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At least 1,171 records · Page 65Linked to original sources
USGS2007

Biodegradation of disinfection byproducts as a potential removal process during aquifer storage recovery

The biodegradation potential of two drinking water disinfection byproducts was investigated using aquifer materials obtained from approximately 100 and 200 meters below land surface in an aerobic aquifer system undergoing aquifer storage recovery of treated surface water. No significant biodegradation of a model trihalomethane compound, chloroform, was observed in aquifer microcosms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In contrast, between 16 and 27 percent mineralization of a radiolabeled model haloacetic acid compound, chloroacetic acid, was observed. These results indicate that although the potential for biodegradation of chloroacetic acid exists in deep aquifer systems, chloroform entrained within these aquifers or formed in situ will tend to persist. These results have important implications for water managers planning to meet anticipated lowered permissible levels of tri-halomethanes in drinking water.The biodegradation potential of two drinking water disinfection byproducts was investigated using aquifer materials obtained from approximately 100 and 200 meters below land surface in an aerobic aquifer system undergoing aquifer storage recovery of treated surface water. No significant biodegradation of a model trihalomethane compound, chloroform, was observed in aquifer microcosms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In contrast, between 16 and 27 percent mineralization of a radiolabeled model haloacetic acid compound, chloroacetic acid, was observed. These results indicate that although the potential for biodegradation of chloroacetic acid exists in deep aquifer systems, chloroform entrained within these aquifers or formed in situ will tend to persist. These results have important implications for water managers planning to meet anticipated lowered permissible levels of trihalomethanes in drinking water.Aquifer-storage-recovery injection water often contains disinfection byproducts. Results are presented from a study in which two model disinfection byproducts, chloroform and chloroacetic acid, were used to examine biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms. The recharge system studied was near Las Vegas, NV, where the aquifers are recharged artificially during the winter months. Microcosms were constructed using aquifer material recovered from two layers. Results showed that no significant biodegradation of chloroform occurred under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, but chloroacetic acid was biodegraded under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗
USGS2022

Using automated telemetry to identify population connectivity and migration phenology of Snowy Plovers breeding in the Southern Great Plains

Within-breeding season movements have not been quantified for Snowy Plovers ( Charadrius nivosus ) breeding on the Southern Great Plains (SGP), where suitable breeding habitat can range from less than 10 km to more than 600 km apart. This mosaic distribution of discrete patches of breeding habitat, combined with weather stochasticity and low densities of Snowy Plovers in Texas and New Mexico, increases the risk of local and regional extirpation. Further, little is known about SGP Snowy Plover migration phenology or winter habitat. We used the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to examine population connectivity, migration phenology, and winter habitat locations of adult Snowy Plovers in the SGP. Movements of Snowy Plovers during the 2017 and 2018 breeding seasons suggest little to no connectivity between the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge population in Oklahoma and populations in Texas and New Mexico. However, several Snowy Plovers in Texas moved to a lake formed by freshwater springs that may have provided higher-quality breeding and foraging habitat. Migrating primarily at night, we found that Snowy Plovers from a breeding area in Oklahoma made migratory movements to Texas and the Louisiana Gulf Coast. These data may be important to long-term conservation and planning efforts relative to understanding regional persistence and connectivity among breeding populations of Snowy Plovers in the SGP. Our results also highlight the need for future studies of wintering habitats used by SGP Snowy Plovers.

Journal of Field Ornithology↗
USGS2006

Swath bathymetric survey of Englebright Lake, Yuba-Nevada Counties, California

In March, 2004, the USGS conducted a swath bathymetric survey of Englebright Lake, a 9-mile long reservoir located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California on the Yuba River. This survey was follow-on to an earlier bathymetric survey and sediment thickness analysis done by the USGS in 2001 (Childs and others, 2003). The primary purpose of these studies is to assess the quantity and nature of the sediment that has accumulated since the dam was completed in 1940. The specific purpose of the swath bathymetry was to map in high detail the prograding delta that is being formed as the lake fills in with sediment. In the event of another large flood such as occurred on January 1, 1997, the survey could be repeated to determine the effect of such an event on the sediment volume and distribution. This study was conducted under the auspices of the Upper Yuba River Studies Program (UYRSP) . The UYRSP is funded by the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, whose mission is to "develop and implement a long-term comprehensive plan that will restore ecological health and improve water management for beneficial uses of the San Francisco Bay-Delta System".

