Justin is a Hydrologist for the USGS Indiana-Kentucky Water Science Center in Louisville, KY. He is experienced with hydroacoustic instruments, bathymetric surveying, programming, and hydraulic modeling.
Education
Master of Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013
Bachelor of Science, Engineering (Civil/Environmental Concentration), Calvin College, 2009
Science and Products
Flood-inundation maps for Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky
State of the science and decision support for measuring suspended sediment with acoustic instrumentation
Circulation, mixing, and transport in nearshore Lake Erie in the vicinity of Villa Angela Beach and Euclid Creek, Cleveland, Ohio, June 10–12, 2019, and August 19–21, 2019
Supporting data and simulation of hypothetical bighead carp egg and larvae development and transport in the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam, Kentucky and Indiana, by use of the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator
Bathymetric surveys of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in central Indiana made with a multibeam echosounder, 2016, and comparison with previous surveys
Acoustic Sediment Estimation Toolbox (ASET): A software package for calibrating and processing TRDI ADCP data to compute suspended-sediment transport in sandy rivers
Dunes in the world's big rivers are characterized by low-angle lee-side slopes and a complex shape
Potential interaction of groundwater and surface water including autonomous underwater vehicle reconnaissance at Nolin River Lake, Kentucky, 2016
Measuring suspended sediment in sand-bedded rivers using down-looking acoustic doppler current profilers
Flood-inundation maps for the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky
Development of a hydraulic model and flood-inundation maps for the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
River meander modeling of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Sediment Acoustics
Bridge Scour Countermeasures
River Meander Modeling - Wabash River
Flood Inundation Mapping in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis and Modeling
Bathymetric Surveys
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV)
Advanced Mapping Technologies
Bathymetry of the Green River near Brownsville, Kentucky, July 2023
Geospatial datasets and hydraulic model for the flood-inundation study of Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky
Velocity surveys and three-dimensional point measurements of basic water-quality constituents in nearshore Lake Erie in the vicinity of Villa Angela Beach and Euclid Creek, Cleveland, Ohio, June 10–12, 2019, and August 19–21, 2019
Measurements of velocity and bathymetry in the tailwater of Kentucky Dam (Tennessee River) near Gilbertsville, Kentucky, September 17-18, 2020
Velocity and water-quality surveys in the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam, Kentucky and Indiana, October 27-November 4, 2016, and June 26-29, 2017
Bathymetry of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in Central Indiana, 2016
Geospatial datasets and model for the flood-inundation study of the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky
Bathymetry of Bourbon Lake and Williams Lake near Loretto, Kentucky, April 9-10, 2018
Geospatial output data from the RVR Meander model of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
Geospatial datasets and model for the flood-inundation study of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
USGS bathymetric and hydrodynamic survey of Lake Michigan nearshore near Ogden Dunes/Burns Harbor, Indiana
Multibeam bathymetry and sediment depth data at select locations on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, February 1314, 2017
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 15
Flood-inundation maps for Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.4-mile reach of Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Silver Grove and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District. Because the City of Silver Grove is subject to flooding from Fourmile Creek and the Ohio River (backwater flooding up Fourmile Creek), a set of flood-iAuthorsJustin A. BoldtState of the science and decision support for measuring suspended sediment with acoustic instrumentation
Acoustic instrumentation can be used to provide time-series and discrete estimates of suspended-sediment concentration, load, and sediment particle sizes in fluvial systems, which are essential for creating informed solutions to many sediment-related environmental, engineering, and land management concerns. Historically, scientists have developed relations between suspended sediment characteristicAuthorsMolly S. Wood, Joel T. Groten, Timothy D. Straub, Dan R.W. Haught, Ronald E. Griffiths, Justin A. Boldt, Zulimar Lucena, Jeb E. Brown, Steven E. Suttles, Patrick J. DickhudtCirculation, mixing, and transport in nearshore Lake Erie in the vicinity of Villa Angela Beach and Euclid Creek, Cleveland, Ohio, June 10–12, 2019, and August 19–21, 2019
