Julia Prokopec is a hydrologist with the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
She began as a student in 2011 at the Michigan Water Science Center in Lansing, Michigan as a student hydrologic technician. She received her A.S. in Watershed Science from Vermilion Community College in 2012, and her B.S. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Geohydrology from Bemidji State in 2014. Julia has worked on projects studying groundwater and surface water interaction, persistence of pesticides in groundwater and surface water, and water quality monitoring. Her focus is hydraulic modeling and flood-inundation mapping where she has led studies to be used by communities for hazard mitigation.
Education and Certifications
A.S., Watershed Science, Vermillion Community College, 2012
B.S., Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Geohydrology, Bemidji State University, 2014
Science and Products
Flood Inundation Mapping Toolbox
Flood Inundation Map (FIM) Libraries
Emerging Flood Inundation Mapping Technologies
Flood Inundation Mapping - Loss Estimation
FIM Toolbox: Prepare Your FIM Report
FIM Toolbox: Obtain Approval and Publish Your FIM Library
FIM Toolbox: Outreach and Education Resources
Flood Inundation Mapping Science
Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) Program
FIM Toolbox: Prepare Your FIM Science
Huron River near Hamburg, Michigan, flood-inundation model and field data
A conceptual workflow for projecting future riverine and coastal flood hazards to support the federal flood risk management standard
Water-surface profile maps for the Mississippi River near Prairie Island, Minnesota, 2019
Preliminary investigation of groundwater quality near a Michigan cemetery, 2016–17
Hydraulic modeling and flood-inundation mapping for the Huron River and Ore Lake Tributary, Livingston County, Michigan
Science center capabilities to monitor and investigate Michigan’s water resources, 2016
Science and Products
- Science
Flood Inundation Mapping Toolbox
The FIM Toolbox contains comprehensive information on the Flood Inundation Mapping program, including how to develop a flood inundation map library. Resources include process documents, scientific and technical requirements, forms and templates, outreach and educational materials, and contact information. The FIM Toolbox is updated as new resources become available.Flood Inundation Map (FIM) Libraries
The Flood Inundation Mapping Program focuses on developing flood inundation map libraries and helping communities pair those libraries with real-time stream data and National Weather Service flood forecasts to form a two-dimensional flood warning system. Together, these products can help communities estimate the extent of a flood and identify at-risk areas and resources in advance of floodwaters...Emerging Flood Inundation Mapping Technologies
The following technologies represent state-of-the-art tools, methodologies, and techniques that the USGS and our partners are researching and testing. Most of these techniques are experimental and not publicly available, but could significantly improve our ability to plan for and respond to flooding events in the future.Flood Inundation Mapping - Loss Estimation
Using a flood inundation map library to estimate where floodwaters will go and how deep they will be is crucial for planning and preparing for floods. By performing loss-estimation modeling, the potential physical, economic, and social impacts of disasters can be calculated, helping communities anticipate the effects of flooding and identify specific strategies to reduce losses and speed recovery.FIM Toolbox: Prepare Your FIM Report
The FIM Toolbox contains comprehensive information on the Flood Inundation Mapping program, including how to develop a flood inundation map library. This section of the FIM Toolbox provides information on how to prepare your FIM report. The Toolbox is updated as new resources become available.FIM Toolbox: Obtain Approval and Publish Your FIM Library
The FIM Toolbox contains a comprehensive information on the Flood Inundation Mapping program, including how to develop a flood inundation map library. This section of the FIM Toolbox provides information on obtaining approval and publishing your FIM library. The Toolbox is updated as new resources become available.FIM Toolbox: Outreach and Education Resources
Outreach and education resources to help build flood inundation libraries.Flood Inundation Mapping Science
When planning for a flood, there are three key questions that must be answered: What areas will be flooded? How deep will the flood waters get? When will the flood arrive? Historical flooding can help a community anticipate how much impact similar flood events could have, but there are other methods and tools that can provide more accurate and nuanced estimations of a wide variety of flood...Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) Program
Floods are the leading cause of natural-disaster losses in the U.S. More than 75 percent of declared Federal disasters are related to floods, and annual flood losses average almost $8 billion with over 90 fatalities per year. Although the amount of fatalities has declined due to improved early warning systems, economic losses continue to rise with increased urbanization in flood-hazard areas.FIM Toolbox: Prepare Your FIM Science
The FIM Toolbox contains comprehensive information on the Flood Inundation Mapping program, including how to develop a flood inundation map library. This section of the FIM Toolbox provides information on how to prepare your FIM science. The Toolbox is updated as new resources become available. - Data
Huron River near Hamburg, Michigan, flood-inundation model and field data
Digital flood-inundation maps for an 8-mile (mi) reach of the Huron River from downstream of Rickett Road to Strawberry Lake, Michigan, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Green Oak and Hamburg Townships, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The flood-inundation maps also include a 1.16-mi reach of the Ore Lake Tributary until it joins the Huron River, approximat - Publications
A conceptual workflow for projecting future riverine and coastal flood hazards to support the federal flood risk management standard
In 2021, the reinstatement of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) required federally funded projects to recognize potential increases in flood hazards over their service lives due to climate change or local anthropogenic perturbations. Recognizing that the state of the science had advanced since the implementation guidelines for this standard were published in 2015 (WRC, 2015, AppenAuthorsJory Seth Hecht, Douglas C. Marcy, Jacquelyn R. Overbeck, Lauren Schmied, Faith Fitzpatrick, Nicole E.M. Kinsman, Maria G. Honeycutt, Robert R. Mason,, Joseph Krolak, William C. Veatch, Julia G. Prokopec, Harvie Pollard, Allen Gellis, Daniel Sharar-Salgado, Edward Clark, Christopher P. WeaverWater-surface profile maps for the Mississippi River near Prairie Island, Minnesota, 2019
Digital water-surface profile maps for a 14-mile reach of the Mississippi River near Prairie Island, Minnesota, from the confluence of the St. Croix River at Prescott, Wisconsin, to upstream from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam No. 3 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams number MN00595) in Welch, Minnesota, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in coopeAuthorsAliesha L. Krall, Julia G. ProkopecPreliminary investigation of groundwater quality near a Michigan cemetery, 2016–17
The potential effect of cemetery leachate on groundwater quality in the United States has rarely been studied. Nutrients and other constituents associated with decomposition and burial processes (such as embalming) have the potential to reach shallow groundwater and could affect nearby drinking-water sources. The objective of this preliminary investigation was to evaluate the potential effect of cAuthorsAngela K. Brennan, Carrie E. Givens, Julia G. Prokopec, Christopher J. HoardHydraulic modeling and flood-inundation mapping for the Huron River and Ore Lake Tributary, Livingston County, Michigan
Digital flood-inundation maps for an 8-mile (mi) reach of the Huron River near Hamburg, Michigan (station number 04172000), from downstream of Rickett Road to Strawberry Lake, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Green Oak and Hamburg Townships, Michigan, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The flood-inundation maps also include a 1.16-mi reach of the Ore Lake TAuthorsJulia G. ProkopecScience center capabilities to monitor and investigate Michigan’s water resources, 2016
Michigan faces many challenges related to water resources, including flooding, drought, water-quality degradation and impairment, varying water availability, watershed-management issues, stormwater management, aquatic-ecosystem impairment, and invasive species. Michigan’s water resources include approximately 36,000 miles of streams, over 11,000 inland lakes, 3,000 miles of shoreline along the GreAuthorsJulia A. Giesen, Carrie E. Givens