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Magnitude and frequency of floods in Alabama, 2015

To improve flood-frequency estimates at rural streams in Alabama, annual exceedance probability flows at gaged locations and regional regression equations used to estimate annual exceedance probability flows at ungaged locations were developed by using current geospatial data, new analytical methods, and annual peak-flow data through September 2015 at 242 streamgages in Alabama and surrounding States. The regional regression equations were derived from statistical analyses of annual peak-flow data and basin characteristics for a subset of 217 streamgages. Four flood regions were identified based on residuals from the regional regression analyses and contain sites with similar basin characteristics. A separate set of equations was derived for estimating flood frequency and magnitude for small rural streams using a subset of 40 small basin streamgages. A large river analysis was also completed for 14 selected large-river streamgages in Alabama. Annual exceedance probability flows presented in this report reflect additional streamflow data collected since the previous study of flood magnitude and frequency in Alabama, which included streamflow through September 2003.

Alabama↗

Long-term water-quality constituent trends in the Little Arkansas River, south-central Kansas, 1995–2021

The Equus Beds aquifer and Cheney Reservoir are primary sources for the city of Wichita’s current (2023) water supply. The Equus Beds aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project was developed by the city of Wichita in the early 1990s to meet future water demands using the Little Arkansas River as an artificial aquifer recharge water source during above-base-flow conditions. Little Arkansas River water is removed from the river at an ASR Facility intake structure, treated using National Primary Drinking Water Regulations as a guideline, and is infiltrated into the Equus Beds aquifer through recharge basins or injected into the aquifer through recharge wells for later use. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Wichita, completed this study to quantify and characterize Little Arkansas River water-quality data. Data in this report can be used to evaluate changing conditions, provide science-based information for decision making, and help meet regulatory requirements. Continuous (hourly) physicochemical properties were measured, and discrete water-quality samples were collected from three Little Arkansas River sites located along the easternmost extent of the Equus Beds aquifer during 1995 through 2021 over a range of streamflow conditions. The Little Arkansas River at Highway 50 near Halstead, Kansas, streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey station 07143672; hereafter referred to as the “Highway 50 site”) is located upstream from the other two sites, and the Little Arkansas River near Sedgwick, Kans., streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey station 07144100; hereafter referred to as the “Sedgwick site”) is located downstream from the other two sites; these two sites bracket most of the easternmost part of the Equus Beds aquifer. The Little Arkansas River upstream of ASR Facility near Sedgwick, Kans., streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey station 375350097262800; hereafter referred to as the “Upstream ASR site”) is located between the Highway 50 and Sedgwick sites, about 14.7 river miles (mi) downstream from the Highway 50 site, about 1.7 river mi upstream from the Sedgwick site, and immediately upstream from the ASR Facility intake structure. Surrogate models for water-quality constituents of interest (including bromide, dissolved organic carbon, 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino- s -triazine [deethylatrazine], atrazine, and metolachlor) were updated or developed using continuously measured and concomitant discrete data. These surrogate models, along with previously developed regression models, were used to compute concentrations (at the Highway 50, Sedgwick, and Upstream ASR sites) and loads (at the Highway 50 and Sedgwick sites) during the study period. Federal criteria were used to evaluate water quality. Where applicable, water-quality data were compared to Federal national drinking-water regulations. Flow-normalized water-quality constituent trends were evaluated using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) statistical models and water-quality trends were described using WRTDS bootstrap tests. Continuously computed primary ion concentrations were generally larger at the Highway 50 site compared to the Sedgwick site. During the study period, the Federal secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for dissolved solids was exceeded 57 percent of the time at the Highway 50 site and 38 percent of the time at the Sedgwick site. Computed bromide concentrations were larger at the Highway 50 site and exceeded the city of Wichita treatment threshold about 70, 21, and 19 percent of the time at the Highway 50, Sedgwick, and Upstream ASR sites, respectively. Chloride concentrations exceeded the Federal SMCL about 16 percent of the time at the Highway 50 site and did not exceed the SMCL at the Sedgwick site. Continuous arsenic concentrations exceeded the Federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) 9 to 15 percent of the time at the Sedgwick and Highway 50 sites, respectively, during the study. Atrazine concentrations exceeded the Federal MCL 10 percent of the time at the Highway 50 and Sedgwick sites and 14 percent of the time at the Upstream ASR site during the study; computed glyphosate concentrations at the Sedgwick site never exceeded the MCL during the study. Little Arkansas River flow-normalized primary ion concentrations during 1995 through 2021 generally had downward trends and decreases were generally larger at the Highway 50 site compared to the Sedgwick site. Dissolved solids and chloride concentrations decreased at the Highway 50 and Sedgwick sites. Bromide had no trend at the Highway 50 site and a downward trend at the Sedgwick site. Nitrate plus nitrite and total phosphorus concentrations had upward trends at the Highway 50 site but downward trends at the Sedgwick site, whereas total organic carbon had upward trends at both sites. Nitrate plus nitrite, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon fluxes had upward trends at the Highway 50 and Sedgwick sites. Suspended-sediment concentrations had an upward trend at the Highway 50 site and had no trend at the Sedgwick site. Arsenic concentrations had downward trends at the Highway 50 and Sedgwick sites. About one-quarter to one-half of the Little Arkansas River loads, including nutrients and sediment, were transported during 1 percent of the time during the study. Because streamflows are highly sensitive to climatic variation and an increase of extreme precipitation events in the Great Plains is expected, similar disproportionately large pollutant loading events may increase into the future. Continuous measurement of physicochemical properties in near-real time allowed characterization of Little Arkansas River surface water during conditions and time scales that would not have been possible otherwise and served as a complement to discrete water-quality sampling. Continuation of this water-quality monitoring will provide data to characterize changing conditions in the Little Arkansas River and possibly identify new and changing trends. Information in this report allows the city of Wichita to make informed municipal water-supply decisions using past and present water-quality conditions and trends in the watershed.

