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

USGS1993

Water Resources Data, Florida, Water Year 1992. Volume 2B. South Florida Ground Water

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of Florida is one of a series of annual reports that document hydrologic data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey's surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by State, local, and Federal agencies, and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation's land and water resources. Hydrologic data for Florida are contained in four volumes.

Florida↗

USGS2005

Water resources data, Iowa, water year 2005

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of Iowa is one of a series of annual reports that document hydrologic data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey’s surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public for developing and managing our Nation’s land and water resources. This report is the culmination of a concerted effort by dedicated personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey who collected, compiled, analyzed, verified, and organized the data, and who typed, edited, and assembled the report. The authors had primary responsibility for assuring that the information contained herein is accurate, complete, and adheres to U. S. Geological Survey policy and established guidelines.

Iowa↗

USGS2000

Water Resources Data, Maine, Water Year 2000

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of Maine is one of a series of annual reports that document data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey's surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by State, local, and Federal agencies, and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation's land and water resources.

Maine↗

USGS2005

Water resources data for Oregon, water year 2004

The annual Oregon water data report is one of a series of annual reports that document hydrologic data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey's surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by State, local, Tribal, and Federal agencies and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation's land and water resources. This report contains water year 2004 data for both surface and ground water, including discharge records for 209 streamflow-gaging stations, 42 partial-record or miscellaneous streamflow stations, and 9 crest-stage partial-record streamflow stations; stage-only records for 6 gaging stations; stage and content records for 15 lakes and reservoirs; water-level records from 12 long-term observation wells; and water-quality records collected at 133 streamflow-gaging stations and 1 atmospheric deposition station.

Water Data Report↗

USGS1999

Water Resources Data: New Jersey, Water Year 1998, Volume 1, Surface-Water Data

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of New Jersey is one of a series of annual reports that document hydrologic data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey's surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and water quality provide the hydrologic information needed by state, local and federal agencies, and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation's land and water resources.

New Jersey↗

USGS2004

Water resources data-Maine, water year 2003

Water Data Report↗

USGS2021

Delineation of areas contributing groundwater and travel times to receiving waters in Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties, New York

To assist resource managers and planners in developing informed strategies to address nitrogen loading to coastal water bodies of Long Island, New York, the U.S. Geological Survey and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation initiated a program to delineate areas contributing groundwater to coastal water bodies by assembling a comprehensive dataset of areas contributing groundwater, travel times, and groundwater discharges to streams, lakes, marine surface waters, and subsea discharge boundaries. Steady-state, 25-layer regional, three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater-flow models of average regional hydrologic conditions were used for particle-tracking analysis to delineate areas contributing groundwater to 843 water bodies. Two steady-state conditions were simulated: recent conditions from 2005 to 2015 and predevelopment conditions of about 1900. About 14 million particles were evenly distributed across the water table and tracked forward to discharge zones. Using a uniform porosity of 25 percent, simulated recent condition travel times ranged from less than 2 years to greater than 10,000 years and were visualized in 11 travel time intervals. About 85 percent of particle travel times from the water table to points of discharge are less than 100 years. Simulated particle-tracking ending zones represented 843 receiving water bodies, based on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation water body inventory and priority water bodies list. Areal delineation of travel-time intervals and areas contributing groundwater to water bodies were generated and are summarized with total groundwater outflow for each water body.

New York↗

USGS1965

The water story in Central Iowa

"The general welfare of the people of the state of Iowa requires that the water resources of the state be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable." This can be achieved only by a knowledge and understanding of the water resources - their use, their source, their quality, their availability, and the demands place upon them. To provide such knowledge and understanding, the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the Iowa Geological Survey produced this report on the utilization and availability of water in central Iowa. This report contains information on the past, present, and future statues of central Iowa;s water; information that can be used by the regional developer, the resource planner and manager, and other informed persons whose opinions and sound judgements are required in making decisions toward efficient development, management, use, and conservation of water. It gives an over-all view of the area's water resources and is aimed at guiding the people of central Iowa to the best available sources of water.

