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USGS1977

Coal: special report number 2

The Fish and Wildlife Service has extensive biological expertise within the Department of Interior and exerts national leadership in the management and protection of the nation's fish and wildlife resources, their habitat, and environment. Specifically, the Office of Biological Services obtains and assimilates biological and environmental data and identifies additional informational needs and means to provide environmental and biological input into major natural resource decisions. Coal Coordinators assist in carrying out Fish and Wildlife Service involvement in the Interior Department Coal Leasing Program through a multi-stage process designed to assemble existing fish and wildlife inventory data and to prioritize fish and wildlife values in areas subject to coal leasing and associated development. This report is designed to identify possible areas of concern for wildlife and its habitat in Wyoming in the development of coal and the associate implication of land use changes. This report summarizes past and present development of the coal resource in Wyoming in anticipation of future identification of data needs for making sound resource decisions in the development of coal.

FWS/OBS↗

USGS1997

The Areal Extent of Continuous Type Gas Accumulations in Lower Silurian Clinton Sands and Medina Group Sandstones of the Appalachian Basin and the Environments Affected by Their Development

In order to best preserve and manage our energy and natural resources we must understand the relationships between these resources and the impacts of their development. To further this understanding the U.S. Geological Survey is studying unconventional continuous-type and, to a lesser extent, conventional oil and gas accumulations and the environmental impacts associated with their development. Continuous-type gas accumulations are generally characterized by low matrix permeabilities, large areal extents, and no distinct water contacts. This basin scale map shows the overall extent of these accumulations and the general land use types that may be impacted by their development. The Appalachian Basin has the longest history of oil and gas exploration and production in the United States. Since Drake's Titusville discovery well was drilled in 1859, oil and gas has been continuously produced in the basin. While there is still a great deal of oil and gas production, new field discoveries are rare and relatively small. For most of the second half of the 20th century the Appalachian basin has been considered a mature petroleum province because most of the large plays have already been discovered and developed. One exception to this trend is the Lower Silurian Clinton Sands and Medina Group Gas play which is being developed in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. This continuous-type gas play has been expanding since the early 1970's (see inset maps). In the 1980's economic incentives such as large increases in wellhead prices further stimulated continuous-type gas resource development. Continuous-type gas plays can be large in areal extent and in thickness. 'Sweetspots' (areas of greater prodcution) are hard to predict and generally associated with better than average permeabilities, and enhanced by natural fracture systems. With an overall success rate often approaching 90%, drilling most of the play with closely spaced wells is often the best way to maximize gas recovery. Some positive economic characteristics associated with the development of these continuous-type accumulations are high success rates, low drilling and development costs, and low water production, which results in low water disposal costs. Large areas within the Appalachian basin with good potential for this type of gas accumulation remain to be tested. Positive environmental characteristics include, a clean energy source, low water production, and relatively low surface impact. Some negative characteristics associated with these continuous -type accumulations are low individual well production rates and small well drainage area. Negative environmental characteristics are primarily related to the dense well spacing used to develop the resource to its full potential. Often negative environmental impacts such as surface disturbance can be greatly reduced. The number of well sites can be decreased by using a single centrally located surface location and associated facilities for several directionally or horizonatally drilled wells. This also minimizes the transportation infrastructure (access roads and pipelines) required to maintain the wells and deliver the gas. Visual impacts can be reduced by selecting well locations visible only over short distances. While the prospective area is large, potential decreases basin- ward and toward the northeast and southwest. These areas are represented by the lower potential plays 6727, 6730, and 6731. The U.S. Geological Survey landuse and landcover data was derived from USGS 1:250,000 and 1:100,000 scale maps. This information was collected between the mid 1970s to mid 1980s. The land use and land cover data was mapped and coded using the Anderson classification system (Anderson, 1975) which is a hierarchical system of general (level 1) to more specific (level 2) characterization. Level 1 characterization was used for this map; the land use and land cover designations are displayed below in the Explanation. T

Open-File Report↗

USGS2016

Migratory bird habitat in relation to tile drainage and poorly drained hydrologic soil groups