Kansas↗

Water resources of Teton County, Wyoming, exclusive of Yellowstone National Park

Surface- and ground-water data were collected and analyzed to describe the water resources of that part of Teton County, Wyoming located south of Yellowstone National Park. Wells and springs inventoried in the Teton County study area most commonly were completed in or issued from Quaternary unconsolidated deposits and Tertiary, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic rocks. The largest measured, reported, or estimated discharges were from Quaternary uncon- solidated deposits (3,000 gallons per minute), the Bacon Ridge Sandstone of Cretaceous age (800 gallons per minute), and the Madison Limestone of Mississippian age (800 gallons per minute). Dissolved-solids concentrations in water samples from Quaternary unconsolidated deposits and Tertiary, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic rocks ranged from 80 to 1,060 milligrams per liter. A time-domain electromagnetic survey of Jackson Hole indicated that the depth of Quaternary unconsolidated deposits ranged from about 380 feet in the northern part of Antelope Flats to about 2,400 feet near the Potholes area in Grand Teton National Park. A streamflow gain-and-loss study indicated that the ground-water discharge to the Snake River between gaging stations near Moran and south of the Flat Creek confluence, near Jackson, was 395 cubic feet per second. Water level contours generated from 137 water-level measurements and 118 stream altitudes indicated that water in Quaternary unconsolidated deposits flows southwest in the general direction of the Snake River.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

National water-quality assessment of the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York — Environmental and hydrologic setting

The Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin covers approximately 22,300 mi 2 (square miles) in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Situated in two major physiographic provinces, the Appalachian Plateaus and the Central Lowland, the basin includes varied topographic and geomorphic features that affect the hydrology. As of 1990, the basin was inhabited by approximately 10.4 million people. Lake effect has a large influence on the temperature and precipitation of the basin, especially along the leeward southeast shore of Lake Erie. Mean annual precipitation generally increases from west to east, ranging from 31.8 inches at Detroit, Mich., to 43.8 inches at Erie, Pa. The rocks that underlie the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin range in age from Cambrian through Pennsylvanian, but only Silurian through Pennsylvanian rocks are part of the shallow ground-water flow system. The position of the basin on the edge of the Michigan and Appalachian Basins is responsible for the large range in geologic time of the exposed rocks. Rock types range from shales, siltstones, and mudstones to coarse-grained sandstones and conglomerates. Carbonate rocks consisting of limestones, dolomites, and calcareous shales also underlie the basin. All the basin is overlain by Pleistocene deposits- till, fine-grained stratified sediments, and coarse-grained stratified sediments-most of Wisconsinan age. A system of buried river valleys filled with various lacustrine, alluvial, and coarse glacial deposits is present in the basin. The soils of the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin consist of two dominant soil orders: Alfisols and Inceptisols. Four other soil orders in the basin (Mollisols, Histisols, Entisols, and Spodosols) are of minor significance, making up less than 8 percent of the total area. The estimated water use for the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin for 1990 was 10,649 Mgal/d (million gallons per day). Power generation accounted for about 77 percent of total water withdrawals for the basin, whereas agriculture accounted for the least water-use withdrawals, at an estimated 38 Mgal/d. About 98 percent of the total water used in the basin was drawn from surface water; the remaining 2 percent was from ground water. Agricultural and urban land are the predominant land covers in the basin. Agriculture makes up approximately 74.7 percent of the total basin area; urban land use accounts for 11.2 percent; forested areas constitute 10.5 percent; and water, wetlands, rangeland, and barren land constitute less than 4.0 percent. The eight principal streams in the basin are the Clinton, Huron, and Raisin Rivers in Michigan, the Maumee, Sandusky, Cuyahoga, and Grand Rivers in Ohio, and Cattaraugus Creek in New York. The Maumee River, the largest stream in the basin, drains 6,609 mi 2 and discharges just under 24 percent of the streamflow from the basin into Lake Erie. Combined, the eight principal streams discharge approximately 54 percent of the surface water from the basin to the Lake Erie system per year. Average runoff increases from west to east in the basin. The glacial and recent deposits comprise the unconsolidated aquifers and confining units within the basin. Yields of wells completed in tills range from 0 to 20 gal/min (gallon per minute), but yields generally are near the lower part of this range. Fine-grained stratified deposits can be expected to yield from 0 to 3 gal/ min, and coarse-grained stratified deposits can yield 0.3 to 2,050 gal/min. Pennsylvanian sandstones can yield more than 25 gal/min, but they generally yield 10 to 25 gal/min. Mississippian sandstones in the basin generally yield 2 to 100 gal/min. The Mississippian and Devonian shales are considered to be confining units; in places, they produce small quantities of water from fractures at or near the bedrock surface. Wells completed in the Devonian and Silurian carbonates yield 25 to 500 gal/min, but higher yields have been reported in several zones.

Indiana, Michigan, New York , Ohio, Pennsylvania↗

Salinity tolerance among three freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from Gulf Coastal Plain drainages

An important physiological constraint influencing distributions of coastal freshwater organisms is their tolerance for saline conditions. We experimentally evaluated salinity tolerance for three freshwater mussel species (Utterbackia imbecillis, Elliptio jayensis, and Glebula rotundata). Mussels were transferred abruptly from well water to one of five treatments (0 [control], 6, 12, 18 or 24 parts per thousand [ppt]). Utterbackia imbecillis survived on average about 2 days at treatments 6 ppt, while Elliptio jayensis survived slightly longer (about 4 days). Glebula rotundata was most tolerant to salinity, surviving as well at 6 and 12 ppt as it did in the control. Additionally, G. rotundata survived at higher salinities (18 and 24 ppt) for an average of 7–8 days. To our knowledge, this is the highest salinity tolerance ever reported for a unionid. The salinity tolerance of U. imbecillis may be influenced by its inability to completely seal its valves. The variation we found in salinity tolerance of these species corresponds with their distributions in the Gulf Coastal Plain drainages: U. imbecillis and E. jayensis are primarily found in strictly freshwater habitats whereas G. rotundata inhabits lower reaches of rivers closer to the coast. Stressors such as increased frequency and intensity of storms, sea level rise, drought, low flows, fossil fuel extraction, and municipal water withdrawals, among others, may increase salinities in freshwater ecosystems, potentially stressing mussels such as U. imbecillis and E. jayensis with low salinity tolerance.

