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At least 1,279 records · Page 71Linked to original sources
USGS1988

Water resources data, Kansas, water year 1987

Water-resources data for the 1987 water year for Kansas consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; elevation, contents, and water quality of lakes or reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report contains records for water discharge at 140 gaging stations; elevation and contents at 24 lakes or reservoirs; water quality at 31 gaging stations; and water levels at 1,590 observation wells and water quality at 221 wells. Also included are data for 87 high-flow, 10 low-flow, and 1 flood hydrograph partial-record station; and 2 chemical-quality of precipitation stations. Miscellaneous field water-quality data were collected at 101 measured sites, and miscellaneous water-quality data were collected at 14 sampling sites. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and federal agencies in Kansas.

Kansas↗
USGS2003

Geochemistry of the Johnson River, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

The Johnson River Basin, located in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, drains an area of 96 square miles. A private inholding in the upper part of the basin contains a gold deposit that may be developed in the future. To establish a natural baseline to compare potential effects on water quality if development were to occur, the upper part of the Johnson River Basin was studied from 1999 to 2001 as part of a cooperative study with the National Park Service. Two basic rock types occur within the drainage basin of the study: the Jurassic Talkeetna Formation of interbedded volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, and the slightly younger plutonic rocks of the Aleutian-Alaska Ranges batholith. The Johnson River gold prospect reflects widespread, secondary mineralization and alteration of the Talkeetna Formation. Metals found at the prospect proper are: arsenic, cadmium, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, silver, and zinc. The Johnson River prospect is located in the East Fork Ore Creek Basin, a 0.5 square mile watershed that is a tributary to the Johnson River. Water quality data from this stream reflect the mineralization of the basin and the highest concentrations of several trace elements and major ions of the water column were found in this stream. Presently, pH in this stream is normal, indicating that there is sufficient buffering capacity. At the Johnson River streamgage, which drains approximately 25 mi2 including the East Fork Ore Creek, concentrations of these constituents are significantly lower, reflecting the runoff from Johnson Glacier and Double Glacier, which account for approximately 75 percent of the total discharge. Streambed concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc from East Fork Ore Creek and its receiving stream, Ore Creek, typically exceed concentrations where sediment dwelling organisms would be affected. Similar to the water column chemistry, concentrations of these elements are lower at the Johnson River streamgage, reflecting the fine sediment input from the glacier streams draining Johnson Glacier and Double Glacier. The amount of organic carbon present in the study area is relatively low and most sites indicate that some degree of toxicity is present even though these basins do not contain mineralized areas. Acid based accounting tests on rock samples in the study area indicate a neutralizing capacity in the Talkeetna Formation rocks. These results should be used with caution because similar tests were not done on rocks from narrow veins or faults that could have acid generating potential. In addition, based on field tests during the study, carbonate-bearing rocks in streambeds are armored by a carbonate-depleted shell and would not readily neutralize acidic water.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2016

A paired-laser photogrammetric method for in situ length measurement of benthic fishes

Photogrammetry, a technique to obtain measurements from photographs, may be a valid method for measuring lengths of rare, threatened, or endangered species. Photogrammetric methods of measurement are nonintrusive and reduce the possibility of physical damage or physiological stress associated with the capture and handling of individuals. We evaluated precision and accuracy of photogrammetric length measurements relative to board measurements of Greenside Darters Etheostoma blennioides and Variegate Darters E. variatum in an aquarium and applied photogrammetry in a field study of the Diamond Darter Crystallaria cincotta , a federally listed endangered species. Digital photographs were taken of each individual using a waterproof camera equipped with two parallel lasers. Photogrammetric length measurements were digitized with ImageJ software. Agreement between board and photogrammetric measurements were high for Greenside and Variegate darters. The magnitude of differences was small between direct and photogrammetric measurements, ranging from 0.6% to 3.1%, depending on the species measured and the type of measurement taken. These results support photogrammetry as a useful method for obtaining length measurements of benthic stream fishes. Photogrammetric methods allowed for length measurements and an assessment of length frequency of 199 Diamond Darters, informative data for management that could not be collected with conventional measuring-board methods.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS2026

An automatable method for developing preliminary stream crossing designs using lidar and hydraulic modeling in Massachusetts

