Scott W Anderson
Hydrologic for the Washington Water Science Center
Science and Products
Hoh geomorphology
The Issue: Glaciers in the Hoh River watershed are expected to largely disappear by 2050, while flooding is expected to become more intense. Understanding if or how this will impact sediment transport and channel change in the watershed is relevant for salmon habitat, restoration efforts, and flood hazard management. However, there is relatively little information about historical channel...
Nooksack geomorphology
The Issue: Changes in channel geometry in the Nooksack River can reduce flood conveyance capacity, and so increase local flood hazards. Near Everson, WA, sand and gravel accumulations have increased the likelihood that major floods will spill overbank, sending water north over a low drainage divide where it may cause substantial damage to communities in both Washington and British Columbia. Major...
Channel Change and Sediment Transport in the Puyallup River Watershed
The Issue: Sediment loads in the Puyallup River and its major tributaries, the White River and Carbon River, are high and river channels are dynamic. While there is a relatively rich history of sediment transport and channel change studies in the Puyallup River and its tributaries, there has not been an integrated assessment of channel-elevation trends in nearly a decade. This lack of up-to-date...
Chehalis Watershed Suspended Sediment Monitoring
The Issue: The Chehalis River deposits sediment in Grays Harbor, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regularly dredges to maintain shipping access. The sources and overall volumes of sediment transport in the lower river were last assessed in the 1960s. Given substantial changes in land-use and watershed regulations over the subsequent half-century, there is an open question as to if or how...
Channel change monitoring following the Pilchuck Dam removal
The issue: In the summer of 2020, the Pilchuck Dam will be removed, allowing salmon access to the upper third of the Pilchuck River watershed for the first time in over a century. This removal will be associated with a short period increased sediment delivery, as the river re-works material trapped behind the dam. While the volume of impounded sediment is small and major changes in the downstream...
Coarse sediment delivery and routing in the White River
The Issue: Ongoing channel aggradation has reduced flow conveyance along the lower White River, increasing the flood risk in urban-suburban areas. A refined understanding of the delivery, transport and deposition of sediment in the White River, and how those processes may be influenced by climate and existing dam operations, is necessary in order to plan for future flood hazard in the lower White...
Sediment Transport in Vance Creek
The Issue: Streamflow in the lower 3.6 miles of the gravel-bedded Vance Creek often goes subsurface in the summer, limiting potential utilization by fish. There is an interest in stream restoration projects that might improve low-flow habitat conditions and connectivity, but their design and implementation are limited by a lack of knowledge about sediment transport conditions in the reach. How...
Sauk River Sediment
Fine-grained sediments in the lower reach of the Sauk River are adversely affecting the health and spawning of Chinook salmon. Climate change and forestry practices have been proposed as suspected causes of a reported increase in sediment loading to the river. To determine the amount and timing of suspended-sediment loading to the river and possible connections to adverse effects on Chinook salmon...
SR 530 Slide
In the immediate aftermath of the SR530 Landslide, the USGS supported first responders and decision-makers as a key member of the collaborative effort to monitor the stability of the landslide deposit and the associated impoundment of the North Fork Stillaguamish River during rescue operations. With the initial disaster response now over, longer-term questions have arisen regarding the stability...
