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At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources
USGS1985

Water budget and estimated suspended-sediment inflow for Reelfoot Lake, Obion and Lake Counties, Northwestern Tennessee, May 1984-April 1985

Reelfoot Lake in northwestern Tennessee, with a surface area of 15,500 acres at normal pool elevation, is the largest natural lake in Tennessee. Over the years, the lake has become an important economic, environmental, and recreational resource to the people in the area, and to the State of Tennessee. The natural eutrophic succession rate of the lake has apparently been accelerated by land use practices within the Reelfoot Lake drainage basin during the past several decades. The potential loss of Reelfoot Lake has prompted the State to make management and restoration of the lake and its resources a priority objective. The U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative study in May 1984 with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment, Division of Water Management, to collect and analyze hydrologic data and prepare an annual water budget for Reelfoot Lake. The purpose of the water budget is to provide an analysis of the surface-groundwater-lake-atmospheric water relation at Reelfoot Lake. Results of the analysis can be used by lake managers to evaluate the potential effects of proposed lake management strategies upon the lake and surrounding hydrologic system. The water budget for the 12-month study period (May 1, 1984 through April 30, 1985) is presented in this report. In addition, estimates of suspended-sediment discharge from tributary streams in the Reelfoot Lake basin and an analysis of concentrations of constituents in stream-bottom material at three inflow sites are also presented. (Lantz-PTT)

Tennessee↗
USGS1997

Occurrence of phosphorus, other nutrients, and triazine herbicides in water from the Hillsdale Lake basin, Northeast Kansas, May 1994 through May 1995

An investigation of the occurrence of phosporus, other nutrients, and triazine herbicides in water samples from the Hillsdale Lake Basin in northeast Kansas was conducted from May 1994 through May 1995. Point-source and nonpoint-source contributions of these water-quality constituents were estimated by conducting synoptic sampling at 48 sites in the basin during five periods of low- flow conditions. Samples were collected for the determination of nutrients, including total phosphorus as phosphorus, dissolved orthophosphate as phosphorus, total nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen, and for selected triazine herbicides. On the basis of criteria developed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Hillsdale Water-Quality Protection Project established a goal to maintain water quality in the tributaries of the Hillsdale Lake Basin at a mean annual low-flow total phosphorus concentration of 0.05 mg/L (milligrams per liter). The mean low- flow total phosphorus concentration of water samples collected in the Big Bull Creek (which includes drainage from Martin Creek), Rock Creek, Little Bull Creek, Wade Branch, and Smith Branch subbasins during low-flow conditions ranged from 0.05 to 4.9 mg/L during this study. Of the 44 sites sampled during low flow, 95 percent had low-flow total phosphorus concentrations larger than the 0.05-mg/L criterion. Discharges from wastewater- treatment plants located in Big Bull Creek and Martin Creek subbasins and the Little Bull Creek subbasin affected nutrient concentrations. Nutrient concentrations in water samples collected from the subbasins not affected by point-source discharges generally were smaller than those in the Big Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek subbasins. Estimated annual low-flow phosphorus loads computed at sampling sites located at the outlet of the subbasins show that the Big Bull Creeksubbasin, which includes drainage from the Martin Creek subbasin, had the largest estimate annual low-flow load, 2,740 kg/yr (kilograms per year).Rock Creek, Little Bull Creek, Wade Branch, and Smith Branch subbasins contributed less annual low-flow phosphorus load, 175, 161, 234, and 22kg/yr, respectively. With the exception of the Smith Branch subbasin, the largest triazine herbicide concentrations occurred in water samples collectedduring May 1994 and May 1995. During May 1994, 10 of 17 sampling sites in the Big Bull Creek and Martin Creek subbasins, 5 of 6 sites in theRock Creek subbasin, and 4 of 10 sites in the Little Bull Creek subbasin had triazine herbicide concentrations in water larger than the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), which is an annual mean 3.0 ug/L (micrograms per liter) for atrazine indrinking water. During May 1995, 7 of 19 sites in the Big Bull Creek and Martin Creek subbasins, 5 of 6 sites in the Rock Creek subbasin, 1 of 12 sites in the Little Bull Creek subbasin, and 2 of 4 sites in the Wade Branch subbasin had samples with trazine herbicide concentrations larger than the MCL.Water samples collected in the Rock Creek subbasins had the largest mean triazine herbicide concentrations during May 1994 and May 1995, 6.4 and 4.5 ug/L, respectively.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1942

