Sara Brandt Levin
Sara is a staff scientist in the Upper Midwest Water Science Center with a focus on surface water hydrology and statistics.
I began working at the USGS in 2007 with a background in surface hydrology and statistics. My recent studies have focused on flood frequency estimation and characterization of changes in magnitude and timing of floods in the midwest. Additional interests and past projects have focused on simulation and statistical modeling of surface water reservoirs, streamflow at ungaged sites, and the effects of human water use on water availability and fish populations.
Education and Certifications
Master of Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, 2010
Master of Environmental Management, Duke University, 2002
Bachelor of Arts, University of North Carolina, 1997
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Techniques for estimating the magnitude and frequency of peak flows on small streams in Minnesota, excluding the Rainy River Basin, based on data through water year 2019 Techniques for estimating the magnitude and frequency of peak flows on small streams in Minnesota, excluding the Rainy River Basin, based on data through water year 2019
Annual peak-flow data collected at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Minnesota and adjacent areas of neighboring states of Iowa and South Dakota were analyzed to develop and update regional regression equations that can be used to estimate the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflow for ungaged streams in Minnesota, excluding the Lake of the Woods-Rainy River Basin upstream from...
Authors
Christopher A. Sanocki, Sara B. Levin
A novel suspended-sediment sampling method: Depth-Integrated Grab (DIG) A novel suspended-sediment sampling method: Depth-Integrated Grab (DIG)
Measuring suspended sediment in fluvial systems is critical to understanding and managing water resources. Sampling suspended sediment has been the primary means of understanding fluvial suspended sediment. Specialized samplers, sampling methods, and laboratory methods developed by select U.S. Federal Agencies are more representative of river and stream conditions than commonly used grab...
Authors
Joel T. Groten, Sara B. Levin, Erin N. Coenen, J. William Lund, Gregory D. Johnson
Comparing empirical sediment transport modeling approaches in Michigan rivers Comparing empirical sediment transport modeling approaches in Michigan rivers
Excess or limited fluvial sediment transport can contribute to and exacerbate many environmental issues including nutrient loading, aquatic habitat degradation, flooding, channel navigation dredging, dam operation, and stream degradation or aggradation. However, fluvial sediment transport is difficult and expensive to comprehensively characterize because it can vary substantially both...
Authors
Joel T. Groten, Sara B. Levin, Erin N. Coenen, J. William Lund, Bethany Matousek
Flood-frequency analysis in the Midwest: Addressing potential nonstationarity of annual peak-flow records Flood-frequency analysis in the Midwest: Addressing potential nonstationarity of annual peak-flow records
Flood-frequency analysis is essential in numerous water-resource management applications, including critical structure design and flood-plain mapping. A basic assumption within Bulletin 17C [1], the standardized guidelines for conducting flood-frequency analysis, is that basins without major hydrologic alterations, such as regulation or urbanization, exhibit stationary statistical...
Authors
Mackenzie K. Marti, Karen R. Ryberg, Sara B. Levin
Estimating flood magnitude and frequency for unregulated streams in Wisconsin Estimating flood magnitude and frequency for unregulated streams in Wisconsin
Flood frequency characteristics and estimated flood discharges for the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities were computed at 299 streamgaged locations in Wisconsin. The State was divided into four flood frequency regions using a cluster analysis to produce regions which are homogeneous with respect to physical basin characteristics. Regression...
Authors
Sara B. Levin, Christopher A. Sanocki
Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota
Altered hydrology is a stressor on aquatic life for several streams in Minnesota, but quantitative relations between specific aspects of streamflow alteration and biological responses have not been developed on a statewide scale in Minnesota. Best subsets regression analysis was used to develop linear regression models that quantify relations among five categories of hydrologic...
Authors
Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, Gregory D. Johnson, Aliesha L. Krall, Kara Fitzpatrick, Sara B. Levin
Non-USGS Publications**
Levin, S. B., Briggs, M. A., Foks, S. S., Goodling, P. J., Raffensperger, J. P., Rosenberry, D. O., Scholl, M. A., Tiedeman, C. R., & Webb, R. M. (2023). Uncertainties in measuring and estimating water-budget components: Current state of the science. WIREs Water, 10(4), e1646. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1646
Farmer, William H. and Sara Levin, 2018. Characterizing Uncertainty in Daily Streamflow Estimates at Ungauged Locations for the Massachusetts Sustainable Yield Estimator. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 54(1): 198‐210. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12603
P. K. Weiskel, D. M. Wolock, P. J. Zarriello, R. M. Vogel, S. B. Levin, 2014: Hydroclimatic regimes: a distributed water-balance framework for hydrologic assessment, classification, and management, Hydrology and Earth Systems Sciences, vol 18.
