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 Since unpublished research benefits nobody, he actively strives to publish his studies in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, conference papers, and data releases.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
Velocity, Discharge, and Dye Concentrations During a Dye Tracer Study on the Lower Sandusky River, Ohio, July 11-13, 2017
Up-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler data in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois, January 2014 to January 2018
Water velocity profiling at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during passage of fully-loaded commercial tows in August 2017
Velocity profiling at the US Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during passage of fully loaded commercial tows
Continuous Monitoring and Synoptic Mapping of Nearshore Water Quality, Currents, and Bathymetry in Lake Michigan at Jeorse Park Beach near Gary, Indiana
Continuous Monitoring and Synoptic Mapping of Nearshore Water Quality, Currents, and Bathymetry in Lake Michigan at 63rd Street Beach at Hyde Park, Illinois
Three-dimensional point measurements of basic water-quality parameters in Hoover Reservoir near Westerville, Ohio, August 25 and 27, 2015
Spatial distribution of depth-averaged velocity measured in the Wabash River near West Lafayette, IN (June 26-27, 2012 and June 17-18, 2013)
Rhodamine WT dye concentration profiles measured at fixed stations in the Brandon Road Lock chamber near Rockdale, Illinois (October 20, 2015)
Water surface elevation in the Brandon Road Lock chamber near Rockdale, Illinois (October 19-21, 2015)
Rhodamine WT dye concentrations measured at fixed locations in the Des Plaines River near Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Rockdale, Illinois (October 20-21,2015)
Spatial distribution of Rhodamine WT dye concentration measured in the Des Plaines River near Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Rockdale, Illinois (October 20-21, 2015)
Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) user’s manual
Predicting the spatiotemporal exposure of aquatic species to intrusions of fire retardant in streams with limited data
Using turbulence to identify preferential areas for grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) larvae in streams: A laboratory study
Modelling grass carp egg transport using a 3-D hydrodynamic river model: The role of egg retention in dead zones on spawning success
Analysis of nearshore placement of sediments at Ogden Dunes, Indiana
Influence of turbulence and in-stream structures on the transport and survival of grass carp eggs and larvae at various developmental stages
Efficacy of increasing discharge to reduce tow-mediated fish passage across an electric dispersal barrier system in a confined channel
Characterizing variability in vertical profiles of streamwise velocity and implications for streamgaging practices in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois, January 2014 to July 2017
Flow hydraulics and mixing characteristics in and downstream from Brandon Road Lock, Joliet, Illinois
Identifying and eliminating sources of recreational water quality degradation along an urban coast
Effects of tow transit on the efficacy of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Electric Dispersal Barrier System
Range estimates and habitat use of invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix): Evidence of sedentary and mobile individuals
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Velocity, Discharge, and Dye Concentrations During a Dye Tracer Study on the Lower Sandusky River, Ohio, July 11-13, 2017
A dye tracer study was completed on the lower Sandusky River between July 11-13, 2017, during a confirmed Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) spawning event. The data contained in this data release include time series of dye concentration at fixed stations downstream of the injection site and three-dimensional water-velocity data and discharge measurements collected using acoustic Doppler currentUp-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler data in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois, January 2014 to January 2018
A critical component of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA) program, which oversees the diversion of Great Lakes water by the State of Illinois, is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow gaging station on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Lemont, Illinois (05536890). The long-term application of an up-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) at this gaging staWater velocity profiling at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during passage of fully-loaded commercial tows in August 2017
In 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertook a large-scale interagency field study to determine the influence of commercial barge vessels on the efficacy of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) in preventing fish passage. This study included a series of trials in which a tow, coVelocity profiling at the US Army Corps of Engineers Electric Dispersal Barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during passage of fully loaded commercial tows
In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertook a large-scale interagency field study to determine the influence of commercial barge vessels on the efficacy of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) in preventing fish passage. This study included a series of trials in which a tow, coContinuous Monitoring and Synoptic Mapping of Nearshore Water Quality, Currents, and Bathymetry in Lake Michigan at Jeorse Park Beach near Gary, Indiana
