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USGS2025

Maintaining frog monitoring and population on the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area

This report summarizes and analyzes the data collected on the Chiricahua Leopard Frog (CLF) populations on the Las Ciénegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA) in southeast Arizona, U.S.A., during the reporting period covered under this funding agreement from September 2020 through October 2024 and place this analysis in historical context of the previous monitoring efforts. The major findings of this report are: 1. We conducted a total of 465 surveys across 46 sites on the LCNCA and the associated Elgin Buffer Zone during September 2020 through October 2024. We conducted 323 surveys across the 19 core CLF monitoring sites on the LCNCA and 112 surveys across 13 core buffer zone sites. 2. We detected CLF at each of our 19 core LCNCA monitoring sites during at least one year in which we conducted surveys across the year’s entire field season (i.e., 2021-2024). We detected CLF reproduction in each of these four years at four sites and suspected reproduction to have occurred during all four years at a fifth site. We did not detect CLF reproduction at seven of these 19 core monitoring sites during the report period. We assisted with six CLF translocations to sites on the LCNA during the report period. 3. Site occupancy rates across the LCNCA during the report period remain consistent with those reported during previous years and continue to indicate the presence of a stable CLF metapopulation within the LCNCA. 4. Monitoring efforts in the Elgin Buffer Zone continue to be successful at preventing reinvasion by invasive American bullfrogs to the LCNCA. We detected and removed bullfrogs from three sites in the Elgin Buffer Zone and no bullfrogs were detected during 2024. The LCNCA continues to remain bullfrog free since 2014.

Arizona↗

USGS1984

Summary geologic report for the North Aleutian shelf (OCS) planning area, Bering Sea, Alaska

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2007

Water quality on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation, northeastern Kansas, June 1996 through August 2006

This report describes surface- and ground-water-quality data collected on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation in northeastern Kansas from November 2003 through August 2006 (hereinafter referred to as the "current study period"). Data from this study period are compared to results from June 1996 through August 2003, which are published in previous reports as part of a multiyear cooperative study with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Surface and ground water are valuable resources to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation as tribal members currently (2007) use area streams to fulfill subsistence hunting and fishing needs and because ground water potentially could support expanding commercial enterprise and development. Surface-water-quality samples collected from November 2003 through August 2006 were analyzed for physical properties, dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, fecal-indicator bacteria, suspended-sediment concentration, and total suspended solids. Ground-water samples were analyzed for physical properties, dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, and fecal-indicator bacteria. Chemical oxygen demand and volatile organic compounds were analyzed in all three samples from one monitoring well located near a construction and demolition landfill on the reservation, and in one sample from another well in the Soldier Creek drainage basin. Previous reports published as a part of this ongoing study identified total phosphorus, triazine herbicides, and fecal coliform bacteria as exceeding their respective water-quality criteria in surface water on the reservation. Previous ground-water assessments identified occasional sample concentrations of dissolved solids, sodium, sulfate, boron, iron, and manganese as exceeding their respective water-quality criteria. Fifty-six percent of the 55 surface-water samples collected during the current study period and analyzed for total phosphorus exceeded the goal of 0.1 mg/L (milligram per liter) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to limit cultural eutrophication in flowing water. Concentrations of dissolved solids frequently exceeded the USEPA Secondary Drinking-Water Regulation (SDWR) of 500 mg/L in samples from two sites. Concentrations of sodium exceeded the Drinking-Water Advisory of 20 mg/L set by USEPA in almost 50 percent of the surface-water samples. All four samples analyzed for atrazine concentrations showed some concentration of the pesticide, but none exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) established for drinking water by USEPA of 3.0 µg/L (micrograms per liter) as an annual average. A triazine herbicide screen was used on 55 surface-water samples, and triazine compounds were frequently detected. Triazine herbicides and their degradates are listed on the USEPA Contaminant Candidate List. In 41 percent of surface-water samples, densities of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) bacteria exceeded the primary contact, single-sample maximum in public-access bodies of water (1,198 colonies per 100 milliliters of water for samples collected between April 1 and October 31) set by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations in all three water samples from 1 of 10 monitoring wells exceeded the MCL of 10 mg/L established by USEPA for drinking water. Arsenic concentrations in all three samples from one well exceeded the proposed MCL of 10 µg/L established by USEPA for drinking water. Boron also exceeded the drinking-water advisory in three samples from one well, and iron concentrations were higher than the SDWR in water from four wells. There was some detection of pesticides in ground-water samples from three of the wells, and one detection of the volatile organic compound diethyl ether in one well. Concentrations of dissolved solids exceeded the SDWR in 20 percent of ground-water samples collected during the current study period, and concentrations of sulfate and chloride exceeded their respective SDWR in 10 percent of the ground-water samples. Concentrations exceeded the Drinking-Water Advisory Level set by USEPA for sodium in 50 percent of the ground-water samples. Results from the current study period remained similar to results from previous study periods. The median triazine herbicide concentration (triazine screen by ELISA) for the current study period decreased slightly compared to past study periods. In the event that ground water on the reservation is to be used as a drinking-water source, additional treatment may be necessary to remove excess dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride.