California↗
USGS2017

Design and methods of the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA), 2013

During 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA), in collaboration with the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA), and the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs assessed stream quality across the Midwestern United States. This Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, to better understand regional stressor-effects relations. The MSQA design focused on effects from the widespread agriculture in the region and urban development because of their importance as ecological stressors of particular concern to Midwest region resource managers. A combined random stratified selection and a targeted selection based on land-use data were used to identify and select sites representing gradients in agricultural intensity across the region. During a 14-week period from May through August 2013, 100 sites were selected and sampled 12 times for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. This 14-week water-quality “index” period culminated with an ecological survey of habitat, periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish at all sites. Sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing. Of the 100 sites, 50 were selected for the MSQA random stratified group from 154 NRSA sites planned for the region, and the other 50 MSQA sites were selected as targeted sites to more evenly cover agricultural and urban stressor gradients in the study area. Of the 50 targeted sites, 12 were in urbanized watersheds and 21 represented “good” biological conditions or “least disturbed” conditions. The remaining 17 targeted sites were selected to improve coverage of the agricultural intensity gradient or because of historical data collection to provide temporal context for the study. This report provides a detailed description of the MSQA study components, including surveys of ecological conditions, routine water sampling, deployment of passive polar organic compound integrative samplers, and stream sediment sampling at all sites. Component studies that were completed to provide finer scale temporal data or more extensive analysis at selected sites, included continuous water-quality monitoring, daily pesticide sampling, laboratory and in-stream water toxicity testing efforts, and deployment of passive suspended-sediment samplers.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michiga↗
USGS2014

Potential postwildfire debris-flow hazards: a prewildfire evaluation for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and surrounding areas, central New Mexico

Wildfire can drastically increase the probability of debris flows, a potentially hazardous and destructive form of mass wasting, in landscapes that have otherwise been stable throughout recent history. Although there is no way to know the exact location, extent, and severity of wildfire, or the subsequent rainfall intensity and duration before it happens, probabilities of fire and debris-flow occurrence for different locations can be estimated with geospatial analysis and modeling efforts. The purpose of this report is to provide information on which watersheds might constitute the most serious, potential, debris-flow hazards in the event of a large-scale wildfire and subsequent rainfall in the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. Potential probabilities and estimated volumes of postwildfire debris flows in the unburned Sandia and Manzano Mountains and surrounding areas were estimated using empirical debris-flow models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in combination with fire behavior and burn probability models developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The locations of the greatest debris-flow hazards correlate with the areas of steepest slopes and simulated crown-fire behavior. The four subbasins with the highest computed debris-flow probabilities (greater than 98 percent) were all in the Manzano Mountains, two flowing east and two flowing west. Volumes in sixteen subbasins were greater than 50,000 square meters and most of these were in the central Manzanos and the western facing slopes of the Sandias. Five subbasins on the west-facing slopes of the Sandia Mountains, four of which have downstream reaches that lead into the outskirts of the City of Albuquerque, are among subbasins in the 98th percentile of integrated relative debris-flow hazard rankings. The bulk of the remaining subbasins in the 98th percentile of integrated relative debris-flow hazard rankings are located along the highest and steepest slopes of the Manzano Mountains. One of the subbasins is several miles upstream from the community of Tajique and another is several miles upstream from the community of Manzano, both on the eastern slopes of the Manzano Mountains. This prewildfire assessment approach is valuable to resource managers because the analysis of the debris-flow threat is made before a wildfire occurs, which facilitates prewildfire management, planning, and mitigation. In northern New Mexico, widespread watershed restoration efforts are being carried out to safeguard vital watersheds against the threat of catastrophic wildfire. This study was initiated to help select ideal locations for the restoration efforts that could have the best return on investment.

