Sharon L Qi
Sharon is a Physical Scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center (COWSC), duty station Beaverton, Oregon.
Sharon received her masters from the University of Illinois in 1993 and has been both a Hydrologist and Physical Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey since 1992. She has been a Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analyst and database manager for multiple National and small programs and projects. She began her career in the Illinois Water Science Center with the Upper Illinois River Basin Pilot as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). From there, she moved to the COWSC in 1993 to begin working with the South Platte NAWQA as a GIS analyst and database manager. She continued working with NAWQA in the COWSC on the High Plains NAWQA until 2010. After NAWQA, she worked with various National programs on water availability in the High Plains and Glacial aquifers and a national assessment of brackish water in aquifers of the United States. From 2018 to 2021, she again joined the NAWQA efforts working with the Regional Surface-Water Quality Assessment program. More recently, she has been working with various national efforts responsible for prioritizing watersheds for USGS research, determining post wildfire water-quality changes, and assisting in streamlining USGS workflows with respect to integrated science.
Professional Experience
Physical Scientist/Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, 1992 to present.
GIS Analyst, Illinois State Geological Survey, 1989 to 1991.
Education and Certifications
Master of Science, 1993, University of Illinois, Department of Geology; research emphasis structural geology and tectonics
Bachelor of Science, 1989, University of Illinois, Department of Geology
Associates of Science, 1987, Harper College, Illinois
Science and Products
Historical Produced Water Chemistry Data Compiled for the Lost Hills and North and South Belridge Oilfields, Kern County, California
Water chemistry data for samples collected at groundwater sites near the Fruitvale oil field, September 2016-February 2017, Kern County, California
Data related to the degree of potential human influence near 2228 groundwater wells in the U.S. glacial aquifer system
Historical produced water chemistry data compiled for the Fruitvale Oilfield, Kern County, California
Geospatial database of the study boundary, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Stream Quality Assessment
Geospatial database of sampled sites and watershed and riparian characteristics of Puget Sound lowland ecoregion streams sampled for the 2015 Stormwater Action Monitoring status and trends study
Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter based on probability estimates for the conterminous U.S.
Geochemical Database for the National Brackish Groundwater Assessment of the United States
Selected environmental characteristics of sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for Midwest Stream Quality Assessment
Geospatial database of the study boundary, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones developed for Midwest Stream Quality Assessment
Estimates of Subsurface Tile Drainage Extent for the Conterminous United States, early 1990s
Metformin and other pharmaceuticals widespread in wadeable streams of the southeastern United States
Design and methods of the Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA), 2014
Geodatabase compilation of hydrogeologic, remote sensing, and water-budget-component data for the High Plains aquifer, 2011
Vulnerability of recently recharged groundwater in principal aquifers of the United States to nitrate contamination
Selected approaches to estimate water-budget components of the High Plains, 1940 through 1949 and 2000 through 2009
Assessing groundwater availability in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming
Estimating Prediction Uncertainty from Geographical Information System Raster Processing: A User's Manual for the Raster Error Propagation Tool (REPTool)
Water Quality in the High Plains Aquifer, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1999-2004
Water-Quality Assessment of the High Plains Aquifer, 1999-2004
Summary of selected U.S. Geological survey data on domestic well water quality for the Centers for Disease Control's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Ground-Water Quality of the Northern High Plains Aquifer, 1997, 2002-04
Vulnerability of recently recharged ground water in the High Plains aquifer to nitrate contamination
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 35
Historical Produced Water Chemistry Data Compiled for the Lost Hills and North and South Belridge Oilfields, Kern County, California
This dataset contains geochemical and other information for 268 samples of produced water from the Lost Hills and North and South Belridge Oil Fields. Produced water is water coexisting with oil and gas. The historical produced water chemistry data was compiled from preexisting datasets and scanned images into a numerical dataset to characterize produced water chemical characteristics. Each sampleWater chemistry data for samples collected at groundwater sites near the Fruitvale oil field, September 2016-February 2017, Kern County, California
As part of the California State Water Resources Control Board's Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program of Water Quality in Areas of Oil and Gas Production, during September 2016-February 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed groundwater and associated quality-control (QC) samples from 14 water-production wells located within a three mile buffer zone of and in the Fruitvale Oil fData related to the degree of potential human influence near 2228 groundwater wells in the U.S. glacial aquifer system