Upgrading aging and undersized stream crossings (places where culverts and bridges intersect a stream) with replacements designed for aquatic organism passage can improve infrastructure resiliency, geomorphic stability, and maintenance costs. The goal of this work is to develop preliminary culvert designs that convey hydraulic design floods and meet the Massachusetts Stream Crossings Standards for select existing stream crossing sites across Massachusetts. We derive stream and infrastructure data from lidar and other geospatial datasets as input for one-dimensional hydraulic models. Culvert dimensions are iteratively increased until the structures can convey the hydraulic design flood flows with adequate freeboard. The approach was evaluated by comparing lidar-derived designs to designs produced with surveyed data at 30 stream crossings across Massachusetts. The automatable methodology was then applied to 343 stream crossing sites in the Housatonic River watershed in southwestern Massachusetts. For each stream crossing site, preliminary designs were developed to meet the Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards and convey the 10-, 4-, 2-, and 1-percent annual exceedance probability flood flows. The U.S. Geological Survey StreamStats web application hosts the 3-sided box, 3-sided arch, and pipe culvert preliminary designs. Provided supporting information includes site information, habitat quality assessments, and modeled water surface elevations. The publicly available preliminary designs can be used by municipalities, engineers, and others to evaluate design options, prioritize replacements, and analyze ecological benefits. These designs also may help municipalities pursue grant opportunities and estimate replacement costs prior to investing in field assessments and engineering design.

EarthArXiv↗
USGS1939

Geologic map and guide of the island of Oahu, Hawaii

This bulletin, although designated Bulletin 2, is actually the fourth of a series published by the Division of Hydrography of the Territory of Hawaii. All four of the bulletins thus far published relate to the geology and ground-water resources of the island of Oahu.1 Together they present the results obtained on this island in the program of ground-water investigation of the Territory that has been conducted in cooperation with the Geological Survey, of the United States Department of the Interior. Bulletin 5 which is in preparation will describe the progress made in developing the ground-water resources of Oahu since Bulletin 1 was issued. In Bulletin 2 is presented the detailed geologic map of Oahu that has resulted from this investigation. The base for this map is the new topographic map of Oahu prepared by the Topographic Branch of the Geological Survey. This bulletin also contains a guide to the geology along the main highways, which can be used advantageously in connection with the geologic map. For 18 years the writer has had the great privilege of working under the technical direction of Mr. 0. E. Meinzer, geologist in charge of the Division of Ground Water, U. S. Geological Survey. Nearly two decades ago Mr. Meinzer envisioned the great benefits that the people of Hawaii would derive from a thorough study of the groundwater resources of these islands. He also recognized that a full knowledge of these resources could be obtained only by a complete understanding of the geology of the islands and the processes which formed them. This bulletin is one of a series that has been made possible largely as a result of his broad vision. Credit is due Mr. W. 0 . Clark for the location of all the dikes shown on plate 2 in the headwaters of Kamananui Stream near the north end of the Koolau Range, and to Dr. C. K. Wentworth for about a dozen dikes north of Kaimuki. Messrs. 0. E. Meinzer, G. R. Mansfield, M. H. Carson, G. A. Macdonald, and S. H. Elbert kindly criticized the manuscript. Mr. Harry L. Taeuber designed the cover and with James Y. Nitta prepared the illustrations. Their work has greatly enriched this bulletin. The topographic maps of 15-minute quadrangles, on a scale of 1 to 20,000 (approximately 3 inches to the mile), were used in the field as a base for the geologic mapping. The data were then transferred to the new topographic map of Oahu, which is on a scale of 1 to 62,500. The resulting geologic map is reproduced as plate 2 (in pocket) of this report. Some of the outcrops are too small to be shown on this smaller map. Plate 2 of this report was listed as plate 2 in Bulletin 1, which was, however, published without the map because of the time required to prepare and engrave the topographic base and the geologic map. The geologic structure sections at the bottom of plate 2 were not described in Bulletin 1, but are discussed below.