Florida Scientist↗

Ground-Water Conditions and Studies in Georgia, 2006-2007

The U.S. Geological Survey collects ground-water data and conducts studies to monitor hydrologic conditions, better define ground-water resources, and address problems related to water supply, water use, and water quality. Water levels were monitored continuously, in Georgia, in a network of 184 wells during 2006 and 182 wells during 2007. Because of missing data or the short period of record (less than 3 years) for several of these wells, a total of 166 wells from the network are discussed in this report. These wells include 18 in the surficial aquifer system, 21 in the Brunswick aquifer system and equivalent sediments, 67 in the Upper Floridan aquifer, 15 in the Lower Floridan aquifer and underlying units, 10 in the Claiborne aquifer, 1 in the Gordon aquifer, 11 in the Clayton aquifer, 12 in the Cretaceous aquifer system, 2 in Paleozoic-rock aquifers, and 9 in crystalline-rock aquifers. Data from the network indicate that water levels generally declined from 2005 levels, with water levels in 99 wells below normal, 52 wells in the normal range, 12 wells above normal, and 3 wells with insufficient data for comparison of 5-year trends and period of record statistics. In addition to continuous water-level data, periodic synoptic water-level measurements were collected and used to construct potentiometric-surface maps for the Upper Floridan aquifer in Camden, Charlton, and Ware Counties, Georgia, and adjacent counties in Florida during September 2006 and 2007, in the Brunswick area during July 2006 and August 2007, and in the City of Albany-Dougherty County area during October 2006 and October 2007. In general, the configuration of the potentiometric surfaces showed little change during 2006-2007 in each of the areas. Ground-water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer is monitored in the Albany, Savannah, and Brunswick areas and in Camden County; and water quality in the Lower Floridan aquifer is monitored in the Savannah and Brunswick areas and in Camden County. In the Albany area, nitrate concentrations generally have increased since the end of the drought during 2002. During 2006, water from two wells had nitrate as N concentrations above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) 10-milligram-per-liter (mg/L) drinking-water standard. During 2007, only one well had concentrations above the drinking-water standard. In the Savannah area, measurement of fluid conductivity and chloride concentration in water samples from discrete depths in three wells completed in the Upper Floridan aquifer and one well in the Lower Floridan aquifer were used to assess changes in water quality in the Savannah area. At Tybee Island, chloride concentrations in samples from the Lower Floridan aquifer decreased during 2006-2007 but were still above the 250-mg/L USEPA drinking-water standard. At Skidaway Island, water in the Upper Floridan aquifer is fresh, and chloride concentrations did not appreciably change during 2006-2007. However, chloride concentrations in samples collected from the Lower Floridan aquifer during 2006-2007 showed disparate changes; whereby, chloride concentration increased in the shallowest sampled interval (900 feet) and decreased slightly in a deeper sampled interval (1,070 feet). At Fort Pulaski, water samples collected from the Upper Floridan aquifer were fresh and did not appreciably changeduring 2006-2007. In the Brunswick area, maps showing the chloride concentration of water in the Upper Floridan aquifer were constructed by using data collected from 29 wells during July 2006 and from 26 wells during August 2007. Analyses indicate that concentrations remained above the USEPA drinking-water standard in an approximate 2-square-mile area. During 2006-2007, chloride concentrations increased in only three of the wells sampled and ranged from 4.0 to 20 mg/L chloride. In the Camden County area, chloride concentration during 2006-2007 was analyzed in water samples collected from eight wells, six completed i

