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At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Hydrologic trends associated with urban development for selected streams in the Puget Sound basin, western Washington

Annual streamflow statistics from 10 selected streams in the Puget Sound Basin in western Washington were analyzed to identify possible hydrologic trends associated with urban development and to evaluate the effect of record length on errors in trend analysis. The analysis used three common streamflow statistics (annual mean discharge, annual maximum discharge, and 7-day low flow) and introduced an alternative statistic (fraction of year annual mean discharge was exceeded) for assessing the hydrologic effects of urban development. Although trends were identified in each of the four statistics analyzed, trends were not consistent in any of the four statistics for all selected streams. Instead, trends in two statistics ? (1) fraction of year annual mean discharge was exceeded, and (2) annual (instantaneous) maximum discharge ? were evident in streams with the highest levels of urban development over the period of record but not in streams with the lowest levels of urban development. Trends were not consistent for either annual mean discharge or 7-day low flow in urban streams. Trends were sensitive to the period of analysis for all four statistics, but particularly for the 7-day low flow, which showed increasing and decreasing trends for 10 subsets of the period of record in some streams.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2022

Red knot stopover population size and migration ecology at Delaware Bay, USA, 2022

Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa) stop at Delaware Bay on the mid-Atlantic coast of North America during northward migration to feed on eggs of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus). In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the number of Red Knots found at Delaware Bay declined from ~50,000 to ~13,000. Horseshoe crabs have been harvested for use as bait in eel (Anguilla rostrata) and whelk (Busycon) fisheries since at least 1990, and some avian conservation biologists hypothesized that horseshoe crab harvest levels in the 1990s prevented sufficient refueling for successful migration to the breeding grounds, nesting, and survival for the remainder of the annual cycle. Since 2013, the harvest of horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay region has been managed using an Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) framework. The objective of the ARM framework is to manage sustainable harvest of Delaware Bay horseshoe crabs while maintaining ecosystem integrity and supporting Red Knot recovery with adequate stopover habitat for Red Knots and other migrating shorebirds. For annual harvest recommendations, the ARM framework requires annual estimates of horseshoe crab population size and the Red Knot stopover population size. We conducted a mark-recapture-resight investigation to estimate the passage population of Red Knots at Delaware Bay in 2022. We used a Bayesian analysis of a Jolly-Seber model, which accounts for turnover in the population and the probability of detection during surveys. The 2022 Red Knot mark-resight dataset

Delaware, New Jersey↗
USGS1978

Evaluation and correlation of water-quality data for the North Fork Flathead River, northwestern Montana

This report is a compilation and evaluation of water-quality measurements that have been made by the U.S. Geological Survey at two stations on the North Fork Flathead River in Montana. Historical streamflow records show an annual mean daily discharge of 3,010 cubic feet per second near the mouth--a threefold increase compared to discharge at the international boundary. The chemical character of the water is dominated by calcium and magnesium cations and the bicarbonate anion. Base flow, in contrast to high flows from runoff, is characterized by higher dissolved constituents and lower concentrations of suspended sediment. The several lakes that contribute water throughout the middle and lower drainage have a dampening effect on both streamflow and constituent concentrations. Using the available data and computer techniques, regression equations were developed between certain water-quality variables. (Woodard-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2016

A method for characterizing late-season low-flow regime in the upper Grand Ronde River Basin, Oregon

This report describes a method for estimating ecologically relevant low-flow metrics that quantify late‑season streamflow regime for ungaged sites in the upper Grande Ronde River Basin, Oregon. The analysis presented here focuses on sites sampled by the Columbia River Inter‑Tribal Fish Commission as part of their efforts to monitor habitat restoration to benefit spring Chinook salmon recovery in the basin. Streamflow data were provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oregon Water Resources Department. Specific guidance was provided for selection of streamgages, development of probabilistic frequency distributions for annual 7-day low-flow events, and regionalization of the frequency curves based on multivariate analysis of watershed characteristics. Evaluation of the uncertainty associated with the various components of this protocol indicates that the results are reliable for the intended purpose of hydrologic classification to support ecological analysis of factors contributing to juvenile salmon success. They should not be considered suitable for more standard water-resource evaluations that require greater precision, especially those focused on management and forecasting of extreme low-flow conditions.

