Katherine Chase has 30 years of experience in water resources, including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, floodplain delineation, statistical analyses, and hydraulic structure design and evaluation. Her research has included precipitation-runoff modeling and surface-water hydraulics.
Katherine Chase, USGS Hydrologist, has more than 30 years of experience in water resources, including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, floodplain delineation, statistical analyses, and hydraulic structure design and evaluation. Her research with the USGS has included precipitation-runoff modeling, 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional surface-water hydraulics, streamflow statistics, floodplain delineation, channel morphology, and bridge scour. As a consultant she worked on multi-disciplinary teams as a hydrologist/civil engineer, performing wetlands and floodplain delineation, flood mitigation, bridge scour evaluation, and hydraulic structure design. As a graduate research assistant for the National Park Service, she worked on hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and surveying in support of water rights negotiations. Her Peace Corps work in Nepal included surveying, design and construction of irrigation systems, drinking water supply systems, and flood mitigation. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in Montana and Colorado.
Professional Experience
2002-Present: Hydrologist/Surface Water Specialist, USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center.
1999-2002: Project Engineer/Office Manager, WWC Engineering, Helena, MT.
1991-1999: Project Engineer, Taggart Engineering and Associates, Denver, CO.
1989-1990: Graduate Research Assistant, National Park Service Water Rights Branch, Fort Collins, CO.
1984-1988: Peace Corps Volunteer, Nepal.
Education and Certifications
B.S. Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University
M.S. Civil Engineering, Colorado State University
Professional Engineer in Montana and Colorado.
Science and Products
Developing CE-QUAL-W2 Models of the Kootenai River and Koocanusa Reservoir, Montana and Idaho
The construction and operation of Libby Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project located in northwestern Montana, has altered the natural hydrograph, thermal regime, sediment transport, and nutrient loadings on the Kootenai River. Dam operation impacts riverine ecosystem function and many fish species, including the federally endangered Kootenai River White Sturgeon and federally...
Flood-Frequency Analysis in the Midwest: Addressing Potential Nonstationary Annual Peak-Flow Records
Period of Project: 2021 -Study Area: MidwestCooperating Agency: Transportation Pooled Fund
EcoFlows: Understanding Streamflow Dynamics in Small Mountain Streams
The WY-MT WSC is collaborating with the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center to understand the dynamics of streamflows in small, mountain streams during the course of the year, and to describe the amount of variability associated with those measurements. These findings will assist fisheries biologists who are researching temperature and streamflow effects on cutthroat trout and will help...
Peak-Flow Frequency Analysis for Selected Montana Streamgages
Peak-flow frequency information is needed for flood-plain mapping, design of highway infrastructure, and many other purposes across Montana. The USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center has an ongoing project working to update peak-flow frequency estimates at USGS streamgages across the state.
Regional Regression Equations Based on Channel-Width Characteristics to Estimate Peak-Flow Frequencies at Ungaged Sites in Montana Using Data through Water Year 2011
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) uses peak-flow frequency data (i.e. 100-year flood) to design highway infrastructure, secure floodplain permits, and perform stream restoration activities. The USGS, in cooperation with MDT, proposes to develop regression equations which use channel-width as a predictor to provide peak-flow frequency estimates to MDT.
Ice Jam Hazard
Ice jams along rivers cause flooding, scouring, injuries and loss of life, and structural and environmental damage; they are a major hazard across the northern United States. Communities need data about ice jam locations and frequencies, as well as information about developing ice jams that might threaten lives and property.
Augusta 2018 Flood Measurements and Flood Frequency Updates along the Rocky Mountain Front
The USGS WY-MT Water Science Center provided discharge measurements and high water mark (HWM) flagging for the June 2018 flooding along Elk Creek in Augusta, Montana.
ICE! Ice Jam Hazard Mobile-Friendly Website
Ice jams are a major hazard. The project team worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, Silver Jackets, and USGS stakeholders to develop a mobile-friendly prototype of an Ice Jam Hazard website and reporting system. The prototype shows how ice jam conditions can be recorded nationwide. The public can view and download ice jam information. Historic ice jam locations and
StreamStats in Montana and Wyoming
StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system application that provides users with access to basin and streamflow characteristics for gaged and ungaged streams.
