Se Jong Cho

United States Geological Survey | USGS · Water Resources Mission Area

We propose a Topographic Filtering simulation model (Topofilter) that can be used to identify those locations that are likely to contribute most of the sediment load delivered from a watershed. The reduced complexity model links spatially distributed estimates of annual soil erosion, high-resolution topography, and observed sediment loading to dete...

We developed a watershed sediment source and delivery model for use in evaluating conservation trade‐offs in southern Minnesota, where sediment loading has been identified as a priority and there is substantial public investment in cleaner water. The model was developed in a stakeholder process and links user‐specified management options to reducti...

Observatory-scale data collection efforts allow unprecedented opportunities for integrative, multidisciplinary investigations in large, complex watersheds, which can affect management decisions and policy. Through the National Science Foundation-funded REACH (REsilience under Accelerated CHange) project, in collaboration with the Intensively Manage...

Near-channel sediment loading (NCSL) is localized and episodic, making it difficult to accurately quantify its cumulative contribution to watershed sediment loading, let alone predict the effects from changes in river discharge due to climate change or land management practices. We developed a methodological framework, using commonly available stre...

The spatial distribution of soil phosphorus (P) is important to both biogeochemical processes and the management of agricultural landscapes, where it is critical for both crop production and conservation planning. Recent advances in the availability of large environmental datasets together with big data analytical tools like machine learning have c...

In order to understand the hydrological impacts of the nature-based solutions in the Cantareira Water Supply System, this study evaluates six different land cover and land use change scenarios. The first and second consider the restoration of native vegetation in riparian areas, the third prioritizes restoration sites using biophysical characterist...

Despite its rich water resources, Brazil is increasingly facing extreme hydrologic events such as droughts and floods. The Sao Paulo Cantareira water supply system (CWSS) offers an opportunity to examine the potential economic benefits of nature-based solutions (NbS) to improve water security and reduce the economic cost of drought. This study expl...

This study describes a collaborative modeling process deployed at the Cantareira Water Supply System (CWSS) in São Paulo City Metropolitan Area, Brazil. The CWSS faces challenges for meeting the increasing water demand, while land-use and climate change and their combined effect on its water cycle and balance have created a complex water resources...

The spatial distribution of soil phosphorus (P) is important to both biogeochemical processes and the management of agricultural landscapes, where it is critical for both crop production and conservation planning. Recent advances in the availability of large environmental datasets together with big data analytical tools like machine learning have c...

The widespread availability of high-fidelity topography combined with advances in geospatial analysis offer the opportunity to reimagine approaches to the difficult problem of predicting sediment delivery from watersheds. Here we present a model that uses high-resolution topography to filter sediment sources to quantify sediment delivery to the wat...

Significance Water quality is severely degraded in landscapes cultivated for intensive corn and soybean production. Current water quality policy focuses on reducing nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural fields, yet recent studies have highlighted important roles of near-channel areas as sources of sediment and sinks for nitrogen. We develo...

Climate change, land clearing, and artificial drainage have increased the Minnesota River Basin’s (MRB) stream flows, enhancing erosion of channel banks and bluffs. Accelerated erosion has increased sediment loads and sedimentation rates downstream. High flows could be reduced through increased water storage (e.g., wetlands or detention basins), bu...

MOSM was developed in collaboration with scientists, engineers, and economists from three research universities (Johns Hopkins University, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities and Duluth), and Utah State University), and with a stakeholder group familiar with the watershed (agricultural producers, conservation groups, and members of state and local...