Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working during site visit to Eagle Creek.
William R McDermott
Will is a Physical Scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center in Lakewood, CO.
As a physical scientist in Colorado Rocky Mountains, Will has assisted in a range of hydrologic monitoring projects from aquifer level monitoring in the Eastern plains to installing and maintaining weather and snow stations above 12,000’. Currently, Will’s professional passion involves collecting high quality data on snowpack quantity and characteristics in remote and high-altitude mountainous environments in order to better understand the relationship of water resources from “Snow to Flow”.
Professional Experience
Abandoned Mine Lands Intern, Trout Unlimited, Summer 2017
Restoration Technician, Aloterra Restoration Services, 2018
1039 Hydrologic Technician (Field Assistant), USGS Colorado Water Science Center, 2019
Physical Scientist, USGS Colorado Water Science Center, 2020-Present
Education and Certifications
Bachelor of Arts Environmental Science, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 2018
American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education Pro 1 Certification, American Avalanche Association, 2024
Science and Products
Lidar Point Clouds (LPCs), Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and Snow Depth Raster Maps Derived from Lidar Data Collected on Small, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, 2020-22
NGWOS Ground Based Discrete Snowpack Measurements
Radar-based field measurements of surface velocity and discharge from 10 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for various locations in the United States, 2002-19
Drone- and ground-based measurements of velocity, depth, and discharge collected during 2017-18 at the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers in Colorado and the Salcha and Tanana Rivers in Alaska, USA
Climatological data for the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 1992-2019
Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working during site visit to Eagle Creek.
Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working his way across the snow during a site visit at Eagle Creek.
Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working his way across the snow during a site visit at Eagle Creek.
Science and Products
- Data
Lidar Point Clouds (LPCs), Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and Snow Depth Raster Maps Derived from Lidar Data Collected on Small, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, 2020-22
This data release consists of three child items distinguishing the following types of data: light detection and ranging (lidar) point clouds (LPCs), digital elevation models (DEMs), and snow depth raster maps. These three data types are all derived from lidar data collected on small, uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) at study areas in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, from 2020 to 2022. TheNGWOS Ground Based Discrete Snowpack Measurements
Ground-based discrete snowpack measurements were collected during winter field campaigns starting in 2020. These data were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) Upper Colorado River Basin project focusing on the relation between snow dynamics and water resources. This data release consists of three child items. Each child item containRadar-based field measurements of surface velocity and discharge from 10 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for various locations in the United States, 2002-19
Near-field remote sensing methods were used to collect Doppler velocity and pulsed stage radar data at 10 conventional U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in river reaches with varying hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics. Basin sizes ranged from 381 to 66,200 square kilometers and included agricultural, desert, forest, mixed, and high-gradient mountain environments. During the siting and operaDrone- and ground-based measurements of velocity, depth, and discharge collected during 2017-18 at the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers in Colorado and the Salcha and Tanana Rivers in Alaska, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is actively investigating the use of innovative remote-sensing techniques to estimate surface velocity and discharge of rivers in ungaged basins and river reaches that lack the infrastructure to install conventional streamgaging equipment. By coupling discharge algorithms and sensors capable of measuring surface velocity, streamgage networks can be established inClimatological data for the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, water years 1992-2019
This data release contains hourly means of climatological data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 10/1/1991 to 9/30/2019 at three weather stations in the Loch Vale watershed in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado. In order of increasing elevation, the three weather stations are Loch Vale meteorological station at RMNP, Colo. (Main weather station, USGS station 4017191053 - Multimedia
Eagle Creek Site Visit
Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working during site visit to Eagle Creek.
Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working during site visit to Eagle Creek.
Snow crossing during Eagle Creek site visitWill McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working his way across the snow during a site visit at Eagle Creek.
Will McDermott, a physical scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, working his way across the snow during a site visit at Eagle Creek.