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At least 955 records · Page 53Linked to original sources
USGS2023

Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near St. Louis, Missouri, August 3–10, 2020

Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 15 bridges at 10 highway crossings of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near Washington, Louisiana, and St. Louis, Missouri, on August 3–10, 2020. A multibeam echosounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches about 1,640 to 1,970 feet longitudinally and generally extending laterally across the active channel from bank to bank during moderate flood-flow conditions. These surveys provided channel geometry and hydraulic conditions at the time of the surveys and provided characteristics of scour holes that may be useful in developing predictive guidelines or equations for computing potential scour depth. These data also may be useful to the Missouri Department of Transportation as a low to moderate flood-flow assessment of the bridges for stability and integrity issues with respect to bridge scour during floods. Bathymetric data were collected around every in-channel pier. Scour holes were present at most piers for which bathymetry could be obtained, except those on banks or surrounded by riprap. All the bridge sites in this study were previously surveyed and documented in previous studies, including the two new bridge structures at Louisiana and Washington (structures A8141 and A8504, sites 22 and 32, respectively). Comparisons between bathymetric surfaces from the previous surveys and those of the current (2020) study do not indicate any consistent correlation in channel-bed elevations with streamflow conditions. The comparisons of the 2020 surveys to two previous surveys at the new bridge structure A8141 at Washington (site 22) resulted in net erosion of the channel bed in both comparisons, despite the 2020 streamflow being less than either previous survey. Alternatively, there was a net gain of sediment at new bridge structure A8504 at Louisiana (site 32) between 2014 and 2020, which was the most substantial increase in the surveys detailed in this report; substantially less flow in 2020 than in 2014 or changes to the channel and spur dikes near the bridge may have contributed to the observed sediment gain. Pier size, nose shape, and skew to approach flow had a substantial effect on the size of the scour hole observed at a given pier. Larger and deeper scour holes were present at piers with wide or blunt noses caused by exposed footings, seal courses, or caissons. When a pier was skewed to primary approach flow, the scour hole was generally deeper and larger than at a similar pier without skew; however, the shape of the scour hole near skewed piers in this study generally was longer and deeper on the leeward side, contrary to the general shape of scour holes for skewed piers. However, this phenomenon has been observed historically at these sites, and likely is exacerbated by debris rafts or other turbulence-inducing features near the atypical scour holes. A substantial scour hole was observed near pier 11 of structure A6500 (site 33), which was deeper than in the 2016 survey. The scour holes observed at pier 17 of structure L0561 (site 25) and piers 3 and 4 of structure A1500 (site 34) also were slightly deeper and wider in 2020 than in 2016. At new bridge structures A8141 at Washington (site 22) and A8504 at Louisiana (site 32), the smaller cross-sectional area and configuration of the piers of the new bridges resulted in substantially less scour than with the wider old piers.

Illinois, Missouri↗
USGS1982

Impact of Mount St. Helens eruption on hydrology and water quality

The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens in southeast Washington resulted in a pronounced effect on the surface and ground water resources of the state. In response to the volcanic activity, the U.S. Geological Survey intensified statewide surface and ground water sampling programs to determine the nature and magnitude of the volcanic-induced variations. Streams to the east of Mount St. Helens received the major ash fallout. Chemical effects were best noted in smaller streams sampled 60 to 70 miles northeast of Mount St. Helens. The chemical variations observed were pronounced but short lived. Sulfate and chloride increases in anionic composition were prevalent immediately following the eruption however, the original bicarbonate predominance was again attained within several days. Suspended iron and aluminum concentrations were similarly elevated during the period of greatest ash deposition (highest turbidity) however, the dissolved concentrations remained relatively constant. Depressions of pH were minor and short lived. Streams draining to the south, tributaries to the Columbia river, showed little observable changes in water chemistry. Streams draining to the west (Toutle river and its tributaries) were compositionally affected by the various volcanic activities. Chloride and sulfate anion percentage exceeded the bicarbonate percentage up to one month following the eruption period. Streams and lakes sampled in the immediate vicinity of Mount St. Helens, in addition to trace metals, contained organic compounds derived from decomposing wood buried in the debris deposits. This organic material may constitute a significant source of organic compounds to surface and ground water for some time to come.