General geology and ground-water resources of the island of Maui, Hawaii

Maui, the second largest island in the Hawaiian group, is 48 miles long, 26 miles wide, and covers 728 square miles. The principal town is Wailuku. Sugar cane and pineapples are the principal crops. Water is used chiefly for irrigating cane. The purpose of the investigation was to study the geology and the ground-water resources of the island. Maui was built by two volcanoes. East Maui or Haleakala Volcano is 10,025 feet high and famous for its so-called crater, which is a section of Hawaii National Park. Evidence is given to show that it is the head of two amphitheater-headed valleys in which numerous secondary eruptions have occurred and that it is not a crater, caldera, or eroded caldera. West Maui is a deeply dissected volcano 5,788 feet high. The flat Isthmus connecting the two volcanoes was made by lavas from East Maui banking against the West Maui Mountains. Plate 1 shows the geology, wells, springs, and water-development tunnels. Plate 2 is a map and description of points of geologic interest along the main highways. Volcanic terms used in the report are briefly defined. A synopsis of the climate is included and a record of the annual rainfall at all stations is given also. Puu Kukui, on West Maui, has an average annual rainfall of 389 inches and it lies just six miles from Olowalu where only 2 inches of rain fell in 1928, the lowest ever recorded in the Hawaiian Islands. The second rainiest place in the Territory is Kuhiwa Gulch on East Maui where 523 inches fell during 1937. Rainfall averages 2,360 million gallons daily on East Maui and 580 on West Maui. Ground water at the point of use in months of low rainfall is worth about $120 per million gallons, which makes most undeveloped supplies valuable. The oldest rocks on East Maui are the very permeable primitive Honomanu basalts, which were extruded probably in Pliocene and early Pleistocene time from three rift zones. These rocks form a dome about 8,000 feet high and extend an unknown distance below sea level. Covering this dome are the Kula volcanics, extruded probably in early and middle Pleistocene time, and characterized by andesites, andesitic basalts, and picritic basalts. They are 2.000 feet thick on the summit and 50 to 200 feet thick at the periphery. They contain a sufficient number of interbedded soils, thin vitric tuff beds, and lava-filled valleys in their upper part to give rise to valuable perched springs in wet areas. The Kula lavas accumulated during a waning volcanic phase which was followed by a quiescence long enough for the erosion of deep amphitheater-headed valleys in the east or wet half of the mountain. Volcanic activity was renewed in middle (?) to late Pleistocene time and continued until Recent time, during which the Hana volcanic series was laid down. The last lava flow was erupted about 1750. The Hana lavas comprise andesitic, picritic, and olivine basalts. They veneered large areas of the east and south slopes, partly filled the deep amphitheater-headed valleys, and deeply buried the smaller valleys in the eastern half of the mountain. The Hana rocks are exceedingly permeable and much rain sinks into them. The oldest rocks on West Maui are the very permeable primitive Wailuku basalts, which were extruded probably in Pliocene and early Pleistocene time from two rifts and from many radial fissures. The basalts form a dome about 5,600 feet high and extend an unknown distance below sea level. Iao Valley is the eroded caldera of this dome. Forming an incomplete veneer over the dome are the Honolua soda trachytes and oligoclase andesites. They were extruded in late Pliocene (?) or early Pleistocene time, chiefly from bulbous domes. The clinker beds carry some water but the rocks are generally too dense to be good aquifers. During early (?) Pleistocene the West Maui volcano was cut by deep amphitheater-headed valleys and then all of Maui was deeply submerged. Four scattered eruptions occurred on West Maui in middle (?) and late Pleistocene time. The cones and lavas cover only small areas and are called the Lahaina volcanic series. The sedimentary rocks of both East and West Maui are chiefly late Quaternary and comprise fans, landslide debris, delta deposits, and valley fills, mostly of poorly permeable and poorly assorted bouldery alluvium. They are overlain on the Isthmus by extensive calcareous dunes of three ages. A mud flow more than 300 feet thick is exposed in Kaupo Valley. During the fluctuations of the ocean in the Pleistocene, the island was emerged and submerged several times. Calcareous fossiliferous marine conglomerates deposited during this period are found up to an altitude of 250 feet on West Maui. The Homomanu, Wailuku, and Kula lavas are the chief aquifers. They supply 28 irrigation wells which yield an average of 170 million gallons a day of basal water. These wells are mine-like shafts with infiltration tunnels and are called Maui-type wells. Well 16 yields 40,000,000 gallons daily with a 22-foot drawdown, which is the largest amount yielded by any well in the Hawaiian Islands. The largest spring (no. 26) on the island is artesian. It yields 10,400,000 gallons daily and issues from Kula lavas near Nahiku. West Maui has numerous perennial streams supplied by springs from a dike complex. Twenty-three tunnels in West Maui recover 20.5 million gallons a day of high-level water, mostly from this dike complex. East Maui has few perennial streams in proportion to its size, and they are chiefly small due to the water sheds being underlain with permeable lavas. Forty tunnels recover 6 million gallons a day of high-level water in East Maui and all from structures other than dikes. It is estimated that about 100 million gallons a day of basal water wastes into the sea from West Maui and about 700 million gallons a day from East Maui. A number of sites are described where wells could be sunk to recover this water. Sites are also described where tunnels could be driven to recover high-level supplies. The hydrology of East and West Maui is conspicuously different in many respects, mainly because of the difference in the stage of dissection, the extensive veneer of very permeable Hann lavas on East Maui, and the comparatively small area of the Lahaina lavas of similar age on West Maui. The only thermal water known in the Hawaiian Islands, except on the active volcano of Kilauea, is in a well in West Maui. The Nahiku area has been mapped and studied in detail. The upper part of the Honomanu volcanic series, exposed in the sea cliffs, in petrographic character is transitional into the overlying Kula lavas, Kula and Hana time were characterized by a long succession of valley-cutting episodes, each valley being filled by lava erupted from the east rift zone. The lavas include olivine basalts, picritic basalts, and basaltic andesites, In the Nahiku area basal ground water occurs largely in the Honomanu basalts. Perched water occurs in many of the later lavas, generally following the axes of buried valleys. The members which perch the water are mostly ashy soil beds, although an unusually extensive, thick layer of much decomposed clinker also appears to be a supporting member. Most of the water travels through the basal clinker members of aa lavas. Artesian water is encountered in the upper, transitional part of the Honomanu volcanic series. The aquifer is permeable porphyritic pahoehoe; the confining members are relatively impermeable nonporphyritic aa. The lavas of East Maui are described according to stratigraphic groups. The oldest or Honomanu lavas are olivine basalts like the primitive lavas in other Hawaiian volcanoes. The later or Kula and Hana lavas include basalts, basaltic andesites, andesites, and picritic basalts. The normative nepheline of analyzed East Maui lavas has not been identified in the mode. The degree of differentiation is inversely proportional to the frequency of eruptions. The lavas of West Maui volcano are divided into the Wailuku volcanic series, consisting largely of olivine basalts with less abundant olivine-poor basalts, hypersthene basalts, and picritic basalts; the Honolua volcanic series, consisting of oligoclase andesites and soda trachytes; and the Lahaina volcanic series, consisting of nepheline basanite and picritic basalts. Coarse-grained gabbros intrude the Wailuku lavas. Differentiation was undoubtedly partly by crystal settling, but the alkali curves of the variation diagram suggest that volatile transfer was of some importance.

