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Ken Belitz

​​Kenneth Belitz is a research hydrologist with the Earth Systems Processes Division of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.

​​As a USGS scientist, Ken has simultaneously conducted hydrogeologic research and provided leadership for scientific teams addressing practical problems.  He is currently the manager for the National Extent Hydrogeologic Framework project.  The objective of the work is to develop a three-dimensional digital representation of the subsurface of the United States.  The framework will be used in support of Integrated Water Availability Assessments. 

​Ken has previously led two large USGS groundwater assessment efforts: He was the lead scientist and manager of the Groundwater Ambient and Monitoring Assessment (GAMA) Program, designed to assess the quality of California’s groundwater; and he was the Chief for Groundwater Assessments for the 3rd decade of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.  Together, these efforts represent ~$150 million of data collection and scientific interpretation. The GAMA and NAWQA groundwater teams published ~230 USGS reports and journal articles, and the findings have been widely covered in both the print and broadcast media. 

​Ken is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, and was the 2023 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer. His papers have nearly 10,000 citations.​ 

Professional Experience

  • 2021-present: Research Hydrologist, Earth Systems Processes Division, USGS Water Mission Area

  • 2012-2021: Chief for Groundwater Assessment (Supervisory Hydrologist), USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.

  • 2003-2012: Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Chief (Supervisory Research Hydrologist), CA Water Science Center, USGS, San Diego. 

  • 1998-2003: Project Chief and Research Hydrologist, Santa Ana Basin Study Unit, USGS NAWQA Program, CA Water Science Center, San Diego 

  • 1997-1998: Associate Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of NY

  • 1990-1997: Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

  • 1990-1998: Research Hydrologist, intermittent appointment, USGS

  • 1985-1990: Hydrologist and Research Hydrologist, San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program, California District, Water Resources Division, USGS. 

  • 1988-1990: Consulting Professor, Applied Earth Sciences, Stanford University 

  • Spring 1985: Visiting Lecturer, Earth Sciences, University of California-Santa Cruz 

  • 1981-1985: Hydrologist-student appointment, Water Resources Division, USGS, Menlo Park, CA 

  • 1980-1983: Teaching Assistant, Stanford University 

  • Summer 1980: Geological Assistant, Chevron USA/Alaska Division, San Francisco, CA.

Education and Certifications

  • ​​Ph.D. Hydrogeology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 

  • ​B.S. Geology, Honors, State University of New York at Binghamton

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • ​​Geological Society of America (Fellow) 

  • American Geophysical Union 

  • National Ground Water Association 

  • Sigma Xi (Scientific Research Society)​ 

Honors and Awards

  • ​​Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer, Geological Society of America Hydrogeology Division, 2023

  • USGS Office of Groundwater, Best Paper Award, 2010. Co-recipient. 

  • Kevin J. Neese Award, Groundwater Resources Association of California, 2009. Co-recipient.

  • USGS Western Region Excellence in Science Award, 2004 
     

  • USGS Water Resources Division Research Lecturer, 2001 

  • Fellow, 1996, Geological Society of America 

  • Phi Beta Kappa, 1979, State University of New York at Binghamton 
     

  • Ralph E. Digman Prize for Excellence in Geology, 1979, SUNY - Binghamton 

  • Graduation with Academic Honors, 1979, SUNY – Binghamton

  • New York State Regents Scholarship, 1975-1979 

  • Scholarship, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, 1975-1979 

  • Eagle Scout, Bronx, NY, 1974

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 204

Groundwater-quality data in the Bear Valley and Selected Hard Rock Areas study unit, 2010: Results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the 112-square-mile Bear Valley and Selected Hard Rock Areas (BEAR) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from April to August 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in response to the Californ
Authors
Timothy M. Mathany, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Assessment of regional change in nitrate concentrations in groundwater in the Central Valley, California, USA, 1950s-2000s

A regional assessment of multi-decadal changes in nitrate concentrations was done using historical data and a spatially stratified non-biased approach. Data were stratified into physiographic subregions on the basis of geomorphology and soils data to represent zones of historical recharge and discharge patterns in the basin. Data were also stratified by depth to represent a shallow zone generally
Authors
Karen R. Burow, Bryant C. Jurgens, Kenneth Belitz, Neil M. Dubrovsky
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Hydrothermal contamination of public supply wells in Napa and Sonoma Valleys, California

Groundwater chemistry and isotope data from 44 public supply wells in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, California were determined to investigate mixing of relatively shallow groundwater with deeper hydrothermal fluids. Multivariate analyses including Cluster Analyses, Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), Principal Components Analyses (PCA), Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM), and Similarity Percentage Analy
Authors
Matthew J. Forrest, Justin T. Kulongoski, Matthew S. Edwards, Christopher D. Farrar, Kenneth Belitz, Richard D. Norris
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, California

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Selected groun
Authors
Mary C. Parsons, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, 2007—California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 620-square-mile (1,600-square-kilometer) San Francisco Bay study unit was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in the Southern Coast Ranges of California, in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties. The GAMA Priority
Authors
Mary C. Parsons, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater-quality data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau study unit, 2010-Results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the 39,000-square-kilometer Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from July through October 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA PBP was developed in response to the Cali
Authors
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater quality in the Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley, California

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s untreated groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The
Authors
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Madera, Chowchilla Study Unit, 2008: California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 860-square-mile Madera and Chowchilla Subbasins (Madera-Chowchilla study unit) of the San Joaquin Valley Basin was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in California's Central Valley region in parts of Madera, Merced, and Fresno Counties. The GAMA Pr
Authors
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz, Bryant C. Jurgens
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Volatile fluxes through the Big Bend section of the San Andreas Fault, California: helium and carbon-dioxide systematics

