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At least 1,225 records · Page 68Linked to original sources

USGS2015

Estimation of monthly water yields and flows for 1951-2012 for the United States portion of the Great Lakes Basin with AFINCH

Monthly water yields from 105,829 catchments and corresponding flows in 107,691 stream segments were estimated for water years 1951–2012 in the Great Lakes Basin in the United States. Both sets of estimates were computed by using the Analysis of Flows In Networks of CHannels (AFINCH) application within the NHDPlus geospatial data framework. AFINCH provides an environment to develop constrained regression models to integrate monthly streamflow and water-use data with monthly climatic data and fixed basin characteristics data available within NHDPlus or supplied by the user. For this study, the U.S. Great Lakes Basin was partitioned into seven study areas by grouping selected hydrologic subregions and adjoining cataloguing units. This report documents the regression models and data used to estimate monthly water yields and flows in each study area. Estimates of monthly water yields and flows are presented in a Web-based mapper application. Monthly flow time series for individual stream segments can be retrieved from the Web application and used to approximate monthly flow-duration characteristics and to identify possible trends.

Great Lakes Basin↗

USGS2016

Adjusting annual maximum peak discharges at selected stations in northeastern Illinois for changes in land-use conditions

The effects of urbanization on annual maximum peak discharges in northeastern Illinois and nearby areas from 1945 to 2009 were analyzed with a two-step longitudinal-quantile linear regression approach. The peak discharges were then adjusted to 2010 land-use conditions. The explanatory variables used were daily precipitation at the time of the peak discharge event and a housing density-based measure of developed land use. The effect of the implementation of stormwater detention was assessed indirectly. Peak discharge records affected by the construction of large reservoirs that affect channel routing were identified and were split into segments at the time of completion of the reservoir. Longitudinal regressions of the peak discharge records on linear and logarithmic transformations of the selected measures of urbanization and precipitation were tested, and the best fitting model was selected for quantile regression and adjustment of the peak discharges. Because the uncertainties of streamgage-by-streamgage regressions of peak discharges as a function of urbanization are so large, a regional urbanization response was computed. Streamgages used in this study fit the following two criteria: (1) drainage area is at most 200 square miles and, (2) at least 10 consecutive years of peak discharge record are available. In the first step of the regression analysis, linear longitudinal regression models with fixed intercepts estimated for each segment of the peak discharge records were computed. The segment intercepts were then subtracted from the discharge records to homogenize the discharge dataset across the segments in preparation for the quantile regression analysis. From the quantile regression analysis, the effect of urbanization on peak discharge varies strongly with the exceedance probability of the peak discharge event; coefficients monotonically increase from 0.340 to 0.969 over exceedance probabilities from 0.002 to 0.99. The regression analyses yield estimates of the population-wide effect of the explanatory variables on the dependent variables as a function of exceedance probability. These estimates are similar to the coefficients of the regional regression relations in USGS regional flood-frequency studies such as those implemented in the Web application StreamStats; although in the longitudinal analysis used in this study, it is the temporal not the spatial (between-streamgage) variations that are taken into account. The observed and adjusted values for each streamgage are tabulated. To illustrate the overall effect of the adjustments, differences in the mean, standard deviation, and skewness of the log-transformed observed and urbanization-adjusted peak discharge series by streamgage are computed. For almost every streamgage where an adjustment was applied (no increase in urbanization was reported for a few streamgages), the mean increased and the standard deviation decreased; the effect on skewness values was more variable but usually they increased. Significant positive peak discharge trends were common in the observed values, occurring at 27.3 percent of streamgages at a p -value of 0.05 according to a Kendall’s tau correlation test; in the adjusted values, the incidence of such trends was reduced to 7.0 percent.

