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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
USGS2001

Burrowing mayflies ( Hexagenia ) as indicators of ecosystem health

Three State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences have been held since 1996 to encourage the development of Great Lakes indicators of ecosystem health for use in reporting on progress in restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Here we report on the development of an indicator based on burrowing mayflies , Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae), using production and biomass as the indicator metrics. Burrowing mayflies were selected because they (1) were historically abundant in unpolluted, soft-bottomed mesotrophic habitats throughout the Great Lakes, (2) are intolerant of and were extirpated by pollution in most of those habitats during the 1940s to1950s, (3) have shown the ability to recover in one of those habitats following pollution abatement, (4) are ecologically important as bioturbators of lakebed sediments and as trophic integrators that link detrital energy resources directly to fishes that feed preferentially on them, and (5) have highly visible mating flights, which carry the message directly to an informed public that the source water body is healthy. In addition, their annual production can be estimated from their mean annual biomass by the sizefrequency method. Productivity and biomass can also could be estimated with a 'cohort-direct' method, using the biomass of mature nymphs collected in May or early June from the cohort that is about to emerge as subimagos in late June or early July. Although both the size-frequency and cohort-direct methods provide reliable estimates of productivity and biomass, the latter method greatly reduces sample collection and processing effort and thus makes it feasible to use Hexagenia as an indicator of ecosystem health in surveys requiring the collection of large numbers of samples.

Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management↗
USGS1972

Water resources of Clay, Greene, Craighead, and Poinsett Counties, Arkansas

Water is available in Clay, Greene, Craighead, and Poinsett Counties from ground-water and surface-water sources. However, ground water is more accessible in many places than surface water. Ground water is available from the alluvium, which covers all the area except Crowleys Ridge, and is also available from other formations below the alluvium. Surface water is available from the Black and Cache Rivers west of Crowleys Ridge, and from the St/ Francis and Little Rivers, and from many ditches and laterals east of the ridge. Continuous water supplies are not available from streams on Crowleys Ridge, but additional surface-water supplies could be made available from reservoirs storage on the ridge. Average annual streamflow ranges from 1.2 cfs per sq mi (Cubic feet per second per square mile) in the western part of the four counties to 1.4 cfs per sq mi in the eastern part. Average annual precipitation is about 48 inches. Use of water in the area for agriculture greatly exceeds all other used combined, and progressively greater amounts of water are being used for irrigation. In 1965, 111.4 mgd (million gallons per day) was used for irrigation of other crops. An additional 16.9 mgd was used by industry, municipalities, and others. Of these amounts, 180.1 mgd was ground water and 19.7 mgd was surface water, or a total of 199.8 mgd. More than 80 manufacturing firms, many of which are closely allied to agriculture, use moderate amounts of water, mostly from municipal supplies.

Arkansas↗
USGS1987

Some aspects of U.S. Geological Survey activities related to the effects of contaminants on water resources

The U.S. Geological Survey 's water resources programs are supported by direct annual appropriations from Congress, the Federal-State Cooperative Program (50:50 matching of funds), and by funds provided by other Federal agencies. For fiscal year 1987, total obligations exceeded $250 million for activities in every State, Puerto Rico, and several territories in cooperation with nearly 1,000 local, State, regional, and other Federal agencies. The quality of the ground and surface waters has been of concern to the Geological Survey from the time it was established. During the past few years, water resources contamination has received highest priority consideration and a variety of investigations and research are ongoing to obtain an improved understanding of the Nation 's water quality and the factors affecting it. This report presents information on program priorities and discusses the coordinated activities focusing on the effects of contaminants on water resources. The report also describes a number of investigations and research activities in progress during fiscal years of 1986 and 1987, and provides guidance on how to obtain additional details. (Author 's abstract)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2007