Hawaii↗
USGS2019

Estimated groundwater recharge from a water-budget model incorporating selected climate projections, Island of Maui, Hawai‘i

Demand for freshwater on the Island of Maui is expected to increase by 45 percent between 2015 and 2035. Groundwater availability on Maui is affected by changes in climate and agricultural irrigation. To evaluate the availability of fresh groundwater under projected future climate conditions and changing agricultural irrigation practices, estimates of groundwater recharge are needed. A water-budget model with a daily computation interval was used to estimate the spatial distribution of recharge on Maui for one present-day and two future-climate scenarios. All three scenarios used 2017 land cover. The two future-climate scenarios, including one wetter than the present-day scenario and one drier than the present-day scenario, were developed using available high-resolution downscaled climate projections. The drier future scenario was developed using projections for a Representative Concentration Pathway warming scenario during 2071–99 with total radiative forcing of 8.5 Watts per square meter by the year 2100 (RCP8.5 2071–99 scenario), whereas the wetter future scenario was developed using projections for a “Special Report on Emissions Scenarios” A1B emission scenario during 2080–99 (A1B 2080–99 scenario). For the RCP8.5 2071–99 scenario, projected mean annual recharge decrease for Maui is about 172 million gallons per day, or about 14 percent less than present-day recharge, which is estimated to be 1,232 million gallons per day. Recharge for the RCP8.5 2071–99 scenario is projected to decrease in 22 of Maui’s 25 aquifer systems, which are defined by the Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management. For the A1B 2080–99 future scenario, projected mean annual recharge increase for Maui is about 144 million gallons per day, or about 12 percent more than present-day recharge. Recharge for the A1B 2080–99 scenario is projected to increase in 17 of Maui’s 25 aquifer systems. Between the two future scenarios, a total of 11 aquifer systems show similar direction in drying (Kahului, Kama‘ole, Lualaʻilua, Makawao, Olowalu, Pāʻia, Ukumehame, Waikapū) or wetting (Honopou, Kawaipapa, and Waikamoi) changes for recharge. Selectively modifying the climate inputs for the A1B 2080–99 scenario indicates that the projected changes in rainfall account for most of the projected changes in recharge for Maui’s 25 aquifer systems. However, projected changes in reference evapotranspiration and forest-canopy evaporation also can account for a substantial part of the projected changes in recharge where changes in reference evapotranspiration are relatively large and where changes in forest-canopy evaporation extend across large forested areas. Projected changes in daily rainfall frequency have a relatively small but non-negligible impact on recharge estimates.

Hawaii↗
USGS2012

Evaluation of long-term water-level declines in basalt aquifers near Mosier, Oregon