Illinois↗

USGS2018

UFINCH: A method for simulating unit and daily flows in networks of channels described by NHDPlus using continuous flow data at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

The UFINCH (Unit Flows In Networks of Channels) computer application can be used to simulate daily and unit flows in networks of streams based on geospatial data in the National Hydrography Dataset NHDPlus (with value added attributes), and U.S. Geoogical Survey daily streamflow data from a downstream (or base) streamgage. Among streamflow augmentation methods, UFINCH has the unique capability to estimate time series of flows from a single base (downstream) streamgage to many upstream reaches, while conserving flows within the basin. UFINCH also provides a simple statistical model to adjust simulated flows to better match continuous flows from data at an upstream streamgage. Parameters of the statistical model are estimated using overlapping periods of record at the two streamgages, but the adjustment can be applied to all years of record available at the base streamgage. This report describes the main features of UFINCH and presents results from a sample application. Interactive graphical user interfaces and automated geographical information processing facilitate flow-data retrievals provide an intuitive environment for efficient and effective generation of flow information in a network. UFINCH is coded in the Matlab programming language and can be run in the Matlab programming environment, with supporting statistical, optimization, and mapping toolboxes, or from compiled code on a Microsoft Windows computer.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2019

Transmissivity and geophysical data for selected wells at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2017–18

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, conducted aquifer tests during 2017–18 on 101 wells at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, to define the hydraulic characteristics for individual wells. These were short-duration aquifer tests, conducted with a limited number of observations during routine sampling. Pumped intervals (water columns) for individual wells ranged from 12 to 790 feet (ft). Semi-constant discharge rates during aquifer testing ranged from 1 to 45 gallons per minute, water-level response to pumping ranged from no observed drawdown to 52.4 ft, and length of aquifer tests for individual wells ranged from 10 to 160 minutes. Individual well data were analyzed to estimate the capacity of the well to produce water (specific capacity) and to estimate values for transmissivity. Estimates of specific capacity for individual wells ranged from less than 1.0 to greater than (>) 3.0 × 10 3 gallons per minute per foot; estimates of transmissivity for individual wells ranged from 2.0 to >5.4 x 10 5 feet squared per day. Geophysical log data, well construction information, and general geology for individual wells were presented and included in this report. Basic hydrogeologic features for individual wells were described, along with a composite of natural gamma, neutron, gamma-gamma dual density, and acoustic televiewer data (when available). The geophysical and geologic data were used to suggest the location and thickness of sediment layers along with fractured and dense basalt areas for individual wells. Geophysical data were used to describe the general geology where geologic descriptions and (or) driller notes were not available.

Idaho↗

USGS2023

Estimating streamflow for base flow conditions at partial-record streamgaging stations at Acadia National Park, Maine

The objective of the work presented in this report is to develop equations that can be used to extend the base flow record at multiple partial-record streamgaging stations at Acadia National Park in eastern coastal Maine based on nearby continuous-record streamgaging stations. Daily mean streamflow values at U.S. Geological Survey continuous-record streamgaging station Otter Creek near Bar Harbor, Maine (station 01022840) had stronger correlations with instantaneous measurements during base flow conditions from 2006 to 2020 at 14 partial-record streamgaging stations at Acadia National Park than the other four continuous-record streamgaging stations tested for use as index stations. Index stations are continuous-record stations on hydrologically similar streams that have the potential to be used to extend the record at the partial-record station. Base flow is that part of streamflow that is sustained primarily by groundwater discharge. It is not attributable to direct precipitation or melting snow. Five of the partial-record stations had strong correlations with Otter Creek (correlation coefficient greater than 0.90) and relatively low root mean square errors (from 0.04 to 0.19). An additional four partial-record stations had fair correlations with Otter Creek (correlation coefficient from 0.79 to 0.9) and relatively low root mean square errors (from 0.05 to 0.19). For these 10 stations, maintenance of variance extension type 1 (MOVE.1) record extension equations computed in this report provide a reasonable method for extending the partial record, estimating summer monthly means and medians, and estimating daily mean streamflow values at these sites on days with no streamflow (discharge) measurements. Four of the partial-record stations have weak correlations (less than 0.78) or high root mean square error values (greater than 9) or both, indicating that record extension techniques are not appropriate for these partial-record stations using currently [2022] available data.