Filter Total Items: 17
Airborne Lidar Data (2016 and 2021) Capturing Debris Flow Erosion and Deposition after the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado
This dataset contains lidar digital elevation models (DEMs). The lidar data were collected before (2016) and after (2021) the Grizzly Creek Fire, which occurred in 2020. The 2016 lidar was collected during a series of flights between 10 June and 7 October 2016. The 2021 lidar flight was conducted in full on 24 August 2021. The files are named with the following convention: Vendor_Year_Resolution_m
Suspended-Sediment Data for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500), Washington, June 2018 through September 2022
This data release summarizes discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements and continuous estimates of SSC for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500) for the period between June 01, 2018 and September 30, 2022. Continuous estimates of SSC were derived primarily through calibrated turbidity records. These data were collected to support a better understanding of how water quality i
Suspended-Sediment Data for the Chehalis, Satsop and Wynoochee Rivers in Washington State, Water Years 2019-2022
This data release summarizes suspended sediment monitoring results on the Chehalis (USGS 12031000), Satsop (USGS 12035000) and Wynoochee (USGS 12037400) Rivers between water years 2019 and 2022. Sediment monitoring was based on a combination of continuous turbidity records and discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements. Data and results for each monitoring station were combined i
Bathymetric Map of the Lummi Sea Pond, October 2022
On October 5-6, 2022, a combination of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) surveying were used to collect bathymetric data of the Lummi Sea Pond near Bellingham, WA. Distributed XYZ points were interpolated to create a continuous bathymetric map of the sea pond. The final product is two-meter raster in NAD88 (2011) UTM 10N coordinates, with elevat
Suspended-Sediment Data for the Bogachiel and Calawah Rivers, WA for Water Years 2019-2021
This data release summarizes suspended sediment monitoring results on the Bogachiel (USGS 12042800) and Calawah (USGS 12043000) Rivers between water years 2019 and 2021, based on a combination of continuous turbidity monitoring and discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements. Data and results for each monitoring station were combined into zip files. Each zip file contains:
Summ
Supporting Spatial Data for Sediment Studies in the Bogachiel and Calawah River Watersheds, Washington
This Data Release provides spatial data to support analysis of land cover change and channel width change in the Bogachiel and Calawah River basins, Washington. This supports a larger analysis that quantifies suspended-sediment yields for the two basins for water years 1977-1978 and more recently, for water years 2019-2021. Collectively the study evaluates influences of hydrology, geology, fire, a
Network Analysis of USGS Streamflow Gages (ver. 2.0, May 2023)
This data release has a workflow, data, and results of an analysis of the coverage, resolution, and representation of variables related to public interests in streamflow information by the USGS streamflow gaging network that was active in water year 2020. The workflow for the analysis is implemented as scripts and functions in the statistical programming language R. The spatial framework for the a
Geomorphic Monitoring Associated with the 2020 Pilchuck Dam Removal
The Pilchuck Dam, a low-head dam previously used for water-supply diversion in Snohomish County, Washington was removed from the Pilchuck River in the summer of 2020 after having blocked upstream fish migration for over a century. That removal effort was led by the Tulalip Indian Tribe; the USGS, in collaboration with the tribe, monitored sediment evacuation from the impoundment and downstream cha
Network Analysis of USGS Streamflow Gages
This data release has components of an analysis of the coverage, resolution, and representation of national public interests in streamflow information by the USGS streamflow gaging network that was active in water year 2020. The workflow for the analysis is implemented as scripts and functions in the statistical programming language R. The spatial framework for the analysis is based on from the Na
Lithologic classifications of river gravels in the Sauk River watershed
The rock type, or lithology, of river gravels provides information about the bedrock source area of that material, and can act as a tracer to help assess relative gravel contributions from tributaries or distinct valley deposits. Between July 2020 and August 2021, gravels at 29 sites in the Sauk, Suiattle and White Chuck rivers were collected and sorted into simple lithologic categories. The data
Suspended Sediment and Water Temperature Data in the Suiattle River and the Downey Creek Tributary, Washington for select time periods over 2013 - 2017