These data were collected as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project template 678-1 entitled 'Evaluate immediate and long-term BMP effectiveness of GLRI restoration efforts at urban beaches on Southern and Western Lake Michigan'. This project is evaluating the effectiveness of projects that are closely associated with restoration of local habitat and contact recreational actiContinuous Monitoring and Synoptic Mapping of Nearshore Water Quality, Currents, and Bathymetry in Lake Michigan at 63rd Street Beach at Hyde Park, Illinois
These data were collected as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project template 678-1 entitled Evaluate immediate and long-term BMP effectiveness of GLRI restoration efforts at urban beaches on Southern and Western Lake Michigan. This project is evaluating the effectiveness of projects that are closely associated with restoration of local habitat and contact recreational activiThree-dimensional point measurements of basic water-quality parameters in Hoover Reservoir near Westerville, Ohio, August 25 and 27, 2015
To better understand the hydrodynamics and water-quality distributions of the lower portion of Hoover Reservoir near Westerville, Ohio, in response to selective withdrawal operations at the dam, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted two sets of synoptic surveys of water-quality and velocity in August 2015. On August 25, 2015, the middle intake gates were operational at the dam, while on AuguSpatial distribution of depth-averaged velocity measured in the Wabash River near West Lafayette, IN (June 26-27, 2012 and June 17-18, 2013)
These data were collected using a 2 mHz TRDI StreamPro acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) in 2012 and a 1200 kHz Rio Grande ADCP in 2013, both deployed from a moving boat. The data were georeferenced with a Hemisphere Crescent A100 differential Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with submeter accuracy. The data have been depth-averaged over the entire measured portion of the water coluRhodamine WT dye concentration profiles measured at fixed stations in the Brandon Road Lock chamber near Rockdale, Illinois (October 20, 2015)
A Turner Designs C3 submersible fluorometer was deployed in the Brandon Road Lock chamber (BRLD) near Rockdale, Illinois, to measure Rhodamine WT dye concentrations during a U.S. Geological Survey dye study conducted on October 20, 2015. The lock chamber at BRLD was dyed with 4 liters of Rhodamine WT dye during a routine filling procedure. Measurements of dye concentration profiles were collectedWater surface elevation in the Brandon Road Lock chamber near Rockdale, Illinois (October 19-21, 2015)
An Insitu Level Troll 500 was deployed in the Brandon Road Lock chamber (BRLD) near Rockdale, Illinois between 12:09 Central Daylight Time (CDT) on October 19, 2015 and 14:57 CDT October 21, 2015 to monitor water-surface elevation in the lock chamber during a U.S. Geological Survey dye study conducted on October 20, 2015. The duration of the deployment included a day prior to and a day following tRhodamine WT dye concentrations measured at fixed locations in the Des Plaines River near Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Rockdale, Illinois (October 20-21,2015)
Five Turner Designs C3 submersible fluorometers were deployed in the Des Plaines River downstream of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam (BRLD) near Rockdale, IL, to measure Rhodamine WT dye concentrations during a U.S. Geological Survey dye study conducted on October 20-21, 2015. The lock chamber at BRLD was dyed with 4 liters of Rhodamine WT dye during a routine filling procedure. Measurements of dyeSpatial distribution of Rhodamine WT dye concentration measured in the Des Plaines River near Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Rockdale, Illinois (October 20-21, 2015)
Two survey boats equipped with differential Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and Turner Designs C3 submersible fluorometers were used to survey the spatial distribution of the Rhodamine WT dye in the Des Plaines River downstream of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam (BRLD) near Rockdale, Ilinois. Mapping of the dye plume commenced after the lock chamber at BRLD was dyed with 4 liters of Rhodam - Multimedia
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Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) user’s manual
The Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) was developed to simulate the transport and dispersion of invasive carp eggs and larvae in a river. FluEgg currently (2020) supports modeling of bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), with the planned addition of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) once developmental data are availableAuthorsMarian M. Domanski, Jessica Z. LeRoy, Michael Berutti, P. Ryan JacksonPredicting the spatiotemporal exposure of aquatic species to intrusions of fire retardant in streams with limited data
Because fire retardant can enter streams and harm aquatic species including endangered fish, agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) must estimate the downstream extent of toxic effects every time fire retardant enters streams (denoted as an “intrusion”). A challenge in estimating the length of stream affected by the intrusion and the exposure time of species in the affected reach is the lAuthorsChris R. Rehmann, P. Ryan Jackson, Holly J. PuglisUsing turbulence to identify preferential areas for grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) larvae in streams: A laboratory study
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 carpAuthorsAndres F. Prada, Amy E. George, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, P. Ryan Jackson, Duane Chapman, Rafael O. TinocoModelling grass carp egg transport using a 3-D hydrodynamic river model: The role of egg retention in dead zones on spawning success
Invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are known to spawn in the Sandusky River, Ohio, USA, within the Great Lakes Basin, and are threatening to expand throughout the Great Lakes. Successful spawning is thought to require that eggs remain in suspension until hatching, which depends on river hydrodynamics and temperature-dependent egg development. Previous modelling efforts used one-dimensioAuthorsTej Heer, Mathew G. Wells, P. Ryan Jackson, Nicholas E. MandrakAnalysis of nearshore placement of sediments at Ogden Dunes, Indiana
The harbor structures/shoreline armoring on the southern Lake Michigan shoreline interrupt sand migration. Ogden Dunes, Indiana, and the nearby Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore observed shoreline erosion due to engineered structures associated with Burns Waterway Harbor, east of Ogden Dunes, impeding natural east to west sediment migration. To remedy this, USACE placed over 450,000 cubic meters, oAuthorsDavid L Young, Katherine E Brutsche, Honghai Li, Brian C McFall, Erin C Maloney, Kaitlyn E McClain, David F. Bucaro, Jessica Z. LeRoy, James J. Duncker, Kevin K. Johnson, P. Ryan JacksonInfluence of turbulence and in-stream structures on the transport and survival of grass carp eggs and larvae at various developmental stages
Understanding the response of grass carp to flow and turbulence regimes during early life stages is fundamental to monitoring and controlling their spread. A comprehensive set of hydrodynamic experiments was conducted with live grass carp eggs and larvae, to better understand their drifting and swimming patterns with 3 different in-stream obstructions: (1) a gravel bump, (2) a single cylinder, andAuthorsAndres F. Prada, Amy E. George, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, P. Ryan Jackson, Duane Chapman, Rafael O. TinocoEfficacy of increasing discharge to reduce tow-mediated fish passage across an electric dispersal barrier system in a confined channel
The Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) was built to limit the interbasin transfer of aquatic invasive species between the Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes Basin. Commercial barge traffic, or tows, moving downstream through the EDBS can facilitate the upstream passage of small fish through the barrier by reducing the voltage gradient ofAuthorsJessica Z. LeRoy, Jeremiah J. Davis, Matthew R. Shanks, P. Ryan Jackson, Elizabeth A. Murphy, Carey L. Baxter, Jonathan C. Trovillion, Michael K. McInerneyCharacterizing variability in vertical profiles of streamwise velocity and implications for streamgaging practices in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois, January 2014 to July 2017
A critical component of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting program, which oversees the diversion of Great Lakes water by the State of Illinois, is the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois. The long-term application of an up-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler at this streamgage allows the flows at this study site to be examined frAuthorsP. Ryan JacksonFlow hydraulics and mixing characteristics in and downstream from Brandon Road Lock, Joliet, Illinois
The Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, has been identified for potential implementation of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) control measures. To provide additional information concerning the flow hydraulics and mixing characteristics of the lock and downstream approach channel, the U.S. Geological Survey performed a detailed study of the site between December 2AuthorsFrank L. Engel, P. Ryan Jackson, Elizabeth A. MurphyIdentifying and eliminating sources of recreational water quality degradation along an urban coast
Restoration of highly degraded urban coastal waters often requires large-scale, complex projects, but in the interim, smaller-scale efforts can provide immediate improvements to water quality conditions for visitor use. We examined short-term efforts to improve recreational water quality near the Grand Calumet River (GC) in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Identified as an Area of Concern (AOC) by theAuthorsMeredith B. Nevers, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Dawn Shively, Paul M. Buszka, P. Ryan Jackson, Mantha S. PhanikumarEffects of tow transit on the efficacy of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Electric Dispersal Barrier System
In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertook a field study in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville, Illinois to determine the influence of tow transit on the efficacy of the Electric Dispersal Barrier System (EDBS) in preventing the passage of juvenile fish (total length < 100 millimeters (mm)). Dual-frequency identiAuthorsJeremiah J. Davis, Jessica Z. LeRoy, Matthew R. Shanks, Patrick Ryan Jackson, Frank L. Engel, Elizabeth A. Murphy, Carey L. Baxter, Michael K. McInerney, Nicholas A. BarkowskiRange estimates and habitat use of invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix): Evidence of sedentary and mobile individuals
Unregulated rivers provide unobstructed corridors for the dispersal of both native and invasive species. We sought to evaluate range size and habitat use of an invasive species (Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in an unimpounded river reach (Wabash River, IN), to provide insights into the dispersal of invasive species and their potential overlap with native species. We hypothesized that rAuthorsAustin R. Prechtel, Alison A. Coulter, Luke Etchison, P. Ryan Jackson, Reuben R. Goforth