Villa Angela Beach, on the Lake Erie lakeshore near Cleveland, Ohio, is just west of the mouth of Euclid Creek, a small, flashy stream that drains approximately 23 square miles and is susceptible to periodic contamination from combined sewer overflows (CSOs; 190 and 189 events in 2018 and 2019, respectively). Concerns about high concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in water samples collectAuthorsJustin A. Boldt, P. Ryan JacksonSupporting data and simulation of hypothetical bighead carp egg and larvae development and transport in the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam, Kentucky and Indiana, by use of the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator
Data collection, along with hydraulic and fluvial egg transport modeling, was completed along a 70.9-mile reach of the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam in Kentucky and Indiana. Water-quality data collected in this reach included surface measurements and vertical profiles of water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, relative chloroAuthorsChad J. Ostheimer, Justin A. Boldt, Paul M. BuszkaBathymetric surveys of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in central Indiana made with a multibeam echosounder, 2016, and comparison with previous surveys
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Citizens Energy Group, conducted a bathymetric survey of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in central Indiana in April and May of 2016 with a multibeam echosounder. Both reservoirs serve as water supply, flood control, and recreational resources for the city of Indianapolis and the surrounding communities.Morse and Geist Reservoirs were surveyed to create uAuthorsJustin A. Boldt, Zachary W. MartinAcoustic Sediment Estimation Toolbox (ASET): A software package for calibrating and processing TRDI ADCP data to compute suspended-sediment transport in sandy rivers
Quantifying suspended-sediment transport is critical for a variety of disciplines related to the management of water resources. However, the number of gauging stations and monitoring networks in most rivers around the world is insufficient to improve understanding of river dynamics and support water resource management decisions. This is mainly due to the high operational costs and intensive laborAuthorsLucas Gerardo Dominguez Ruben, Ricardo Szupiany, Francisco Latosinski, Cecilia Lopez Weibel, Molly S. Wood, Justin A. BoldtDunes in the world's big rivers are characterized by low-angle lee-side slopes and a complex shape
Dunes form critical agents of bedload transport in all of the world’s big rivers, and constitute appreciable sources of bed roughness and flow resistance. Dunes also generate stratification that is the most common depositional feature of ancient riverine sediments. However, current models of dune dynamics and stratification are conditioned by bedform geometries observed in small rivers and laboratAuthorsJulia Cisneros, Jim L. Best, Thaienne van Dijk, Renato Paes de Almeida, Mario Amsler, Justin A. Boldt, Bernardo Freitas, Cristiano Galeazzi, Richard J. Huizinga, Marco Ianniruberto, Hongbo Ma, Jeff Nittrouer, Kevin Oberg, Oscar Orfeo, Daniel Parsons, Ricardo N. Szupiany, Ping Wang, Yuanfeng ZhangPotential interaction of groundwater and surface water including autonomous underwater vehicle reconnaissance at Nolin River Lake, Kentucky, 2016
The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, on a synoptic study of water quality at Nolin River Lake during August 2016. The purpose of the study was to develop a better understanding of the potential for interaction between groundwater and surface water at Nolin River Lake, Kentucky. Groundwater can have properties that are measurably differAuthorsAngela S. Crain, Justin A. Boldt, Randall E. Bayless, Aubrey R. Bunch, Jade L. Young, Jennifer C. Thomason, Zachary L. WolfMeasuring suspended sediment in sand-bedded rivers using down-looking acoustic doppler current profilers
The use of side-looking acoustic Doppler velocity meters (ADVMs) to estimate fluvial suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) has become more operational by the U.S. Geological Survey in recent years; however, direct transfer of these techniques to down-looking acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) currently is not widely feasible. Key assumptions in the sidelooking ADVM method related to sediAuthorsMolly S. Wood, Ricardo N. Szupiany, Justin A. Boldt, Timothy D. Straub, Marian M. DomanskiFlood-inundation maps for the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 7.1-mile reach of the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky (Ky.), were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Kentucky Silver Jackets and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at https://water.usgs.gov/AuthorsJustin A. Boldt, Jeremiah G. Lant, Nicholas E. KolarikDevelopment of a hydraulic model and flood-inundation maps for the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
A two-dimensional hydraulic model and digital flood‑inundation maps were developed for a 30-mile reach of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Flood Inundation Mapping Science web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent andAuthorsJustin A. BoldtRiver meander modeling of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
