Scott A Wright (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Sediment transport, streamflow, and climate change: long-term resilience of the Bay-Delta
Sediment supply is important to the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay (Bay-Delta) ecosystem. Sediment eroded from upland source areas in the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds is transported through the rivers to the Bay-Delta where it is deposited in mudflats and tidal wetlands, which in turn helps protect against the effects of sea-level rise. Sediment...
Sediment Acoustics
The U.S. Geological Survey recognizes the need to provide sediment acoustic training and to develop standardized techniques and practices.
Mapping Sturgeon Spawning Habitat in the Lower San Joaquin River
The spawning of adult white sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus) in the lower San Joaquin River was documented recently by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (Gruber and others, 2012; Jackson and Eenennaam, 2013). Streamflow on the San Joaquin River has been modified by State and Federal water project operations, and there are a variety of questions regarding the effects on fish...
Delta sediment measurements to support numerical modeling of turbidity
The purpose of the proposed work is to collect data that will support the development, calibration, and validation of numerical models of sediment transport and turbidity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Geomorphic Assessment and Restoration Alternatives Development for the Merced River in East Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
The National Park Service (NPS) and USGS jointly will investigate impacts to the Merced River due to infrastructure and historic channel widening in east Yosemite Valley with a goal of constructing river management alternatives. Past management actions, such as gravel mining, channel riprap, and the construction of bridges that do not accommodate flood flows, have had long-lasting impacts to the...
Exploring: Reservoir Capacity And Sedimentation Of The Fena Valley Reservoir Guam
The Fena Valley Reservoir, located in southern Guam, is the primary source of water for the United States Naval Base Guam and nearby village residents. At full capacity, the reservoir surface area extends approximately 0.30 mi 2, and drains a watershed area of about 5.88 mi 2. After reservoir construction, periodic bathymetric surveys, coupled with sedimentation models, can be used to produce...
Colorado River milage system and ancillary attribute data for connecting to hydrodynamic model output in Glen Canyon, AZ Colorado River milage system and ancillary attribute data for connecting to hydrodynamic model output in Glen Canyon, AZ
These data were compiled to support stranding risk modeling of young-of-year rainbow trout in Glen Canyon resulting from fluctuating flows from Glen Canyon Dam, called Trout Management Flows (TMFs). The objective of our study was to evaluate the stranding risk associated with different TMFs. We used the results of a 2-dimensional hydrodynamic model (Wright and others, 2024) as input to a...
Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona: tables of model results and accuracy assessment Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona: tables of model results and accuracy assessment
These data were compiled to provide a resource for other researchers interested in water-surface elevations and flow velocity across a wide range of discharge in the study reach for the project. Objective(s) of our study were to construct a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the 15.8 mile tailwater reach of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry...
Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California
Note: this data release has been deprecated. Find the updated version here: https://doi.org/10.5066/P13E57T8 This data release includes grain-size measurements of sediment samples collected from the substrate surface and uppermost 10 cm of sediment deposits in the Klamath estuary, northern California. Samples were collected using a BMH-60 bed-material sampler deployed from a boat, or by...
Bathymetry, Stage-Area, and Stage-Volume Tables for the Calaveras Reservoir, California, 2019 (ver. 2.0, March 2025) Bathymetry, Stage-Area, and Stage-Volume Tables for the Calaveras Reservoir, California, 2019 (ver. 2.0, March 2025)
Dataset contains reservoir bathymetry and shoreline topography up to dam crest elevation. Data were collected using small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS), multibeam sonar, and terrestrial lidar. Version 2.0 The multibeam sonar & terrestrial lidar data in version 2 was reprocessed for higher accuracy. 1-meter lidar data for 2020 from the USGS 3DEP program was used around the shoreline of...
Bed material grain size distributions for surficial samples from Iron Gate, Copco, and J.C. Boyle Reservoirs Bed material grain size distributions for surficial samples from Iron Gate, Copco, and J.C. Boyle Reservoirs
This product summarizes the collection and analysis of bed material sample grain size distribution collected from the Iron Gate, Copco, and J.C. Boyle Reservoirs located in Northern California and Southern Oregon on the Klamath River. Samples were collected on June 16, 2020 from cores (less than 1m depth) and processed for the full size distribution.
Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California
This data release includes grain-size measurements of sediment samples collected from the substrate surface and uppermost 10 cm of sediment deposits in the Klamath estuary, northern California. Samples were collected using a BMH-60 bed-material sampler deployed from a boat, or by hand trowel from subaerial or shallow-water (less than 0.5 m water depth) regions along the estuary margins...
Filter Total Items: 59
Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
The U.S. Geological Survey constructed a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model that was applied to a 15.8-mile tailwater reach of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon that begins 0.25 mile downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and extends to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona. The model used the Flow and Sediment Transport with Morphological Evolution of Channels (FaSTMECH)...
Authors
Scott A. Wright, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Paul E. Grams
A literature review and hypsometric analysis to support decisions on trout management flows on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam A literature review and hypsometric analysis to support decisions on trout management flows on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam
Executive Summary Fish stranding has been studied in select rivers worldwide, often with the purpose of determining how to mitigate adverse effects of dam operations on highly valued salmon and trout populations. However, where a reduction in trout population size is desired by resource managers, as is the case downstream of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, flow manipulations...
Authors
Mariah Giardina, Josh Korman, Michael D. Yard, Scott Wright, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Glenn Bennett
Sediment transport in two tributaries to the San Joaquin River immediately below Friant Dam—Cottonwood Creek and Little Dry Creek, California Sediment transport in two tributaries to the San Joaquin River immediately below Friant Dam—Cottonwood Creek and Little Dry Creek, California
Two tributaries to the greater San Joaquin River watershed, Cottonwood and Little Dry Creeks, in California’s Central Valley, were assessed for sediment and streamflow dynamics between October 1, 2011, and September 30, 2019. The two systems deliver sediment to the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam, California. Dams create downstream discontinuities in streamflow and sediment transport...
Authors
Dan R.W. Haught, Mathieu D. Marineau, Justin Toby Minear, Scott Wright, Joan V. Lopez
Storage capacity and sedimentation characteristics of Loch Lomond Reservoir, California, 2019 Storage capacity and sedimentation characteristics of Loch Lomond Reservoir, California, 2019
In May of 2019, Loch Lomond Reservoir was surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the city of Santa Cruz to assess the current storage capacity and sedimentation rates in the reservoir. Survey methods combined sonar soundings to measure bathymetry and lidar scans with GPS data to measure near-shore topography and sediment bed samples to understand reservoir bed...
Authors
Daniel R. Whealdon-Haught, Scott Wright, Mathieu D. Marineau
Self-limitation of sand storage in a bedrock-canyon river arising from the interaction of flow and grain size Self-limitation of sand storage in a bedrock-canyon river arising from the interaction of flow and grain size
Bedrock-canyon rivers tend to be supply limited because they are efficient transporters of sediment and not because the upstream supply of sediment is small. A byproduct of this supply limitation is that the finer alluvium stored in these rivers has shorter residence times and smaller volumes than in alluvial rivers. To improve our understanding of disequilibrium sediment transport and...
Authors
David J. Topping, Paul E. Grams, Ronald E. Griffiths, David J. Dean, Scott Wright, Joel A. Unema
Causes of variability in suspended‐sand concentration evaluated using measurements in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon Causes of variability in suspended‐sand concentration evaluated using measurements in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Rivers commonly exhibit substantial variability in suspended‐sand concentration, even at constant water discharge. Here we derive an approach for evaluating how much of this variability arises from mean bed‐sand grain size. We apply this approach to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, where discharge‐independent concentration of suspended sand varies by more than a factor of 23 (N = 1.4...
