NWDTW 2026: Full Schedule

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8:00am CDT

Developing Guidelines for Continuous Meteorological Monitoring

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:20am CDT

Continuous meteorological (MET) monitoring is conducted across the USGS to meet cooperator needs, support hydrologic research, and provide operational support for other data collection activities. We will provide an early-stage development overview of USGS MET monitoring guidelines to facilitate standardized data collection for air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind, and solar radiation observations. The current state of continuous MET monitoring across the USGS will be discussed along with progress toward creating monitoring guidelines that can be consistently applied across the agency.

Speakers

Shawn Naylor

Richard Van Nevel

Ariele Kramer

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:20am CDT
BCC - Smith (28 Class / 45 Theater)

LISTENING SESSIONS

Length 30 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;

8:00am CDT

New Limited-Use Method for the Collection of Low Precision (0.1 ft) Stage Data

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

BCC - Sellers (476 Class / 800 Theater)

Limited-Use methods are collected and/or reviewed using non-standard methods, which may include modifications to a standard method, differences in quality assurance procedures, and(or) following external methods with limited validation information pertaining to a particular use or context. The low precision, or 0.1ft, stage data method establishes the procedural framework for these modification. The method provides a complete description of the requirements for site establishment, as well as the data collection and data processing quality assurance/quality control procedures.
This session will discuss these requirements and examine how the new method's modifications impact data quality compared to the standard methods currently collected under the parameter Gage height.

Speakers

Bryan Pula

Hydrologist

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
BCC - Sellers (476 Class / 800 Theater)

Fit for Purpose/Surface Water

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;

8:00am CDT

From Field Survey to Plotted Cross-Section: SVMobileAQ Data Collection and AreaComp3 Visualization

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

Accurate and efficient cross-section surveys are essential for maintaining high-quality stage-discharge ratings and index velocity gage operations. This presentation demonstrates a streamlined workflow for conducting differential level surveys of river cross-sections using the SVMobileAQ mobile application and importing the data into AreaComp3 software for visualization and analysis.
The session will cover the fundamentals of setting up a conventional differential level instrument (level gun) and collecting cross-section data in the field with SVMobileAQ. Attendees will then learn how to seamlessly import the survey data into AreaComp3 to generate plotted cross-sections referenced to gage datum.
Although commonly applied to index velocity gages, this approach provides broader benefits for streamgaging programs, including evaluation of control features at stage-discharge stations, detection of changes in channel geometry through overlay of historical surveys, and investigation of discrepancies by comparing survey results with ADCP bathymetry.
This practical, field-to-office workflow offers an accessible and efficient method for improving the quality and utility of cross-section data in water resources monitoring.

Speakers

Arthur Lilienthal

Hydrologist, USGS

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

GNSS/SURVEYING

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

8:00am CDT

An Introduction to Electromagnetic Methods and the Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio technique

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

BCC - Thames (21 Class / 40 Theater)

This talk is a hands on introduction to three geophysical methods, time-domain and frequency-domain electromagnetic (TDEM and FDEM) methods, along with the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method that are increasingly useful for groundwater investigations. We focus on how these methods work, what they measure, how they’re deployed in the field, and the subsurface information they provide. Case studies highlight how electromagnetic methods can map subsurface conductivity and characterize aquifers, and how the HVSR passive seismic technique helps estimate sediment thickness overlying bedrock, an important input for groundwater modeling.

Speakers

Neil Terry

Annie Tucker

Eric White

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
BCC - Thames (21 Class / 40 Theater)

Hydrogeophysics for groundwater investigations

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

8:30am CDT

HydroCorrect: a Tool for Automating Data Processing in AQTS

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT

BCC - Wilson (54 Tiered Class Only)

Manual data review and processing is time-consuming for USGS technicians - the USGS Water Community needs tools to help automate time-series data workflows. HydroCorrect is an AQTS toolbox that monitors data, identifies anomalies, and performs corrective actions based on rate of change, threshold, and flatline rules. In this session, we will demonstrate how HydroCorrect capabilities and workflows can make things easier for you! Join us to learn about opportunities to be part of a pilot testing group to be among the first to implement HydroCorrect and help shape the next iteration of water data tools for the USGS.