Natural river channels continually evolve and change shape over time. As a result, channel evolution or migration can cause problems for bridge structures that are fixed in the flood plain. A once-stable bridge structure that was uninfluenced by a river’s shape could be encroached upon by a migrating river channel. The potential effect of the actively meandering Wabash River on the Interstate 64 BAuthorsJeremiah G. Lant, Justin A. BoldtNon-USGS Publications**
Boldt, J.A. and Oberg, K.A. (2015). "Validation of Streamflow Measurements Made with M9 and RiverRay Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers." J. Hydraul. Eng., 10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001087, 04015054.Boldt, J.A., 2013, Use of numerical simulations to investigate the performance of a virtual acoustic Doppler current profiler in characterizing flow, M.S. Thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 76 p.Simmons, S.M., D.R. Parsons, J.L. Best, O. Orfeo, J.A. Czuba, J.A. Boldt, and K.A. Oberg, 2013, Analysis of coherent flow structures over alluvial dunes revealed by multi-beam echo-sounder acoustic backscatter, Proceedings of Marine and River Dune Dynamics IV, Bruges, Belgium, 15–16 April.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Science
Sediment Acoustics
The U.S. Geological Survey recognizes the need to provide sediment acoustic training and to develop standardized techniques and practices.Bridge Scour Countermeasures
Flood events on rivers can cause erosion of the soil around a bridge foundation. This process is frequently referred to as bridge scour. Over time, scour can lead to bridge failure. To manage the risk from bridge scour, countermeasures are now used on bridge foundations. USGS scientists will be evaluating these bridge scour countermeasures at bridges across the country on rivers of various sizes.River Meander Modeling - Wabash River
Significant flood events on the Wabash River between 3 mi downstream of Mt. Carmel, IL to 10 mi downstream from New Harmony, IN caused the collapse of the railroad pier, bridge, and trusses which crossed the river. Scientists are using two models to evaluate how future flooding may impact the current I-64 bridge and the river channel. One model will focus on river meander migration. The second...Flood Inundation Mapping in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana
Flood inundation maps (FIMs) translate the stage of a river (shown on a hydrograph) to a map showing the extent and depth of flood waters. FIMS are created by combining datasets calculated by hydraulic models with ArcGIS, a geographic information system. FIMs can be used in conjunction with USGS real-time data and National Weather Service Flood Forecasts to plan and prepare for flood events. FIMs...Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis and Modeling
USGS scientists can perform numerical simulations with the FLOW-3D application. FLOW-3D is a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package with multi-physics modules. It solves the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes and continuity equations in a structured, rectangular grid. USGS scientists use CFD models to design equipment (such as the USGS DH-84 sediment sampler), assess hydraulic conditions...Bathymetric Surveys
Bathymetric surveys allow us to measure the depth of a water body as well as map the underwater features of a water body. Multiple methods can be used for bathymetric surveys including multi-beam and single-beam surveys, ADCPs, sub-bottom profilers, and the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. We use bathymetric surveys for many different types of research including flood inundation, contour...Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV)
Scientists are using the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to collect imagery, bathymetry, and basic water-quality parameters. The Ecomapper provides a innovative visualization of data.Advanced Mapping Technologies
USGS is developing new and innovative ways to map the world around us. - Data
Bathymetry of the Green River near Brownsville, Kentucky, July 2023
These data are bathymetry (river bottom elevation) in XYZ format (Easting, Northing, Elevation), generated from the July 24–25, 2023, and July 31, 2023, bathymetric survey of the Green River near Brownsville, Kentucky, from approximately 1.5 miles downstream from the Brownsville boat ramp to approximately 0.8 mile upstream from the former Green River Lock and Dam #6 site (3.8 miles total reach lenGeospatial datasets and hydraulic model for the flood-inundation study of Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.4-mile reach of Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Silver Grove and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District. Because the City of Silver Grove is subject to flooding from Fourmile Creek and the Ohio River (backwater flooding up Fourmile Creek), a set of flood-iVelocity surveys and three-dimensional point measurements of basic water-quality constituents in nearshore Lake Erie in the vicinity of Villa Angela Beach and Euclid Creek, Cleveland, Ohio, June 10–12, 2019, and August 19–21, 2019
