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At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources
USGS2008

Updated radiometric calibration for the Landsat-5 thematic mapper reflective bands

The Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) has been the workhorse of the Landsat system. Launched in 1984, it continues collecting data through the time frame of this paper. Thus, it provides an invaluable link to the past history of the land features of the Earth's surface, and it becomes imperative to provide an accurate radiometric calibration of the reflective bands to the user community. Previous calibration has been based on information obtained from prelaunch, the onboard calibrator, vicarious calibration attempts, and cross-calibration with Landsat-7. Currently, additional data sources are available to improve this calibration. Specifically, improvements in vicarious calibration methods and development of the use of pseudoinvariant sites for trending provide two additional independent calibration sources. The use of these additional estimates has resulted in a consistent calibration approach that ties together all of the available calibration data sources. Results from this analysis indicate a simple exponential, or a constant model may be used for all bands throughout the lifetime of Landsat-5 TM. Where previously time constants for the exponential models were approximately one year, the updated model has significantly longer time constants in bands 1-3. In contrast, bands 4, 5, and 7 are shown to be best modeled by a constant. The models proposed in this paper indicate calibration knowledge of 5% or better early in life, decreasing to nearly 2% later in life. These models have been implemented at the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) and are the default calibration used for all Landsat TM data now distributed through EROS. ?? 2008 IEEE.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2000

Obtaining Streamflow Statistics for Massachusetts Streams on the World Wide Web

A World Wide Web application has been developed to make it easy to obtain streamflow statistics for user-selected locations on Massachusetts streams. The Web application, named STREAMSTATS (available at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/massachusetts.html ), can provide peak-flow frequency, low-flow frequency, and flow-duration statistics for most streams in Massachusetts. These statistics describe the magnitude (how much), frequency (how often), and duration (how long) of flow in a stream. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published streamflow statistics, such as the 100-year peak flow, the 7-day, 10-year low flow, and flow-duration statistics, for its data-collection stations in numerous reports. Federal, State, and local agencies need these statistics to plan and manage use of water resources and to regulate activities in and around streams. Engineering and environmental consulting firms, utilities, industry, and others use the statistics to design and operate water-supply systems, hydropower facilities, industrial facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, and roads, bridges, and other structures. Until now, streamflow statistics for data-collection stations have often been difficult to obtain because they are scattered among many reports, some of which are not readily available to the public. In addition, streamflow statistics are often needed for locations where no data are available. STREAMSTATS helps solve these problems. STREAMSTATS was developed jointly by the USGS and MassGIS, the State Geographic Information Systems (GIS) agency, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Management and Environmental Protection. The application consists of three major components: (1) a user interface that displays maps and allows users to select stream locations for which they want streamflow statistics (fig. 1), (2) a data base of previously published streamflow statistics and descriptive information for 725 USGS data-collection stations, and (3) an automated procedure that determines characteristics of the land-surface area (basin) that drains to the stream and inserts those characteristics into equations that estimate the streamflow statistics. Each of these components is described and guidance for using STREAMSTATS is provided below.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2008

A Study of the Connection Among Basin-Fill Aquifers, Carbonate-Rock Aquifers, and Surface-Water Resources in Southern Snake Valley, Nevada

The Secretary of the Interior through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act approved funding for research to improve understanding of hydrologic systems that sustain numerous water-dependent ecosystems on Federal lands in Snake Valley, Nevada. Some of the streams and spring-discharge areas in and adjacent to Great Basin National Park have been identified as susceptible to ground-water withdrawals (Elliott and others, 2006) and research has shown a high potential for ground-water flow from southern Spring Valley into southern Snake Valley through carbonate rocks that outcrop along a low topographic divide known as the Limestone Hills (Welch and others, 2007). Comprehensive geologic, hydrologic, and chemical information will be collected and analyzed to assess the hydraulic connection between basin-fill aquifers and surface-water resources, water-dependent ecological features, and the regional carbonate-rock aquifer, the known source of many high-discharge springs. Understanding these connections is important because proposed projects to pump and export ground water from Spring and Snake Valleys in Nevada may result in unintended capture of water currently supplying springs, streams, wetlands, limestone caves, and other biologically sensitive areas (fig. 1). The methods that will be used in this study may be transferable to other areas in the Great Basin. The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service submitted the proposal for funding this research to facilitate science-based land management. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources and Geologic Disciplines, and the University of Nevada, Reno, will accomplish four research elements through comprehensive data collection and analysis that are concentrated in two distinct areas on the eastern and southern flanks of the Snake Range (fig. 2). The projected time line for this research is from July 2008 through September 2011.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2010

Preliminary assessment of factors influencing riverine fish communities in Massachusetts