Georgia↗

Land use and water use in the Antelope Valley, California

Urban land use and water use in the Antelope Valley, California, have increased significantly since development of the valley began in the late 1800's.. Ground water has been a major source of water in this area because of limited local surface-water resources. Ground-water pumpage is reported to have increased from about 29,000 acre-feet in 1919 to about 400,000 acre-feet in the 1950's. Completion of the California Aqueduct to this area in the early 1970's conveyed water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, about 400 miles to the north. Declines in groundwater levels and increased costs of electrical power in the 1970's resulted in a reduction in the quantity of ground water that was pumped annually for irrigation uses. Total annual reported ground-water pumpage decreased to a low of about 53,200 acre-feet in 1983 and increased to about 91,700 acre-feet in 1991 as a result of rapid urban development and the 1987-92 drought. This increased urban development, in combination with several years of drought, renewed concern about a possible return to extensive depletion of ground-water storage and increased land subsidence. Increased water demands are expected to continue as a result of increased urban development. Water-demand forecasts in 1980 for the Antelope Valley indicated that total annual water demand by 2020 was expected to be about 250,000 acre-feet, with agricultural demand being about 65 percent of this total. In 1990, total water demand was projected to be about 175,000 acre-feet by 2010; however, agricultural water demand was expected to account for only 37 percent of the total demand. New and existing land- and water-use data were collected and compiled during 1992-93 to identify present and historical land and water uses. In 1993, preliminary forecasts for total water demand by 2010 ranged from about 127,500 to 329,000 acre-feet. These wide-ranging estimates indicate that forecasts can change with time as factors that affect water demand change and different forecasting methods are used. The forecasts using the MWD_MAIN (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Municipal and Industrial Needs) water-demand forecasting system yielded the largest estimates of water demand. These forecasts were based on projections of population growth and other socioeconomic variables. Initial forecasts using the MWD_MAIN forecasting system commonly are considered "interim" or preliminary. Available historical and future socioeconomic data required for the forecasting system are limited for this area. Decisions on local water-resources demand management may be made by members of the Antelope Valley Water Group and other interested parties based on this report, other studies, their best judgement, and cumulative knowledge of local conditions. Potential water-resource management actions in the Antelope Valley include (1) increasing artificial ground-water recharge when excess local runoff (or imported water supplies) are available; (2) implementing water-conservation best-management practices; and (3) optimizing ground-water pumpage throughout the basin.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

Reservoirs in the United States

Reservoir storage facilities in the United States play an important part in the national economy. Storage facilities have enabled the country to utilize to a much fuller extent one of the most valuable natural resources: water. During recent years the construction of reservoirs has continued at a high rate. This report shows the status of these facilities on January 1, 1954, and describes briefly some of the reasons for growth of reservoir facilities in the United States. Descriptive data are given for reservoirs having a capacity of 5, 000 acre-feet or more and for natural lakes having a usable capacity of 5,000 acre-feet or more. Included are reservoirs and lakes completed as of January 1, 1954, and reservoirs under construction on that date. The total number of such reservoirs and lakes is 1, 300. A descriptive list of reservoirs in the United States was first published by the United States Geological Survey in March 1948. That report, Geological Survey Circular 23, entitled Reservoirs in the United States, included reservoirs completed as of January 1, 1947. Since January 1, 1947, reservoirs representing a total usable capacity of 115,000,000 acre-feet, or an increase of 71 percent, have been constructed or are under construction. Data about these new reservoirs are presented herein, and the data shown for reservoirs constructed before 1947 have been corrected on the basis of the latest available survey to determine reservoir capacity. The total usable capacity of reservoirs and lakes included in this compilation amounts to 278, 120, 000 acre-feet, and the corresponding surface area totals 11, 046, 000 acres.