Wind River Watershed Restoration: Annual report April 2006 to March 2007

This report summarizes work completed by U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) in the Wind River subbasin during the period April 2006 through March 2007 under Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contract 26922. During this period, we collected temperature, flow, and habitat data to characterize physical habitat condition and variation within and among tributaries and mainstem sections in the Wind River subbasin. We also conducted electrofishing and snorkeling surveys to determine juvenile salmonid populations within select study areas throughout the subbasin. Portions of this work were completed with additional funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG). Funding from USFWS was for work to contribute to a study of potential interactions between introduced Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and wild steelhead O. mykiss. Funding from LCFEG was for work to evaluate the effects of nutrient enrichment in small streams. A statement of work (SOW) was submitted to BPA in March 2006 that outlined work to be performed by USGS-CRRL. The SOW was organized by work elements, with each describing a research task. This report summarizes the progress completed under each work element.

Washington↗
USGS1987

Water quality of Fremont Lake and New Fork Lakes, western Wyoming: A progress report

Fremont Lake and New Fork Lakes in the New Fork River drainage of western Wyoming were selected for a comprehensive study of hydrologic processes affecting mountain lakes in the Rocky Mountains. Information is needed about lakes in this area to assess their response to existing and planned development. The concerns include regional issues such as acid precipitation from gas-sweetening plants, coal-fired powerplants, and smelters, as well as local issues, such as shoreline development and raising outlet control structures. Onsite measurements indicated strong thermal stratification in the lakes during the summer. Isothermal conditions occurred during December 1983 and May 1984. Mean phytoplankton concentrations were less than 5,000 cells/ml, and chlorophyll a concentrations were weakly correlated with phytoplankton concentrations. Zooplankton concentrations were small, less than 6 organisms/L. The numbers of benthic invertebrates/unit area in Fremont Lake were extremely small. The lake waters and inflow and outflow streams were chemically dilute solutions. Mean dissolved-solids concentrations were 13 mg/L in Fremont Lake and 24 mg/L in New Fork Lakes. Calcium and bicarbonate were the predominant ions. Concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen usually were less than detection limits. Trace-metals concentrations in the lakes were similar to those in precipitation and generally were small. Dissolved organic-carbon concentrations were about 1 mg/L. Concentrations of fulvic and humic acids were relatively large in the inlet of Fremont Lake during the spring. Pine Creek has deposited 800 metric tons of sediment, on an annual average, to the delta of Fremont Lake. Most sediment is deposited during spring runoff.

Wyoming↗
USGS2004

Results of a Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic and Sediment-Transport Model to Predict the Effects of the Phased Construction and Operation of the Olmsted Locks and Dam on the Ohio River near Olmsted, Illinois

The Olmsted two-dimensional hydrodynamic and sediment-transport model was developed in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District. The model was used to estimate the effects that the phased-construction sequence and operation of the Olmsted Locks and Dam had on sediment-transport patterns in the 11.9-mile study reach (Ohio River miles 962.6 to 974.5), particularly over an area of endangered orange-footed pearly mussel (Plethobasus cooperianus) beds beginning approximately 2 miles downstream of the dam construction. A Resource Management Associates?2 (RMA-2) two-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the reach was calibrated to a middle-flow hydraulic survey (350,000 cubic feet per second) and verified with data collected during low- and high-flow hydraulic surveys (72,500 and 770,000 cubic feet per second, respectively). The calibration and validation process included matching water-surface elevations at the construction site and velocity profiles at 15 cross sections throughout the study reach. The sediment-transport aspect of the project was simulated with the Waterways Experiment Station's Sed2D model for a 6-year planned-construction period (construction-phase modeling) and a subsequent 3-year operational period (operational-phase modeling). The sediment-transport results from the construction and operational models both were compared to results of concurrent baseline simulations to determine the changes in erosional and depositional patterns induced by the dam construction and operation throughout the study reach and more importantly over the area of the endangered mussel beds. Simulation of the phased-in-the-wet Olmsted Locks and Dam construction and subsequent operation period resulted in a maximum additional deposition of approximately 2 feet over a localized region of the mussel beds when compared to the bed change simulated with baseline conditions (river conditions that included only the completed locks section). Most areas on the mussel beds experienced less than 0.5 feet of cumulative bed change between the baseline and construction phases during the nine annual hydrographs. The bed change over the 9 year Olmsted Locks and Dam simulation reveals a continuous downstream progression and deepening of the main channel and deposition along the right bank with limited lateral migration toward the more densely populated mussel-bed areas. The sensitivity of the mussels to sediment deposition is difficult to quantify; therefore, the effect of simulated deposition on the welfare of the mussels is uncertain. The model also will provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a tool to predict the locations of high deposition in navigable sections, which can save engineers time and resources when monitoring the need for dredging operations.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2002

