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At least 1,801 records · Page 100Linked to original sources
USGS2015

Assessment of undiscovered copper resources associated with the Permian Kupferschiefer, Southern Permian Basin, Europe

This study synthesizes available information and estimates the location and quantity of undiscovered copper associated with a late Permian bituminous shale, the Kupferschiefer, of the Southern Permian Basin in Europe. The purpose of this study is to (1) delineate permissive areas (tracts) where undiscovered reduced-facies sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits could occur within 2.5 kilometers of the surface, (2) provide a database of known reduced-facies-type sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits and significant prospects, and (3) provide probabilistic estimates of amounts of undiscovered copper that could be present within each tract. This assessment is a contribution to a global assessment conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Permissive tracts are delineated by mapping the extent of the Kupferschiefer that overlies reservoir-facies red beds of the lower Permian Rotliegend Group. More than 78 million metric tons (Mt) of copper have been produced or delineated as resources in the assessed tracts, with more than 90 percent of the known mineral endowment located in Poland. Mines in Poland are developing the deposit at depths ranging from about 500 to 1,400 meters. Two approaches are used to estimate in-situ amounts of undiscovered copper. The three-part form of assessment was applied to the entire study area. In this approach, numbers of undiscovered deposits are estimated and combined with tonnage-grade models to probabilistically forecast the amount of undiscovered copper. For Poland, drill-hole data were available, and Gaussian geostatistical simulation techniques were used to probabilistically estimate the amount of undiscovered copper. The assessment was done in September 2010 using a three-part form of mineral resource assessment and in January 2012 using Gaussian geostatistical simulation. Using the three-part form of assessment, a mean of 126 Mt of undiscovered copper is predicted in 4 assessed permissive tracts. Seventy-five percent of the mean amount of undiscovered copper (96 Mt) is associated with a tract in southwest Poland. For this same permissive tract in Poland, Gaussian geostatistical simulation techniques indicate a mean of 62 Mt of copper based on copper surface-density data from drill holes.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2013

Comparison of water consumption in two riparian vegetation communities along the central Platte River, Nebraska, 2008–09 and 2011

The Platte River is a vital natural resource for the people, plants, and animals of Nebraska. A recent study quantified water use by riparian woodlands along central reaches of the Platte River, Nebraska, finding that water use was mainly regulated below maximum predicted levels. A comparative study was launched through a cooperative partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Central Platte Natural Resources District, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust to compare water use of a riparian woodland with that of a grazed riparian grassland along the central Platte River. This report describes the results of the 3-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey to measure the evapotranspiration (ET) rates in the two riparian vegetation communities. Evapotranspiration was measured during 2008–09 and 2011 using the eddy-covariance method at a riparian woodland near Odessa, hereinafter referred to as the “woodland site,” and a riparian grassland pasture near Elm Creek, hereinafter referred to as the “grassland site.” Overall, annual ET totals at the grassland site were 90 percent of the annual ET measured at the woodland site, with averages of 653 millimeters (mm) and 726 mm, respectively. Evapotranspiration rates were similar at the grassland site and the woodland site during the spring and fall seasons, but at the woodland site ET rates were higher than those of the grassland site during the peak-growth summer months of June through August. These seasonal differences and the slightly lower ET rates at the grassland site were likely the result of differing plant communities, disturbance effects related to grazing and flooding, and climatic differences between the sites. The annual water balance was calculated for each site and indicated that the predominant factors in the water balance at both sites were ET and precipitation. Annual precipitation for the study period ranged from near to above the normal precipitation of 640 mm. Substantial precipitation fell in May and October 2008 that caused flooding along the Platte River in May of this especially wet year. There was a deficit in precipitation compared to ET at both sites in 2009 and 2011, leading to a net groundwater use of greater than 140 mm per year at the woodland site and greater than 55 mm per year at the grassland site. This indicates that the net annual groundwater use or recharge depends predominately upon the relation between ET and precipitation in these riparian areas with shallow soil layers above the groundwater table. Prior research at the woodland site provided four additional annual water balances dating back to 2002 for comparison with the study period at the woodland site. Perhaps most striking in this comparison was the 25-percent increase in annual ET for 2008–09 and 2011 despite precipitation totals and potential ET rates that were within the range of those measured in 2002–05. As a result, the water balance indicates that groundwater was discharged 2 of the 3 years of the study. This likely was caused by higher groundwater levels and a healthier plant community in 2008–09 and 2011 relative to the drought-affected years of 2002–05. As a result of these changes, the crop coefficients developed for riparian woodlands during the prior research underestimated 2008–09 and 2011 annual ET rates by an average of 35 percent. Though new crop coefficients were developed by this study, the importance of soil-moisture stress and plant community successional dynamics need to be considered when applying these coefficients at other riparian sites or into the future. Nonetheless, their development and the data on which they are based may provide improved understanding of water consumption by riparian grasslands and riparian woodlands along the central Platte River.