Oregon↗
USGS2021

Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses of selected streams near the city of Rittman in Wayne and Medina Counties, Ohio

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and the city of Rittman, Ohio, did a study to provide data to update and expand parts of two Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Studies. The study consisted of hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for selected reaches of four streams (Chippewa Creek, Little Chippewa Creek, Styx River, and the unnamed tributary to Styx River) near the city of Rittman in Wayne and Medina Counties, Ohio. The study covered 36.2 miles of stream reaches. Instantaneous peak streamflows for floods with 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent and 1-percent plus annual exceedance probabilities were estimated using historical streamflow data from three U.S. Geological Survey streamgages and regional flood-frequency regression equations. The flood-frequency estimates were then used in a Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System step-backwater model to determine water-surface profiles; flood-inundation boundaries for the 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent and 1-percent plus annual exceedance probabilities; and a regulatory floodway for the study reaches. Model inputs included cross sections derived from a digital elevation model supplemented with field surveys of open-channel cross sections and hydraulic structures, field estimates of Manning’s roughness values, and flood estimates determined from regional regression equations and historical streamflow data. Flood-inundation boundaries were mapped for each stream reach for the 1- and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability floods and a regulatory floodway. All data used in the creation of the flood-inundation boundaries are available through a U.S. Geological Survey data release (Ostheimer, 2021) and will be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for inclusion in updated Flood Insurance Studies for Wayne and Medina Counties.

Ohio↗
USGS2001

Estimates of mountain-front streamflow available for potential recharge to the Tularosa Basin, New Mexico

Streamflow in the Tularosa Basin, New Mexico, infiltrates into alluvial-basin aquifers at or near mountain fronts. Streamflow at or near mountain fronts is a substantial component of potential recharge to these aquifers. Streamflow response from precipitation differs substantially between the streams draining the Sacramento Mountains on the eastern side of the basin and those draining the San Andres Mountains on the western side. Mean annual streamflow at mountain fronts that is available for potential recharge to the Tularosa Basin was estimated using two regional regression methods. The method for estimating mean annual streamflow using basin-climatic characteristics was applied to 46 subbasins in the Tularosa Basin. Drainage areas for the subbasins ranged from 0.87 to 157 square miles, and mean annual precipitation ranged from 11.80 to 24.89 inches. Mean annual streamflow to the basin is estimated to be about 95 cubic feet per second or 68,800 acre-feet using the basin-climatic characteristics method. The method for estimating mean annual streamflow using channel-geometry characteristics was applied to 12 subbasins in the Tularosa Basin. Of the 46 basins, 31 had drainage areas less than 20.7 square miles and 3 had active-channel widths less than 15 feet, which were outside the ranges used to develop the regression equations.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1976

Flood characteristics of streams in Owyhee County, Idaho

Channel-width measurements were used to estimate annual peaks with a recurrence interval of 10 years at 79 sites in Owyhee County, Idaho, and adjacent areas. These discharges and those from 33 gaging stations are plotted on a map of the area. The map will allow the user to interpolate between sites. (Woodard-USGS)

Idaho↗
USGS1979

Hydrologic effects of annually diverting 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir, central Colorado

Because of the increased demands for water in eastern Colorado, principally in the urbanizing Denver metropolitan area, increased diversions of water from Dillon Reservoir are planned. Estimates of end-of-month storage in Dillon Reservoir, assuming the reservoir was in place and 131,000 acre-feet of water were diverted from the reservoir each year, were reconstructed by mass balance for the 1931-77 water years. Based on the analysis, the annual maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have averaged 54 feet. The maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have been 171 feet. The mean-annual discharge-weighted dissolved-solids concentrations in the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs and Cameo, Colo., and Cisco, Utah, for the 1942-77 water years, were computed assuming an annual diversion of 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir. The average increases in the dissolved-solids concentrations with the 131 ,000-acre-foot diversion were 15 to 16 milligrams per liter at the three sites. (Woodard-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1999