Maine↗

USGS2004

Fecal-indicator bacteria in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July-September 2001

This report presents the results of a study by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to determine the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers (Three Rivers) in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pa. Water-quality samples and river-discharge measurements were collected from July to September 2001 during dry- (72-hour dry antecedent period), mixed-, and wet-weather (48-hour dry antecedent period and at least 0.3 inch of rain in a 6-hour period) conditions at five sampling sites on the Three Rivers in Allegheny County. Water samples were collected weekly to establish baseline conditions and during successive days after three wet-weather events. Water samples were analyzed for fecal-indicator organisms including fecal-coliform (FC) bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and enterococci bacteria. Water samples were collected by the USGS and analyzed by the ACHD Laboratory. At each site, left-bank and right-bank surface-water samples were collected in addition to a composite sample (discharge-weighted sample representative of the channel cross section as a whole) at each site. Fecal-indicator bacteria reported in bank and composite samples were used to evaluate the distribution and mixing of bacteria-source streams in receiving waters such as the Three Rivers. Single-event concentrations of enterococci, E. coli, and FC during dry-weather events were greater than State and Federal water-quality standards (WQS) in 11, 28, and 28 percent of the samples, respectively; during mixed-weather events, concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria were greater than WQS in 28, 37, and 43 percent of the samples, respectively; and during wet-weather events, concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria were greater than WQS in 56, 71, and 81 percent of samples, respectively. Single-event, wet-weather concentrations exceeded those during dry-weather events for all sites except the Allegheny River at Oakmont. For this site, dilution during wet-weather events or the lack of source streams upgradient of the site may have caused this anomaly. Additionally, single-event concentrations of E. coli and FC frequently exceeded the WQS reported during wet-weather events. It is difficult to establish a short-term trend in fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations as a function of time after a wet-weather event due to factors including the spatial variability of sources contributing fecal material, dry-weather discharges, resuspension of bottom sediments, and flow augmentation from reservoirs. Relative to E. coli and enterococci, FC concentrations appeared to decrease with time, which may be attributed to the greater die-off rate for FC bacteria. Fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations at a site are dependent on the spatial distribution of point sources upstream of the station, the time-of-travel, rate of decay, and the degree of mixing and resuspension. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate whether the left, right, and composite concentrations reported at a particular site are significantly different. To evaluate the significance of the fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations and turbidity reported in grab and composite samples during dry-, mixed-, and wet-weather events, data sets were evaluated using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Tests were conducted using the fecal-indicator bacteria colonies and turbidity reported for each station for a given weather event. For example, fecal coliform counts reported in the left-bank sample were compared against the right-bank and composite samples, respectively, for the Ohio River at Sewickley site during dry-, mixed-, and wet-weather events. The statistical analyses suggest that, depending on the sampling site, the fecal-bacteria concentrations measured at selected locations vary spatially within a channel (left bank compared to right, right bank compared to composite). The most significant differences occurred between feca

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2014

Estimation of flood discharges at selected annual exceedance probabilities for unregulated, rural streams in Vermont, with a section on Vermont regional skew regression

This report provides estimates of flood discharges at selected annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) for streamgages in and adjacent to Vermont and equations for estimating flood discharges at AEPs of 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent (recurrence intervals of 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-years, respectively) for ungaged, unregulated, rural streams in Vermont. The equations were developed using generalized least-squares regression. Flood-frequency and drainage-basin characteristics from 145 streamgages were used in developing the equations. The drainage-basin characteristics used as explanatory variables in the regression equations include drainage area, percentage of wetland area, and the basin-wide mean of the average annual precipitation. The average standard errors of prediction for estimating the flood discharges at the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent AEP with these equations are 34.9, 36.0, 38.7, 42.4, 44.9, 47.3, 50.7, and 55.1 percent, respectively. Flood discharges at selected AEPs for streamgages were computed by using the Expected Moments Algorithm. To improve estimates of the flood discharges for given exceedance probabilities at streamgages in Vermont, a new generalized skew coefficient was developed. The new generalized skew for the region is a constant, 0.44. The mean square error of the generalized skew coefficient is 0.078. This report describes a technique for using results from the regression equations to adjust an AEP discharge computed from a streamgage record. This report also describes a technique for using a drainage-area adjustment to estimate flood discharge at a selected AEP for an ungaged site upstream or downstream from a streamgage. The final regression equations and the flood-discharge frequency data used in this study will be available in StreamStats. StreamStats is a World Wide Web application providing automated regression-equation solutions for user-selected sites on streams.

