Patrick (Ryan) Jackson, Ph.D.
P. Ryan Jackson, Hydrologist, USGS, Central Midwest Water Science Center, located in Urbana, Illinois.
Ryan received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006 and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from 2006-2008. Since joining the USGS in 2008, he has been primarily working on surface water investigations projects, though some of his time each year has been dedicated to Office of Surface Water (Hydroacoustics). While Ryan's job title is hydrologist, a more accurate and descriptive title would be Environmental and Ecological Hydrodynamicist (yes, it's a mouthful). He studies complex flows in rivers and lakes and how these flows relate to physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring in the surrounding environment and ecosystems. At the heart of many of Ryan's studies is the investigation of mixing and transport in surface water with the goal of understanding a system from a holistic perspective, which includes describing the role of hydrodynamics in driving water-quality distributions and ecological processes. Examples of such studies include fate and transport of contaminants in rivermouth mixing zones in the Great Lakes, assessment of spawning suitability of Great Lakes tributaries for invasive Asian carp, and the hydrodynamics around barges and potential for entrainment and transport of invasive fish in barge junction gap spaces.
Ryan's studies rely heavily on innovative applications of hydroacoustic and water-quality instrumentation. For example, some of his studies utilize an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) paired with traditional manned-boat instrument platforms for high-resolution, integrated synoptic surveys of water-quality distributions, bathymetry, and velocity of a study site. He has a passion for data analysis and visualization and use a variety of tools including Matlab, ArcGIS, and Adobe Illustrator to unlock and present the "story in the data". Since unpublished research benefits nobody, he actively strives to publish his studies in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, conference papers, and data releases. Finally, Ryan shares many of the data processing and visualization tools that he develops through his research with others to provide transparency and standardization, improve efficiency, and minimize duplication of effort within the USGS and the broader research community. One example is the Velocity Mapping Toolbox (VMT), a suite of tools for processing and visualizing data from acoustic Doppler current profilers.
Science and Products
Waterbody Rapid Assessment Tool (WaterRAT): 3-dimensional Visualization of High-Resolution Spatial Data
Invasive Carp Integrated Control and Containment: Brandon Road Lock and Dam
Invasive Carp Risk Assessment and Life History: Assessment of Hydraulic and Water-Quality Influences on Waterways to Develop Control Options
Development of a FluEgg Model for the St. Croix River
Early Life History of Bighead, Silver, Black, and Grass Carps
Monitoring Data to Support the Operation of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, Illinois, October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018
Velocity Survey at Cross Sections in the Illinois River below Starved Rock Lock and Dam near Utica, Illinois, June 16, 2021
Acoustic Telemetry Evaluation of Invasive Carp in Kaukauna, Wisconsin (Summer 2019)
Lower St. Croix River Steady State Hydraulic Inputs for FluOil Workshop
Velocity and Water-Quality Data for the Maumee River Between Defiance and Toledo, Ohio, 2019
Hydraulic Model Archive and Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) Results for Simulations of Invasive Carp Egg and Larval Drift in the Maumee River, Ohio (ver. 1.1, July 2023)
Bathymetric data for the Maumee River between Defiance and Toledo, Ohio, 2019
Bathymetric, water velocity, and water temperature data on the St. Croix River between St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Stillwater, Minnesota, June 19-22, 2018
Bathymetric and water quality data on the Sandusky River between Tiffin and Fremont, Ohio, November 4-7, 2019
Swimming speeds of grass carp in response to turbulence
Velocity measurements around the sill bubble curtain in Peoria Lock on the Illinois River, Illinois, September 17-18, 2019
Bathymetric and water quality data on the Sandusky River between Tiffin and Fremont, Ohio, November 4-7, 2019
Movement and behavioral states of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in response to a behavioral deterrent in a navigational lock
U.S. Geological Survey invasive carp strategic framework, 2023–27
Assessing the efficacy of oblique bubble screens for control of aquatic invasive species
USGS Telemetry Project
Uncertainty analysis of index-velocity meters and discharge computations at the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois, water years 2006–16
Microbial source tracking and evaluation of best management practices for restoring degraded beaches of Lake Michigan
Circulation, mixing, and transport in nearshore Lake Erie in the vicinity of Villa Angela Beach and Euclid Creek, Cleveland, Ohio, June 10–12, 2019, and August 19–21, 2019
Real-time telemetry and multi-state modeling
Performance of a carbon dioxide injection system at a navigation lock to control the spread of aquatic invasive species