Nesting ecology of tundra swans on the coastal Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Nesting ecology of Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus columbianus) was studies the Kashunuk River near Old Chevak (61A?26a??N, 165A?27a??W), on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta of western Alaska from 1988-2000. Annual variation in snow-melt chronology, nesting phenology, nesting density, clutch size and nest success was examined. The same area (approximately 23 kmA?) was searched each year and nests were found as early as possible in the laying period. Laying initiation dates ranged from 1-27 May and hatch dates from 12 June a?? 4 July among pairs and years of study. The peak arrival of Tundra Swans and the phenology of nest initiation and hatch were highly correlated with the progression of ice and snow melt in spring. Nest density averaged 0.71 kmA? and 89% of nesting pairs hatched at least one egg. Incubation period ranged from 26 to 33 days with a median of 30 days. Clutch size varied significantly among years, driven by a low mean value of 3.4 eggs in 1999. Clutch sizes were generally larger than found in previous investigations on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and nearly one egg larger than reported for clutches from Alaskaa??s North Slope (=70A?N). There was no indication of reduced clutch size in years of late spring snow melt, although nesting density tended to be lower.

Waterbirds↗
USGS1986

Temperature of ground water at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1979- 1981

Anthropogenic heat production has undoubtedly caused increased ground-water temperatures in many parts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as shown by temperatures of 98 samples and logs of 40 wells measured during 1979-81. Most sample temperatures were higher than 12.6 degrees Celsius (the local mean annual air temperature), and many logs depict cooling trends with depth (anomalous gradients). Heating of surface and shallow-subsurface materials has likely caused the elevated temperatures and anomalous gradients. Solar radiation on widespread concrete and asphalt surfaces, fossil-fuel combustion, and radiant losses from buried pipelines containing steam and process chemicals are believed to be the chief sources of heat. Some heat from these and other sources is transferred to deeper zones, mainly by conduction. Temperatures in densely urbanized areas are commonly highest directly beneath the land surface and decrease progressively with depth. Temperatures in sparsely urbanized areas generally follow the natural geothermal gradient and increase downward at about that same rate.

Pennslyvania↗
USGS2011

Wind River watershed restoration, annual report November 2009 to October 2010.

This report summarizes work completed by U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) in the Wind River subbasin during the period November 2009 through October 2010 under Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contract 46102. Long term research in the Wind River has focused on assessments of steelhead/rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss populations, interactions with introduced populations of spring Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, and influences of habitat variables and habitat restoration on fish productivity. During the period covered by this report, we collected water temperature data to characterize variation within and among tributaries and mainstem sections in the Trout Creek watershed, and assisted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) with smolt trapping and tagging of smolt and parr steelhead with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. We also continued to maintain and test efficacy of a passive integrated transponder tag interrogation system (PTIS) in Trout Creek for assessing the adult steelhead runsize. A statement of work (SOW) was submitted to BPA in October 2009 that outlined work to be performed by USGS-CRRL. The SOW was organized by work elements, with each describing a research task. This report summarizes the progress completed under each work element.

Report↗
USGS1962

An interim report on Sacramento River Chinook disease: A virus-like disease of Chinook salmon

An annually recurring disease among chinook salmмом ( Oncorhynchus tahawytscha ) FINGERLINGs at the National Fish Hatchery at Coleman, California, was reported by Ross, Pelnar, and Rucker (1960). They presented results of experimental investigation of the disease which established that the etiologic agent was filterable, highly virulent, and resistant to antibiotics and some of the more common chemicals, and that it was apparently not transmitted in salmon product-used as food, as was shown for a virus disease of sockeye salmon ( O. merka ) by Guenther, watson, and Rucker (T559). Also, Ross and his co-workers (1960) indicated a relation between temperature and incidence of the disease, and speculated on the possibility of the agent's being a virus.

