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USGS2014

Estimating magnitude and frequency of floods using the PeakFQ 7.0 program

Flood-frequency analysis provides information about the magnitude and frequency of flood discharges based on records of annual maximum instantaneous peak discharges collected at streamgages. The information is essential for defining flood-hazard areas, for managing floodplains, and for designing bridges, culverts, dams, levees, and other flood-control structures. Bulletin 17B (B17B) of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data (IACWD; 1982) codifies the standard methodology for conducting flood-frequency studies in the United States. B17B specifies that annual peak-flow data are to be fit to a log-Pearson Type III distribution. Specific methods are also prescribed for improving skew estimates using regional skew information, tests for high and low outliers, adjustments for low outliers and zero flows, and procedures for incorporating historical flood information. The authors of B17B identified various needs for methodological improvement and recommended additional study. In response to these needs, the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI, successor to IACWD; http://acwi.gov/ , Subcommittee on Hydrology (SOH), Hydrologic Frequency Analysis Work Group (HFAWG), has recommended modest changes to B17B. These changes include adoption of a generalized method-of-moments estimator denoted the Expected Moments Algorithm (EMA) (Cohn and others, 1997) and a generalized version of the Grubbs-Beck test for low outliers (Cohn and others, 2013). The SOH requested that the USGS implement these changes in a user-friendly, publicly accessible program.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2023

The bee lab

Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bee Lab is a collaborative interagency joint venture and international leader for bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) identification, survey design, quantification of bee and plant interrelations, and development and maintenance of occurrence databases. Each of these objectives supports native bee conservation by providing critical data and tools for the United States and other countries. The Bee Lab is part of the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) and located in Laurel, Maryland, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Patuxent Research Refuge. The laboratory houses scientists from the EESC, USGS’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units, and the USFWS to develop identification tools and survey design support for State, Federal, Tribal, and nongovernment organization partners. In addition to the development of identification tools, important objectives include developing keys for native and nonnative bee species and making those tools accessible to partners and the public. Among the most visible and reused products produced during the development of the tools are the detailed photographs of the bees themselves. Accurate bee identification allows for better monitoring of bee species and examination of environmental factors that may influence their populations.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2016

Federal interagency nature‐like fishway passage design guidelines for Atlantic coast diadromous fishes

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have collaborated to develop passage design guidance for use by engineers and other restoration practitioners considering and designing nature‐like fishways (NLFs). The primary purpose of these guidelines is to provide a summary of existing fish swimming and leaping performance data and the best available scientific information on safe, timely and effective passage for 14 diadromous fish species using Atlantic Coast rivers and streams. These guidelines apply to passage sites where complete barrier removal is not possible. This technical memorandum presents seven key physical design parameters based on the biometrics and swimming mode and performance of each target fishes for application in the design of NLFs addressing passage of a species or an assemblage of these species. The passage parameters include six dimensional guidelines recommended for minimum weir opening width and depth, minimum pool length, width and depth, and maximum channel slope, along with a maximum flow velocity guideline for each species. While these guidelines are targeted for the design of step‐pool NLFs, the information may also have application in the design of other NLF types being considered at passage restoration sites and grade control necessary for infrastructure protection upstream of some dam removals, and in considering passage performance at sites such as natural bedrock features.

Atlantic Ocean↗

USGS2013

Anatomical and genetic variation of western Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) concerning the endangered Kanab ambersnail ( Oxyloma haydeni kanabense ) in Arizona and Utah

