USGS hydrologist Hannah Richardson prepares to collect a groundwater-level measurement from a well on Idaho's Camas Prairie as part of a groundwater synoptic survey, April 10, 2025. The headwaters of Lava Creek can be seen in the distance.
Paul Thomas
Paul M. Thomas is a hydrologist with the USGS Idaho Water Science Center in Boise.
Paul is involved in a variety of groundwater and surface-water studies throughout Idaho. His primary research interests include basin-wide groundwater-flow modeling and water-quality trend analyses to support water management decisions.
Science and Products
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Camas Prairie, Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho's Camas Prairie is a 730-square-mile basin nestled between the Mount Bennett Hills and the Soldier Mountains and drained by Camas Creek. The area is culturally significant to native peoples who have gathered the bulbs of the common camas for food. Since the late 19th century, the basin has also been an important agricultural area. Camas Creek contributes water to Magic Reservoir, a...
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Mountain Home Plateau, Southern Idaho
Residents, businesses, agricultural producers, and Mountain Home Air Force Base all rely on the Mountain Home Plateau's groundwater resources. Declining groundwater levels raise concerns about the sustainability of the regional aquifer. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) needs updated information about the groundwater resources of the Mountain Home Plateau to help administer water...
Groundwater-level synoptic, Camas Prairie, Idaho, April 2025
USGS hydrologist Hannah Richardson prepares to collect a groundwater-level measurement from a well on Idaho's Camas Prairie as part of a groundwater synoptic survey, April 10, 2025. The headwaters of Lava Creek can be seen in the distance.
Science and Products
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Camas Prairie, Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho's Camas Prairie is a 730-square-mile basin nestled between the Mount Bennett Hills and the Soldier Mountains and drained by Camas Creek. The area is culturally significant to native peoples who have gathered the bulbs of the common camas for food. Since the late 19th century, the basin has also been an important agricultural area. Camas Creek contributes water to Magic Reservoir, a...
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Mountain Home Plateau, Southern Idaho
Residents, businesses, agricultural producers, and Mountain Home Air Force Base all rely on the Mountain Home Plateau's groundwater resources. Declining groundwater levels raise concerns about the sustainability of the regional aquifer. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) needs updated information about the groundwater resources of the Mountain Home Plateau to help administer water...
Groundwater-level synoptic, Camas Prairie, Idaho, April 2025
USGS hydrologist Hannah Richardson prepares to collect a groundwater-level measurement from a well on Idaho's Camas Prairie as part of a groundwater synoptic survey, April 10, 2025. The headwaters of Lava Creek can be seen in the distance.
USGS hydrologist Hannah Richardson prepares to collect a groundwater-level measurement from a well on Idaho's Camas Prairie as part of a groundwater synoptic survey, April 10, 2025. The headwaters of Lava Creek can be seen in the distance.