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This report is a summary of data collected under the Utah Water Use Program, a cooperative program between the Utah Division of Water Rights and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
This report contains statistical summaries of streamflow records from 74 gaging stations, which are mostly in northeastern Utah. Low- flow, high-flow, and flow-duration summaries were compiled from daily discharge values; and flows of each month are compared through correlation with flows of 1, 2, and 12 months in the future.
Water samples collected from 27 rivers and streams in Massachusetts were analyzed to characterize the presence and concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (collectively known as PFAS) in surface waters across the Commonwealth. Sampling sites were selected in urban rivers where PFAS were expected to be present, such as those that receive treated municipal wastewater, and in rural rivers that were not known to be affected by municipal wastewater. The samples were collected three times in 2020 from 64 sites, and were analyzed for 24 PFAS, 18 of which are included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Method 537.1. Samples were collected when the instantaneous flow of the rivers and streams were at base-flow condition to minimize PFAS input or dilution from stormwater runoff and overland flow. The analyses detected PFAS in samples from all 27 rivers and streams. The number of PFAS detected in each sample ranged from 2 to 16. Concentrations of individual PFAS ranged from no detectable concentrations (less than 1.74 nanograms per liter) to 109 nanograms per liter. Samples from sites associated with wastewater treatment facilities in urban areas had a larger number and variety of PFAS present, and at higher concentrations, than in samples from the more rural rivers. This report includes a summary of the chemical data and physical properties of both environmental and quality-control samples, and a description of procedures for the collection and processing of the samples.
This report is a summary of geologic and engineering data for strong-motion accelerograph sites. The data are taken from published and unpublished sources on file with the Seismic Engineering Branch, U.S. Geological Survey.
Debris flows are slurries of sediment and water that are both an important geologic process and a major hazard. They present large risks to those living in mountainous areas, as well as downstream from volcanoes in the case of the flows known as lahars that may travel 100200 kilometers (62-124 miles). The accompanying video records a series of debris flow surges at Jiangjia Ravine, in Yunnan Province in southern China. This rugged and remote site is famous for the annual occurrence of debris flows triggered each summer by monsoonal rains. The video illustrates the unique characteristics of debris flows, how they behave, and why they cause large losses of life and property in China and many other parts of the world. This report is a summary for those wishing more information than is presented in the video, and for the specialist we include dynamical data on the flows and textural data on their deposits.
Introduction The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) is an endangered bird that breeds only in dense riparian habitats in six southwestern states (southern California, extreme southern Nevada, southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico). Since 1993, hundreds of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher surveys have been conducted each year, and many new flycatcher breeding sites located. This document synthesizes information on all known Southwestern Willow Flycatcher breeding sites. This rangewide data synthesis was designed to meet these objectives: * identify all known Southwestern Willow Flycatcher breeding sites, and * assemble data on population size, location, habitat, and other information for all breeding sites, for as many years as possible, from 1993 through 2006. This report provides data summaries in terms of the number of flycatcher sites and the number of territories.
Water-quality data were collected during 1979-87 at selected locations In the central part of the James River basin, North and South Dakota, by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to document baseline conditions In three wildlife refuges. These data are needed to determine potential impacts on water quality of augmented flows in the James River from proposed operation of the Garrison Diversion Unit. This report contains statistical summaries of 190 water-quality characteristics and constituents determined from samples collected at 10 main-stem gaging stations and 94 sampling sites in the study area. Characteristics and constituents are compared to State water-quality standards and the number of measurements exceeding each standard is noted. Seasonal or bimonthly means were calculated for selected characteristics and constituents and the amount of data available for each gaging station and pool is included.
This report is a summary of information about an area of the northern Bering Sea continental shelf that is bounded by the Seward Peninsula on the north, by the line of the United States-Russia Convention of 1867 on the west, and by St. Lawrence Island and the coastline that rims Norton Sound on the south and east. Scholl and Hopkins (1969) report that a sedimentary basin underlies the offshore area. More recent data, which form the basis of part of this report, show the basin is deepest beneath Norton Sound; also, the basin has sufficient depth and areal extent that the basin may be a target for development of hydrocarbon resources after Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Sale 57. The informal, but widely used, name for the basin is Norton Basin. The following discussion includes regional geology, geologic history, and offshore structure and stratigraphy as background data to discussion of the hydrocarbon potential and resource appraisal of the offshore area. Sections on environmental geology and on the technology and manpower needed and available for development of offshore resources are also included.