New Mexico↗
USGS2022

Atmospheric circulation drivers of extreme high water level events at Foggy Island Bay, Alaska

The northern coast of Alaska is experiencing significant climatic change enhancing hazards from reduced sea ice and increased coastal erosion. This same region is home to offshore oil/gas activities. Foggy Island Bay is one region along the Beaufort Sea coast with planned offshore oil/gas development that will need to account for the changing climate. High water levels impact infrastructure through coastal erosion and flooding hazards. In this study, 21 high water level events exceeding the top 95th percentile were identified at the gauge in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska (adjacent to Foggy Island Bay) over 1990-2018. All events were associated with strong westerly winds according to weather station records. Low pressure storm systems were found to be a key driver of westerly winds in the region according to downscaled reanalysis and storm track data. A dynamically downscaled global climate model projection from CMIP5 indicates that days with westerly wind events will become frequent by 2100 in the Foggy Island Bay region. Coupled with the anticipated continued decline in sea ice, the northern coast of Alaska may experience more frequent high water events over the next ~80 years.

Alaska↗
USGS2024

Concept of a satellite cross-calibration radiometer for in-orbit calibration of commercial optical satellites

The satellite Earth observation (EO) sector is burgeoning with hundreds of commercial satellites being launched each year, delivering a rich source of data that could be exploited for societal benefit. Data streams from the growing number of commercial satellites are of variable quality, limiting the potential for their combined use in science applications that need long time-series data from multiple sources. The quality of calibration performed on optical sensors onboard many satellite systems is highly variable due to calibration methods, sensor design, mission objective, budget, or other operational constraints. A small number of currently operating well-characterised satellite systems with onboard calibration, such as Landsat-8/9 and Sentinel-2, and planned future missions, like the NASA Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder, the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial and Helio Studies (TRUTHS), and LIBRA from China, are considered benchmarks for optical data quality due to their traceability to international measurement standards. This paper describes the concept of a space-based transfer calibration radiometer called the Satellite Cross-Calibration Radiometer (SCR) that would enable the calibration parameters from satellites such as Landsat-8/9, Sentinel-2, or other benchmark systems to be transferred to a range of commercial optical EO satellite systems while in orbit. A description of the key characteristics of the SCR to successfully operate in orbit and transfer calibration from reference systems to client systems is presented. A system like the SCR in orbit could complement SI-Traceable satellites (SITSats) to improve data quality and consistency and facilitate the interoperable use of data from multiple optical sensor systems for delivering higher returns on the global investment in EO.

Remote Sensing↗
USGS2015

Implications of climate and land use change

This chapter relates ecosystem services to climate change and land use. The bulk of the chapter focuses on ecosystem services and steepland land use in the humid Neotropics – what is lost with land-cover changed, and what is gained with various types of restoration that are sustainable given private ownership. Many case studies are presented later in the white paper. The USGS contribution relates to climate change and the role of extreme weather events in land-use planning.

Book chapter↗
USGS2025

Comparing SMART and ELECTRE methods for multi-criteria decision analysis: A case study evaluating conservation strategies

Tradeoffs are part of the inherent challenge of making decisions. Defaulting to a prevalent method can mask methodological variation and potential improvement in decision quality. We applied and compared methods for multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in real-world environmental planning. Decision makers at a global conservation organization formed teams to review and prioritize the allocation of resources across a set of existing strategies across seven teams. Each team evaluated and rated strategies based on a common scale composed of weighted objectives and criteria. Sensitivity analysis included implementing two different MCDA methods, varying strategy ratings, and using two different criteria weighting techniques. The MCDA methods were SMART (Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique) and ELECTRE (ELimination and Choice Expressing The REality). We tested user satisfaction between methods, overall rankings between methods, and whether MCDA improved the decision-making process. The methods did not differ in most comparisons, although participants were more likely to use the SMART method in future tradeoff decisions. We found evidence of rank correlation between methods. Lastly, the teams’ final recommendations were consistent with MCDA results. This study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of MCDA in real-world applications.