Vermont↗

USGS2018

Geologic framework and hydrogeology of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5’ quadrangles, upper Santa Cruz Basin, Arizona, with three-dimensional hydrogeologic model

Rapid population growth and declining annual recharge to aquifers in the upper Santa Cruz Basin area of southern Arizona, have increased the demand for additional groundwater resources. This demand is predicted to escalate in the future because of higher temperatures, longer droughts, less aquifer recharge, and decreased river and stream base flow. We conducted geologic studies to help evaluate and better understand groundwater resources in the basin. Results of these studies are presented in this report, which summarizes the basin geologic framework and hydrogeology, and presents a threedimensional (3D) hydrogeologic model for the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5′ quadrangles. Three major hydrogeologic units are displayed in the 3D model; a lower basement confining unit, consisting of Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary (Paleocene and Oligocene) rocks; a middle unit composed entirely of the Miocene Nogales Formation; and an upper unit consisting of late Miocene to Holocene surficial deposits. The Nogales Formation and the late Miocene to Holocene sediments are the main aquifers in the upper Santa Cruz Basin. The 3D model integrates the hydrogeologic units and faults to define the geometry, structure, and thickness of the aquifer system that provides water to Nogales and surrounding communities of southernmost Arizona. The report includes an EarthVision 3D Viewer, consisting of software enabling the user to view data interactively in 3D space to help explain the internal complexities of the basin geometry, structure, stratigraphy, and hydrology. The 3D model is a synthesis of geologic data from geologic maps, cross sections, and lithologic descriptions and interpretations; and geophysical data including gravity, magnetic data, and airborne electromagnetic data.

Arizona↗

USGS2022

The 2018 eruption of Mount Veniaminof, Alaska

The 2018 eruption of Mount Veniaminof occurred from September 3–4 to December 27, lasting about 114 days. This report summarizes the types of volcanic unrest that accompanied the eruption and provides a chronology of events and observations. Information about the 2018 eruption was derived from geophysical instrumentation on or near the volcano that included an eight-station seismic network and regional infrasound sensors. Other observations came from frequent satellite images of the eruption, occasional aerial photographs and videos contributed by passing pilots, and web-camera views of the volcano from Perryville, Alaska, about 35 kilometers (km) south of the volcano. Eruptive activity involved small vents on the upper south flank of a cinder cone (cone A) within the ice-filled caldera that characterizes Mount Veniaminof. The 2018 eruption consisted of occasional explosive emissions of ash and gas (reaching up to 6,000 meters above sea level), episodes of low-level lava fountaining, Strombolian explosive activity, and effusion of lava flows. By the end of the eruption, lava covered an area of about 600,000 square meters (m 2 ) on the lower south flank of cone A. The lava flows melted into ice and snow, slowly creating melt depressions around the flow margins. No unusual outflows of water were observed exiting the caldera through the main drainage northwest of the cone. Minor ash emissions were generated throughout the eruptive period, and trace amounts of ash fell on Perryville on October 25 and November 21–22. There were no reports of aircraft encounters with ash clouds. The amount of lava and ash erupted from early September to late December 2018 resulted in the generation of about 1,200,000 cubic meters (m 3 ) of lava and 20,000–30,000 m 3 of ash, which would characterize the 2018 activity as having an eruption magnitude of 1–2 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) scale.