The land snail genus Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) includes the Federally endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense Pilsbry), which is known at the time of this study from only two locations in the United States: Three Lakes, Utah, and Vaseys Paradise, Arizona, on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Since 1994, the Kanab ambersnail has received much attention because its presence at Vaseys Paradise has implications for the ecosystem-wide management of the Colorado River. This attention is primarily because an experimental high-flow release of water from Glen Canyon Dam in 1996 destroyed or degraded Kanab ambersnail habitat at Vaseys Paradise. This experimental high flow was designed to replicate natural flow regimes throughout the Grand Canyon river corridor. However, as a result of the habitat destruction at Vaseys Paradise, in 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled that no further experimental high-discharge floods could be carried out until additional Kanab ambersnail populations were discovered or established. This mandate created a situation where the management of a single endangered species conflicted directly with the management of an entire ecosystem. Although since 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has permitted the use of flows as high as stage heights equivalent to 44,000 cubic feet per second, higher flows were requested by various Grand Canyon stakeholders and scientists but were not possible owing to low storage of Lake Powell. Adding to the controversy about Oxyloma and the Kanab ambersnail were previous anatomical and genetic analyses of the genus, which showed that genetic characteristics of specimens did not correspond with their identifications based on traditional taxonomic criteria, raising questions about the validity of the taxonomy of Oxyloma and the protected status of Kanab ambersnails. Specifically, a previous study suggested that the endangered Kanab ambersnail population at Three Lakes was more closely related to other, non-endangered ambersnail populations across the Southwest. In contrast, the Kanab ambersnail population at Vaseys Paradise appeared to be genetically distinct from all other ambersnail populations studied. Management options for the ambersnail population at Vaseys Paradise, at the time of this study, conflict with ecosystem-wide measures proposed to benefit other natural resources in the Grand Canyon. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not revise the 1995 Kanab Ambersnail Recovery Plan until further genetic and anatomical analyses provide more fine-scale taxonomic resolution of the identity of Oxyloma populations on the Colorado Plateau and elsewhere in the American Southwest. Likewise, interagency cooperators cannot revise down-listing criteria for the Kanab ambersnail until substantial evidence is provided identifying distinct Oxyloma taxa or a larger group of conspecifics that reasonably could be managed as one species. Therefore, given the current controversy about the taxonomy of Oxyloma and the endangered Kanab ambersnail, new detailed analyses were completed of morphological and genetic variation from many Oxyloma specimens collected at 12 western North American locations. These new data have allowed us to evaluate many issues related to Kanab ambersnail taxonomy. Using this dataset, the study of shells and anatomy indicates that the holotype of Oxyloma haydeni kanabense plausibly can be regarded as a member of the same species as the populations of Oxyloma analyzed in this study. Additionally, the presence of gene flow among all populations is evidence that they are members of the same species. Almost all the observed genetic diversity can be accounted for by short-distance or long-distance dispersal events between populations in this study. Our major taxonomic conclusion is that all samples collected for this study were drawn from populations of the same species.

Arizona;Utah↗

USGS2026

The electric vehicle “EV”-crane—A next-generation system for fluvial sediment and water-quality sampling using an electric cart with integrated crane and accessories

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with support from the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project (FISP), developed the electric vehicle (EV)-crane, a modified electric cart equipped with a rigid swivel-mounted crane and integrated accessory holders. The EV-crane was developed to improve the efficiency and safety of fluvial sediment and water-quality sampling from bridges. USGS field staff have relied on foldable cranes on a four-wheeled base or nonstandardized platforms, such as utility terrain vehicle (UTV) mounted cranes, which highlight the need for a safer, standardized, and more adaptable solution. This redesigned platform replaces the foldable cranes on a four-wheeled base with a compact, powered system that reduces physical strain, enhances operator safety, and streamlines field operations on bridges. Dedicated holders for samplers, a controller, batteries, counterweights, and a field computer or tablet create a versatile, organized workspace that supports a wide range of sampling and heavy-lift applications. The EV-crane described here is version 1 of the prototype. Evaluation of the design is ongoing, and the findings summarized here are from initial qualitative user feedback and early quantitative testing. Potential plans may include additional testing and refinement to inform subsequent design iterations.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2018

Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications

We summarize the results of a recent interagency assessment of land carbon dynamics in Alaska, in which carbon dynamics were estimated for all major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for the historical period (1950–2009) and a projection period (2010–2099). Between 1950 and 2009, upland and wetland (i.e., terrestrial) ecosystems of the state gained 0.4 Tg C/yr (0.1% of net primary production, NPP), resulting in a cumulative greenhouse gas radiative forcing of 1.68 × 10 −3 W/m 2 . The change in carbon storage is spatially variable with the region of the Northwest Boreal Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) losing carbon because of fire disturbance. The combined carbon transport via various pathways through inland aquatic ecosystems of Alaska was estimated to be 41.3 Tg C/yr (17% of terrestrial NPP). During the projection period (2010–2099), carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystems of Alaska was projected to increase (22.5–70.0 Tg C/yr), primarily because of NPP increases of 10–30% associated with responses to rising atmospheric CO 2 , increased nitrogen cycling, and longer growing seasons. Although carbon emissions to the atmosphere from wildfire and wetland CH 4 were projected to increase for all of the climate projections, the increases in NPP more than compensated for those losses at the statewide level. Carbon dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems continue to warm the climate for four of the six future projections and cool the climate for only one of the projections. The attribution analyses we conducted indicated that the response of NPP in terrestrial ecosystems to rising atmospheric CO 2 (~5% per 100 ppmv CO 2 ) saturates as CO 2 increases (between approximately +150 and +450 ppmv among projections). This response, along with the expectation that permafrost thaw would be much greater and release large quantities of permafrost carbon after 2100, suggests that projected carbon gains in terrestrial ecosystems of Alaska may not be sustained. From a national perspective, inclusion of all of Alaska in greenhouse gas inventory reports would ensure better accounting of the overall greenhouse gas balance of the nation and provide a foundation for considering mitigation activities in areas that are accessible enough to support substantive deployment.

