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At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
USGS2025

A wetland for all seasons? Evaluating congruence in avian species richness and habitat associations within restored wetlands across the annual cycle

Wetland restoration on agricultural land to enhance wildlife habitat through the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) program has substantially increased wetland area within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV). Studies assessing avian response to wetland restoration often focus on specific communities during one season such as passerines in spring or waterfowl during winter. However, there is limited information on the extent to which restored wetlands provide habitat for distinct avian communities across the annual cycle. Our objectives were to quantify the extent to which avian species richness within a wetland was congruent across seasons and evaluate site covariates associated with avian use of WREs in the LMAV across multiple seasons. We calculated avian species richness in autumn, winter, and spring at 34 WREs across the LMAV in Kentucky and Tennessee during 2019–2021. We surveyed vegetation communities to evaluate site covariates that explained variation in avian species richness across sites. Avian species richness within a site was positively correlated between autumn and spring, but neither season was correlated with winter. No single covariate explained variation in avian richness across seasons but tree diameter was positively associated with avian species richness in both winter and spring. The presence of four distinct vegetation types (remnant forest, planted forest, natural regeneration forest, and herbaceous wetlands) was positively associated with avian species richness in winter. Our results indicate avian community response to site conditions varies across seasons and can inform future wetland restoration planning in the LMAV to provide habitat across the annual cycle.

Kentucky, Tennessee↗
USGS2021

Supporting data and simulation of hypothetical bighead carp egg and larvae development and transport in the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam, Kentucky and Indiana, by use of the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator

Data collection, along with hydraulic and fluvial egg transport modeling, was completed along a 70.9-mile reach of the Ohio River between Markland Locks and Dam and McAlpine Locks and Dam in Kentucky and Indiana. Water-quality data collected in this reach included surface measurements and vertical profiles of water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, relative chlorophyll, and relative phycocyanin. Data were collected during two surveys: October 27–November 4, 2016, and June 26–29, 2017. Streamflow and velocity data were collected simultaneously with the water-quality data at cross sections and along longitudinal lines (corresponding to the water-quality surface measurements) and at selected stationary locations (corresponding to the water-quality vertical profiles). The data were collected to understand variability of flow and water-quality conditions relative to simulated reaches of the Ohio River and to aid in identifying parts of the reach that may provide conditions favorable to spawning and recruitment habitat for Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp). A copy of an existing step-backwater model of Ohio River flows was obtained from the National Weather Service and used to simulate hydraulic conditions for four different streamflows. Streamflows were selected to represent typical conditions ranging from a high-streamflow event to a seasonal dry-weather event, with two streamflows between these extremes for this reach of the Ohio River. Outputs from the hydraulic model, a range of five water temperatures observed in water-quality data, and four potential spawning locations were used as input to the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator to simulate the extents and quantile positions of developing bighead carp, from egg hatching to the gas bladder inflation stage, under each scenario. A total of 80 simulations were run. Results from the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator scenarios (which include only the hydraulic influences on survival that result from settling, irrespective of mortality from other physical or biological factors such as excess turbulence, fertilization failure, predation, or starvation) indicate that most eggs will hatch, about half will die, and a quarter of the surviving larvae will reach the gas bladder inflation stage within the model reach. The overall mean percentage of embryos surviving to the gas bladder inflation stage was 13.1 percent. Individual simulations have embryo survival percentages as high as 49.1 percent. The highest embryo survival percentages occurred for eggs spawned at a streamflow of 38,100 cubic feet per second and water temperatures of 24 to 30 degrees Celsius. Conversely, embryo survival percentages were lowest for the lowest and highest streamflows regardless of water temperature or spawn location. Under low water temperature and high-streamflow conditions, some of the eggs did not hatch nor did the larvae reach the gas bladder inflation stage until passing beyond the downstream model domain. Although the final quantile positions of the eggs and larvae beyond the downstream model domain are unknown, the outcomes still provide useful information about conditions favorable to spawning and recruitment habitat for bighead carp in the Ohio River.

Indiana, Kentucky↗
USGS2022

Using microbial source tracking to identify fecal contamination sources in Great South Bay on Long Island, New York