The Mosier area lies along the Columbia River in northwestern Wasco County between the cities of Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon. Major water uses in the area are irrigation, municipal supply for the city of Mosier, and domestic supply for rural residents. The primary source of water is groundwater from the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) aquifers that underlie the area. Concerns regarding this supply of water arose in the mid-1970s, when groundwater levels in the orchard tract area began to steadily decline. In the 1980s, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) conducted a study of the aquifer system, which resulted in delineation of an administrative area where parts of the Pomona and Priest Rapids aquifers were withdrawn from further appropriations for any use other than domestic supply. Despite this action, water levels continued to drop at approximately the same, nearly constant annual rate of about 4 feet per year, resulting in a current total decline of between 150 and 200 feet in many wells with continued downward trends. In 2005, the Mosier Watershed Council and the Wasco Soil and Water Conservation District began a cooperative investigation of the groundwater system with the U.S. Geological Survey. The objectives of the study were to advance the scientific understanding of the hydrology of the basin, to assess the sustainability of the water supply, to evaluate the causes of persistent groundwater-level declines, and to evaluate potential management strategies. An additional U.S. Geological Survey objective was to advance the understanding of CRBG aquifers, which are the primary source of water across a large part of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In many areas, significant groundwater level declines have resulted as these aquifers were heavily developed for agricultural, municipal, and domestic water supplies. Three major factors were identified as possible contributors to the water-level declines in the study area: (1) pumping at rates that are not sustainable, (2) well construction practices that have resulted in leakage from aquifers into springs and streams, and (3) reduction in aquifer recharge resulting from long-term climate variations. Historical well construction practices, specifically open, unlined, uncased boreholes that result in cross-connecting (or commingling) multiple aquifers, allow water to flow between these aquifers. Water flowing along the path of least resistance, through commingled boreholes, allows the drainage of aquifers that previously stored water more efficiently. The study area is in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range in north central Oregon in a transitional zone between the High Cascades to the west and the Columbia Plateau to the east. The 78-square mile (mi 2 ) area is defined by the drainages of three streams - Mosier Creek (51.8 mi 2 ), Rock Creek (13.9 mi 2 ), and Rowena Creek (6.9 mi 2 ) - plus a small area that drains directly to the Columbia River.The three major components of the study are: (1) a 2-year intensive data collection period to augment previous streamflow and groundwater-level measurements, (2) precipitation-runoff modeling of the watersheds to determine the amount of recharge to the aquifer system, and (3) groundwater-flow modeling and analysis to evaluate the cause of groundwater-level declines and to evaluate possible water resource management strategies. Data collection included the following: 1. Water-level measurements were made in 37 wells. Bi-monthly or quarterly measurements were made in 30 wells, and continuous water-level monitoring instruments were installed in 7 wells. The measurements principally were made to capture the seasonal patterns in the groundwater system, and to augment the available long-term record. 2. Groundwater pumping was measured, reported, or estimated from irrigation, municipal and domestic wells. Flowmeters were installed on 74 percent of all high-capacity irrigation wells in the study area. 3. Borehole geophysical data were collected from a known commingling well. These data measured geologic properties and vertical flow through the well. 4. Streamflow measurements were made in Rock, Rowena, and Mosier Creeks. A long-term recording stream-gaging station was reestablished on Mosier Creek to provide a continuous record of streamflow. Streamflow measurements also were made along the creeks periodically to evaluate seasonal patterns of exchange between streams and the groundwater system. Major findings from the study include: 1. Annual average precipitation ranges from 20 to 54 inches across the study area with an average value of about 30 inches. Based on rainfall-runoff modeling, about one-third of this water infiltrates into the aquifer system. 2. Currently, about 3 percent of the water infiltrated into the groundwater system is extracted for municipal, agricultural, and rural residential use. The remainder of the water flows through the aquifer system, discharging into local streams and the Columbia River. About 80 percent of recent pumping supports crop production. The city of Mosier public supply wells account for about 10 percent of total pumping, with the remaining 10 percent being pumped from the private wells of rural residents. 3. Groundwater-flow simulation results indicate that leakage through commingling wells is a significant and likely the dominant cause of water level declines. Leakage patterns can be complex, but most of the leaked water likely flows out the CRBG aquifer system through very permeable sediments into Mosier Creek and its tributary streams in the OWRD administrative area. Model-derived estimates attribute 80-90 percent of the declines to commingling, with pumping accounting for the remaining 10-20 percent. Although decadal trends in precipitation have occurred, associated changes in aquifer recharge are likely not a significant contributor to the current water level declines. 4. As many as 150 wells might be commingling. To evaluate whether or not the local combination of geology and well construction have resulted in aquifer commingling at a particular well, the well needs to be tested by measuring intraborehole flow. During geophysical testing of one known commingling well, the flow rate through the well between aquifers ranged between 70 and 135 gallons per minute (11-22 percent of total annual pumping in the study area). Historically, when aquifer water levels were 150-200 feet higher, this flow rate would have been correspondingly higher. 5. Because aquifer commingling through well boreholes is likely the dominant cause of aquifer declines, flow simulations were conducted to evaluate the benefit of repairing wells in specified locations and the benefit of recharging aquifers using diverted flow from study area creeks. As part of this analysis, maps were generated that show which areas are more vulnerable to commingling. These maps indicate that the value of repairing wells in the area generally coincident with the OWRD administrative area is higher than in areas farther upstream in the watershed. Simulation results also indicate that artificial recharge of the aquifers using diverted creek water will not significantly improve water levels in the aquifer system unless at least some commingling wells are repaired first. Repairs would entail construction of wells in a manner that prevents commingling of multiple aquifers. The value of artificially recharging the aquifers improves as more wells are repaired because the aquifer system more efficiently stores water.

Oregon↗
USGS2019

Effects of individual misidentification on estimates of survival in long-term mark–resight studies

All ecological measurements are subject to error; the effects of missed detection (false negatives) are well known, but the effects of mistaken detection (false positives) are less understood. Long-term capture–recapture datasets provide valuable ecological insights and baselines for conservation and management, but where such studies rely on noninvasive re-encounters, such as field-readable color bands, there is the potential to accumulate detection errors as the length of the study and number of tags deployed increases. We investigated the prevalence and effects of misreads in a 10-yr dataset of Red Knots ( Calidris canutus rufa ) marked with field-readable leg flags in Delaware, USA. We quantified the effects of misreads on survival estimation via a simulation study and evaluated whether removal of individuals only reported once in a year (potential misreads) influenced survival estimation from both simulated datasets and our case study data. We found overall apparent error rates of 0.31% (minimum) to 6.6% (maximum). Observer-specific error rates and the variation among observers both decreased with the number of flags an observer recorded. Our simulation study showed that misreads lead to spurious negative trends in survival over time, particularly for long-term studies. Removing all records in which a flag was only recorded once in a sampling occasion reduced bias and eliminated spurious negative trends in survival but also reduced precision in survival estimates. Without data filtering, we found a slight decrease in Red Knot annual survival probability from 2008 to 2018 (β = −0.043 ± 0.03), but removing all single-observation records resulted in no apparent trend (β = −0.0074 ± 0.02). Spurious trends in demographic rates could influence inference about population trajectories and resultant conservation decision-making. Data filtering could eliminate errors, but researchers should carefully consider the tradeoff between precision obtained by larger sample sizes and potential bias due to misreads in their data.