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (MDCR), Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP), and the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (MDFG), conducted a preliminary investigation of fish communities in small- to medium-sized Massachusetts streams. The objective of this investigation was to determine relations between fish-community characteristics and anthropogenic alteration, including flow alteration and impervious cover, relative to the effect of physical basin and land-cover (environmental) characteristics. Fish data were obtained for 756 fish-sampling sites from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife fish-community database. A review of the literature was used to select a set of fish metrics responsive to flow alteration. Fish metrics tested include two fish-community metrics (fluvial-fish relative abundance and fluvial-fish species richness), and five indicator species metrics (relative abundance of brook trout, blacknose dace, fallfish, white sucker, and redfin pickerel). Streamflows were simulated for each fish-sampling site using the Sustainable Yield Estimator application (SYE). Daily streamflows and the SYE water-use database were used to determine a set of indicators of flow alteration, including percent alteration of August median flow, water-use intensity, and withdrawal and return-flow fraction. The contributing areas to the fish-sampling sites were delineated and used with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine a set of environmental characteristics, including elevation, basin slope, percent sand and gravel, percent wetland, and percent open water, and a set of anthropogenic-alteration variables, including impervious cover and dam density. Two analytical techniques, quantile regression and generalized linear modeling, were applied to determine the association between fish-response variables and the selected environmental and anthropogenic explanatory variables. Quantile regression indicated that flow alteration and impervious cover were negatively associated with both fluvial-fish relative abundance and fluvial-fish species richness. Three generalized linear models (GLMs) were developed to quantify the response of fish communities to multiple environmental and anthropogenic variables. Flow-alteration variables are statistically significant for the fluvial-fish relative-abundance model. Impervious cover is statistically significant for the fluvial-fish relative-abundance, fluvial-fish species richness, and brook trout relative-abundance models. The variables in the equations were demonstrated to be significant, and the variability explained by the models, as measured by the correlation between observed and predicted values, ranges from 39 to 65 percent. The GLM models indicated that, keeping all other variables the same, a one-unit (1 percent) increase in the percent depletion or percent surcharging of August median flow would result in a 0.4-percent decrease in the relative abundance (in counts per hour) of fluvial fish and that the relative abundance of fluvial fish was expected to be about 55 percent lower in net-depleted streams than in net-surcharged streams. The GLM models also indicated that a unit increase in impervious cover resulted in a 5.5-percent decrease in the relative abundance of fluvial fish and a 2.5-percent decrease in fluvial-fish species richness.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2008

Salinity trends in the upper Colorado River basin upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, Colorado, 1986-2003

In 1974, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act was passed into law. This law was enacted to address concerns regarding the salinity content of the Colorado River. The law authorized various construction projects in selected areas or "units" of the Colorado River Basin intended to reduce the salinity load in the Colorado River. One such area was the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit in western Colorado. The U. S. Geological Survey has done extensive studies and research in the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit that provide information to aid the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in determining where salinity-control work may provide the best results, and to what extent salinity-control work was effective in reducing salinity concentrations and loads in the Colorado River. Previous studies have indicated that salinity concentrations and loads have been decreasing downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, and that the decreases are likely the result of salinity control work in these areas. Several of these reports; however, also document decreasing salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. This finding was important because only a small amount of salinity-control work was being done in areas upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit at the time the findings were reported (late 1990’s). As a result of those previous findings, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate salinity trends in selected areas bracketing the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit and regions upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. The results of the study indicate that salinity loads were decreasing upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit from 1986 through 2003, but the rates of decrease have slowed during the last 10 years. The average rate of decrease in salinity load upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit was 10,700 tons/year. This accounts for approximately 27 percent of the decrease observed downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Salinity loads were decreasing at the fastest rate (6,950 tons/year) in Region 4, which drains an area between the Colorado River at Cameo, Colorado (station CAMEO) and Colorado River above Glenwood Springs, Colorado (station GLEN) streamflow-gaging stations. Trends in salinity concentration and streamflow were tested at station CAMEO to determine if salinity concentration, streamflow, or both are controlling salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Trend tests of individual ion concentrations were included as potential indicators of what sources (based on mineral composition) may be controlling trends in the upper Colorado. No significant trend was detected for streamflow from 1986 to 2003 at station CAMEO; however, a significant downward trend was detected for salinity concentration. The trend slope indicates that salinity concentration is decreasing at a median rate of about 3.54 milligrams per liter per year. Five major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride) were tested for trends. The results indicate that processes within source areas with rock and soil types (or other unidentified sources) bearing calcium, sodium, and sulfate had the largest effect on the downward trend in salinity load upstream from station CAMEO. Downward trends in salinity load resulting from ground-water sources and/or land-use change were thought to be possible reasons for the observed decreases in salinity loads; however, the cause or causes of the decreasing salinity loads are not fully understood. A reduction in the amount of ground-water percolation from Region 4 (resulting from work done through Federal irrigation system improvement programs as well as privately funded irrigation system improvements) has helped reduce annual salinity load from Region 4 by approximately 7,400 tons. This amount is equal to about 5.9 percent of the total decrease (125,000 tons, or about 6,950 tons/year) estimated to have occurred in Region 4 during water years 1986 through 2003. A geographic information system was used to quantify the change in the amount of irrigated land upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit from 1993 through 2000. These data indicated that the amount of irrigated land did not change substantially, thus indicating that the downward trends in salinity load did not result from land-use change.