Alaska↗

USGS1991

Walleye in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair

The history and current status of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) stocks in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair are reviewed in relation to their exploitation by commercial and recreational fishermen, environmental factors, rehabilitation efforts, and community dynamics. Management initiatives and stock recovery under these processes are outlined. After the collapse of the fishery in 1957, the highly productive walleye stock of western Lake Erie remained depressed through the 1960s, while the eastern basin stock remained stable. Closure of the fishery for walleye from 1970-73 because of mercury contamination provided an opportunity for the development of an international interagency management plan. With quota management, the walleye stock in western Lake Erie responded well to limited exploitation, steadily increased, and expanded its range. As population expanded, growth began to decline and was more apparent in the young-of-the-year (YOY) in the 1970s, and in older walleye in the late 1970s and 1980s. At the turn of the century, commercial harvest of walleye in Lake St. Clair ranged from 12-127 tonnes annually. A relatively stable period from 1910-59 was followed by significantly increased harvests (100-150 t) in 1959-65. This increase was a result of increased commercial exploitation as well as an increased abundance of walleye. After the mercury contamination problem of 1970, angling effort and harvest was reduced but then gradually increased in Ontario waters from 37 t in 1973 to 62 t in 1988. The increased mean age of the stock during the early 1970s was due to a few strong year-classes (1970, 1972, and 1974) as well as a period of stable or reduced catch per unit effort. With the current mean age not reduced significantly, the stocks of walleye should continue to provide good yields.

Special Publication↗

USGS1989

Gazetteer of the Antarctic

This gazetteer lists antarctic names approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names and by the Secretary of the Interior. The Board is the interagency body created by law to standardize and promulgate geographic names for official purposes. As the official standard for names in Antarctica, the gazetteer assures accuracy and uniformity for the specialist and the general user alike. Unlike the last (1981) edition, now out of print, the book contains neither historical notes nor textual descriptions of features. The gazetteer contains names of features in Antarctica and the area extending northward to the Antarctic Convergence that have been approved by the Board as recently as mid-1989. It supersedes previous Board gazetteers for the area. For each geographic feature, the book contains the name, cross references if any, and latitude and longitude. Coverage corresponds to that of maps at the scale of 1:250,000 or larger for islands, coastal Antarctica, and mountains and ranges of the continent. Much of the interior of Antarctica, an ice plateau, has been mapped at a smaller scale and is nearly devoid of features and toponyms. All of the names are for natural features; scientific stations are not listed. For the names of submarine features, reference should be made to the Gazetteer of Undersea Features, U.S. Board on Geographic Names (1981).

Report↗

USGS1993

Streamflow and sediment-transport data, Colorado River and three tributaries in Grand Canyon, Arizona, 1983 and 1985-86

The U.S. Geological Survey collected streamflow and sediment-transport data at 5 streamflow-gaging stations on the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead as a part of an interagency environmental study. The data were collected for about 6 mo in 1983 and about 4 mo in 1985-86; data also were collected at 3 sites on tributary streams in 1983. The data were used for development of unsteady flow-routing and sediment-transport models, sand-load rating curves, and evaluation of channel changes. For the 1983 sampling period, 1,076 composite cross-section suspended-sediment samples were analyzed; 809 of these samples were collected on the main stem of the Colorado River and 267 samples were from the tributaries. Bed-material samples were obtained at 1,988 verticals; 161 samples of material in transport near the bed (bedload) were collected to define the location of sand, gravel, and bed rock in the channel cross section; and 664 discharge measurements were made. For the 1985-86 sampling period, 765 composite cross-section suspended-sediment samples and 887 individual vertical samples from cross sections were analyzed. Bed-material samples were obtained at 531 verticals, 159 samples of bedload were collected, and 218 discharge measurements were made. All data are presented in tabular form. Some types of data also are presented in graphs to better show trends or variations. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1976