Delaware↗
USGS2016

U.S. Geological Survey collections—Preserving the past to inform the future: Tour three federal repositories—Core Research Center, Paleontological Collection, and the NSF National Ice Core Laboratory

This 2016 Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting trip will explore the Core Research Center, Paleontological Collection, and National Science Foundation National Ice Core Laboratory—three collections of major national signifi cance managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Since its inception in 1879, USGS has collected, preserved, and managed physical collections for scientifi c investigations of Earth’s systems. The Core Research Center is the largest federal core repository in the United States, where over 74 million meters (242 million feet) of the subsurface are represented by the collection of rock cores and well cuttings, available for use by researchers investigating resource potential, tectonics, structures, aquifers, and more. The USGS has conducted paleontological research for more than 110 years to inform geological mapping, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, paleoclimate, and other research. Most of these paleontological samples are at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and USGS Denver facilities. The USGS Denver paleontological collection includes ~1.2 million samples. Ancillary materials consisting of handwritten ledgers, index cards, fi eld reports, maps, and other information produced by USGS investigators provide profound knowledge about the specimens and associated geological systems. The USGS is working with NMNH to systematically digitize the collection to preserve and expose samples and data to research. The National Science Foundation (NSF) National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL) is the nation’s repository for preserving, archiving, and sampling meteoric ice cores collected from the world’s ice sheets, ice caps, and glaciers, mostly from Antarctica and Greenland. NICL’s primary mission is to store and curate ice cores, primarily collected during NSF-sponsored projects, for present and future sample investigations.

Colorado↗
USGS2022

Longitudinal water-temperature profiles in Mill Creek, Mason County, Washington

In streams supporting Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) within the southern Puget Lowland, high water temperatures during late summer are a primary water-quality concern. The metabolic rates of fish and other ectothermic (in other words, cold-blooded) species are regulated by water temperature; salmon and other cold-water fish have specific thermal tolerances outside of which they are susceptible to infection, disease, increased predation, and decreased reproductive success. Mill and Gosnell Creeks, which collectively drain a 30-square mile area of the Puget Lowland in Mason County, Washington, support several species of anadromous salmonids. Whereas previous studies documented relatively cool water temperatures in Gosnell Creek, which drains the watershed upstream from Lake Isabella, water temperatures in Mill Creek, which heads at the outlet of Lake Isabella, regularly exceed thermal tolerances for cold-water fish. The occurrence and distribution of cold-water anomalies in less-than-ambient water temperatures in Mill Creek, however, have not been assessed. In this report, we present spatially and temporally continuous measurements of near-streambed water temperature measured using fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing for three reaches of Mill Creek during August–September 2020 when the water temperatures of streams in western Washington were near their annual maximum. Water temperature was collected every hour and averaged spatially over 1.015-meter sections of the fiber-optic cable deployed at the streambed of Mill Creek. The lengths of the fiber-optic cables deployed in Reaches A, B, and C were 883, 270, and 1,014 meters, respectively. Daily maximum water temperature and daily temperature variability, as measured by standard deviation of water temperature during the deployment, progressively decreased downstream as distance from Lake Isabella increased. However, no abrupt decreases in daily maximum or standard deviation of water temperature were detected in longitudinal temperature profiles of any of the three reaches. Collectively, these results suggest that warm water discharged from Lake Isabella was progressively buffered downstream as it equilibrated with downstream heat fluxes mediated by physical processes including riparian shading and diffuse groundwater input. Although parts of the surveyed reaches associated with deep pools were cooler than other locations, no large (less than 2 °C) water-temperature anomalies characteristic of discrete sources of cold groundwater or surface-water inputs were measured in any of the three surveyed reaches.

Washington↗
USGS2004

Status of water levels and selected water-quality conditions in the Sparta-Memphis aquifer in Arkansas and the Sparta aquifer in Louisiana, spring-summer 2001

During the spring of 2001, water levels were measured in 427 wells in the Sparta-Memphis aquifer in Arkansas and the Sparta aquifer in Louisiana. Water-quality samples were collected for temperature and specific-conductance measurements during the spring and summer of 2001 from 150 wells in Arkansas in the Sparta-Memphis aquifer. Dissolved chloride samples were collected and analyzed for 87 of the 150 wells. Water-quality samples were not collected in Louisiana. Maps of areal distribution of potentiometric surface, difference in water-level measurements from 1997 to 2001, and specific conductance generated from these data reveal spatial trends across the study area. The highest water-level altitude measured in Arkansas was 328 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929) in Grant County; the lowest water-level altitude was 197 feet below NGVD of 1929 in Union County. The highest water-level altitude measured in Louisiana was 235 feet above NGVD of 1929 in Bienville Parish; the lowest water-level altitude was 218 feet below NGVD of 1929 in Ouachita Parish. The regional direction of ground-water flow in the Sparta-Memphis aquifer in Arkansas generally is to the south-southwest in the northern half of Arkansas and to the east and south in the southern half of Arkansas; the ground-water flow in the Sparta aquifer in northern Louisiana generally is in an easterly direction toward the Mississippi River. Four cones of depression are shown in the 2001 potentiometric-surface map, centered in Columbia, Jefferson, and Union Counties in Arkansas and Ouachita Parish in Louisiana as a result of large withdrawals for industrial and public supplies. A broad depression exists in western Poinsett, Cross, and St. Francis Counties in Arkansas. A map for water-level changes from 1997 to 2001 was constructed using water-level measurements from 278 wells. The largest rise in water level measured in Arkansas was about 35 feet in Prairie County. The largest decline in water level measured in Arkansas was about 93 feet in Columbia County. The largest rise in water level measured in Louisiana was about 23 feet in Jackson Parish. The largest decline in water level measured in Louisiana was about 33 feet in Claiborne Parish. Hydrographs were constructed for wells with a minimum of 25 years of water-level measurements. A trend line using a linear regression was calculated for the period of record from spring of 1976 to spring of 2001 to determine the annual decline or rise in feet per year for water levels in each well. The hydrographs were grouped by county or parish. The median values for county and parish annual water-level decline or rise ranged from -1.57 to 0.29 foot per year. Specific conductance ranged from 16.8 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius in Ouachita County to about 1,470 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius in Lee County. The median specific conductance was 340 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. Dissolved chloride concentrations ranged from 1.4 milligrams per liter at a well in Lincoln County to 250 milligrams per liter at a well in Lee County. The median dissolved chloride concentration was 7.7 milligrams per liter.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2006