Kansas↗

USGS2025

O Romeo! Environmental DNA could prevent a tragedy for the elusive Chucky Madtom (Noturus crypticus)

Using environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance methods, we report the first evidence of the persistence of the Chucky Madtom ( Noturus crypticus ) in Little Chucky Creek, Tennessee, which has been absent from conventional surveys since 2004, and in Dunn Creek, Tennessee, where it was last collected in 1940. This highlights the utility of eDNA for detecting cryptic, rare fish species that may persist at extremely low population densities when conventional surveys fail, as well as its effectiveness as a contemporary tool to guide targeted conventional sampling efforts; however, it is not intended to replace the ‘in hand’ detection of the species.

Tennessee↗

USGS2022

Five years of monitoring a bio-engineered living shoreline: Comparison of oyster population development by reef technology.

The Living Shoreline Demonstration Project (PO-148) used five bio-engineered reef technologies (Reef Balls in two configurations; Figure 1) acting as breakwaters to protect vulnerable shorelines. While the primary goal is to attenuate wave energy, the sustainability and success of these products as “living” shorelines are based on their ability to enhance oyster habitat, enabling the reef to maintain elevation within the rapidly changing environment (i.e., sea level rise, subsidence). This report documents the recruitment, survival, and growth of the living components of the reef – oysters and other encrusting organisms (e.g. mussels, barnacles). This final technical report provides data from five years of monitoring (November 2017 – December 2021) of reefs located along the western side of Eloi Bay in Pontchartrain Basin (Figure 2). Monitoring goals included assessment of (1) annual oyster densities and population dynamics on the reefs, (2) annual density and diversity of other encrusting organisms, and (3) comparisons of outcomes by reef technology, exposure, and water quality. Detailed information on technologies used, construction design, as-built elevations are available in Coast & Harbor Engineering (2016) Design Memorandum dated March 25, 2016, submitted to Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Louisiana↗

USGS1975

1974 earthquake summary reported by the National Earthquake Information Service

For the second consecutive year, earthquake activity in the United States and around the world was below the long term average according to the National Earthquake Information Service (NEIS) in Golden, Colorado. However, more than 5,300 earthquake-related deaths were reported in 1974, up sharply from the approximately 650 deaths in 1973. On the basis of data collected by nearly 600 cooperating seismograph stations around the world, the NEIS reported 13 major shocks and no great shocks as compared with a long term average of 18 major and one great earthquake per year.

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗

USGS2024

Environmental DNA reveals invasion of Puerto Rican waterways by non-native Clarias catfish

The Sharptooth walking catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) is native to parts of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa but is one of the world's most invasive freshwater fish species. The species’ ability to invade is partly due to its ability to breathe atmospheric oxygen, thereby avoiding hypoxia or poor water quality in receiving waterbodies; further, it can crawl over moist land to disperse to new systems. In 2018, two individuals purported to be Sharptooth walking catfish were collected and identified within the Canal de Patillas, a canal in the Guayama municipality in southeastern Puerto Rico. Several other specimens were also collected the following year. Given that this invasion was in its infancy, environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance was employed as a rapid and efficient surveillance tool to help delineate the extent of this invasion. Water samples were collected and analyzed for Clarias eDNA from 66 sites encompassing a wide range of habitats in canals, lakes, and a river surrounding the area where they were first reported. Using eDNA-metabarcoding, we detected Clarias eDNA at 40 of the 63 sites throughout the sampled waterbodies. Furthermore, our molecular analysis indicated that the Whitespotted Clarias ( C. fuscus ) is the likely invader, and the original specimens, classified as C. gariepinus , were misidentified based on the use of morphological rather than genetic features for species classification. Environmental DNA surveillance indicated that the distribution of Clarias catfish in this system is substantially more extensive than previously documented. These findings suggest that additional survey efforts could help determine the invasion's full spatial extent and leading edge to inform the scope and scale of any potential management responses.