Washington↗
USGS2008

Sea-Floor Mapping and Benthic Habitat GIS for the Elwha River Delta Nearshore, Washington

From March 1531, 2005, more than 252 km (19.5 km2) of seafloor offshore of the Elwha River Delta in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca was mapped by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program. The purpose of this nearshore mapping was to (1) obtain high resolution bathymetry and acoustic reflectance properties of the seabed, (2) examine and record geologic characteristics of the seafloor, and (3) construct maps of sea-floor geomorphology and habitat. Substrate distribution was characterized with video-supervised statistical classification of the sonar data. Substrate of the survey was dominated by mixed sand-gravel and sand. Numerous boulder reefs were observed west of the river mouth within Freshwater Bay, whereas the sea-floor immediately adjacent to the river mouth was dominated by sand.

Data Series↗
USGS1996

Total dissolved gas, barometric pressure, and water temperature data, lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 1996

Increased levels of total dissolved gas pressure can cause gas-bubble trauma in fish downstream from dams on the Columbia River. In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey collected data on total dissolved gas pressure, barometric pressure, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen pressure at 11 stations on the lower Columbia River from the John Day forebay (river mile 215.6) to Wauna Mill (river mile 41.9) from March to September 1996. Methods of data collection, review, and processing are described in this report. Summaries of daily minimum, maximum, and mean hourly values are presented for total dissolved gas pressure, barometric pressure, and water temperature. Hourly values for these parameters are presented graphically. Dissolved oxygen data are not presented in this report because the quality-control data show that the data have poor precision and high bias. Suggested changes to monitoring procedures for future studies include (1) improved calibration procedures for total dissolved gas and dissolved oxygen to better define accuracy at elevated levels of supersaturation and (2) equipping dissolved oxygen sensors with stirrers because river velocities at the shoreline monitoring stations probably cannot maintain an adequate flow of water across the membrane surface of the dissolved oxygen sensor.

Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2014

Methow River Studies, Washington: abundance estimates from Beaver Creek and the Chewuch River screw trap, methodology testing in the Whitefish Island side channel, and survival and detection estimates from hatchery fish releases, 2013

Salmon and steelhead populations have been severely depleted in the Columbia River from factors such as the presence of tributary dams, unscreened irrigation diversions, and habitat degradation from logging, mining, grazing, and others (Raymond, 1988). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been funded by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to provide evaluation of on-going Reclamation funded efforts to recover Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed anadromous salmonid populations in the Methow River watershed, a watershed of the Columbia River in the Upper Columbia River Basin, in north-central Washington State (fig. 1). This monitoring and evaluation program was funded to document Reclamation’s effort to partially fulfill the 2008 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion (BiOp) (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries Division 2003). This Biological Opinion includes Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPA) to protect listed salmon and steelhead across their life cycle. Species of concern in the Methow River include Upper Columbia River (UCR) spring Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), UCR summer steelhead ( O. mykiss ), and bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ), which are all listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. The work done by the USGS since 2004 has encompassed three phases of work. The first phase started in 2004 and continued through 2012. This first phase involved the evaluation of stream colonization and fish production in Beaver Creek following the modification of several water diversions (2000–2006) that were acting as barriers to upstream fish movement. Products to date from this work include: Ruttenburg (2007), Connolly and others (2008), Martens and Connolly (2008), Connolly (2010), Connolly and others (2010), Martens and Connolly (2010), Benjamin and others (2012), Romine and others (2013a), Weigel and others (2013a, 2013b, 2013c), and Martens and others (2014). The second phase, initiated in 2008, focuses on the evaluation of the M2 reach (rkm 66– 80) of the mainstem Methow River prior to restoration actions planned by Reclamation and Yakama Nation. The M2 study was designed to help understand the inter-relationships between stream habitat and the life history of various fish species to explain potential success or limitations in response to restoration actions. To help document changes derived by restoration, two reference reaches (Upper Methow between rkm 85 and 90, and Chewuch River between rkm 4 and 11) were identified based on relative lack of disturbance, proximity to the restoration reach, and relative unconfined geomorphology. A control reach (Lower Methow between rkm 57 and 64, also referred to as “Silver Reach”) was 2 identified based on its similar disturbance as the reference reach, proximity to the restoration reach, and relatively unconfined geomorphology. Products to date include Barber and others (2011), Bellmore (2011), Tibbits and others (2012), Bellmore and others (2013), Benjamin and others (2013), Romine and others (2013b), Bellmore and other (2014), Martens and others (2014), and Martens and Connolly (2014). The third phase of work has been to help with the development and to provide data for modeling efforts. Most of the planned M2 reach restoration is focused on the creation or improvement of offchannel habitat, especially side channels. The pre-restoration portion of this study has been documented by Martens and Connolly (2014). Side channel restoration actions were initiated in 2012 (Whitefish Island side channel, also referred to as SC3; rkm 76) and are planned to continue over the next several years. The Whitefish Island side channel was modified to maintain hydrological connection with the mainstem throughout the year. In addition, several log structures were installed and pools were deepened to create fish habitat. Prior to restoration, this side channel would lose hydrological connection with the mainstem Methow River, leaving one large pool near the bottom of the side channel and several shallow isolated pools that may or may not go dry. In seasonally connected side channels, juvenile salmonid survival in pools less than 100 cm average depth was lower than in pools greater than 100 cm average depth (Martens and Connolly, 2014). In this report, we document our field work and analysis completed in 2013. During 2013, USGS sampling efforts were focused on resampling of three reaches in Beaver Creek, testing methodology in the Whitefish Island side channel, conducting hatchery survival estimates, and operating a screw trap on the Chewuch River (funded by Yakama Nation; fig. 1). The Beaver Creek sampling effort was a revisit of three index sites sampled continuously from 2004 to 2007 to look at the fish response to barrier removal. Methodology testing in Whitefish Island side channel was done to determine the best method for evaluating fish populations after restoration efforts in side channels (previous sampling methods were determined to be ineffective after pools were deepened). Hatchery survival estimates were completed to monitor fish survival in the Methow and Columbia Rivers, while the screw trap was operated to estimate migrating fish populations in the Chewuch River and track passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tagged fish. In addition, we maintained a network of PIT-tag interrogation systems (PTIS), assisted Reclamation with fish removal events associated with stream restoration (two people for 9 days; 14 percent of summer field season), and conducted a stream metabolism study designed to help parameterize and calibrate the stream productivity model (Bellmore and others, 2014) with model validation.