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is home to more than 50% of the migratory waterfowl in North America. Although the PPR provides an abundance of temporary and permanent wetlands for nesting and feeding, increases in commodity prices and agricultural drainage practices have led to a trend of wetland drainage. The Northern Shoveler is a migratory dabbling duck species that uses wetland habitats and cultivated croplands in the PPR. Richland County in North Dakota and Roberts County in South Dakota have an abundance of wetlands and croplands and were chosen as the study areas for this research to assess the wetland size and cultivated cropland in relation to hydrologic soil groups for the Northern Shoveler habitat. This study used geographic information system data to analyze Northern Shoveler habitats in association with Natural Resource Conservation Service soil data. Habitats, which are spatially associated with certain hydrologic soil groups, may be at risk of artificial drainage installations because of their proximity to cultivated croplands and soil lacking in natural drainage that may become wet or inundated. Findings indicate that most wetlands that are part of Northern Shoveler habitats were within or adjacent to cultivated croplands. The results also revealed soil hydrologic groups with high runoff potential and low water transmission rates account for most of the soil within the Northern Shoveler‘s wetland and cropland habitats. Habitats near agriculture with high runoff potential are likely to be drained and this has the potential of reducing Northern Shoveler habitat.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1981

The EROS Data Center

The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Program of the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the Geological Survey, was established in 1966 to apply remote-sensing techniques to the inventory, monitoring, and management of natural resources. To meet its primary objective, the EROS Program includes research and training in the interpretation and application of remotely sensed data and provides remotely sensed data at nominal cost to scientists, resource planners, managers, and the public.

South Dakota↗

USGS1977

The EROS Data Center

South Dakota↗

USGS2011

Fort Collins Science Center fiscal year 2010 science accomplishments

The scientists and technical professionals at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), apply their diverse ecological, socioeconomic, and technological expertise to investigate complicated ecological problems confronting managers of the Nation's biological resources. FORT works closely with U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agency scientists, the academic community, other USGS science centers, and many other partners to provide critical information needed to help answer complex natural-resource management questions. In Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10), FORT's scientific and technical professionals conducted ongoing, expanded, and new research vital to the science needs and management goals of DOI, other Federal and State agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in the areas of aquatic systems and fisheries, climate change, data and information integration and management, invasive species, science support, security and technology, status and trends of biological resources (including the socioeconomic aspects), terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, and wildlife resources, including threatened and endangered species. This report presents selected FORT science accomplishments for FY10 by the specific USGS mission area or science program with which each task is most closely associated, though there is considerable overlap. The report also includes all FORT publications and other products published in FY10, as well as staff accomplishments, appointments, committee assignments, and invited presentations.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2010

Groundwater-flow model and effects of projected groundwater use in the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in the vicinity of Greene County, Missouri — 1907-2030