This data release provides suspended-sediment (concentration and load) and water temperature data for two locations along the Suiattle River (USGS 1217900 and 12188380) and a tributary, Downey Creek (USGS 1217985) in Washington State for partial periods over 2013-2017. Suspended-sediment and water temperature data were collected over two summer seasons from May through September 2016 and 2017 at U
Supporting Datasets for Proglacial Topographic Change Analyses on Mount Rainier, 1960 to 2017
This data release is a repository for data presented in Anderson and Shean (2021), a publication looking at topographic change in proglacial and glacier-marginal areas on Mount Rainier between 1960 and 2017. Datasets include all newly derived digital elevation models, shapefiles defining various areas of analysis, and tabular summaries of data presented in figures. See individual child items and o
Filter Total Items: 23
River channel response to the removal of the Pilchuck River Diversion Dam, Washington State
In August 2020, the 3-m tall Pilchuck River Diversion Dam was removed from the Pilchuck River, allowing free fish passage to the upper third of the watershed for the first time in over a century. The narrow, 300-m long impoundment reach behind the dam was estimated to hold 4,000-7,500 m3 of sand and gravel, representing less than one year’s typical bedload flux. A series of repeat cross section su
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, Brett Shattuck, Neil Shea, M. Catherine Seguin, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Derek Marks, Natasha Coumou
A general approach for evaluating of the coverage, resolution, and representation of streamflow monitoring networks
Streamflow monitoring networks provide information for a wide range of public interests in river and streams. A general approach to evaluate monitoring for different interests is developed to support network planning and design. The approach defines three theoretically distinct information metrics (coverage, resolution, and representation) based on the spatial distribution of a variable of interes
Authors
Christopher Konrad, Scott W. Anderson
Multi-decadal erosion rates from glacierized watersheds on Mount Baker, Washington, USA, reveal topographic, climatic, and lithologic controls on sediment yields
Understanding land surface change in and sediment export out of proglacial landscapes is critical for understanding geohazard and flood risks over engineering timescales and characterizing landscape evolution over geomorphic timescales. We used automated Structure from Motion software to process historical aerial photographs and, with modern lidar data, generated a high-resolution DEM time series
Authors
Eli Schwat, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Alex Horner-Devine, Scott W. Anderson, Friedrich Knuth, David Shean
Changes in suspended-sediment yields under divergent land-cover disturbance histories: A comparison of two large watersheds, Olympic Mountains, USA
Improvements in timber harvest practices and reductions in harvest volumes over the past half century are commonly presumed to have reduced sediment loads in many western US rivers. However, direct assessments in larger watersheds are relatively sparse. Here, we compare 2019–21 sediment concentrations against those of the late 1970s in the Bogachiel and Calawah River watersheds, adjacent and simi
Authors
Kristin Jaeger, Scott W. Anderson, Sarah B. Dunn
Relative contributions of suspended sediment between the upper Suiattle River Basin and a non-glacial tributary, Washington, May 2016–September 2017
Concentrations of suspended sediment were measured in discrete samples and turbidity was continuously monitored at four U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in western Washington State, including one gage on the Sauk River; two gages on the Suiattle River, a tributary to the Sauk River; and one gage on Downey Creek, a tributary to the Suiattle River. The Suiattle River is a sediment-rich stream with
Authors
Kristin L. Jaeger, Scott W. Anderson, Craig A. Senter, Christopher A. Curran, Scott Morris
Bedload and suspended-sediment transport in lower Vance Creek, western Washington, water years 2019–20
Vance Creek drains a 24 square mile area of the Olympic Mountains in western Washington. The lower 4 miles of the creek often go dry in discontinuous patches during the summer, limiting salmon rearing success. To better understand sediment transport dynamics in the creek and aid in potential restoration design, bedload and suspended-sediment concentration samples were collected for water years 201
Authors
Scott W. Anderson
Spatial and temporal controls on proglacial erosion rates: A comparison of four basins on Mount Rainier, 1960 to 2017
The retreat of alpine glaciers since the mid-19th century has triggered rapid landscape adjustments in many headwater basins. However, the degree to which decadal-scale glacier retreat is associated with systematic or substantial changes in overall coarse sediment export, with the potential to impact downstream river dynamics, remains poorly understood. Here, we use repeat topographic surveys to a
