Katherine J. Chase
Katherine Chase has 30 years of experience in water resources, including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, floodplain delineation, statistical analyses, and hydraulic structure design and evaluation. Her research has included precipitation-runoff modeling and surface-water hydraulics.
Katherine Chase, USGS Hydrologist, has more than 30 years of experience in water resources, including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, floodplain delineation, statistical analyses, and hydraulic structure design and evaluation. Her research with the USGS has included precipitation-runoff modeling, 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional surface-water hydraulics, streamflow statistics, floodplain delineation, channel morphology, and bridge scour. As a consultant she worked on multi-disciplinary teams as a hydrologist/civil engineer, performing wetlands and floodplain delineation, flood mitigation, bridge scour evaluation, and hydraulic structure design. As a graduate research assistant for the National Park Service, she worked on hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and surveying in support of water rights negotiations. Her Peace Corps work in Nepal included surveying, design and construction of irrigation systems, drinking water supply systems, and flood mitigation. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in Montana and Colorado.
Professional Experience
2002-Present: Hydrologist/Surface Water Specialist, USGS Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center.
1999-2002: Project Engineer/Office Manager, WWC Engineering, Helena, MT.
1991-1999: Project Engineer, Taggart Engineering and Associates, Denver, CO.
1989-1990: Graduate Research Assistant, National Park Service Water Rights Branch, Fort Collins, CO.
1984-1988: Peace Corps Volunteer, Nepal.
Education and Certifications
B.S. Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University
M.S. Civil Engineering, Colorado State University
Professional Engineer in Montana and Colorado.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
A precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow conditions in the Smith River watershed, Montana, water years 1996-2008
This report documents the construction of a precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow in the Smith River watershed, Montana. This Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, constructed in cooperation with the Meagher County Conservation District, can be used to examine the general hydrologic framework of the Smith River watershed, including quantification of precipitation, evap
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Rodney R. Caldwell, Andrea K. Stanley
Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Upper Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers, Montana and Wyoming, 1928-2002
Major floods in 1996 and 1997 intensified public debate about the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a cumulative effects study on the main stem of the
Authors
Katherine J. Chase
Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002
Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effe
Authors
Katherine J. Chase
General weather conditions and precipitation contributing to the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River and Red River of the North Basins, December 2010 through July 2011
Excessive precipitation produced severe flooding in the Mississippi River and Red River of the North Basins during spring and summer 2011. The 2011 flooding was caused by weather conditions that were affected in part by a La Niña climate pattern. During the 2010–11 climatological winter (December 2010–February 2011), several low pressure troughs from the Rocky Mountains into the Ohio River subbasi
Authors
Kevin C. Vining, Katherine J. Chase, Gina R. Loss
Watershed scale response to climate change--South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana
General Circulation Model simulations of future climate through 2099 project a wide range of possible scenarios. To determine the sensitivity and potential effect of long-term climate change on the freshwater resources of the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey Global Change study, "An integrated watershed scale response to global change in selected basins across the United States" was start
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Lauren E. Hay, Steven L. Markstrom
Integrated watershed-scale response to climate change for selected basins across the United States
A study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) evaluated the hydrologic response to different projected carbon emission scenarios of the 21st century using a hydrologic simulation model. This study involved five major steps: (1) setup, calibrate and evaluated the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) model in 14 basins across the United States by local USGS personnel; (2) acquire selected simu
Authors
Steven L. Markstrom, Lauren E. Hay, D. Christian Ward-Garrison, John C. Risley, William A. Battaglin, David M. Bjerklie, Katherine J. Chase, Daniel E. Christiansen, Robert W. Dudley, Randall J. Hunt, Kathryn M. Koczot, Mark C. Mastin, R. Steven Regan, Roland J. Viger, Kevin C. Vining, John F. Walker
Lateral and vertical channel movement and potential for bed-material movement on the Madison River downstream from Earthquake Lake, Montana