Recent and historical periods of rapid growth have increased the stress on the groundwater resources in the Ozark aquifer in the Greene County, Missouri area. Historical pumpage from the Ozark aquifer has caused a cone of depression beneath Springfield, Missouri. In an effort to ease its dependence on groundwater for supply, the city of Springfield built a pipeline in 1996 to bring water from Stockton Lake to the city. Rapid population growth in the area coupled with the expanding cone of depression raised concern about the sustainability of groundwater as a resource for future use. A groundwater-flow model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Greene County, Missouri, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to assess the effect that increased groundwater demand is having on the long-term availability of groundwater in and around Greene County, Missouri. Three hydrogeologic units were represented in the groundwater-flow model: the Springfield Plateau aquifer, the Ozark confining unit, and the Ozark aquifer. The Springfield Plateau aquifer is less than 350 feet thick in the model area and generally is a low yield aquifer suitable only for domestic use. The Ozark aquifer is composed of a more than 900-foot thick sequence of dolomite and sandstone in the model area and is the primary aquifer throughout most of southern Missouri. Wells open to the entire thickness of the Ozark aquifer typically yield 1,000 gallons per minute or more. Between the two aquifers is the Ozark confining unit composed of as much as 98 feet of shale and limestone. Karst features such as sinkholes, springs, caves, and losing streams are present in both aquifers, but the majority of these features occur in the Springfield Plateau aquifer. The solution-enlarged fracture and bedding plane conduits in the karst system, particularly in the Springfield Plateau aquifer, are capable of moving large quantities of groundwater through the aquifer in relatively short periods of time. Pumpage rates in the model area increased from 1,093,268 cubic feet per day in 1962 to 2,693,423 cubic feet per day in 1987 to 4,330,177 cubic feet per day in 2006. Annual precipitation ranged from 25.21 inches in 1953 to 62.45 inches in 1927 from 1915 to 2006 in the model area. Recharge to the model was calculated as 2.53 percent of the annual precipitation and was varied annually. Recharge was distributed over the model area based on land slope and was adjusted in the city limits of Springfield to account for the impervious surface. A groundwater model with annual stress periods from 1907 to 2030 was developed using a transient calibration period from 1987 to 2006 and a prediction period from 2007 to 2030 to simulate flow in the Springfield Plateau aquifer and the Ozark aquifer. For the model area of approximately 2,870 square miles, the model hydrogeologic units and hydraulic properties were discretized into 253 rows, 316 columns, and 3 layers with the layer boundaries crossing hydrogeologic unit boundaries in some areas. The horizontal cell spacing was 1,000 feet by 1,000 feet. The model was calibrated by minimizing the difference between simulated head and observed water levels and simulated and observed flows in rivers and springs. Population and the associated groundwater use were estimated for 12 communities and the unincorporated area of Greene County based on past growth. Each was analyzed individually, and a low and high annual rate of growth relative to the 2006 population was computed for each community or group. Low growth rates ranged from 0.215 percent per year in Springfield to 6.997 percent per year in Rogersville. Total growth from 2006 to 2030 at the low growth rate ranged from 5.2 percent in Springfield to 167.9 percent in Rogersville. High growth rates ranged from 0.236 percent per year in Springfield to 7.345 percent per year in Rogersville. Total growth from 2006 to 2030 at the high growth rate ranged from 5.7 percent in Springfield to 176.3 percent in Rogersville. Response of the flow system to selected hypothetical pumping stresses and recharge conditions was simulated using the calibrated model. Seven hypothetical scenarios were simulated from 2007 to 2030 to test the effects of various stresses on the head in the Ozark aquifer. Hypothetical scenario 1 continued the 2006 pumping rates without change to the end of 2030. Scenario 2 assumed a low population growth rate with a 4-year drought at the beginning of the prediction period. Scenario 3 assumed a low population growth rate with a 4-year drought at the end of the prediction period. Scenario 4 assumed a high population growth rate with a 4-year drought at the beginning of the prediction period. Scenario 5 assumed a high population growth rate with a 4-year drought at the end of the prediction period. Scenario 6 and 7 had one new industrial well installed within the city limits of Springfield and one new industrial well installed about 3.5 miles east of Rogersville. Scenario 6 assumed a low population growth rate and scenario 7 assumed a high population growth rate. Results were compared by examining differences in head at the end of the simulation period. All scenarios examined resulted in potentiometric-surface declines from 2006 levels. Results from scenario 1 indicated that even with no increase in pumping, the potentiometric surface in the Springfield area continued to decline. The maximum decline of approximately 62 feet from the 2006 potentiometric surface occurred in Springfield. The maximum decline from the 2006 potentiometric surface in scenarios 2 and 3 was approximately 203 feet and in scenarios 4 and 5 was approximately 207 feet. The drought occurring at the end of the simulation period tended to broaden the drawdown area relative to the drought at the beginning. Drought timing did not substantially affect the potentiometric surface in the Ozark aquifer except for where the Ozark aquifer was exposed. Although not a substantial difference, the high population growth rate scenarios tended to have larger declines than the low population growth rate scenarios. As in the previous scenarios, little difference was noted between the low and high growth rate in scenario 6 and 7. Scenarios 6 and 7 showed declines of more than 640 feet from the 2006 potentiometric surface at the new well located in Springfield. The drawdown at the new wells decreased relatively quickly with increased distance from the well. Simulated head in the nearby cities of Nixa, Ozark, and Republic was nearly the same for scenarios 2 through 7 and was lower than the head predicted for scenario 1. Results from scenarios 2 through 7 indicate that the potentiometric surface in 2030 near these cities could decline 100 feet or more from the 2006 levels. Because model layers 2 and 3, representing the Ozark confining unit and most of the thickness of the Ozark aquifer, were simulated as confined, drawdown in the wells in the area of the Ozark aquifer that is unconfined or becomes unconfined during the simulation period will likely be under predicted.