Progressive Fish-Culturist↗
USGS1972

Physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the Duwamish River Estuary, King County, Washington, 1963-67

This report describes the significant results to 1967 of a comprehensive study that began in 1963 to evaluate what changes take place in an estuary as the loads .of raw and partially treated industrial and municipal wastes are replaced by effluent from a secondary treatment plant. The study area is the Duwamish River estuary, about 18.3 river kilometers long. At mean sea level the estuary has a water-surface area of about 1 square mile and a mean width of 440 feet. At the lowest and highest recorded tides, the volume of the estuary is about 205 and 592 million cubic feet, respectively. The estuary is well stratified (salt-wedge type) at fresh-water inflows greater than 1,000 cfs (cubic feet per second), but when inflow rates are less than 1,000 cfs the lower 5.6 kilometers of the estuary grades into the partly mixed type. The crosschannel salinity distribution is uniform for a given location and depth. Salinity migration is controlled by tides and fresh-water inflow. At fresh-water inflow rates greater than 1,000 cfs, water in the upper 8.4 kilometers of the estuary is always fresh regardless of tide. At inflow rates less than 600 cfs and tide heights greater than 10 feet; some salinity has been detected 16.1 kilometers above the mouth of the estuary. Studies using a fluorescent dye show that virtually no downward mixing into the salt wedge occurs; soluble pollutants introduced at the upper end of the estuary stay in the surface layer (5-15 ft thick). On the basis of dye studies when fresh-water inflow is less than 400 cfs, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of a pollutant will remain in the estuary a minimum of 7 days. Longitudinal dispersion coefficients for the surface layer have been determined to be on the order of 100-400 square feet per second. Four water-quality stations automatically monitor DO (dissolved oxygen), water temperature, pH, and specific conductance; at one station solar radiation also is measured. DO concentration in the surface layer decreases almost linearly in a downstream direction. Minimum DO concentration in the surface layer is usually greater than 4 rag/1 (milligrams per liter). The smallest DO values are consistently recorded in the bottom layer at the station 7.7 kilometers above the mouth; monthly means of less than 3 mg/1 of DO have occurred at this point. Manual sampling shows that the DO sag in the bottom layer oscillates between 7.7 and 10.4 kilometers above the mouth of the estuary. Multiple-regression analysis shows that the surface DO content can be estimated from the fresh-water inflow and water temperature. Tidal exchange and fresh-water inflow indirectly control the bottom DO content. Information available from previous studies failed to indicate a progressive decrease in DO content during the period 1949-56, but data from the present study suggest a slight general decrease in the annual minimum DO concentrations in both the upper and lower layers. Average nitrate concentration in fresh water at station 16.2 has increased progressively since 1964, by amounts greater than those which can be attributed to the Renton Treatment Plant, 4.3 kilometers upstream from station 16.2. The BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) in both surface and bottom layers is generally less than 4 rag/1 of oxygen, but values greater than 6 rag/1 have been measured during a period of phytoplankton bloom. Phytoplankton blooms can occur during periods of minimum tidal exchange and fresh-water inflows of less than 300 cfs if solar radiation and water temperature are optimum. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds) do not control the occurrence of a bloom, because sufficient quantities of these nutrients are always present. Nutrients in the treated effluent may increase the biomass of the bloom. Trace-element studies have not defined any role that these elements may play in algal growth. The inflowing fresh water contains principally calcium and bicarbonate and has a dissolved-solids content ra

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2018

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Cedar River Basin, Iowa and Minnesota, 2000–15

