the Williston Basin analysis. The Permian Basin was selected for the sec
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Dakota Water Science Center

Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana, 2007–17

This study of water use associated with development of continuous oil and gas resources in the Williston Basin is intended to provide a preliminary model-based analysis of water use in major regions of production of continuous oil and gas resources in the United States. Direct, indirect, and ancillary water use associated with development of continuous oil and gas resources in the Williston Basin
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Water Resources Mission Area, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Groundwater characterization of the Madison aquifer near Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota

Jewel Cave National Monument in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota has more than 200 miles of mapped cave passages and several subterranean lakes that have been discovered since 2015. Jewel Cave is one of the world’s longest known caves and its natural beauty and unique natural cave features led U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to designate the cave as a national monument in 1908. Jewel
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Dakota Water Science Center

Groundwater-flow model and analysis of groundwater and surface-water interactions for the Big Sioux aquifer, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The city of Sioux Falls, in southeastern South Dakota, is the largest city in South Dakota. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the city of Sioux Falls, completed a groundwater-flow model to use for improving the understanding of groundwater-flow processes, estimating hydrogeologic properties, and analyzing groundwater and surface-water interactions for the Big Sioux aquifer in
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Dakota Water Science Center

Analytical framework to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas development

An analytical framework was designed to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas (COG) development in support of the U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program. This framework was developed to better understand the relation between the production of COG resources for energy and the amount of water needed to sustain this type of energy development in the Unit
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Dakota Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Generalized potentiometric-surface map and groundwater flow directions in the Madison aquifer near Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota

A generalized potentiometric-surface map of the Madison aquifer near Jewel Cave National Monument was constructed using water levels measured from calendar years 1988 to 2019 in 24 groundwater wells and 4 subterranean cave lakes interpreted to be in hydraulic connection with the aquifer. The map indicated that groundwater near Jewel Cave National Monument originates from recharge sources to the Ma
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Dakota Water Science Center

Application of a towed time-domain electromagnetic (tTEM) imaging system in Jamestown, North Dakota

Time-Domain Electromagnetic (EM) methods have been used for decades in support of groundwater investigations. A new towed Time-Domain EM system called “tTEM”, designed by Aarhus University, is being tested and evaluated under a collaborative research agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tTEM system is rapid and efficient, providing high-resolution, nearly continuous profiles of su
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Water Resources Mission Area

Science and Products

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government