Missouri↗

USGS1995

Genetic contribution of hatchery fish to walleye stocks in Saginaw Bay, Michigan

Stocks of walleye ( Stizostedion vitreum ) were severely depressed in Saginaw Bay in the 1970s. In 1979, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources began intensive stocking of walleye fingerlings to bolster fish populations. Subsequent to stocking, the walleye fishery has recovered. The study objective was to determine if recovery was due to the stocking program or natural reproduction. Inherent genetic differences between hatchery fish and endemic walleyes were used to determine the effect and contribution of hatchery fish to Saginaw Bay.

Michigan↗

USGS2024

Methodology for inclusion of produced and stored carbon dioxide in the U.S. Geological Survey Federal lands greenhouse gas inventory

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed two new carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and sequestration accounting methods for use in future reports. The first method is a Federal lease-produced CO2 emissions calculation for an update of the report, “Federal Lands Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sequestration in the United States.” The methodology to incorporate Federal lease CO2 production emissions into the updated report relies on CO2 sales royalty data from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). The end usage points for the gas include enhanced oil recovery with CO2 (CO2-EOR), food and beverage, and chemical production. CO2-EOR is the main end point for natural CO2 production in the United States; it accounted for 94% of usage in 2022 [1]. Federal lands emissions from this sector are estimated at 460 metric tons of CO2 in 2022, a very small amount relative to most other Federal lands emissions sector estimates. The second new method, planned for a separate report, is a calculation of the geologic storage of CO2 on Federal lands. The second method estimates the CO2 stored under Federal surface lands and documents Federal climate change mitigation efforts. Currently, there is no storage of CO2 at an industrial level on Federal lands, however multiple proposals and projects are planned. This method was developed on non-Federal lands datasets in an effort to prepare for when these activities on Federal lands will require accounting. National estimates for CO2 geologic storage using this method, but without a Federal lands filtering step, totaled 8.0 million metric tons (Mt) in 2022. The two methods described here are new benchmark methods in a collection of accounting procedures to document the current state of greenhouse gas emissions and their storage on Federal lands. These benchmarks can then be used to measure any subsequent changes in emissions from or carbon storage beneath Federal lands. While the magnitude of the values is currently non-existent to small, emissions mitigation goals established by decision makers indicate that these values will grow, and their documentation will take on greater value and use.

continental United States↗

USGS2008

Central Colorado Assessment Project - Application of integrated geologic, geochemical, biologic, and mineral resource studies

Central Colorado is one of the fastest-growing regions in the Western United States. Population along the Front Range increased more than 30 percent between 1990 and 2000 (http://www.demographia.com/db-metro3newworld.htm) with some counties within the study area, such as Park County, experiencing greater than 100-percent growth (http://www.censusscope.org/us/s8/rank_popl_growth.html). This growth has caused tremendous demand for natural resources and has created challenging land-management issues related to the interface between wilderness and urban expansion. Management of this wilderness/urban interface will benefit from current digital geoscience information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Central Colorado Assessment Project that began in 2003. Approximately 20,800 square miles (53,800 km2) of land divided almost equally between the public and private sectors were part of the assessment. The study area includes much of the Colorado Mineral Belt, a northeast-trending zone that contains 30 economically significant metal deposits. Historically, the area provided much of Colorado's metal production. The only active gold and molybdenum mines in Colorado lie within the study area. Recently, metal and uranium exploration activity has increased sharply in response to record prices for metals and uranium. This further underscores the need for up-to-date geoscience information presented in compatible GIS databases to facilitate rapid land-management decisions. Cooperative studies by USDA Forest Service, National Park Service supported by the USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP), and National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Programs (NCGMP) contributed to the mineral-resource assessment and included regional geologic mapping at the scale 1:100,000, collection and geochemical studies of stream sediments, surface water, and bedrock samples, macroinvertebrate and biofilm studies in the riparian environment, remote-sensing studies, and geochronology. Geoscience information available as GIS layers has improved understanding of the distribution of metallic, industrial, and aggregate resources, location of areas that have potential for their discovery or development, helped to understand the relation of tectonics, magmatism, and paleohydrology to the genesis of the metal deposits in the region, and provided insight on the geochemical and environmental effects that historical mining and natural, mineralized rock exposures have on surface water, ground water, and aquatic life.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS1984