Living on the Edge: Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Native Fishes in Northern Great Plains Streams
Organisms that live in the semi-arid prairies in the Northern Great Plains are able to live through conditions of extreme heat, cold, floods, and drought. The fish that inhabit the warm, turbid waters of northern Great Plains streams are indicators of change in these delicate ecosystems, where water quantity and water quality are often precariously close to ecological tolerance limits. In fact...
Development of Recommended Practices and Workflow for Publishing Digital Data through ScienceBase for Dynamic Visualization
The purpose of this project was to document processes for USGS scientists to organize and share data using ScienceBase, and to provide an example interactive mapping application to display those data. Data and maps from Chase and others (2016a, b) were used for the example interactive maps. Principal Investigator : Katherine J Chase, Andy Bock, Thomas R Sando Accomplishments The accomplishment
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
Developing CE-QUAL-W2 Models of the Kootenai River and Koocanusa Reservoir, Montana and Idaho
The construction and operation of Libby Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project located in northwestern Montana, has altered the natural hydrograph, thermal regime, sediment transport, and nutrient loadings on the Kootenai River. Dam operation impacts riverine ecosystem function and many fish species, including the federally endangered Kootenai River White Sturgeon and federally...Flood-Frequency Analysis in the Midwest: Addressing Potential Nonstationary Annual Peak-Flow Records
Period of Project: 2021 -Study Area: MidwestCooperating Agency: Transportation Pooled FundEcoFlows: Understanding Streamflow Dynamics in Small Mountain Streams
The WY-MT WSC is collaborating with the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center to understand the dynamics of streamflows in small, mountain streams during the course of the year, and to describe the amount of variability associated with those measurements. These findings will assist fisheries biologists who are researching temperature and streamflow effects on cutthroat trout and will help...Peak-Flow Frequency Analysis for Selected Montana Streamgages
Peak-flow frequency information is needed for flood-plain mapping, design of highway infrastructure, and many other purposes across Montana. The USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center has an ongoing project working to update peak-flow frequency estimates at USGS streamgages across the state.Regional Regression Equations Based on Channel-Width Characteristics to Estimate Peak-Flow Frequencies at Ungaged Sites in Montana Using Data through Water Year 2011
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) uses peak-flow frequency data (i.e. 100-year flood) to design highway infrastructure, secure floodplain permits, and perform stream restoration activities. The USGS, in cooperation with MDT, proposes to develop regression equations which use channel-width as a predictor to provide peak-flow frequency estimates to MDT.Ice Jam Hazard
Ice jams along rivers cause flooding, scouring, injuries and loss of life, and structural and environmental damage; they are a major hazard across the northern United States. Communities need data about ice jam locations and frequencies, as well as information about developing ice jams that might threaten lives and property.Augusta 2018 Flood Measurements and Flood Frequency Updates along the Rocky Mountain Front
The USGS WY-MT Water Science Center provided discharge measurements and high water mark (HWM) flagging for the June 2018 flooding along Elk Creek in Augusta, Montana.ICE! Ice Jam Hazard Mobile-Friendly Website
Ice jams are a major hazard. The project team worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, Silver Jackets, and USGS stakeholders to develop a mobile-friendly prototype of an Ice Jam Hazard website and reporting system. The prototype shows how ice jam conditions can be recorded nationwide. The public can view and download ice jam information. Historic ice jam locations andStreamStats in Montana and Wyoming
StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system application that provides users with access to basin and streamflow characteristics for gaged and ungaged streams.Living on the Edge: Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Native Fishes in Northern Great Plains Streams
Organisms that live in the semi-arid prairies in the Northern Great Plains are able to live through conditions of extreme heat, cold, floods, and drought. The fish that inhabit the warm, turbid waters of northern Great Plains streams are indicators of change in these delicate ecosystems, where water quantity and water quality are often precariously close to ecological tolerance limits. In fact...Development of Recommended Practices and Workflow for Publishing Digital Data through ScienceBase for Dynamic Visualization
The purpose of this project was to document processes for USGS scientists to organize and share data using ScienceBase, and to provide an example interactive mapping application to display those data. Data and maps from Chase and others (2016a, b) were used for the example interactive maps. Principal Investigator : Katherine J Chase, Andy Bock, Thomas R Sando Accomplishments The accomplishment - Data
- Maps
- Multimedia