Nebraska↗
USGS2015

A summary of the benthic-invertebrate and fish-community data from streams in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, Indiana, 1981-2012

Intermittently, during 1981–2012, the U.S. Geological Survey sampled sites in the White River and several tributaries in the Indianapolis metropolitan area of Indiana for benthic invertebrates and fish communities. During 1981–87, one study focused on benthic-invertebrate data collection at three sites along the White River. During 1994–96, 21 sites were sampled for benthic invertebrates; after 1999, up to 13 sites were sampled for benthic invertebrates and fish communities. The information collected during these studies was used in conjunction with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works and CWA Authority, Inc., programs to help improve overall health of the White River and its tributaries by reducing combined sewer overflows and other point and non-point sources of pollution in the Indianapolis area. Beginning in 1994, the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) Index and Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) were calculated. Beginning in 1999, the Invertebrate Community Index (ICI) also was calculated from the benthic-invertebrate data. Fish-community data were collected periodically from 1999 to 2012, from which an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) was calculated.

Indiana↗
USGS2016

Tropical storm Irene flood of August 2011 in northwestern Massachusetts

A Presidential disaster was declared in northwestern Massachusetts, following flooding from tropical storm Irene on August 28, 2011. During the storm, 3 to 10 inches of rain fell on soils that were susceptible to flash flooding because of wet antecedent conditions. The gage height at one U.S. Geological Survey streamgage rose nearly 20 feet in less than 4 hours because of the combination of saturated soils and intense rainfall. On August 28, 2011, in the Deerfield and Hoosic River Basins in northwestern Massachusetts, new peaks of record were set at six of eight U.S. Geological Survey long-term streamgages with 46 to 100 years of record. Additionally, high-water marks were surveyed and indirect measurements of peak discharge were calculated at two discontinued streamgages in the Deerfield and Hoosic River Basins with 24 and 61 years of record, respectively. This data resulted in new historic peaks of record at the two discontinued streamgages from tropical storm Irene. Peak flows that resulted from tropical storm Irene (August 28, 2011) were determined at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgages by using stage-discharge rating curves and indirect computation methods. For six streamgages, indirect computation methods were used to compute the peak flows. Peak flows from tropical storm Irene had annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) that ranged from 5.4 percent to less than 0.2 percent at 10 streamgages in northwestern Massachusetts. Discharges calculated for select AEPs as a part of this study were compared with discharges published for the same AEPs in the effective Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance studies (FISs) for communities in the study area. Discharges estimated for the 10-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent AEPs at two streamgages on the main stem of the Deerfield River ranged from about 3 percent lower to 14 percent higher than discharges in the FISs. AEP discharges calculated for two streamgages on tributaries to the Deerfield River were 27 to 89 percent higher than the FISs. For the four streamgages in the Hoosic River Basin, the 10-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent AEP discharges calculated ranged from about 33 percent lower to 5 percent higher than the FISs. The simulated 1-percent AEP discharge water-surface elevations (nonregulatory) from recent (2015–16) hydraulic models for river reaches in the study area, which include the Deerfield, Green, and North Rivers in the Deerfield River Basin and the Hoosic River in the Hoosic River Basin, were compared with water-surface profiles in the FISs. The water-surface elevation comparisons were generally done downstream and upstream from bridges, dams, and major tributaries. The simulated 1-percent AEP discharge water-surface elevations of the recent hydraulic studies averaged 2.2, 2.3, 0.3, and 0.7 ft higher than water-surface elevations in the FISs for the Deerfield, Green, North, and Hoosic Rivers, respectively. The differences in water-surface elevations between the recent (2015–16) hydraulic studies and the FISs likely are because of (1) improved land elevation data from light detection and ranging (lidar) data collected in 2012, (2) detailed surveying of hydraulic structures and cross sections throughout the river reaches in 2012–13 (reflecting structure and cross section changes during the last 30–35 years), (3) updated hydrology analyses (30–35 water years of additional peak flow data at streamgages), and (4) high-water marks from the 2011 tropical storm Irene flood being used for model calibration.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2020

