Rod Caldwell is a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center.
His professional career is based on working with USGS colleagues, scientists from other agencies, resource managers, and the public to design and implement scientific investigations to increase the understanding of hydrologic systems while providing needed information for resource management.
He began his career with the USGS in 1990 in Oregon and transferred to Montana in 1998 and has since worked on hydrologic investigations in Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. He was the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins Groundwater Specialist from 1998 to 2004. He was the Water-Use Specialist for the Western United States from 2016 to 2020. He has been a project hydrologist for several geologic framework, groundwater assessment, groundwater/surface-water interaction, and water-quality studies. Current work includes the Hydrologic Assessment of the Blackfeet Reservation and the Clark Fork Superfund projects.
Professional Experience
1998-present Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Helena, MT
1990-1998 Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center, Portland, OR
1988-1989, Scientific Investigator, Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, IL
Education and Certifications
M.S. Geology/Geohydrology, Portland State University, 1993
B.S. Geology, University of Illinois, 1989
Honors and Awards
U.S. Department of the Interior, Safety and Health Award of Excellence, 2015
U.S. Geological Survey, Safety and Occupational Health Award of Excellence, 2015
Science and Products
Hydrologic Assessment of the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
Verification Dataset of Irrigation Status of Agricultural Lands in Montana
Water Use in Wyoming
Water Use in Montana
Establishment of a baseline groundwater monitoring program in an area identified for energy development on the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
Hydrologic Assessment with an Emphasis on Water Quality within the Lame Deer Creek Watershed, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana
Smith River Watershed Investigations
Science and Products
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Hydrologic Assessment of the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
The Blackfeet Nation seeks an increased scientific understanding of the water resources within the Blackfeet Reservation of northwestern Montana. Hydrologic information is needed in order to make informed water management decisions as the Blackfeet Nation moves forward with implementation of the Blackfeet Water Rights Compact as new water-use projects are initiated and as the Blackfeet Irrigation...Verification Dataset of Irrigation Status of Agricultural Lands in Montana
The Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center (WY-MT WSC) is currently (2019-2020) developing field and data management methods to collect and manage field-verified spatial datasets of irrigated lands in an effort to improve estimates of irrigation water use throughout the nation. The USGS is currently (2019) working with the University of Wisconsin to develop datasets to describe the spatial extent of...Water Use in Wyoming
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled estimates of water use in Wyoming and the rest of the United States at 5-year intervals since 1950.Water Use in Montana
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled estimates of water use in Montana and the rest of the United States at 5-year intervals since 1950.Establishment of a baseline groundwater monitoring program in an area identified for energy development on the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
As a result of energy development, the Blackfeet Environmental Office has developed a groundwater monitoring program specifically focused on the Cut Bank Creek watershed of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The addition of groundwater data to an existing surface-water monitoring program will help the Blackfeet Tribe develop a more complete understanding of the current conditions of their water...Hydrologic Assessment with an Emphasis on Water Quality within the Lame Deer Creek Watershed, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana
The Lame Deer Creek watershed of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southeastern Montana encompasses about 82 square miles and is home to the community of Lame Deer. Local water resources within the Lame Deer Creek watershed include Lame Deer Creek and groundwater within unconsolidated sediments and bedrock aquifers. In 2017 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Northern Cheyenne...Smith River Watershed Investigations
The Smith River watershed is an important recreational and agricultural area in Meagher and Cascade counties in west-central Montana. Thousands of visitors travel to the area annually to float and fish the Smith River. Additionally, most of the water used to irrigate 36,000 acres of the upper Smith River watershed is withdrawn from the Smith River or its tributaries. During a recent drought... - Data
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