Colorado↗
USGS2007

South Platte River Basin - Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming

The South Platte River Basin was one of 20 study units selected in 1991 for investigation under the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. One of the initial tasks undertaken by the study unit team was to review the environmental setting of the basin and assemble ancillary data on natural and anthropogenic factors in the basin. The physical, chemical, and biological quality of the water in the South Platte River Basin is explicitly tied to its environmental setting. The resulting water quality is the product of the natural conditions and human factors that make up the environmental setting of the basin. This description of the environmental setting of the South Platte River Basin and its implications to the water quality will help guide the design of the South Platte NAWQA study. Natural conditions such as physiography, climate, geology, and soils affect the ambient water quality while anthropogenic factors such as water use, population, land use and water-management practices can have a pronounced effect on water quality in the basin. The relative effects of mining, urban, and agricultural land- and water-uses on water-quality constituents are not well understood. The interrelation of the surface-water and ground-water systems and the chemical and biological processes that affect the transport of constituents needs to be addressed. Interactions between biological communities and the water resources also should be considered. The NAWQA program and the South Platte River Basin study will provide information to minimize existing knowledge gaps, so that we may better understand the effect these natural conditions and human factors have on the water-quality conditions in the basin, now and in the future.

Water Resources Bulletin↗
USGS2011

Chapter 11: Management considerations

We conducted an ecoregional assessment of sagebrush ( Artemisia spp. ) ecosystems in the Wyoming Basins and surrounding regions (WBEA) to determine broad-scale species-environmental relationships. Our goal was to assess the potential influence from threats to the sagebrush ecosystem on associated wildlife through the use of spatially explicit occurrence and abundance models. These models were developed using information from field surveys conducted along gradients of vegetation productivity and human disturbance integrated with spatial datasets delineating land cover, topography, and human land use in the WBEA area. Our evaluation included all sagebrush-associated wildlife species across multiple taxa whose habitat requirements and distributions were appropriate for modeling and interpretation at the broad scales of this assessment. Dominant land uses were included in delineating the human footprint. Although overall levels of the cumulative human footprint were generally low across the WBEA area, oil and gas activities have decreased the amount of shrubland habitats and increased fragmentation within development regions over the last century. At the scale of this assessment, the influence of humans was primarily expressed as an indirect function through actions that altered or reduced available habitat. We identified 65 plant species of conservation concern; 28 of 40 vertebrate species associated with sagebrush were species of concern in at least one state. We modeled environmental relationships for 15 wildlife species from data collected from surveys conducted in 2005 and 2006 designed to sample multiple species and taxa along land cover and land use gradients across the WBEA area. Occurrence of 3 species was negatively influenced by human features; anthropogenic features were a positive influence for 3 species, 8 had a mixed response, and 1 had no measurable relationship. Sagebrush land cover, considered in all wildlife models, was important to most species but differed among species in the proportion of sagebrush required and at what spatial extent. For most species examined, the spatial extent at which sagebrush cover influenced the probability of occupancy was much larger than an individual’s home range size. Exotic plants were strongly associated with human features, particularly roads, which may function as linear vectors to facilitate spread of exotic plants across the WBEA area. We used coarse-grained spatial and thematic data because of the large spatial extent (350,000 km 2 ) of the WBEA area and the need for a consistent land cover map for the region. Distributions of species occurrence or abundance mapped in this assessment need to be corroborated with information on population demographics. In addition, our results should be interpreted relative to assumptions inherent in broad-scale ecoregional assessments. Our assessment provides managers with extensive and detailed maps of occurrence and abundance, allowing for status assessments of native species, diversity and richness, natural communities, and ecological systems present within the Wyoming Basins.