Missouri StreamStats—St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis urban application

To address a major limitation of the functionality of the Missouri statewide StreamStats application in the urban areas of St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, Missouri, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, defined watershed boundaries and hydrography for the study area using high-resolution 3-meter digital elevation data derived from light detection and ranging sources, high-resolution 6-inch imagery, and storm sewer network geospatial data. The combined sanitary sewers, a part of the storm sewer network, were integrated into the open channel hydrography and elevation data using a new Arc Hydro stormwater tool developed to facilitate the incorporation of the combined sanitary sewer network into the StreamStats application. The combined sanitary sewer network was edited for connectivity and flow direction before integration into the Missouri-St. Louis StreamStats application. Inlet structures in the geospatial data were defined as HydroJunction features that allow for stormwater runoff to enter the combined sanitary sewer network. An Arc Hydro stormwater processing workflow and a sewershed delineation tool were developed to integrate the combined sanitary sewer network with the hydrographic dataset and digital elevation model in the study area. The StreamStats application developed for the study area provides various data exploration tools that can be used to examine the spatial data and to obtain general descriptive information and flow statistics at streamgages in the study area. Watersheds and sewersheds can be delineated and basin characteristics can be determined at any point on the open channel network or the combined sanitary sewer network in the study area. Peak-flow statistics can be computed at any point on the open channel network. A report summarizing the results is generated by the StreamStats application and can be downloaded and used in other software. The Missouri-St. Louis StreamStats application is limited to the area inside St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis and excludes locations on the main stem of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Meramec Rivers. The limitations of the Missouri-St. Louis StreamStats application include possible inaccuracies using regression equations for peak-flow statistics developed assuming natural flow conditions and topographically derived watersheds determined from a coarser resolution of data than is used in this application. Additionally, published regression equations for peak-flow statistics did not incorporate any pipe flow or sewershed delineations when they were developed, which limits the applicability of peak-flow statistics to basins based on primarily topographic delineation. Inaccuracies in resolution, completeness, location, or attribution of geospatial elevation data, hydrographic data, derived stream lines, derived watershed boundaries, and combined sanitary sewer data can limit the accuracy and functionality of the Missouri-St. Louis StreamStats application.

