Trainees in the remote sensing class working to develop potential groundwater maps from multiple satellite data sources.
Tyler King
Dr. Tyler King is a supervisory research hydrologist with the Advanced Analytics Team in the Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch of the Water Resources Mission Area, and is based in Boise, ID.
Tyler King is a research scientist focused on advancing the production of scientific data products to improve hydrologic monitoring. His research has focused on remote sensing of aquatic chlorophyll, quantifying the accuracy of low-cost discharge measurement methods, development of methods for operationally retrieving water quality estimates from satellite imagery, advancing fundamental understanding of the factors that link temperature regimes of Arctic rivers to their environment, remotely sensing river discharge by coupling aerial imagery with hydraulic models, quantifying the impact of reservoir operation on downstream river temperature, and identifying algal taxa from hyperspectral satellite imagery. With each of these foci, Tyler aims to translate scientific advances into application driven datasets and tools to assist decision makers and the public in natural resource management.
Professional Experience
October 2024 – Present: Supervisory Research Hydrologist in the Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch, USGS Water Resources Mission Area, Boise, ID
June 2023 – October 2024: Research Hydrologist, USGS Idaho Water Science Center, Boise, ID
June 2019 – June 2023: Hydrologist, USGS Idaho Water Science Center, Boise, ID
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University - 2018
M.S., Hydrology, University of New Hampshire - 2012
B.S., Environmental Science, University of New Hampshire - 2010
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Water Resources Association (AWRA)
Science and Products
Assessing the Water Quality of the Lower Boise River and Selected Tributaries
Monitoring Streamflow in Remote Headwater Streams
Satellite Monitoring of Algal Blooms in Idaho Waterbodies
Automated Sampling for Phosphorus in the Lower Boise River
Benthic community composition and chemistry of water, sediment, and periphyton throughout a copper treatment to eradicate invasive mussels in the Snake River, Idaho, 2023
Water Temperature of Lakes in the Conterminous U.S. Using the Landsat 8 Analysis Ready Dataset Raster Images from 2013-2023
Sentinel-2 ACOLITE-DSF Aquatic Reflectance for the Conterminous United States
Remote sensing and in-situ data to support chlorophyll-a mapping in Blue Mesa Reservoir from Sentinel-2 imagery
Hyperspectral profiles of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and other algae, 2022
Water quality modeling results of total phosphorus for the lower Boise River near Parma, Idaho 2002 - 2021
A Harmonized Discharge Record for Select Tributaries to the Lower Boise River, Southwestern Idaho, 1986-2022
National-scale, remotely sensed lake trophic status 1984-2020
Chlorophyll-a concentrations and algal bloom condition paired with Sentinel-2 aquatic reflectance values collected for Brownlee Reservoir, ID from 2015 through 2020
Phytoplankton identification and biovolume data for field samples from Detroit Lake, Oregon, and Owasco Lake, New York, collected in August 2019 and August 2020
Measurements of Discharge in Small, Low-Flowing Streams Using Multiple Techniques

Trainees in the remote sensing class working to develop potential groundwater maps from multiple satellite data sources.
Dry riverbeds like this one are common in arid and semi arid regions in Kenya in the dry seasons and highlight the need for access to groundwater.
Dry riverbeds like this one are common in arid and semi arid regions in Kenya in the dry seasons and highlight the need for access to groundwater.

Rural water distribution center near Maji Ya Chumvi in Kwale County, Kenya. Note water tank on roof.
Rural water distribution center near Maji Ya Chumvi in Kwale County, Kenya. Note water tank on roof.