This dataset contains information on the degree of potential human influence near 2228 groundwater wells in the U.S. glacial aquifer system. Data include well identification, name, latitude, longitude, potential-human-influence category, percent urban and crop land use in a 500 meter radius around each well, and measures of county-based groundwater use and irrigation.Historical produced water chemistry data compiled for the Fruitvale Oilfield, Kern County, California
This dataset contains geochemical and other information for 204 samples of produced water from the Fruitvale petroleum field. Produced water is water coexisting with oil and gas. The historical produced water chemistry data was compiled from preexisting datasets and scanned images into a numerical dataset to characterize produced water chemical characteristics. Each sample is identified by its APIGeospatial database of the study boundary, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Stream Quality Assessment
In 2015, the second of several Regional Stream Quality Assessments (RSQA) was done in the southeastern United States. The Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) was a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. One of the objectives of the RSQA, and thus the SESQA, is to characterize the relationships between water-quality stressors and streamGeospatial database of sampled sites and watershed and riparian characteristics of Puget Sound lowland ecoregion streams sampled for the 2015 Stormwater Action Monitoring status and trends study
Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) is a collaborative monitoring program between western Washington municipal stormwater permittees, state and federal agencies. SAMs role is to use the results of regional monitoring and focused studies to inform policy decisions and identify effective strategies to improve stormwater management in the Puget Sound region. The SAM program includes status and trendEstimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter based on probability estimates for the conterminous U.S.
Arsenic concentrations from 20,450 domestic wells in the U.S. were used to develop a logistic regression model of the probability of having arsenic > 10 g/L (high arsenic). We use only domestic well arsenic data and a national-scale modeling approach. This approach expands our understanding of potential exposure to arsenic in drinking water to a national scale and allows inter-regional comparisonsGeochemical Database for the National Brackish Groundwater Assessment of the United States
Brackish groundwater (BGW), defined for this assessment as having a dissolved-solids concentration between 1,000 and 10,000 milligrams per liter, is an unconventional source of water that may offer a partial solution to current (2016) and future water challenges. In support of the National Water Census, the U.S. Geological Survey has completed a BGW assessment to gain a better understanding of theSelected environmental characteristics of sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for Midwest Stream Quality Assessment
The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment is the first of several regional studies that are being conducted as part of the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) project, a component of the Cycle 3 National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. The MSQA was a collaborative study amongst NAWQA, the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), and the USEPA National Rivers and Streams AsseGeospatial database of the study boundary, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones developed for Midwest Stream Quality Assessment
The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment is the first of several regional studies that are being conducted as part of the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) project, a component of the Cycle 3 National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. The MSQA was a collaborative study amongst NAWQA, the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), and the USEPA National Rivers and Streams AsseEstimates of Subsurface Tile Drainage Extent for the Conterminous United States, early 1990s
This dataset is a 30-meter resolution national-scale raster of estimated subsurface tile drainage extent that was developed using 1) county-level estimates of subsurface tile drained acres for the early 1990s (Sugg, 2007); 2) the extent of cultivated cropland from the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) 2011; 3) the extent of poorly drained soils from the State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO) da - Publications
Filter Total Items: 43
Metformin and other pharmaceuticals widespread in wadeable streams of the southeastern United States
Pharmaceutical contaminants are growing aquatic-health concerns and largely attributed to wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) discharges. Five biweekly water samples from 59 small Piedmont (United States) streams were analyzed for 108 pharmaceuticals and degradates using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The antidiabetic metformin was detected in 89% of samplesAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Daniel T. Button, Daren Carlisle, Jimmy M. Clark, Barbara Mahler, Naomi Nakagaki, Sharon L. Qi, Ian R. Waite, Peter C. Van MetreDesign and methods of the Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA), 2014