Missouri↗
USGS2022

Sediment monitoring and streamflow modeling before and after a stream restoration in Rice Creek, Minnesota, 2010–2019

The Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) cooperated with the U.S. Geological Survey to establish a 10-year suspended sediment and bedload monitoring and streamflow modeling study to evaluate the effects of two restored meander sections on middle Rice Creek in Arden Hills, Minnesota. The RCWD goals of this stream restoration were to reduce water quality impairments, improve aquatic habitat, and reduce associated costs of dredging a sedimentation pond. During the study there were several factors that introduced uncertainty in the sampling results; however, the sampling results indicated there was an increase in the post-stream restoration sediment data because of higher streamflows during the post-stream than the pre-stream restoration monitoring period. The negative relation between suspended fines and streamflow was explained by a reduction in the supply of fines with increasing streamflows. The positive relation among suspended sand, bedload, and streamflow was because of those constituents having a functional relation with the hydraulic properties of flow and a consistent supply of sand. Two-dimensional flow modeling simulations indicated the downstream restored section had less shear stress, more pools, and could access the floodplain at a lower streamflow than the original channel. Overall, the uncertainty of the sampling results indicates the complexity of sediment transport in a river and suggests a need for multisite, multifaceted, multiyear data, and tools to simulate those data to effectively evaluate river restorations.

Minnesota↗
USGS2019

Optimizing an inner-continental shelf geologic framework investigation through data repurposing and machine learning

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have collected approximately 5,400 km2 of geophysical and hydrographic data on the Atlantic continental shelf between Delaware and Virginia over the past decade and a half. Although originally acquired for different objectives, the comprehensive coverage and variety of data (bathymetry, backscatter, imagery and physical samples) presents an opportunity to merge collections and create high-resolution, broad-scale geologic maps of the seafloor. This compilation of data repurposes hydrographic data, expands the area of geologic investigation, highlights the versatility of mapping data, and creates new geologic products that would not have been independently possible. The data are classified using a variety of machine learning algorithms, including unsupervised and supervised methods. Four unique classes were targeted for classification, and source data include bathymetry, backscatter, slope, curvature, and shaded-relief. A random forest classifier used on all five source data layers was found to be the most accurate method for these data. Geomorphologic and sediment texture maps are derived from the classified acoustic data using over 200 groundtruth samples. The geologic data products can be used to identify sediment sources, inform resource management, link seafloor environments to sediment texture, improve our understanding of seafloor structure and sediment pathways, and demonstrate how ocean mapping resources can be useful beyond their original intent to maximize the footprint and scientific impact of a study.

Delaware, Maryland, Virginia↗
USGS2011

Informal trail monitoring protocols: Denali National Park and Preserve. Final Report, October 2011

Managers at Alaska?s Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) sponsored this research to assess and monitor visitor-created informal trails (ITs). DENA is located in south-central Alaska and managed as a six million acre wilderness park. This program of research was guided by the following objectives: (1) Investigate alternative methods for monitoring the spatial distribution, aggregate lineal extent, and tread conditions of informal (visitor-created) trails within the park. (2) In consultation with park staff, develop, pilot test, and refine cost-effective and scientifically defensible trail monitoring procedures that are fully integrated with the park?s Geographic Information System. (3) Prepare a technical report that compiles and presents research results and their management implications. This report presents the protocol development and field testing process, illustrates the types of data produced by their application, and provides guidance for their application and use. The protocols described provide managers with an efficient means to document and monitor IT conditions in settings ranging from pristine to intensively visited.

Report↗
USGS2022

Measuring and attributing sedimentary and geomorphic responses to modern climate change: Challenges and opportunities

Today, climate change is affecting virtually all terrestrial and nearshore settings. This commentary discusses the challenges of measuring climate-driven physical landscape responses to modern global warming: short and incomplete data records, land use and seismicity masking climatic effects, biases in data availability and resolution, and signal attenuation in sedimentary systems. We identify opportunities to learn from historical and paleo data, select especially sensitive study sites, and report null results to better characterize the extent and nuances of climate-change effects. We then discuss efforts to improve attribution practices, which will lead to better predictive capabilities. We encourage the earth-science community to prioritize scientific research on climate-driven physical landscape changes so that societies will be better prepared to manage the effects on health and safety, infrastructure, water–food–energy security, economics, and ecosystems that follow from climate-driven physical landscape change.