The U.S. Geological Survey worked in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to assess the potential sources of fecal contamination entering a part of Great South Bay (referred to as Great South Bay for the purposes of this report) near the hamlets of West Sayville, Sayville, and Bayport on the southern shore of Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. Water samples are routinely collected by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in the bay and analyzed for fecal coliform bacteria, an indicator of fecal contamination, to determine the need for closure of shellfish beds for harvest and consumption. Fecal coliform and other bacteria are an indicator of the potential presence of pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. However, indicator bacteria alone cannot determine the biological or geographical sources of contamination; therefore, microbial source tracking was implemented to determine various biological sources of contamination. In addition, information such as the location, weather and season, and surrounding land use where a sample was collected help determine the geographical source and conveyance of land-based water to the embayment. Analysis revealed that the most substantial source of fecal contamination to Great South Bay was discharge from sites draining ponds and wetlands into the tributaries sampled, Brown and Green Creeks, particularly during the summer months. Fecal coliform bacteria at sites where ponds and wetlands drain are increased by stormwater runoff, which is another substantial source of fecal contamination. Sites with high concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria in the summer exacerbated by stormwater include the Brown Creek Culvert at Middle Road, Mill Pond Culvert near South Street, and Green Creek Culvert near Montauk Highway sites. The canine Bacteroides (BacCan) marker was the most frequently detected microbial source tracking marker with 15 positive detections in surface water across the landscape, followed by the waterfowl Helicobacter (GFD) marker with 9 detections and the human Bacteroides (HF183) marker with 4 detections in surface water (excluding 2 detections in sediment). The ruminant Bacteroides (Rum2Bac) marker was not detected in any samples collected during this study. The detection frequency of BacCan was similar for all sampling conditions and seasons, suggesting canine influence is unrelated to weather events and is a year-round occurrence. BacCan was detected in 14 of 16 source samples and only 1 of 16 receptor samples, which suggests that canine fecal contamination is likely diluted in the bay. There was a similar amount of marker detections when comparing weather condition (wet or dry) and season (winter or summer), suggesting that fecal contamination was unrelated to weather events or time of year. Eight waterfowl marker detections were in samples collected during the winter, and only one during the summer, implicating seasonal avian fecal contamination throughout the embayment. The human marker was detected in only one surface-water receptor sample, during the wet winter sampling event at the Green Creek Mid-Bay site. Three of four human marker detections were in the samples collected during the wet winter sampling event, indicating that weather and season may influence the presence of human markers in Great South Bay, but human markers are not overly prevalent.

New York↗
USGS2016

Comparison of benthos and plankton for selected areas of concern and non-areas of concern in western Lake Michigan Rivers and Harbors in 2012

Recent data are lacking to assess whether impairments still exist at four of Wisconsin’s largest Lake Michigan harbors that were designated as Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the late 1980s due to sediment contamination and multiple Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs), such as those affecting benthos (macroinvertebrates) and plankton (zooplankton and phytoplankton) communities. During three seasonal sampling events (“seasons”) in May through August 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey collected sediment benthos and water plankton at the four AOCs as well as six less-degraded non-AOCs along the western Lake Michigan shoreline to assess whether AOC communities were degraded in comparison to non-AOC communities. The four AOCs are the Lower Menominee River, the Lower Green Bay and Fox River, the Sheboygan River, and the Milwaukee Estuary. Due to their size and complexity, multiple locations or “subsites” were sampled within the Lower Green Bay and Fox River AOC (Lower Green Bay, the Fox River near Allouez, and the Fox River near De Pere) and within the Milwaukee Estuary AOC (the Milwaukee River, the Menomonee River, and the Milwaukee Harbor) and single locations were sampled at the other AOCs and non-AOCs. The six non-AOCs are the Escanaba River in Michigan, and the Oconto River, Ahnapee River, Kewaunee River, Manitowoc River, and Root River in Wisconsin. Benthos samples were collected by using Hester-Dendy artificial substrates deployed for 30 days and by using a dredge sampler; zooplankton were collected by net and phytoplankton by whole-water sampler. Except for the Lower Green Bay and Milwaukee Harbor locations, communities at each AOC were compared to all non-AOCs as a group and to paired non-AOCs using taxa relative abundances and metrics, including richness, diversity, and an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI, for Hester-Dendy samples only). Benthos samples collected during one or more seasons were rated as degraded for at least one metric at all AOCs. In the Milwaukee Estuary, benthos richness was lower in the Milwaukee River subsite spring and summer samples and in the Menomonee River subsite spring sample relative to the paired non-AOCs. Benthos diversity and IBIs at the Menomonee River subsite and IBIs at the Milwaukee River subsite and Sheboygan River were significantly lower than at all non-AOCs as a group across all seasons and therefore were rated as degraded. In addition, IBIs at the Lower Menominee River were significantly lower than those at the paired non-AOCs during all seasons and were therefore rated degraded. Benthos at both Fox River subsites and the Milwaukee River subsite were significantly different from their paired non-AOCs during all three seasons, based on a comparison of the relative abundances of taxa using multivariate testing. Metrics for plankton at AOCs were not significantly lower than those at the paired or group non-AOCs during all seasons; however, zooplankton richness in spring at the Sheboygan River and in fall at the Menomonee River subsite was rated as degraded in comparison to paired non-AOCs. Also, zooplankton richness in fall at the Fox River near Allouez subsite and in spring at the Milwaukee River subsite was rated degraded overall because values were lower than at all non-AOCs as a group and lower than at the paired non-AOCs. Zooplankton diversity in fall at the Fox River near Allouez subsite and the Lower Menominee River was rated degraded in comparison to paired non-AOC comparison sites. Zooplankton communities at the Fox River near Allouez subsite were significantly different from the paired non-AOCs when multivariate comparisons were made without rotifers other than A. priodonta . Overall, benthos and zooplankton BUIs remained at the AOCs in 2012 but no AOCs with a phytoplankton BUI were rated degraded in comparison to non-AOCs. The use of a multiple ecological measures, structural and functional, and multiple statistical analyses, biological metrics and multivariate statistics, provided assessments that defined 2012 status of communities relative to less-impaired non-AOCs in the Great Lakes area.