Puerto Rico↗

USGS2019

Recruitment dynamics and reproductive ecology of Blue Sucker in Texas, with a focus on the Big Bend region of the Rio Grande

Blue Sucker Cycleptus elongatus is a state-listed threatened species in Texas and is considered vulnerable throughout its range. Once considered a single, wide-ranging species, blue suckers are now recognized as a complex of closely related, but genetically and morphologically distinct species within the genus Cycleptus , including an undescribed species within the Rio Grande Basin. Numerous factors likely are driving the decline of blue suckers in Texas, including flow alteration, water quality, habitat fragmentation, and changing land-use patterns, but it is not clear how these factors interact to influence the abundance and distribution of the species. Our research integrates a variety of methodologies to provide information critical to the conservation and management of Blue Sucker in the Sabine River (Texas and Louisiana) and Colorado River (Texas) and Rio Grande Blue Sucker Cycleptus sp. cf. elongatus in the Rio Grande. The objectives of this report are to 1) determine the habitat associations of the young-of-year (YOY) Rio Grande Blue Sucker; 2) assess the effects of flow regime on growth and recruitment of Blue Sucker in the lower Sabine River; and 3) examine differences in life-history traits of Blue Suckers and flow regime across river basins in Texas. This study is the first to quantitatively address the sequence of YOY blue sucker mesohabitat use and increases our understanding of early life history of blue suckers, and the results of this work will help to develop conservation and management strategies, e.g., prioritizing conservation areas, developing flow recommendation, etc., for blue suckers throughout their geographic distribution.

Texas↗

USGS2022

Use of a riverscape-scale model of fundamental physical habitat requirements for freshwater mussels to quantify mussel declines in a mining-contaminated stream: The Big River, Old Lead Belt, Southeast Missouri

The research described in this report was conducted as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process in the Big River. Our purpose was to compare habitat features and landscape factors that may be important for the establishment and persistence of mussel concentrations between the Big River and the adjacent Bourbeuse and Meramec rivers, thereby testing their appropriateness as reference systems for establishing baseline expectations of mussel populations in the absence of mining impacts for the Big River. Based on these comparisons and a published model dileneating suitable habitat for freshwater mussels, we establish expected baseline conditions related to suitable freshwater mussel habitat in the Big River to assist injury determination for mining-related impacts in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District Natural Resource Damage Assessment case.

Missouri↗

USGS2017

Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2013–September 2015

North Carolina↗

USGS2012

Science summary in support of Manatee Protection Area (MPA) design in Puerto Rico

The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is listed as endangered by the US Department of Interior. In accordance with its listing, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Caribbean Field Office (USFWS) is mandated to create one or more Manatee Protection Areas (MPAs) for Puerto Rico. Designation of these areas must comply with the legal definition of an MPA’s purpose: to prevent or reduce take of manatees (CFR 50: 44 FR 60964, Oct. 22, 1979). To meet this goal, we pursued two objectives: 1) identify areas which include the specific ecological attributes necessary to support manatee populations, and 2) identify areas where take can be reduced through approved MPA regulatory frameworks. We achieved these objectives through literature review, expert elicitation, and geospatial modeling. This report delivers to USFWS a set of nine potential MPA regions. These regions represent the spatial realization of experts’ hypotheses regarding manatee requirements and threats, and the potential to implement MPA strategies (e.g. watercraft access, speed regulations, signage and boater education). The nine regions are compared based on a number of factors, including their potential to reduce take, quality of the habitat encompassed, and total area. These maps and statistics serve as suitable starting points to select one or more MPA sites, but we recommend that the mapped attributes and threats (i.e., boating activity) of MPAs be ground-truthed to visually confirm the local presence of resources, threats, and manatees before any area is selected. Once established, the effectiveness of MPAs can be monitored and updated through processes of adaptive monitoring and management. Aerial surveys, radio tracking studies, and public surveys are all valuable tools to assess the success of an MPA. Establishing MPAs is a management action that, integrated within the species Recovery Plan, should enhance the conservation of manatees.