Washington↗
USGS2014

Subsurface geologic features of the 2011 central Virginia earthquakes revealed by airborne geophysics

Characterizing geologic features associated with major earthquakes provides insights into mechanisms contributing to fault slip and assists evaluation of seismic hazard. We use high-resolution airborne geophysical data combined with ground sample measurements to image subsurface geologic features associated with the 2011 moment magnitude (M w ) 5.8 central Virginia (USA) intraplate earthquake and its aftershocks. Geologic mapping and magnetic data analyses suggest that the earthquake occurred near a complex juncture of geologic contacts. These contacts also intersect a >60-km-long linear gravity gradient. Distal aftershocks occurred in tight, ~1-km-wide clusters near other obliquely oriented contacts that intersect gravity gradients, in contrast to more linearly distributed seismicity observed at other seismic zones. These data and corresponding models suggest that local density contrasts (manifested as gravity gradients) modified the nearby stress regime in a manner favoring failure. However, along those gradients seismic activity is localized near structural complexities, suggesting a significant contribution from variations in associated rock characteristics such as rheological weakness and/or rock permeability, which may be enhanced in those areas. Regional magnetic data show a broader bend in geologic structures within the Central Virginia seismic zone, suggesting that seismic activity may also be enhanced in other nearby areas with locally increased rheological weaknesses and/or rock permeability. In contrast, away from the M w 5.8 epicenter, geophysical lineaments are nearly continuous for tens of kilometers, especially toward the northeast. Continuity of associated geologic structures probably contributed to efficient propagation of seismic energy in that direction, consistent with moderate to high levels of damage from Louisa County to Washington, D.C., and neighboring communities.

Virginia↗
USGS2025

A soil velocity model for improved ground motion simulations in the U. S. Pacific Northwest

Near-surface seismic velocity structure may significantly impact the intensity, duration, and frequency content of ground shaking during an earthquake. In this study, we compile 649 shear wave velocity (Vs) profiles throughout the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southern British Columbia (PNW) and use these measured profiles to develop a representative soil velocity model for four major Holocene soil provinces: Puget Lowlands, Willamette Valley, fill and alluvium, and `other' soils. The resulting soil velocity model shows good agreement to measured data for a wide range of site conditions, with variability between different geologic domains reflecting fundamental differences in depositional environments. We then show that using this regional soil velocity model in simulations of the 2001 M6.8 Nisqually, Washington earthquake improves the fit to observed high-frequency (≥ 0.5 Hz) ground motions in the Puget Sound region compared to simulations that do not incorporate shallow (≤ 200 m) seismic velocity structure. Overall, this work shows that incorporating localized soil velocity profiles into seismic velocity models is important for accurately estimating high-frequency ground motion and regional seismic hazard in earthquake simulations. Future earthquake simulations and hazard studies in the PNW could incorporate these soil velocity profiles to capture the region's distinct site response characteristics.