Michigan↗
USGS2014

Meteorological variables associated with deep slab avalanches on persistent weak layers

Deep slab avalanches are a particularly challenging avalanche forecasting problem. These avalanches are typically difficult to trigger, yet when they are triggered they tend to propagate far and result in large and destructive avalanches. For this work we define deep slab avalanches as those that fail on persistent weak layers deeper than 0.9m (3 feet), and that occur after February 1st. We utilized a 44-year record of avalanche control and meteorological data from Bridger Bowl Ski Area to test the usefulness of meteorological variables for predicting deep slab avalanches. As in previous studies, we used data from the days preceding deep slab cycles, but we also considered meteorological metrics over the early months of the season. We utilized classification trees for our analyses. Our results showed warmer temperatures in the prior twenty-four hours and more loading over the seven days before days with deep slab avalanches on persistent weak layers. In line with previous research, extended periods of above freezing temperatures led to days with deep wet slab avalanches on persistent weak layers. Seasons with either dry or wet avalanches on deep persistent weak layers typically had drier early months, and often had some significant snow depth prior to those dry months. This paper provides insights for ski patrollers, guides, and avalanche forecasters who struggle to forecast deep slab avalanches on persistent weak layers late in the season.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2008

Simulation of the Quantity, Variability, and Timing of Streamflow in the Dennys River Basin, Maine, by Use of a Precipitation-Runoff Watershed Model

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat, began a study in 2004 to characterize the quantity, variability, and timing of streamflow in the Dennys River. The study included a synoptic summary of historical streamflow data at a long-term streamflow gage, collecting data from an additional four short-term streamflow gages, and the development and evaluation of a distributed-parameter watershed model for the Dennys River Basin. The watershed model used in this investigation was the USGS Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). The Geographic Information System (GIS) Weasel was used to delineate the Dennys River Basin and subbasins and derive parameters for their physical geographic features. Calibration of the models used in this investigation involved a four-step procedure in which model output was evaluated against four calibration data sets using computed objective functions for solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, annual and seasonal water budgets, and daily streamflows. The calibration procedure involved thousands of model runs and was carried out using the USGS software application Luca (Let us calibrate). Luca uses the Shuffled Complex Evolution (SCE) global search algorithm to calibrate the model parameters. The SCE method reliably produces satisfactory solutions for large, complex optimization problems. The primary calibration effort went into the Dennys main stem watershed model. Calibrated parameter values obtained for the Dennys main stem model were transferred to the Cathance Stream model, and a similar four-step SCE calibration procedure was performed; this effort was undertaken to determine the potential to transfer modeling information to a nearby basin in the same region. The calibrated Dennys main stem watershed model performed with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) statistic values for the calibration period and evaluation period of 0.79 and 0.76, respectively. The Cathance Stream model had an NSE value of 0.68. The Dennys River Basin models make use of limited streamflow-gaging station data and provide information to characterize subbasin hydrology. The calibrated PRMS watershed models of the Dennys River Basin provide simulated daily streamflow time series from October 1, 1985, through September 30, 2006, for nearly any location within the basin. These models enable natural-resources managers to characterize the timing and quantity of water moving through the basin to support many endeavors including geochemical calculations, water-use assessment, Atlantic salmon population dynamics and migration modeling, habitat modeling and assessment, and other resource-management scenario evaluations. Characterizing streamflow contributions from subbasins in the basin and the relative amounts of surface- and ground-water contributions to streamflow throughout the basin will lead to a better understanding of water quantity and quality in the basin. Improved water-resources information will support Atlantic salmon protection efforts.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2018

Seasonal surveillance confirms the range expansion of Aedes japonicus japonicas (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) to the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Kauai

The Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) was not known to occur in the Hawaii archipelago until it was identified on the island of Hawaii in 2003. This mosquito species remained undetected on the neighboring islands for 8 years before it was discovered at the Honolulu International Airport on Oahu in 2012. By 2015, four Ae. j. japonicus mosquitoes were collected in the western mountains of Oahu and one was collected in the central mountains of Kauai. The collection of this invasive mosquito species across the neighboring Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Kauai indicated the need for increased seasonal surveillance on these islands. Following nearly four years of surveillance, Ae. j. japonicus was also confirmed to occur in the eastern mountains of Oahu and in the central mountainous region of Kauai. To expand the knowledge of the spread of invasive mosquitoes species further surveillance is necessary to identify all possible areas where populations of Ae. j. japonicus and other invasive mosquito species occur in Hawaiian archipelago.