Summary appraisals of the nation's ground-water resources – California region

Most people in the California Region live in a semiarid or arid climate, with precipitation less than the potential evapotranspiration- environments of perennial water deficiency. The deficiency becomes most onerous during the characteristically rainless summers and during recurrent droughts that may continue for 10--20 years. However, water from winter rain and snow can be stored for use during the dry summer months, and water stored during a wet climatic period can be used in a succeeding dry period; moreover, perennial deficiency can be overcome by bringing water from areas of perennial surplus. Ground-water reservoirs have especial significance in arid and semiarid regions as repositories where water is stored or can be stored with minimum loss by evaporation. Nearly all the ground-water reservoirs of the California Region are in alluvial sediments of valleys and plains that flank the mountain ranges. The largest, underlying the vast Central Valley, occupies 10 percent of the area of the region, has an estimated usable capacity exceeding 100 million acre-feet (125 cubic kilometres), and has an annual pumpage from wells of about 13 million acre-feet (16 cubic kilometres). Another 10 percent of the region is occupied by 55 developed ground-water reservoirs that are widely distributed; aggregate annual pumpage from them is about 3 1/2 million acre-feet (4 cubic kilometres). In the southeastern desert about 60 ground-water reservoirs occupy still another 10 percent of the region; these have been explored only enough to show that most have some usable water, but current use is negligible. In northeastern California and adjacent Oregon and Nevada, ground-water reservoirs are identified only in valleys and lowlands where wells are feasible, but basaltic rocks of the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau are excellent aquifers distributed over an area constituting about 15 percent of the region. In sum, slightly less than half the California Region is underlain by ground-water reservoirs, either in valley fill or in volcanic rocks, which can yield significant quantities of water to wells. The rest of the California Region includes the mountains, canyons, slopes, and foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and Basin Ranges, whose consolidated rocks and products of their weathering may be permeable locally but are not generally so. Here, the prevailing method of ground-water development is still mostly trial and error, and while in many places a well can yield enough water for a family, some families might have to do without amenities such as flush toilets and automatic washers. For more than half a century the California Region has led all others in North America in pumping of ground water as well as in the area, variety, yield, and export of crops irrigated by water from wells. It has led in the development and use of deep-well turbine pumps for large yield and in the drilling of water wells to great depths. At the same time, such developments have resulted in the elimination of artesian pressures that produced thousands of flowing wells in the 19th century and led to the wide distribution of "falling water tables." Also, California was first to induce encroachment of seawater into wells (in 1906); first to recognize subsidence of land caused by pumping from wells (in 1933), generating news about land sinking in San Jose, Long Beach, and along the Delta-Mendota and Friant-Kern Canals; and first to experience pollution of ground-water reservoirs by brines, chemicals, industrial wastes, and petroleum byproducts including gasoline. The region has led in research in several fields leading to solution of many of these problems. Ground-water problems developed rapidly after World War II with booming population, agriculture, industry, and water demand during several years of regionwide drought. Water levels in wells trended downward almost everywhere as a natural effect of the drought and at accelerated rates in areas of pumping for new enterprises or to supplement subnormal surface-water supplies. The declines in many pumping areas exceeded 100 feet (30 metres), and in some confined aquifers the potentiometric surface was drawn down more than 330 feet (100 metres). The depletion of ground-water storage has had "permanent" side effects, including subsidence of the land exceeding 10 feet (3 metres) in extensive areas, and seawater intrusion that ended the useful lives of many wells along the coast and as much as 6 miles (10 kilometres) inland. Some problems have been solved, but these solutions have at times created other problems. Many ground-water reservoirs have gone through one or more stages - exploration for productive aquifers, exploitation and development for use of the water, restriction to the perennial supply or "safe" yield, importation of surface water, artificial recharge of ground water, conjunctive use of surface and ground water, protection of water quality, and integrated management of use and disposal of water. This evolutionary sequence is unique for each reservoir, and so generalizations become difficult in a regional appraisal; also, the changes with time are significant and varied, and knowledge of prior events is a prerequisite in an appraisal of the resource in a specific year. As of 1970, water levels in many wells had risen significantly from the minimum levels of record reached during the 1960's or earlier; only in areas of new development and in desert areas of long-continued "mining" of nonreplenished water was ground-water storage still being depleted. Land subsidence has continued at diminishing rates and practically has come to a halt in some areas; invading seawater has been stopped or nudged back in most places where problems were significant. The current, favorable situation has been helped by climatic variations, from drought in 1945-52 and exceedingly dry years in 1959 and 1961 to above-normal precipitation in 1969 and 1970; but most of the serious problems have been solved by human efforts, including especially the implementation of the California Water Plan, transporting water from areas of perennial surplus to areas where it is used in lieu of ground water or for ground-water replenishment. All major urban areas now import water to supplement or replace the water pumped from wells. Extensive agricultural areas that formerly were irrigated solely by ground water now obtain some of their water from surface reservoirs and canals, especially in the Central Valley. With surface water available as an alternative supply, well owners can view their ground water with complacency. But complacency can lead to neglect and carelessness and consequent deterioration of the ground-water resource by pollution. Claiming heritage from the English Common Law, the existing California law grants to the landowner (riparian) and private enterprise (appropriator) rights to the water stored in ground-water reservoirs or discharged from them, including the base flow of streams. Ground-water development has been by private and local enterprise, and the California legislature has protected and encouraged local responsibility, control, and management of ground water. As to surface water, a constitutional amendment in 1928 limited riparian rights to the quantities of water that were "reasonably required for the beneficial use to be served." The surpluses have become public waters which are collected, stored, transported, and delivered under various contracts by Federal, State, and other agencies. The agencies have not stored water underground because of uncertainty as to their rights, but some local agencies have been encouraged with favorable pricing schedules to undertake the artificial recharge and management of ground-water reservoirs. Thus, conjunctive use of surface and ground water has become a matter of interagency negotiation. Of all the constraints on effective use of ground-water reservoirs, the most formidable may be the attitudes of people. Assurance of water supply is vital in areas of water deficiency, and Government has assumed increasing responsibility for the welfare of people in these areas. Unfortunately, when Government provides this assurance, most beneficiaries demand continued subsidy to the exclusion of perhaps cheaper private development. Indeed, as the water resources are presently segregated-with private rights predominant in ground water and public interest dominant in surface water-ground-water development has suffered for lack of public concern. The region has the scientific and technologic capability for effective use of groundwater reservoirs, as shown by the achievements and programs of several districts, but many districts are not organized or staffed for such comprehensive management and will need assistance and scientific expertise available from State and Federal agencies. Those agencies, in turn, may not have the scientific data that are essential to prevent haphazard activities and to enable programs to be organized for the most effective and attractive utilization of the water resources. In these days of increasing concern over pollution, existing data are generally inadequate to assess the natural deterioration of ground waters as a basis for defining pollution.