Nitrate concentrations in the Cedar River in Iowa and Minnesota have increased from an average of less than 1.0 milligram per liter in the early 1900s to more than 5.0 milligrams per liter in the 2000s and have resulted in periodic water-quality impairment of the river. Spatial differences and temporal changes in nitrogen and phosphorus transport in the Cedar River Basin are described for the period from 2000 to 2015. Data used to estimate nitrogen and phosphorus transport were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of six base-flow synoptic studies and by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as part of their long-term stream and river monitoring programs. The Cedar River transported an annual average of 53,100 tons of total nitrogen and 2,510 tons of total phosphorus during 2000–15. Three subbasins yielded an annual average of more than 30 pounds per acre (lb/acre) of nitrogen to the Cedar River, whereas two subbasins yielded an annual average of less than 20 lb/acre of nitrogen. The average annual total phosphorus yield from the Little Cedar River subbasin (0.35 lb/acre) was only about 16 percent of the yield from the greatest total phosphorus yielding Lower Cedar River subbasin (more than 1.0 lb/acre). The annual total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads did not change significantly during the study. The relation between annual stream runoff and annual total nitrogen and total phosphorus yields was not spatially uniform across the Cedar River Basin. The Beaver Creek, Black Hawk Creek, and Wolf Creek subbasins yielded the most, and the Main Stem Middle Cedar River, the Lower Cedar River, and the Little Cedar River subbasins yielded the least amount of nitrogen for a given amount of runoff. The Lower Cedar River and Wolf Creek subbasins yielded the most and the West Fork Cedar River and the Little Cedar River subbasins yielded the least phosphorus for a given amount of runoff. The results of this study describe nutrient transport during 2000–15 that can be used to evaluate future progress of nutrient reduction strategies in the Cedar River Basin.

Iowa, Minnesota↗
USGS1905

Twenty-Sixth Annual Report of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 1904-1905