Hawaii↗
USGS2019

Space use, forays, and habitat selection in California Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis): New insights from high resolution GPS tracking

Our current understanding of the relationship between imperiled species and forest management can benefit from global positioning system (GPS) technologies. Fauna of lateseral stage forests have historically been difficult to detect and track in rugged terrain, leading to challenges in movement characterization and conservation. We investigated movement of California Spotted Owls ( Strix occidentalis occidentalis ) using automated GPS loggers affixed to 15 owls in the northern Sierra Nevada, California. We used >17,000 locations from individual owls to characterize homerange size, movement distances, and roosting and foraging habitat selection at four spatio-temporal scales (landscape, home range, foray, nightly) during the breeding season (April–August). Additionally, we assessed owl use of Protected Activity Centers (PACs), which are designated by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service to protect nesting and roosting habitat. Our results corroborated some previous findings about habitat requirements of California Spotted Owls, while also revealing new nuances in space use and habitat selection. Roosting and foraging owls selected stands with high canopy cover and large trees at multiple spatio-temporal scales, with foraging owls showing strongest selection at the largest (landscape) scale investigated. Although owls selected for PACs while foraging and roosting, PACs protected less than one quarter of foraging space use (volume of use) and fewer than half of observed roosts during the breeding season. Female owl home ranges were double the size of male home ranges, and distances travelled from the nest by females were 1.3 times greater than distances travelled by males, with non-breeding females travelling farthest and visiting up to six PACs during a single breeding season. Foraying behavior of this sort has not been documented previously in California Spotted Owls. Our findings support protection of later seral stage forest attributes for roosting and foraging California Spotted Owls. Given their selection for later seral forest attributes, strongest evidence of foraging habitat selection at the landscape scale, long distances travelled by owls and limited habitat protection afforded by PACs, habitat connectivity across the landscape is likely an important component for owl conservation, and distribution of current protected areas may be inadequate for this wide-ranging species.

California↗
USGS2011

Life-history notes on Cambarus hubbsi creaser (Hubbs crayfish) from the South Fork Spring River, Arkansas

Many crayfish species native to the southeastern United States are imperiled due to small range sizes and anthropogenic impacts such as habitat loss and introduction of non-native species. Furthermore, effective management of crayfish is limited by the scarcity of life-history and ecological data for many of these species. We report results of the first life-history study of the crayfish Cambarus hubbsi (Hubbs Crayfish). We collected 466 Hubbs Crayfish from the South Fork Spring River, AR throughout 2006 and recorded carapace lengths, wet weights, indicators of reproductive activity, and number of eggs on ovigerous females. Using length-frequency distributions, we identified four Hubbs Crayfish age classes and evaluated growth rates by plotting size by season (winter, spring, summer, autumn). Male Hubbs Crayfish were more common than females in all seasons except autumn, and males weighed more at equivalent lengths than females. Reproductive activity in Hubbs Crayfish peaked in late winter and spring, and ovigerous females were collected in March, April, and June. Ovigerous females were age II or III and carried few eggs relative to co-occurring crayfish of the genus Orconectes. Compared to these Orconectes species, Hubbs Crayfish is comparatively slow growing, long lived, with low reproductive potential, and as a result may be categorized as a K life-history strategist. Based on this species' life-history strategy and previously documented habitat specificity and taxonomic distinctiveness, Hubbs Crayfish may require monitoring and management attention normally reserved for species with smaller ranges.

Southeastern Naturalist↗
USGS2011

Demographics and run timing of adult Lost River ( Deltistes luxatus ) and short nose ( Chasmistes brevirostris ) suckers in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2009