USGS hydrologist Kenneth Skinner (left) and biologist Christopher Mebane collect macroinvertebrate samples for analysis as part of a study examining the health of Snake River benthic communities before and after the application of a copper treatment to eradicate invasive quagga mussels.
USGS hydrologist Kenneth Skinner (left) and biologist Christopher Mebane collect macroinvertebrate samples for analysis as part of a study examining the health of Snake River benthic communities before and after the application of a copper treatment to eradicate invasive quagga mussels.
A trend analysis and model comparison of total phosphorus concentrations and loads in the Boise River near Parma, southwestern Idaho, water years 2003–21
Software application for spectral mixture analysis for surveillance of harmful algal blooms (SMASH): A tool for identifying cyanobacteria genera from remotely sensed data
Lake water storage
National-scale remotely sensed lake trophic state from 1984 through 2020
Mapping the probability of freshwater algal blooms with various spectral indices and sources of training data
Evaluation of select velocity measurement techniques for estimating discharge in small streams across the United States
Spectral mixture analysis for surveillance of harmful algal blooms (SMASH): A field-, laboratory-, and satellite-based approach to identifying cyanobacteria genera from remotely sensed data
REmote Aquatic Chlorophyll-a Tracker (REACT)
Science and Products
Assessing the Water Quality of the Lower Boise River and Selected Tributaries
Monitoring Streamflow in Remote Headwater Streams
Satellite Monitoring of Algal Blooms in Idaho Waterbodies
Automated Sampling for Phosphorus in the Lower Boise River
Benthic community composition and chemistry of water, sediment, and periphyton throughout a copper treatment to eradicate invasive mussels in the Snake River, Idaho, 2023
Water Temperature of Lakes in the Conterminous U.S. Using the Landsat 8 Analysis Ready Dataset Raster Images from 2013-2023
Sentinel-2 ACOLITE-DSF Aquatic Reflectance for the Conterminous United States
Remote sensing and in-situ data to support chlorophyll-a mapping in Blue Mesa Reservoir from Sentinel-2 imagery
Hyperspectral profiles of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and other algae, 2022
Water quality modeling results of total phosphorus for the lower Boise River near Parma, Idaho 2002 - 2021
A Harmonized Discharge Record for Select Tributaries to the Lower Boise River, Southwestern Idaho, 1986-2022
National-scale, remotely sensed lake trophic status 1984-2020
Chlorophyll-a concentrations and algal bloom condition paired with Sentinel-2 aquatic reflectance values collected for Brownlee Reservoir, ID from 2015 through 2020
Phytoplankton identification and biovolume data for field samples from Detroit Lake, Oregon, and Owasco Lake, New York, collected in August 2019 and August 2020
Measurements of Discharge in Small, Low-Flowing Streams Using Multiple Techniques

Trainees in the remote sensing class working to develop potential groundwater maps from multiple satellite data sources.
Trainees in the remote sensing class working to develop potential groundwater maps from multiple satellite data sources.
Dry riverbeds like this one are common in arid and semi arid regions in Kenya in the dry seasons and highlight the need for access to groundwater.
Dry riverbeds like this one are common in arid and semi arid regions in Kenya in the dry seasons and highlight the need for access to groundwater.

Rural water distribution center near Maji Ya Chumvi in Kwale County, Kenya. Note water tank on roof.
Rural water distribution center near Maji Ya Chumvi in Kwale County, Kenya. Note water tank on roof.

USGS hydrologist Kenneth Skinner (left) and biologist Christopher Mebane collect macroinvertebrate samples for analysis as part of a study examining the health of Snake River benthic communities before and after the application of a copper treatment to eradicate invasive quagga mussels.
USGS hydrologist Kenneth Skinner (left) and biologist Christopher Mebane collect macroinvertebrate samples for analysis as part of a study examining the health of Snake River benthic communities before and after the application of a copper treatment to eradicate invasive quagga mussels.
A trend analysis and model comparison of total phosphorus concentrations and loads in the Boise River near Parma, southwestern Idaho, water years 2003–21
Software application for spectral mixture analysis for surveillance of harmful algal blooms (SMASH): A tool for identifying cyanobacteria genera from remotely sensed data
Lake water storage
National-scale remotely sensed lake trophic state from 1984 through 2020
Mapping the probability of freshwater algal blooms with various spectral indices and sources of training data
Evaluation of select velocity measurement techniques for estimating discharge in small streams across the United States
Spectral mixture analysis for surveillance of harmful algal blooms (SMASH): A field-, laboratory-, and satellite-based approach to identifying cyanobacteria genera from remotely sensed data
REmote Aquatic Chlorophyll-a Tracker (REACT)
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government