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, David Shean
Channel response to a dam‐removal sediment pulse captured at high‐temporal resolution using routine gage data
In this study, we captured how a river channel responds to a sediment pulse originating from a dam removal using multiple lines of evidence derived from streamflow gages along the Patapsco River, Maryland, USA. Gages captured characteristics of the sediment pulse, including travel times of its leading edge (~7.8 km yr−1) and peak (~2.6 km yr−1) and suggest both translation and increasing dispersio
Authors
Matt J. Cashman, Allen C. Gellis, Eric L. Boyd, Matthias J. Collins, Scott W. Anderson, Brett Dare Mcfarland, Ashley Mattie Ryan
Coarse sediment dynamics in a large glaciated river system: Holocene history and storage dynamics dictate contemporary climate sensitivity
The gravel-bedded White River drains a 1279 km2 basin in Washington State, with lowlands sculpted by continental glaciation and headwaters on an actively glaciated stratovolcano. Chronic aggradation along an alluvial fan near the river’s mouth has progressively reduced flood conveyance. In order to better understand how forecasted climate change may influence coarse sediment delivery and aggradati
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, Kristin Jaeger
Sediment storage and transport in the Nooksack River basin, northwestern Washington, 2006–15
The Nooksack River is a dynamic gravel-bedded river in northwestern Washington, draining off Mount Baker and the North Cascades into Puget Sound. Working in cooperation with the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District, the U.S. Geological Survey studied topographic, hydrologic, and climatic data for the Nooksack River basin to document recent changes in sediment storage, long-term bed elevation
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, Christopher P. Konrad, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher A. Curran
Downstream‐propagating channel responses to decadal‐scale climate variability in a glaciated river basin
Regional climate is an important control on the rate of coarse sediment mobilization and transport in alpine river systems. Changes in climate are then expected to cause a cascade of geomorphic responses, including adjustments in downstream channel morphology. However, the mechanics and sensitivity of channel response to short‐term climate variability remain poorly documented. In the Nooksack Rive
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, Christopher P. Konrad
Uncertainty in quantitative analyses of topographic change: Error propagation and the role of thresholding
Topographic surveys inevitably contain error, introducing uncertainty into estimates of volumetric or mean change based on the differencing of repeated surveys. In the geomorphic community, uncertainty has often been framed as a problem of separating out real change from apparent change due purely to error, and addressed by removing measured change considered indistinguishable from random noise fr
Authors
Scott W. Anderson
Science and Products
- Science
Hoh geomorphology
The Issue: Glaciers in the Hoh River watershed are expected to largely disappear by 2050, while flooding is expected to become more intense. Understanding if or how this will impact sediment transport and channel change in the watershed is relevant for salmon habitat, restoration efforts, and flood hazard management. However, there is relatively little information about historical channel...Nooksack geomorphology
The Issue: Changes in channel geometry in the Nooksack River can reduce flood conveyance capacity, and so increase local flood hazards. Near Everson, WA, sand and gravel accumulations have increased the likelihood that major floods will spill overbank, sending water north over a low drainage divide where it may cause substantial damage to communities in both Washington and British Columbia. Major...Channel Change and Sediment Transport in the Puyallup River Watershed
The Issue: Sediment loads in the Puyallup River and its major tributaries, the White River and Carbon River, are high and river channels are dynamic. While there is a relatively rich history of sediment transport and channel change studies in the Puyallup River and its tributaries, there has not been an integrated assessment of channel-elevation trends in nearly a decade. This lack of up-to-date...Chehalis Watershed Suspended Sediment Monitoring
The Issue: The Chehalis River deposits sediment in Grays Harbor, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regularly dredges to maintain shipping access. The sources and overall volumes of sediment transport in the lower river were last assessed in the 1960s. Given substantial changes in land-use and watershed regulations over the subsequent half-century, there is an open question as to if or how...Channel change monitoring following the Pilchuck Dam removal