Data from a long-term capture-recapture program were used to assess the status and dynamics of populations of two long-lived, federally endangered catostomids in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon. Lost River suckers ( Deltistes luxatus ) and shortnose suckers ( Chasmistes brevirostris ) have been captured and tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags during their spawning migrations in each year since 1995. In addition, beginning in 2005, individuals that had been previously PIT-tagged were reencountered on remote underwater antennas deployed throughout the spawning areas. Captures and remote encounters during spring 2009 were used to describe the spawning migrations in that year and also were incorporated into capture-recapture analyses of population dynamics over the last decade. Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) open population capture-recapture models were used to estimate annual survival probabilities, and a reverse-time analog of the CJS model was used to estimate recruitment of new individuals into the spawning populations. In addition, data on the size composition of captured fish was examined for any additional evidence of recruitment. Survival and recruitment estimates were combined to estimate changes in population size over time and to determine the status of the populations through 2007. Separate analyses were conducted for each species and also for each subpopulation of Lost River suckers (LRS). One subpopulation of LRS migrates into tributaries to spawn, similar to shortnose suckers (SNS), whereas the other subpopulation spawns at upwelling areas along the eastern shoreline of the lake. In 2009, we captured and tagged 781 LRS at four shoreline areas and recaptured an additional 638 individuals that had been tagged in previous years. Across all four areas, the remote antennas detected 6,056 individual LRS during the spawning season. Spawning activity peaked in April and most individuals were encountered at Sucker Springs and Cinder Flats. In the Williamson River, we captured and tagged 3,008 LRS and 287 SNS, and recaptured 271 LRS and 81 SNS that had been tagged in previous years. Remote antennas that spanned the river downstream of the tributary spawning areas detected a total of 12,509 LRS and 5,023 SNS. Most LRS passed upstream in mid-April when water temperatures were rising and near or greater than 10°C. In contrast, peaks in upstream passage of SNS occurred in late April and early May when water temperatures were rising and near or greater than 12°C. Finally, an additional 1,569 LRS and 1,794 SNS were captured in trammel net sampling at prespawn staging areas in the northeastern portion of the lake. Of these, 209 of the LRS and 452 of the SNS had been PIT-tagged in previous years. For LRS, encounter histories showed that nearly all of the fish captured at the staging areas were members of the subpopulation that spawns in the tributaries. Capture-recapture analyses for the LRS subpopulation that spawns at the shoreline areas included encounter histories for more than 9,000 individuals, and analyses for the subpopulation that spawns in the tributaries included more than 14,000 encounter histories. With a few exceptions, the survival of males and females in both subpopulations was high (>0.9) between 1999 and 2007. Notably lower survival occurred for both sexes from the tributaries in 2000, for males from the shoreline areas in 2002, and for males from the tributaries in 2006. Recruitment of new individuals into either spawning population was trivial in all years between 2002 and 2007. Over that period, the abundance of males in the lakeshore spawning subpopulation declined by 44–53 percent and the abundance of females declined by 25–38 percent. Similarly, the abundance of males in the tributary spawning subpopulation declined by as much as 39 percent and the abundance of females declined by as much as 33 percent. Capture-recapture analyses for SNS included encounter histories for more than 12,000 individuals. The majority of annual survival estimates between 2001 and 2007 were high (>0.8), but SNS experienced more years of low survival than either LRS subpopulation. The survival of both sexes was particularly low in both 2001 and 2004, and male survival also was somewhat low in 2002 and 2006. Similar to LRS, recruitment of new individuals into the spawning population was trivial in all years between 2001 and 2007. Over that period, the abundance of male SNS declined by 58–80 percent and the abundance of females declined by 52–73 percent. Despite relatively high survival in most years, both species have experienced substantial declines in the abundance of spawning fish because losses from mortality have not been balanced by recruitment of new individuals. Indeed, all populations appear to be largely comprised of fish that were present in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a result, the status of the endangered sucker populations in Upper Klamath Lake remains worrisome, and the situation is most dire for shortnose suckers. Survival analyses show that the two species do not necessarily experience poor survival in the same years and that poor survival on an annual scale is not predictable from fish die-offs observed in the summer and fall. Future analyses will explore the connections between annual sucker survival and environmental factors of interest, such as water quality and disease. Our monitoring program provides a robust platform for estimating vital population parameters, evaluating the status of the populations, and assessing the effectiveness of conservation and recovery efforts.

Oregon↗
USGS2006

An evaluation and review of water-use estimates and flow data for the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges, Oregon and California

The Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges, located in the upper Klamath Basin of Oregon and California, encompass approximately 46,700 and 39,100 acres, respectively. Demand for water in the semiarid upper Klamath Basin has increased in recent years, resulting in the need to better quantify water availability and use in the refuges. This report presents an evaluation of water-use estimates for both refuges derived on the basis of two approaches. One approach used evaporation and evapotranspiration estimates and the other used measured inflow and outflow data. The quality of the inflow and outflow data also was assessed. Annual water use in the refuges, using evapotranspiration estimates, was computed with the use of different rates for each of four land-use categories. Annual water-use rates for grain fields, seasonal wetlands, permanently flooded wetlands with emergent vegetation, and open-water bodies were 2.5, 2.9, 2.63, and 4.07 feet per year, respectively. Total water use was estimated as the sum of the products of each rate and the number of acres in its associated land-use category. Mean annual (2003-2005) water use for the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake refuges was approximately 124,000 and 95,900 acre-feet, respectively. To estimate water deliveries needed for each refuge, first, annual precipitation for 2003-2005 was subtracted from the annual water use for those years. Then, an adjusted total was obtained by adding 20 percent to the difference to account for salinity flushing. Resulting estimated mean annual adjusted needed water deliveries in 2003-2005 for the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake refuges were 107,000 and 82,800 acre-feet, respectively. Mean annual net inflow to the refuges for 2003-2005 was computed by subtracting estimated and measured surface-water outflows from inflows. Mean annual net inflow during the 3-year period for the Lower Klamath refuge, calculated for a subsection of the refuge, was approximately 73,700 acre-feet. The adjusted needed water delivery for this section of the refuge, calculated from evapotranspiration estimates, was approximately 77,600 acre-feet. For the Tule Lake refuge, mean annual net inflow during the 3-year period was approximately 76,100 acre-feet, which is comparable to the estimated annual needed water delivery for the refuge of 82,800 acre-feet. For 1962-2005, mean annual net inflow to the Lower Klamath refuge was approximately 49,800 acre-feet, about 23,900 acre-feet less than for 2003-2005. Although mean April-September net inflows for 1962-2005 and 2003-2005 have remained fairly constant, annual net inflow has increased for October-March, which accounts for the difference. Consistently higher autumn and winter flow deliveries since the mid-1980s reflect a significant change in refuge management. More sections of the refuge are currently managed as seasonal wetlands than were in the 1960s and 1970s. Flow records for the Ady Canal at State Line Road, Klamath Straits Drain at State Line Road, and D Pumping Plant were evaluated for their data quality. On the basis of USGS flow-record criteria, all three flow records were rated as 'poor.' By definition, 95 percent of the daily flows in a record having this rating could be in error by more than 15 percent.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2006