Introduction Remarks on the work of the year Branches of work The United States Geological Survey was created in 1879 for the purpose—as its name implies—of examining and reporting on the geologic structure and mineral resources and products of the national domain. To the adequate description of geologic formations and structure cartography is essential, and Congress early recognized this fact by making appropriations for the preparation of a geologic map of the United States. The topographic base map, in order to show with sufficient precision the relations of the geologic formations and the intricacies of the structure, must have a rather large scale and present considerable detail. No such map of this country existed in 1879, and its preparation was immediately begun. The waters of the country are of vast importance, and in a broad sense may be regarded as one of its greatest mineral resources. Hence, in the evolution of the work of the Survey, and especially in view of the great importance of the subject to the irrigation interests, Congress early began making appropriations for ascertaining the amount and quality of the surface and underground waters and when, in 1902, the service for the reclamation of arid lands was organized, that work naturally was placed in the hands of the Secretary of the Interior and by him intrusted to the Director of the Survey. The three great branches of work carried on by the Geological Survey are, therefore, the geologic, the topographic, and the hydrographic, and with these, more especially the latter, is conjoined the Reclamation Service ; publication and administration constitute necessary auxiliary branches. Along these great lines the work of the Survey has progressed without essential variation for many years. The changes made have been due to normal expansion rather than to radical departure in object or plan. State cooperation During the last fiscal year, State cooperation, as explained in previous reports, continued. Arrangements for cooperation in geologic work were made with five States, the total amount contributed by them being about \$8,000, and arrangements for cooperative topographic surveys were made with eleven States, the amount available for such surveys being thus increased by more than \$100,000. Reclamation service The work of the Reclamation Service during the last fiscal year was advanced as rapidly as was thought consistent with thoroughness and accuracy. Actual construction is now in progress on eight projects, as follows : Salt River, Arizona; Truckee-Carson, Nevada; Hondo, New Mexico ; Uncompahgre Valley, Colorado; Minidoka, Idaho; Belle Fourche, South Dakota ; North Platte, Wyoming and Nebraska ; and Shoshone, Wyoming. Proposals were received for work on the Laguna dam, Yuma project, California and Arizona; Huntley project, Montana, and the Fort Buford project, North Dakota and Montana. In several other States operations are at a point where advertisements for bids only await the removal of certain legal obstacles, the settlement of international difficulties, or the termination of delays on the part of local organizations or individuals. The organization of the body of men constituting the personnel of the Reclamation Service, whose field of operations covers so large a territory, though necessarily difficult, has been satisfactorily accomplished, and precedents have been established along approved lines. The general allotment of funds has been made with a view to the greatest benefit to the greatest number, and from the broad standpoint of the welfare of the country as a whole. One of the important features in the evolution of the irrigation work is the development of power, which the numerous dams and, drops in canals make possible. Plans were made to transmit the power being developed in many sections of the arid regions, by means of electricity, to points more or less distant, there to be used for raising underground waters, pumping waters lying above the line of gravity canals, or for various other purposes, and attention was also given to the character of the soils and of the water to be used upon them, the materials used in the construction of the works, and numerous other details incident to reclamation by irrigation. Coal-testing plant Under two special appropriations of \$30,000 each, carried by the urgent deficiency bill approved February 18, 1904, and the general deficiency bill approved April 27, 1904, the Director of the Geological Survey was authorized to construct and operate at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition a plant for testing the coals and lignites of the United States, in order to determine their fuel values and the most economic method of their utilization for different purposes, it being provided that all testing machinery and all coals and lignites to be tested 'should be contributed free of charge to the Government. For carrying out the provisions of these acts the Director appointed a committee, consisting of Edward W. Parker, Joseph A. Holmes, and Marius R. Campbell, to direct the construction and operation of the plant. This committee received the heartiest cooperation from the manufacturers of such equipment as was needed for the installation of the plant, from the railroad companies in freight concessions and transportation for the experts and their assistants, and from the coal operators in the furnishing of coal in carload lots for testing purposes. Although the utmost expedition was used in the construction of the plant, it was not until the first of September that the testing work actually began. Between the first of September and the close of the exposition 65 carload samples of coal for testing purposes were received, and the results of the investigation were published in a preliminary report issued as Geological Survey Bulletin No. 261. The coals tested were received from 17 States and Territories, and much valuable information regarding the best uses to which the different coals may be put was obtained. One of the most important facts developed during this investigation is the possibility of utilizing the vast lignite resources of the West in the manufacture of producer gas, it having been shown that a higher grade of this gas can be obtained from lignite than from ordinary bituminous and anthracite coal. The investigation also showed that the slack or fine coal produced at the dry, noncoking bituminous coal mines of the middle West, large quantities of which are now being wasted, can be profitably utilized by briquetting.

Annual Report↗
USGS2012

Synchronous cycling of Ichthyophoniasis with Chinook salmon density revealed during the annual Yukon River spawning migration

Populations of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Yukon River declined by more than 57% between 2003 and 2010, probably the result of a combination of anthropogenic and environmental factors. One possible contributor to this decline is Ichthyophonus , a mesomycetozoan parasite that has previously been implicated in significant losses of fish, including Chinook salmon. A multiyear epidemiological study of ichthyophoniasis in the Yukon River revealed that disease prevalence and Chinook salmon population abundance increased and decreased simultaneously (i.e., were concordant) from 1999 to 2010. The two values rose and fell synchronously 91% of the time for female Chinook salmon and 82% of the time for males; however, there was no significant correlation between Ichthyophonus prevalence and population abundance. This synchronicity might be explained by a single factor, such as a prey item that is critical to Chinook salmon survival as well as a source of Ichthyophonus infection. The host–parasite relationship between Ichthyophonus and migrating Chinook salmon from 2004 to 2010 was similar to that reported for the previous 5 years. During 2004–2010, overall disease prevalence was significantly higher among females (21%) than among males (8%), increased linearly with fish length for both males and females, and increased in both sexes as the fish progressed upriver. These regularly occurring features of host–parasite dynamics confirm a stable base of transmission for Ichthyophonus . However, from 2003 to 2010, disease prevalence decreased from 30% to just 8% in males and from 45% to 9% in females, paralleling a similar decline in Chinook salmon abundance during the same period. These findings may help clarify questions regarding the complex host–parasite dynamics that occur in marine species such as herrings Clupea spp., which have less well-defined population structures.