Speakers

Amber Jones

Physical Scientist/Product Owner, USGS

Software team lead for the Hydrologic Networks Branch of the Observing Systems in WMA, product owner for modernized Go2, project manager for HydroCorrect. Focused on improving data workflows.

Amy Simonson

Wade Walker

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
BCC - Wilson (54 Tiered Class Only)

AQUARIUS (AQ)

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

8:30am CDT

Continuous Water-Quality Data Corrections: Key Considerations

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT

BCC - Mobile (33 Class / 60 Theater)

Continuous water-quality data need careful review and often require drift or fouling corrections to ensure accuracy. This session explains when and how to correct records, describes manual and automatic methods in Aquarius Time Series, and discusses percent versus multi-point corrections. The session also addresses data censoring. Participants will examine how to apply corrections for various continuous water-quality parameters and field conditions.

Speakers

Amanda Booth

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
BCC - Mobile (33 Class / 60 Theater)

CONTINUOUS QW

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

8:30am CDT

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Applications for Water Science

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT

Moody Music - Room 1003 (150 Theater / Thurs Only)

This is an introduction to planning effective missions for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Water Science Centers. An overview will be presented for establishing capabilities, selecting UASs and sensors, mission planning, data processing, quality assurance and publication for UAS-collected data. Logistical and safety considerations, as well as scientific best practices will be discussed. Examples of UAS projects and use cases from across the Nation will be presented for streamflow monitoring, flood response, terrain mapping, groundwater - surface water exchange zone identification, and more!

Speakers

Chris L. Gazoorian

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Moody Music - Room 1003 (150 Theater / Thurs Only)

UNCREWED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;
Notes This will cover high-level overview of UAS operations general information for WSC management and scientists. This is very much a presentation and NOT a training session.

9:00am CDT

Year in Review: Summary of Hydroacoustics in WY25

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:00am - 9:20am CDT

BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

How many measurements did the USGS make last year? What type of instrument is the most common? Join fellow hydroacoustics enthusiasts in this beloved annual session to find out who joined the 1 million cfs club in WY25 and other interesting tidbits.

Speakers

Justin Boldt

Hydrologist, USGS

Justin is a Hydrologist for the USGS Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center in Louisville, KY. He began his career with the USGS in 2010 as a student working for the Office of Surface Water out of the Urbana, Illinois office. In 2013, he graduated from the University of Illinois... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:00am - 9:20am CDT
BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

HYDROACOUSTICS

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

10:00am CDT

Unified Field Data Collection Application- Status Update

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am CDT

BCC - Sellers (476 Class / 800 Theater)

Like a lot of things, the Unified Field App (UFA) project has navigated several challenges in the last year. This means we've had to push the groundwater module release date until sometime well into 2027.

Despite these setbacks, the team has kept momentum moving forward. We're using 2026 to re-group, refine our strategy, and set the project up for success in 2027 and beyond.

Most importantly, the project is still moving forward (though slower than planned) and is recognized as a high priority. We appreciate your patience and continued enthusiasm.

Speakers

Laura Flight

Supervisory Hydrologist, USGS

Laura began her USGS career in 1995 as a summer student and was hired full-time in 1997 as a Hydrologic Technician running surface water and groundwater field trips and computing records. Over time she started doing LDM duties, teaching courses, and testing NWIS applications. In 2019... Read More →

Catherine Fargen

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am CDT
BCC - Sellers (476 Class / 800 Theater)

COMPUTER TOOLS

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

10:00am CDT

From Issue to Insight: Troubleshooting Continuous Water-Quality Monitor

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

BCC - Mobile (33 Class / 60 Theater)

Do you use water-quality monitors and want to learn more about troubleshooting? This course will look at common problems with water-quality monitors and will demonstrate how to identify problems and fix them.

Speakers

Kimberly Shaffer

Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey

Kimberly Shaffer has a degree in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University and has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey for the past 27 years. As a hydrologist, she has collected and published streamflow, water-quality, and water-use data. In 2021, Kim became the Continuous... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
BCC - Mobile (33 Class / 60 Theater)

CONTINUOUS QW

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

10:00am CDT

Go2: Training, Help, and Feedback Session - PART 2

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

BCC - Wilson (54 Tiered Class Only)

How is Go2 working for you? This is a follow up of the first Go2 session - though the first session is not prerequisite! If you attended the first session, then you configured Go2 and may have received email alerts. In this session, we will examine notifications and follow up on any questions about the results and settings. If you missed the first session, we will review details on set up, customization, and troubleshooting of Go2 configurations along with frequently asked questions and discussion of known limitations, future plans, and timelines.

