Kathy Conn
Hydrologist and Water Quality Specialist for the Washington Water Science Center
My research focuses on the occurrence, fate, and transport of contaminants in the aquatic environment. Recent activities and interests include:
- Developing novel field methods to quantify fluvial sediment-bound chemical concentrations and fluxes from rivers to Puget Sound
- Entry and movement of urban contaminants in nearshore coastal environments
- Monitoring of legacy contaminants (e.g., PCBs and metals), emerging contaminants (e.g., microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals), and microbial contaminants (e.g., bacteria, viruses, and fecal indicators) in aquatic resources with implications for ecological and human health
- Providing technical guidance for water-quality projects, including study design, data quality, and dissemination
Professional Experience
Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Washington Water Science Center since 2011 and the Center's Water-Quality Specialist since 2015.
Education and Certifications
B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William & Mary
M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines
Post-doctoral research at the University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences.
Science and Products
Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
Tidal flushing of mercury from the Bremerton Naval Complex through the PSNS015 stormwater drain system to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2011 -12
Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
Tracking riverborne sediment and contaminants in Commencement Bay, Washington, using geochemical signatures
Quality-assurance plan for water-quality activities in the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center
Continuous-flow centrifugation to collect suspended sediment for chemical analysis
Spatial and temporal variability of contaminants within estuarine sediments and native Olympia oysters: A contrast between a developed and an undeveloped estuary
Chemical concentrations and instantaneous loads, Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–15
Treatment of trace organic compounds in common onsite wastewater systems
Data compilation for assessing sediment and toxic chemical loads from the Green River to the lower Duwamish Waterway, Washington
Improved estimates of filtered total mercury loadings and total mercury concentrations of solids from potential sources to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
Tidal flushing of mercury from the Bremerton Naval Complex through the PSNS015 stormwater drain system to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2011 -12
Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
Tracking riverborne sediment and contaminants in Commencement Bay, Washington, using geochemical signatures
Quality-assurance plan for water-quality activities in the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center
Continuous-flow centrifugation to collect suspended sediment for chemical analysis
Spatial and temporal variability of contaminants within estuarine sediments and native Olympia oysters: A contrast between a developed and an undeveloped estuary
Chemical concentrations and instantaneous loads, Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–15
Treatment of trace organic compounds in common onsite wastewater systems
Data compilation for assessing sediment and toxic chemical loads from the Green River to the lower Duwamish Waterway, Washington
Improved estimates of filtered total mercury loadings and total mercury concentrations of solids from potential sources to Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.