Relations of Water Quality to Streamflow, Season, and Land Use for Four Tributaries to the Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey, 1994-99

The effects of nonpoint-source contamination on the water quality of four tributaries to the Toms River in Ocean County, New Jersey, have been investigated in a 5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The purpose of the study was to relate the extent of land development to loads of nutrients and other contaminants to these streams, and ultimately to Barnegat Bay. Volumetric streamflow (discharge) was measured at 6 monitoring sites during 37 stormflow and base-flow sampling events over a 5-year period (May 1994-September 1999). Concentrations and yields (area-normalized instantaneous load values) of nitrogen and phosphorus species, total suspended solids, and fecal coliform bacteria were quantified, and pH, dissolved oxygen, and stream stage were monitored during base-flow conditions and storms. Sufficient data were collected to allow for a statistical evaluation of differences in water quality among streams in subbasins with high, medium, and low levels of land development. Long Swamp Creek, in a highly developed subbasin (64.2 percent developed); Wrangle Brook, in a moderately developed subbasin (34.5 percent); Davenport Branch, in a slightly developed subbasin (22.8 percent); and Jakes Branch, in an undeveloped subbasin (0 percent) are the subbasins selected for this study. No point-source discharges are known to be present on these streams. Water samples were collected and analyzed by the NJDEP, and discharge measurements and data analysis were conducted by the USGS. Total nitrogen concentrations were lower in Davenport Branch than in Long Swamp Creek and Wrangle Brook during base flow and stormflow. Concentrations of total nitrogen and nitrate were highest in Wrangle Brook (as high as 3.0 mg/L and 1.6 mg/L, respectively) as a result of high concentrations of nitrate in samples collected during base flow; nitrate loading from ground-water discharge is much higher in Wrangle Brook than in any of the other streams, possibly as a result of an experimental wastewater-(secondary effluent) disposal site that was in operation during the 1980's. Ammonia concentrations were higher in samples from Long Swamp Creek than in those from the other two monitoring sites under all flow conditions, and ammonia yields were higher during stormflow than base flow at all monitoring sites. Concentrations and yields of fecal coliform bacteria and total suspended solids were higher during stormflow than during base flow at all monitoring sites. Concentrations and yields were significantly higher in Long Swamp Creek, a highly developed subbasin and Wrangle Brook, a moderately developed subbasin than in Davenport Branch, a slightly developed subbasin. Concentrations and yields of phosphate species, which also are strongly related to stormflow, were higher during stormflow in Long Swamp Creek than in the other subbasins. Base-flow separation techniques were used on hydrographs generated for storms to distinguish the fraction of discharge and constituent loading attributable to storm runoff (overland flow) from the fraction contributed by ground-water discharge. Precipitation records were used to determine the total annual volumes of ground-water discharge and runoff at each monitoring site. These volumes were used in conjunction with water-quality data to calculate total annual loads of each constituent at each monitoring site, separated into ground-water discharge and runoff fractions. It was determined that loads of ammonia, nitrate, organic nitrogen, total nitrogen, and orthophosphate in ground-water discharge were significantly higher in the moderately developed Wrangle Brook subbasin than in the highly developed Long Swamp Creek subbasin, and that no relation was apparent between the percent of land development and constituent loads from ground-water discharge. The loading of each constituent contributed by ground-water discharge is specific

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2015

Development of regression equations to revise estimates of historical streamflows for the St. Croix River at Stillwater, Minnesota (water years 1910-2011), and Prescott, Wisconsin (water years 1910-2007)

A natural dam of glacial-era sediments at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers forms Lake St. Croix, a riverine lake that comprises the lowest 25 miles of the St. Croix River. Historically, backwater effects from the Mississippi River prevented the use of traditional streamgages for collecting continuous streamflow data needed to calculate nutrient loads at the inlet to and outlet from Lake St. Croix at Stillwater, Minnesota and Prescott, Wisconsin, respectively. The development of index-velocity streamgages has enabled the measurement of continuous streamflow in backwater conditions using continuously measured velocities at the streamgage. Index-velocity streamgages were installed at Prescott, Wisconsin, and Stillwater, Minnesota, in 2007 and 2011, respectively. Continuous daily mean streamflow data from the new index-velocity streamgages, long-term upstream streamgages, and tributary streamgages were used to (1) develop regression equations that improve estimates of historical streamflow at Stillwater and Prescott, (2) evaluate the accuracies of new and previous equations used to estimate historical streamflows, and (3) compute and evaluate revised estimates of historical streamflows for Stillwater for water years 1910–2011 and for Prescott for water years 1910–2007. The abilities of previous and newly developed regression equations to accurately estimate streamflows were evaluated using Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) values. The NSE values at Stillwater improved from 0.90 to 0.98, and the NSE values at Prescott improved from 0.77 to 0.94. The new regression equations were used to calculate revised estimates of historical streamflows for Stillwater and Prescott starting in 1910 and ending when index-velocity streamgages were installed. Monthly, annual, 30-year, and period of record statistics were examined between previous and revised estimates of historical streamflows. The abilities of the new regression equations to estimate historical streamflows were evaluated by using percent differences to compare new estimates of historical daily streamflows to discrete streamflow measurements made at Stillwater and Prescott before the installation of index-velocity streamgages. Although less variability was observed between estimated and measured streamflows at Stillwater compared to Prescott, the percent difference data indicated that the new estimates closely approximated measured streamflows at both locations.