California↗

USGS1985

Population dynamics and interagency management of the bloater (Coregonus hoyi) in Lake Michigan, 1967-1982

This paper examines the population dynamics of the bloater (Coregonus hoyi) in Lake Michigan during a progressive decline in abundance from about the mid1960s through the mid1970s, and during a subsequent recovery that is still underway. The study focused on developing a data base and methodology for projecting fishable surpluses, in cooperation with a chub technical committee sponsored by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The Technical Committee was formed in 1974 because of depletion of bloaters and other deepwater ciscoes or 'chubs,' as they are known by Great Lakes fishermen. Subsequently the Technical Committee recommended a lakewide ban on chub fishing that was fully enacted by the states of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin in 1976. With the Committee's help, commercial fishery statistics and stock assessment data were obtained from state and federal research files and used with various indirect analytical techniques to estimate relevant population parameters. The lakewide fishable stock in fall 1973, before the fishery was affected by several incomplete closures and then by the lakewide ban, was estimated as 48 to 73 million bloaters weighing 20 to 29 million pounds. Exploitation of the estimated stock varied considerably among 11 statistical districts in the several jurisdictions. Yield to the fishery exceeded production by the stock in some districts. Theoretical yields of bloaters totaling 3.59 to 3.72 million pounds were projected from 1979 for all waters combined. These projected yields were intended as guidelines for experimental quotas that the states might establish, because the population had stabilized and the potential for recruitment had improved in most areas.

Technical Report↗

USGS1999

Peak-flow frequency relations and evaluation of the peak-flow gaging network in Nebraska

Estimates of peak-flow magnitude and frequency are required for the efficient design of structures that convey flood flows or occupy floodways, such as bridges, culverts, and roads. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Nebraska Department of Roads, conducted a study to update peak-flow frequency analyses for selected streamflow-gaging stations, develop a new set of peak-flow frequency relations for ungaged streams, and evaluate the peak-flow gaging-station network for Nebraska. Data from stations located in or within about 50 miles of Nebraska were analyzed using guidelines of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data in Bulletin 17B. New generalized skew relations were developed for use in frequency analyses of unregulated streams. Thirty-three drainage-basin characteristics related to morphology, soils, and precipitation were quantified using a geographic information system, related computer programs, and digital spatial data.For unregulated streams, eight sets of regional regression equations relating drainage-basin to peak-flow characteristics were developed for seven regions of the state using a generalized least squares procedure. Two sets of regional peak-flow frequency equations were developed for basins with average soil permeability greater than 4 inches per hour, and six sets of equations were developed for specific geographic areas, usually based on drainage-basin boundaries. Standard errors of estimate for the 100-year frequency equations (1percent probability) ranged from 12.1 to 63.8 percent. For regulated reaches of nine streams, graphs of peak flow for standard frequencies and distance upstream of the mouth were estimated.The regional networks of streamflow-gaging stations on unregulated streams were analyzed to evaluate how additional data might affect the average sampling errors of the newly developed peak-flow equations for the 100-year frequency occurrence. Results indicated that data from new stations, rather than more data from existing stations, probably would produce the greatest reduction in average sampling errors of the equations.