Hawai'i↗
USGS1998

Effects of hydrologic, biological, and environmental processes on sources and concentrations of fecal bacteria in the Cuyahoga River, with implications for management of recreational waters in Summit and Cuyahoga Counties, Ohio

Discharges of fecal bacteria (fecal coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli ) to the middle main stem of the Cuyahoga River from storm water, combined sewers, and incompletely disinfected wastewater have resulted in frequent exceedances of bacteriological water-quality standards in a 23-mile reach of the river that flows through the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Contamination of the middle main stem of the Cuyahoga River by bacteria of fecal origin and subsequent transport to downstream areas where water-contact recreation is an important use of the river are a concern because of the potential public-health risk from the presence of enteric pathogens. Independent field investigations of bacterial decay, dilution, dispersion, transport, and sources, and bacterial contamination of streambed sediments, were completed in 1991-93 during periods of rainfall and runoff. The highest concentration of fecal coliform bacteria observed in the middle main stem during three transport studies exceeded the single-sample fecal coliform standard applicable to primary-contact recreation by a factor of approximately 1,300 and exceeded the Escherichia coli standard by a factor of approximately 8,000. The geometric-mean concentrations of fecal bacteria in the middle main stem were 6.7 to 12.3 times higher than geometric-mean concentrations in the monitored tributaries, and 1.8 to 7.0 times larger than the geometric-mean concentrations discharged from the Akron Water Pollution Control Station. Decay rates of fecal bacteria measured in field studies in 1992 ranged from 0.0018 per hour to 0.0372 per hour for fecal coliform bacteria and from 0.0022 per hour to 0.0407 per hour for Escherichia coli. Most of the decay rates measured in June and August were significantly higher than decay rates measured in April and October. Results of field studies demonstrated that concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria were 1.2 to 58 times higher in streambed sediments than in the overlying water. Sediments are likely to be a relatively less important source of fecal bacteria during rainfall and runoff in the middle main stem relative to bacterial loading from point sources. Numerical streamflow and transport simulation models were calibrated and verified with data collected during field studies. Of the constituents modeled, bacteria exhibited the poorest correspondence between observed and simulated values. The simulation results for a dye tracer indicated that the model reasonably reproduced the timing of dissolved constituents as well as dilution and dispersion effects. Calibrated and verified models for 1991 and 1992 data sets were used to simulate the improvements to bacteriological water quality that might result from reductions in concentrations of fecal bacteria discharged from two major sources. The model simulation resulting in the greatest improvement in bacteriological water-quality was one in which concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli were reduced by 90 percent in the Cuyahoga River at the Old Portage gaging station, and to geometric-mean bathing-water standards in the effluent of the Akron Water Pollution Control Station (BWS/90 scenario). Compared to the results of the base-simulation, when the BWS/90 scenario was applied in the 1991 model simulation, Escherichia coli concentrations were reduced 98.5 percent at Botzum, 97.5 percent at Jaite, and 91.1 percent at Independence. For 1992 model simulations, similar percent reductions in the concentrations of Escherichia coli were predicted at the three stream sites when the same reductions were applied to sources. None of the model simulations resulted in attainment of bacteriological water-quality standards. The potential benefits of source reductions to human health and recreational uses were estimated by comparing the number of illnesses per 1,000 people from concentrations of Escherichia coli associated with the BWS/90 simulation, with the base simulation, and with the geometric-mean standard for Escherichia coli. The predicted 22 to 26 illnesses per 1,000 people predicted by the E. coli concentrations resulting from BWS/90 simulation are 2.8 to 3.3 times higher than the 8 illnesses per 1,000 people associated with the geometric-mean primary-contact water-quality standard for Escherichia coli. Risks associated with the base simulation are 4.6 to 4.9 times higher than that associated with the geometric-mean primary- contact water-quality standard for Escherichia coli. The illness risks predicted from the BWS/90 scenario, although larger than acceptable, would nevertheless be an improvement over conditions that were encountered during field studies in 1991-93.

Ohio↗
USGS2018

Connectivity of streams and wetlands to downstream waters: An integrated systems framework

Interest in connectivity has increased in the aquatic sciences, partly because of its relevance to the Clean Water Act. This paper has two objectives: (1) provide a framework to understand hydrological, chemical, and biological connectivity, focusing on how headwater streams and wetlands connect to and contribute to rivers; and (2) briefly review methods to quantify hydrological and chemical connectivity. Streams and wetlands affect river structure and function by altering material and biological fluxes to the river; this depends on two factors: (1) functions within streams and wetlands that affect material fluxes; and (2) connectivity (or isolation) from streams and wetlands to rivers that allows (or prevents) material transport between systems. Connectivity can be described in terms of frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, and rate of change. It results from physical characteristics of a system, e.g., climate, soils, geology, topography, and the spatial distribution of aquatic components. Biological connectivity is also affected by traits and behavior of the biota. Connectivity can be altered by human impacts, often in complex ways. Because of variability in these factors, connectivity is not constant but varies over time and space. Connectivity can be quantified with field‐based methods, modeling, and remote sensing. Further studies using these methods are needed to classify and quantify connectivity of aquatic ecosystems and to understand how impacts affect connectivity.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗
USGS1999