Bedrock aquifers in the Denver basin, Colorado; a quantitative water-resources appraisal

The Denver metropolitan area is experiencing a rapid population growth that is requiring increasing supplies of potable water to be pumped from bedrock aquifers in order to meet demand. In an effort to determine the ability of the aquifers to continue to meet this demand, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, and Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and El Paso Counties joined with the U.S. Geological Survey in undertaking a hydrologic evaluation of the ground-water resources of the basin. This involved mapping of aquifer extent, thickness, structure, hydraulic characteristics, and water-level and water-quality conditions. This enabled ground-water modeling techniques to be used to simulate aquifer response to various pumpage estimates and ground-water development plans. The Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer (the deepest aquifer) underlies the 6,700-square-mile study area and is overlain by the more permeable Arapahoe aquifer, the Denver aquifer, and the Dawson aquifer, which crops out in the southern part of the study area. It is estimated that 260x10 6 acre-feet of recoverable ground water are in storage in these four bedrock aquifers. However, less than 0.1 percent of this volume of water is stored under confined conditions. The larger volume of water stored under unconfined conditions will be available for use only when the water levels in the confined aquifers decline below the top of the individual aquifer, allowing water-table conditions to develop. Annual precipitation on the Denver basin supplies an average of 6,900 cubic feet per second of water to the area; about 55 cubic feet per second of this recharges the bedrock aquifers, principally through the Dawson Arkose. The direction of ground-water movement is generally from ground-water divides in the southern part of the area northward toward the margins of the aquifers. Pumpage has ranged from about 5 cubic feet per second in 1884 to about 41 cubic feet per second in 1978. Pumpage exceeds recharge in the metropolitan area and has caused water-level declines (1958-78) to exceed 200 feet in a 135-square-mile area of the Arapahoe aquifer southeast of Denver. A quasi-three-dimensional finite-difference model of the aquifer system was constructed and calibrated under steady-state and transient-state conditions. Steady-state calibration indicated that lateral hydraulic conductivity within the aquifers is about 100,000 times larger than the vertical hydraulic conductivity between the aquifers. Transient-state calibration indicated that between 1958 and 1978, 374,000 acre-feet of water was pumped from the aquifers, producing a 90,000-acre-foot net decrease in the volume of water in storage in the aquifers. During this time, pumpage also changed the rates of interaquifer flow, induced additional recharge, and caused capture of natural discharge. Three 1979-2050 pumpage estimates were made for use in simulating the effects of various ground-water development plans. Simulations using each of these pumpage estimates indicate that by the year 2050 large water-level declines could occur, particularly in the deeper aquifers. Maximum water-level declines of 410, 1,700, and 1,830 feet were produced using the small, medium, and large pumping rates. Four plans for supplementing the Denver water supply include pumping a satellite well field, pumping a municipal well field, pumping to irrigate parks, and injecting water during periods of low demand for later use during periods of peak demand. Model simulation of these plans indicates that the satellite well field will yield twice as much water as the municipal well field, but will produce larger and more widespread water-level declines in the four aquifers. The municipal well field would not significantly affect water levels in the Dawson aquifer. Pumping the Arapahoe aquifer to supply irrigation water to selected parks was shown to produce only small water-level declines in the aquifer. Results of simulating injection-pumpage well fields at two locations indicate that simulated injection rates could range from 1.7 to 10 cubic feet per second, depending on the choice of site. The volume of water that could be stored in the bedrock aquifer is, thus, sensitive to the hydrologic characteristics of the chosen site. More study is needed to evaluate water-chemistry compatibility of native and injected water.