Minnesota, Wisconsin↗
USGS2003

Hydrogeology of the unconsolidated sediments, water quality, and ground-water/surface-water exchanges in the Methow River Basin, Okanogan County, Washington

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Okanogan County, investigated the hydrogeology of the unconsolidated sedimentary deposits in the Methow River Basin, the quality of surface and ground waters, and the exchanges between ground water and surface water. Alluvium (Qa) and glaciofluvial sediments (Qga) deposited during the Quaternary period constitute the primary aquifer in the Methow River Basin, which is used as a source of water for domestic and public-water supplies and for maintaining streamflow during seasonal dry periods. The sediments form a nearly continuous unit along the valley bottom from above the Lost River to the confluence of the Methow and Columbia Rivers, covering more than 45 square miles of the basin?s surface. There are no distinct units within the deposit that can be identified across or along the valley except for fragments of a possible lake bed near the town of Twisp. Ground-water levels in the unconsolidated aquifer are highest during the summer and lowest in the winter and early spring. Ground water and surface water, sampled during June and September 2001, generally were of high quality. Only two samples from domestic and municipal wells indicated the possibility of ground-water contamination from nitrate and arsenic concentrations. In both cases, potential contamination was isolated to an individual well. No trends in water quality were apparent when comparing the results of this investigation with previous studies. The flow of water between rivers and aquifers is important for regulating the availability of water resources for in-stream and out-of-stream uses in the Methow River Basin. Ground-water discharge from the unconsolidated aquifer to the Methow River from Lost River to Pateros ranged from an estimated 153,000 acre-ft in water year 2001 to 157,000 acre-ft in water year 2002. In contrast, ground-water discharge to the lower Twisp River from Newby Creek to near Twisp ranged from 4,700 acre-ft in water year 2001 to 9,200 acre-ft in water year 2002. The Methow and Twisp Rivers, among others in the basin, are major sources of recharge for the unconsolidated aquifer, particularly during high-flow periods in May and June. Aquifer recharge by both rivers increased with streamflow in water year 2002 compared to water year 2001 as indicated by daily losses of streamflow. Aquifer recharge by the Methow River from Lost River to Pateros was estimated to be 82,000 acre-ft in water year 2001 and 137,000 acre-ft in water year 2002. Aquifer recharge by the Twisp River from Newby Creek to near Twisp was estimated to be 2,000 acre-ft in water year 2001 and 6,400 acre-ft in water year 2002. Seepage from unlined irrigation canals also recharges the unconsolidated aquifer during the late spring and summer and may contribute as much 38,000 acre-ft annually to aquifer recharge in the basin. Some portion of this ground water returns to rivers as indicated by a seasonal increase in ground-water discharge in the Methow River from Winthrop to Twisp and in the lower Twisp River during late summer and early autumn. Although the increase is likely due primarily to irrigation canal seepage, however, fluvial recharge during the summer also may have contributed to the increase. The increased rate of ground-water discharge decays by January in both reaches.

Washington↗
USGS1978

Potentiometric surface of Floridan aquifer, Southwest Florida Water Management District and adjacent areas, September 1977

A potentiometric-surface map of the Southwest Florida Water Management District depicts the annual high water-level period. Potentiometric levels increased 15 to 30 feet between May 1977 and September 1977 in the citrus and farming sections of southeastern Hillsborough, northern Hardee, and southwestern Polk Counties. These areas are widely affected by pumpage for irrigation and have the greatest range in water-level fluctuations between the low and high water-level periods. Water-level rises in coastal, northern, and southern areas of the Water Management District ranged from 0 to 15 feet. (Woodard-USGS)

Florida↗
USGS1984

The ground-water system and simulated effects of ground-water withdrawals in northern Utah Valley, Utah

The effects of withdrawals from the principal ground-water reservoir in northern Utah Valley, Utah, were projected by means of a three-dimensional, finite-difference, digital-computer model, which was constructed to study and simulate the ground-water system. The model was calibrated against (1) water levels measured in 1947, which were assumed to represent steady-state conditions; (2) observed water-level changes from 1947-83 for transient-state conditions; and (3) the results of an aquifer test. The calibrated model was used to simulate varying quantities of ground-water withdrawal and recharge and to estimate water-level changes for 1980-2000. The average annual rate of recharge for the area is assumed to be 190,000 acre-feet per year, and the average annual discharge from wells at the end of transient-state calibration was assumed to be 50 ,100 acre-feet per year. Water-level declines of as much as 25 feet are projected for the 20-year period if the average recharge rate is assumed and the discharge from wells is as much as 91,400 acre-feet per year. During transient-state calibration , changes in recharge to the principal ground-water reservoir were shown to be a major cause of the variations in water levels. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1987

Sediment discharge in Rock Creek and the effect of sedimentation rate on the proposed Rock Creek Reservoir, northwestern Colorado

Sediment data collected from 1976 to 1985 and stream discharge data collected from 1952 to 1980 at gaging station 09060500, Rock Creek near Toponas, Colorado, were used to determine total sediment discharge into the proposed Rock Creek Reservoir. Suspended sediment discharge and bedload discharge were related to stream discharge by using logarithmic regression relations. Mean annual suspended sediment discharge was estimated to be 309 tons/yr, and mean annual bedload discharge was estimated to be 428 tons/yr in Rock Creek at the Toponas gaging station for the 1953 through 1980 water years. The mean annual total sediment discharge into the proposed reservoir was estimated to be 768 tons/yr, which includes 10% addition to the suspended sediment discharge calculated for the Toponas gaging station to account for suspended sediment discharge from Horse Creek. This rate of mean annual total sediment discharge would decrease the long-term water storage capacity of the proposed reservoir by < 1% after 100 years. Suspended sediment discharge/unit-drainage-basin area at gaging station 09060550, Rock Creek at Crater, located about 5 mi downstream for the proposed reservoir site, was equivalent to suspended-sediment discharge/unit-drainage-basin area at the Toponas gaging station during 1985. Long-term sediment data collection at the Crater gaging station could be used for detecting changes in suspended sediment discharge in Rock Creek at the proposed reservoir site. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1998