Modeling the effects of land use and climate change on riverine smallmouth bass

Anthropogenic changes in temperature and stream flow, associated with watershed land use and climate change, are critical influences on the distribution and abundance of riverine fishes. To project the effects of changing land use and climate, we modeled a smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ) population in a midwestern USA, large river–floodplain ecosystem under historical (1915–1925), present (1977–1990), and future (2060, influenced by climate change) temperature and flow regimes. The age-structured model included parameters for temperature and river discharge during critical seasonal periods, fish population dynamics, and fishing harvest. Model relationships were developed from empirical field data collected over a 13-yr period. Sensitivity analyses indicated that discharge during the spawning/rearing period had a greater effect on adult density and fishing yield than did spawning/rearing temperature or winter discharge. Simulations for 100 years projected a 139% greater mean fish density under a historical flow regime (64.9 fish/ha) than that estimated for the present (27.1 fish/ha) with a sustainable fishing harvest under both flow regimes. Simulations under future climate-change-induced temperature and flow regimes with present land use projected a 69% decrease in mean fish density (8.5 fish/ha) from present and an unstable population that went extinct during 56% of the simulations. However, when simulated under a future climate-altered temperature and flow regime with historical land use, the population increased by 66% (45.0 fish/ha) from present and sustained a harvest. Our findings suggest that land-use changes may be a greater detriment to riverine fishes than projected climate change and that the combined effects of both factors may lead to local species extinction. However, the negative effects of increased temperature and precipitation associated with future global warming could be mitigated by river channel, floodplain, and watershed restoration.

Ecological Applications↗
USGS1979

Water-quality assessment of Rattlesnake Creek watershed, Ohio

Chemical and biological water quality in Rattlesnake Creek basin, Ohio, are evaluated. The data include field and laboratory data for eight sites during August 1976- August 1977 and summaries of earlier (1972-76) data. Streamflow was below normal during the study period. Basin waters types were calcium bicarbonate or calcium magnesium bicarbonate. Specific conductance ranged from 405 to 1,300 micromhos per centimeter. High concentrations of sodium (110-140 milligrams per liter) , nitrogen (24 milligrams per liter as N), and phosphorus (7.8 milligrams per liter as P) were observed during low flows downstream from domestic sewage facilities. Nonpoint sources contributed high concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen to all streams during the high flows of winter and spring. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the upper basin ranged from 3.2 to 18.4 milligrams per liter. Mean saturation values of dissolved oxygen were at or near 100 percent in the lower basin. Stream pH exceeded 8.4 when dissolved-oxygen saturation was above 120 percent. Bacteria and invertebrate data suggest that moderate pollution from cultural sources may exist in the upper basin. Water quality was poorest in the sluggish flows of the upper basin but improved downstream. Increases in flow velocity and stream aeration rates, dilution, and biological activity contributed to the downstream recovery. Except for' high nitrogen concentrations, water quality was best in the lower basin.

Ohio↗
USGS1983

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the Greenleaf-Miller area, Ashland coal field, southeastern Montana

The Greenleaf-Miller area of the Ashland coal field contains reserves of Federal coal that have been identified for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study was conducted in the potential lease area in 1981 to describe the existing hydrologic system and to assess potential impacts of surface coal mining on local water resources. The hydrologic data collected from wells, test holes, and springs were used to identify aquifers in the alluvium (Pleistocene and Holocene age) and the Tongue River member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age). Coal, clinker, and sandstone beds comprise the aquifers in the Tongue River Member. Most streams are ephemeral and flow only as a result of precipitation. The only perennial surface-water flow in the study area is along short reaches downstream from springs. A mine plan for the area is not available; thus, the location of mine cuts, direction and rate of the mine expansion, and duration of mining are unknown. The mining of the Sawyer and Knoblock coal beds in the Tonge River Member would effect ground-water flow in the area. Declines in the potentiometric surface would be caused by dewatering where the mine pits intersect the water table. Wells and springs would be removed in the mine area; however, deeper aquifers are available as replacement sources of water. The chemical quality of the ground water would change after moving through the spoils. The change would be an increase in the concentration of dissolved solids. (USGS)