Colorado↗

USGS1971

EROS — New observation vantage points and processes

The EROS Program objective is to utilize aircraft and spacecraft remote-sensing technology as complementary parts of integrated data collection, processing, and dissemination systems to support resources research and management functions of the Department of the Interior. The Program develops and coordinates research in the applications of new sensors for resources applications in cooperation with NASA. At present there are two major areas of activity: present there are two major areas of activity: The first is related to the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS). The second is a suite of projects designed to determine the applicability of new aerial and satellite sensing systems and techniques to geologic, geographic, hydrologic, and topographic mapping and for supporting natural resources management functions of the Department of the Interior. Programs with similar goals for agriculture and forestry, and for oceanography are being conducted in the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, the Naval Oceanographic Office, and in a number of colleges and universities. The first satellite designed specifically for resources research and applications, ERTS-A, is to be launched in early 1972. It will be an unmanned satellite carrying three experimental systems: A three camera Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) system, a 4-band Multispectral Scanning (MSS) radiometer system, and a Data Collection System (DCS). The RBV cameras will photograph simultaneously and instantaneously areas of the earth 100 × 100 nautical miles - or 10,000 square nautical miles - in the blue-green (.475-.575mu m), the red (.580-.680mu m), and the near infrared (.690-.830mu m). The MSS will record three wavelength bands in the same general spectral range and the fourth band (8.0 mu m) will extend farther into the infrared...

Conference Paper↗

USGS2012

Hydrologic and water-quality data at Government Canyon State Natural Area, Bexar County, Texas, 2002-10

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, collected rainfall, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and stormflow water-quality data at the Laurel Canyon Creek watershed, within the Government Canyon State Natural Area, Bexar County, Tex. The purpose of the data collection was to support evaluations of the effects of brush management conservation practices on components of the hydrologic budget and water quality. One component of brush management was to take endangered wildlife into consideration, specifically the golden-cheeked warbler ( Dendroica chrysoparia ). Much of the area that may have been considered for brush management was left intact to protect habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler. The area identified for brush management was approximately 10 percent of the study watershed. The hydrologic data presented here (2002–10) represent pre- and post-treatment periods, with brush management treatment occurring from winter 2006–07 to spring 2008.

Texas↗

USGS2009

Estimated water use in Washington, 2005

Water use in the State of Washington has evolved in the past century from meager domestic and stock water needs to the current complex requirements of domestic-water users, large irrigation projects, industrial plants, and numerous other uses such as fish habitat and recreational activities. Since 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has, at 5-year intervals, compiled data on the amount of water used in homes, businesses, industries, and on farms throughout the State. This water-use data, combined with other related USGS information, has facilitated a unique understanding of the effects of human activity on the State's water resources. As water availability continues to emerge as an important issue in the 21st century, the need for consistent, long-term water-use data will increase to support wise use of this essential natural resource. This report presents state and county estimates of the amount of public- and self-supplied water used for domestic, irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, industrial, mining, and thermoelectric power purposes in the State of Washington during 2005. Offstream fresh-water use was estimated to be 5,780 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Domestic water use was estimated to be 648 Mgal/d or 11 percent of the total. Irrigation water use was estimated to be 3,520 Mgal/d, or 61 percent of the total. Industrial fresh-water use was estimated to be 520 Mgal/d, or 9 percent of the total. These three categories accounted for about 81 percent (4,690 Mgal/d) of the total of the estimated offstream freshwater use in Washington during 2005.

Washington↗

USGS2015

Estimated freshwater withdrawals in Washington, 2010

Every 5 years since 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled data on the amount of water used in homes, businesses, industries, and farms throughout the State. This water-use data, combined with other related USGS information, has facilitated a unique understanding of the effects of human activity on the State’s water resources. As water availability continues to emerge as an important issue in the 21st century, the need for consistent, long-term water-use data will increase to support wise use of this essential natural resource. The amount of public- and self-supplied water used for domestic, irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, industrial, mining, and thermoelectric power was estimated for state, county, and eastern and western regions of Washington during calendar year 2010. Withdrawals of freshwater for offstream uses were estimated to be about 4,885 million gallons per day. The total estimated freshwater withdrawals for 2010 was approximately 15 percent less than the 2005 estimate because of decreases in irrigation and thermoelectric power withdrawals.