The role of hydraulic and geomorphic complexity in predicting invasive carp spawning potential: St. Croix River, Minnesota and Wisconsin, United States
Identifying turbulence features hindering swimming capabilities of grass carp larvae (Ctenopharyngodon idella) through submerged vegetation
Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Science and Products
- Science
Waterbody Rapid Assessment Tool (WaterRAT): 3-dimensional Visualization of High-Resolution Spatial Data
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are instruments that collect water-quality, depth, and other data in waterbodies. They produce complex and massive datasets. There is currently no standard method to store, organize, process, quality-check, analyze, or visualize this data. The Waterbody Rapid Assessment Tool (WaterRAT) is aPython application that processes and displays water-quality data withInvasive Carp Integrated Control and Containment: Brandon Road Lock and Dam
Increased threat of Invasive carp entering the Great Lakes and spreading to other basins such as the Upper Mississippi River and Ohio River basins, has led to increased prevention and control efforts since 2010. Successful management of this invasive species requires methods to contain future spread, reduce population levels, and minimize their effects. In collaboration with partners, USGS...Invasive Carp Risk Assessment and Life History: Assessment of Hydraulic and Water-Quality Influences on Waterways to Develop Control Options
USGS scientists monitored the distribution of the Invasive carp populations within the pools of the Illinois River to help identify favorable habitats. Sharp contrasts in habitat, flow conditions, water quality, and food supply between the Marseilles and Dresden Island Pools and the Chicago Area Waterway System may be acting as controlling factors to the stalled upstream movement of Invasive carp...Development of a FluEgg Model for the St. Croix River
The USGS partnered with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to collect hydraulic and water chemistry data in the lower St. Croix River for development of a model that predicts the probability of successful egg hatching and survival of juvenile invasive carp over a range of water temperature and streamflow conditions.Early Life History of Bighead, Silver, Black, and Grass Carps
Grass, bighead, black, and silver carps spawn in turbulent rivers and their eggs develop and hatch while drifting downriver. The larvae also have a short period of developing in the drift, and then they must swim from the river and find appropriate low- or no-flow nursery areas. Rivers which are not long enough, turbulent enough, or without nursery areas in the correct locations are not likely to... - Data
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Monitoring Data to Support the Operation of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, Illinois, October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors water surface flow reversals, commercial vessel traffic, and temperature and specific conductance in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier System, EDBS, on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago, Illinois. This data release is the 2018 water year summary of the EDBS monitoring data. Water surface flow reversals at the EDBS are monitorVelocity Survey at Cross Sections in the Illinois River below Starved Rock Lock and Dam near Utica, Illinois, June 16, 2021
In support of U.S. Geological Survey invasive carp research examining aggregations of invasive carp in the tail water of dams, water velocity measurements were made at cross sections in the Illinois River below Starved Rock Lock and Dam on June 16, 2021. A total of 16 cross sections were surveyed, with two transects per cross section. Water depth and crew safety limited the extent of the survey. TAcoustic Telemetry Evaluation of Invasive Carp in Kaukauna, Wisconsin (Summer 2019)
This study deployed acoustic telemetry at the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) in lock #2 and the upstream and downstream pools in Kaukauna, WI to document movements and behavior of telemetered fish species in response to injection of carbon dioxide. Telemetry equipment was setup in the test area for approximately 2 months during the summer of 2019. CSV metadata includes telemetry dLower St. Croix River Steady State Hydraulic Inputs for FluOil Workshop
This data release contains steady-state hydraulic input files for the FluOil model (Zhu and others, 2022) that describe the lower St. Croix River between St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Stillwater, Minnesota. These files are derived from the results of a steady-state one dimensional (1D) hydraulic model of the river reach at three discharges (10,000, 20,000, and 35,000 cubic feet per second (cfs))Velocity and Water-Quality Data for the Maumee River Between Defiance and Toledo, Ohio, 2019
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project template 774-18 entitled “Development of monitoring and response methodologies, and implementation of an Adaptive Management Framework to work towards Eradication of Grass Carp in Lake Erie” an integrated bathymetric/hydrodynamic/water-quality survey of the Maumee River (Ohio) was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in theHydraulic Model Archive and Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) Results for Simulations of Invasive Carp Egg and Larval Drift in the Maumee River, Ohio (ver. 1.1, July 2023)