Montana↗
USGS2018

Against the current— The Mojave River from sink to source: The 2018 Desert Symposium field trip road log

The Mojave River evolved over the past few million years by “fill and spill” from upper basins near its source in the Transverse Ranges to lower basins. Each newly “spilled into” basin in the series? sustained a long-lived lake but gradually filled with Mojave River sediment, leading to spill to a yet lower elevation? basin. The Mojave River currently terminates at Silver Lake, near Baker, CA, but previously overflowed this terminus onward to Lake Manly in Death Valley during the last glacial cycle. The river’s origin and evolution are intricately interwoven with tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic processes through time, beginning with San Andreas fault interactions that created a mountain range across a former externally draining river. We will see and discuss the Mojave River’s predecessor streams and basins, its evolution as it lengthened to reach the central Mojave Desert, local and regional tectonic controls, groundwater flow, flood history, and support of isolated perennial stream reaches that host endemic species. In association with these subjects are supporting studies such as paleoclimate records, location and timing for groundwater and wetlands in the central Mojave Desert, and effects of modern water usage. The trip introduces new findings for the groundwater basin of Hinkley Valley, including an ongoing remediation project that provides a wealth of information on past and present river flow and associated development of the groundwater system.

California↗
USGS2016

U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2015 annual report

This is the eighth annual report highlighting U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science and decision-support activities conducted for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI). The activities address specific management needs identified by WLCI partner agencies. In 2015, USGS scientists continued 24 WLCI projects in 5 categories: (1) acquiring and analyzing resource-condition data to form a foundation for understanding and monitoring landscape conditions and projecting changes; (2) using new technologies to improve the scope and accuracy of landscape-scale monitoring and assessments, and applying them to monitor indicators of ecosystem conditions and the effectiveness of on-the-ground habitat projects; (3) conducting research to elucidate the mechanisms that drive wildlife and habitat responses to changing land uses; (4) managing and making accessible the large number of databases, maps, and other products being developed; and (5) coordinating efforts among WLCI partners, helping them to use USGS-developed decision-support tools, and integrating WLCI outcomes with future habitat enhancement and research projects. Of the 24 projects, 21 were ongoing, including those that entered new phases or more in-depth lines of inquiry, 2 were new, and 1 was completed. A highlight of 2015 was the WLCI science conference sponsored by the USGS, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service in coordination with the Wyoming chapter of The Wildlife Society. Of 260 participants, 41 were USGS professionals representing 13 USGS science centers, field offices, and Cooperative Wildlife Research Units. Major themes of USGS presentations included using new technologies for developing more efficient research protocols for modeling and monitoring natural resources, researching effects of energy development and other land uses on wildlife species and habitats of concern, and modeling species distributions, population trends, habitat use, and effects of land-use changes. There was also a special session on the effectiveness of Wyoming’s Sage-Grouse Executive Order. Combined, USGS presentations provided WLCI partners with a wealth of information and conservation tools. The project completed in 2015 yielded an index of important agricultural lands in the WLCI region. The index improves upon existing measures of agricultural productivity and provides planners and managers with additional values to consider when making decisions about land use and conservation actions. The two new projects include an analysis of satellite imagery to quantify sagebrush productivity and mortality, and an evaluation of how groundwater and small streams interact in the upper Green River Basin. Initiated in response to concern among WLCI partners that large areas of sagebrush appear to have died recently, the sagebrush study objectives are to assess effects of these mortality events on overall sagebrush ecosystem productivity, evaluate the feasibility of using satellite imagery to detect patterns in sagebrush mortality over time, and identify factors driving these mortality events. The groundwater-streamflow interaction study is being conducted by hydrologists and fish ecologists to better understand how groundwater-streamflow interactions are affected by energy-resource development and how native fish communities are affected by these factors. Expected outcomes of both new projects will provide WLCI partners with additional information and decision-support tools. Highlights of ongoing science foundation activities included simulations of nine alternative build-out scenarios for oil and gas development and an associated online fact sheet that explains how the simulations were conducted, with an applied example for the Atlantic Rim. Also completed in 2015 was an update of the USGS online inventory of mineral resources data, and publication of a USGS uranium resource