Estimation of magnitude and frequency of floods for streams in Puerto Rico: New empirical models

Flood-peak discharges and frequencies are presented for 57 gaged sites in Puerto Rico for recurrence intervals ranging from 2 to 500 years. The log-Pearson Type III distribution, the methodology recommended by the United States Interagency Committee on Water Data, was used to determine the magnitude and frequency of floods at the gaged sites having 10 to 43 years of record. A technique is presented for estimating flood-peak discharges at recurrence intervals ranging from 2 to 500 years for unregulated streams in Puerto Rico with contributing drainage areas ranging from 0.83 to 208 square miles. Loglinear multiple regression analyses, using climatic and basin characteristics and peak-discharge data from the 57 gaged sites, were used to construct regression equations to transfer the magnitude and frequency information from gaged to ungaged sites. The equations have contributing drainage area, depth-to-rock, and mean annual rainfall as the basin and climatic characteristics in estimating flood peak discharges. Examples are given to show a step-by-step procedure in calculating a 100-year flood at a gaged site, an ungaged site, a site near a gaged location, and a site between two gaged sites.

Puerto Rico↗
USGS2003

Seabird tissue archival and monitoring project: Egg collections and analytical results 1999-2002

In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division (USGS-BRD), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began the Seabird Tissue Archival and Monitoring Project (STAMP) to collect and cryogenically bank tissues from seabirds in Alaska for future retrospective analysis of anthropogenic contaminants. The approach of STAMP was similar to that of the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project (AMMTAP). AMMTAP was started in 1987 by NIST and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program sponsored by the Minerals Management Service. Presently sponsored by the USGS-BRD, AMMTAP continues its work as part of a larger national program, the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. AMMTAP developed carefully designed sampling and specimen banking protocols. Since 1987, AMMTAP has collected tissues from marine mammals taken in Alaska Native subsistence hunts and has cryogenically banked these tissues at the NIST National Biomonitoring Specimen Bank (NBSB). Through its own analytical work and working in partnership with other researchers both within and outside Alaska, AMMTAP has helped to develop a substantial database on contaminants in Alaska marine mammals. In contrast, data and information is limited on contaminants in Alaska seabirds, which are similar to marine mammals in that they feed near the top of the food chain and have the potential for accumulating anthropogenic contaminants. During its early planning stages, STAMP managers identified the seabird egg as the first tissue of choice for study by the project. There is a relatively long history of using bird eggs for environmental monitoring and for investigating the health status of bird populations. Since 1998, protocols for collecting and processing eggs, and cryogenically banking egg samples have been developed by STAMP (see York et al. 2001). Eggs are being collected on an annual basis for several species at nesting colonies throughout Alaska. Aliquots of these egg samples are being analyzed on a regular basis for persistent organic pollutants and mercury. Results of this work have been published in scientific journals (Christopher et al. 2002) and in conference proceedings (Kucklick et al. 2002; Vander Pol et al. 2002a, 2002b). The intent of this report is to provide an up-to-date description of STAMP. The report contains the most recent egg collection inventory, analytical data, preliminary interpretations based on these data, and a discussion of possible future directions of the project.

Report↗
USGS2025

Temporal changes in nutrient concentrations in the Lower Grand River and selected drainage basins, Missouri and Iowa, during the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (2010–23)

