Ken Hyer, Ph.D.
Serves as the USGS Chesapeake Bay Associate Coordinator. Responsible for developing key USGS science-planning documents and helping to coordinate USGS science efforts that are used by managers to inform restoration and conservation activities throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Biography
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
USGS Chesapeake Bay Associate Coordinator – 2015-present
Responsibilities Include:
- Work with USGS Chesapeake Science Team, Science Centers, and CB Program Coordinator to set science priorities and plan Chesapeake Bay science activities based on agency and partner guidance
- Work with USGS Scientists to coordinate projects and synthesis activities to address the USGS Chesapeake Bay science goals and advance our understanding of management and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
- Interacts with USGS Program Coordinators, Regions, and Science Centers to identify and coordinate resources for USGS Chesapeake Bay projects
- Support USGS Chesapeake Bay Coordinator interaction with Partners, DOI, and Congress
USGS Hydrologist and Water-Quality Specialist – 2001-2015
Responsibilities Included:
- Oversight of Water Science Center (WSC) water-quality program
- Provide technical expertise to center managers, scientists, and technicians
- Extensive program development activities
- Lead Scientist on complex, multi-disciplinary water-resources studies
USGS Hydrologist – 2000-2001
- Lead Scientist on several complex, multi-disciplinary water-resources studies.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
M.S. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
B.S. Environmental Science, Virginia Tech
Science and Products
USGS Contributes to Revised Plans for Chesapeake Water-Quality and Toxic Contaminant Goal
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), through the Strategic Review System (SRS), reviews progress toward the 10 goals and associated outcomes of the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement. Each outcome is managed by a specific CBP Goal Implementation Team and their associated workgroups. During review of each outcome every two years, a workgroup is responsible to prepare materials...
Fact Sheet Summarizes Nutrient Trends and Drivers in the Chesapeake Watershed
Issue: Trends in nitrogen and phosphorus, and the complex factors affecting their change, provide important insights into the effectiveness of efforts to reduce nutrients from reaching the tidal waters of the Bay. The nutrient reductions are needed to improve water-quality conditions in the tidal waters for fisheries and submerged aquatic vegetation.
USGS provides plenary and other talks at the Chesapeake Research Symposium
The Chesapeake Community Research Symposium is held every two years with a goal to “By bringing together managers, scientists, and stakeholders for a series of plenary talks, panel discussions, and special sessions, the 2020 Chesapeake Community Research Symposium will highlight recent progress, challenges and prospects for research, monitoring and modeling efforts that are used to guide...
New Findings on Toxic Contaminants in the Chesapeake Watershed
Issue:
The Chesapeake Bay Program has a goal to reduce the impacts of toxic contaminants on living resources in the Bay and its watershed. USGS leads the toxic contaminant outcome on research to increase our understanding of the impacts and mitigation options for toxic contaminants.
Employing an Ecosystem Services Framework to Deliver Decision Ready Science
By Vivian Nolan
USGS science informs revised water-quality restoration plans for the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed
Science Summary
Freshwater Flow into Chesapeake Bay
Explore resources here describing estimates of freshwater flow entering Chesapeake Bay.
The health of the Chesapeake Bay is greatly affected by freshwater flow from rivers draining its watershed. The amount of freshwater flow (also called streamflow) will:
• Change salinity levels in the Bay, which affect oysters, crabs, and finfish.
• Influence the...
Chesapeake Bay Estimated Streamflow: METHODS
Methods for Estimating Streamflow to Chesapeake Bay
The following is a description of how data presented on the website "Chesapeake Bay Estimated Streamflow" are computed.
Essentially, the methodology was published more than 51 years ago, and has been adapted for use in modern automated computing systems....
Chesapeake Bay Estimated Streamflow: WEBSITE HISTORY
by Brad Garner, Hydrologist USGS
This website originated as a dynamic web application (hereafter, simply webapp). That is, content such as data and graphs, were generated "on-the-fly" as requests were made by web-browser clients. This was made possible by automating the methods of Bue (1968), and by...