Alaska↗

USGS2006

Use of an ADCP to compute suspended-sediment discharge in the tidal Hudson River, New York

Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) can provide data needed for computation of suspended-sediment discharge in complex river systems, such as tidal rivers, in which conventional methods of collecting time-series data on suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and water discharge are not feasible. Although ADCPs are not designed to measure SSC, ADCP data can be used as a surrogate under certain environmental conditions. However, the software for such computation is limited, and considerable post-processing is needed to correct and normalize ADCP data for this use. This report documents the sampling design and computational procedure used to calibrate ADCP measures of echo intensity to SSC and water velocity to discharge in the computation of suspended-sediment discharge at the study site on the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The methods and procedures described may prove useful to others doing similar work in different locations; however, they are specific to this study site and may have limited applicability elsewhere.

Connecticut, New York↗

USGS2007

Characterization of Preferential Ground-Water Seepage From a Chlorinated Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Aquifer to West Branch Canal Creek, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 2002-04

Wetlands act as natural transition zones between ground water and surface water, characterized by the complex interdependency of hydrology, chemical and physical properties, and biotic effects. Although field and laboratory demonstrations have shown efficient natural attenuation processes in the non-seep wetland areas and stream bottom sediments of West Branch Canal Creek, chlorinated volatile organic compounds are present in a freshwater tidal creek at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Volatile organic compound concentrations in surface water indicate that in some areas of the wetland, preferential flow paths or seeps allow transport of organic compounds from the contaminated sand aquifer to the overlying surface water without undergoing natural attenuation. From 2002 through 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Environmental Conservation and Restoration Division of the U.S. Army Garrison, Aberdeen Proving Ground, characterized preferential ground-water seepage as part of an ongoing investigation of contaminant distribution and natural attenuation processes in wetlands at this site. Seep areas were discrete and spatially consistent during thermal infrared surveys in 2002, 2003, and 2004 throughout West Branch Canal Creek wetlands. In these seep areas, temperature measurements in shallow pore water and sediment more closely resembled those in ground water than those in nearby surface water. Generally, pore water in seep areas contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds had lower methane and greater volatile organic compound concentrations than pore water in non-seep wetland sediments. The volatile organic compounds detected in shallow pore water in seeps were spatially similar to the dominant volatile organic compounds in the underlying Canal Creek aquifer, with both parent and anaerobic daughter compounds detected. Seep locations characterized as focused seeps contained the highest concentrations of chlorinated parent compounds, relatively low concentrations of chlorinated daughter compounds, and insignificant concentrations of methane in shallow pore water samples. These seeps were primarily along the creek edge or formed a dendritic-like pattern between the wetland and creek channel. In contrast, seep locations characterized as diffuse seeps contained relatively high concentrations of chlorinated daughter compounds (or a mixture of daughter and parent compounds) and detectable methane concentrations in shallow pore water samples. These seeps were primarily along the wetland boundary. Qualitative thermal infrared surveys coupled with quantitative verification of temperature differences, and screening for volatile organic compound and methane concentrations proved to be effective tools in determining the overall extent of preferential seepage. Hydrologic and physical properties of wetland sediments were characterized at two focused and one diffuse seep location. In the seeps with focused discharge, measured seepage was consistent over the tidal cycle, whereas more variability with tidal fluctuation was measured in the diffuse seep location. At all locations, areas were identified within the general seep boundaries where discharge was minimal. In all cases, the geometric mean of non-zero vertical flux measurements was greater than those previously reported in the non-seep wetland sediments using flow-net analysis. Flux was greater in the focused discharge areas than in the diffuse discharge area, and all fluxes were within the range reported in the literature for wetland discharge. Vertical hydraulic conductivity estimated from seepage flux and a mean vertical gradient at seeps with focused discharge resulted in a minimum hydraulic conductivity two orders of magnitude greater than those estimated in the non-seep sediment. In contrast, vertical conductivity estimates at a diffuse seep were similar to estimates along a nearby line of section through a non-seep area.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2007

Geologic Characterization of Young Alluvial Basin-Fill Deposits from Drill-Hole Data in Yucca Flat, Nye County, Nevada