This report describes a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Natural Resources that evaluated temporal changes in total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the Lower Grand River hydrologic unit. The study focused on trends since 2010, when the basin was designated as a priority drainage basin of the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). At three local drainage basins within the Lower Grand hydrological unit (MRBI sites), stream nutrient trends were evaluated using flow-adjusted (FA) TN and TP concentrations for water years 2011 through 2023. FATN concentration trends were not statistically significant for any MRBI site. One site (site 2) showed a statistically significant increasing trend in FATP concentration, indicating a possible increase in phosphorus sources in parts of the basin. Overall, streamflow variability appeared to be the dominant factor affecting nutrient concentrations at MRBI sites. At five regional drainage basins, including the Grand River and nearby rivers with data from 1994 through 2023 (long-term sites), annual flow-normalized (FN) TN and TP concentrations were evaluated for trends before (water years 2000–10) and during (water years 2010–23) the MRBI. For water years 2010 through 2023, annual FNTN and FNTP concentrations decreased in the Grand River, as well as in the Nodaway and Chariton Rivers, which were not targeted by the MRBI. The Grand River (site 9) reversed from increasing to decreasing FNTP concentrations after 2010, with a 26-percent reduction. Annual FNTN and FNTP concentrations also decreased at the Missouri River sites. While nutrient reductions in the Grand River may reflect the effects of implemented conservation practices, similar trends in nearby, nontargeted rivers and the absence of strong decreasing trends at MRBI sites suggest that broader regional factors, instead of or in addition to MRBI efforts, may have contributed to nutrient reductions in the Grand River.

Iowa, Missouri↗
USGS1972

Ground-water levels in observation wells in Oklahoma, 1969-70

The investigation of the ground-water resources of Oklahoma by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board includes a continuing program to collect records of water levels in selected observation wells on a systematic basis. These water-level records: (1) provide an index to available ground-water supplies; (2) facilitate the prediction of trends in water levels that will indicate likely changes in storage; (3) aid in the prediction of the base flow of streams; (4) provide information for use in basic research; (5) provide long-time continuous records of fluctuations of water levels in representative wells; and (6) serve as a framework to which other types of hydrologic data my be related. Prior to 1956, measurements of water levels in observation wells in Oklahoma were included in water-supply papers published annually by the U.S. Geological Survey. Beginning with the 1956 calendar year, however, Geological Survey water-level reports will contain only records of a selected network of observation wells, and will be published at 5-year intervals. The first of this series, for the 1956-59 period was published in 1962. In addition to the water-supply papers, the U.S. Geological Survey, cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, has published the following informal reports on water levels in Oklahoma. Ground-water levels in observations wells in Oklahoma, 1956-60 Ground-water levels in observations wells in Oklahoma, 1961-62 Ground-water levels in observations wells in Oklahoma, 1963-64 Ground-water levels in observations wells in Oklahoma, 1965-66 Ground-water levels in observations wells in Oklahoma, 1967-68 Records of water-level measurements in wells in the Oklahoma Panhandle, 1966-70 Records of water-level measurements in wells in the Oklahoma Panhandle, 1971-72 The basic observation-well network in Oklahoma during the period 1969-70 included the following counties: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Caddo, Cimarron, Cleveland, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kingfisher, LeFlore, Major, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Payne, Pontotoc, Rogers, Sequoyah, Texas, Tillman, Wagoner, Washita, and Woodward. Table 2 includes the basic observation-well network and other wells measured by the U.S. Geological Survey. The data in this report were compiled and prepared for publication under the cooperative agreement for ground-water investigations in Oklahoma between the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Oklahoma Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2006

