Jeff Conaway
Surface-water modeling, sediment transport, acoustic Doppler current profilers
Professional Experience
2018 - Present Associate Center Director for Water, Ice, and Landscape Dynamics, USGS Alaska Science Center
2000 - 2018 Hydrologist, USGS Alaska Science Center
Education and Certifications
M.S. 2000 Portland State University Geology
B.S. 1996 University of Alaska Fairbanks Geology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
Improving Forecasts of Glacier Outburst Flood Events
Suicide Basin is a glacier-fed lake that branches off Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. Since 2011, Suicide Basin has been collecting melt- and rainwater each summer, creating a temporary glacier-dammed lake. Water that accumulates typically gets released through channels that run beneath the glacier. These channels are normally blocked by ice, but if the water pressure gets too high the chann
Unuk River
The Unuk River is the second smallest watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska, but has three large mining projects in development (Kerr-Sulplherets-Mitchell (KSM), Brucejack, and Eskay Creek).
Stikine River
The Stikine River near Wrangell and Petersburg is the largest watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska.
Taku River
Adverse water quality from a trio of historic mines in the Tulsequah River watershed, a tributary of the Taku River, have caused concern in local communities including Juneau, Alaska, and Atlin, British Columbia
Alsek River
The Alsek River is the furthest north watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska, reaching 300 miles north of Haines Junction, Yukon Territory.
Chilkat River
Chilkat River is one of the transboundary watersheds of Southeast Alaska.
Super Gages and Water Quality Sampling
Super gages provide real-time data specifically designed to improve understanding of watershed processes and to address specific water-resource issues such as climate and land-use effects or hazardous substance spills.
Salmon River
The Salmon River, located near Hyder, Alaska, and Stewart, British Columbia, is the smallest watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska.
NAWQA Cook Inlet Basin Study Unit
The Cook Inlet Basin (COOK) study unit in southcentral Alaska, is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of this program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary factors...
COOK NAWQA Data Clearinghouse
Repository for data collected by the Cook Inlet Basin NAWQA team.
Filter Total Items: 22
Streamflow and streambed scour in 2010 at bridge 339, Copper River, Alaska
The Copper River Highway traverses a dynamic and complex network of braided and readily erodible channels that constitute the Copper River Delta, Alaska, by way of 11 bridges. Over the past decade, several of these bridges and the highway have sustained serious damage from both high and low flows and channel instability. This investigation studying the impact of channel migration on the highway in
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway, Timothy P. Brabets
Kittlitz’s and Marbled Murrelets in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska: At-sea distribution, abundance, and foraging habitat, 2006–08
Kittlitz’s murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) and marbled murrelets (B. marmoratus) are small diving seabirds and are of management concern because of population declines in coastal Alaska. In 2006–08, we conducted a study in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska, to estimate the recent population size of Brachyramphus murrelets, to evaluate productivity based on juvenile to adult r
Authors
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, E.N. Madison, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Application of the multi-dimensional surface water modeling system at Bridge 339, Copper River Highway, Alaska
The Copper River Basin, the sixth largest watershed in Alaska, drains an area of 24,200 square miles. This large, glacier-fed river flows across a wide alluvial fan before it enters the Gulf of Alaska. Bridges along the Copper River Highway, which traverses the alluvial fan, have been impacted by channel migration. Due to a major channel change in 2001, Bridge 339 at Mile 36 of the highway has und
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Geomorphology and river dynamics of the lower Copper River, Alaska
Located in south-central Alaska, the Copper River drains an area of more than 24,000 square miles. The average annual flow of the river near its mouth is 63,600 cubic feet per second, but is highly variable between winter and summer. In the winter, flow averages approximately 11,700 cubic feet per second, and in the summer, due to snowmelt, rainfall, and glacial melt, flow averages approximately 1
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Bathymetric and hydraulic survey of the Matanuska River near Circle View Estates, Alaska
An acoustic Doppler current profiler interfaced with a differentially corrected global positioning system was used to map bathymetry and multi-dimensional velocities on the Matanuska River near Circle View Estates, Alaska. Data were collected along four spur dikes and a bend in the river during a period of active bank erosion. These data were collected as part of a larger investigation into channe