Iowa↗

USGS2007

Klamath Basin: A watershed approach to support habitat restoration, species recovery, and water resource planning

Water allocation among human and natural resource uses in the American West is challenging. Western rivers have been largely managed for hydropower, irrigation, drinking water, and navigation. Today land and water use practices have gained importance, particularly as aging dams are faced with re-licensing requirements and provisions of the Endangered Species and Clean Water Acts. Rising demand for scarce water heightens the need for scientific research to predict consequences of management actions on habitats, human resource use, and fish and wildlife. Climate change, introduction of invasive species, or restoration of fish passage can have large, landscape-scaled consequences - research must expand to encompass the appropriate scale and by applying multiple scientific disciplines to complex ecosystem challenges improve the adaptive management framework for decision-making.

Oregon; California↗

USGS1996

Quality-assurance plan for water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Idaho

To ensure continued confidence in its products, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey implemented a policy that all its scientific work be performed in accordance with a centrally managed quality-assurance program. This report establishes and documents a formal policy for current (1995) quality assurance within the Idaho District of the U.S. Geological Survey. Quality assurance is formalized by describing district organization and operational responsibilities, documenting the district quality-assurance policies, and describing district functions. The districts conducts its work through offices in Boise, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Sandpoint, and at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Data-collection programs and interpretive studies are conducted by two operating units, and operational and technical assistance is provided by three support units: (1) Administrative Services advisors provide guidance on various personnel issues and budget functions, (2) computer and reports advisors provide guidance in their fields, and (3) discipline specialists provide technical advice and assistance to the district and to chiefs of various projects. The district's quality-assurance plan is based on an overall policy that provides a framework for defining the precision and accuracy of collected data. The plan is supported by a series of quality-assurance policy statements that describe responsibilities for specific operations in the district's program. The operations are program planning; project planning; project implementation; review and remediation; data collection; equipment calibration and maintenance; data processing and storage; data analysis, synthesis, and interpretation; report preparation and processing; and training. Activities of the district are systematically conducted under a hierarchy of supervision an management that is designed to ensure conformance with Water Resources Division goals quality assurance. The district quality-assurance plan does not describe detailed technical activities that are commonly termed "quality-control procedures." Instead, it focuses on current policies, operations, and responsibilities that are implemented at the management level. Contents of the plan will be reviewed annually and updated as programs and operations change.

Idaho↗

USGS2025

Evaluating effectiveness of flocculation and wave-reduction barriers for restoration of a turbid, terminal lake

Malheur Lake is a freshwater, shallow lake that provides key habitat for birds along the Pacific Flyway in North America. The lake shifted to a turbid state in the 1990s with suspended-sediment concentrations sometimes exceeding 1000 mg/L and minimal light available in the water column for submerged aquatic vegetation. Resource managers intend to enhance bird habitat quality by restoring the lake to a clear, vegetated state. Ten mesocosms were installed to experimentally test the effects of wave-reduction barriers and flocculation (aluminum sulfate followed by lanthanum-modified bentonite clay) on dependent variables including turbidity, suspended-sediment concentrations, nutrient concentrations, and photosynthetically active radiation. Flocculation additions temporarily decreased turbidity by ≥ 90% and significantly increased photosynthetically active radiation by > 400% through the water column. Orthophosphate concentrations significantly decreased following the first flocculation addition. The clay did not cap the flocculated material, and turbidity increased within a few days from wind-wave action. Wind directions in the middle of the lake were variable, minimizing the effect of wave-reduction barriers on dependent variables. This study showed that the light required for submerged aquatic vegetation can be temporarily attained at the lakebed using flocculation. Future experiments could attempt to prolong the duration of low turbidity by effectively capping the flocculated material. The findings demonstrate the complexity of disrupting shallow lake feedback loops and offer insights for turbid-state lake restoration.