Magnitude and Frequency of Floods on Nontidal Streams in Delaware

Reliable estimates of the magnitude and frequency of annual peak flows are required for the economical and safe design of transportation and water-conveyance structures. This report, done in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and the Delaware Geological Survey (DGS), presents methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods on nontidal streams in Delaware at locations where streamgaging stations monitor streamflow continuously and at ungaged sites. Methods are presented for estimating the magnitude of floods for return frequencies ranging from 2 through 500 years. These methods are applicable to watersheds exhibiting a full range of urban development conditions. The report also describes StreamStats, a web application that makes it easy to obtain flood-frequency estimates for user-selected locations on Delaware streams. Flood-frequency estimates for ungaged sites are obtained through a process known as regionalization, using statistical regression analysis, where information determined for a group of streamgaging stations within a region forms the basis for estimates for ungaged sites within the region. One hundred and sixteen streamgaging stations in and near Delaware with at least 10 years of non-regulated annual peak-flow data available were used in the regional analysis. Estimates for gaged sites are obtained by combining the station peak-flow statistics (mean, standard deviation, and skew) and peak-flow estimates with regional estimates of skew and flood-frequency magnitudes. Example flood-frequency estimate calculations using the methods presented in the report are given for: (1) ungaged sites, (2) gaged locations, (3) sites upstream or downstream from a gaged location, and (4) sites between gaged locations. Regional regression equations applicable to ungaged sites in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain Physiographic Provinces of Delaware are presented. The equations incorporate drainage area, forest cover, impervious area, basin storage, housing density, soil type A, and mean basin slope as explanatory variables, and have average standard errors of prediction ranging from 28 to 72 percent. Additional regression equations that incorporate drainage area and housing density as explanatory variables are presented for use in defining the effects of urbanization on peak-flow estimates throughout Delaware for the 2-year through 500-year recurrence intervals, along with suggestions for their appropriate use in predicting development-affected peak flows. Additional topics associated with the analyses performed during the study are also discussed, including: (1) the availability and description of more than 30 basin and climatic characteristics considered during the development of the regional regression equations; (2) the treatment of increasing trends in the annual peak-flow series identified at 18 gaged sites, with respect to their relations with maximum 24-hour precipitation and housing density, and their use in the regional analysis; (3) calculation of the 90-percent confidence interval associated with peak-flow estimates from the regional regression equations; and (4) a comparison of flood-frequency estimates at gages used in a previous study, highlighting the effects of various improved analytical techniques.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1996

Comparison of Bowen-ratio, eddy-correlation, and weighing-lysimeter evapotranspiration for two sparse-canopy sites in eastern Washington

This report compares evapotranspiration estimated with the Bowen-ratio and eddy-correlation methods with evapotranspiration measured by weighing lysimeters for two sparse-canopy sites in eastern Washington. The sites are located in a grassland area (grass lysimeter site) and a sagbrush- covered area (sage lysimeter site) on the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve in Benton County, Washington. Lysimeter data were collected at the sites from August 1990 to November 1994. Bowen-ratio data were collected for varying periods from May 1993 to November 1994. Additional Bowen-ratio data without interchanging air- temperature and vapor-pressure sensors to remove sensor bias (fixed-sensor system) were collected from October 1993 to June 1994. Eddy-correlation data were collected at the grass lysimeter site from March to April 1994, and at the sage lysimeter site from April to May 1994. The comparisons of evapotranspiration determined by the various methods differed considerably, depending on the periods of record being compared and the sites being analyzed. The year 1993 was very wet, with about 50 percent more precipitation than average; 1994 was a very dry year, with only about half the average precipitation. The study showed that on an annual basis, at least in 1994, Bowen-ratio evapotranspiration closely matched lysimeter evapotranspiration. In 1993, Bowen-ratio and lysimeter evapotranspiration comparisons were variable. Evapotranspiration estimated with the Bowen-ratio method averaged 5 percent more than evapotranspiration measured by lysimeters at the grass lysimeter site from October 1993 to November 1994, and 3 percent less than lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site from November 1993 to October 1994. From March 24 to April 5, 1994, at the grass lysimeter site, the Bowen-ratio method estimated 11 percent less, the Bowen-ratio method utilizing the fixed sensor system about 7 percent more, and the eddy-correlation method about 28 percent less evapotranspiration than the lysimeters measured. From May 7 to June 18, 1993, however, the Bowen-ratio method estimated only 54 percent of the evapotranspiration measured by lysimeters at the grass lysimeter site. This large difference possibly may be attributed to Bowen-ratio instrument variability or error, to the density of grasses in the lysimeters being greater than in the surrounding area, or to heating effects on the lysimeters. From September 1 to October 31, 1993, the Bowen-ratio method estimated more than 450 percent more evapotranspiration than was measured by lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site. This difference may have been due to conditions in the lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site that were unrepresentative of natural conditions. The Bowen-ratio instruments measured evapotrans- piration over sagebrush plants outside the lysimeters, which were blooming very heavily, possibly using supplemental ground water or spring water from nearby upslope areas. The sagebrush plants contained by the lysimeters showed very little evapotranspiration, possibly because they were root-bound and had already used all available water. Also, plants in the lysimeters would not have been able to access any supplemental water available to plants outside the confines of the lysimeters. Earlier in 1993, from June 17 to July 12, the Bowen-ratio method estimated only 1 percent less evapotranspiration than determined for the lysimeters at the sage lysimeter site. On the basis of lysimeter measurements from August 1990 to November 1994, cumulative evapotrans- piration ranged from about 97 to 103 percent of the annual precipitation each year. The evapotranspiration measurements made at the grass and sage lysimeter sites, which were based on weight changes in the lysimeters, showed that storage changes became nearly zero each year some time between August and November as average surface soil moisture decreased to about 2 percent and evapotranspiration rates decreased to less than 0.1 millimeter per day.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2009