Water-quality trend analysis and sampling design for the Devils Lake Basin, North Dakota, January 1965 through September 2003

This report presents the results of a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Dakota State Water Commission, the Devils Lake Basin Joint Water Resource Board, and the Red River Joint Water Resource District, to analyze historical water-quality trends in three dissolved major ions, three nutrients, and one dissolved trace element for eight stations in the Devils Lake Basin in North Dakota and to develop an efficient sampling design to monitor the future trends. A multiple-regression model was used to detect and remove streamflow-related variability in constituent concentrations. To separate the natural variability in concentration as a result of variability in streamflow from the variability in concentration as a result of other factors, the base-10 logarithm of daily streamflow was divided into four components-a 5-year streamflow anomaly, an annual streamflow anomaly, a seasonal streamflow anomaly, and a daily streamflow anomaly. The constituent concentrations then were adjusted for streamflow-related variability by removing the 5-year, annual, seasonal, and daily variability. Constituents used for the water-quality trend analysis were evaluated for a step trend to examine the effect of Channel A on water quality in the basin and a linear trend to detect gradual changes with time from January 1980 through September 2003. The fitted upward linear trends for dissolved calcium concentrations during 1980-2003 for two stations were significant. The fitted step trends for dissolved sulfate concentrations for three stations were positive and similar in magnitude. Of the three upward trends, one was significant. The fitted step trends for dissolved chloride concentrations were positive but insignificant. The fitted linear trends for the upstream stations were small and insignificant, but three of the downward trends that occurred during 1980-2003 for the remaining stations were significant. The fitted upward linear trends for dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentrations during 1987-2003 for two stations were significant. However, concentrations during recent years appear to be lower than those for the 1970s and early 1980s but higher than those for the late 1980s and early 1990s. The fitted downward linear trend for dissolved ammonia concentrations for one station was significant. The fitted linear trends for total phosphorus concentrations for two stations were significant. Upward trends for total phosphorus concentrations occurred from the late 1980s to 2003 for most stations, but a small and insignificant downward trend occurred for one station. Continued monitoring will be needed to determine if the recent trend toward higher dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations continues in the future. For continued monitoring of water-quality trends in the upper Devils Lake Basin, an efficient sampling design consists of five major-ion, nutrient, and trace-element samples per year at three existing stream stations and at three existing lake stations. This sampling design requires the collection of 15 stream samples and 15 lake samples per year rather than 16 stream samples and 20 lake samples per year as in the 1992-2003 program. Thus, the design would result in a program that is less costly and more efficient than the 1992-2003 program but that still would provide the data needed to monitor water-quality trends in the Devils Lake Basin.

North Dakota↗
USGS2011

Concentrations, loads, and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls, Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary, eastern Massachusetts

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to contaminate the Neponset River, which flows through parts of Boston, Massachusetts, and empties into the Neponset River Estuary, an important fish-spawning area. The river is dammed and impassable to fish. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration, Riverways Program, collected, analyzed, and interpreted PCB data from bottom-sediment, water, and (or) fish-tissue samples in 2002, 2004-2006. Samples from the Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary were analyzed for 209 PCB congeners, PCB homologs, and Aroclors. In order to better assess the overall health quality of river-bottom sediments, sediment samples were also tested for concentrations of 31 elements. PCB concentrations measured in the top layers of bottom sediment ranged from 28 nanograms per gram (ng/g) just upstream of the Mother Brook confluence to 24,900 ng/g measured in Mother Brook. Concentrations of elements in bottom sediment were generally higher than background concentrations and higher than levels considered toxic to benthic organisms according to freshwater sediment-quality guidelines defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of dissolved PCBs in water samples collected from the Neponset River (May 13, 2005 to April 28, 2006) averaged about 9.2 nanograms per liter (ng/L) (annual average of monthly values); however, during the months of August (about 16.5 ng/L) and September (about 15.6 ng/L), dissolved PCB concentrations were greater than 14 ng/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's freshwater continuous chronic criterion for aquatic organisms. Concentrations of PCBs in white sucker (fillets and whole fish) were all greater than 2,000 ng/g wet wt, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guideline for safe consumption of fish: PCB concentrations measured in fish-tissue samples collected from the Tileston and Hollingsworth and Walter Baker Impoundments were 3,490 and 2,450 ng/g wet wt (filleted) and 6,890 and 4,080 ng/g wet wt (whole fish). Total PCB-congener concentrations measured in the whole bodies of estuarine bait fish (common mummichog) averaged 708 ng/g wet wt. PCBs that pass from the Neponset River to the Neponset River Estuary are either dissolved or associated with particulate matter (including living and nonliving material) suspended in the water column. A small proportion of PCBs may also be transported as part of the body burden of fish and wildlife. During the period May 13, 2005 to April 28, 2006, about 5,100 g (3.8 L or 1 gal) of PCBs were transported from the Neponset River to the Neponset River Estuary. Generally, about one-half of these PCBs were dissolved in the water column and the other half were associated with particulate matter; however, the proportion that was either dissolved or particulate varied seasonally. Most PCBs transported from the river to the estuary are composed of four or fewer chlorine atoms per biphenyl molecule. The data suggest that widespread PCB contamination of the lower Neponset River originated from Mother Brook, a Neponset River tributary, starting sometime around the early 1950s or earlier. In 1955, catastrophic dam failure caused by flooding likely released PCB-contaminated sediment downstream and into the Neponset River Estuary. PCBs from this source area likely continued to be released after the flood and during subsequent rebuilding of downstream dams. Today (2007), PCBs are mostly trapped behind these dams; however, some PCBs either diffuse or are entrained back into the water column and are transported downstream by river water into the estuary or volatilize into the atmosphere. In addition to the continuing release of PCBs from historically contaminated bottom sediment, PCBs are still (2007) originating from source areas along Mother and Meadow Brook as well as other sources along the river and Boston Harbor. PCBs from the river (transported by river water) and from the harbor (transported by tidal action) appear to have contaminated parts of the Neponset River Estuary.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2021