Wyoming↗
USGS2015

Geomorphic, flood, and groundwater-flow characteristics of Bayfield Peninsula streams, Wisconsin, and implications for brook-trout habitat

In 2002–03, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study of the geomorphic, flood, and groundwater-flow characteristics of five Bayfield Peninsula streams, Wisconsin (Cranberry River, Bark River, Raspberry River, Sioux River, and Whittlesey Creek) to determine the physical limitations for brook-trout habitat. The goals of the study were threefold: (1) to describe geomorphic characteristics and processes, (2) to determine how land-cover characteristics affect flood peaks, and (3) to determine how regional groundwater flow patterns affect base flow. The geomorphic characterization consisted of analyses of historical aerial photographs and General Land Office Survey notes, observations from helicopter video footage, surveys of valley cross sections, and coring. Sources of sediment were identified from the helicopter video and field surveys, and past erosion-control techniques were evaluated. Geomorphic processes, such as runoff sediment erosion, transport, and deposition, are driven by channel location within the drainage network, texture of glacial deposits, and proximity to postglacial lake shorelines; these processes have historically increased because of decreases in upland forest cover and channel roughness. Sources of sediment for all studied streams mainly came from bank, terrace, or bluff erosion along main stem reaches and along feeder tributaries that bisect main-stem entrenched valley sides. Bluff, terrace, and bank erosion were the major sources of sediment to Whittlesey Creek and the Sioux River. No active bluff erosion was observed on the Cranberry River or the Bark River but anecdotal information suggests that landslides occasionally happen on the Cranberry River. For the Bark River, sources of sediment were somewhat evenly divided among road crossings (bridges, culverts, and unimproved forest lanes), terrace erosion, bank erosion, and incision along upper main stems and feeder channels along valley sides. Evaluation of past erosion-control techniques indicated that bluffs were stabilized by a combination of artificial hardening and bioengineering of the bluff base and reducing mass wasting of the tops of the bluffs. Flood hydrographs for the Cranberry River were simulated for four land-cover scenarios—late 20th century (1992–93), presettlement (before 1870), peak agriculture (1928), and developed (25 percent urban). Results were compared to previous simulations of flood peaks for Whittlesey Creek and for North Fish Creek (southern adjacent basin to Whittlesey Creek). Even though most uplands are presently forested, flood peaks simulated for 1992–93 were 1.5 to 2 times larger than presettlement flood peaks. The increased flood peaks caused (1) increased incision along upper main stems and tributaries that bisect entrenched valley sides, (2) bluff and terrace erosion along reaches with entrenched valleys, (3) overbank deposition and bar formation in middle and lower main stems, and (4) aggradation in mouth areas. A base-flow survey was conducted and a groundwater-flow model was developed for the Bayfield Peninsula to delineate groundwater contributing areas. A deep aquifer system, which includes thick deposits of sand and the upper part of the bedrock, is recharged through the permeable sands in the center of the peninsula. Base flow is unevenly distributed among the Bayfield streams and depends on the amount of channel incision and the proximity of the channels to the recharge area and coarse outwash deposits. Groundwater contributing areas for the five streams do not coincide with surface-water-contributing areas. About 89 percent of total recharge to the deep aquifer system discharges to Bayfield streams; the remaining 11 percent directly discharges to Lake Superior. Historical land-cover changes have had negligible effects on groundwater-flow from the deep aquifer system. Available brook-trout habitat is dependent on the locations of groundwater upwellings, the sizes of flood peaks, and sediment loads. Management practices that focus on reducing or slowing runoff from upland areas and increasing channel roughness have potential to reduce flood peaks, erosion, and sedimentation and improve brook-trout habitat in all Bayfield Peninsula streams.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2020

Application of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) to simulate near-native streamflow in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) is widely used to simulate the effects of climate, topography, land cover, and soils on landscape-level hydrologic response and streamflow. This study developed, calibrated, and assessed a PRMS model that simulates near-native or naturalized streamflow conditions in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. A PRMS model framework of 1,021 hydrologic response units was constructed for the basin. Subbasins within the larger Upper Rio Grande Basin range from snow-dominated northern basins to monsoon driven southern basins. The 1,021 hydrologic response units were grouped into 133 subareas within the basin, and solar radiation and potential evapotranspiration data were used to calibrate corresponding PRMS parameters in each subarea independently. Nine subbasins with streamgages distributed across the basin were identified as “near-native” subbasins, or those basins with low anthropogenic disturbance. Model parameters that affect streamflow were calibrated for the near-native subbasins, and the calibrated parameters were distributed to the remaining hydrologic response units on the basis of terrain, soil, and vegetation conditions linked to a distribution and weighting algorithm developed for this study. The parameter distribution method was validated in three of the nine near-native subbasins. Calibration results demonstrated that the PRMS model developed in this study with distributed model parameters for the entire Upper Rio Grande Basin was successful in applying local information to improve model performance over the National Hydrologic Model, and that the new model is appropriate to use to simulate near-native conditions throughout the basin. The result is a model that can simulate naturalized flow and other variables that affect the water budget (including soil moisture, evapotranspiration, recharge) at the daily time step for current and future climate conditions, and that can also be used in conjunction with other models developed for the basin.