Oregon↗

USGS1981

Assessment of impacts of proposed coal-resource and related economic development on water resources, Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming: A summary

Expanded mining and use of coal resources in the Rocky Mountain region of the western United States will have substantial impacts on water resources, environmental amenities, and social and economic conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey has completed a 3-year assessment of the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming, where increased coal-resource development has begun to affect the environment and quality of life. Economic projections of the overall effects of coal-resource development were used to estimate water use and the types and amounts of waste residuals that need to be assimilated into the environment. Based in part upon these projections, several physical-based models and other semiquantitative assessment methods were used to determine possible effects upon the basin's water resources. Depending on the magnitude of mining and use of coal resources in the basin, an estimated 0.7 to 2.7 million tons (0.6 to 2.4 million metric tons) of waste residuals may be discharged annually into the environment by coal-resource development and associated economic activities. If the assumed development of coal resources in the basin occurs, annual consumptive use of water, which was approximately 142,000 acre-feet (175 million cubic meters) during 1975, may almost double by 1990. In a related analysis of alternative cooling systems for coal-conversion facilities, four to five times as much water may be used consumptively in a wet-tower, cooling-pond recycling system as in once-through cooling. An equivalent amount of coal transported by slurry pipeline would require about one-third the water used consumptively by once-through cooling for in-basin conversion. Current conditions and a variety of possible changes in the water resources of the basin resulting from coal-resource development were assessed. Basin population may increase by as much as threefold between 1975 and 1990. Volumes of wastes requiring treatment will increase accordingly. Potential problems associated with ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in the Yampa River downstream from Steamboat Springs were evaluated using a waste-load assimilative-capacity model. Changes in sediment loads carried by streams due to increased coal mining and construction of roads and buildings may be apparent only locally; projected increases in sediment loads relative to historic loads from the basin are estimated to be 2 to 7 percent. Solid-waste residuals generated by coal-conversion processes and disposed of into old mine pits may cause widely dispersed ground-water contamination, based on simulation-modeling results. Projected increases in year-round water use will probably result in the construction of several proposed reservoirs. Current seasonal patterns of streamflow and of dissolvedsolids concentrations in streamflow will be altered appreciably by these reservoirs. Decreases in time-weighted mean-annual dissolved-solids concentrations of as much as 34 percent are anticipated, based upon model simulations of several configurations of proposed reservoirs. Detailed statistical analyses of water-quality conditions in the Yampa River basin were made. Regionalized maximum waterquality concentrations were estimated for possible comparison with future conditions. Using Landsat imagery and aerial photographs, potential remote-sensing applications were evaluated to monitor land-use changes and to assess both snow cover and turbidity levels in streams. The technical information provided by the several studies of the Yampa River basin assessment should be useful to regional planners and resource managers in evaluating the possible impacts of development on the basin's water resources.

Colorado, Wyoming↗

USGS2011

Numerical simulation of the groundwater-flow system in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed and Vicinity, Pierce County, Washington

A groundwater-flow model was developed to contribute to an improved understanding of water resources in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed. The model covers an area of about 491 square miles in western Pierce County, Washington, and is bounded to the northeast by the Puyallup River valley, to the southwest by the Nisqually River valley, and extends northwest to Puget Sound, and southeast to Tanwax Creek. The Puyallup and Nisqually Rivers occupy large, relatively flat alluvial valleys that are separated by a broad, poorly drained, upland area that covers most of the model area. Chambers and Clover Creeks drain much of the central uplands and flow westward to Puget Sound. The model area is underlain by a northwest-thickening sequence of unconsolidated glacial (till and outwash) and interglacial (fluvial and lacustrine) deposits. Ten unconsolidated hydrogeologic units in the model area form the basis of the groundwater-flow model. Groundwater flow in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed and vicinity was simulated using the groundwater-flow model, MODFLOW-2000. The finite-difference model grid comprises 146 rows, 132 columns, and 11 layers. Each model cell has a horizontal dimension of 1,000 by 1,000 feet, and the model contains a total of 123,602 active cells. The thickness of model layers varies throughout the model area and ranges from 1.5 feet in the A3 aquifer unit to 1,567 feet in the G undifferentiated unit. Groundwater flow was simulated for both steady-state and transient conditions. Steady-state conditions were simulated using average recharge, discharge, and water levels for the 24-month period September 2006-August 2008. Transient conditions were simulated for the period September 2006-August 2008 using 24 monthly stress periods. Resource managers and local stakeholders intend to use the model to evaluate a range of water resource issues under both steady-state and transient conditions. Initial conditions for the transient model were developed from a 3-year "lead-in" period that used recorded precipitation and river levels, and temporal extrapolations of other boundary conditions. During model calibration, variables were adjusted within probable ranges to minimize differences between measured and simulated groundwater levels and stream baseflows. The model as calibrated to steady-state conditions has a standard deviation for heads and flows of 28.42 feet and 2.12 cubic feet per second, respectively; the model as calibrated to transient conditions has a standard deviation for heads and flows of 23.01 feet and 2.67 cubic feet per second, respectively. Simulated steady-state inflow to the model area from precipitation and secondary recharge was 477,266 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) (79 percent of total simulated inflow), and simulated inflow from stream and lake leakage was 129,778 acre-ft/yr (21 percent of total simulated inflow). Simulated outflow from the model primarily was through discharge to streams, lakes, springs, seeps, and Puget Sound (559,192 acre-ft/yr; 92 percent of total simulated outflow), and withdrawals from wells (47,863 acre-ft/yr; 8 percent of total simulated outflow). Six scenarios were formulated and simulated using the calibrated model to provide representative examples of how the model can be used to evaluate the effects on groundwater levels and stream baseflows of potential changes in groundwater withdrawals, in consumptive use, and in recharge.