Alaska↗
USGS2000

Forecasting selenium discharges to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary: Ecological effects of a proposed San Luis drain extension

During the next few years, federal and state agencies may be required to evaluate proposals and discharge permits that could significantly change selenium (Se) inputs to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta), particularly in the North Bay (i.e., Suisun Bay and San Pablo Bay). These decisions may include discharge requirements for an extension of the San Luis Drain (SLD) to the estuary to convey subsurface agricultural drainage from the western San Joaquin Valley (SJV), a renewal of an agreement to allow the existing portion of the SLD to convey subsurface agricultural drainage to a tributary of the San Joaquin River (SJR) (coincident with changes in flow patterns of the lower SJR), and refinements to promulgated Se criteria for the protection of aquatic life for the estuary. Understanding the biotransfer of Se is essential to evaluating the fate and impact of proposed changes in Se discharges to the Bay-Delta. However, past monitoring programs have not addressed the specific protocols necessary for an element that bioaccumulates. Confusion about Se threats in the past have stemmed from failure to consider the full complexity of the processes that result in Se toxicity. Past studies show that predators are more at risk from Se contamination than their prey, making it difficult to use traditional methods to predict risk from environmental concentrations alone. In this report, we employ a novel procedure to model the fate of Se under different, potentially realistic load scenarios from the SJV. For each potential load, we progressively forecast the resulting environmental concentrations, speciation, transformation to particulate form, bioaccumulation by invertebrates, trophic transfer to predators, and effects in those predators. Enough is known to establish a first order understanding of effects should Se be discharged directly into the North Bay via a conveyance such as the SLD. Our approach uses 1) existing knowledge concerning the biogeochemical reactions of Se (e.g., speciation, partitioning between dissolved and particulate forms, and bivalve assimilation efficiency) and 2) site-specific data mainly from 1986 to 1996 on clams and bottom-feeding fish and birds. Forecasts of Se loading from oil refineries and agricultural drainage from the SJV enable the calculation of a composite freshwater endmember Se concentration at the head of the estuary and at Carquinez Strait as a foundation for modeling. Our analysis of effects also takes into account the mode of conveyance for agricultural drainage (i.e., the SLD or SJR). The effects of variable flows on a seasonal or monthly basis from the Sacramento River and SJR are also considered. The results of our forecasts for external SJV watershed sources of Se mirror predictions made since 1955 of a worsening salt (and by inference, Se) buildup exacerbated by the arid climate and irrigation for agricultural use. We show that the reservoir of Se in the SJV is sufficient to provide loading at an annual rate of approximately 42,500 pounds (lbs) of Se to a Bay-Delta disposal point for 63 to 304 years at the lower range of our projections, even if influx of Se from the California Coast Ranges could be curtailed. Disposal of wastewaters on an annual basis outside of the SJV may slow the degradation of valley resources, but drainage alone cannot alleviate the salt and Se buildup in the SJV, at least within a century. Our forecasts show the different proportions of Se loading to the Bay-Delta. Oil refinery loads from 1986 to 1992 ranged from 11 to 15 lbs Se per day; with treatment and cleanup, loads decreased to 3 lbs Se per day in 1999. In contrast, SJV agricultural drainage loads could range from of 45 to 117 lbs Se per day across a set of reasonable conditions. Components of this valley-wide load include five source subareas (i.e., Grassland, Westlands, Tulare, Kern, and Northern) based on water and drainage management. Loads vary per subarea mainly because of proximity of the s

California↗
USGS2010

Wind River water restoration, Annual report November 2008 to October 2009.