The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake caused a massive landslide (Madison Slide) that dammed the Madison River and formed Earthquake Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers excavated a spillway through the Madison Slide to permit outflow from Earthquake Lake. In June 1970, high streamflows on the Madison River severely eroded the spillway channel and damaged the roadway embankment along U.S. Highway 287
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Peter McCarthy
Development of a precipitation-runoff model to simulate unregulated streamflow in the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana
This report documents the development of a precipitation-runoff model for the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Mont. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, can be used to simulate daily mean unregulated streamflow upstream and downstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir for water-resources planning. Two input files are required to run th
Authors
K.J. Chase
Channel-morphology data for the Tongue River and selected tributaries, southeastern Montana, 2001-02
Coal-bed methane exploration and production have begun within the Tongue River watershed in southeastern Montana. The development of coal-bed methane requires production of large volumes of ground water, some of which may be discharged to streams, potentially increasing stream discharge and sediment load. Changes in stream discharge or sediment load may result in changes to channel morphology thro
Authors
Katherine J. Chase
Evaluation of pier-scour equations for coarse-bed streams
Streambed scour at bridge piers is among the leading causes of bridge failure in the United States. Several pier-scour equations have been developed to calculate potential scour depths at existing and proposed bridges. Because many pier-scour equations are based on data from laboratory flumes and from cohesionless silt- and sand-bottomed streams, they tend to overestimate scour for piers in coarse
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Stephen R. Holnbeck
Non-USGS Publications**
Chase, K.J., and Liou, John, 2007, Two-Dimensional Flow Modeling for a Flood Insurance Study in Montana, in 2007 Charting the Course, New Perspectives in Floodplain Management, Norfolk, Virginia, 2007, Proceedings: Madison, Wisconsin, American Society of Flood Plain Managers, http://www.floods.org/index.asp?menuid=%20675
Mastin, M.C., Chase, K.C., and Dudley, R.W., 2011, Changes in Spring Snowpack for Selected Basins in the United States for Different Climate-Change Scenarios, in Earth Interactions, vol. 15, p. 1-18, also available at http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2010EI368.1
NOROCK factsheet: Living on the Edge: Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Native Fishes in Northern Great Plains Streams, https://wy-mt.water.usgs.gov/projects/MT_fisheries/pubs/PP_FisheriesInfo_12V3.pdf
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Filter Total Items: 13
Documentation of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System and Output from the RegCM3 Regional Climate Model Used to Estimate Potential Effects of Climate Change on Streamflow for Seven Watersheds in Eastern and Central Montana (2013-2014 Analyses)
Fish in Northern Great Plains streams evolved to survive heat, cold, floods and drought; however changes in streamflow associated with long-term climate change may render some prairie streams uninhabitable for current fish species. To better understand future hydrology of these prairie streams, the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) model and output from the RegCM3 Regional Climate model
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
A precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow conditions in the Smith River watershed, Montana, water years 1996-2008
This report documents the construction of a precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow in the Smith River watershed, Montana. This Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, constructed in cooperation with the Meagher County Conservation District, can be used to examine the general hydrologic framework of the Smith River watershed, including quantification of precipitation, evap
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Rodney R. Caldwell, Andrea K. Stanley
Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Upper Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers, Montana and Wyoming, 1928-2002
Major floods in 1996 and 1997 intensified public debate about the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a cumulative effects study on the main stem of the
Authors
Katherine J. Chase
Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002
Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effe
Authors
Katherine J. Chase
General weather conditions and precipitation contributing to the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River and Red River of the North Basins, December 2010 through July 2011
Excessive precipitation produced severe flooding in the Mississippi River and Red River of the North Basins during spring and summer 2011. The 2011 flooding was caused by weather conditions that were affected in part by a La Niña climate pattern. During the 2010–11 climatological winter (December 2010–February 2011), several low pressure troughs from the Rocky Mountains into the Ohio River subbasi
