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At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
USGS1982

Aquatic biology in Nederlo Creek, southwestern Wisconsin

This report presents the results of biologic investigations by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources during a study of hydrology and water quality in a small drainage basin in the "Driftless Area" of southwest Wisconsin. The investigation included aquatic macrophytes, periphytic and planktonic algae, benthic invertebrates, and trout population dynamics during 1967-78. The aquatic community is diverse and reasonably stable with little indication of environmental disturbance. Aquatic macrophyte population (dominated by Ranunculus aquatilis L., Veronica catenata Penn., and Nasturtium offlcinale) varies little from spring to fall. Periphytic and planktonic algae are predominantly diatoms, with the genus Achnanthes dominating both communities. Most genera of planktonic algae originate in the periphyton, but some true planktonic algae were identified. The benthic invertebrate population is dominated by Trichoptera and is a major food source for trout and forage fish. Biotic index values calculated from benthic invertebrate data indicate that water quality is very good to excellent. The trout population is low and represents only a small part of the total fish population both in biomass and numbers. Brown trout are usually stocked annually in the spring to enhance sport fishing, but by fall most trout are wild. The major environmental factors limiting trout population seem to be insufficient cover, insufficient pool depth and volume, and small spawning areas. The wild trout population is highly dependent on spawning success the previous fall.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2026

Stream sediment sources in Medicine Creek, northern Missouri and southern Iowa

This report presents the results of a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Natural Resources to quantify sediment transport source contributions in the Medicine Creek drainage basin. Understanding relative source contributions provides valuable information for selecting the conservation practices that may be most effective in reducing sediment and sediment-associated nutrient transport in the Medicine Creek drainage basin and similar areas of the Lower Grand River drainage basin. Sediment samples were collected from potential contributing areas (source samples) and from fluvial-transported samples (target samples). Source sample types included streambanks, row crop fields, and a combined pastures and forests category. Samples were analyzed for particle size and quantity of carbon, nitrogen, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, and 49 mineral elements as potential tracers. Results for the carbon stable isotope ratio of carbon-13/carbon-12 (δ 13 C) and concentrations of total carbon, total nitrogen, calcium, potassium, and copper were selected by discriminant function analysis as the best combination of multiple tracers to differentiate each source type. The discriminant function analysis poorly differentiated pastures and forests, so these source types were combined. The sources defined by the discriminant function analysis were then used in an unmixing model to apportion sources for each target sample. In the study area, transported sediment was predominantly bank sediment, with an overall average of 86.9 percent of suspended-sediment samples and depositional streambed samples attributed to bank material. Suspended-sediment samples from the mainstem of Medicine Creek were dominated by bank sediments (average of 95.8 percent), and depositional streambed samples from throughout the drainage basin had more variable source contributions with an average of 71.1 percent attributed to bank material. The relative importance of upland sources (row crop fields and the combined pastures and forests category) varied seasonally and with streamflow but was not related to land use or drainage basin size. Relative contributions from upland sources were greater in the summer through winter rather than spring and during lower streamflow, though this may be driven by the seasonality of streamflow. These results indicate management practices that reduce bank erosion could be effective strategies for managing the dominant source of sediment and sediment-associated phosphorus.

Iowa, Missouri↗
USGS1897

Eighteenth annual report of the United States Geological Survey to the Secretary of the Interior, 1896-1897: Part V - Mineral resources of the United States, 1896, nonmetallic products, except coal

In the preceding volumes of Mineral Resources the annual reports on the manufacture of coke a well a those on the production of crude petroleum and natural gas were prepared by Mr. Joseph Dame Weeks, of Pittsburg, Pa. The sudden death of Mr. Weeks on December 26, 1896, necessitated the distribution of the work formerly done by him among his former associates in the statistical division of the Geological Survey. The preparation of the report on the manufacture of coke for 1896 has accordingly devolved upon the writer. To have accepted such an undertaking under ordinary circumstance would have meant the entering upon a difficult task. In the matter of coke production it has been made comparatively easy by the thoroughness with which Mr. Weeks has already covered the ground. The work done by Mr. Week's in his report for the Tenth and Eleventh Censuses and the annual volume of Mineral Resources has left little for his successor but the continuation of the statistical tables and the preparation of such text as refers directly to them. Mr. Weeks, at the time of his death, had the work for collecting the statistics of coke production in 1896 well advanced, and the excellence of his system and methods have been shown in the fact that the work of collecting the statistics was carried out on his lines uninterruptedly.

Annual Report↗
USGS1971

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Park Valley area, Box Elder County, Utah

This report is the eighth in a series prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, that describes the water resources of the western basins of Utah. (See fig. 1.) Its purpose is to present available hydrologic data on the Park Valley area, to provide an evaluation of the potential water-resource development of the area, and to identify needed studies that would improve understanding of the area's water supply.