The U.S. Geological Survey simulated the drift and dispersal of invasive carp eggs and larvae in the Maumee River, Ohio, using the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) (Garcia and others, 2013; Domanski, 2020). The hydraulic inputs used in the FluEgg simulations were generated using a one-dimensional Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) 5.0.7 model of the Maumee River (HECBathymetric data for the Maumee River between Defiance and Toledo, Ohio, 2019
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project template 774-18 entitled "Development of monitoring and response methodologies, and implementation of an Adaptive Management Framework to work towards Eradication of Grass Carp in Lake Erie" an integrated bathymetric/hydrodynamic/water-quality survey of the Maumee River (Ohio) was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in theBathymetric, water velocity, and water temperature data on the St. Croix River between St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Stillwater, Minnesota, June 19-22, 2018
From June 19-22, 2018, bathymetric, water velocity, and water temperature data were collected on the St. Croix River between St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and Stillwater, Minnesota. These data were collected with a Teledyne RD Instruments RiverRay acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and georeferenced using a Trimble R10 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver connected to a real-timeBathymetric and water quality data on the Sandusky River between Tiffin and Fremont, Ohio, November 4-7, 2019
On November 4-7, 2019, bathymetric data were collected on the Sandusky River between Tiffin and Fremont, Ohio. Wading measurements were made at cross-sections shallower than about 1 foot using a survey pole with a Trimble R10 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver connected to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) real-time virtual reference station (VRS) network. Cross-sectionsSwimming speeds of grass carp in response to turbulence
In this experimental series we studied the swimming capabilities and response of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) larvae to flow turbulence in a laboratory flume. We compared three different experimental configurations, representing in-stream obstructions commonly found in natural streams (e.g. a gravel bump, a single vertical cylinder, and patches of submerged rigid vegetation). Grass carp laVelocity measurements around the sill bubble curtain in Peoria Lock on the Illinois River, Illinois, September 17-18, 2019
Bubble curtain systems, also called "bubblers," are used in navigation locks to prevent the buildup of ice around the gates in the winter. It has been proposed that bubblers could potentially serve an additional purpose as a deterrent to the upstream movement of aquatic invasive species through locks. An interagency study involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,Bathymetric and water quality data on the Sandusky River between Tiffin and Fremont, Ohio, November 4-7, 2019
On November 4-7, 2019, bathymetric data were collected on the Sandusky River between Tiffin and Fremont, Ohio. Wading measurements were made at cross-sections shallower than about 1 foot using a survey pole with a Trimble R10 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver connected to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) real-time virtual reference station (VRS) network. Cross-sections - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 54
Movement and behavioral states of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in response to a behavioral deterrent in a navigational lock
Freshwater ecosystems are some of the most affected by biological invasions due, in part, to the introduction of invasive carp worldwide. Where carp have become established, management programs often seek to limit further range expansion into new areas by reducing their movement through interconnected rivers and waterways. Lock and dams are important locations for non-physical deterrents, such asAuthorsMaggie Jo Raboin, John Plumb, Matthew Sholtis, David Smith, P. Ryan Jackson, Jose Rivera, Cory D. Suski, Aaron R. CuppU.S. Geological Survey invasive carp strategic framework, 2023–27
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research has supported management of Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp), Mylopharyngodon piceus (black carp), Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp), and H. molitrix (silver carp), hereafter referred to collectively as invasive carps, for over a decade. This strategic framework identifies thematic research areas to guide funding decisions for USGS invasive carp rAuthorsDuane Chapman, Jon Amberg, Robin Calfee, Enrika Hlavacek, Jon Hortness, P. Ryan Jackson, David C. Kazyak, Brent Knights, James RobertsAssessing the efficacy of oblique bubble screens for control of aquatic invasive species