This report summarizes work completed by U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) in the Wind River subbasin during the period November 2008 through October 2009 under Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contract 41038. Long term research in the Wind River has focused on assessments of steelhead/rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss populations, interactions with introduced populations of spring Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, and influences of habitat variables on fish productivity. During this period, we collected water temperature data to characterize variation within and among tributaries and mainstem sections in the Trout Creek watershed, and assisted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with smolt trapping and tagging of smolt and parr steelhead with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. We also continued to maintain and test efficacy of a passive integrated transponder tag interrogation system (PTIS) in Trout Creek for assessing the adult steelhead runsize. We continued to maintain and download PTIS setups in the fish ladder at Hemlock Dam. These PTISs contributed information on movement and rearing of steelhead parr and smolts. A statement of work (SOW) was submitted to BPA in October 2009 that outlined work to be performed by USGS-CRRL. The SOW was organized by work elements, with each describing a research task. This report summarizes the progress completed under each work element.

Report↗
USGS1999

Digital mapping techniques '99 -- workshop proceedings

The Digital Mapping Techniques '99 (DMT'99) workshop was attended by 91 technical experts from 42 agencies, universities, and private companies, including representatives from 30 state geological surveys (see Appendix A ). This workshop was similar in nature to the first two meetings, held in June, 1997, in Lawrence, Kansas (Soller, 1997), and in May, 1998, in Champaign, Illinois (Soller, 1998a). This year's meeting was hosted by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, from May 19 to 22, 1999, on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. As in the previous meetings, the objective was to foster informal discussion and exchange of technical information. When, based on discussions at the workshop, an attendee adopts or modifies a newly learned technique, the workshop clearly has met that objective. Evidence of learning and cooperation among participating agencies continued to be a highlight of the DMT workshops (see example in Soller, 1998b, and various papers in this volume). The meeting's general goal was to help move the state geological surveys and the USGS toward development of more cost-effective, flexible, and useful systems for digital mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis. Through oral and poster presentations and special discussion sessions, emphasis was given to: 1) methods for creating and publishing map products (here, ìpublishingî includes Web-based release); 2) continued development of the National Geologic Map Database; and 3) progress toward building a standard geologic map data model. Especially to support the interest in map preparation and publication, five representatives of the GIS hardware and software vendor community were invited to participate. The three annual DMT workshops were coordinated by the AASG/USGS Data Capture Working Group, which was formed in August, 1996, to support the Association of American State Geologists and the USGS in their effort to build a National Geologic Map Database (see Soller and Berg, this volume, and http://ncgmp.usgs.gov/ngmdbproject/standards/datacapt/datacaptureWG.html ). The Working Group was formed because increased production efficiencies, standardization, and quality of digital map products were needed to help the Database, and the State and Federal geological surveys, provide more high-quality digital maps to the public.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2003

A rehabilitation plan for walleye populations and habitats in Lake Superior

The walleye ( Stizostedion vitreum vitreum ) has been historically important in regional fisheries and fish communities in large bays, estuaries, and rivers of Lake Superior. Significant negative impacts on the species caused by overharvesting, habitat degradation, and pollution during the late 1800s and early 1900s have led to the preparation of a strategic rehabilitation plan. The lakewide goal is to maintain, enhance, and rehabilitate habitat for walleye and to establish self-sustaining populations in areas where walleyes historically lived. Population objectives that support the goal are to increase the abundance of juvenile and adult walleyes in selected areas. Habitat objectives that support the goal include increasing spawning and nursery habitat in four areas: enhancing fish passage, reducing sedimentation, increasing water quality, and reducing contaminants in walleyes. Progress toward achieving the habitat objectives should be measured by documenting increases in spawning and nursery habitats, resolving fish-passage issues, reducing sediments in rivers, and reducing contaminant levels in walleyes. Stocking various life stages of walleye should be considered to rehabilitate certain degraded populations. Total annual mortality of walleye populations should be less than 45% to allow populations to either increase or be maintained at target levels of abundance. Routine assessments should focus on gathering the data necessary to evaluate abundance and mortality and on taking inventories of spawning and nursery habitats. Research should be conducted to understand the specific habitat requirements for Lake Superior walleye populations and the habitat-abundance relationships for populations and for the lake as a whole.

Miscellaneous Publication↗