Utah↗
USGS1980

Utah water use data: Public water supplies, 1960-1978

This report was prepared as a part of the Statewide cooperative water-resources investigation program administered jointly by the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights and the United States Geological Survey. The program is conducted to meet the water administration and water-resources data needs of the State, as well as the water information needs of many units of government and the general public.

Utah↗
USGS1984

A finite-element simulation model for saturated-unsaturated, fluid-density-dependent ground-water flow with energy transport or chemically- reactive single-species solute transport

SUTRA (Saturated-Unsaturated Transport) is a computer program which can be used to simulate the movement of fluid and the transport of either energy or dissolved substances in a subsurface environment. The model employs a two-dimensional hybrid finite-element and integrated-finite-difference method to approximate the governing equations that describe the two interdependent processes that are simulated by SUTRA: (1) fluid density-dependent saturated or unsaturated groundwater flow, and either (2a) transport of a solute in the groundwater, in which the solute may be subject to: equilibrium adsorption on the porous matrix, and both first-order and zero-order production or decay, or, (2b) transport of thermal energy in the groundwater and solid matrix of the aquifer. SUTRA provides, as the primary calculated results, fluid pressures and either solute concentrations or temperatures, as they vary with time, everywhere in the simulated subsurface system. SUTRA may also be used to simulate simpler subsets of the above process. SUTRA may be employed for areal and cross-sectional models of saturated groundwater flow systems, and for cross-sectional models of unsaturated zone flow. Solute transport simulation using SUTRA may be used to simulate natural or man-induced chemical transport, solute sorption, production and decay. SUTRA may be used for simulation of variable density leachate movement, and for cross-sectional simulation of salt-water intrusion in aquifers at near-well or regional scales, with either dispersed or relatively sharp transition zones between fresh water and salt water. SUTRA energy transport simulation may be employed to model thermal regimes in aquifers, subsurface heat conduction, aquifer thermal energy storage systems, geothermal reservoirs, thermal pollution of aquifers, and natural hydrogeologic convection systems. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1997

Evaluation of selected wells in Pennsylvania's observation-well program as of 1993

In 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey operated 62 observation wells in 60 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. These wells attempt to monitor an aerial extent of 45,000 square miles and penetrate 39 geologic formations or water-bearing units of 14 physiographic provinces. Some wells were drilled specifically for the observation-well program, some were drilled for other U.S. Geological Survey projects, and some were drilled for other purposes and were no longer used. Approximately 3 percent of the network wells have less than 5 years of record, 5 percent have 5 to 15 years of record, and 92 percent have greater than 15 years of record. The older the observation well, the greater the possibility of water levels being affected by physical deterioration of the borehole. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically conduct a series of physical, chemical, and hydraulic tests to determine changes in the physical condition of the well and local land-use practices that may affect water-level response. Nineteen wells were selected for evaluation on the basis of past questionable water-level responses. These wells were evaluated for functionality by analyzing historical water-level fluctuations, geophysical logs, single-well aquifer tests, and water-quality analyses. These parameters indicated that well Je-23 (Jefferson County) is affected by coal-mine pumpage, well Bt-311 (Butler County) is periodically affected by strip mine activities, well Gr-118 (Greene County) and Mc-110 (McKean County exhibit unexplained fluctuations not desirable for an observation well, and 15 wells show no obvious problems or degradation that would affect their functionality to monitor natural water-level fluctuations.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1977

Reconnaissance of ground-water resources in a part of the Yampa River basin between Craig and Steamboat Springs, Moffat and Routt counties, Colorado

This report presents the results of an investigation of ground-water resources in that part of the Yampa River basin between the towns of Craig and Steamboat Springs. The location of the study area is shown on the index map. The investigation was begun in 1975 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, Office of the State Engineer.

Colorado↗
USGS2010

A river system to watch: documenting the effects of saltcedar ( Tamarix spp.) biocontrol in the Virgin River valley