The issue: In the summer of 2020, the Pilchuck Dam will be removed, allowing salmon access to the upper third of the Pilchuck River watershed for the first time in over a century. This removal will be associated with a short period increased sediment delivery, as the river re-works material trapped behind the dam. While the volume of impounded sediment is small and major changes in the downstream...Coarse sediment delivery and routing in the White River
The Issue: Ongoing channel aggradation has reduced flow conveyance along the lower White River, increasing the flood risk in urban-suburban areas. A refined understanding of the delivery, transport and deposition of sediment in the White River, and how those processes may be influenced by climate and existing dam operations, is necessary in order to plan for future flood hazard in the lower White...Sediment Transport in Vance Creek
The Issue: Streamflow in the lower 3.6 miles of the gravel-bedded Vance Creek often goes subsurface in the summer, limiting potential utilization by fish. There is an interest in stream restoration projects that might improve low-flow habitat conditions and connectivity, but their design and implementation are limited by a lack of knowledge about sediment transport conditions in the reach. How...Sauk River Sediment
Fine-grained sediments in the lower reach of the Sauk River are adversely affecting the health and spawning of Chinook salmon. Climate change and forestry practices have been proposed as suspected causes of a reported increase in sediment loading to the river. To determine the amount and timing of suspended-sediment loading to the river and possible connections to adverse effects on Chinook salmon...SR 530 Slide
In the immediate aftermath of the SR530 Landslide, the USGS supported first responders and decision-makers as a key member of the collaborative effort to monitor the stability of the landslide deposit and the associated impoundment of the North Fork Stillaguamish River during rescue operations. With the initial disaster response now over, longer-term questions have arisen regarding the stability... - Data
Filter Total Items: 17
Airborne Lidar Data (2016 and 2021) Capturing Debris Flow Erosion and Deposition after the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado
This dataset contains lidar digital elevation models (DEMs). The lidar data were collected before (2016) and after (2021) the Grizzly Creek Fire, which occurred in 2020. The 2016 lidar was collected during a series of flights between 10 June and 7 October 2016. The 2021 lidar flight was conducted in full on 24 August 2021. The files are named with the following convention: Vendor_Year_Resolution_mSuspended-Sediment Data for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500), Washington, June 2018 through September 2022
This data release summarizes discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements and continuous estimates of SSC for the Yakima River at Kiona (USGS 12510500) for the period between June 01, 2018 and September 30, 2022. Continuous estimates of SSC were derived primarily through calibrated turbidity records. These data were collected to support a better understanding of how water quality iSuspended-Sediment Data for the Chehalis, Satsop and Wynoochee Rivers in Washington State, Water Years 2019-2022
This data release summarizes suspended sediment monitoring results on the Chehalis (USGS 12031000), Satsop (USGS 12035000) and Wynoochee (USGS 12037400) Rivers between water years 2019 and 2022. Sediment monitoring was based on a combination of continuous turbidity records and discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements. Data and results for each monitoring station were combined iBathymetric Map of the Lummi Sea Pond, October 2022
On October 5-6, 2022, a combination of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) surveying were used to collect bathymetric data of the Lummi Sea Pond near Bellingham, WA. Distributed XYZ points were interpolated to create a continuous bathymetric map of the sea pond. The final product is two-meter raster in NAD88 (2011) UTM 10N coordinates, with elevatSuspended-Sediment Data for the Bogachiel and Calawah Rivers, WA for Water Years 2019-2021
This data release summarizes suspended sediment monitoring results on the Bogachiel (USGS 12042800) and Calawah (USGS 12043000) Rivers between water years 2019 and 2021, based on a combination of continuous turbidity monitoring and discrete suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) measurements. Data and results for each monitoring station were combined into zip files. Each zip file contains: SummSupporting Spatial Data for Sediment Studies in the Bogachiel and Calawah River Watersheds, Washington
This Data Release provides spatial data to support analysis of land cover change and channel width change in the Bogachiel and Calawah River basins, Washington. This supports a larger analysis that quantifies suspended-sediment yields for the two basins for water years 1977-1978 and more recently, for water years 2019-2021. Collectively the study evaluates influences of hydrology, geology, fire, aNetwork Analysis of USGS Streamflow Gages (ver. 2.0, May 2023)