During 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) assessed stream quality across the Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountain regions of the southeastern United States. This Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, in order tAuthorsCeleste A. Journey, Peter C. Van Metre, Amanda H. Bell, Jessica D. Garrett, Daniel T. Button, Naomi Nakagaki, Sharon L. Qi, Paul M. BradleyGeodatabase compilation of hydrogeologic, remote sensing, and water-budget-component data for the High Plains aquifer, 2011
The High Plains aquifer underlies almost 112 million acres in the central United States. It is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation in terms of annual groundwater withdrawals and provides drinking water for 2.3 million people. The High Plains aquifer has gained national and international attention as a highly stressed groundwater supply primarily because it has been appreciably depleted in soAuthorsNatalie A. Houston, Sophia L. Gonzales-Bradford, Amanda T. Flynn, Sharon L. Qi, Steven M. Peterson, Jennifer S. Stanton, Derek W. Ryter, Terry L. Sohl, Gabriel B. SenayVulnerability of recently recharged groundwater in principal aquifers of the United States to nitrate contamination
Recently recharged water (defined here asAuthorsJason J. Gurdak, Sharon L. QiSelected approaches to estimate water-budget components of the High Plains, 1940 through 1949 and 2000 through 2009
The High Plains aquifer, underlying almost 112 million acres in the central United States, is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation. It is the primary water supply for drinking water, irrigation, animal production, and industry in the region. Expansion of irrigated agriculture throughout the past 60 years has helped make the High Plains one of the most productive agricultural regions in the NaAuthorsJennifer S. Stanton, Sharon L. Qi, Derek W. Ryter, Sarah E. Falk, Natalie A. Houston, Steven M. Peterson, Stephen M. Westenbroek, Scott C. ChristensonAssessing groundwater availability in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming
The U.S. Geological Survey's Groundwater Resources Program is conducting an assessment of groundwater availability to gain a clearer understanding of the status of the Nation's groundwater resources and the natural and human factors that can affect those resources. The goals of this national effort are to define the current status and improve understanding of the Nation's groundwater resources, toAuthorsSharon L. Qi, Scott ChristensonEstimating Prediction Uncertainty from Geographical Information System Raster Processing: A User's Manual for the Raster Error Propagation Tool (REPTool)
The U.S. Geological Survey Raster Error Propagation Tool (REPTool) is a custom tool for use with the Environmental System Research Institute (ESRI) ArcGIS Desktop application to estimate error propagation and prediction uncertainty in raster processing operations and geospatial modeling. REPTool is designed to introduce concepts of error and uncertainty in geospatial data and modeling and provideAuthorsJason J. Gurdak, Sharon L. Qi, Michael L. GeislerWater Quality in the High Plains Aquifer, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1999-2004
This report contains the major findings of a 1999-2004 assessment of water quality in the High Plains aquifer. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings for principal and other aquifers and major river basins across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, regional, State, and national isAuthorsJason J. Gurdak, Peter B. McMahon, Kevin Dennehy, Sharon L. QiWater-Quality Assessment of the High Plains Aquifer, 1999-2004
Water quality of the High Plains aquifer was assessed for the period 1999-2004 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This effort represents the first systematic regional assessment of water quality in this nationally important aquifer. A stratified, nested group of studies was designed to assess linkages between the quality of water recharging tAuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Kevin F. Dennehy, Breton W. Bruce, Jason J. Gurdak, Sharon L. QiSummary of selected U.S. Geological survey data on domestic well water quality for the Centers for Disease Control's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
About 10 to 30 percent of the population in most States uses domestic (private) water supply. In many States, the total number of people served by domestic supplies can be in the millions. The water quality of domestic supplies is inconsistently regulated and generally not well characterized. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has two water-quality data sets in the National Water Information SystemAuthorsRoy C. Bartholomay, Janet M. Carter, Sharon L. Qi, Paul J. Squillace, Gary L. RoweGround-Water Quality of the Northern High Plains Aquifer, 1997, 2002-04
An assessment of ground-water quality in the northern High Plains aquifer was completed during 1997 and 2002-04. Ground-water samples were collected at 192 low-capacity, primarily domestic wells in four major hydrogeologic units of the northern High Plains aquifer-Ogallala Formation, Eastern Nebraska, Sand Hills, and Platte River Valley. Each well was sampled once, and water samples were analyzedAuthorsJennifer S. Stanton, Sharon L. QiVulnerability of recently recharged ground water in the High Plains aquifer to nitrate contamination
Nitrate concentrations greater than background levels have been detected in ground water of the High Plains aquifer. Empirically based models and corresponding maps were developed that predict the vulnerability of the aquifer to nonpoint-source nitrate contamination. The models predict the probability of detecting nitrate concentrations larger than 4 milligrams per liter in ground water of the HigAuthorsJason J. Gurdak, Sharon L. Qi