Authors
Kevin C. Vining, Katherine J. Chase, Gina R. Loss
Watershed scale response to climate change--South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana
General Circulation Model simulations of future climate through 2099 project a wide range of possible scenarios. To determine the sensitivity and potential effect of long-term climate change on the freshwater resources of the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey Global Change study, "An integrated watershed scale response to global change in selected basins across the United States" was start
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Lauren E. Hay, Steven L. Markstrom
Integrated watershed-scale response to climate change for selected basins across the United States
A study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) evaluated the hydrologic response to different projected carbon emission scenarios of the 21st century using a hydrologic simulation model. This study involved five major steps: (1) setup, calibrate and evaluated the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) model in 14 basins across the United States by local USGS personnel; (2) acquire selected simu
Authors
Steven L. Markstrom, Lauren E. Hay, D. Christian Ward-Garrison, John C. Risley, William A. Battaglin, David M. Bjerklie, Katherine J. Chase, Daniel E. Christiansen, Robert W. Dudley, Randall J. Hunt, Kathryn M. Koczot, Mark C. Mastin, R. Steven Regan, Roland J. Viger, Kevin C. Vining, John F. Walker
Lateral and vertical channel movement and potential for bed-material movement on the Madison River downstream from Earthquake Lake, Montana
The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake caused a massive landslide (Madison Slide) that dammed the Madison River and formed Earthquake Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers excavated a spillway through the Madison Slide to permit outflow from Earthquake Lake. In June 1970, high streamflows on the Madison River severely eroded the spillway channel and damaged the roadway embankment along U.S. Highway 287
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Peter McCarthy
Development of a precipitation-runoff model to simulate unregulated streamflow in the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana
This report documents the development of a precipitation-runoff model for the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Mont. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, can be used to simulate daily mean unregulated streamflow upstream and downstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir for water-resources planning. Two input files are required to run th
Authors
K.J. Chase
Channel-morphology data for the Tongue River and selected tributaries, southeastern Montana, 2001-02
Coal-bed methane exploration and production have begun within the Tongue River watershed in southeastern Montana. The development of coal-bed methane requires production of large volumes of ground water, some of which may be discharged to streams, potentially increasing stream discharge and sediment load. Changes in stream discharge or sediment load may result in changes to channel morphology thro
Authors
Katherine J. Chase
Evaluation of pier-scour equations for coarse-bed streams
Streambed scour at bridge piers is among the leading causes of bridge failure in the United States. Several pier-scour equations have been developed to calculate potential scour depths at existing and proposed bridges. Because many pier-scour equations are based on data from laboratory flumes and from cohesionless silt- and sand-bottomed streams, they tend to overestimate scour for piers in coarse
Authors
Katherine J. Chase, Stephen R. Holnbeck
Non-USGS Publications**
Chase, K.J., and Liou, John, 2007, Two-Dimensional Flow Modeling for a Flood Insurance Study in Montana, in 2007 Charting the Course, New Perspectives in Floodplain Management, Norfolk, Virginia, 2007, Proceedings: Madison, Wisconsin, American Society of Flood Plain Managers, http://www.floods.org/index.asp?menuid=%20675
Mastin, M.C., Chase, K.C., and Dudley, R.W., 2011, Changes in Spring Snowpack for Selected Basins in the United States for Different Climate-Change Scenarios, in Earth Interactions, vol. 15, p. 1-18, also available at http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2010EI368.1
NOROCK factsheet: Living on the Edge: Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Native Fishes in Northern Great Plains Streams, https://wy-mt.water.usgs.gov/projects/MT_fisheries/pubs/PP_FisheriesInfo_12V3.pdf
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Filter Total Items: 13
Documentation of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System and Output from the RegCM3 Regional Climate Model Used to Estimate Potential Effects of Climate Change on Streamflow for Seven Watersheds in Eastern and Central Montana (2013-2014 Analyses)
Fish in Northern Great Plains streams evolved to survive heat, cold, floods and drought; however changes in streamflow associated with long-term climate change may render some prairie streams uninhabitable for current fish species. To better understand future hydrology of these prairie streams, the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) model and output from the RegCM3 Regional Climate model