Kathy Conn
Hydrologist and Water Quality Specialist for the Washington Water Science Center
My research focuses on the occurrence, fate, and transport of contaminants in the aquatic environment. Recent activities and interests include:
- Developing novel field methods to quantify fluvial sediment-bound chemical concentrations and fluxes from rivers to Puget Sound
- Entry and movement of urban contaminants in nearshore coastal environments
- Monitoring of legacy contaminants (e.g., PCBs and metals), emerging contaminants (e.g., microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals), and microbial contaminants (e.g., bacteria, viruses, and fecal indicators) in aquatic resources with implications for ecological and human health
- Providing technical guidance for water-quality projects, including study design, data quality, and dissemination
Professional Experience
Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Washington Water Science Center since 2011 and the Center's Water-Quality Specialist since 2015.
Education and Certifications
B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William & Mary
M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines
Post-doctoral research at the University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 30
Sources, timing, and fate of sediment and contaminants in the nearshore: insights from geochemistry Sources, timing, and fate of sediment and contaminants in the nearshore: insights from geochemistry
Rivers in Cascade watersheds carry sediment with a volcanic composition that is distinct from the plutonic composition of the Puget lowlands. Compositional properties (signatures) allow discrimination of river-sourced Cascade from lowland sediment, and inferences about transport pathways. Surface sediment on land contains atmospheric radionuclides whose known decay rates define monthly...
Authors
Renee K. Takesue, Kathleen E. Conn, Margaret Dutch
Assessment of existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington Assessment of existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical support to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) in their assessment of the role groundwater plays in contributing pollutant loading to the Green-Duwamish River near Seattle, Washington. Ecology is developing watershed hydrology models of the Green-Duwamish watershed, and need to assign realistic contaminant...
Authors
Craig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Wendy B. Welch, Elisabeth T. Fasser
Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17 Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The sediments in the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site in Seattle, Washington, are contaminated with chemicals including metals such as arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs), and dioxins/furans from decades of intense anthropogenic activities. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of...
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Craig A. Senter, Norman T. Peterson, Ann Vanderpool-Kimura
Tidal flushing of mercury from the Bremerton Naval Complex through the PSNS015 stormwater drain system to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2011 -12 Tidal flushing of mercury from the Bremerton Naval Complex through the PSNS015 stormwater drain system to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2011 -12
The sediments of Sinclair Inlet, in Puget Sound, Washington, have elevated levels of contaminants including mercury. The Bremerton Naval Complex is adjacent to Sinclair Inlet, and has known areas of historical soil mercury contamination. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, has been investigating the potential for mercury sources on the Bremerton Naval Complex...
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Anthony J. Paulson, Richard S. Dinicola, John F. DeWild
Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17 Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The Green-Duwamish River transports watershed-derived sediment to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site near Seattle, Washington. Understanding the amount of sediment transported by the river is essential to the bed sediment cleanup process. Turbidity, discharge, suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and particle-size data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from...
Authors
Craig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman Peterson, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. Foreman
Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17 Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
From August 2016 to March 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected representative samples of filtered and unfiltered water and suspended sediment (including the colloidal fraction) at USGS streamgage 12113390 (Duwamish River at Golf Course, at Tukwila, Washington) during 13 periods of differing flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories...
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Elena A. Chapman
Non-USGS Publications**
Habteselassie, M.Y., Kirs, M., Conn, K.E., Blackwood, A.D., Kelly, G. and Noble, R.T. (2011), Tracking microbial transport through four onsite wastewater treatment systems to receiving waters in eastern North Carolina. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 111: 835–847. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.05105.x
Conn, K.E., Lowe, K.S., Drewes, J.E., Hoppe-Jones, C., Tucholke, M.B., 2010, Environmental Engineering Science, 27(4): 347-356, https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2009.0364
Conn, K. E., Siegrist, R. L., Barber, L. B. and Meyer, M. T. (2010), Fate of trace organic compounds during vadose zone soil treatment in an onsite wastewater system. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 29: 285–293. doi:10.1002/etc.40
Lowe, K.S., Tucholke, M.B., Tomaras, J.M.B., Conn, K., Hoppe, C., Drewes, J.E., McCray, J.E., Munakata-Marr, J., 2009, Influent Constituent Characteristics of the Modern Waste Stream from Single Sources: Final Report. Water Environment Research Foundation. 04-DEC-1. 206 pg., www.ndwrcdp.org/publications.
Lowe, K.S., Rothe, N., Tomaras, J., Conn, K., Tucholke, M., Drewes, J., McCray, J., Munakata-Marr, J., 2007, Influent Constituent Characteristics of the Modern Waste Stream from Single Sources: Literature Review. Water Environment Research Foundation. 04-DEC-1a. 89 pg. PDF available at www.ndwrcdp.org/publications.