Throughout riparian areas of the southwestern United States, non-native saltcedar (also known as tamarisk; Tamarix spp.) can form dense, monotypic stands and is often reported to have detrimental effects on native plants and habitat quality (Everitt 1980; Shafroth et al. 2005). Natural resource managers of these riparian areas spend considerable time and resources controlling saltcedar using a variety of techniques, including chemical (Duncan and McDaniel 1998), mechanical, and burning methods (Shafroth et al. 2005). Approximately one billion dollars are spent each year on river restoration projects nationally (Bernhardt et al. 2005), and a majority of these projects focus on invasive species control in the Southwest (Follstad Shah et al. 2007). A technique that has drawn much attention is the use of the saltcedar leaf beetle ( Diorhabda spp.), a specialist herbivore, as biological control of saltcedar (Lewis et al. 2003). Research testing was conducted with beetles housed in secure enclosures in six states in 1998 and 1999 (Dudley et al. 2001), followed by open release at some of those sites starting in 2001 (DeLoach et al. 2004). By 2005, full-scale saltcedar biocontrol was implemented in 13 states, led by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the agency that oversees biological control programs, and with the participation and support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Despite the widespread application of Diorhabda , however, only limited research has quantified the consequences (benefits and costs) on biotic communities and ecosystem services. Alterations to riparian areas caused by various non-native species control activities have the potential to affect a variety of habitat types used by wildlife (Bateman et al. 2008a); processes like water availability, fluvial deposition, and erosion; and the establishment of other non-native species (Carruthers and D'Antonio 2005, Shafroth et al. 2005, DeLoach et al. 2006). Similarly, biocontrol is expected to modify riparian ecosystems, and it is imperative to document and evaluate both the environmental benefits and the potential costs of this tamarisk management method.

Virgin River↗
USGS1974

Water resources of the Milford area, Utah, with emphasis on ground water

The investigation of the water resources of the Milford area was made as part of a cooperative program with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, to investigate the water resources of the State. The primary purpose of this report is to provide basic hydrologic information needed for the effective administration and adjudication of water rights in the valley.

Utah↗
USGS2006

Range condition as input to water quality monitoring in the northern Plains

Federal Clean Water Act requires that states develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for water bodies. Once the state has developed an inventory of TMDLs, it is required to provide public notice of the report and have it approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is using the USDA’s annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model to determine what land use changes are required to meet TMDL goals (South Dakota DENR, 2006). Of the approximately 450 parameters required for running the model, several are related to the condition of range and pasture sites and their respective management practices. Range condition is highly correlated with the nature of runoff occurring in a site. In addition to assisting the DENR, USGS is interested in improving its overall ability to monitor Northern Plains range condition with particular emphasis on the seven state study area (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) being addressed by the Drought Monitoring, Carbon Cycle Research, Phenological Trends and other projects. It is understood than no one project can develop tools that adequately characterize the dynamics of the region’s rangelands, but by developing a suite of tools brought together from a number of projects there exists the opportunity to provide state, regional, and tribal land managers with the ability to address their particular needs.

Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota,↗
USGS2003

A Framework for Long-term Ecological Monitoring in Olympic National Park: Prototype for the Coniferous Forest Biome

This report is the result of a five-year collaboration between scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, and the natural resources staff of Olympic National Park to develop a comprehensive strategy for monitoring natural resources of Olympic National Park. Olympic National Park is the National Park Serviceʼs prototype monitoring park, representing parks in the coniferous forest biome. Under the umbrella of the National Park Serviceʼs prototype parks program, U.S. Geological Survey and Olympic National Park staffs are obligated to: develop strategies and designs for monitoring the long-term health and integrity of national park ecosystems with a significant coniferous forest component. design exportable monitoring protocols that can be used by other parks within the coniferous forest biome (i.e., parks having similar environments), and create a demonstration area and ʻcenter of excellenceʼ for assisting other parks in developing ecological monitoring programs. Olympic National Park is part of the North Coast and Cascades Network, a network of seven Pacific Northwestern park units created recently by the National Park Serviceʼs Inventory and Monitoring Program to extend the monitoring of ʻvital signsʼ of park health to all National Park Service units. It is our intent and hope that the monitoring strategies and conceptual models described here will meet the overall purpose of the prototype parks monitoring program in proving useful not only to Olympic National Park, but also to parks within the North Coast and Cascades Network and elsewhere. Part I contains the conceptual design and sampling framework for the prototype long-term monitoring program in Olympic National Park. In this section, we explore key elements of monitoring design that help to ensure the spatial, ecological, and temporal integration of monitoring program elements and discuss approaches used to design an ecosystem-based monitoring program. Basic monitoring components include ecosystem drivers, (e.g., climate, atmospheric inputs, human pressures), indicators of ecosystem integrity (e.g., biogeochemical indicators), known threats (e.g., impacts of introduced mountain goats), and focal or ʻkeyʼ species (e.g., rare or listed species, Roosevelt elk). Monitoring system drivers and key indicators of ecosystem integrity provide the long-term baseline needed to judge what constitutes ʻunnaturalʼ variation in park resources and provide the earliest possible warning of unacceptable change. Monitoring effects of known threats and the status of focal species will provide information useful to park managers for dealing with current park issues. In Part I we describe the process of identifying potential indicators of ecological condition and present conceptual models of park ecosystems. In addition we report results from several workshops held in conjunction with Olympic National Park aimed at identifying potential indicators of change in the parkʼs ecosystem. First, we describe the responses of Olympic National Park staff to the generic question, “What is the most important resource to monitor in Olympic National Park and why?” followed by the responses from resource and land managers from areas adjoining the park. We also catalogue the responses of various expert groups that we asked to help identify the most appropriate system drivers and indicators of change in the Olympic National Park ecosystems. Results of the workshops provided the justification for selecting basic indicators of ecosystem integrity, effects of current threats to park resources, and focal resources of parks to detect both the currently evident and unforeseeable changes in park resources. We conclude Part I by exploring several generic statistical issues relevant to monitoring natural resources in Olympic National Park. Specifically we discuss trade-offs associated with sampling extensively versus sampling intensively in smaller geographic regions and describe a conceptual framework to guide development of a generic sampling frame for monitoring. We recommend partitioning Olympic National Park into three zones of decreasing accessibility to maximize monitoring efficiency. We present examples of how the generic sampling frame could be used to help ensure spatial integration of individual monitoring projects. Part II of the report is a record of the potential monitoring questions and indicators identified to date in our workshops. The presentation is organized according to the major system drivers, components, and processes identified in the intermediate-level working model of the Olympic National Park ecosystem. For each component of the park system, we develop the need and justification for monitoring, articulate park management issues, and describe key resources and ecosystem functions. We also present a pictorial conceptual model of each ecological subsystem, identify monitoring questions, and list potential indicators for each monitoring question. We conclude each section by identifying linkages of indicators to other ecological subsystems in our general ecosystem model, spatial and temporal contexts for monitoring (where and how often to monitor), and research and development needs. Part II represents the most current detailed listing of potential indicators—the material for subsequent discussions of monitoring priorities and selection of indicators for protocol development. Collectively, the sections of this report contain a comprehensive list of the important monitoring questions and potential indicators as well as recommendations for designing an integrated monitoring program. In Part I, Chapter 6 we provide recommendations on how to proceed with the important next steps in the design process: establishing priorities among the many possible monitoring questions and indicators, and beginning to research and design effective long-term monitoring protocols.