Magnitude and frequency of floods in Washington

Annual maximum instantaneous discharge data for 527 gaging stations with at least 10 years of peak-discharge record on unregulated streams were used to compute the magnitude and frequency of floods on Washington streams. Flood magnitudes having exceedance probabilities of 0.5, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, and 0.01 were related to physical and climatic characteristics for 504 of the 527 gaging stations using generalized least-squares regression analyses. The regression relations can be used to estimate flood discharges having these exceedance probabilities for ungaged stream basins.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2004

Quality of water on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation, northeastern Kansas, May 2001 through August 2003

Water-quality samples were collected from 20 surface-water sites and 11 ground-water sites on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation in northeastern Kansas in an effort to describe existing water-quality conditions on the reservation and to compare water-quality conditions to results from previous reports published as part of a multiyear cooperative study with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Water is a valuable resource to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation as tribal members use the streams draining the reservation, Soldier, Little Soldier, and South Cedar Creeks, to fulfill subsistence hunting and fishing needs and as the tribe develops an economic base on the reservation. Samples were collected once at 20 surface-water monitoring sites during June 2001, and quarterly samples were collected at 5 of the 20 monitoring sites from May 2001 through August 2003. Ground-water-quality samples were collected once from seven wells and twice from four wells during April through May 2003 and in August 2003. Surface-water-quality samples collected from May through August 2001 were analyzed for physical properties, nutrients, pesticides, fecal indicator bacteria, and total suspended solids. In November 2001, an additional analysis for dissolved solids, major ions, trace elements, and suspended-sediment concentration was added for surface-water samples. Ground-water samples were analyzed for physical properties, dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, and fecal indicator bacteria. Chemical oxygen demand and volatile organic compounds were analyzed in a sample from one monitoring well located near a construction and demolition landfill on the reservation. Previous reports published as a part of this ongoing study identified total phosphorus, triazine herbicides, and fecal coliform bacteria as exceeding their respective water-quality criteria in surface water on the reservation. Previous ground-water assessments identified occasional sample concentrations of dissolved solids, sodium, sulfate, boron, iron, and manganese as exceeding their respective water-quality criteria. Forty percent of the 65 surface-water samples analyzed for total phosphorus exceeded the aquatic-life goal of 0.1 mg/L (milligrams per liter) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Concentrations of dissolved solids and sodium occasionally exceeded USEPA Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations and Drinking-Water Advisory Levels, respectively. One of the 20 samples analyzed for atrazine concentrations exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 3.0 ?g/L (micrograms per liter) as an annual average established for drinking water by USEPA. A triazine herbicide screen was used on 63 surface-water samples, and triazine compounds were frequently detected. Triazine herbicides and their degradates are listed on the USEPA Contaminant Candidate List. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations in two ground-water samples from one monitoring well exceeded the MCL of 10 mg/L established by USEPA for drinking water. Arsenic concentrations in two samples from one monitoring well also exceeded the proposed MCL of 10 ?g/L established by the USEPA for drinking water. Concentrations of dissolved solids and sulfate in some ground-water samples exceeded their respective Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations, and concentrations exceeded the taste threshold of the USEPA?s Drinking-Water Advisory Level for sodium. Consequently, in the event that ground water on the reservation is to be used as a drinking-water source, additional treatment may be necessary to remove excess dissolved solids, sulfate, and sodium.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2017

Streambed scour evaluations and conditions at selected bridge sites in Alaska, 2013–15

Streambed scour potential was evaluated at 52 river- and stream-spanning bridges in Alaska that lack a quantitative scour analysis or have unknown foundation details. All sites were evaluated for stream stability and long-term scour potential. Contraction scour and abutment scour were calculated for 52 bridges, and pier scour was calculated for 11 bridges that had piers. Vertical contraction (pressure flow) scour was calculated for sites where the modeled water surface was higher than the superstructure of the bridge. In most cases, hydraulic models of the 1- and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability floods (also known as the 100- and 500-year floods, respectively) were used to derive hydraulic variables for the scour calculations. Alternate flood values were used in scour calculations for sites where smaller floods overtopped a bridge or where standard flood-frequency estimation techniques did not apply. Scour also was calculated for large recorded floods at 13 sites. Channel instability at 11 sites was related to human activities (in-channel mining, dredging, and channel relocation). Eight of the dredged sites are located on active unstable alluvial fans and were graded to protect infrastructure. The trend toward aggradation during major floods at these sites reduces confidence in scour estimates. Vertical contraction and pressure flow occurred during the 0.2-percent or smaller annual exceedance probability floods at eight sites. Contraction scour exceeded 5 feet (ft) at four sites, and total scour at piers (pier scour plus contraction scour) exceeded 5 ft at four sites. Debris accumulation increased calculated pier scour at six sites by an average of 2.4 ft. Total scour at abutments exceeded 5 ft at 10 sites. Scour estimates seemed excessive at two piers where equations did not account for channel armoring, and at four abutments where failure of the embankment and attendant channel widening would reduce scour.

Alaska↗