Yucca Flat is a topographic and structural basin in the northeastern part of the Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nevada, that has been the site of numerous underground nuclear tests; many of these tests occurred within the young alluvial basin-fill deposits. The migration of radionuclides to the Paleozoic carbonate aquifer involves passage through this thick, heterogeneous section of Tertiary and Quaternary rock. An understanding of the lateral and vertical changes in the material properties of young alluvial basin-fill deposits will aid in the further development of the hydrogeologic framework and the delineation of hydrostratigraphic units and hydraulic properties required for simulating ground-water flow in the Yucca Flat area. This report by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, presents data and interpretation regarding the three-dimensional variability of the shallow alluvial aquifers in areas of testing at Yucca Flat, data that are potentially useful in the understanding of the subsurface flow system. This report includes a summary and interpretation of alluvial basin-fill stratigraphy in the Yucca Flat area based on drill-hole data from 285 selected drill holes. Spatial variations in lithology and grain size of the Neogene basin-fill sediments can be established when data from numerous drill holes are considered together. Lithologic variations are related to different depositional environments within the basin such as alluvial fan, channel, basin axis, and playa deposits.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2012

Preliminary assessment of water chemistry related to groundwater flooding in Wawarsing, New York, 2009-11

Water-quality samples collected in an area prone to groundwater flooding in Wawarsing, New York, were analyzed and assessed to better understand the hydrologic system and to aid in the assessment of contributing water sources. Above average rainfall over the past decade, and the presence of a pressurized water tunnel that passes about 700 feet beneath Wawarsing, could both contribute to groundwater flooding. Water samples were collected from surface-water bodies, springs, and wells and analyzed for major and trace inorganic constituents, dissolved gases, age tracers, and stable isotopes. Distinct differences in chemistry exist between tunnel water and groundwater in unconsolidated deposits and in bedrock, and among groundwater samples collected from some bedrock wells during high head pressure and low head pressure of the Rondout-West Branch Tunnel. Samples from bedrock wells generally had relatively higher concentrations of sulfate (SO 4 2- ), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and lower concentrations of calcium (Ca) and bicarbonate (HCO 3 - ), as compared to unconsolidated wells. Differences in stable-isotope ratios among oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 (δ 18 O), hydrogen-2 to hydrogen-1 (δ 2 H), sulfur-34 to sulfur-32(δ 34 S) of SO 4 2- , Sr-87 to Sr-86 ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr), and C-13 to C-12 (δ 13 C) of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) indicate a potential for distinguishing water in the Delaware-West Branch Tunnel from native groundwater. For example, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios were more depleted in groundwater samples from most bedrock wells, as compared to samples from surface-water sources, springs, and wells screened in unconsolidated deposits in the study area. Age-tracer data provided useful information on pathways of the groundwater-flow system, but were limited by inherent problems with dissolved gases in bedrock wells. The sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) and (or) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) apparent recharge years of most water samples from wells screened in unconsolidated deposits and springs ranged from 2003 to 2010 (current) and indicate short flow paths from the point of groundwater recharge. All but three of the samples from bedrock wells had interference problems with dissolved gases, mainly caused by excess air from degassing of hydrogen sulfide and methane. The SF 6 and (or) CFC apparent recharge years of samples from three of the bedrock wells ranged from the 1940s to the early 2000s; the sample with the early 2000s recharge year was from a flowing artesian well that was chemically similar to water samples collected at the influent to the tunnel at Rondout Reservoir and the most hydraulically responsive to water tunnel pressure compared to other bedrock wells. Data described in this report can be used, together with hydrogeologic data, to improve the understanding of source waters and groundwater-flow patterns and pathways, and to help assess the mixing of different source waters in water samples. Differences in stable isotope ratios, major and trace constituent concentrations, saturation indexes, tritium concentrations, and apparent groundwater ages will be used to estimate the proportion of water that originates from Rondout-West Branch Tunnel leakage.