Conn, K.E., Siegrist, R.L., Barber, L.B., Brown, G.K. Organic contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems. In Proceedings of the 11th National Symposium on Individual and Small Community Sewage Systems. October 20-24, 2007. Warwick, RI: American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers: St. Joseph, MI, 701P1107cd.
**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 and Products
Filter Total Items: 30
Sources, timing, and fate of sediment and contaminants in the nearshore: insights from geochemistry Sources, timing, and fate of sediment and contaminants in the nearshore: insights from geochemistry
Rivers in Cascade watersheds carry sediment with a volcanic composition that is distinct from the plutonic composition of the Puget lowlands. Compositional properties (signatures) allow discrimination of river-sourced Cascade from lowland sediment, and inferences about transport pathways. Surface sediment on land contains atmospheric radionuclides whose known decay rates define monthly...
Authors
Renee K. Takesue, Kathleen E. Conn, Margaret Dutch
Assessment of existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington Assessment of existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical support to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) in their assessment of the role groundwater plays in contributing pollutant loading to the Green-Duwamish River near Seattle, Washington. Ecology is developing watershed hydrology models of the Green-Duwamish watershed, and need to assign realistic contaminant...
Authors
Craig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Wendy B. Welch, Elisabeth T. Fasser
Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17 Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The sediments in the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site in Seattle, Washington, are contaminated with chemicals including metals such as arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs), and dioxins/furans from decades of intense anthropogenic activities. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of...
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Craig A. Senter, Norman T. Peterson, Ann Vanderpool-Kimura
Tidal flushing of mercury from the Bremerton Naval Complex through the PSNS015 stormwater drain system to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2011 -12 Tidal flushing of mercury from the Bremerton Naval Complex through the PSNS015 stormwater drain system to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2011 -12
The sediments of Sinclair Inlet, in Puget Sound, Washington, have elevated levels of contaminants including mercury. The Bremerton Naval Complex is adjacent to Sinclair Inlet, and has known areas of historical soil mercury contamination. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, has been investigating the potential for mercury sources on the Bremerton Naval Complex...
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Anthony J. Paulson, Richard S. Dinicola, John F. DeWild
Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17 Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The Green-Duwamish River transports watershed-derived sediment to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site near Seattle, Washington. Understanding the amount of sediment transported by the river is essential to the bed sediment cleanup process. Turbidity, discharge, suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and particle-size data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from...
Authors
Craig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman Peterson, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. Foreman
Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17 Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
From August 2016 to March 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected representative samples of filtered and unfiltered water and suspended sediment (including the colloidal fraction) at USGS streamgage 12113390 (Duwamish River at Golf Course, at Tukwila, Washington) during 13 periods of differing flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories...
Authors
Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Elena A. Chapman
Non-USGS Publications**
Habteselassie, M.Y., Kirs, M., Conn, K.E., Blackwood, A.D., Kelly, G. and Noble, R.T. (2011), Tracking microbial transport through four onsite wastewater treatment systems to receiving waters in eastern North Carolina. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 111: 835–847. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.05105.x
Conn, K.E., Lowe, K.S., Drewes, J.E., Hoppe-Jones, C., Tucholke, M.B., 2010, Environmental Engineering Science, 27(4): 347-356, https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2009.0364
Conn, K. E., Siegrist, R. L., Barber, L. B. and Meyer, M. T. (2010), Fate of trace organic compounds during vadose zone soil treatment in an onsite wastewater system. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 29: 285–293. doi:10.1002/etc.40
Lowe, K.S., Tucholke, M.B., Tomaras, J.M.B., Conn, K., Hoppe, C., Drewes, J.E., McCray, J.E., Munakata-Marr, J., 2009, Influent Constituent Characteristics of the Modern Waste Stream from Single Sources: Final Report. Water Environment Research Foundation. 04-DEC-1. 206 pg., www.ndwrcdp.org/publications.
Lowe, K.S., Rothe, N., Tomaras, J., Conn, K., Tucholke, M., Drewes, J., McCray, J., Munakata-Marr, J., 2007, Influent Constituent Characteristics of the Modern Waste Stream from Single Sources: Literature Review. Water Environment Research Foundation. 04-DEC-1a. 89 pg. PDF available at www.ndwrcdp.org/publications.
Conn, K.E., Siegrist, R.L., Barber, L.B., Brown, G.K. Organic contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems. In Proceedings of the 11th National Symposium on Individual and Small Community Sewage Systems. October 20-24, 2007. Warwick, RI: American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers: St. Joseph, MI, 701P1107cd.
**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.