Nebraska↗

USGS1989

Acid rain publications by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1979-1989

Pollution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has been a concern to society since the burning of fossil fuels began in the industrial revolution. In the past decade or so, this concern has been heightened by evidence that chemical transformation in the atmosphere of combustion by-products and subsequent long-range transport can cause environmental damage in remote areas. The extent of this damage and the rates of ecological recovery were largely unknown. "Acid rain" became the environmental issue of the 1980's. To address the increasing concerns of the public, in 1980 the Federal government initiated a 10-year interagency research program to develop information that could be used by the President and the Congress in making decisions for emission controls. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been an active participant in acid precipitation research. The Service provided support to a number of scientific conferences and forums, including the Action Seminar on Acid Precipitation held in Toronto, Canada, in 1979, an international symposium on Acidic Precipitation and Fishery Impacts in Northeastern North America in 1981, and a symposium on Acidic Precipitation and Atmospheric Deposition: A Western Perspective in 1982. These meetings as well as the growing involvement with the government's National Acidic Precipitation Assessment Program placed the Service in the lead in research on the biological effects of acidic deposition. Research projects have encompassed water chemistry, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, fish, and waterfowl. Water quality surveys have been conducted to help determine the extent of acid precipitation effects in the northeast, Middle Atlantic, and Rocky Mountain regions. In addition to lake and stream studies, research in wetland and some terrestrial habitats has also been conducted. Specific projects have addressed important sport species such as brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Trace metal accumulation in fish has been investigated and a symposium sponsored on related work. U.S> Fish and Wildlife Service scientists serve as advisors and participants in research being conducted by industry, nonprofit groups, State and other Federal agencies. Researcher have worked closely with colleagues in Canada, England, Norway, Scotland, the Soviet Union, and Sweden to gain additional understanding of the problem. In 1982, the Service implemented a mitigation research program to provide resource managers with information to help them protect sensitive ecosystems, and rehabilitation methods for resources already affected by acidification. An international workshop was convened to outline the research needs. Several conferences were organized to develop appropriate field and laboratory procedures. Scientists with the mitigation research program are evaluating the ecological effects of liming (addition of base material) surface waters and surrounding watershed to provide buffering against acidic inputs. Through long-term cooperative project with States and other organizations, investigations are studying possible abatement methods for regions most affected by acidic deposition. To date, more than 200 reports the describe these studies have been published. These products include conference proceedings, journal articles, and in-house scientific publications. An education poster describing the effects of acid rain on aquatic ecosystems was developed and distributed to individuals, conservations and State organizations, and the public education system. This annotated bibliography lists current publications by Service authors, cooperators, or contractors on acid rain and related quality. Entire are arranged alphabetically by author surname. For further information about the research program, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Acid Precipitation Section, National Fishery Research Center -- Leetown, Box 700, Kearneysville, WV 25430.

Biological Report↗

USGS2014

Flood-inundation maps for the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 2013

A series of 28 digital flood-inundation maps was developed for an approximate 25-mile reach of the Susquehanna River in the vicinity of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The study was selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) national Silver Jackets program, which supports interagency teams at the state level to coordinate and collaborate on flood-risk management. This study to produce flood-inundation maps was the result of a collaborative effort between the USACE, National Weather Service (NWS), Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), The Harrisburg Authority, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These maps are accessible through Web-mapping applications associated with the NWS, SRBC, and USGS. The maps can be used in conjunction with the real-time stage data from the USGS streamgage 01570500, Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pa., and NWS flood-stage forecasts to help guide the general public in taking individual safety precautions and will provide local municipal officials with a tool to efficiently manage emergency flood operations and flood mitigation efforts. The maps were developed using the USACE HEC–RAS and HEC–GeoRAS programs to compute water-surface profiles and to delineate estimated flood-inundation areas for selected stream stages. The maps show estimated flood-inundation areas overlaid on high-resolution, georeferenced, aerial photographs of the study area for stream stages at 1-foot intervals between 11 feet and 37 feet (which include NWS flood categories Action, Flood, Moderate, and Major) and the June 24, 1972, peak-of-record flood event at a stage of 33.27 feet at the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pa., streamgage.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1995

