Timothy K Cowdery

Tim Cowdery has been a hydrogeologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Minnesota since 1991.  He graduated with a BA in Geology from Carleton College in Minnesota and with a MS in Hydrogeology from the University of Minnesota.  During his time at the USGS, Tim has managed many groundwater investigation projects focusing on groundwater quality, groundwater/surface-water interaction, quantification of groundwater flows, and numerical groundwater modeling.  Tim has extensive experience in collecting continuous groundwater hydrographs, including both instrumentation and data-acquisition and correction automation.  His interests also include graphical presention of scientific ideas and graphical design.

Tim Cowdery is a hydrogeologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Mounds View, Minnesota. He currently serves as a chief for several projects at the  Upper-Midwest Water-Science Center in Minnesota, as its Groundwater Specialist for Data, and as leader of the Groundwater Characterization Team. He earned a master's degree from the University of Minnesota in groundwater geology in 1997.  His research  interests include groundwater/surface-water interactions, numerical groundwater modeling, and groundwater recharge analysis, and glacial geology.

In 1992, Tim became the groundwater specialist for the Red River of the North National Water-Quality Assessment, conducting groundwater-quality research at many spatial scales in that basin.  He has designed and executed to two groundwater modeling studies at local and regional scales  in southwestern Minnesota and in the southern Twin Cities Metropolitan area.  He has developed systems for automated groundwater data collection, telemetry, and processing and has used these data to estimate the spatial and temporal variability of groundwater recharge.

During 2002–2018, Tim managed the USGS' Glacial Ridge Hydrologic Assessment, a groundwater/surface water interaction study that documents changes in the hydrology of a large area in northwestern Minnesota that underwent extensive wetland and prairie restorations.  This project documented changes in hydrologic flows and quality resulting from the restorations.  He continues to manage several other projects involving groundwater modeling, water-quality sampling, groundwater recharge, and continuous groundwater-level measurement.  Tim also leads a team constructing groundwater-flow models of the St. Louis River Basin as a whole and the area of historic iron-mining in detail.  These models will provide boundary flows for future inset groundwater-flow models in the area and will explore the effects of historic iron mining on baseflows in the St. Louis River.

Publications

Cowdery, T.K., Christenson, C.A., and Ziegeweid, J.R., 2019, The hydrologic benefits of wetland and prairie restoration in western Minnesota—Lessons learned at the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, 2002–15: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5041, 81 p. [Link]

Haserodt, M.J., Hunt, R.J., Cowdery, T.K., Leaf, A.T., and Baker, A.C., 2019, Simulation of the regional groundwater-flow system in the St. Louis River Basin, Minnesota: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5033, 41 p. [Link]

Cowdery, T.K. and Brigham, M.E., 2013, Mercury in wetlands at the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, northwestern Minnesota, 2007-9, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5068, 17 p. [Link]

McMahon, P. B.; Cowdery, T. K.; Chapelle, F. H.; Jurgens, B. C., 2009. Redox Conditions in Selected Principal Aquifers of the United States. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2009-3041, 6 p. [Link]

Cowdery, Timothy K.; Lorenz, David L.; Arntson, Allan D., 2008. Hydrology Prior to Wetland and Prairie Restoration in and around the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, Northwestern Minnesota, 2002-5. Geological Survey (U.S.) Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5200, vi, 68 p. [Link]

Cowdery, Timothy K., 2005. Hydrogeology and ground-water/surface water interactions in the Des Moines River valley, southwestern Minnesota, 1997-2001. Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5219, viii, 51 p. [Link]

Ruhl, J. F.; Cowdery, T. K., 2004. Regional ground-water-flow models of surficial sand and gravel aquifers along the Mississippi River between Brainerd and St. Cloud, central Minnesota. Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5087, 26 p. [Link]

Lorenz, D. L.; Goldstein, R. M.; Cowdery, T. K.; Stoner, J. D., 2003. Comparison of two methods for delineating land use near monitoring wells used for assessing quality of shallow ground water. Water-Resources Investigations Report 2003-4067, vi, 13 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 28 cm. [Link]

Puckett, Larry J., Cowdery, Timothy K., 2002. Transport and fate of nitrate in a glacial outwash aquifer in relation to ground water age, land use practices, and redox processes: Journal of Environmental Quality, 31 (3), p. 782-796, illus. incl. 6 tables. [Link]

Puckett, Larry J., Cowdery, Timothy K., McMahon, Peter B., Tornes, Lan H., Stoner, Jeffrey D., 2002. Using chemical, hydrologic, and age dating analysis to delineate redox processes and flow paths in the riparian zone of a glacial outwash aquifer-stream system: Water Resources Research, 38 (8), p. 20, illus. incl. 5 tables, sketch map. [Link]

Cowdery, Timothy K., 1999. Water resources of the Prairie Island Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 1994-97. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey ; Branch of Information Services [distributor], Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4069, iv, 36 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm. +1 computer disk (3 1/2 in.)

Puckett, Larry J., Cowdery, Timothy K., Lorenz, David L., Stoner, Jeffrey D., 1999. Estimation of nitrate contamination of an agro-ecosystem outwash aquifer using a nitrogen mass-balance budget: Journal of Environmental Quality, 28 (6), p. 2015-2025, illus. incl. 5 tables, sketch maps. [Link]

Trotta, L. C.; Cowdery, T. K., 1998. Ground water resources of the Mille Lacs Lake area, east-central Minnesota. U.S. Geological Survey ; Branch of Information Services [distributor], Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4116, iv, 29 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm.

Cowdery, T. K., 1998. Ground-water quality in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1991-95. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey ; Branch of Information Services [distributor], Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4175, vi, 15 p. :ill., map ;28 cm.

Stoner, Jeffrey D.; Lorenz, D. L.; Goldstein, R. M.; Brigham, M. E.; Cowdery, T. K. , 1998. Water quality in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, 1992-95. U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 1169, 33 p. [Link]

Stoner, J. D.; Cowdery, T. K.; Puckett, L. J., 1997. Ground-water age dating and other tools used to assess land-use effects on water quality. U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4150, 1 folded sheet (6 p.) :col. ill., col. maps ;28 cm. [PGS - 5 p.]

Cowdery, Timothy K., 1997. Shallow Ground-Water Quality Beneath Cropland in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1993-95. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4001, vii, 52 p.

Cowdery, T. K., 1995. Similar agricultural areas, different ground-water quality, Red River of the North Basin, 1993-95. U.S. Geological Survey, Open-File Report 95-441, 4 p. :col. ill., col. maps ;28 cm.