, and R. M. Lent4
, and R. M. Lent4
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Techniques for estimating the magnitude and frequency of peak flows on small streams in Minnesota, excluding the Rainy River Basin, based on data through water year 2019 Techniques for estimating the magnitude and frequency of peak flows on small streams in Minnesota, excluding the Rainy River Basin, based on data through water year 2019
Annual peak-flow data collected at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Minnesota and adjacent areas of neighboring states of Iowa and South Dakota were analyzed to develop and update regional regression equations that can be used to estimate the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflow for ungaged streams in Minnesota, excluding the Lake of the Woods-Rainy River Basin upstream from...
Authors
Christopher A. Sanocki, Sara B. Levin
A novel suspended-sediment sampling method: Depth-Integrated Grab (DIG) A novel suspended-sediment sampling method: Depth-Integrated Grab (DIG)
Measuring suspended sediment in fluvial systems is critical to understanding and managing water resources. Sampling suspended sediment has been the primary means of understanding fluvial suspended sediment. Specialized samplers, sampling methods, and laboratory methods developed by select U.S. Federal Agencies are more representative of river and stream conditions than commonly used grab...
Authors
Joel T. Groten, Sara B. Levin, Erin N. Coenen, J. William Lund, Gregory D. Johnson
Comparing empirical sediment transport modeling approaches in Michigan rivers Comparing empirical sediment transport modeling approaches in Michigan rivers
Excess or limited fluvial sediment transport can contribute to and exacerbate many environmental issues including nutrient loading, aquatic habitat degradation, flooding, channel navigation dredging, dam operation, and stream degradation or aggradation. However, fluvial sediment transport is difficult and expensive to comprehensively characterize because it can vary substantially both...
Authors
Joel T. Groten, Sara B. Levin, Erin N. Coenen, J. William Lund, Bethany Matousek
Flood-frequency analysis in the Midwest: Addressing potential nonstationarity of annual peak-flow records Flood-frequency analysis in the Midwest: Addressing potential nonstationarity of annual peak-flow records
Flood-frequency analysis is essential in numerous water-resource management applications, including critical structure design and flood-plain mapping. A basic assumption within Bulletin 17C [1], the standardized guidelines for conducting flood-frequency analysis, is that basins without major hydrologic alterations, such as regulation or urbanization, exhibit stationary statistical...
Authors
Mackenzie K. Marti, Karen R. Ryberg, Sara B. Levin
Estimating flood magnitude and frequency for unregulated streams in Wisconsin Estimating flood magnitude and frequency for unregulated streams in Wisconsin
Flood frequency characteristics and estimated flood discharges for the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities were computed at 299 streamgaged locations in Wisconsin. The State was divided into four flood frequency regions using a cluster analysis to produce regions which are homogeneous with respect to physical basin characteristics. Regression...
Authors
Sara B. Levin, Christopher A. Sanocki
Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota
Altered hydrology is a stressor on aquatic life for several streams in Minnesota, but quantitative relations between specific aspects of streamflow alteration and biological responses have not been developed on a statewide scale in Minnesota. Best subsets regression analysis was used to develop linear regression models that quantify relations among five categories of hydrologic...
Authors
Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, Gregory D. Johnson, Aliesha L. Krall, Kara Fitzpatrick, Sara B. Levin
Non-USGS Publications**
Levin, S. B., Briggs, M. A., Foks, S. S., Goodling, P. J., Raffensperger, J. P., Rosenberry, D. O., Scholl, M. A., Tiedeman, C. R., & Webb, R. M. (2023). Uncertainties in measuring and estimating water-budget components: Current state of the science. WIREs Water, 10(4), e1646. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1646
Farmer, William H. and Sara Levin, 2018. Characterizing Uncertainty in Daily Streamflow Estimates at Ungauged Locations for the Massachusetts Sustainable Yield Estimator. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 54(1): 198‐210. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12603
P. K. Weiskel, D. M. Wolock, P. J. Zarriello, R. M. Vogel, S. B. Levin, 2014: Hydroclimatic regimes: a distributed water-balance framework for hydrologic assessment, classification, and management, Hydrology and Earth Systems Sciences, vol 18.
, and R. M. Lent4
, and R. M. Lent4
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.