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway
Hydraulic survey and scour assessment of Bridge 524, Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska
Bathymetric and hydraulic data were collected August 26–28, 1996, on the Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska, at the Richardson Highway bridge and Trans-Alaska Pipeline crossing. Erosion along the right (north) bank of the river between the bridge and the pipeline crossing prompted the data collection. A water-surface profile hydraulic model for the 100- and 500-year recurrence-interval floods was d
Authors
Thomas A. Heinrichs, Dustin E. Langley, Robert L. Burrows, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Modeling surface-water flow and sediment mobility with the Multi-Dimensional Surface-Water Modeling System (MD_SWMS)
The Multi-Dimensional Surface-Water Modeling System (MD_SWMS) is a Graphical User Interface for surface-water flow and sediment-transport models. The capabilities of MD_SWMS for developing models include: importing raw topography and other ancillary data; building the numerical grid and defining initial and boundary conditions; running simulations; visualizing results; and comparing results with m
Authors
Richard McDonald, Jonathan Nelson, Paul Kinzel, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Application of acoustic doppler current profilers for measuring three-dimensional flow fields and as a surrogate measurement of bedload transport
Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) have been in use in the riverine environment for nearly 20 years. Their application primarily has been focused on the measurement of streamflow discharge. ADCPs emit high-frequency sound pulses and receive reflected sound echoes from sediment particles in the water column. The Doppler shift between transmitted and return signals is resolved into a velocit
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway
Development and Calibration of Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model of the Tanana River near Tok, Alaska
Bathymetric and hydraulic data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey on the Tanana River in proximity to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' bridge number 505 at mile 80.5 of the Alaska Highway. Data were collected from August 7-9, 2002, over an approximate 5,000- foot reach of the river. These data were combined with topographic data provided by Alaska Department of
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway, Edward H. Moran
Summary and Comparison of Multiphase Streambed Scour Analysis at Selected Bridge Sites in Alaska
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities undertook a cooperative multiphase study of streambed scour at selected bridges in Alaska beginning in 1994. Of the 325 bridges analyzed for susceptibility to scour in the preliminary phase, 54 bridges were selected for a more intensive analysis that included site investigations. Cross-section geometry and
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
Improving Forecasts of Glacier Outburst Flood Events
Suicide Basin is a glacier-fed lake that branches off Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. Since 2011, Suicide Basin has been collecting melt- and rainwater each summer, creating a temporary glacier-dammed lake. Water that accumulates typically gets released through channels that run beneath the glacier. These channels are normally blocked by ice, but if the water pressure gets too high the chann
Unuk River
The Unuk River is the second smallest watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska, but has three large mining projects in development (Kerr-Sulplherets-Mitchell (KSM), Brucejack, and Eskay Creek).
Stikine River
The Stikine River near Wrangell and Petersburg is the largest watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska.
Taku River
Adverse water quality from a trio of historic mines in the Tulsequah River watershed, a tributary of the Taku River, have caused concern in local communities including Juneau, Alaska, and Atlin, British Columbia
Alsek River
The Alsek River is the furthest north watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska, reaching 300 miles north of Haines Junction, Yukon Territory.
Chilkat River
Chilkat River is one of the transboundary watersheds of Southeast Alaska.
Super Gages and Water Quality Sampling
Super gages provide real-time data specifically designed to improve understanding of watershed processes and to address specific water-resource issues such as climate and land-use effects or hazardous substance spills.
Salmon River
The Salmon River, located near Hyder, Alaska, and Stewart, British Columbia, is the smallest watershed in the transboundary study of Southeast Alaska.
NAWQA Cook Inlet Basin Study Unit
The Cook Inlet Basin (COOK) study unit in southcentral Alaska, is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of this program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary factors...
COOK NAWQA Data Clearinghouse
Repository for data collected by the Cook Inlet Basin NAWQA team.