Upper Rio Grande Basin↗
USGS2025

Characterization of stream water quality and groundwater levels in the Central Pine Barrens region, Suffolk County, New York, 2017–23

The area locally known as the “Central Pine Barrens” region, located in Suffolk County, New York, contains most of Long Island’s preserved and undeveloped land. This region overlays an aquifer system that provides potable groundwater for residents of Suffolk County. Between 2017 and 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission and the Town of Brookhaven, monitored groundwater levels and stream water quality in this region. Groundwater levels were measured monthly at five wells and continuously (15-minute intervals) at a sixth well. Water quality was monitored at five locations in the Carmans River and at two locations in the Peconic River, and samples were analyzed for major ions, trace elements, nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. The major ion compositions at the sites were mainly sodium-chloride type waters, and compositions varied the most at the furthest upstream sites in both streams. Concentrations above aquatic-life criteria thresholds also occurred most frequently at the furthest upstream sites. The seasonal patterns of nutrient loads and concentrations varied between the Carmans and Peconic Rivers. Several organic compounds including pharmaceuticals, domestic use products, and pesticides were detected at low concentrations in both streams. Metformin was the most frequently detected pharmaceutical compound, and herbicides were the most frequently detected pesticide class. Water-quality conditions influenced by anthropogenic contributions are a result of current and historical land use, and these contributions include onsite wastewater disposal systems, commercial or domestic fertilizers and pesticides, and urban or industrial contaminants in road runoff. This study characterizes and improves understanding of the current hydrologic conditions in the Central Pine Barrens region and the study findings can help inform the development of plans to manage, protect, and restore water resources.

New York↗
USGS2007

Application of GPS and GIS to map channel features in Walnut Creek, Iowa

A 12-km reach of Walnut Creek was mapped at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County, Iowa to identify and prioritize areas of the stream channel in need of further investigation or restoration. Channel features, including streambank conditions, bottom sediment materials and thickness, channel cross-sections, debris dams, tile lines, tributary creeks, and cattle access points, were located to one-meter accuracy with global positioning system (GPS) equipment and described while traversing the stream. The GPS data were exported into a Geographic Information System (GIS) format, and field descriptions were added to create a series of coverages. Channel features were coupled with existing land cover data for analysis. Left and right streambank erosion rates varied from slight in many areas to severe at outside meander bends, debris dams or cattle access points. Erosion estimates from this study suggest that stream banks contribute about 50 percent of the annual suspended sediment load in the channel. Substrate materials varied from bare or thinly mantled pre-Illinoian till to thick silty muck (> 0.3 m) behind some debris dams and cattle access points. Occurrences of sand and gravel areas were generally restricted to cattle access areas and bridge crossings. A total of 81 debris dams were identified in the stream channel, ranging from fallen trees and beaver dams to several large debris dams. Numerous tile lines (52 total) and tributary creeks (45 total) were mapped as contributing flow to the main channel. Cross-sections measured at 34 locations indicated Walnut Creek averages 10.64 m wide and 2.77 m deep, with the width and depth increasing downstream. Channelization and tile discharge in row crop land use areas have contributed to increased bed degradation and channel widening throughout the watershed. The results of this study indicate the effectiveness of a one-time detailed mapping program to characterize stream system variability and identify spatial relationships among many stream characteristics. Stream survey data are being used to model watershed conditions, identify water sampling points and evaluate and select appropriate channel rehabilitation measures.

Iowa↗
USGS2007

Environmental Assessment of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Indiana, October and November 2005

An environmental assessment of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville in Jennings County, Indiana, was completed during October and November 2005. As part of the Department of Defense Earth Science Program, the U.S. Geological Survey collected information about environmental conditions at the 825-acre former State of Indiana mental health facility prior to its conversion by the Indiana National Guard into an urban training center. The assessment was designed to investigate the type and extent of potential contamination associated with historical activities in selected areas of the facility. Samples of surface water, ground water, surface soil, and buried sediment were collected for the assessment in seven geographic study areas. Surface-water samples were collected from flowing and pooled surface water, as well as seeps and springs where ground water discharged at the land surface. Ground-water samples were collected from temporary wells installed in boreholes drilled to bedrock. Surface-soil samples were collected near sites of possible contamination. Buried-sediment samples were taken from core material collected near the top of bedrock at depths of 6.4 to 26 feet. For the assessment, 59 environmental, 22 quality-assurance, and 46 laboratory-blank samples were analyzed for as many as 65 volatile organic compounds, 62 semivolatile organic compounds, 20 trace elements, 10 inorganic cations and anions, 3 nutrients, and 4 water-quality characteristics. Concentrations of constituents detected in these samples were compared with regulatory standards (the Indiana Surface-Water-Quality Standards and Indiana Ground-Water-Quality Standards) and guidance criteria from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's Risk Integrated System of Closures for contaminated soil and ground water. Standards or criteria were exceeded by 17 constituent concentrations in 11 environmental samples from 5 of the 7 geographic study areas. Standards or criteria were exceeded for 10 constituents: ammonia, arsenic, benzo(a)pyrene, beryllium, chloride, chloroform, copper, lead, sulfate, and zinc.