Washington↗
USGS1997

Are walleye from Lake Roosevelt contaminated with mercury?

To find out, scientists from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) tested walleye and other sport fish from the upper Columbia River and Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (Lake Roosevelt), the largest reservoir in Washington and a popular fishing spot. Findings: Walleye had higher concentrations of mercury than other sport fish. Larger walleye had higher mercury concentrations than smaller walleye. Mercury concentrations in walleye fillets ranged from 0.11 to 0.44 parts per million (ppm). These concentrations do not exceed the current Federal standard (1.0 ppm of mercury) designed to protect the health of people who eat small amounts of fish. After reviewing these findings, the Washington State Department of Health concluded that people who regularly consume large amounts of Lake Roosevelt walleye may be at risk of adverse health effects from mercury and should limit their consumption of these fish.

Washington↗
USGS2003

Wide-angle seismic recording from the 2002 Georgia Basin Geohazards Initiative, northwestern Washington and British Columbia

This report describes the acquisition and processing of shallow-crustal wide-angle seismicreflection and refraction data obtained during a collaborative study in the Georgia Strait, western Washington and southwestern British Columbia. The study, the 2002 Georgia Strait Geohazards Initiative, was conducted in May 2002 by the Pacific Geoscience Centre, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the University of Victoria. The wide-angle recordings were designed to image shallow crustal faults and Cenozoic sedimentary basins crossing the International Border in southern Georgia basin and to add to existing wide-angle recordings there made during the 1998 SHIPS experiment. We recorded, at wide-angle, 800 km of shallow penetration multichannel seismic-reflection profiles acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Tully using an air gun with a volume of 1.967 liters (120 cu. in.). Prior to this reflection survey, we deployed 48 Refteks onshore to record the airgun signals at wide offsets. Three components of an oriented, 4.5 Hz seismometer were digitally recorded at all stations. Nearly 160,300 individual air gun shots were recorded along 180 short seismic reflection lines. In this report, we illustrate the wide-angle profiles acquired using the CCGS Tully, describe the land recording of the air gun signals, and summarize the processing of the land recorder data into common-receiver gathers. We also describe the format and content of the archival tapes containing the SEGY-formated, common-receiver gathers for the Reftek data. Data quality is variable but the experiment provided useful data from 42 of the 48 stations deployed. Three-fourths of all stations yielded useful first-arrivals to source-receiver offsets beyond 10 km: the average maximum source-receiver offset for first arrivals was 17 km. Six stations yielded no useful data and useful firstarrivals were limited to offsets less than 10 km at five stations. We separately archived our recordings of 86 local and regional earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 0.2 to 4.3 and 16 teleseisms ranging in magnitude 5.5 to 6.5.

British Columbia;Washington↗
USGS1978

U.S. Geological Survey offshore program of resource and geo-environmental studies and topical investigations, Pacific-Arctic region

The Geological Survey's marine geology investigations in the Pacific-Arctic area are presented in this report in the context of the underlying socio-economic problem of expanding the domestic production of oil and gas and other mineral and hard- and soft-rock resources while maintaining acceptable standards in the marine environment. The primary mission of the Survey 's Pacific-Arctic Branch of Marine Geology is to provide scientifically interpreted information about the (1) resource potential, (2) geo-environmental setting, and (3) overall geologic characteristics of the continental margins (that is, the continental shelf, slope and rise) and adjacent deeper water and shallower coastal areas off California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii and also, where it is of interest to the U.S. Government, more remote deep-sea areas of the Pacific-Arctic realm.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Sediment storage and transport in the Nooksack River basin, northwestern Washington, 2006–15