Speakers

Amber Jones

Physical Scientist/Product Owner, USGS

Software team lead for the Hydrologic Networks Branch of the Observing Systems in WMA, product owner for modernized Go2, project manager for HydroCorrect. Focused on improving data workflows.

Sarah Queen

Waylon Marler

Amy Simonson

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
BCC - Wilson (54 Tiered Class Only)

DATABASE (DBA/LDM/NWIS)

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;Tuesday, AM;Tuesday, PM;

10:00am CDT

Groundwater Workgroup Open-Forum

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 11:20am CDT

Moody Music - Room 1003 (150 Theater / Thurs Only)

The goal of this open-forum/listening session is to provide groundwater expertise for Q&A and to promote interaction and networking within the USGS groundwater community

Speakers

Lance Gruhn

Hydrologist, USGS

Lance Gruhn is a Hydrologist stationed in Iowa City, Iowa and is the groundwater technical and field support lead for the Hydrologic Networks Branck of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area. Lance coordinates the Groundwater Data Processing class and the Groundwater Field Techniques... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am - 11:20am CDT
Moody Music - Room 1003 (150 Theater / Thurs Only)

GROUNDWATER

Length 80 minutes
Can't teach Monday, PM;Monday, AM;

10:30am CDT

Envisioning the future of QWDX and SedLOGIN

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:30am - 10:50am CDT

BCC - Smith (28 Class / 45 Theater)

The QWDX and SedLOGIN Modernization Discovery project is evaluating options for updating the systems that support the efficient and traceable transfer of laboratory and field data into AQUARIUS Samples. This session will share a project update and offer users a chance to contribute directly to the alternatives analysis—helping shape the future of how discrete-sample data flows into AQS.

Speakers

Kate Norton

Patrick Eslick-Huff

Michael Canova

Hydrologist / Data Management Specialist, U.S. Geological Survey

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:30am - 10:50am CDT
BCC - Smith (28 Class / 45 Theater)

DISCRETE QW

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, PM;Monday, AM;

1:00pm CDT

Dremio for LDMs and Hydrologists

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

Discover how Dremio makes it easy for local data managers and hydrologists to gain valuable insights from your AQUARIUS Samples Data. Learn to run the growing library of useful queries, build your own custom views, and share them with others. This session is your first step toward modernizing your data workflows.

Speakers

Michael Canova

Hydrologist / Data Management Specialist, U.S. Geological Survey

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

DATABASE (DBA/LDM/NWIS)

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Thursday, AM;Monday, AM;

1:00pm CDT

Mid-Section Measurements in QRevMS - Post-Processing and Measurement Review

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

QRevMS is an application used for processing and reviewing ADCP midsection discharge measurements. Like QRev, QRevMS processes data loaded from the manufacture data files using automated quality checks and data filtering. This talk will discuss the workflow of the application, specifically related to post-processing and measurement review. Improvements and updates to the software will also be discussed.

Speakers

John Mazurek

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

HYDROACOUSTICS

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

1:30pm CDT

Peak Precision from Your Desk: In-Office Validation of the Upper End of Stage-Discharge Rating Curves

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:20pm CDT

BCC - Lackey (54 Tiered Class Only)

Developing reliable upper-end extensions of stage-discharge rating curves is often challenging due to limited high-flow measurements. This presentation outlines a clear hierarchy of preferred approaches—starting with direct flow measurements, followed by indirect methods—and then focuses on practical in-office techniques that can be performed without field work. Methods include estimating peak flows using areal regression (Q vs. drainage area), transferring peak discharges from upstream or downstream gages, and leveraging the StreamStats cross-section cutting tool along with the AreaComp3 software program to generate control and channel geometry. These desk-based strategies allow hydrologists to effectively vet rating descriptor pairs, assess curve shape, and confidently extend ratings to higher stages.

Speakers