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Matthew J Nicotra

Matt Nicotra is a member of the USGS hydrologic monitoring program that provides real-time water resource data in the State of Colorado. 

Matt started his USGS career in 2008 as a Hydrologic Technician with the New Jersey Water Science Center in West Trenton.  He joined the Colorado Water Science Center in 2010 as a member of the Lakewood Field Office with much the same focus, initially.  Matt was a key member in the 2013 CO flood response, and subsequent stream gaging network rebuild.  Then in 2016 Matt became involved with remote sensing and non-contact methods for characterizing surface water flow in Colorado with local COWSC studies partners and national USGS initiatives. He has helped to stand up all aspects of NGWOS UCOL non-contact sites in the basin.  The experience gained by being immersed in the subject, lead him to become an instructor of local and national non-contact method training courses backed up by the USGS.  He is an expert in all aspects of surface water data collection and field instrumentation sensors and telemetry.  
 

Education and Certifications

  • Monmouth University B.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy  
     

Science and Products

Near-field remotely sensed streamflow, channel bathymetry, and floodplain topography measurements in the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO collected March 2018

A USGS Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) Aquatic Airshow field testing and demonstration event occurred March 20-21, 2018, on the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO, USA. At the airshow, a group of USGS scientists and technicians gathered to test non-contact sensors for measuring stream discharge using UAS and a sensor mounted on a tag line. Scientists at the event performed a series of tests to measu
By
Water Resources Mission Area

QCam: sUAS-based doppler radar for measuring river discharge

The U.S. Geological Survey is actively investigating remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) from satellite-, high altitude-, small, unmanned aircraft systems- (sUAS or drone), and permanent (fixed) deployments. This initiative is important in ungaged basins and river reaches that lack the infrastructure to deploy conventional streamgaging equipment. By coupling alternat
Authors
John W. Fulton, Isaac E. Anderson, C.-L. Chiu, Wolfram Sommer, Josip Adams, Tommaso Moramarco, David M. Bjerklie, Janice M. Fulford, Jeff L. Sloan, Heather Best, Jeffrey S. Conaway, Michelle J. Kang, Michael S. Kohn, Matthew J. Nicotra, Jeremy J. Pulli
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, National Innovation Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge using radars and the probability concept at 10 USGS streamgages

Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) were measured using coherent, continuous wave Doppler and pulsed radars. Traditional streamgaging requires sensors be deployed in the water column; however, near-field remote sensing has the potential to transform streamgaging operations through non-contact methods in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies
Authors
John Fulton, Chris A. Mason, Jack R. Eggleston, Matthew J. Nicotra, C.-L. Chiu, Mark F. Henneberg, Heather Best, Jay Cederberg, Stephen R. Holnbeck, R. Russell Lotspeich, Christopher Laveau, Tommaso Moramarco, Mark E. Jones, Jonathan J Gourley, Danny Wasielewski
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center, National Innovation Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Science and Products

Near-field remotely sensed streamflow, channel bathymetry, and floodplain topography measurements in the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO collected March 2018

A USGS Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) Aquatic Airshow field testing and demonstration event occurred March 20-21, 2018, on the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO, USA. At the airshow, a group of USGS scientists and technicians gathered to test non-contact sensors for measuring stream discharge using UAS and a sensor mounted on a tag line. Scientists at the event performed a series of tests to measu
By
Water Resources Mission Area

QCam: sUAS-based doppler radar for measuring river discharge

The U.S. Geological Survey is actively investigating remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) from satellite-, high altitude-, small, unmanned aircraft systems- (sUAS or drone), and permanent (fixed) deployments. This initiative is important in ungaged basins and river reaches that lack the infrastructure to deploy conventional streamgaging equipment. By coupling alternat
Authors
John W. Fulton, Isaac E. Anderson, C.-L. Chiu, Wolfram Sommer, Josip Adams, Tommaso Moramarco, David M. Bjerklie, Janice M. Fulford, Jeff L. Sloan, Heather Best, Jeffrey S. Conaway, Michelle J. Kang, Michael S. Kohn, Matthew J. Nicotra, Jeremy J. Pulli
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, National Innovation Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge using radars and the probability concept at 10 USGS streamgages

Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) were measured using coherent, continuous wave Doppler and pulsed radars. Traditional streamgaging requires sensors be deployed in the water column; however, near-field remote sensing has the potential to transform streamgaging operations through non-contact methods in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies
Authors
John Fulton, Chris A. Mason, Jack R. Eggleston, Matthew J. Nicotra, C.-L. Chiu, Mark F. Henneberg, Heather Best, Jay Cederberg, Stephen R. Holnbeck, R. Russell Lotspeich, Christopher Laveau, Tommaso Moramarco, Mark E. Jones, Jonathan J Gourley, Danny Wasielewski
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center, National Innovation Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center