Kelli Palko
Kelli is a Hydrologist with the Colorado Water Science Center, Denver, Colorado
As a Hydrologist in the Colorado Water Science Center, Kelli is working on projects related to groundwater quality and availability in Colorado including groundwater-surface-water interaction studies and data collection. Prior to joining the USGS, Kelli worked in the environmental consulting industry where she gained experience with groundwater, surface water, and soil sampling, wetland delineations, stream determinations, permitting, and technical writing.
Education and Certifications
B.S. in Geology from Appalachian State University
M.S. in Earth and Climate Sciences from the University of Maine with final thesis on characterizing hydrologic fluxes in New England vernal pools
Science and Products
Groundwater Availability Analysis of the Denver Groundwater Basin
The Denver Basin aquifer system is a critical water resource for growing municipal, industrial, and domestic uses along the semiarid Front Range urban corridor of Colorado. The confined bedrock aquifer system is located along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain Front Range where the mountains meet the Great Plains physiographic province. Mining, transportation, agricultural, and urban...
High resolution identification and quantification of diffuse deep groundwater discharge in mountain rivers using continuous boat-mounted helium measurements
Discharge of deeply sourced groundwater to streams is difficult to locate and quantify, particularly where both discrete and diffuse discharge points exist, but diffuse discharge is one of the primary controls on solute budgets in mountainous watersheds. The noble gas helium is a unique identifier of deep groundwater discharge because groundwater with long residence times is commonly enriched in h
Authors
Connor P. Newman, Eric Humphrey, Matthias Brennwald, W. Payton Gardner, Kelli M Palko, Michael Gooseff, Kip Solomon
Science and Products
Groundwater Availability Analysis of the Denver Groundwater Basin
The Denver Basin aquifer system is a critical water resource for growing municipal, industrial, and domestic uses along the semiarid Front Range urban corridor of Colorado. The confined bedrock aquifer system is located along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain Front Range where the mountains meet the Great Plains physiographic province. Mining, transportation, agricultural, and urban...
High resolution identification and quantification of diffuse deep groundwater discharge in mountain rivers using continuous boat-mounted helium measurements
Discharge of deeply sourced groundwater to streams is difficult to locate and quantify, particularly where both discrete and diffuse discharge points exist, but diffuse discharge is one of the primary controls on solute budgets in mountainous watersheds. The noble gas helium is a unique identifier of deep groundwater discharge because groundwater with long residence times is commonly enriched in h
Authors
Connor P. Newman, Eric Humphrey, Matthias Brennwald, W. Payton Gardner, Kelli M Palko, Michael Gooseff, Kip Solomon