The objective of the watershed-management evaluation monitoring program in Wisconsin is to evaluate the effectiveness of the best-management practices (BMPs) for rural streams, urban streams, and urban storm sewers. This report is an annual summary of the data collected for the program and a report of the results from several different special studies conducted within this program. Suspended sediment and total phosphorus storm-load data are summarized for eight rural sites and suspended sediment, total phosphorus, total recoverable lead, total recoverable copper, total recoverable zinc, and total recoverable cadmium storm-load data are summarized for four urban sites. Dissolved-oxygen data is summarized and compared with Wisconsin's waterquality standards for summer 1993 for seven rural sites. The dissolved-oxygen concentrations declined to levels below these standards at least one time at all seven sites during summer 1993. Total-recoverable hardness concentrations were compared with dissolved-hardness concentrations at two urban streams and two urban storm sewers. Least-squared linear regressions resulted in stronger relations for low-flow conditions than for high-flow conditions, indicating that most hardness during low flow is dissolved hardness. Pesticide data are summarized for four urban sites and six rural sites. Herbicides were detected at urban and rural sites; whereas insecticides were detected only at urban sites. A land-use and best-management-practice inventory is ongoing for each evaluation monitoring project to track the different sources of nonpoint pollution in each watershed and to document implementation of best-management programs that may cause changes in water quality of streams. Updated information is gathered each year, mapped, and stored in a geographic-information-system data base. The quality-assurance/quality-control plan for the urban watershed-management evaluation program consisted of a series of blank samples. These blank samples were used to identify and isolate contamination by inorganic and organic components throughout the collection and processing of urban streamwater samples. A dissolved trace-metal contamination problem was identified and resolved by using different laboratory- supplied sample bottles. A special study was done to determine the effect of holding time on fecal coliform colony counts. A linear regression indicated that the mean decrease in colony counts over 72 hours was 8.2 percent per day. Results after 24 hours showed that colony counts increased in some samples and decreased in others.
Gloucester County is in the southwestern part of New Jersey, below Camden, and is a part of the Lower Delaware River Valley. This area is attracting new industry and has shown a population increase of about 47 percent from 1950 to 1960, mostly urban. With the economic growth of the county, the availability and quality of water become increasingly important. The county is in the Coastal Plain of New Jersey. It is underlain by unconsolidated sands and clays of Quaternary, Tertiary, and Cretaceous age. The Raritan and Magothy Formations constitute the most important aquifers and yield more than 95 percent of the water pumped by the public water systems in the county. These formations are capable of yielding 1,400 gpm (gallons per minute) or more to large diameter wells. High yielding wells generally can be drilled anywhere in the county, although the formations are deeper toward the Atlantic Ocean. The Cohansey Sand, second most important aquifer, yields up to 800 gpm or more from large diameter wells. This aquifer is present only in the sparsely populated southeastern half of the county. The Wenonah Formation and Mount Laurel Sand are capable of yielding 100 to 200 gpm in certain areas. The overall chemical quality of the naturally occurring ground water is good. The water generally meets the U.S. Public Health Service's (1962) suggested limit for dissolved solids; however, in some areas, the water carries objectionable amounts of iron and nitrate in solution and has a low pH. Contamination of ground water by salt-water encroachment or by pollution from industrial activity or organic waste in densely populated areas should be prevented. The quality rather than the quantity of water may be the important factor in future ground-water developments. The 21 public water systems in Gloucester County pumped about 1.3 billion gallons of water during 1948 and some 2.7 billion gallons during 1959. This is slightly more than a hundred percent increase in pumpage in 12 year s. The average per capita public water supply consumption in 1959 was approximately 75 gallons per day. This report includes a summary of the history of the present installations, groundwater conditions, quality and availability of water, and potential future yield for the 2 public water systems in Gloucester County.