Earth's Future↗
USGS2008

Fluctuating Arctic Sea ice thickness changes estimated by an in situ learned and empirically forced neural network model

Sea ice thickness (SIT) is a key parameter of scientific interest because understanding the natural spatiotemporal variability of ice thickness is critical for improving global climate models. In this paper, changes in Arctic SIT during 1982-2003 are examined using a neural network (NN) algorithm trained with in situ submarine ice draft and surface drilling data. For each month of the study period, the NN individually estimated SIT of each ice-covered pixel (25-km resolution) based on seven geophysical parameters (four shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes, surface air temperature, ice drift velocity, and ice divergence/convergence) that were cumulatively summed at each monthly position along the pixel's previous 3-yr drift track (or less if the ice was <3 yr old). Average January SIT increased during 1982-88 in most regions of the Arctic (+7.6 ?? 0.9 cm yr-1), decreased through 1996 Arctic-wide (-6.1 ?? 1.2 cm yr-1), then modestly increased through 2003 mostly in the central Arctic (+2.1 ?? 0.6 cm yr-1). Net ice volume change in the Arctic Ocean from 1982 to 2003 was negligible, indicating that cumulative ice growth had largely replaced the estimated 45 000 km3 of ice lost by cumulative export. Above 65??N, total annual ice volume and interannual volume changes were correlated with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) at decadal and annual time scales, respectively. Late-summer ice thickness and total volume varied proportionally until the mid-1990s, but volume did not increase commensurate with the thickening during 1996-2002. The authors speculate that decoupling of the ice thickness-volume relationship resulted from two opposing mechanisms with different latitudinal expressions: a recent quasi-decadal shift in atmospheric circulation patterns associated with the AO's neutral state facilitated ice thickening at high latitudes while anomalously warm thermal forcing thinned and melted the ice cap at its periphery. ?? 2008 American Meteorological Society.

Journal of Climate↗
USGS2003

Measuring and mapping the topography of the Florida Everglades for ecosystem restoration

One of the major issues facing ecosystem restoration and management of the Greater Everglades is the availability and distribution of clean, fresh water. The South Florida ecosystem encompasses an area of approximately 28,000 square kilometers and supports a human population that exceeds 5 million and is continuing to grow. The natural systems of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades watershed compete for water resources primarily with the region's human population and urbanization, and with the agricultural and tourism industries. Surface water flow modeling and ecological modeling studies are important means of providing scientific information needed for ecosystem restoration planning and modeling. Hydrologic and ecological models provide much-needed predictive capabilities for evaluating management options for parks, refuges, and land acquisition and for understanding the impacts of land management practices in surrounding areas. These models require various input data, including elevation data that very accurately define the topography of the Florida Everglades.

Florida↗
USGS1996

Relation between selected water-quality variables and lake level in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon

Upper Klamath Lake is a large (140 square-mile), shallow (mean depth about 8 ft) lake in south-central Oregon that the historical record indicates has been eutrophic since its discovery by non-Native Americans. In recent decades, however, the lake has had annual occurrences of near- monoculture blooms of the blue-green alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. In 1988 two sucker species endemic to the lake, the Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and the shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris), were listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and it has been proposed that the poor water quality conditions associated with extremely long and productive blooms are contributing to the decline of those species. It has also been proposed that the low lake levels made possible by the construction of a dam at the outlet from the lake in 1921 have contributed to worsening water quality through a variety of possible mechanisms (Jacob Kann, Klamath Tribes, written commun., 1995). One such mechanism would be an increase in internal phosphorus loading from resuspended sediments (Jacoby and others, 1982), resulting from an increase in bottom shear stresses at lower lake levels (Laenen and LeTourneau, 1996), leading in turn to more intense algal blooms. Another possible mechanism is an earlier triggering of algal blooms. When early spring lake levels are low, greater light intensity at the sediment surface might speed recruitment of algal cells from the sediments. Sediment recruitment has been shown to be an important contributor to water column biomass increases in A. flos aquae (Barbiero and Kann, 1994) and Gloeotrichia echinulata (Barbiero, 1993). An earlier bloom could result in poor water quality conditions occurring earlier in the year, when young-of-the-year fish may be more susceptible to those conditions. Lake level can also influence water quality directly. An increased frequency of sediment resuspension at lower lake levels could increase chemical and biological oxygen demand, resulting in decreased dissolved oxygen concentrations. Sediment oxygen demand also may be enhanced at lower lake levels because it is concentrated over a smaller volume of water. Some compensation for increased oxygen demand at lower lake levels might be provided by increased reaeration, if the water column mixes from top to bottom more frequently. Based on the analysis of data that they have been collecting for several years, the Klamath Tribes recently recommended that the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) modify the operating plan for the dam to make the minimum lake levels for the June-August period more closely resemble pre-dam conditions (Jacob Kann, written commun., 1995). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was asked to analyze the available data for the lake and to assess whether the evidence exists to conclude that year-to-year differences in certain lake water-quality variables are related to year-to-year differences in lake level. The results of the analysis will be used as scientific input in the process of developing an operating plan for the Link River Dam.