Cooperator Science Series↗

USGS2015

Methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflows at ungaged sites in and near the Oklahoma Panhandle

This report presents the results of a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to estimate the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflows from regional regression equations for ungaged stream sites in and near the Oklahoma Panhandle. These methods relate basin characteristics (physiographic and climatic attributes) to selected peak streamflow frequency statistics with the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities. These relations were developed based on data from 32 selected streamflow-gaging stations in the Oklahoma Panhandle and in neighboring parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas. The basin characteristics for the selected streamflow-gaging stations were determined by using a geographic information system and the Oklahoma StreamStats application. Peak-streamflow frequency statistics were computed from annual peak-streamflow records from the irrigated period of record from water year 1978 through water year 2014. Generalized-least-squares multiple-linear regression analysis was used to formulate regression relations between peak-streamflow frequency statistics and basin characteristics. Contributing drainage area was the only basin characteristic determined to be statistically significant for all percentage of annual exceedance probabilities and was the only basin characteristic used in regional regression equations for estimating peak-streamflow frequency statistics on unregulated streams in and near the Oklahoma Panhandle. The regression model pseudo-coefficient of determination, converted to percent, for the Oklahoma Panhandle regional regression equations ranged from about 38 to 63 percent. The standard errors of prediction and the standard model errors for the Oklahoma Panhandle regional regression equations ranged from about 84 to 148 percent and from about 76 to 138 percent, respectively. These errors were comparable to those reported for regional peak-streamflow frequency regression equations for the High Plains areas of Texas and Colorado. The root mean square errors for the Oklahoma Panhandle regional regression equations (ranging from 3,170 to 92,000 cubic feet per second) were less than the root mean square errors for the Oklahoma statewide regression equations (ranging from 18,900 to 412,000 cubic feet per second); therefore, the Oklahoma Panhandle regional regression equations produce more accurate peak-streamflow statistic estimates for the irrigated period of record in the Oklahoma Panhandle than do the Oklahoma statewide regression equations. The regression equations developed in this report are applicable to streams that are not substantially affected by regulation, impoundment, or surface-water withdrawals. These regression equations are intended for use for stream sites with contributing drainage areas less than or equal to about 2,060 square miles, the maximum value for the independent variable used in the regression analysis.

Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas↗

USGS2000

Preliminary maps of Quaternary deposits and liquefaction susceptibility, nine-county San Francisco Bay region, California: a digital database

This report presents a preliminary map and database of Quaternary deposits and liquefaction susceptibility for the nine-county San Francisco Bay region, together with a digital compendium of ground effects associated with past earthquakes in the region. The report consists of (1) a spatial database of fivedata layers (Quaternary deposits, quadrangle index, and three ground effects layers) and two text layers (a labels and leaders layer for Quaternary deposits and for ground effects), (2) two small-scale colored maps (Quaternary deposits and liquefaction susceptibility), (3) a text describing the Quaternary map, liquefaction interpretation, and the ground effects compendium, and (4) the databse description pamphlet. The nine counties surrounding San Francisco Bay straddle the San Andreas fault system, which exposes the region to serious earthquake hazard (Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, 1999). Much of the land adjacent to the Bay and the major rivers and streams is underlain by unconsolidated deposits that are particularly vulnerable to earthquake shaking and liquefaction of water-saturated granular sediment. This new map provides a modern and regionally consistent treatment of Quaternary surficial deposits that builds on the pioneering mapping of Helley and Lajoie (Helley and others, 1979) and such intervening work as Atwater (1982), Helley and others (1994), and Helley and Graymer (1997a and b). Like these earlier studies, the current mapping uses geomorphic expression, pedogenic soils, and inferred depositional environments to define and distinguish the map units. In contrast to the twelve map units of Helley and Lajoie, however, this new map uses a complex stratigraphy of some forty units, which permits a more realistic portrayal of the Quaternary depositional system. The two colored maps provide a regional summary of the new mapping at a scale of 1:275,000, a scale that is sufficient to show the general distribution and relationships of the map units but cannot distinguish the more detailed elements that are present in the database. The report is the product of years of cooperative work by the USGS National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, William Lettis and & Associates, Inc. (WLA) and, more recently, by the California Division of Mines and Geology as well. An earlier version was submitted to the Geological Survey by WLA as a final report for a NEHRP grant (Knudsen and others, 2000). The mapping has been carried out by WLA geologists under contract to the NEHRP Earthquake Program (Grants #14-08-0001-G2129, 1434-94-G-2499, 1434-HQ-97-GR-03121, and 99-HQ-GR-0095) and with other limited support from the County of Napa, and recently also by the California Division of Mines and Geology. The current map consists of this new mapping and revisions of previous USGS mapping.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2014

Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water year 2009

Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collected through this cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, during October 2008 through September 2009. Major findings for this period include: - Annual precipitation was approximately 20 percent below the long-term mean (average) annual precipitation. - Streamflow was below the long-term mean at the 10 project streamgages during most of the year. - More than 7,000 individual measurements of water quality were made at a total of 26 sites—15 in the Neuse River Basin and 11 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Forty-seven water-quality properties and constituents were measured. - All observations met North Carolina water-quality standards for water temperature, pH, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and selenium. - North Carolina water-quality standards were exceeded one or more times for dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen percent saturation, chlorophyll a, mercury, copper, iron, manganese, silver, and zinc. Exceedances occurred at 23 sites—13 in the Neuse River Basin and 10 in the Cape Fear River Basin. - Stream samples collected during storm events contained elevated concentrations of 18 water-quality constituents compared to samples collected during non-storm events. - Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were within ranges observed during previous years. - Five reservoirs had chlorophyll a concentrations in excess of 40 micrograms per liter at least once during 2009: Little River Reservoir, Falls Lake, Cane Creek Reservoir, University Lake, and Jordan Lake.

North Carolina↗

USGS2016

Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, water years 2012–13

Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collected through this cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, during October 2011 through September 2012 (water year 2012) and October 2012 through September 2013 (water year 2013). Major findings for this period include: Annual precipitation was approximately 2 percent above the long-term mean (average) annual precipitation in 2012 and approximately 3 percent below the long-term mean in 2013. In water year 2012, streamflow was generally below the long-term mean during most of the period for the 10 project streamflow gaging stations. Streamflow was near or above the long-term mean at the same streamflow gaging stations during the 2013 water year. More than 7,000 individual measurements of water quality were made at a total of 17 sites—6 in the Neuse River Basin and 11 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Forty-three water-quality properties or constituents were measured; State water-quality standards exist for 23 of these. All observations met State water-quality standards for pH, temperature, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and selenium. North Carolina water-quality standards were exceeded one or more times for dissolved oxygen, dissolved-oxygen percent saturation, turbidity, chlorophyll a , copper, iron, manganese, mercury, silver, and zinc. Exceedances occurred at all 17 sites. Stream samples collected during storm events contained elevated concentrations of 19 water-quality constituents relative to non-storm events.

North Carolina↗

USGS2004

Surface-Water and Ground-Water Interactions in the Central Everglades, Florida

Recharge and discharge are hydrological processes that cause Everglades surface water to be exchanged for subsurface water in the peat soil and the underlying sand and limestone aquifer. These interactions are thought to be important to water budgets, water quality, and ecology in the Everglades. Nonetheless, relatively few studies of surface water and ground water interactions have been conducted in the Everglades, especially in its vast interior areas. This report is a product of a cooperative investigation conducted by the USGS and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) aimed at developing and testing techniques that would provide reliable estimates of recharge and discharge in interior areas of WCA-2A (Water Conservation Area 2A) and several other sites in the central Everglades. The new techniques quantified flow from surface water to the subsurface (recharge) and the opposite (discharge) using (1) Darcy-flux calculations based on measured vertical gradients in hydraulic head and hydraulic conductivity of peat; (2) modeling transport through peat and decay of the naturally occurring isotopes 224 Ra and 223 Ra (with half-lives of 4 and 11 days, respectively); and (3) modeling transport and decay of naturally occurring and "bomb-pulse" tritium (half-life of 12.4 years) in ground water. Advantages and disadvantages of each method for quantifying recharge and discharge were compared. In addition, spatial and temporal variability of recharge and discharge were evaluated and controlling factors identified. A final goal was to develop appropriately simplified (that is, time averaged) expressions of the results that will be useful in addressing a broad range of hydrological and ecological problems in the Everglades. Results were compared with existing information about water budgets from the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM), a principal tool used by the South Florida Water Management District to plan many of the hydrological aspects of the Everglades restoration.