Variations in Withdrawal, Return Flow, and Consumptive Use of Water in Ohio and Indiana, with Selected Data from Wisconsin, 1999-2004

This report contains an analysis of water withdrawal and return-flow data for Ohio and withdrawal data for Indiana and Wisconsin to compute consumptive-use coefficients and to describe monthly variability of withdrawals and consumptive use. Concurrent data were available for most water-use categories from 1999 through 2004. Average monthly water withdrawals are discussed for a variety of water-use categories, and average water use per month is depicted graphically for Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin (public supply only). For most water-use categories, the summer months were those of highest withdrawal and highest consumptive use. For public supply, average monthly withdrawals ranged from 1,380 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) (November) to 1,620 Mgal/d (July) in Ohio, 621 Mgal/d (December) to 816 Mgal/d (July) in Indiana, and 515 Mgal/d (December) to 694 Mgal/d (July) in Wisconsin. Ohio and Indiana thermoelectric facilities had large increases in average monthly withdrawals in the summer months (5,520 Mgal/d in March to 7,510 Mgal/d in August for Indiana; 7,380 Mgal/d in February to 10,040 Mgal/d in July for Ohio), possibly because of increased electricity production in the summer, a need for additional cooling-water withdrawals when intake-water temperature is high, or use of different types of cooling methods during different times of the year. Average industrial withdrawals ranged from 2,220 Mgal/d (December) to 2,620 Mgal/d (August) in Indiana and from 707 Mgal/d (January) to 787 Mgal/d (August) in Ohio. The Ohio and Indiana irrigation data showed that most withdrawals were in May through October for golf courses, nurseries, and crop irrigation. Commercial water withdrawals ranged from 30.4 Mgal/d (January) to 65.0 Mgal/d (September) in Indiana and from 23.2 Mgal/d (November) to 49.5 Mgal/d (August) in Ohio; commercial facilities that have high water demand in Ohio and Indiana are medical facilities, schools, amusement facilities, wildlife facilities, large stores, colleges, correctional institutions, and national security facilities. Monthly livestock withdrawals were constant for Ohio but were more variable in Indiana and depended on whether the livestock facility operated on a seasonal schedule. Aquaculture withdrawals appeared to correlate with growing seasons and with aeration of ponds during the winter months. Mining withdrawals - specifically, those for nonmetallic mining - tended to be highest in April and may be related to dewatering. Consumptive use and consumptive-use coefficients were computed by two principal methods in this study: the return-flow and withdrawal method (RW; Ohio only) and the winter-base-rate method (WBR; Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin). The WBR method was not suitable for the thermoelectric, industrial, irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, and mining water-use categories. The RW method was not used for public-supply facilities. A third method, the Standard Industrial Classification code method (SIC), was used only for certain industrial facilities. The public-supply annual average consumptive-use coefficient derived by use of the WBR methods ranged from 6 to 8 percent among Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin; the summer average consumptive-use coefficient was considerably higher, ranging from 16 to 20 percent. The commercial annual consumptive-use coefficient for both Ohio and Indiana was 30 percent by the WBR method, which fell within the Ohio annual median (17 percent) and annual average (42 percent) by the RW method. Thermoelectric consumptive use differs greatly by the type of cooling the facility uses; the Ohio annual median consumptive-use coefficient (RW method) was 2 percent for all thermoelectric facilities and facilities with multiple types of cooling, but exclusively once-through-cooling facilities had a median of 0 percent and exclusively closed-loop-cooling facilities had a median of 25 percent. Industrial consumptive-use coefficients varied by type of industry, as reflected by SIC code