Oregon↗
USGS2000

Ecotoxicology of Amphibians and Reptiles

For many years, ecological research on amphibians and reptiles has lagged behind that of other vertebrates such as fishes, birds, and mammals, despite the known importance of these animals in their environments. The lack of study has been particularly acute in the he area of ecotoxicology where the number of published scientific papers is a fraction of that found for the other vertebrate classes. Recently, scientists have become aware of severe crises among amphibian populations, including unexplained and sudden extinctions, worldwide declines, and hideous malformations. In many of these instances, contaminants have been listed as probable contributors. Data on the effects of contaminants on reptiles are so depauperate that even the most elementary interpretations are difficult. This state-of-the-science review and synthesis of amphibian and reptile ecotoxicology demonstrates the inter-relationships among distribution, ecology, physiology, and contaminant exposure, and interprets these topics as they pertain to comparative toxicity, population declines, malformations, and risk assessment . In this way, the book identifies and serves as a basis for the most pressing research needs in the coming years. The editors have invited 27 other internationally respected experts to examine the state of existing data in specific areas, interpret it in light of current problems, and identify research gaps and needs. Through its emphasis on recent research, extensive reviews and synthesis, Ecotoxicology of Amphibians and Reptiles will remain a definitive reference work well into the new century.

SETAC Technical Publications Series.↗
USGS2006

Organic Compounds and Trace Elements in Fish Tissue and Bed Sediment in the Delaware River Basin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware, 1998-2000