To investigate the source of volatiles and their relationship to the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS), 18 groundwater samples were collected from wells near the Big Bend section of the SAFS in southern California and analyzed for helium and carbon abundance and isotopes. Concentrations of 4He, corrected for air-bubble entrainment, vary from 4.15 to 62.7 (× 10− 8) cm3 STP g− 1 H2O. 3He/4He ratios va
Authors
Justin T. Kulongoski, David R. Hilton, Peter H. Barry, Bradley K. Esser, Darren Hillegonds, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater-quality data in the Western San Joaquin Valley study unit, 2010 - Results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the approximately 2,170-square-mile Western San Joaquin Valley (WSJV) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from March to July 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program's Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in response to the Californ
Authors
Timothy M. Mathany, Matthew K. Landon, Jennifer L. Shelton, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) blank data and application of study reporting levels to groundwater data collected for the California GAMA Priority Basin Project, May 2004 through September 2010

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed in quality-control samples collected for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project. From May 2004 through September 2010, a total of 2,026 groundwater samples, 211 field blanks, and 109 source-solution blanks were collected and analyzed for concentrations of 85 VOCs. Results from analyses of th
Authors
Miranda S. Fram, Lisa D. Olsen, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Geogenic sources of benzene in aquifers used for public supply, California

Statistical evaluation of two large statewide data sets from the California State Water Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program (1973 wells) and the California Department of Public Health (12417 wells) reveals that benzene occurs infrequently (1.7%) and at generally low concentrations (median detected concentration of 0.024 μg/L) in groundwater used for public supply in Calif
Authors
Matthew K. Landon, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center
Filter Total Items: 23
No Result Found
No results found.

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 204

Groundwater-quality data in the Bear Valley and Selected Hard Rock Areas study unit, 2010: Results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the 112-square-mile Bear Valley and Selected Hard Rock Areas (BEAR) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from April to August 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in response to the Californ
Authors
Timothy M. Mathany, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Assessment of regional change in nitrate concentrations in groundwater in the Central Valley, California, USA, 1950s-2000s

A regional assessment of multi-decadal changes in nitrate concentrations was done using historical data and a spatially stratified non-biased approach. Data were stratified into physiographic subregions on the basis of geomorphology and soils data to represent zones of historical recharge and discharge patterns in the basin. Data were also stratified by depth to represent a shallow zone generally
Authors
Karen R. Burow, Bryant C. Jurgens, Kenneth Belitz, Neil M. Dubrovsky
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Hydrothermal contamination of public supply wells in Napa and Sonoma Valleys, California

Groundwater chemistry and isotope data from 44 public supply wells in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, California were determined to investigate mixing of relatively shallow groundwater with deeper hydrothermal fluids. Multivariate analyses including Cluster Analyses, Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), Principal Components Analyses (PCA), Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM), and Similarity Percentage Analy
Authors
Matthew J. Forrest, Justin T. Kulongoski, Matthew S. Edwards, Christopher D. Farrar, Kenneth Belitz, Richard D. Norris
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, California

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Selected groun
Authors
Mary C. Parsons, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, 2007—California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 620-square-mile (1,600-square-kilometer) San Francisco Bay study unit was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in the Southern Coast Ranges of California, in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties. The GAMA Priority
Authors
Mary C. Parsons, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater-quality data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau study unit, 2010-Results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the 39,000-square-kilometer Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from July through October 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA PBP was developed in response to the Cali
Authors
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater quality in the Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley, California

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s untreated groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The
Authors
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Madera, Chowchilla Study Unit, 2008: California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 860-square-mile Madera and Chowchilla Subbasins (Madera-Chowchilla study unit) of the San Joaquin Valley Basin was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in California's Central Valley region in parts of Madera, Merced, and Fresno Counties. The GAMA Pr
Authors
Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz, Bryant C. Jurgens
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Volatile fluxes through the Big Bend section of the San Andreas Fault, California: helium and carbon-dioxide systematics

To investigate the source of volatiles and their relationship to the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS), 18 groundwater samples were collected from wells near the Big Bend section of the SAFS in southern California and analyzed for helium and carbon abundance and isotopes. Concentrations of 4He, corrected for air-bubble entrainment, vary from 4.15 to 62.7 (× 10− 8) cm3 STP g− 1 H2O. 3He/4He ratios va
Authors
Justin T. Kulongoski, David R. Hilton, Peter H. Barry, Bradley K. Esser, Darren Hillegonds, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Groundwater-quality data in the Western San Joaquin Valley study unit, 2010 - Results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the approximately 2,170-square-mile Western San Joaquin Valley (WSJV) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from March to July 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program's Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in response to the Californ
Authors
Timothy M. Mathany, Matthew K. Landon, Jennifer L. Shelton, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) blank data and application of study reporting levels to groundwater data collected for the California GAMA Priority Basin Project, May 2004 through September 2010

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed in quality-control samples collected for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project. From May 2004 through September 2010, a total of 2,026 groundwater samples, 211 field blanks, and 109 source-solution blanks were collected and analyzed for concentrations of 85 VOCs. Results from analyses of th
Authors
Miranda S. Fram, Lisa D. Olsen, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center

Geogenic sources of benzene in aquifers used for public supply, California

Statistical evaluation of two large statewide data sets from the California State Water Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program (1973 wells) and the California Department of Public Health (12417 wells) reveals that benzene occurs infrequently (1.7%) and at generally low concentrations (median detected concentration of 0.024 μg/L) in groundwater used for public supply in Calif
Authors
Matthew K. Landon, Kenneth Belitz
By
Water Resources Mission Area, California Water Science Center
Filter Total Items: 23
No Result Found
No results found.

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government