Indiana↗
USGS2009

Seismic Velocities and Thicknesses of Alluvial Deposits along Baker Creek in the Great Basin National Park, East-Central Nevada

To better understand how proposed large-scale water withdrawals in Snake Valley may affect the water resources and hydrologic processes in the Great Basin National Park, the National Park Service needs to have a better understanding of the relations between streamflow and groundwater flow through alluvium and karst topography of the Pole Canyon Limestone. Information that is critical to understanding these relations is the thickness of alluvial deposits that overlay the Pole Canyon Limestone. In mid-April 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service used seismic refraction along three profiles adjacent to Baker Creek to further refine understanding of the local geology. Two refractors and three distinct velocity layers were detected along two of the profiles and a single refractor and two distinct velocity layers were detected along a third profile. In the unsaturated alluvium, average velocity was 2,000 feet per second, thickness ranged from about 7 to 20 feet along two profiles downstream of the Narrows, and thickness was at least 100 feet along a single profile upstream of the Narrows. Saturated alluvium was only present downstream of the Narrows - average velocity was 4,400 feet per second, and thickness ranged from about 40 to 110 feet. The third layer probably represented Pole Canyon Limestone or Tertiary granitic rock units with an average velocity of 12,500 feet per second. Along the upstream and middle profiles (profiles 3 and 1, respectively), the depth to top of the third layer ranged from at least 60 to 110 feet below land surface and is most likely the Pole Canyon Limestone. The third layer at the farthest downstream profile (profile 2) may be a Tertiary granitic rock unit. Baker Creek is disconnected from the groundwater system along the upstream profile (profile 3) and streamflow losses infiltrate vertically downward to the Pole Canyon Limestone. Along the downstream and middle profiles (profiles 2 and 1, respectively), the presence of a shallow water table indicates that low permeability Tertiary granitic rock may extend across the Baker Creek Drainage intersecting the Pole Canyon Limestone. The Tertiary granitic rock may be acting as a barrier to groundwater flow within the Pole Canyon Limestone.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Assessing potential effects of highway runoff on receiving-water quality at selected sites in Oregon with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oregon Department of Transportation began a cooperative study to demonstrate use of the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) for runoff-quality analyses in Oregon. SELDM can be used to estimate stormflows, constituent concentrations, and loads from the area upstream of a stormflow discharge site, from the site of interest and in the receiving waters downstream of the discharge. SELDM also can be used to assess the potential effectiveness of best management practices (BMP) for mitigating potential effects of runoff in receiving waters. Nominally, SELDM is a highway-runoff model, but it is well suited for analysis of runoff from other land uses as well. This report provides case studies and examples to demonstrate stochastic-runoff modeling concepts and to demonstrate application of the model. Basin characteristics from six Oregon highway study sites were used to demonstrate various applications of the model. The highway catchment and upstream basin drainage areas of these study sites ranged from 3.85 to 11.83 acres and from 0.16 to 6.56 square miles, respectively. The upstream basins of two sites are urbanized, and the remaining four sites are less than 5 percent impervious. SELDM facilitates analysis by providing precipitation, pre-storm streamflow, and other variables by region or from hydrologically similar sites. In Oregon, there can be large variations in precipitation and streamflow among nearby sites. Therefore, spatially interpolated geographic information system data layers containing storm-event precipitation and pre-storm streamflow statistics specific to Oregon were created for the study using Kriging techniques. Concentrations and loads of cadmium, chloride, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, phosphorus, and zinc were simulated at the six Oregon highway study sites by using statistics from sites in other areas of the country. Water‑quality datasets measured at hydrologically similar basins in the vicinity of the study sites in Oregon were selected and compiled to estimate stormflow-quality statistics for the upstream basins. The quality of highway runoff and some upstream stormflow constituents were simulated by using statistical moments (average, standard deviation, and skew) of the logarithms of data. Some upstream stormflow constituents were simulated by using transport curves, which are relations between stormflow and constituent concentrations. Stochastic analyses were done by using SELDM to demonstrate use of the model and to illustrate the types of information that stochastic analyses may provide: 1. An analysis was done to demonstrate use of dilution factors as an initial reconnaissance tool for comparing relative risk among sites. 2. An analysis of hardness-dependent, water-quality criteria was done to illustrate the effects of variations in hardness and flow on the application and interpretation of such criteria. This analysis shows that hardness-dependent criteria can vary by an order of magnitude among storm events because hardness is diluted by stormflows. 3. An analysis of uncertainties in input and output values was done to demonstrate that properly selected robust datasets are needed to represent conditions at a site of interest. This analysis shows that the rate of water-quality exceedances that are measured or simulated may depend on sample size and the luck of the draw. 4. An analysis was done to demonstrate that SELDM and other Monte Carlo models may generate extreme values from input statistics, which may or may not be feasible based on physicochemical or hydrological limits. 5. An analysis of BMP modeling methods was done to demonstrate use of the model for estimating treatment requirements for meeting water-quality objectives. 6. An analysis of the use of grab sampling and nonstochastic upstream modeling methods was done to evaluate the potential effects on modeling outcomes. Additional analyses using surrogate water-quality datasets for the upstream basin and highway catchment were provided for six Oregon study sites to illustrate the risk-based information that SELDM will produce. These analyses show that the potential effects of highway runoff on receiving-water quality downstream of the outfall depends on the ratio of drainage areas (dilution), the quality of the receiving water upstream of the highway, and the concentration of the criteria of the constituent of interest. These analyses also show that the probability of exceeding a water-quality criterion may depend on the input statistics used, thus careful selection of representative values is important.