The Lake Wales Ridge Monitoring (LWRM) Network was established to provide a long-term record of water quality of the surficial aquifer in one of the principal citrus-production areas of Florida. This region is underlain by sandy soils that contain minimal organic matter and are highly vulnerable to leaching of chemicals into the subsurface. This report documents the 1989 through May 2010 sampling history of the LWRM Network and summarizes monitoring results for 38 Network wells that were sampled during the period January 2009 through May 2010. During 1989 through May 2010, the Network’s citrus land-use wells were sampled intermittently to 1999, quarterly from April 1999 to October 2009, and thereafter quarterly to semiannually. The water-quality summaries in this report focus on the period January 2009 through May 2010, during which the Network’s citrus land-use wells were sampled six times and the non-citrus land-use wells were sampled two times. Within the citrus land-use wells sampled, a total of 13 pesticide compounds (8 parent pesticides and 5 degradates) were detected of the 37 pesticide compounds analyzed during this period. The most frequently detected compounds included demethyl norflurazon (83 percent of wells), norflurazon (79 percent), aldicarb sulfoxide (41 percent), aldicarb sulfone (38 percent), imidacloprid (38 percent), and diuron (28 percent). Agrichemical concentrations in samples from the citrus land-use wells during the 2009 through May 2010 period exceeded Federal drinking-water standards (maximum contaminant levels, MCLs) in 1.5 to 24 percent of samples for aldicarb and its degradates (sulfone and sulfoxide), and in 68 percent of the samples for nitrate. Florida statutes restrict the distance of aldicarb applications to drinking-water wells; however, these statutes do not apply to monitoring wells. Health-screening benchmark levels that identify unregulated chemicals of potential concern were exceeded for norflurazon and diuron in 29 and 7 percent, respectively, of the 2009–2010 samples. A comparison of agrichemical land-use effects on groundwater quality, determined on the basis of samples from LWRM Network wells in citrus and in non-citrus land-use areas, indicated significantly higher (p<0.05) concentrations of inorganic constituents in samples from citrus land-use areas compared to samples from non-citrus areas. These inorganic constituents include calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, potassium, nitrate, aluminum, manganese, strontium, and total nitrogen, and also specific conductance, an indicator of total dissolved solutes in water. In addition to land use, including irrigation, site differences such as soils and groundwater reduction/oxidation conditions might have contributed to the differences in some of these constituents. Pesticide detections were primarily restricted to the citrus land-use wells, where 22 of 23 wells yielded pesticide detections, with a median of four detected pesticide compounds per well. For the non-citrus land-use wells, typically surrounded by mixed land use including developed and undeveloped land, one of the eight sampled wells yielded pesticide detections consisting of norflurazon and its degradate, and the source(s) of these detections might have been active or recently active citrus orchards in the vicinity of this well. Results from the LWRM Network during the 1989 through May 2010 period have provided early warning of chemicals prone to leaching, guidance for developing or modifying chemical usage practices to minimize impacts to groundwater, and a mechanism for prioritizing State sampling of domestic wells to assure safe drinking-water supplies. Given the typically long time period (years to tens of years or longer) required to remove chemical contamination once it enters the groundwater system, groundwater monitoring is important to protect drinking-water sources as well as the numerous lakes in this region, which are closely connected with the surficial aquifer. Long-term monitoring of the LWRM Network is planned to continue providing early warning of potential for groundwater contamination, and to assess spatial and temporal trends in water quality resulting from changes in pesticide-use patterns and in land use.
Like other large rivers, the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) serves a diversity of roles. The UMRS provides commercial and recreational fishing, floodplain agriculture, drinking water for many communities, an important bird migration pathway, a variety of recreational activities, and a navigation system that transports much of the country's agricultural exports. These multiple roles present significant management challenges. Regular assessment of the condition of the river is needed to improve management plans and evaluate their effectiveness. This report provides a summary of the recent status (mean and range of conditions) and trends (change in direction over time) for 24 indicators of the ecological condition of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers using data collected through the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP). The 24 indicators were grouped into seven categories: hydrology, sedimentation, water quality, land cover, aquatic vegetation, invertebrates, and fish. Most of the data used in the report were collected between about 1993 and 2004, although some older data were also used to compare to recent conditions.Historical observations and current LTRMP data clearly indicate that the UMRS has been changed by human activity in ways that have diminished the ecological health of the river. The data indicate that status and trends differ among regions, and we expect that regional responses to various ecological rehabilitation techniques will differ as well. The continuing role of the LTRMP will be to provide the data needed to assess changes in river conditions and to determine how those changes relate to management actions, natural variation, and the overall ecological integrity of the river system.
Heavy rain during January 18-19, 1996, combined with unseasonably warm temperatures that caused rapid snowmelt, resulted in widespread flooding throughout New York State. Damages to highways, bridges, and private property exceeded $100 million. The storm and flooding claimed 10 lives, stranded hundreds of people, destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and businesses, and closed hundreds of roads. Forty-one counties in New York were declared federal disaster areas. The most severely affected region was within and surrounding the Catskill Mountains. Damages and losses within Delaware County alone exceeded $20 million.More than 4.5 inches of rain fell on at least 45 inches of melting snow in the Catskill Mountain region during January 18-19 and caused major flooding in the area. The most destructive flooding was along Schoharie Creek and the East and West Branches of the Delaware River. Record peak discharges occurred at 57 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations throughout New York. Maximum discharges at 15 sites, mostly within the Schoharie Creek and Delaware River basins, had recurrence intervals equal to or greater than 100 years. The storage of significant amounts of floodwater in several reservoirs sharply reduced peak discharges downstream. This report presents a summary of peak stages and discharges, precipitation maps, floodflow hydrographs, inflow-outflow hydrographs for several reservoirs, and flood profiles along 83 miles of Schoharie Creek from its headwaters in the Catskill Mountains to its mouth at the Mohawk River.