Authors
David M. Rubin, Daniel D. Buscombe, Scott Wright, David J. Topping, Paul E. Grams, John C. Schmidt, J.E. Hazel, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Robert B. Tusso
Science and Products
Sediment transport, streamflow, and climate change: long-term resilience of the Bay-Delta
Sediment supply is important to the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay (Bay-Delta) ecosystem. Sediment eroded from upland source areas in the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds is transported through the rivers to the Bay-Delta where it is deposited in mudflats and tidal wetlands, which in turn helps protect against the effects of sea-level rise. Sediment...
Sediment Acoustics
The U.S. Geological Survey recognizes the need to provide sediment acoustic training and to develop standardized techniques and practices.
Mapping Sturgeon Spawning Habitat in the Lower San Joaquin River
The spawning of adult white sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus) in the lower San Joaquin River was documented recently by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (Gruber and others, 2012; Jackson and Eenennaam, 2013). Streamflow on the San Joaquin River has been modified by State and Federal water project operations, and there are a variety of questions regarding the effects on fish...
Delta sediment measurements to support numerical modeling of turbidity
The purpose of the proposed work is to collect data that will support the development, calibration, and validation of numerical models of sediment transport and turbidity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Geomorphic Assessment and Restoration Alternatives Development for the Merced River in East Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
The National Park Service (NPS) and USGS jointly will investigate impacts to the Merced River due to infrastructure and historic channel widening in east Yosemite Valley with a goal of constructing river management alternatives. Past management actions, such as gravel mining, channel riprap, and the construction of bridges that do not accommodate flood flows, have had long-lasting impacts to the...
Exploring: Reservoir Capacity And Sedimentation Of The Fena Valley Reservoir Guam
The Fena Valley Reservoir, located in southern Guam, is the primary source of water for the United States Naval Base Guam and nearby village residents. At full capacity, the reservoir surface area extends approximately 0.30 mi 2, and drains a watershed area of about 5.88 mi 2. After reservoir construction, periodic bathymetric surveys, coupled with sedimentation models, can be used to produce...
Colorado River milage system and ancillary attribute data for connecting to hydrodynamic model output in Glen Canyon, AZ Colorado River milage system and ancillary attribute data for connecting to hydrodynamic model output in Glen Canyon, AZ
These data were compiled to support stranding risk modeling of young-of-year rainbow trout in Glen Canyon resulting from fluctuating flows from Glen Canyon Dam, called Trout Management Flows (TMFs). The objective of our study was to evaluate the stranding risk associated with different TMFs. We used the results of a 2-dimensional hydrodynamic model (Wright and others, 2024) as input to a...
Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona: tables of model results and accuracy assessment Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona: tables of model results and accuracy assessment
These data were compiled to provide a resource for other researchers interested in water-surface elevations and flow velocity across a wide range of discharge in the study reach for the project. Objective(s) of our study were to construct a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the 15.8 mile tailwater reach of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry...
Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California
Note: this data release has been deprecated. Find the updated version here: https://doi.org/10.5066/P13E57T8 This data release includes grain-size measurements of sediment samples collected from the substrate surface and uppermost 10 cm of sediment deposits in the Klamath estuary, northern California. Samples were collected using a BMH-60 bed-material sampler deployed from a boat, or by...
Bathymetry, Stage-Area, and Stage-Volume Tables for the Calaveras Reservoir, California, 2019 (ver. 2.0, March 2025) Bathymetry, Stage-Area, and Stage-Volume Tables for the Calaveras Reservoir, California, 2019 (ver. 2.0, March 2025)
Dataset contains reservoir bathymetry and shoreline topography up to dam crest elevation. Data were collected using small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS), multibeam sonar, and terrestrial lidar. Version 2.0 The multibeam sonar & terrestrial lidar data in version 2 was reprocessed for higher accuracy. 1-meter lidar data for 2020 from the USGS 3DEP program was used around the shoreline of...
Bed material grain size distributions for surficial samples from Iron Gate, Copco, and J.C. Boyle Reservoirs Bed material grain size distributions for surficial samples from Iron Gate, Copco, and J.C. Boyle Reservoirs
This product summarizes the collection and analysis of bed material sample grain size distribution collected from the Iron Gate, Copco, and J.C. Boyle Reservoirs located in Northern California and Southern Oregon on the Klamath River. Samples were collected on June 16, 2020 from cores (less than 1m depth) and processed for the full size distribution.
Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California Sediment grain-size data from the Klamath estuary, California
This data release includes grain-size measurements of sediment samples collected from the substrate surface and uppermost 10 cm of sediment deposits in the Klamath estuary, northern California. Samples were collected using a BMH-60 bed-material sampler deployed from a boat, or by hand trowel from subaerial or shallow-water (less than 0.5 m water depth) regions along the estuary margins...
Filter Total Items: 59
Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona Hydrodynamic model of the Colorado River, Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
The U.S. Geological Survey constructed a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model that was applied to a 15.8-mile tailwater reach of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon that begins 0.25 mile downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and extends to Lees Ferry in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona. The model used the Flow and Sediment Transport with Morphological Evolution of Channels (FaSTMECH)...
Authors
Scott A. Wright, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Paul E. Grams
A literature review and hypsometric analysis to support decisions on trout management flows on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam A literature review and hypsometric analysis to support decisions on trout management flows on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam
Executive Summary Fish stranding has been studied in select rivers worldwide, often with the purpose of determining how to mitigate adverse effects of dam operations on highly valued salmon and trout populations. However, where a reduction in trout population size is desired by resource managers, as is the case downstream of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, flow manipulations...
Authors
Mariah Giardina, Josh Korman, Michael D. Yard, Scott Wright, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Glenn Bennett
Sediment transport in two tributaries to the San Joaquin River immediately below Friant Dam—Cottonwood Creek and Little Dry Creek, California Sediment transport in two tributaries to the San Joaquin River immediately below Friant Dam—Cottonwood Creek and Little Dry Creek, California
Two tributaries to the greater San Joaquin River watershed, Cottonwood and Little Dry Creeks, in California’s Central Valley, were assessed for sediment and streamflow dynamics between October 1, 2011, and September 30, 2019. The two systems deliver sediment to the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam, California. Dams create downstream discontinuities in streamflow and sediment transport...
Authors
Dan R.W. Haught, Mathieu D. Marineau, Justin Toby Minear, Scott Wright, Joan V. Lopez
Storage capacity and sedimentation characteristics of Loch Lomond Reservoir, California, 2019 Storage capacity and sedimentation characteristics of Loch Lomond Reservoir, California, 2019
In May of 2019, Loch Lomond Reservoir was surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the city of Santa Cruz to assess the current storage capacity and sedimentation rates in the reservoir. Survey methods combined sonar soundings to measure bathymetry and lidar scans with GPS data to measure near-shore topography and sediment bed samples to understand reservoir bed...
Authors
Daniel R. Whealdon-Haught, Scott Wright, Mathieu D. Marineau
Self-limitation of sand storage in a bedrock-canyon river arising from the interaction of flow and grain size Self-limitation of sand storage in a bedrock-canyon river arising from the interaction of flow and grain size
Bedrock-canyon rivers tend to be supply limited because they are efficient transporters of sediment and not because the upstream supply of sediment is small. A byproduct of this supply limitation is that the finer alluvium stored in these rivers has shorter residence times and smaller volumes than in alluvial rivers. To improve our understanding of disequilibrium sediment transport and...
Authors
David J. Topping, Paul E. Grams, Ronald E. Griffiths, David J. Dean, Scott Wright, Joel A. Unema
Causes of variability in suspended‐sand concentration evaluated using measurements in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon Causes of variability in suspended‐sand concentration evaluated using measurements in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Rivers commonly exhibit substantial variability in suspended‐sand concentration, even at constant water discharge. Here we derive an approach for evaluating how much of this variability arises from mean bed‐sand grain size. We apply this approach to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, where discharge‐independent concentration of suspended sand varies by more than a factor of 23 (N = 1.4...
Authors
David M. Rubin, Daniel D. Buscombe, Scott Wright, David J. Topping, Paul E. Grams, John C. Schmidt, J.E. Hazel, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Robert B. Tusso