Effects of 1992 farming systems on ground-water quality at the management systems evaluation area near Princeton, Minnesota

The Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) program was a multiscale, interagency initiative to evaluate the effects of agricultural systems on water quality in the midwest corn belt. The primary objective of the Minnesota MSEA was to evaluate the effects of ridge-tillage practices in a corn and soybean farming system on ground-water quality. The 65-hectare Minnesota MSEA was located in the Anoka Sand Plain near the town of Princeton, Minnesota. Three fanning systems were evaluated: corn-soybean rotation with ridge-tillage (areas B and D), sweet corn-potato rotation (areas A and C), and field corn in consecutive years (continuous corn; area E). Water samples were collected four different times per year from a network of 22 multiport wells and 29 observation wells installed in the saturated zone beneath and adjacent to the cropped areas. Bromide and chloride were used as tracers of water recharged through the cropped areas during 1992. Bromide applied in May 1992 was first detected above background levels between August 1992 and April 1993. Thus, the time of travel of water and bromide moving through the unsaturated zone during 1992 ranged from 3 to 11 months. Chloride applied to area C (sweet corn) in April 1992 was first detected above the residual levels of 1991 chloride applications in April 1993, 12 months after the chemical was applied. Chloride applies to areas A, B, D, and E in April 1992 was not detected above the residual effects from 1991 chloride applications. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer applied in 1992 on area C (potatoes) was first detected above background concentrations and the residual effects of the 1991 farming practices in April 1993, 12 months after application. Effects of 1992 N fertilizer applications on area E (continuous com) generally could not be distinguished from the effects of downgradient of area E were consistently greater than background concentrations during August 1992 through April 1993. These concentrations greater than background levels indicate that some N fertilizer applied to the continuous com crop during 1991 reached the water table. Nitrogen fertilizer applied on areas A, B, and D during 1992 could not be distinguished from the residual effects of the 1991 fanning practices but were detected above background concentrations. Atrazine concentrations beneath the cropped areas were generally indistinguishable from background concentrations. Atrazine was detected in 58 percent of the 361 ground water samples collected beneath cropped and buffer areas during June 1992 through April 1993. Most detections were at trace levels, between the detection limit of 0.01 micrograms per liter ( μ g/L) and the reporting limit of 0.04 μ g/L. De-ethylatrazine (DEA) was detected more frequently during June 1992 through April 1993 (78 percent of the 361 samples) and in greater concentrations than any other herbicide or herbicide metabolite, with a median concentration of 0.07 μ g/L. The maximum DEA concentration of 0.77 μ g/L was detected near the water table in the middle of area E (continuous corn) during April 1993. The likely source of this DEA detection was application of atrazine to area E during 1991-93. Additional data will be needed to conclusively evaluate whether atrazine applied as part of the MSEA farming systems reached the water table. Results indicate that the effects of the 1992 potassium-chloride and N fertilizer applications were reduced compared to the effects of 1991 applications. The most important factors associated with these differences were lower chemical application rates and lower recharge rates during 1992 than during 1991. Some of the chloride and N fertilizer applied to the cropped areas in 1992 likely did not reach the saturated zone in 1993 due to a 60-percent reduction in recharge compared to 1991. Therefore, analysis of data from additional years will be required to fully evaluate the effects of the fanning systems on ground-water quality.

Minnesota↗

USGS2011

Proceedings of the Fourth Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds—Observing, Studying, and Managing for Change

These proceedings contain the abstracts, manuscripts, and posters of presentations given at the Fourth Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds—Observing, Studying, and Managing for Change, held at the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska, September 26–30, 2011. The conference was jointly hosted by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Watersheds face resource impacts driven by accelerated change related to land use, population, and climate. About every three years a conference is held to bring together watershed researchers, observers, and managers to share scientific advances and management strategies. This year, the Fourth ICRW took a wider perspective on watershed science and examined some pressing issues of watershed science and management in our largest and perhaps most vulnerable state, Alaska. The purpose of the conference was to better understand the processes driving change and help managers incorporate societal needs and scientific uncertainty in the management of natural resources. The conference echoed similar themes to the last, highlighting the challenges of managing watersheds based on available science when considerably uncertainty remains regarding the hypothesized relationships between observed environmental changes and their ultimate effects. For example, while the scientific case for anthropogenic climate change has been well presented, confirming possible cause and effect relationships between climatic change and physical and ecological impacts in highly variable, natural systems continues to represent a scientific challenge. This goal becomes even more difficult when superimposed upon a long history of natural resource and land management practices that have fundamentally changed the physical, chemical and biological processes important in maintaining naturally functioning ecosystems. Designing and implementing studies to better understand watersheds and clearly communicating the findings to decisionmakers will be the primary challenge for natural resource scientists and managers into the foreseeable future.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2026