Oregon↗
USGS2016

Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming

Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The need for this assessment arose from the decision by the Secretary of the Interior to pursue the protection of large tracts of contiguous habitat for the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) in the Western United States. One component of the Department of the Interior plan to protect the habitat areas includes withdrawing selected lands from future exploration and development of mineral and energy resources, including copper, gold, silver, rare earth elements, and other commodities used in the U.S. economy. The assessment evaluates the potential for locatable minerals such as gold, copper, and lithium and describes the nature and occurrence of leaseable and salable minerals for seven Sagebrush Focal Areas and additional lands in Nevada (“Nevada additions”) delineated by BLM. Supporting data are available in a series of USGS data releases describing mineral occurrences (the USGS Mineral Deposit Database or “USMIN”), oil and gas production and well status, previous mineral-resource assessments that covered parts of the areas studied, and a compilation of mineral-use cases based on data provided by BLM, as well as results of the locatable mineral-resource assessment in a geographic information system. The present assessment of mineral-resource potential will contribute to a better understanding of the economic and environmental trade-offs that would result from closing approximately 1 0 million acres of Federal lands to mineral entry.

Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS1996

Ground-water levels in an alluvial plain between the Tanana and Chena Rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska 1986-93

The aquifer of an alluvial plain between the Tanana and Chena Rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska, generally consists of highly transmissive sands and gravels under water-table conditions. During 1986-88, the U.S. Geological Survey studied the distribution of ground-water levels in the alluvial plain between Moose Creek Dam and the confluence of the Tanana and Chena Rivers. Moose Creek Dam is a flood-control structure on the Chena River that impounds water only during high flows in the Chena River or during tests of the dam's control gates. Ground-water-level information is needed to help design and place septic systems, buildings, and drainage structures. Using 38 existing wells and 83 wells drilled for this study during 1986 and 1987, ground-water levels were measured to determine the depth to the water table, its seasonal variation, and its relation to changes in river and reservoir stages. Water levels were continuously measured in 10 wells and periodically measured in 110 other wells until August 1988. During 1989, water levels were measured at least once in 59 wells. Three wells were equipped with water-level recorders through 1993. River stages were measured continuously at one gaging station on the Tanana River and at two stations on the Chena River. During summer months of 1986-88, stages and discharges in the Chena River were generally less than long-term mean monthly values, whereas mean monthly stages and discharges in the Tanana River fluctuated above and below long-term mean monthly values. Depths to water in monitoring wells ranged from slightly above land surface to about 21 feet below land surface. Depths to water in the alluvial plain were within 10 feet of land surface in most areas, but were within 5 feet of land surface in many low-lying areas. In general, the water table sloped to the northwest, from the Tanana River to the Chena River, at a gradient of about 4 feet per mile. Water levels in wells within about half a mile of either river responded rapidly to changes in river stage. During summer months of 1989-93, stages and discharges in the Chena River were generally higher than those during 1986-88, whereas stages and discharges in the Tanana River were similar to those during 1986-88. During 1989, peak water levels were higher in more than half the wells measured than during peak levels observed during 1986-88. Peak water levels were also 1.9 to 3.3 feet higher in 1991 or 1992 than peak values during 1986-88 in three wells equipped with water-level recorders. Water levels in wells near Moose Creek Dam responded rapidly to changes in water levels behind the dam. During one impoundment, water levels in a well 0.1 mile from the dam rose approximately 7 feet, to 4.8 feet below land surface.