Can identifying discrete behavioral groups with individual-based acoustic telemetry advance the understanding of fish distribution patterns?

Identifying patterns of organismal distribution can provide valuable insights for basic and applied marine and coastal ecology because understanding where animals are located is foundational to both research and science-based conservation. Understanding variation in distributional patterns can lead to a better assessment of ecological drivers and an improved ability to predict consequences of natural and altered relationships. Here, our purpose is to explore if quantifying coexisting groups of individual fish predators advances our understanding of field distribution patterns. Toward this end, we quantified locations of 59 acoustically tagged striped bass ( Morone saxatilis) within a 26-stationary unit telemetry receiver array in Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA, United States. We then used cluster analyses on spatial and temporal-spatial metrics from this dataset to (1) assess if distinct groups of individuals coexisted, (2) quantify group characteristics, and (3) test associations between groups and distribution (e.g., physical site type and region). Based on multiple lines of evidence, we identified four groups of striped bass with different space use patterns that persisted across seasons (summer and fall). Similar-sized striped bass clustered at spatial and temporal scales at which individuals within distinct groups could, and did, physically overlap. In addition, distributional groups were linked to components of physical site type and region suggesting that discrete groups of individuals can interact differently with the environment within the same ecological system. The identification of these distinct groups of individuals creates a baseline from which to explore further ecological implications of grouping behavior for research and conservation in geographically large, temporally dynamic, and spatially heterogeneous marine and coastal environments.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1976

Incidence of lead shot in canvasbacks

During 1975 and 1976, 2,544 canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) from North Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Maryland were flouroscoped to determine the incidence of body shot. A significant increase from west to east was detected in the incidence of shot for immatures from the four states. The incidence of shot in immatures after the 1975-76 hunting season was 18 percent in Maryland and 20 percent in Illinois. In Wisconsin no difference in the incidence of shot could be detected between areas trapped or time periods when trapping was conducted. In Maryland a significant decrease in the incidence of body shot was detected in adults, but not immatures, between 1975 and 1976. shot was located throughout the body of canvasbacks. Frequency varied from one to nine shot per bird and averaged 2.0 for adults and 1.5 for immatures.

Book chapter↗
USGS2002

Issues in characterizing phenology from satellite observations

Over the past decade, many investigators have published techniques for deriving phenological parameters, especially the start of the growing season (SOS), from time-series satellite imagery. The principal satellite sensor for these studies is the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR). This study investigates the characteristics of four of the primary methods for identifying SOS; maximum curvature, delayed moving average, time of greatest NDVI increase and time of half-maximum NDVI. Comparisons between the methods illustrate biases for earlier or later SOS in the various methods and a relatively low statistical relationship among all four methods (r 2 =.10 to .35). Our analysis indicates that each of the methods is detecting fundamentally different stages of the start of season. These stages include snow melt, initial growth of herbaceous plants and understory, and first leaf; each of which is important in determining differences in land/atmosphere interactions. Users of these types of datasets need to be aware of the different environmental conditions being measured by the various approaches and use careful judgment in selecting the proper method.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2005

Effects of flooding regime and seedling treatment on early survival and growth of nuttall oak

Effects of flooding on survival and growth of three different types of Nuttall oak ( Quercus texana Buckl.) seedlings were observed at the end of third and fifth growing seasons at Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi, U.S.A. Three types of seedlings were planted in January 1995 in a split‐plot design, with four replications at each of two elevations on floodprone, former cropland in Sharkey clay soil. The lower of the two planting elevations was inundated for 21 days during the first growing season, whereas the higher elevation did not flood during the 5‐year period of this study. The three types of 1‐0 seedlings were bareroot seedlings, seedlings grown in containers (3.8 × 21–cm plastic seedling cones), and container‐grown seedlings inoculated with vegetative mycelia of Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker. Survival of all the three seedling types was greatest at the lower, intermittently flooded elevation, indicating that drought and related effects on plant competition were more limiting to seedling survival than flooding. At the lower elevation, survival of mycorrhizal‐inoculated container seedlings was greater than that of noninoculated container seedlings. Survival among bareroot seedlings and inoculated container seedlings was not significantly different at either elevation. At the higher, nonflooded elevation, however, bareroot seedling survival was greater than the survival of container seedlings without inoculation. Differences were significant among the inoculated and the noninoculated container seedlings, with higher survival of inoculated seedlings at both elevations, though differences were only significant in year 3. At the end of the fifth year, height of bareroot seedlings was significantly greater than the heights of both types of container‐grown seedlings at both planting elevations. Because seedlings grown in the plastic seedlings cones did not survive better than the bareroot seedlings at either planting elevation, the bareroot stock appear to be the economically superior choice for regeneration in Sharkey soil.