This data release has a workflow, data, and results of an analysis of the coverage, resolution, and representation of variables related to public interests in streamflow information by the USGS streamflow gaging network that was active in water year 2020. The workflow for the analysis is implemented as scripts and functions in the statistical programming language R. The spatial framework for the aGeomorphic Monitoring Associated with the 2020 Pilchuck Dam Removal
The Pilchuck Dam, a low-head dam previously used for water-supply diversion in Snohomish County, Washington was removed from the Pilchuck River in the summer of 2020 after having blocked upstream fish migration for over a century. That removal effort was led by the Tulalip Indian Tribe; the USGS, in collaboration with the tribe, monitored sediment evacuation from the impoundment and downstream chaNetwork Analysis of USGS Streamflow Gages
This data release has components of an analysis of the coverage, resolution, and representation of national public interests in streamflow information by the USGS streamflow gaging network that was active in water year 2020. The workflow for the analysis is implemented as scripts and functions in the statistical programming language R. The spatial framework for the analysis is based on from the NaLithologic classifications of river gravels in the Sauk River watershed
The rock type, or lithology, of river gravels provides information about the bedrock source area of that material, and can act as a tracer to help assess relative gravel contributions from tributaries or distinct valley deposits. Between July 2020 and August 2021, gravels at 29 sites in the Sauk, Suiattle and White Chuck rivers were collected and sorted into simple lithologic categories. The dataSuspended Sediment and Water Temperature Data in the Suiattle River and the Downey Creek Tributary, Washington for select time periods over 2013 - 2017
This data release provides suspended-sediment (concentration and load) and water temperature data for two locations along the Suiattle River (USGS 1217900 and 12188380) and a tributary, Downey Creek (USGS 1217985) in Washington State for partial periods over 2013-2017. Suspended-sediment and water temperature data were collected over two summer seasons from May through September 2016 and 2017 at USupporting Datasets for Proglacial Topographic Change Analyses on Mount Rainier, 1960 to 2017
This data release is a repository for data presented in Anderson and Shean (2021), a publication looking at topographic change in proglacial and glacier-marginal areas on Mount Rainier between 1960 and 2017. Datasets include all newly derived digital elevation models, shapefiles defining various areas of analysis, and tabular summaries of data presented in figures. See individual child items and o - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 23
River channel response to the removal of the Pilchuck River Diversion Dam, Washington State
In August 2020, the 3-m tall Pilchuck River Diversion Dam was removed from the Pilchuck River, allowing free fish passage to the upper third of the watershed for the first time in over a century. The narrow, 300-m long impoundment reach behind the dam was estimated to hold 4,000-7,500 m3 of sand and gravel, representing less than one year’s typical bedload flux. A series of repeat cross section suAuthorsScott W. Anderson, Brett Shattuck, Neil Shea, M. Catherine Seguin, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Derek Marks, Natasha CoumouA general approach for evaluating of the coverage, resolution, and representation of streamflow monitoring networks
Streamflow monitoring networks provide information for a wide range of public interests in river and streams. A general approach to evaluate monitoring for different interests is developed to support network planning and design. The approach defines three theoretically distinct information metrics (coverage, resolution, and representation) based on the spatial distribution of a variable of interesAuthorsChristopher Konrad, Scott W. AndersonMulti-decadal erosion rates from glacierized watersheds on Mount Baker, Washington, USA, reveal topographic, climatic, and lithologic controls on sediment yields
Understanding land surface change in and sediment export out of proglacial landscapes is critical for understanding geohazard and flood risks over engineering timescales and characterizing landscape evolution over geomorphic timescales. We used automated Structure from Motion software to process historical aerial photographs and, with modern lidar data, generated a high-resolution DEM time seriesAuthorsEli Schwat, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Alex Horner-Devine, Scott W. Anderson, Friedrich Knuth, David SheanChanges in suspended-sediment yields under divergent land-cover disturbance histories: A comparison of two large watersheds, Olympic Mountains, USA