Alaska↗
USGS2003

Raster dataset showing the probability of elevated concentrations of nitrate in ground water in Colorado, hydrogeomorphic regions and fertilizer use estimates included

This dataset is one of eight datasets produced by this study. Four of the datasets predict the probability of detecting atrazine and(or) desethyl-atrazine (a breakdown product of atrazine) in ground water in Colorado; the other four predict the probability of detecting elevated concentrations of nitrate in ground water in Colorado. The four datasets that predict the probability of atrazine and(or) desethyl-atrazine (atrazine/DEA) are differentiated by whether or not they incorporated atrazine use and whether or not they incorporated hydrogeomorphic regions. The four datasets that predict the probability of elevated concentrations of nitrate are differentiated by whether or not they incorporated fertilizer use and whether or not they incorporated hydrogeomorphic regions. Each of the eight datasets has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. The user is cautioned to read Rupert (2003, Probability of detecting atrazine/desethyl-atrazine and elevated concentrations of nitrate in ground water in Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4269, 35 p., http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/wri/wri02-4269/) to determine if he(she) is using the most appropriate dataset for his(her) particular needs. This dataset specifically predicts the probability of detecting elevated concentrations of nitrate in ground water in Colorado with hydrogeomorphic regions and fertilizer use included. The following text was extracted from Rupert (2003). Draft Federal regulations may require that each State develop a State Pesticide Management Plan for the herbicides atrazine, alachlor, metolachlor, and simazine. Maps were developed that the State of Colorado could use to predict the probability of detecting atrazine/DEA in ground water in Colorado. These maps can be incorporated into the State Pesticide Management Plan and can help provide a sound hydrogeologic basis for atrazine management in Colorado. Maps showing the probability of detecting elevated nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (nitrate) concentrations in ground water in Colorado also were developed because nitrate is a contaminant of concern in many areas of Colorado. Maps showing the probability of detecting atrazine/DEA at or greater than concentrations of 0.1 microgram per liter and nitrate concentrations in ground water greater than 5 milligrams per liter were developed as follows: (1) Ground-water quality data were overlaid with anthropogenic and hydrogeologic data by using a geographic information system (GIS) to produce a dataset in which each well had corresponding data on atrazine use, fertilizer use, geology, hydrogeomorphic regions, land cover, precipitation, soils, and well construction. These data then were downloaded to a statistical software package for analysis by logistic regression. (2) Relations were observed between ground-water quality and the percentage of land-cover categories within circular regions (buffers) around wells. Several buffer sizes were evaluated; the buffer size that provided the strongest relation was selected for use in the logistic regression models. (3) Relations between concentrations of atrazine/DEA and nitrate in ground water and atrazine use, fertilizer use, geology, hydrogeomorphic regions, land cover, precipitation, soils, and well-construction data were evaluated, and several preliminary multivariate models with various combinations of independent variables were constructed. (4) The multivariate models that best predicted the presence of atrazine/DEA and elevated concentrations of nitrate in ground water were selected. (5) The accuracy of the multivariate models was confirmed by validating the models with an independent set of ground-water quality data. (6) The multivariate models were entered into a geographic information system and the probability GRIDS were constructed.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2015

GIS-Based Identification of Areas with Mineral Resource Potential for Six Selected Deposit Groups, Bureau of Land Management Central Yukon Planning Area, Alaska

This study, covering the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Yukon Planning Area (CYPA), Alaska, was prepared to aid BLM mineral resource management planning. Estimated mineral resource potential and certainty are mapped for six selected mineral deposit groups: (1) rare earth element (REE) deposits associated with peralkaline to carbonatitic intrusive igneous rocks, (2) placer and paleoplacer gold, (3) platinum group element (PGE) deposits associated with mafic and ultramafic intrusive igneous rocks, (4) carbonate-hosted copper deposits, (5) sandstone uranium deposits, and (6) tin-tungsten-molybdenum-fluorspar deposits associated with specialized granites. These six deposit groups include most of the strategic and critical elements of greatest interest in current exploration. This study has used a data-driven, geographic information system (GIS)-based method for evaluating the mineral resource potential across the large region of the CYPA. This method systematically and simultaneously analyzes geoscience data from multiple geospatially referenced datasets and uses individual subwatersheds (12-digit hydrologic unit codes or HUCs) as the spatial unit of classification. The final map output indicates an estimated potential (high, medium, low) for a given mineral deposit group and indicates the certainty (high, medium, low) of that estimate for any given subwatershed (HUC). Accompanying tables describe the data layers used in each analysis, the values assigned for specific analysis parameters, and the relative weighting of each data layer that contributes to the estimated potential and certainty determinations. Core datasets used include the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Alaska Geochemical Database (AGDB2), the Alaska Division of Geologic and Geophysical Surveys Web-based geochemical database, data from an anticipated USGS geologic map of Alaska, and the USGS Alaska Resource Data File. Map plates accompanying this report illustrate the mineral prospectivity for the six deposit groups across the CYPA and estimates of mineral resource potential. There are numerous areas, some of them large, rated with high potential for one or more of the selected deposit groups within the CYPA.

Alaska↗