The Nooksack River is a dynamic gravel-bedded river in northwestern Washington, draining off Mount Baker and the North Cascades into Puget Sound. Working in cooperation with the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District, the U.S. Geological Survey studied topographic, hydrologic, and climatic data for the Nooksack River basin to document recent changes in sediment storage, long-term bed elevation trends, rates of sediment transport, and factors influencing surficial drainage in order to support ongoing river management. Differences in elevations between topographic and bathymetric surveys in 2005/06 and 2013/15 indicate the active channel aggraded about 1–2 feet locally near the cities of Ferndale and Everson but was primarily stable between them. The active channel upstream of Nugent’s Corner generally incised. Total incision upstream of Nugent’s Corner to Glacier Creek generated 2.3 ± 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment from 2005/06 to 2013 and likely represented a significant source of coarse sediment to the lower mainstem river over that time. Long-term records of local channel-bed elevation, derived from U.S. Geological Survey streamgage data, show bed-elevation changes of about 1–3 feet. The river bed at most streamgages exhibits long-term trends, with relatively consistent rates of change on the order of 1 foot per decade that persist years to decades. Lagged correlations in bed-elevation trends at all seven streamgages in the North Fork Nooksack and mainstem Nooksack suggest that decadal periods of persistent aggradation and incision originate in the North Fork and translate downstream. The channel-change signal propagates downstream 0.5–2.5 miles per year, with the rate of propagation scaling closely with channel slope. The pattern of incision and aggradation in the North Fork correlates with regional climate, where persistent incision follows extended cold and wet periods, and persistent aggradation follows extended warm and dry periods. Climate-driven variation in coarse-sediment delivery, primarily from the North Fork Nooksack, then appears to be a strong control on long-term vertical channel adjustments at sites downstream. The downstream-translating climate signal generated in the North Fork would account for recently observed aggradation at Everson and Ferndale but not the observed incision in unconfined reaches upstream of Nugent’s Corner from 2005–06 to 2013. This mismatch indicates that understanding how changes in sediment-supply influence those unconfined reaches remains a key uncertainty for predicting future channel change. Continuous turbidity monitoring integrated with suspended sediment and limited bedload sampling were used to calculate annual sediment loads at five sites in the basin. The sediment load in the lower river at Ferndale ranged from 0.78 to 1.17 million tons per year and averaged 0.97 million tons per year for WYs 2012–17. Suspended sediment made up 93 percent of the load, and bedload made up 7 percent. Most of the fine sediment load of the lower river is supplied from headwaters of the North, Middle, and South Fork Nooksack basins, with relatively little net increase in fine sediment loads in the lower mainstem basin. The three forks supply approximately equal proportions of the lower-river fine sediment load. However, the glacially sourced North and Middle Fork Nooksack basins carry a notably sandier suspended-sediment load than the South Fork Nooksack. A comparison of monthly streamflow and precipitation trends since 1981 indicate statistically significant increases in total spring precipitation and the number of spring days with measurable precipitation in much of the basin, as well as increases in mean spring river stage near Ferndale. Since no trends in mean spring discharge are observed, the trends in river stage are attributed primarily to observed changes in bed elevation. Changes in bed elevation and precipitation may then both have plausibly impacted field drainage in the lower river below Ferndale.

Washington↗
USGS2000

Estimating the probability of elevated nitrate (NO2+NO3-N) concentrations in ground water in the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington

Logistic regression was used to relate anthropogenic (man-made) and natural factors to the occurrence of elevated concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen in ground water in the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, eastern Washington. Variables that were analyzed included well depth, depth of well casing, ground-water recharge rates, presence of canals, fertilizer application amounts, soils, surficial geology, and land-use types. The variables that best explain the occurrence of nitrate concentrations above 3 milligrams per liter in wells were the amount of fertilizer applied annually within a 2-kilometer radius of a well and the depth of the well casing; the variables that best explain the occurrence of nitrate above 10 milligrams per liter included the amount of fertilizer applied annually within a 3-kilometer radius of a well, the depth of the well casing, and the mean soil hydrologic group, which is a measure of soil infiltration rate. Based on the relations between these variables and elevated nitrate concentrations, models were developed using logistic regression that predict the probability that ground water will exceed a nitrate concentration of either 3 milligrams per liter or 10 milligrams per liter. Maps were produced that illustrate the predicted probability that ground-water nitrate concentrations will exceed 3 milligrams per liter or 10 milligrams per liter for wells cased to 78 feet below land surface (median casing depth) and the predicted depth to which wells would need to be cased in order to have an 80-percent probability of drawing water with a nitrate concentration below either 3 milligrams per liter or 10 milligrams per liter. Maps showing the predicted probability for the occurrence of elevated nitrate concentrations indicate that the irrigated agricultural regions are most at risk. The predicted depths to which wells need to be cased in order to have an 80-percent chance of obtaining low nitrate ground water exceed 600 feet in the irrigated agricultural regions, whereas wells in dryland agricultural areas generally need a casing in excess of 400 feet. The predicted depth to which wells need to be cased to have at least an 80-percent chance to draw water with a nitrate concentration less than 10 milligrams per liter generally did not exceed 800 feet, with a 200-foot casing depth typical of the majority of the area.