Non-physical barriers, such as bubble screens (or curtains), are promising low-impact strategies to deter the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in streams. Bubble screens have been successfully implemented to redirect and/or deter adult fish and to capture plastics in some rivers, but their efficacy on invasive fish at multiple life stages (eggs, larvae, and adult fish) is not yet known. AiAuthorsVindhyawasini Prasad, Cory D. Suski, P. Ryan Jackson, Amy E. George, Duane Chapman, Jesse Robert Fischer, Rafael O. TinocoUSGS Telemetry Project
No abstract available.AuthorsMarybeth K. Brey, Brent C. Knights, Jessica Stanton, Sean Bailey, Travis J. Harrison, Douglas Appel, Andrea K. Fritts, James J. Duncker, P. Ryan JacksonUncertainty analysis of index-velocity meters and discharge computations at the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois, water years 2006–16
Monitoring discharge in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is critical for the accounting done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the diversion of water from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River Basin by the State of Illinois. The primary streamgage used for this discharge monitoring, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois (U.S. Geological Survey station 05536890), is opeAuthorsThomas M. Over, Marian Muste, James J. Duncker, Heng-Wei Tsai, P. Ryan Jackson, Kevin K. Johnson, Frank L. Engel, Crystal D. PraterMicrobial source tracking and evaluation of best management practices for restoring degraded beaches of Lake Michigan
Attempts to mitigate shoreline microbial contamination require a thorough understanding of pollutant sources, which often requires multiple years of data collection (e.g., point/nonpoint) and the interacting factors that influence water quality. Because restoration efforts can alter shoreline or beach morphology, revisiting source inputs is often necessary. Microbial source tracking (MST) using soAuthorsMeredith B. Nevers, Paul M. Buszka, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Travis Cole, Steven R. Corsi, P. Ryan Jackson, Julie L. Kinzelman, Cindy H Nakatsu, Mantha S. PhanikumarCirculation, mixing, and transport in nearshore Lake Erie in the vicinity of Villa Angela Beach and Euclid Creek, Cleveland, Ohio, June 10–12, 2019, and August 19–21, 2019
Villa Angela Beach, on the Lake Erie lakeshore near Cleveland, Ohio, is just west of the mouth of Euclid Creek, a small, flashy stream that drains approximately 23 square miles and is susceptible to periodic contamination from combined sewer overflows (CSOs; 190 and 189 events in 2018 and 2019, respectively). Concerns about high concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in water samples collectAuthorsJustin A. Boldt, P. Ryan JacksonReal-time telemetry and multi-state modeling
This project will result in real-time data and other invasive carp movement information to inform realtime management decisions and refine the SEICarP model. FY 2022 funding will produce final transition probability estimates from the newly-developed Bayesian multi-state model, continue the maintenance of real-time telemetry to inform contingency actions, and produce a study plan to refine fishingAuthorsMarybeth K. Brey, Brent C. Knights, P. Ryan Jackson, Jessica C. Stanton, Douglas Appel, James J. Duncker, Andrea K. FrittsPerformance of a carbon dioxide injection system at a navigation lock to control the spread of aquatic invasive species
Natural resource agencies need effective strategies to control the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as invasive fish, which can expand their range using rivers as hydrological pathways to access new areas. Lock and dam structures within major rivers are prospective locations to deploy techniques, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) infusion into lock water, that could impede upstream AIS migAuthorsThomas J. Zolper, David Smith, P. Ryan Jackson, Aaron R. CuppThe role of hydraulic and geomorphic complexity in predicting invasive carp spawning potential: St. Croix River, Minnesota and Wisconsin, United States
Since they were first introduced to the United States more than 50 years ago, invasive carp have rapidly colonized rivers of the Mississippi River Basin, with detrimental effects on native aquatic species. Their continued range expansion, and potential for subsequent invasion of the Great Lakes, has led to increased concern for the susceptibility of as-yet uncompromised lotic and lentic systems inAuthorsAlan Kasprak, P. Ryan Jackson, Evan M. Lindroth, J. William Lund, Jeffrey R. ZiegeweidIdentifying turbulence features hindering swimming capabilities of grass carp larvae (Ctenopharyngodon idella) through submerged vegetation
Aquatic vegetation can provide habitat and refuge for a variety of species in streams. However, the flow features generated by submerged patches of vegetation can also pose a challenge for fish larvae. We conducted a series of experiments with live grass carp larvae (starting ∼50 h post hatch) in a laboratory racetrack flume, using a submerged array of rigid cylinders to mimic vegetation. We usedAuthorsRafael O. Tinoco, Andres F. Prada, Amy E. George, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, P. Ryan Jackson, Duane ChapmanEmerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), are partAuthorsAaron R. Cupp, Marybeth K. Brey, Robin Calfee, Duane Chapman, Richard A. Erickson, Jesse Robert Fischer, Andrea K. Fritts, Amy E. George, P. Ryan Jackson, Brent C. Knights, Gavin Nicholas Saari, Patrick Kočovský