Improvements in timber harvest practices and reductions in harvest volumes over the past half century are commonly presumed to have reduced sediment loads in many western US rivers. However, direct assessments in larger watersheds are relatively sparse. Here, we compare 2019–21 sediment concentrations against those of the late 1970s in the Bogachiel and Calawah River watersheds, adjacent and simiAuthorsKristin Jaeger, Scott W. Anderson, Sarah B. DunnRelative contributions of suspended sediment between the upper Suiattle River Basin and a non-glacial tributary, Washington, May 2016–September 2017
Concentrations of suspended sediment were measured in discrete samples and turbidity was continuously monitored at four U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in western Washington State, including one gage on the Sauk River; two gages on the Suiattle River, a tributary to the Sauk River; and one gage on Downey Creek, a tributary to the Suiattle River. The Suiattle River is a sediment-rich stream withAuthorsKristin L. Jaeger, Scott W. Anderson, Craig A. Senter, Christopher A. Curran, Scott MorrisBedload and suspended-sediment transport in lower Vance Creek, western Washington, water years 2019–20
Vance Creek drains a 24 square mile area of the Olympic Mountains in western Washington. The lower 4 miles of the creek often go dry in discontinuous patches during the summer, limiting salmon rearing success. To better understand sediment transport dynamics in the creek and aid in potential restoration design, bedload and suspended-sediment concentration samples were collected for water years 201AuthorsScott W. AndersonSpatial and temporal controls on proglacial erosion rates: A comparison of four basins on Mount Rainier, 1960 to 2017
The retreat of alpine glaciers since the mid-19th century has triggered rapid landscape adjustments in many headwater basins. However, the degree to which decadal-scale glacier retreat is associated with systematic or substantial changes in overall coarse sediment export, with the potential to impact downstream river dynamics, remains poorly understood. Here, we use repeat topographic surveys to aAuthorsScott W. Anderson, David SheanChannel response to a dam‐removal sediment pulse captured at high‐temporal resolution using routine gage data
In this study, we captured how a river channel responds to a sediment pulse originating from a dam removal using multiple lines of evidence derived from streamflow gages along the Patapsco River, Maryland, USA. Gages captured characteristics of the sediment pulse, including travel times of its leading edge (~7.8 km yr−1) and peak (~2.6 km yr−1) and suggest both translation and increasing dispersioAuthorsMatt J. Cashman, Allen C. Gellis, Eric L. Boyd, Matthias J. Collins, Scott W. Anderson, Brett Dare Mcfarland, Ashley Mattie RyanCoarse sediment dynamics in a large glaciated river system: Holocene history and storage dynamics dictate contemporary climate sensitivity
The gravel-bedded White River drains a 1279 km2 basin in Washington State, with lowlands sculpted by continental glaciation and headwaters on an actively glaciated stratovolcano. Chronic aggradation along an alluvial fan near the river’s mouth has progressively reduced flood conveyance. In order to better understand how forecasted climate change may influence coarse sediment delivery and aggradatiAuthorsScott W. Anderson, Kristin JaegerSediment storage and transport in the Nooksack River basin, northwestern Washington, 2006–15
The Nooksack River is a dynamic gravel-bedded river in northwestern Washington, draining off Mount Baker and the North Cascades into Puget Sound. Working in cooperation with the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District, the U.S. Geological Survey studied topographic, hydrologic, and climatic data for the Nooksack River basin to document recent changes in sediment storage, long-term bed elevationAuthorsScott W. Anderson, Christopher P. Konrad, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher A. CurranDownstream‐propagating channel responses to decadal‐scale climate variability in a glaciated river basin
Regional climate is an important control on the rate of coarse sediment mobilization and transport in alpine river systems. Changes in climate are then expected to cause a cascade of geomorphic responses, including adjustments in downstream channel morphology. However, the mechanics and sensitivity of channel response to short‐term climate variability remain poorly documented. In the Nooksack RiveAuthorsScott W. Anderson, Christopher P. KonradUncertainty in quantitative analyses of topographic change: Error propagation and the role of thresholding
Topographic surveys inevitably contain error, introducing uncertainty into estimates of volumetric or mean change based on the differencing of repeated surveys. In the geomorphic community, uncertainty has often been framed as a problem of separating out real change from apparent change due purely to error, and addressed by removing measured change considered indistinguishable from random noise frAuthorsScott W. Anderson