Water velocities and water-quality constituents were measured along planned survey lines, which were generally perpendicular to the shoreline and spaced 100 meters apart, over an approximately 2.3-mile section of nearshore Lake Erie on June 10-12, 2019 (survey 1), and August 19-21, 2019 (survey 2), using a 1200 kHz acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), a YSI 6920 V2 multiparameter sonde, and aMeasurements of velocity and bathymetry in the tailwater of Kentucky Dam (Tennessee River) near Gilbertsville, Kentucky, September 17-18, 2020
These data are bathymetry (river bottom elevation) and depth-averaged velocities generated from the September 17–18, 2020, survey of the Kentucky Dam tailwater from just downstream from Kentucky Dam to approximately 1,500 feet upstream from the I-24 bridge (about 1 mile total length). Bathymetry and velocity data were collected using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) with an integrated gVelocity and water-quality surveys in the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam, Kentucky and Indiana, October 27-November 4, 2016, and June 26-29, 2017
Velocity and water-quality surveys were completed along an approximately 71-mile reach of the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam (river mile 531.5) and McAlpine Locks and Dam (river mile 606.8) on October 27-November 4, 2016 (survey #1), and June 26-29, 2017 (survey #2). Water-quality data collected in this reach included surface measurements and vertical profiles of water temperature, specBathymetry of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in Central Indiana, 2016
These data are high-resolution bathymetry (lake bottom elevation) in a gridded XYZ format, generated from hydrographic surveys of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in April and May of 2016. Hydrographic data were collected using a multibeam echo-sounder (MBES) with integrated inertial navigation solution (INS) mounted on a marine survey vessel. Data were collected as the vessel traversed the lake along sGeospatial datasets and model for the flood-inundation study of the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky
Digital flood-inundation maps were created for a 7.1-mile reach of the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, Kentucky. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stBathymetry of Bourbon Lake and Williams Lake near Loretto, Kentucky, April 9-10, 2018
These data are bathymetry (lake bottom elevation) in XYZ format, generated from the April 9-10, 2018, survey of Bourbon Lake and Williams Lake near Loretto, Kentucky. Bathymetric and topographic data were collected using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and a real-time kinematic global positioning system (GPS). Data were collected as the AUV traversed the lake along planned survey lines, andGeospatial output data from the RVR Meander model of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
Natural river channels continually evolve and change shape over time. As a result, channel evolution or migration can cause problems for bridge structures that are fixed in the flood plain. A once-stable bridge structure that was uninfluenced by a rivers shape could be encroached upon by a migrating river channel. The potential effect of the actively meandering Wabash River on the Interstate 64 (IGeospatial datasets and model for the flood-inundation study of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois
Natural river channels continually evolve and change shape over time. As a result, channel evolution or migration can cause problems for bridge structures that are fixed in the flood plain. A once-stable bridge structure that was uninfluenced by a rivers shape could be encroached upon by a migrating river channel. The potential effect of the actively meandering Wabash River on the Interstate 64 (IUSGS bathymetric and hydrodynamic survey of Lake Michigan nearshore near Ogden Dunes/Burns Harbor, Indiana
The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is evaluating the placement of dredged material in the nearshore areas of Lake Michigan as a means to replenish sand at selected beaches. In order to elucidate the physical processes in the nearshore environment that transport and distribute sand to the beach, the USACE-Chicago District and the US Geological Survey (USGS) developed a plan for a beach nourishmMultibeam bathymetry and sediment depth data at select locations on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, February 1314, 2017
These data are high-resolution bathymetry (river bottom elevation) in XYZ format and measurements of sediment depth in CSV format, generated from the February 1314, 2017, topographic and hydrographic survey of the Des Plaines River near Brandon Road Lock and Dam at Joliet, Illinois. Hydrographic data were collected in three separate areas (approach channel, mooring area, and upstream pool) using a