Washington↗
USGS2025

Proceedings of the Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition UT-GOM2-2

This report was the result of a scientific collaboration between the following institutions The University of Texas at Austin (UT), DOE, NETL, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), The Ohio State University, Columbia University, University of New Hampshire, Oregon State University, University of Washington, Tufts University, Colorado School of Mines, and Geotek Ltd. In the summer and fall of 2023, the University of Texas (UT) Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition (UT-GOM2-2) drilled, cored, made downhole measurements, and analyzed samples from the seafloor to the base of the gas hydrate stability zone at Site H in the Walker Ridge Protracted Area Block 313 (Site H, WR313) in the Terrebonne basin, deepwater Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), herein the Gulf. This report is made up of a series of files as listed below that represents the “expedition report” of the 2023 UT-GOM2-2 Expedition.

Report↗
USGS2003

Occurrence and distribution of dissolved trace elements in the surface waters of the Yakima River basin, Washington

The occurrence, distribution, and transport of dissolved (filtered-water) trace elements in the surface waters of the Yakima River Basin were assessed using data collected between 1999 and 2000 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Samples were collected at 34 sites throughout the basin in August 1999, using a Lagrangian sampling design. From May 1999 through January 2000, samples also were collected weekly during the irrigation season and once per month during the nonirrigation season at three intensive fixed sites. Although the focus of this study was on 9 trace elements (aluminum, arsenic, barium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, uranium, and zinc), 14 additional elements were analyzed in filtered water. Concentrations of most trace elements in filtered water generally were low and there were no exceedances of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) freshwater aquatic-life water-quality criteria. The USEPA drinking-water standard for arsenic (10 µg/L) was exceeded in two samples that were collected under base-flow conditions during the nonirrigation season at Granger Drain. Over 40 percent of all filtered-water samples collected during this study exceeded the USEPA health advisory level of 2.0 µg/L for arsenic. Arsenic concentrations in agricultural drains were highest when the drains were primarily fed by shallow ground water, and concentrations in the Yakima River were highest when the river was fed primarily by agricultural return flow. The USEPA secondary maximum contaminant level for manganese (50 µg/L) was exceeded in three samples collected at Granger Drain during the nonirrigation season. Instantaneous arsenic loads calculated for August 1999 were similar to mean monthly loads determined in August 1989 at two intensive fixed sites located on the Yakima main stem. In August 1999, arsenic loads increased twofold between the Yakima River at river mile 72 above Satus and the Yakima River at Kiona at river mile 29.9. The dissolved arsenic loads for the Yakima River at Euclid Bridge at river mile 55 near Grandview and Yakima River at Kiona were within 13 percent of the August 1989 levels.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2007

Total dissolved gas and water temperature in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2007: Quality-assurance data and comparison to water-quality standards

Significant Findings When water is released through the spillways of dams, air is entrained in the water, increasing the downstream concentration of dissolved gases. Excess dissolved-gas concentrations can have adverse effects on freshwater aquatic life. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collected dissolved-gas and water-temperature data at eight sites on the lower Columbia River in 2007. Significant findings from the data include: From early July to mid-September 2007, water temperatures were above 20°C (degrees Celsius) at each of the eight lower Columbia River sites. According to the Oregon temperature standard, the 7-day average maximum temperature of the lower Columbia River should not exceed 20°C; Washington regulations state that the 1-day maximum should not exceed 20°C due to human activities. Most in-situ field checks of total-dissolved-gas sensors with a secondary standard were within ± (plus or minus) 1% saturation after 3 to 4 weeks of deployment in the river. All of the field checks of barometric pressure were within ±2.5 millimeter of mercury of a secondary standard, and water-temperature field checks were all within ±0.2 °C. For the eight monitoring sites in water year 2007, an average of 99.5% of the total-dissolved-gas data were received in real time by the USGS satellite downlink and were within 1% saturation of the expected value on the basis of calibration data, replicate quality-control measurements in the river, and comparison to ambient river conditions at adjacent sites. Data received from the sites ranged from 97.9% to 100.0% complete.