New York↗

USGS2014

Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow in the Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) Aquifer, Oklahoma, 1987 to 2009, and simulation of available water in storage, 2010–2059

The Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) aquifer underlies about 3,000 square miles of central Oklahoma. The study area for this investigation was the extent of the Central Oklahoma aquifer. Water from the Central Oklahoma aquifer is used for public, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and domestic supply. With the exception of Oklahoma City, all of the major communities in central Oklahoma rely either solely or partly on groundwater from this aquifer. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area, incorporating parts of Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, and Oklahoma Counties, has a population of approximately 1.2 million people. As areas are developed for groundwater supply, increased groundwater withdrawals may result in decreases in long-term aquifer storage. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, investigated the hydrogeology and simulated groundwater flow in the aquifer using a numerical groundwater-flow model. The purpose of this report is to describe an investigation of the Central Oklahoma aquifer that included analyses of the hydrogeology, hydrogeologic framework of the aquifer, and construction of a numerical groundwater-flow model. The groundwater-flow model was used to simulate groundwater levels and for water-budget analysis. A calibrated transient model was used to evaluate changes in groundwater storage associated with increased future water demands.

Oklahoma↗

USGS2015

Preliminary methodology to assess the national and regional impact of U.S. wind energy development on birds and bats

The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a methodology to assess the impacts of wind energy development on wildlife; it is a probabilistic, quantitative assessment methodology that can communicate to decision makers and the public the magnitude of these effects on species populations. The methodology is currently applicable to birds and bats, focuses primarily on the effects of collisions, and can be applied to any species that breeds in, migrates through, or otherwise uses any part of the United States. The methodology is intended to assess species at the national scale and is fundamentally different from existing methods focusing on impacts at individual facilities. Publicly available fatality information, population estimates, species range maps, turbine location data, biological characteristics, and generic population models are used to generate both a ranked list of species based on relative risk as well as quantitative measures of the magnitude of the effect on species' population trend and size. Three metrics are combined to determine direct and indirect relative risk to populations. A generic population model is used to estimate the expected change in population trend and includes additive mortality from collisions with wind turbines. Lastly, the methodology uses observed fatalities and an estimate of potential biological removal to assess the risk of a decline in population size. Data for six bird species have been processed through the entire methodology as a test case, and the results are presented in this report. Components of the methodology are based on simplifying assumptions and require information that, for many species, may be sparse or unreliable. These assumptions are presented in the report and should be carefully considered when using output from the methodology. In addition, this methodology can be used to recommend species for more intensive demographic modeling or highlight those species that may not require any additional protection because effects of wind energy development on their populations are projected to be small.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2017

Enhanced and updated spatially referenced statistical assessment of dissolved-solids load sources and transport in streams of the Upper Colorado River Basin

Approximately 6.4 million tons of dissolved solids are discharged from the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) to the Lower Colorado River Basin each year. This results in substantial economic damages, and tens of millions of dollars are spent annually on salinity control projects designed to reduce salinity loads in surface waters of the UCRB. Dissolved solids in surface water and groundwater have been studied extensively over the past century, and these studies have contributed to a conceptual understanding of sources and transport of dissolved solids. This conceptual understanding was incorporated into a Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes (SPARROW) model to examine sources and transport of dissolved solids in the UCRB. The results of this model were published in 2009. The present report documents the methods and data used to develop an updated dissolved-solids SPARROW model for the UCRB, and incorporates data defining current basin attributes not available in the previous model, including delineation of irrigated lands by irrigation type (sprinkler or flood irrigation), and calibration data from additional monitoring sites. Dissolved-solids loads estimated for 312 monitoring sites were used to calibrate the SPARROW model, which predicted loads for each of 10,789 stream reaches in the UCRB. The calibrated model provided a good fit to the calibration data as evidenced by R 2 and yield R 2 values of 0.96 and 0.73, respectively, and a root-mean-square error of 0.47. The model included seven geologic sources that have estimated dissolved-solids yields ranging from approximately 1 to 45 tons per square mile (tons/mi 2 ). Yields generated from irrigated agricultural lands are substantially greater than those from geologic sources, with sprinkler irrigated lands generating an average of approximately 150 tons/mi 2 and flood irrigated lands generating between 770 and 2,300 tons/mi 2 depending on underlying lithology. The coefficients estimated for six landscape transport characteristics that influence the delivery of dissolved solids from sources to streams, are consistent with the process understanding of dissolved-solids loading to streams in the UCRB. Dissolved-solids loads and the proportion of those loads among sources in the entire UCRB as well as in major tributaries in the basin are reported, as are loads generated from irrigated lands, rangelands, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, and grazing allotments on BLM lands. Model-predicted loads also are compared with load estimates from 1957 and 1991 at selected locations in three divisions of the UCRB. At the basin scale, the model estimates that 32 percent of the dissolved-solids loads are from irrigated agricultural land sources that compose less than 2 percent of the land area in the UCRB. This estimate is less than previously reported estimates of 40 to 45 percent of basin-scale dissolved-solids loads from irrigated agricultural land sources. This discrepancy could be a result of the implementation of salinity control projects in the basin. Notably, results indicate that the conversion of flood irrigated agricultural lands to sprinkler irrigated agricultural lands is a likely process contributing to the temporal decrease in dissolved-solids loads from irrigated lands.