This report gives a summary of the field program and instrumentation used on the R/V Gyre in the Gulf of Mexico in May, 2003, to collect multichannel seismic data in support of USGS and Department of Energy gas hydrate studies. Tabulated statistics, metadata, figures and maps are included to show the breadth of data collected and preliminary interpretations made during the field program. Geophysical data collected during this cruise will be released in a separate report. At the start of the cruise, three test lines were run to compare different source configurations in order to optimize data quality for the objectives of the cruise. The source chosen was the 13/13 in3 Generator-Injector (GI) Gun. Following these tests, a total of 101 lines (approximately 1033 km) of 24-channel high-resolution seismic reflection data were collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico. 59 lines (about 600 km) were collected in and around lease block Keathley Canyon 195. An additional 4 lines (85 km) provided a seismic tie between the Keathley Canyon data and USGS multichannel data collected in 1999. About 253 km of data were collected along 35 short lines in and around lease block Atwater Valley 14 on the floor of the Mississippi Canyon. Three lines (53 km) completed the cruise and provided a seismic tie to USGS multichannel data collected in 1998. Two on-board trained marine-mammal observers fulfilled the requirements determined by NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service to avoid incidental harassment of marine mammals as established in the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). A total of three species of dolphins were observed during the cruise and one basking shark. No sperm whales were sighted. During the cruise, seismic operations were not delayed or terminated because of marine mammal activity.
This report contains 62 summary statements of water resources activities in Florida conducted by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Federal, State , and local agencies during 1989-90. These activities are part of the Federal program of appraising the Nation 's water resources. (USGS)
In cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Geological Survey has collected hydrologic data about the Southern High Plains aquifer at Cannon Air Force Base in east-central New Mexico since 1994. Under the guidance of the State of New Mexico, ground-water quality of the aquifer has been analyzed as part of annual monitoring at regulated sites at the base. This report provides a summary and interpretation of all available hydrologic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey for Cannon Air Force Base environmental managers for the regulated sites of Landfill 5 and the Sewage Lagoons between 1994 and 2005.
This report is a summary of investigations in progress in 1932 in the southwestern portion of the United States. It covers only those investigations that deal with water in the zone of saturation, and excludes those that deal primarily with water in the zone of aeration. Arizona H. C. Schwalen, Irrigation Engineer, Agricultural Experiment‐Station, Tucson, Arizona, has proposed to undertake a study of the effect of pumping from wells, and of the capacity of water‐bearing strata, but no report of progress is available. Several other hydrologic investigations are now being made by the Agricultural Experiment‐ Station, but relate primarily to infiltration and transpiration.
The first four of a series of reports giving detailed stratigraphic sections and analyses of samples of the Phosphoria formation in the western phosphate field as described and sampled by the U. S. Geological Survey will soon be published as Circulars 208 through 211. Because of the needs of industry for many of these data during the 1951 field season, and owing to unavoidable delays attendant on publication, the tabular data prepared for these four and for two additional circulars, as yet unnumbered, were released on open file without texts or maps last year. These six reports constitute a summary of all the sampling done by the U. S. Geological Survey in the western phosphate field during 1947 and 1948. The analytical returns on the samples collected during 1949, 1950, and 1951 were incomplete at that time. However, in keeping with the objectives outlined above, abstracts of the stratigraphic units and P205 and acid insoluble analyses of the phosphatic parts of the sections measured and sampled during 1949 and 1950 were released on open file as two reports so that early use might be made of the most important economic data collected during this field work. This is a similar report covering the 1951 field season data. The data in these three open file reports are being prepared for publication in circulars like the six reports mentioned above. These reports, as well as others referred to, are placed on open file at the offices of the U. S. Geological Survey in Washington, D. C.; Spokane, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Montpelier, Idaho (open from May to October), and at the offices of the Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology, Moscow, Idaho; the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Butte, Montana; the Wyoming Geological Survey, Laramie, Wyoming; and the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.