Florida↗

USGS2016

Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water years 2010-11

Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collected through this cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, during October 2009 through September 2010 (water year 2010) and October 2010 through September 2011 (water year 2011). Major findings for this data-collection effort include Annual precipitation was approximately 4 percent above the long-term mean (average) annual precipitation in 2010 and approximately 6 percent below the long-term mean in 2011. In water year 2010, streamflow was near the long-term mean for most of the period for the 10 project streamflow gaging stations. Streamflow was near or below the long-term mean at the same streamflow gaging stations during the 2011 water year. More than 13,000 individual measurements of water quality were made at a total of 28 sites—17 in the Neuse River Basin and 11 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Forty-three water-quality properties or constituents were measured; North Carolina water-quality standards exist for 21 of these. All observations met State water-quality standards for water temperature, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate plus nitrite, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and selenium. State water-quality standards were exceeded one or more times for dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen percent saturation, pH, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, silver, and zinc. Exceedances occurred at 27 sites—17 in the Neuse River Basin and 10 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Stream samples collected during storm events contained elevated concentrations of 25 water-quality constituents relative to non-storm events.

North Carolina↗

USGS2022

Standard operating protocol for mark and recapture monitoring of Brook Floater in streams

The Brook Floater ( Alasmidonta varicosa ) is a small (<100 mm) freshwater mussel (Family: Unionidae) found in streams of the eastern United States (U.S.) (Nedeau 2008). While there has been limited effort to document the status of Brook Floater across its range, there is evidence of Brook Floater range contraction and declining local abundances over recent decades (Wicklow et al. 2017, NatureServe 2021). Brook Floater is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in 15 states (94% of range); listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern in nearly every state and province where it still occurs; and has been extirpated from two states (Rhode Island and Delaware). Brook Floater was petitioned for Federal listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; however, the listing was determined not to be warranted (U.S. FWS 2019), although it remains a Regional SGCN of very high concern in U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS) Regions 5 (Terwilliger 2015) and 4 (SEAFWA-WDC 2019) and is an At-Risk Species in U.S. FWS Region 5. A critical component of understanding population declines is site-specific information about population density and demographics (e.g., growth, age structure) to assess population viability. This information had previously only been collected for a few populations of Brook Floater (e.g., Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission) and methods to collect these data varied from state to state, thus limiting comparisons across the range. In 2016, a competitive State Wildlife Grant (SWG) was awarded to develop a standardized monitoring technique that will aid in understanding differences in population viability across its range and assess changes in populations through time. The protocol described in this report was subsequently developed and tested by Massachusetts and Maine (2 sites in each state) and revised based on field experiences. Data collected using this protocol will allow for state managers to make informed decisions about management actions for Brook Floater. Monitoring approaches are ideally designed to meet management objectives. Management objectives are specific, quantifiable outcomes that reflect the values of the decision makers and relate directly to the management decisions (Conroy and Peterson 2013). Lack of well-defined objectives hinders success of conservation and management actions because there are undefined metrics to determine when the objectives have been met (Yoccoz et al. 2001, Nichols and Thompson 2006). While monitoring to understand a system (i.e., status and trends; Reynolds et al. 2016) provides baseline information for developing management recommendations in the future, Nichols and Thompson (2006) criticize status and trends monitoring because of time lags associated with conservation and the costs and resource availability needed for surveillance, among other reasons. State partners in the Brook Floater SWG have a variety of different monitoring objectives (e.g., abundance/density, survival, recruitment) that depend on the population sizes and demographics. There are many approaches for estimating population parameters such as density, age structure, recruitment, and growth rates. For example, presence/absence (i.e., multistate models), counts (i.e., multi-state models or Dail-Madsen model; Dail and Madsen 2011), and capture mark-recapture (CMR; e.g. Cormack-Jolly-Seber models; Lindberg and Rexstad 2002) are all approaches for assessing population status and viability.

Cooperator Science Series↗