As part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program activities in the Delaware River Basin (DELR), samples of fish tissue from 21 sites and samples of bed sediment from 35 sites were analyzed for a suite of organic compounds and trace elements. The sampling sites, within subbasins ranging in size from 11 to 600 square miles, were selected to represent 5 main land-use categories in the DELR -forest, low-agricultural, agricultural, urban, and mixed use. Samples of both fish tissue and bed sediment were also collected from 4 'large-river' sites that represented drainage areas ranging from 1,300 to 6,800 square miles, areas in which the land is used for a variety of purposes. One or more of the organochlorine compounds-DDT and chlordane metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (total PCBs), and dieldrin- were detected frequently in samples collected over a wide geographic area. One or more of these compounds were detected in fish-tissue samples from 92 percent of the sites and in bed-sediment samples from 82 percent of the sites. Concentrations of total DDT, total chlordanes, total PCBs, and dieldrin in whole white suckers and in bed sediment were significantly related to urban/industrial basin characteristics, such as percentage of urban land use and population density. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)-total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), total phthalates, and phenols- were detected frequently in bed-sediment samples. All three types of SVOCs were detected in samples from at least one site in each land-use category. The highest detection rates and concentrations typically were in samples from sites in the urban and mixed land-use categories, as well as from the large-river sites. Concentrations of total PAHs and total phthalates in bed-sediment samples were found to be statistically related to percentages of urban land use and to population density in the drainage areas represented by the sampling sites. The samples of fish tissue and bed sediment collected throughout the DELR were analyzed for a large suite of trace elements, but results of the analyses for eight elements-arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, mercury, and zinc- that are considered contaminants of concern are described in this report. One or more of the eight trace elements were detected in samples from every fish tissue and bed-sediment sampling site, and all of the trace elements were detected in samples from 97 percent of the bed-sediment sites. The concentrations of organic compounds and trace elements in the DELR samples were compared to applicable guidelines for the protection of wildlife and other biological organisms. Concentrations of total DDT, total chlordanes, total PCBs, and dieldrin in fish-tissue samples from 14 sites exceeded one or more of the Wildlife Protective Guidelines established by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Concentrations of one or more organic compounds in samples from 16 bed-sediment sites exceeded the Threshold Effects Concentrations (TEC) of the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines, and concentrations of one or more of the eight trace elements in samples from 38 bed-sediment sites exceeded the TEC. (The TEC is the concentration below which adverse biological effects in freshwater ecosystems are expected to be rare.) Concentrations of organic compounds in samples from some bed-sediment sites exceeded the Canadian Probable Effects Concentrations (PEC), and concentrations of trace elements in samples from 18 sites exceeded the PEC. (The PEC is the concentration above which adverse effects to biological organisms are expected to occur frequently). Concentrations of organic compounds and trace elements in samples from the DELR were compared to similar data from other NAWQA study units in the northeastern United States and also data from the Mobile River (Alabama) Basin and the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basin study units. Median concentrations of to

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2007

Summary of selected U.S. Geological survey data on domestic well water quality for the Centers for Disease Control's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program

About 10 to 30 percent of the population in most States uses domestic (private) water supply. In many States, the total number of people served by domestic supplies can be in the millions. The water quality of domestic supplies is inconsistently regulated and generally not well characterized. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has two water-quality data sets in the National Water Information System (NWIS) database that can be used to help define the water quality of domestic-water supplies: (1) data from the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, and (2) USGS State data. Data from domestic wells from the NAWQA Program were collected to meet one of the Program's objectives, which was to define the water quality of major aquifers in the United States. These domestic wells were located primarily in rural areas. Water-quality conditions in these major aquifers as defined by the NAWQA data can be compared because of the consistency of the NAWQA sampling design, sampling protocols, and water-quality analyses. The NWIS database is a repository of USGS water data collected for a variety of projects; consequently, project objectives and analytical methods vary. This variability can bias statistical summaries of contaminant occurrence and concentrations; nevertheless, these data can be used to define the geographic distribution of contaminants. Maps created using NAWQA and USGS State data in NWIS can show geographic areas where contaminant concentrations may be of potential human-health concern by showing concentrations relative to human-health water-quality benchmarks. On the basis of national summaries of detection frequencies and concentrations relative to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) human-health benchmarks for trace elements, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds, 28 water-quality constituents were identified as contaminants of potential human-health concern. From this list, 11 contaminants were selected for summarization of water-quality data in 16 States (grantee States) that were funded by the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only data from domestic-water supplies were used in this summary because samples from these wells are most relevant to human exposure for the targeted population. Using NAWQA data, the concentrations of the 11 contaminants were compared to USEPA human-health benchmarks. Using NAWQA and USGS State data in NWIS, the geographic distribution of the contaminants were mapped for the 16 grantee States. Radon, arsenic, manganese, nitrate, strontium, and uranium had the largest percentages of samples with concentrations greater than their human-health benchmarks. In contrast, organic compounds (pesticides and volatile organic compounds) had the lowest percentages of samples with concentrations greater than human-health benchmarks. Results of data retrievals and spatial analysis were compiled for each of the 16 States and are presented in State summaries for each State. Example summary tables, graphs, and maps based on USGS data for New Jersey are presented to illustrate how USGS water-quality and associated ancillary geospatial data can be used by the CDC to address goals and objectives of the EPHT Program.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2009

