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Malia Scott

Malia Scott is a hydrologist in the Watersheds and Fluvial Systems Section at the Washington Water Science Center

Malia studies water usage across industries such as residential, mining, and livestock. She’s worked with various teams to create models that estimate water usage on various temporal and spatial scales. She also has studied streamflow permanence and drought within the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in the impacts of climate change on water availability and usage for the future. 

Professional Experience

  • Hydrologist, USGS Washington Water Science Center (Tacoma, WA) 2024 – Present

  • Recent Grad Hydrologist, USGS New Jersey Water Science Center (Lawrenceville, NJ) 2020 – 2024

  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Portland State University (Portland, OR) 2019 – 2020

  • Research Assistant, Portland State University (Portland, OR) 2018 – 2019 

Education and Certifications

  • M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Portland State University, 2020

  • B.S., Engineering, Swarthmore College, 2018

  • EIT certification, Oregon, 2018

Science and Products

Stormwater Mapping

Integration of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in Modeling Water Quality Patterns in Small Urban Streams

The Issue: Stormwater can quickly run off impervious surfaces delivering potentially polluted water to streams and rivers in the Puget Sound region. Runoff from impervious surfaces can either be directly connected to streams through stormwater pipes or indirectly connected if runoff is routed to some other surface such as grass or a feature like a stormwater management structure. It is currently...
By
Washington Water Science Center
Integration of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in Modeling Water Quality Patterns in Small Urban Streams

Integration of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in Modeling Water Quality Patterns in Small Urban Streams

The Issue: Stormwater can quickly run off impervious surfaces delivering potentially polluted water to streams and rivers in the Puget Sound region. Runoff from impervious surfaces can either be directly connected to streams through stormwater pipes or indirectly connected if runoff is routed to some other surface such as grass or a feature like a stormwater management structure. It is currently...
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Water use estimates for 2017 for the United States part of the Salish Sea basin, northwestern Washington Water use estimates for 2017 for the United States part of the Salish Sea basin, northwestern Washington

This data release contains vector shapefiles of gridded, monthly water use estimates for the United States part of the Salish Sea basin in northwestern Washington for the year 2017. The water use estimates are provided by category of use for public supply, domestic self-supply, agriculture, and aquaculture each and are further distinguished by surface water or groundwater sources. Data...
By
Washington Water Science Center

Self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index values averaged per water year with associated streamflow permanence data products for the HUC17 Pacific Northwest Region Self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index values averaged per water year with associated streamflow permanence data products for the HUC17 Pacific Northwest Region

This data release includes estimated Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) values and ancillary information for three data products that had previously been developed for the Pacific Northwest Region (HUC 17). The data products are stored in three child items: 1. National Hydrography Dataset High Resolution Flowlines: This child item contains the flowlines in the...
By
Washington Water Science Center

Estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area in New Jersey Estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area in New Jersey

This report, prepared in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, presents a method for estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area systems for New Jersey. The ability to accurately estimate daily public supply water use could help water supply planners in New Jersey better understand and manage the state’s limited water...
Authors
Jennifer L. Shourds, Malia H. Scott
By
New Jersey Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Scott, M.H., Talke, S.A., Jay, D.A., Diefenderfer, H.L., 2023. Warming of the lower Columbia River, 1853 to 2018. River Research and Applications 39, 1828–1845. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4177

**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

Stormwater Mapping

Integration of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in Modeling Water Quality Patterns in Small Urban Streams

The Issue: Stormwater can quickly run off impervious surfaces delivering potentially polluted water to streams and rivers in the Puget Sound region. Runoff from impervious surfaces can either be directly connected to streams through stormwater pipes or indirectly connected if runoff is routed to some other surface such as grass or a feature like a stormwater management structure. It is currently...
By
Washington Water Science Center
Integration of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in Modeling Water Quality Patterns in Small Urban Streams

Integration of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in Modeling Water Quality Patterns in Small Urban Streams

The Issue: Stormwater can quickly run off impervious surfaces delivering potentially polluted water to streams and rivers in the Puget Sound region. Runoff from impervious surfaces can either be directly connected to streams through stormwater pipes or indirectly connected if runoff is routed to some other surface such as grass or a feature like a stormwater management structure. It is currently...
Learn More

Water use estimates for 2017 for the United States part of the Salish Sea basin, northwestern Washington Water use estimates for 2017 for the United States part of the Salish Sea basin, northwestern Washington

This data release contains vector shapefiles of gridded, monthly water use estimates for the United States part of the Salish Sea basin in northwestern Washington for the year 2017. The water use estimates are provided by category of use for public supply, domestic self-supply, agriculture, and aquaculture each and are further distinguished by surface water or groundwater sources. Data...
By
Washington Water Science Center

Self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index values averaged per water year with associated streamflow permanence data products for the HUC17 Pacific Northwest Region Self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index values averaged per water year with associated streamflow permanence data products for the HUC17 Pacific Northwest Region

This data release includes estimated Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) values and ancillary information for three data products that had previously been developed for the Pacific Northwest Region (HUC 17). The data products are stored in three child items: 1. National Hydrography Dataset High Resolution Flowlines: This child item contains the flowlines in the...
By
Washington Water Science Center

Estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area in New Jersey Estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area in New Jersey

This report, prepared in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, presents a method for estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area systems for New Jersey. The ability to accurately estimate daily public supply water use could help water supply planners in New Jersey better understand and manage the state’s limited water...
Authors
Jennifer L. Shourds, Malia H. Scott
By
New Jersey Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Scott, M.H., Talke, S.A., Jay, D.A., Diefenderfer, H.L., 2023. Warming of the lower Columbia River, 1853 to 2018. River Research and Applications 39, 1828–1845. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4177

**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.

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