Filter Total Items: 22
Streamflow and streambed scour in 2010 at bridge 339, Copper River, Alaska
The Copper River Highway traverses a dynamic and complex network of braided and readily erodible channels that constitute the Copper River Delta, Alaska, by way of 11 bridges. Over the past decade, several of these bridges and the highway have sustained serious damage from both high and low flows and channel instability. This investigation studying the impact of channel migration on the highway in
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway, Timothy P. Brabets
Kittlitz’s and Marbled Murrelets in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska: At-sea distribution, abundance, and foraging habitat, 2006–08
Kittlitz’s murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) and marbled murrelets (B. marmoratus) are small diving seabirds and are of management concern because of population declines in coastal Alaska. In 2006–08, we conducted a study in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska, to estimate the recent population size of Brachyramphus murrelets, to evaluate productivity based on juvenile to adult r
Authors
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, E.N. Madison, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Application of the multi-dimensional surface water modeling system at Bridge 339, Copper River Highway, Alaska
The Copper River Basin, the sixth largest watershed in Alaska, drains an area of 24,200 square miles. This large, glacier-fed river flows across a wide alluvial fan before it enters the Gulf of Alaska. Bridges along the Copper River Highway, which traverses the alluvial fan, have been impacted by channel migration. Due to a major channel change in 2001, Bridge 339 at Mile 36 of the highway has und
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Geomorphology and river dynamics of the lower Copper River, Alaska
Located in south-central Alaska, the Copper River drains an area of more than 24,000 square miles. The average annual flow of the river near its mouth is 63,600 cubic feet per second, but is highly variable between winter and summer. In the winter, flow averages approximately 11,700 cubic feet per second, and in the summer, due to snowmelt, rainfall, and glacial melt, flow averages approximately 1
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Bathymetric and hydraulic survey of the Matanuska River near Circle View Estates, Alaska
An acoustic Doppler current profiler interfaced with a differentially corrected global positioning system was used to map bathymetry and multi-dimensional velocities on the Matanuska River near Circle View Estates, Alaska. Data were collected along four spur dikes and a bend in the river during a period of active bank erosion. These data were collected as part of a larger investigation into channe
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway
Hydraulic survey and scour assessment of Bridge 524, Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska
Bathymetric and hydraulic data were collected August 26–28, 1996, on the Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska, at the Richardson Highway bridge and Trans-Alaska Pipeline crossing. Erosion along the right (north) bank of the river between the bridge and the pipeline crossing prompted the data collection. A water-surface profile hydraulic model for the 100- and 500-year recurrence-interval floods was d
Authors
Thomas A. Heinrichs, Dustin E. Langley, Robert L. Burrows, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Modeling surface-water flow and sediment mobility with the Multi-Dimensional Surface-Water Modeling System (MD_SWMS)
The Multi-Dimensional Surface-Water Modeling System (MD_SWMS) is a Graphical User Interface for surface-water flow and sediment-transport models. The capabilities of MD_SWMS for developing models include: importing raw topography and other ancillary data; building the numerical grid and defining initial and boundary conditions; running simulations; visualizing results; and comparing results with m
Authors
Richard McDonald, Jonathan Nelson, Paul Kinzel, Jeffrey S. Conaway
Application of acoustic doppler current profilers for measuring three-dimensional flow fields and as a surrogate measurement of bedload transport
Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) have been in use in the riverine environment for nearly 20 years. Their application primarily has been focused on the measurement of streamflow discharge. ADCPs emit high-frequency sound pulses and receive reflected sound echoes from sediment particles in the water column. The Doppler shift between transmitted and return signals is resolved into a velocit
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway
Development and Calibration of Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model of the Tanana River near Tok, Alaska
Bathymetric and hydraulic data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey on the Tanana River in proximity to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' bridge number 505 at mile 80.5 of the Alaska Highway. Data were collected from August 7-9, 2002, over an approximate 5,000- foot reach of the river. These data were combined with topographic data provided by Alaska Department of
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway, Edward H. Moran
Summary and Comparison of Multiphase Streambed Scour Analysis at Selected Bridge Sites in Alaska
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities undertook a cooperative multiphase study of streambed scour at selected bridges in Alaska beginning in 1994. Of the 325 bridges analyzed for susceptibility to scour in the preliminary phase, 54 bridges were selected for a more intensive analysis that included site investigations. Cross-section geometry and
Authors
Jeffrey S. Conaway