Colorado River Basin↗

USGS2019

Carbon dioxide mineralization feasibility in the United States

Geologic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage is one of many methods for stabilizing the increasing concentration of CO 2 in the Earth’s atmosphere. The injection of CO 2 in deep subsurface sedimentary reservoirs is the most commonly discussed method; however, the potential for CO 2 leakage can create long-term stability concerns. This report discusses the feasibility of an alternative form of geologic CO 2 storage: CO 2 mineralization. In this method, CO 2 reacts with rocks and minerals to form solid and stable carbonate rocks. New pilot projects and laboratory-based kinetics experiments have revealed that this method, both in situ and ex situ, may be a viable option for storage. In situ storage targets in-place rocks at the surface or subsurface. Ex situ storage targets industrial byproducts at the surface like mine tailings. Environmental risks include induced seismicity for in situ methods if pressure is not managed properly, as well as potential water and land use effects. However, there are fewer long-term CO 2 -leakage concerns for mineralization methods compared to saline storage methods and therefore potentially lower long-term monitoring costs. The costs and benefits of CO 2 mineralization are compared to those of CO 2 storage in saline reservoirs using estimates of pressure-limited dynamic storage capacity. This report highlights the regional potential of areas in the United States for in situ and ex situ storage, as well as their proximity to potential sources of CO 2 . Especially suitable targets include asbestos or other ultramafic mine tailings, in situ ultramafic rocks on the East and West Coasts, the Columbia River basalts in the Pacific Northwest, the Midcontinent Rift basalts in the midcontinent, and the basaltic Hawaiian Islands.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2022

Hydrogeology of aquifers within the Fairport-Lyons channel system and adjacent areas in Wayne, Ontario, and Seneca Counties, New York

A hydrogeologic investigation was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, within the areas shown in the Macedon, Palmyra, Newark, and Lyons 7.5-minute quadrangle maps that include parts of Wayne, Ontario, and Seneca Counties in New York. The most productive zone of aquifers within the study area is associated with the Fairport-Lyons glacial-stream channel (hereinafter referred to as the “Fairport-Lyons channel”) in southern Wayne County and adjacent areas. The Fairport-Lyons channel is a west-east-oriented bedrock channel that once served as the outlet for glacial Lake Dawson, which occupied the Genesee Valley near Rochester during the Pleistocene. The Fairport-Lyons channel and intersecting subsidiary channels are hereinafter referred to as the “Fairport-Lyons channel system.” Glacial meltwater eroded this shallow channel network into the underlying bedrock, and the channels subsequently filled with interlayered glaciofluvial sand and gravel and fine-grained lacustrine deposits. These sand and gravel deposits provide the only large supplies of groundwater in Wayne County under unconfined and confined conditions and serve a population of over 20,000 through a combination of domestic and municipal water supply wells. The largest reported well yield, 1,200 gallons per minute, is from an industrial supply well near Newark, N.Y. Much of the sand and gravel within the Fairport-Lyons channel system is generally thinly saturated; however, in three areas—near Macedon, Newark, and Lyons, N.Y.—the saturated thickness of the aquifer is sufficient to support groundwater yields adequate for municipal and industrial use, in part because of induced infiltration from the Erie Canal.

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