Water Supply Paper↗

Guidelines and standard procedures for studies of ground-water quality; selection and installation of wells, and supporting documentation

This is the first of a two-part report to document guidelines and standard procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey for the acquisition of data in ground-water-quality studies. This report provides guidelines and procedures for the selection and installation of wells for water-quality studies/*, and the required or recommended supporting documentation of these activities. Topics include (1) documentation needed for well files, field folders, and electronic files; (2) criteria and information needed for the selection of water-supply and observation wells, including site inventory and data collection during field reconnaissance; and (3) criteria and preparation for installation of monitoring wells, including the effects of equipment and materials on the chemistry of ground-water samples, a summary of drilling and coring methods, and information concerning well completion, development, and disposition.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

Global Positioning System (GPS) survey of Augustine Volcano, Alaska, August 3-8, 2000: data processing, geodetic coordinates and comparison with prior geodetic surveys

Between August 3 and 8,2000,the Alaska Volcano Observatory completed a Global Positioning System (GPS) survey at Augustine Volcano, Alaska. Augustine is a frequently active calcalkaline volcano located in the lower portion of Cook Inlet (fig. 1), with reported eruptions in 1812, 1882, 1909?, 1935, 1964, 1976, and 1986 (Miller et al., 1998). Geodetic measurements using electronic and optical surveying techniques (EDM and theodolite) were begun at Augustine Volcano in 1986. In 1988 and 1989, an island-wide trilateration network comprising 19 benchmarks was completed and measured in its entirety (Power and Iwatsubo, 1998). Partial GPS surveys of the Augustine Island geodetic network were completed in 1992 and 1995; however, neither of these surveys included all marks on the island.Additional GPS measurements of benchmarks A5 and A15 (fig. 2) were made during the summers of 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1996. The goals of the 2000 GPS survey were to:1) re-measure all existing benchmarks on Augustine Island using a homogeneous set of GPS equipment operated in a consistent manner, 2) add measurements at benchmarks on the western shore of Cook Inlet at distances of 15 to 25 km, 3) add measurements at an existing benchmark (BURR) on Augustine Island that was not previously surveyed, and 4) add additional marks in areas of the island thought to be actively deforming. The entire survey resulted in collection of GPS data at a total of 24 sites (fig. 1 and 2). In this report we describe the methods of GPS data collection and processing used at Augustine during the 2000 survey. We use this data to calculate coordinates and elevations for all 24 sites surveyed. Data from the 2000 survey is then compared toelectronic and optical measurements made in 1988 and 1989. This report also contains a general description of all marks surveyed in 2000 and photographs of all new marks established during the 2000 survey (Appendix A).

Alaska↗

Water-quality variability in San Francisco Bay: general patterns of change during 1997

The 1997 Annual Report is the fifth Annual Report from the Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (RMP) and contains a comprehensive description of RMP results from the 1997 monitoring year. As in previous years, the report includes results from the Base Program (water, sediment, and bivalve monitoring) and results from Pilot and Special Studies completed in 1997, in addition to an update on the RMP Five-Year Review implementation. It also includes papers contributed by RMP investigators and other scientists. These articles address related monitoring activities, and help to provide additional insight into contaminant patterns and the impacts of those contaminants on the San Francisco Estuary. The 1997 monitoring year proved to be an unusual one, with record-setting precipitation in December and January followed by unusually dry weather in February and March. These weather patterns had a visible effect on RMP results, frequently creating sharp contrasts in results between the first two sampling cruises of the year, and higher than normal contaminant concentrations at many RMP sampling sites in February. These results, and results from the other aspects of the RMP, are summarized below.

California↗

The Putumayo-Oriente-Maranon Province of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; Mesozoic-Cenozoic and Paleozoic petroleum systems

This report is an evaluation of oil and gas resources for petroleum systems of the Putumayo-Oriente-Maranon province of Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. This assessment is a product of the World Energy Project of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of Thomas Ahlbrandt. Described in this explanation of the petroleum geology of the Putumayo-Oriente-Maranon province are thermal maturation of hydrocarbon source rocks, primary reservoir formations, areas and volumes of oil and (or) gas production, and the history of exploration. Complete oil and gas resource assessment results are planned for a later publication, although some data and results are contained in this report.