Environmental and Sustainability Indicators↗
USGS2000

Unconsolidated Aquifers in Tompkins County, New York

Unconsolidated aquifers consisting of saturated sand and gravel are capable of supplying large quantities of good-quality water to wells in Tompkins County, but little published geohydrologic inform ation on such aquifers is available. In 1986, the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) began collecting geohydrologic information and well data to construct an aquifer map showing the extent of unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins county. Data sources included (1) water-well drillers. logs; (2) highway and other construction test-boring logs; (3) well data gathered by the Tompkins County Department of Health, (4) test-well logs from geohydrologic consultants that conducted projects for site-specific studies, and (5) well data that had been collected during past investigations by the USGS and entered into the National Water Information System (NWIS) database. In 1999, the USGS, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Department of Planning, compiled these data to construct this map. More than 600 well records were entered into the NWIS database in 1999 to supplement the 350 well records already in the database; this provided a total of 950 well records. The data were digitized and imported into a geographic information system (GIS) coverage so that well locations could be plotted on a map, and well data could be tabulated in a digital data base through ARC/INFO software. Data on the surficial geology were used with geohydrologic data from well records and previous studies to delineate the extent of aquifers on this map. This map depicts (1) the extent of unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins County, and (2) locations of wells whose records were entered into the USGS NWIS database and made into a GIS digital coverage. The hydrologic information presented here is generalized and is not intended for detailed site evaluations. Precise locations of geohydrologic-unit boundaries, and a description of the hydrologic conditions within the units, would require additional detailed, site-specific information.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2017

Indicator-driven conservation planning across terrestrial, freshwater aquatic, and marine ecosystems of the south Atlantic, USA

Systematic conservation planning, a widely used approach to identify priority lands and waters, uses efficient, defensible, and transparent methods aimed at conserving biodiversity and ecological systems. Limited financial resources and competing land uses can be major impediments to conservation; therefore, participation of diverse stakeholders in the planning process is advantageous to help address broad-scale threats and challenges of the 21st century. Although a broad extent is needed to identify core areas and corridors for fish and wildlife populations, a fine-scale resolution is needed to manage for multiple, interconnected ecosystems. Here, we developed a conservation plan using a systematic approach to promote landscape-level conservation within the extent of the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Our objective was to identify the highest-ranked 30% of lands and waters within the South Atlantic deemed necessary to conserve ecological and cultural integrity for the 10 primary ecosystems of the southeastern United States. These environments varied from terrestrial, freshwater aquatic, and marine. The planning process was driven by indicators of ecosystem integrity at a 4-ha resolution. We used the program Zonation and 28 indicators to optimize the identification of lands and waters to meet the stated objective. A novel part of our study was the prioritization of multiple ecosystems, and we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. The evaluation of indicator representation within prioritizations was a useful method to show where improvements could be made; some indicators dictated hotspots, some had a limited extent and were well represented, and others had a limited effect. Overall, we demonstrate that a broad-scale (408,276 km 2 of terrestrial and 411,239 km 2 of marine environments) conservation plan can be realized at a fine-scale resolution, which will allow implementation of the regional plan at a local level relevant to decision making.

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management↗
USGS1970

A proposed streamflow data program for Ohio

A streamflow data program is proposed for Ohio which consists of both data collection and data analysis. The program is proposed after a study which (1) established long-term objectives and goals for streamflow information, (2) examined and analyzed available data to determine its adequacy for meeting the established goals, and (3) considered alternate methods and data requirements for providing information to meet unfulfilled goals. The program is designed to provide data (1) for current use, (2) for planning and design, (3) for definition of long-term trends, and (4) on the characteristics of stream environment. At present 141 gaging stations provide adequate data for current use. Multiple- regression relations have been defined that accurately estimate many flow characteristics needed for planning and design on natural-flow streams. A systems approach is required to define flow characteristics of regulated streams. A network of 13 existing gages is proposed for indefinite operation to define long-term flow trends, and additional data collection is proposed on the characteristics of stream environment. Studies of available data and of data to become available are suggested. The proposed program may be modified in the future to reflect the degree of information that becomes available from new and improved data analyses.

Ohio↗
USGS1978

Implementation plan for Bolivian Mineral Exploration Fund

Bolivia ranks second among world producers of tin and antimony, and first in bismuth production. Mineral exports in 1975 were valued at $314.2 million, nearly 60 percent of the value of all exports, and petroleum product exports totalled nearly $157 million, or 30 percent of the total. Tin accounted for 58 percent of the total value of metallic mineral exports. The central government derived about 19 percent of its total tax revenues in 1975 from the mining sector. The mining sector consists of the large, medium, and small mining subsectors, a classification established by the government. Individual operations are referred to as large, medium, or small depending upon the subsector into which they are classified. All large mining enterprises are owned and operated by a government corporation, COMIBOL; the medium and small operations are privately owned. COMIBOL's exports in 1975 were valued at $171.8 million or 70 percent of the total mineral exports; the medium mines accounted for $55.5 million or 23 percent, and the small mines for $17.5 million or 7 percent of the total. The combination of high operating costs, low productivity, inadequate ore reserves, and insufficient risk capital for exploration and development has led to the realization that there is an urgent need to improve the situation for mining in Bolivia. Proposals are being studied to revise the tax code, a program is underway to evaluate selected mineral deposits for possible exploration and development, and programs are under consideration to encourage minerals exploration. A minerals exploration plan is proposed which would offer technical and financial aid to various segments in the minerals field. A program, estimated to cost between $2 million and $2.5 million annually, and to be operated by a new agency in the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy, is outlined.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1999