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2004

Hydrologic and water-quality characteristics for Calf Creek near Silver Hill, Arkansas, and selected Buffalo River sites, 2001-2002

The Buffalo River and its tributary, Calf Creek, are in the White River Basin in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province in north-central Arkansas. A better understanding of the hydrology and water quality of Calf Creek is of interest to many, including the National Park Service, which administers the Buffalo National River, to evaluate its effect on the hydrology and water quality of the Buffalo River. The streamflow and water-quality characteristics of Calf Creek near Silver Hill, Arkansas, were compared to two sites on the Buffalo River upstream (near Boxley, Arkansas) and downstream (near St. Joe, Arkansas) from the confluence of Calf Creek for calendar years 2001 and 2002. Annual and seasonal loads were estimated for Calf Creek for nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended sediment and compared with loads at sites on the Buffalo River. Flow-weighted concentrations and yields were computed from estimated annual loads for comparison with other developed and undeveloped basins. Streamflow varied annually and seasonally at the three sites. The Buffalo River near St. Joe had the largest annual mean streamflow (805 to 1,360 cubic feet per second for 2001 and 2002) compared to the Buffalo River near Boxley (106 and 152 cubic feet per second for 2001 and 2002) and Calf Creek (39 and 80 cubic feet per second for 2001 and 2002). Concentrations of nutrients, suspended sediment, and fecal indicator bacteria generally were greater in samples from Calf Creek than in samples collected from both Buffalo River sites. Bacteria and suspended-sediment concentrations were greater in samples collected during high-flow events at all three sites. The Buffalo River near Boxley had the lowest concentrations for nutrients, suspended sediment, and fecal indicator bacteria. Estimated annual loads of the nutrients, suspended sediment, and organic carbon for 2001 and 2002 demonstrated substantial variability between the three sites and through time. Estimated loads for nutrients at the Buffalo River near St. Joe were 7 to 27 times the median loads estimated for Calf Creek and suspended sediment loads were as much as 120 times greater. Dissolved organic carbon loads were 16 to 20 times greater at the Buffalo River near St. Joe than for Calf Creek. The Buffalo River near Boxley had the smallest annual loads for all constituents except for suspended sediment, which were slightly greater than suspended sediment loads estimated for Calf Creek. Higher loads would be expected at the Buffalo River near St. Joe because of the larger basin area and larger volume of streamflow. Likewise, estimated loads for all three sites were greater during seasons that had greater streamflow than during seasons with more frequent periods of base-flow conditions. The highest daily loads occurred in the fall and winter of 2001 and the winter and spring of 2002.Flow-weighted concentrations generally were higher for Calf Creek than concentrations for the two sites on the Buffalo River and for typical flow-weighted concentrations found in undeveloped basins. However, the flow-weighted concentrations were lower than concentrations in a developed basin. Annual yields calculated for Calf Creek were higher than the two sites on the Buffalo River and sites that are representative of undeveloped basins but lower than a site representative of a developed basin. The Buffalo River near Boxley had yields that were less than the yields typical of undeveloped basins.

Arkansas↗
USGS2012

Groundwater monitoring plan for the Missouri River alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of the City of Independence, Missouri, well field

Source contributions to monitoring and supply wells, contributing recharge areas, groundwater travel times, and current (2012) understanding of alluvial water quality were used to develop a groundwater monitoring plan for the Missouri River alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of the City of Independence, Missouri well field. The plan was designed to evaluate long-term alluvial water quality and assess potential changes in, and threats to, well-field water quality. Source contributions were determined from an existing groundwater flow model in conjunction with particle-tracking analysis and verified with water-quality data collected from 1997 through 2010 from a network of 68 monitoring wells. Three conjunctive factors - well-field pumpage, Missouri River discharge, and aquifer recharge - largely determined groundwater flow and, therefore, source contributions. The predominant source of groundwater to most monitoring wells and supply wells is the Missouri River, and this was reflected, to some extent, in alluvial water quality. To provide an estimate of the maximum potential lead time available for remedial action, monitoring wells where groundwater travel times from the contributing recharge areas are less than 2 years and predominately singular sources (such as the Missouri River or the land surface) were selected for annual sampling. The sample interval of the remaining wells, which have varying travel times and intermediate mixtures of river and land-surface contributions, were staggered on a 2-, 3-, or 4-year rotation. This was done to provide data from similar contributing areas and account for inherent aquifer variability yet minimize sample redundancy.