Washington↗

USGS2026

Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems

State and federal agencies are negotiating water-supply agreements that may govern water supply and storage in the Colorado River Basin through 2046. Current operating policies in the Colorado River primarily focus on water supply implications with less focus on the potential effects to other resources. Models that forecast the response of multiple resources over the short- and long-term term to water supply decisions could lead to greater consideration of these resources in future water supply decision making. In this project, we developed a dynamic programming tool to identify potential release decisions that help maximize different management objectives under different scenarios for storing water in Lake Mead and Lake Powell in attempt to inform efforts to consider multiple resources. We ask, “ How can decisions under different reservoir storage scenarios affect river resource management objectives, what are the trade-offs among these objectives, and how can we consider more resources when making water supply decisions? ”.

Colorado River↗

USGS2019

Integrated hydrologic modeling of the Salinas River, California, for sustainable water management

The Salinas River is the largest river in California’s Central Coast region. Groundwater resources of the Salinas River basin are used to meet water supply needs, including crop irrigation and municipal water supply. Two large multipurpose reservoirs also supply irrigation and municipal water uses. Historical imbalances between supply and demand have resulted in sinking groundwater levels, seawater intrusion, regulatory actions on pumping, adjudication, and requirements for minimum in-stream fish flows. Present needs include finding replacement water supplies and improving watershed management to comply with legal mandates, adapt to future climate variability and landuse conversions, and improve environmental conditions. The Salinas Valley Integrated Hydrologic Model (SVIHM) was developed to help water managers evaluate and adjust to projected impacts on water supplies and demands in the Salinas Valley watershed caused by changes in land use, population, and climate. The SVIHM includes four modeling components: (1) the Basin Characterization Model (BCM), (2) the Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF), (3) MODFLOW - One Water Hydrologic Model (MF-OWHM), and (4) the Surface Water Operations (SWO) package. The BCM and HSPF components compose the Salinas Valley Watershed Model (SVWM). The 4,530 square-mile (mi2) SVWM domain encompasses the entire Salinas River watershed, as well as coastal drainages adjacent to the Salinas River outflow, and includes two separate and connected HSPF model domains, the 2,540 mi2 upper Salinas River and the 1,990 mi2 lower Salinas River models. SVWM (1) simulates the water budget for the entire Salinas River basin containing both the SVIHM domain as well as the mountainous terrain of the tributary headwater areas not included in the SVIHM; and (2) was used to develop the 148 boundary inflows for the SVIHM. Simulated evapotranspiration (ET) is the largest component of the water budget after precipitation, with a 71-year average basin-wide ET of 13.9 in/yr, compared to the basin-wide average precipitation of 18.4 in/yr. Simulated ET ranges from 15 to 29 in/yr along the western side of the SVWM to less than 10 in/yr throughout the valley floor and in the southeast part of the Salinas River watershed. The simulated total 71-year average inflow to the SVIHM was 890 ft3/sec (about 640,000 acre-feet per year), with the highest average inflow of 270 ft3/sec simulated for the Nacimiento River; whereas, the simulated 71-year average streamflow at the mouth of the Salinas River was only about 190 ft3/sec, indicating that most of the streamflow generated in the Salinas River basin is lost to channel seepage. The lack of sustained baseflow causes streamflow to be highly sensitive to the temporal variability in precipitation, especially during the drier periods, and this increases the importance of developing adequate reservoir management, flow augmentation, and conjunctive water use scenarios for potential future drought periods and potentially increased temporal variability in precipitation.