Information and Technology Report↗
USGS2000

Assessment of potential for natural attenuation of chlorinated ethenes and ethanes in ground water at a petrochemical reclamation site, Harris County, Texas

Redox conditions in the Numerous Sand Channels Zone beneath a petrochemical reclamation site in Harris County, Texas, range from sulfate reducing to methanogenic as indicated by the presence of methane in ground water and the range of molecular hydrogen concentrations. Assessment of the potential for reductive dechlorination using BIOCHLOR as a screening tool indicated conditions favoring anaerobic degradation of chlorinated organic compounds in the Numerous Sand Channels Zone. Evidence supporting reductive dechlorination includes apparently biogenic cis -1,2-dichloroethene; an increased ratio of 1,2-dichloroethane to 1,1,2-trichloroethane downgradient from the assumed contaminant source area; ethene and methane concentrations greater than background concentrations within the area of the contaminant plume; and a positive correlation of the ratio of ethene to vinyl chloride as a function of methane concentrations. The body of evidence presented in this report argues for hydrogenolysis of trichloroethene to cis -1,2-dichloroethene; of 1,1,2-trichloroethane to 1,2-dichloroethane; and of vinyl chloride to ethene within the Numerous Sand Channels Zone. Simulations using BIOCHLOR yielded apparent first-order decay constants for reductive dechlorination in the sequence tetrachloroethene trichloroethene cis -1,2-dichloroethene vinyl chloride ethene within the range of literature values reported for each compound and apparent first-order decay constants for reductive dechlorination in the sequence 1,1,2-trichloroethane 1,2-dichloroethane slightly greater than literature values reported for each compound along the upgradient segment of a simulated ground-water flowpath. Except for vinyl chloride, apparent rates of reductive dechlorination for all simulated species show a marked decrease along the downgradient segment of the simulated ground-water flowpath. Evidence for reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes within the Numerous Sand Channels Zone indicates potential for natural attenuation of chlorinated ethenes. Reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethanes apparently occurs to a lesser extent, indicating relatively less potential for natural attenuation of chlorinated ethanes. Additional data are needed on the concentrations and distribution of chlorinated ethenes and ethanes in individual fine sand intervals of the Numerous Sand Channels Zone. This information, combined with lower minimum reporting levels for future chloroethane analyses, might enable a more complete and quantitative assessment of the potential for natural attenuation at the site.

Texas↗
USGS2013

Fishery population and habitat assessment in Puerto Rico streams: Phase 2 final report

This document serves as the Final Report for research on Puerto Rico stream fishes and their habitat funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, in the form of a grant to the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. This research was also conducted to meet the thesis requirement for a Master of Science degree granted to Elissa Buttermore (Chapters 3–4) and the dissertation requirement for a Doctor of Philospophy degree granted to William Smith (Chapters 5–8). Formatting differs among chapters, as each was developed to target a specific scientific journal and to conform to journal style.

Puerto Rico↗