1940-1999 USGS Chesapeake Bay Activities Bibliography
The USGS has published reports and journal articles on a large number of topics related to the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. This information is used to make science-based decisions on the Bay's ecosystem conservation and restoration. Below is a list of publications from 1940 through 1999. (Note: Use your browser's Find feature to search this page.)
USGS Chesapeake Bay Activities Highlighted in the News
USGS and various partner's findings are highlighted in articles and video reports.
Chesapeake Bay Activities and Accomplishments
The U.S. Geological Survey provides integrated science that helps formulate, implement, and assess the effectiveness of conservation and restoration actions in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The success of the USGS Chesapeake Bay science studies depends on the coordination of multiple USGS programs, science centers, scientists, and partners.
Nutrient trends and drivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay Program maintains an extensive nontidal monitoring network, measuring nitrogen and phosphorus (nutrients) at more than 100 locations on rivers and streams in the watershed. Data from these locations are used by United States Geological Survey to assess the ecosystem’s response to nutrient-reduction efforts. This fact sheet...
Hyer, Kenneth E.; Phillips, Scott W.; Ator, Scott W.; Moyer, Douglas L.; Webber, James S.; Felver, Rachel; Keisman, Jennifer L.; McDonnell, Lee A.; Murphy, Rebecca; Trentacoste, Emily M.; Zhang, Qian; Dennison, William C.; Swanson, Sky; Walsh, Brianne; Hawkey, Jane; Taillie, DylanU.S. Geological Survey Science—Improving the value of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
IntroductionCongress directed the Federal Government to work with States to restore the Nation’s largest estuary.Chesapeake Bay restoration provides important economic and ecological benefits:18 million people live and work in the Bay watershed and enjoy its benefits.3,600 types of fish, wildlife, and plants underpin the economic value of the Bay...
Phillips, Scott W.; Hyer, Kenneth E.; Goldbaum, ElizabethIncreasing precision of turbidity-based suspended sediment concentration and load estimates
Turbidity is an effective tool for estimating and monitoring suspended sediments in aquatic systems. Turbidity can be measured in situ remotely and at fine temporal scales as a surrogate for suspended sediment concentration (SSC), providing opportunity for a more complete record of SSC than is possible with physical sampling approaches. However,...
Jastram, John D.; Zipper, Carl E.; Zelanzny, Lucian W.; Hyer, Kenneth E.Pre-USGS Publications
Chesapeake Bay dead zone smaller than in recent years
Chesapeake Bay Program — Press Release — October 28, 2020
Groundwater and the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Quarterly — Volume 19, Number 1 — June 2020
Slightly smaller-than-average dead zone predicted for Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Program — Press Release — June 16, 2020
Report finds poultry farming sends more pollution to Chesapeake Bay than previously thought
StateImpact Pennsylvania — by Rachel McDevitt — May 1, 2020
The Pocomoke: Exploring the Twisting Beauty of this Eastern Shore River
Chesapeake Bay Magazine — by John Page Williams — April 30, 2020
Advocates press for more federal funding to help reach Bay goals
Bay Journal — by Karl Blankenship — April 13, 2020
This year’s Bay Barometer sets a different type of foundation for Bay restoration
Chesapeake Bay Program — by Rachel Felver — March 25, 2020
Freshwater flows to Bay highest in 82 years of monitoring
Bay Journal — by Karl Blankenship — December 02, 2019
Bay health impacted by record flows
Chesapeake Bay Program — by Dylan Reynolds — November 26, 2019
Executive Review: 2019 Mid-Atlantic Smallmouth Bass Health Assessment
Potomac Riverkeeper Network — October 14, 2019
September Hypoxia Report
Maryland Department of Natural Resources — October 3, 2019
High flows to Chesapeake Bay continued in July
Bay Journal — by Karl Blankenship — August 13, 2019