Missouri↗
USGS2020

Trends in streamflow and precipitation for selected sites in the Elkhorn River Basin and in streamflow in the Salt Creek and Platte River Basins, Nebraska, 1961–2011

To better understand the streamflow trends at the streamgages in the Elkhorn River Basin in Nebraska, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District further investigated streamflow trends at the eight streamgages on the Elkhorn River, Salt Creek, and the Lower Platte River that indicated a positive trend in streamflow characteristics and analyzed precipitation trends in the four basins upstream from the Elkhorn River Basin streamgages. An analysis of four streamgages in the Elkhorn River Basin, one streamgage in Salt Creek Basin, and three streamgages in the Lower Platte River Basin that had previously indicated trends in selected annual mean streamflow, annual low flows, fall low flows, and growing season monthly mean streamflows metrics were analyzed for the period from 1961 to 2011. A streamgage in the Upper Elkhorn River Basin (Elkhorn River at Neligh, Nebraska [USGS station 06798500; maintained by USGS from water years 1930 to 1993, maintained by Nebraska Department of Natural Resources from water years 1994 to 2019]) had significant positive trends in annual mean streamflow and insignificant trends for other streamflow metrics whereas the lower three sites (Logan Creek near Uehling, Nebr. [USGS station 06799500]; Maple Creek at Nickerson, Nebr. [USGS station 06800000]; and Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. [USGS station 06800500]) had significant positive trends for annual mean streamflow, for all durations of the annual low-flow periods (1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, and 183-day periods), for all durations of the low-flow periods in October–November (1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, and 60-day periods), and for monthly mean streamflow for July, August, and September. Upstream from the confluence of the Elkhorn River and the Platte River, the Platte River at North Bend, Nebr. (USGS station 06796000), streamgage indicated insignificant trends for most streamflow metrics. A streamgage in the Salt Creek Basin (Salt Creek at Greenwood, Nebr. [USGS station 06803555]) also indicated positive trends in some low-flows metrics. Streamflow at the Platte River at Louisville, Nebr. (USGS station 06805500), streamgage, downstream from the Salt Creek and Elkhorn River inflows, indicated significant positive trends in most annual and all October–November low flows and August mean streamflow but insignificant trends in annual mean streamflow and June, July, and September monthly mean streamflows. Streamflow records for the Platte River near Duncan, Nebr. (USGS station 06774000), streamgage only indicated a significant trend in the August mean streamflow; no other metrics had significant trends at the streamgage. The trend analyses are sensitive to the period that is analyzed for trends. Sites with the most significant trends for low-flow metrics for the period 1961–2011 have fewer significant trends for low-flow metrics for the period after 1980–2011. The results indicate that positive trends in low flows at the Salt Creek and Elkhorn River streamgages may be contributing to positive trends in low flows for the Platte River at Louisville, Nebr., streamgage. Likewise, streamflow in the Salt Creek and Elkhorn River Basins may be contributing to the positive trend in August mean streamflow for the Platte River at Louisville, Nebr., streamgage, three lower Elkhorn River streamgages, and the Salt Creek streamgage. Precipitation was also examined as a primary cause for streamflow trends in the Elkhorn River Basin. For the four streamgages in the Elkhorn River Basin, relations between precipitation and streamflow were examined on an annual and monthly basis using linear regression. In general, the goodness of fit for the linear relations was poor with coefficient of determination values of less than or equal to 0.10 for four of the eight relations. Only one significant increase in annual precipitation upstream from the four streamgages and the frequent detection of significant increases in streamflow after removing the effect of precipitation indicate that other factors besides precipitation may have played a role in the significant positive trends in low-flow periods in the lower Elkhorn River and its tributaries.

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