Data Series↗

National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources: Summary

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an evaluation of the technically accessible storage resource ( TA SR ) for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) for 36 sedimentary basins in the onshore areas and State waters of the United States. The TA SR is an estimate of the geologic storage resource that may be available for CO 2 injection and storage and is based on current geologic and hydrologic knowledge of the subsurface and current engineering practices. By using a geology-based probabilistic assessment methodology, the USGS assessment team members obtained a mean estimate of approximately 3,000 metric gigatons (Gt) of subsurface CO 2 storage capacity that is technically accessible below onshore areas and State waters; this amount is more than 500 times the 2011 annual U.S. energy-related CO 2 emissions of 5.5 Gt (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2012, http://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/carbon/). In 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act (Public Law 110–140) directed the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a national assessment of geologic storage resources for CO 2 in consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and State geological surveys. The USGS developed a methodology to estimate storage resource potential in geologic formations in the United States (Burruss and others, 2009, USGS Open-File Report (OFR) 2009–1035; Brennan and others, 2010, USGS OFR 2010–1127; Blondes, Brennan, and others, 2013, USGS OFR 2013–1055). In 2012, the USGS completed the assessment, and the results are summarized in this Fact Sheet and are provided in more detail in companion reports (U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a,b; see related reports at right). The goal of this project was to conduct an initial assessment of storage capacity on a regional basis, and results are not intended for use in the evaluation of specific sites for potential CO 2 storage. The national assessment was a geology-based examination of all sedimentary basins in the onshore and State waters area of the United States that contain storage assessment units (SAUs) that could be defined according to geologic and hydrologic characteristics. Although geologic storage of CO 2 may be possible in some areas not assessed by the USGS, the SAUs identified in this assessment represent those areas within sedimentary basins that met the assessment criteria. A geologic description of each SAU was prepared; descriptions for SAUs in several basins are in Warwick and Corum (2012, USGS OFR 2012–1024).

Fact Sheet↗

Approximate water-level changes in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-87 and 1986-87, and measured compaction, 1973-87, in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report consists of: (1) four maps that present data on water level changes during 1977-87 and 1986-87 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, and in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, and (2) one set of graphs and one map that present data on land subsidence caused by compaction of sub-surface materials for 1973-87. (USGS)

Texas↗

Approximate water-level changes in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-89 and 1988-89, and measured compaction, 1973-89, in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report presents data on water-level changes in the Chinot and Evangeline aquifers during 1977-89 and 1988-89 and data on measured compaction during 1973-89. Measurements of water level in 307 wells were used to construct the maps showing water-level changes. Compaction data were obtained from 12 wells equipped with compaction monitors at 11 sites.

Texas↗

Approximate water-level changes in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-91 and 1990-91, and measured compaction, 1973-90, in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report is one in a series of reports that depict water-level changes and compaction of subsurface material in the Houston-Galveston region. The maps present approximate water-level changes in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-91 and 1990-91 (figs. 1-4). The location of borehole extensometers is shown in figure 5, and graphs present measured compation for 1973-90 (fig. 6).

Texas↗

Fort Collins Science Center-Fiscal year 2011 science accomplishments

The Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) is a multi-disciplinary research and development center of the U.S. Geological Survey located in Fort Collins, Colorado. FORT research focuses on the needs of land- and water-management bureaus within the U.S. Department of the Interior, other Federal agencies, and State, Tribal, and non-government organizations. We emphasize a multi-disciplinary science approach to provide information for natural resource management decisionmaking. Our vision is to maintain and continuously improve the integrated, collaborative, world-class research needed to inform effective, science-based land management. The 2011 science accomplishments report provides an executive summary highlighting key achievements, an appendix of 68 one-page accomplishment descriptions organized by U.S. Geological Survey Mission Area, and a complete list of publications and other products generated in FY2011. The executive summary includes a table cross-referencing all major FY11 accomplishments with the various Mission Areas each supports.

Colorado↗