California↗

USGS2023

Application of the technology readiness levels framework to natural resource management tools

Technology advancements in fisheries science can provide useful tools to support natural resource management and conservation. However, new technologies may also present challenges for decision makers due to the lack of a standardized process to assess technologies for consideration within management plans. Future technology development in fishery and water resources could benefit from a framework that assigns an appropriate technology development stage and defines the readiness for implementation. Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) are one established research and development scale used throughout engineering and related disciplines that could be applied to natural resource management tools. The TRL assess the maturity of a technology from nascent idea through a fully developed technology. Steps within this scale could provide a general framework for researchers to follow when planning and conducting studies, while similarly providing a standard scale for resource managers to assess readiness for technology transfer and implementation. The goal of this paper is to describe TRL in the context of natural resource management tools and offer this existing framework as one option to facilitate communication between researchers and managers.

Fisheries↗

USGS2019

Distribution of adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in relation to water temperatures, Lake Scanewa, Cowlitz River, Washington, 2012

A trap-and-haul program is operated to move anadromous Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) around dams and reservoirs in the Cowlitz River basin, Washington. The primary release site for adult fish is in Lake Scanewa, a small reservoir created by Cowlitz Falls Dam, the uppermost dam in the basin. Releases in the reservoir are terminated when reservoir water temperature is 16 degrees Celsius (°C) or greater to reduce the risk of exposing adult salmon and steelhead ( O. mykiss ) to thermal conditions known to be stressful for these species. When the water temperature limit is reached, fish are released into the Cowlitz and Cispus Rivers upstream of the reservoir. Concerns have been raised about fish presence in the reservoir during warm conditions, so an empirical evaluation of water temperatures selected by spring Chinook salmon ( O. tshawytscha ) in Lake Scanewa was requested by resource managers. We conducted the evaluation during June–October 2012. Water temperature in the reservoir was measured using a series of thermographs combined with daily measurements at the Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility. Temperature-use data were collected from 50 adult hatchery-origin spring Chinook salmon tagged with temperature-sensing radio transmitters and released into the reservoir. This approach yielded a total of 930,056 individual temperature-use records in the reservoir during the study. Tagged fish occupied water temperatures less than 16 °C during most of the study period. Water temperatures ranged from 5 to 18.5 °C during the study, peaking in mid-August. Overall, about 25 percent of the detections of tagged fish were in water temperatures in the 16–20 °C range. In August, tagged fish detections in the 18–20 °C range comprised 13 percent of the total detections, and the remainder of the detections were in water less than or equal to 17 °C. Results from the study indicate that adult hatchery-origin spring Chinook salmon were able to locate and use water temperatures in the reservoir less than levels associated with stress. However, we also observed that thermal conditions in the reservoir were cool relative to most other years during 2008–16. Additional research may be warranted to better understand thermal exposure of adult spring Chinook salmon during warmer years.

Washington↗

USGS1983

An assessment of the hydrologic information required for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management-U.S. Geological Survey coal-hydrology program in the West

In 1974, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management began the Energy Minerals Rehabilitation Inventory and Analysis (EMRIA) Program, now known as the Coal Hydrologic Investigations Program, to collect detailed information on water and other resources of proposed coal-lease areas. The U.S. Geological Survey has been collecting water-resource information for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management since the program was started. This report summarizes the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's hydrologic information needs in the different stages of the land-use planning and coal-leasing process and presents an evaluation of the use of the U.S. Geological Survey's precipitation-runoff model from a Bureau of Land Management perspective. Information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey for precipitation, surface water, ground water, and water quality has been used extensively in environmental assessments and site-specific analyses for coal leasing. The U.S. Geological Survey also has been calibrating a precipitation-runoff model used to estimate the surface discharge of ungaged basins in northwestern Colorado. A test of the model shows that it will provide surface-discharge estimates for ungaged basins within the accuracy required for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's land-use planning and coal-leasing process. However, the model is most effective when applied by an experienced user. In addition, more verification of the model is needed before it will accurately predict the impacts of coal mining on surface water.

Open-File Report↗