Distribution of major herbicides in ground water of the United States

Information on the concentrations and spatial distributions of pesticides and their transformation products, or degradates, in the hydrologic system is essential for managing pesticide use in both agricultural and nonagricultural settings to protect water resources. This report examines the occurrence of selected herbicides and their degradates in ground water, primarily on the basis of results from two large-scale, multistate investigations by the U.S. Geological Survey&mdash;the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program and the Midwest Pesticide Study (MWPS). The NAWQA pesticide data were derived from 2,227 sites (wells and springs) sampled in 20 major hydrologic basins across the United States from 1993 to 1995; the MWPS data were obtained from the sampling of 303 wells in a 12-state area of the northern midcontinent from 1991 to 1994. Data are presented for seven high-use herbicides: five of current interest to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for designing Pesticide Management Plans (atrazine, cyanazine, simazine, alachlor and metolachlor), a largely nonagricultural herbicide (prometon), and an agricultural herbicide first registered in 1994 for use in the United States (acetochlor). Six of the herbicides (all except acetochlor) were detected by the U.S. Geological Survey studies in shallow ground water&mdash;that is, ground water recharged within the past 10 years&mdash;in a variety of agricultural and nonagricultural settings, as well as in several aquifers that are sources of drinking-water supply. Acetochlor was not detected by the MWPS in the summer of 1994, but was detected in shallow ground water during the NAWQA Program by early 1995, and during another U.S. Geological Survey study in Iowa during the summers of 1995 and 1996. The acetochlor observations suggest that, in agreement with results from previous field studies, some pesticides may be detected in shallow ground water within 1 year following their application. In accord with the results from other largescale multistate studies of pesticides in ground water, more than 98 percent of the detections during the NAWQA and MWPS investigations were at concentrations of less than 1 microgram per liter. Consequently, water quality criteria for drinking water&mdash;that is, standards established to protect human health&mdash;were exceeded at fewer than 0.1 percent of the sites sampled by NAWQA (all of these exceedances involving atrazine alone) and at none of those sampled in 1992 by the MWPS. These criteria, however, may not accurately reflect the overall health risks associated with pesticide detections in water resources because they have been established only for a relatively small number of pesticides and they do not account for the additive or synergistic effects of mixtures, impacts on the health of aquatic ecosystems, or the effects of pesticide degradates. Among the sites sampled during the NAWQA and MWPS investigations, 19.7 and 13.8 percent, respectively, had detections of two or more of the herbicides of interest. Furthermore, for most of the herbicides for which degradates were examined, detection frequencies for major degradates were typically higher than for their respective parent compounds, particularly for the herbicides that are less persistent in aerobic soil. Frequencies of detection at or above 0.01 microgram per liter in shallow ground water beneath agricultural areas during the NAWQA study were significantly correlated with agricultural use in those areas for atrazine, cyanazine, alachlor, and metolachlor (P<0.05; Spearman rank correlations), but not for simazine (P>0.05). In urban areas, overall frequencies of detection of these five herbicides in shallow ground water were positively correlated with their total nonagricultural use nationwide (P=0.026; simple linear correlation). Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that frequencies of detection in shallow ground water beneath agricultural areas were positively correlated with half-lives for transformation in aerobic soil and agricultural use of the compounds (P&le;0.0001 for both parameters). Although frequencies of detection were not significantly correlated with their subsurface mobility (K oc ; P=0.19) or the median well depths of the sampled networks (P=0.72), the range of K oc values among the five herbicides and the range of well depths were limited.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2001

Coastline complexity: A parameter for functional classification of coastal environments