Mississippi↗
USGS2011

Impact of mine and natural sources of mercury on water, sediment, and biota in Harley Gulch adjacent to the Abbott-Turkey Run mine, Lake County, California

Executive Summary Stable-isotope data indicate that there are three sources of water that effect the composition and Hg concentration of waters in Harley Gulch: (1) meteoric water that dominates water chemistry during the wet season; (2) thermal water effluent from the Turkey Run mine that effects the chemistry at sample site HG1; and (3) cold connate groundwater that dominates water chemistry during the dry season as it upwells and reaches the surface. The results from sampling executed for this study suggest four distinct areas in Harley Gulch: (1) the contaminated West Fork of Harley Gulch, consisting of the stream immediately downstream from the mine area and the wetlands upstream from Harley Gulch canyon (sample sites HG1-HG2, (2) the East Fork of Harley Gulch, where no mining has occurred (sample site HG3), (3) sample sites HG4-HG7, where a seasonal influx of saline groundwater alters stream chemistry, and (4) sample sites HG7-HG10, downstream in Harley Gulch towards the confluence with Cache Creek. West Fork: Mine Area and Wetlands The concentration of Hg in both storm sediment and active channel sediment was highest at sample site HG1, immediately downstream from the mine. The highest concentrations of total Hg (Hg T ) in water also occurred at site HG1, and they decreased systematically downstream from the mine. The high concentration of HgT at site HG1 reflects input of thermal-water effluent from the Turkey Run mine which comprises most of the flow at this site during the dry season. During the May 2011 low-flow sampling, Hg T concentration was very high at site HG1, but the maximum in HgT concentration occurred at sample site HG1.5 in the middle of the wetland area. The high concentration of Hg T and isotopic chemistry at this site indicates that a significant input of connate groundwater into the creek at this location contributes to the high Hg concentration in water. At site HG1, just downstream from the thermal water input from the Turkey Run mine, water sampled in June 2010 was almost entirely composed of thermal-water effluent. During the storm sampling in March 2011, which resulted in the highest flows of the winter, thermal effluent was virtually undetectable at site HG1, and the water was all meteoric. During the May 2011 sampling event, the input of connate groundwater in the middle of the wetland area at site HG1.5 was dominant. Discharge from the adit and runoff from the mine contributes to the high Hg concentration at site HG1 under both high and low-flow conditions. East Fork: Background Hg levels in waters collected from the East Fork of Harley Gulch, where no mining has occurred, were as high as 32.8 parts per trillion (pptr). These levels of Hg in water are significantly higher than regional background Hg concentrations, which range from 4-7 pptr. These anomalous Hg concentrations are partially explained by the abundance of Hg-enriched groundwater in Harley Gulch. Sites HG4-HG7 Downstream from the wetland, the aqueous concentration of HgT decreased, but remained above background levels as another input of connate groundwater occurs in the creek segment between sample sites HG4 and HG7. The input of connate groundwater in this segment of the creek is reflected in the increase in dissolved constituents characteristic of the connate groundwater, such as sulfate (SO4), chloride (Cl) and magnesium (Mg). Stable-isotope data for heavy isotopes d18O and d2D also confirm two areas of input of connate groundwater into Harley Gulch: the creek segment in the West Fork near sample site HG1.5 and the segment between sample sites HG4 and HG7. Downstream from the second area of input of connate groundwater, both HgF and Hg T concentrations decrease similarly, but the percentage of Hg in the filtered fraction increases. The decreases in HgT and HgF between sample sites HG5 and HG7 suggests that this second source of connate groundwater to Harley Gulch is distinct from the Hg-enriched source that enters the middle of the wetlands at sample site HG1.5. During low-flow conditions in June 2010, input of connate groundwater increased from sample site HG4 and reached a maximum near sample site HG7, where it dominated creek water chemistry. Waters collected from sample site HG7 during the June 2010 sampling event were the heaviest isotopically and contained high concentrations of Cl and SO4, constituents that are characteristically high in the connate groundwater. Both above and below sample site HG7, the amount of connate groundwater in the creek water decreased. Sites HG8-HG10 Sediment with high Hg concentration is present throughout the West Fork of Harley Gulch below the mine and in the upper part of the Harley Gulch main stem to just above sample site HG10. At the sample site furthest downstream, HG10, Hg concentration is at background levels, as are cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and tungsten (W), indicating that the sediment is not significantly contaminated with Hg from the mine.

California↗