Washington↗

USGS2010

U.S. Geological Survey activities related to American Indians and Alaska Natives: Fiscal years 2007 and 2008

In the late 1800s, John Wesley Powell, the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), followed his interest in the tribes of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau and studied their cultures, languages, and surroundings. From that early time, the USGS has recognized the importance of Native knowledge and living in harmony with nature as complements to the USGS mission to better understand the Earth. Combining traditional ecological knowledge with empirical studies allows the USGS and Native American governments, organizations, and people to increase their mutual understanding and respect for this land. The USGS is the earth and natural science bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and is not responsible for regulations or land management. Climate change is a major current issue affecting Native lives and traditions throughout the United States. Climate projections for the coming century indicate an increasing probability for more frequent and more severe droughts in the Southwest, including the Navajo Nation. Erosion has claimed Native homes in Alaska. Fish have become inedible due to diseases that turn their flesh mushy. Native people who rely on or who are culturally sustained by hunting, fishing, and using local plants are living with climate change now. The traditional knowledge of Native peoples enriches and confirms the work of USGS scientists. The results are truly synergistic-greater than the sum of their parts. Traditional ecological knowledge is respected and increasingly used in USGS studies-when the holders of that knowledge choose to share it. The USGS respects the rights of Native people to maintain their patrimony of traditional ecological knowledge. The USGS studies can help Tribes, Native organizations, and natural resource professionals manage Native lands and resources with the best available unbiased data and information that can be added to their traditional knowledge. Wise Native leaders have noted that traditional ecological knowledge includes the connections between Earth and her denizens. From this perspective, it is the connections among these ?relatives? that needs to be nurtured. This perspective on nature is finding new adherents among Natives and non-Natives as understanding of climate change and other environmental conditions deepens. Although this report uses the term ?resources,? the USGS, through its interdisciplinary research, acknowledges the interconnectedness of the Earth and the things that live upon it.

Circular↗

USGS2006

Mapping new terrain climate change and America’s West: Anticipating challenges to western mountain ecosystems and resources

Climate variability and sustained change presage far-reaching transformations across America’s West, an expanse dominated by immense mountain ranges and interspersed with important urban centers. These mountains provide the region’s life blood—water that courses through its streams and runs out its faucets, power that fuels its industries and lights its cities, and natural resources that feed its economy and provide many of its jobs. The West is a land where life is written in water—from vast ranchlands and farmlands, to large densely populated urban areas—and the communities of the West are intricately tied to it. Why should we be concerned about how climate change is affecting the mountains? Despite their imposing grandeur and apparent fortitude, the mountains contain highly sensitive environments that support delicately balanced physical and natural systems. A warming of only a few degrees has major implications for mountain regions—for the integrity of the seasonal snowpack, the extensive forests that western mountains support, and for the people who make their home there. Such changes are already affecting water supply, energy availability, fire severity, and recreational opportunities. Continuing climate change may significantly alter the western landscape, where one encounters distinct ecological communities as successive layers from the lowlands to the high peaks. Each of these ecosystems has specific requirements for temperature and precipitation. As climate variability increases and global warming continues, complex changes in montane plant and animal communities will occur, increasing vulnerability of species to dramatic shifts in distribution and local extinctions.

Report↗

USGS2004

Fort Collins Science Center: Policy Analysis and Science Assistance

Most resource management decisions involve the integrated use of biological, sociological, and economic information. Combining this information provides a more comprehensive basis for making effective land management and conservation decisions. Toward this end, scientists in the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch (PASA) of the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) contribute expert knowledge for natural resources management by conducting biological, social, economic, and institutional analyses of conservation policies and management practices. PASA's mission is to integrate biological, social, and economic research so that resource managers can use the resulting information to make informed decisions and resolve resource management conflicts. PASA scientists pursue and conduct scientific analyses that help agencies and Native American tribes to (1) identify impending policy controversies and areas where social and natural science research is needed to address future policy questions; (2) develop methods and approaches to assist researchers in preparing scientific evidence; (3) assess habitat alteration in a manner consistent with policy needs; and (4) evaluate policy options. Branch scientists also evaluate policy options (e.g., effects of different land treatments, fish and wildlife management practices, or visitor/recreation management practices) in response to specific questions faced by policymakers and managers.

Fact Sheet↗