Fish Communities and Habitat of Geomorphically Stable Reference Reaches in Streams of the Catskill Mountain Region, New York

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, began a 5-year study to develop a database that documents the physical and biological characteristics of nine stable reference reaches from seven streams in the New York City West of Hudson Water Supply Watershed in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. Primary objectives of this study were to (1) develop a reference-reach database of morphology, aquatic biology, and fluvial processes, and (2) summarize the relations between fish communities, aquatic habitat, and stable stream morphology in streams in the Catskill Mountain region. Secondary objectives included documenting year-to-year variability in fish populations and stream habitat in geomorphically stable streams and demonstrating how reliably Habitat Suitability Index models can be used to characterize habitat conditions and predict the presence and abundance of populations of trout species. Fish and habitat databases were developed, and several important relations were identified. Fish-community indices differed considerably among sites where trout were present and where they were either absent or present in very low numbers; these differences were reflected in higher Habitat Suitability Index scores at trout-dominated sites. Several fish- community and habitat variables were found to be strongly associated with indices of stability and, therefore, determined to be useful tools for evaluating stream condition. Lastly, preliminary results suggest Rosgen stream type data can help refine fish and habitat relations and assist in our ability to predict habitat potential and fish-community composition.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2010

Flood of April and May 2008 in Northern Maine

Severe flooding occurred in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties in northern Maine between April 28 and May 1, 2008, and was most extreme in the town of Fort Kent. Peak streamflows in northern Aroostook County were the result of a persistent heavy snowpack that caused high streamflows when it quickly melted during the third week of April 2008. Snowmelt was followed by from two to four inches of rainfall over a 2-day period in northern Maine. Peak water-surface elevations resulting from the flood were obtained from 13 continuous-record streamgages and 63 surveyed high-water marks in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties. Peak streamflows were obtained from 20 sites on 15 streams through stage/discharge rating curves or hydraulic flow models. Peak water-surface elevations and streamflows were the highest ever recorded at seven continuous-record streamgages, which had between 25 and 84 years of record in northern Aroostook County. The annual exceedance probability (the percent chance of exceeding the streamflow recorded during the April/May 2008 flood during any given year) at six streamgages in northern Maine was equal to or less than 1 percent. Data from flood-insurance studies published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency were available for five of the locations analyzed for the April/May 2008 flood and were compared to streamflows and observed peak water-surface elevations from the 2008 flood. Water-surface elevations that would be expected given the observed flow as applied to the effective flood insurance studies ranged from between 1 and 4 feet from the water-surface elevations observed during the 2008 flood. Differences were likely the result of up to 30 years of additional data for the calculation of recurrence intervals and the fact that hydraulic models used for the models had not previously been calibrated to a flood of this magnitude.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2010

Conceptual ecological models to guide integrated landscape monitoring of the Great Basin

The Great Basin Integrated Landscape Monitoring Pilot Project was developed in response to the need for a monitoring and predictive capability that addresses changes in broad landscapes and waterscapes. Human communities and needs are nested within landscapes formed by interactions among the hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Understanding the complex processes that shape landscapes and deriving ways to manage them sustainably while meeting human needs require sophisticated modeling and monitoring. This document summarizes current understanding of ecosystem structure and function for many of the ecosystems within the Great Basin using conceptual models. The conceptual ecosystem models identify key ecological components and processes, identify external drivers, develop a hierarchical set of models that address both site and landscape attributes, inform regional monitoring strategy, and identify critical gaps in our knowledge of ecosystem function. The report also illustrates an approach for temporal and spatial scaling from site-specific models to landscape models and for understanding cumulative effects. Eventually, conceptual models can provide a structure for designing monitoring programs, interpreting monitoring and other data, and assessing the accuracy of our understanding of ecosystem functions and processes.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

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