The US XPD-24–200—An isokinetic suspended-sediment and water-quality collapsible-bag sampler with point- or depth-integrating sampling capabilities

Accurate collection of fluvial suspended‑sediment and water‑quality samples is essential for understanding transport processes, evaluating river health, quantifying loads, and supporting regulatory and management decisions. Since 1939, the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project (FISP) has led the development and standardization of sediment‑sampling equipment and methods across Federal agencies. Although substantial advancements have been made, the most recent point‑integrating sampler developed in 2006 has notable limitations, including insufficient sample volume for low‑concentration analyses and a mechanically complex pressure‑equalization system required for a rigid-bottle sample container. To address these limitations, FISP collaborated with Carnet Technology to design, fabricate, and test a new collapsible‑bag sampler capable of collecting larger sample volumes and operating as either a point‑integrating or depth‑integrating sampler. The resulting sampler, the US XPD‑24‑200, was evaluated through controlled tow‑tank tests and field testing in a lake environment. Results indicate that the US XPD‑24‑200 can collect a 5.5-fold increase in maximum sample volume than a pre-existing point sampler developed in 2006. The US XPD‑24‑200 performs isokinetically within the expected intake efficiency (IE) range under most conditions. Approximately 73 percent of IEs fell within the target range of 0.9–1.1. A mild bias was observed with IE values outside this range that were predominantly lower than 0.9 and occurred most frequently at the lower test velocities, whereas only 2 percent of IEs exceeded 1.1, primarily at the highest velocities tested. Tow‑tank tests produced tightly clustered IE values with low variability, demonstrating stable performance under controlled conditions. Lake towing tests exhibited more variability, reflecting natural environmental influences such as turbulence, temperature gradients, and unsteady inflow. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the US XPD‑24‑200 provides reliable IEs comparable to existing samplers while offering increased sample volume, reduced mechanical complexity, and enhanced operational flexibility.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2011

Assessment of potential effects of water produced from coalbed natural gas development on macroinvertebrate and algal communities in the Powder River and Tongue River, Wyoming and Montana, 2010

Ongoing development of coalbed natural gas in the Powder River structural basin in Wyoming and Montana led to formation of an interagency aquatic task group to address concerns about the effects of the resulting production water on biological communities in streams of the area. Ecological assessments, made from 2005–08 under the direction of the task group, indicated biological condition of the macroinvertebrate and algal communities in the middle reaches of the Powder was lower than in the upper or lower reaches. On the basis of the 2005–08 results, sampling of the macroinvertebrate and algae communities was conducted at 18 sites on the mainstem Powder River and 6 sites on the mainstem Tongue River in 2010. Sampling-site locations were selected on a paired approach, with sites located upstream and downstream of discharge points and tributaries associated with coalbed natural gas development. Differences in biological condition among site pairs were evaluated graphically and statistically using multiple lines of evidence that included macroinvertebrate and algal community metrics (such as taxa richness, relative abundance, functional feeding groups, and tolerance) and output from observed/expected (O/E) macroinvertebrate models from Wyoming and Montana. Multiple lines of evidence indicated a decline in biological condition in the middle reaches of the Powder River, potentially indicating cumulative effects from coalbed natural gas discharges within one or more reaches between Flying E Creek and Wild Horse Creek in Wyoming. The maximum concentrations of alkalinity in the Powder River also occurred in the middle reaches. Biological condition in the upper and lower reaches of the Powder River was variable, with declines between some site pairs, such as upstream and downstream of Dry Fork and Willow Creek, and increases at others, such as upstream and downstream of Beaver Creek. Biological condition at site pairs on the Tongue River showed an increase in one case, near the Wyoming-Montana border, and a decrease in another case, upstream of Tongue River Reservoir. Few significant differences were noted from upstream to downstream of Prairie Dog Creek, a major tributary to the Tongue River. Further study would be needed to confirm the observed patterns and choose areas to examine in greater detail.

Wyoming;Montana↗