Lower Columbia River↗
USGS2005

Field measurements of incision rates following bedrock exposure: Implications for process controls on the long profiles of valleys cut by rivers and debris flows

Until recently, published rates of incision of bedrock valleys came from indirect dating of incised surfaces. A small but growing literature based on direct measurement reports short-term bedrock lowering at geologically unsustainable rates. We report observations of bedrock lowering from erosion pins monitored over 1–7 yr in 10 valleys that cut indurated volcanic and sedimentary rocks in Washington, Oregon, California, and Taiwan. Most of these channels have historically been stripped of sediment. Their bedrock is exposed to bed-load abrasion, plucking, and seasonal wetting and drying that comminutes hard, intact rock into plates or equant fragments that are removed by higher flows. Consequent incision rates are proportional to the square of rock tensile strength, in agreement with experimental results of others. Measured rates up to centimeters per year far exceed regional long-term erosion-rate estimates, even for apparently minor sediment-transport rates. Cultural artifacts on adjoining strath terraces in Washington and Taiwan indicate at least several decades of lowering at these extreme rates. Lacking sediment cover, lithologies at these sites lower at rates that far exceed long-term rock-uplift rates. This rate disparity makes it unlikely that the long profiles of these rivers are directly adjusted to either bedrock hardness or rock-uplift rate in the manner predicted by the stream power law, despite the observation that their profiles are well fit by power-law plots of drainage area vs. slope. We hypothesize that the threshold of motion of a thin sediment mantle, rather than bedrock hardness or rock-uplift rate, controls channel slope in weak bedrock lithologies with tensile strengths below ∼3–5 MPa. To illustrate this hypothesis and to provide an alternative interpretation for power-law plots of area vs. slope, we combine Shields' threshold transport concept with measured hydraulic relationships and downstream fining rates. In contrast to fluvial reaches, none of the hundreds of erosion pins we installed in steep valleys recently scoured to bedrock by debris flows indicate any postevent fluvial lowering. These results are consistent with episodic debris flows as the primary agent of bedrock lowering in the steepest parts of the channel network above ∼0.03–0.10 slope.

California, Washington, Oregon↗
USGS2017

Geological age of the Claypool site, northeastern Colorado

Artifacts related to the Cody complex occur in medium-grained sand that is spread as a blanket eolian deposit a few feet thick in the Claypool site area, Washington County, Colorado . The artifact-bearing sand lacks noticeable dunal topography and lies unconformably on marl of Yarmouth age and on waterlaid coarse sand and fine gravel of Kansan age that underlie the marl. The deposits underlying the artifact-bearing sand are much too old to date the artifacts precisely, but the physical characteristics of the artifact-bearing sand suggest that it was deposited under conditions cool and dry, rather than warm and dry, possibly during retreat of Valders ice that began about 10,000 years ago. A moderately mature Brown Soil about 5 feet thick developed on the sand, possibly about 7000 to 5000 years ago during a moist phase of the Thermal Maximum. Thus, the artifacts are possibly 10,000 to 7000 years old. Deposits which overlie the artifact-bearing sand reflect several episodes of erosion and sedimentation that are inferred to represent climatic changes.

Colorado↗
USGS2012

Chryse Basin channels: low-gradients and ponded flows.

Gradients on the floors of the Martian outflow channels that are derived from radar-elevation profiles across Lunae Planum and Chryse Basin have much lower values than those obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey's topographic map. Whereas the gradients of Maja and Ares Valles are similar to those of the catastrophic flood channels in the Scablands of Washington State, the gradients of Simud and Tiu Valles are essentially level, and the movement of fluids to the N poses problems. It is proposed that ponding may have formed lakes in depressions associated with the Valles Marineris grabens, ancient craters in the chaotic terrain area, and possibly even the regional low where most chaotic terrains occur. It is envisaged that lakes eventually overflowed, forming the present channels. When dams broke, floods were released catastrophically, with a final gigantic flood from the Valles Marineris system of troughs, which would have had sufficient head to move fluids across nearly level gradients through the Simud and Tiu channels.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