To understand the role of the world's coastal zone (CZ) in global biogeochemical fluxes (particularly those of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediments) we must generalise from a limited number of observations associated with a few well-studied coastal systems to the global scale. Global generalisation must be based on globally available data and on robust techniques for classification and upscaling. These requirements impose severe constraints on the set of variables that can be used to extract information about local CZ functions such as advective and metabolic fluxes, and differences resulting from changes in biotic communities. Coastal complexity (plan-view tortuosity of the coastline) is a potentially useful parameter, since it interacts strongly with both marine and terrestrial forcing functions to determine coastal energy regimes and water residence times, and since 'open' vs. 'sheltered' categories are important components of most coastal habitat classification schemes. This study employs the World Vector Shoreline (WVS) dataset, originally developed at a scale of 1:250 000. Coastline complexity measures are generated using a modification of the Angle Measurement Technique (AMT), in which the basic measurement is the angle between two lines of specified length drawn from a selected point to the closest points of intersection with the coastline. Repetition of these measurements for different lengths at the same point yields a distribution of angles descriptive of the extent and scale of complexity in the vicinity of that point; repetition of the process at different points on the coast provides a basis for comparing both the extent and the characteristic scale of coastline variation along different reaches of the coast. The coast of northwestern Mexico (Baja California and the Gulf of California) was used as a case study for initial development and testing of the method. The characteristic angle distribution plots generated by the AMT analysis were clustered using LOICZVIEW, a high dimensionality clustering routine developed for large-scale coastal classification studies. The results show distinctive differences in coastal environments that have the potential for interpretation in terms of both biotic and hydrogeochemical environments, and that can be related to the resolution limits and uncertainties of the shoreline data used. These objective, quantitative measures of coastal complexity as a function of scale can be further developed and combined with other data sets to provide a key component of functional classification of coastal environments. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1994

Instrumentation, methods of flood-data collection and transmission, and evaluation of streamflow-gaging network in Indiana

Floods are the number one natural disaster in the Nation, based on loss of life and property. In Indiana, several major floods have occurred during this century. Flooding can occur at any time in any geographic area in Indiana. The degree of flooding can vary from a minor inconvenience to major flooding that results in loss of life and extensive damage. In this study, the existing streamflow-gaging networks in Indiana are evaluated on the basis of meeting flood-data needs of various governmental agencies. The study area (Indiana and adjacent areas in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio) was divided into 12 basins and 1 urban area. Each basin and the Indianapolis area were analyzed on the basis of hydrologic characteristics, flood potential, and availability and benefits of real-time data. A set of guidelines for evaluating an existing streamflow- gaging station without telemetry was developed so quantitative comparisons could be made between stations. The guidelines include station-site characteristics of drainage area, peak discharge, population of the nearby area, and needs of government agencies for planning and flood-warning management. From the analyses, determinations were made concerning modifications or additions to the networks to improve flood-data collection and transmission. These determinations were discussed at interagency meetings to ensure agreement. The study results indicate that installation of streamflow-gaging stations at 15 new sites would improve collection of flood data. Instrumenting the 15 new sites plus 26 existing streamflow-gaging stations with telemetry, preferably data-collection platforms with satellite transmitters, would improve transmission of data to users of the information.

Indiana↗
USGS2016

Research on Golden-winged Warblers: Recent progress and current needs

Considerable advances have been made in knowledge about Golden-winged Warblers ( Vermivora chrysoptera ) in the past decade. Recent employment of molecular analysis, stable-isotope analysis, telemetry-based monitoring of survival and behavior, and spatially explicit modeling techniques have added to, and revised, an already broad base of published knowledge. Here, we synthesize findings primarily from recent peer-reviewed literature on Golden-winged Warblers, from this volume and elsewhere, and we identify some of the substantial remaining research needs. We have organized this synthesis by stages of the Golden-winged Warbler annual cycle. First, we discuss the relatively well-studied breeding-grounds ecology including nesting and post-fledging ecology and hybridization with closely related Blue-winged Warblers ( Vermivora cyanoptera ). Second, we discuss the much-less-studied, non-breeding-grounds ecology, including the first empirical studies of non-breeding-grounds cover-type associations and spatial and social behavioral ecology. Third, we address migratory connectivity and migration ecology, for which little is known and research has only just begun. Last, we close with cautious optimism that current knowledge is adequate to inform initial conservation and management plans for Golden-winged Warblers, and with a sobering acknowledgement of the quantity of research still needed.

Studies in Avian Biology↗