survey for the WLCI region. Combined, the outcomes of this work provide decisionmakers and managers with important baseline information for existing and (or) future planning and monitoring efforts. Terrestrial monitoring activities in 2015 emphasized the use of satellite data in combination with other technologies and field data to monitor, assess, and (or) forecast distribution patterns and (or) trends in sagebrush ecosystems, seasonal and migration stopover habitats used by mule deer and elk, and semi-arid aspen woodlands. Several professional papers detailing new monitoring models and results have been published. Combined, this and related work will help managers understand distribution patterns and trends among priority habitats, identify areas in need of restoration or conservation, and monitor the effectiveness of habitat-management actions. Aquatic monitoring activities entailed not only the new groundwater-streamflow interaction study already mentioned, but also continued monitoring with streamgages paired with nearby wells in the Green River Basin to assess groundwater effects on streamflow and surface water temperatures. A map that portrays groundwater levels and general direction of flow in the Green River Basin was published as well . Overall, outcomes of USGS hydrological research and monitoring will inform WLCI partners about water resources in the WLCI region and help to explain fish-community responses to energy-resource development. In 2015, USGS terrestrial wildlife ecologists continued to make crucial strides towards better understanding wildlife species responses to energy-resource development and other land-use changes. This body of research includes six taxa that require or heavily depend on sagebrush habitats: sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits, 3 songbird species, and mule deer. Native fish communities are also being evaluated. Approaches include modeling and mapping wildlife species distributions, abundances, and trends; using satellite and other technologies to track wildlife seasonal movements; conducting successive phases of research that build on the knowledge gained through prior phases to reveal the specific factors or thresholds that drive population- or individual-level responses to changes; and conducting population viability analyses. Additionally, wildlife habitat association models for pygmy rabbit and sage-grouse were combined with the oil and gas build-out scenarios to project species responses to alternative energy development scenarios. Outcomes of the wildlife response research are helping decisionmakers and managers identify specific factors that contribute to species population trends, the potential for spatial overlap between important wildlife habitats and proposed energy-resource development, locations of priority habitats for restoration and conservation, and more. Data and WLCI Web site management highlights of 2015 included not only ongoing software upgrades, but also an update of the datasets displayed in two of the online products developed for the WLCI effort: (1) a map of 15,532 oil and natural gas well pad scars and other features associated with oil and gas extraction, and (2) a map of oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, and solar energy production, both for southwestern Wyoming. In addition, a map viewer was developed for a previously published map of coal and wind production in relation to sage-grouse distribution and core management areas in southwestern Wyoming. Combined, these maps place valuable decision-support tools in the hands of WLCI partners. The USGS coordination efforts on behalf of the WLCI in 2015 included significant work on planning and executing the WLCI science conference. They also included ongoing efforts to support Local Project Development Teams and the WLCI Coordination Team (CT) with developing conservation priorities and strategies, identifying priority areas for future conservation actions, supporting the evaluation and ranking of conservation projects, and evaluating the ways in which proposed habitat projects relate to WLCI priorities. In 2015, the USGS also assisted the WLCI CT with updating the WLCI Conservation Action Plan.

Wyoming↗
USGS2009

The ecological limits of hydrologic alteration (ELOHA): A new framework for developing regional environmental flow standards

The flow regime is a primary determinant of the structure and function of aquatic and riparian ecosystems for streams and rivers. Hydrologic alteration has impaired riverine ecosystems on a global scale, and the pace and intensity of human development greatly exceeds the ability of scientists to assess the effects on a river-by-river basis. Current scientific understanding of hydrologic controls on riverine ecosystems and experience gained from individual river studies support development of environmental flow standards at the regional scale. 2. This paper presents a consensus view from a group of international scientists on a new framework for assessing environmental flow needs for many streams and rivers simultaneously to foster development and implementation of environmental flow standards at the regional scale. This framework, the ecological limits of hydrologic alteration (ELOHA), is a synthesis of a number of existing hydrologic techniques and environmental flow methods that are currently being used to various degrees and that can support comprehensive regional flow management. The flexible approach allows scientists, water-resource managers and stakeholders to analyse and synthesise available scientific information into ecologically based and socially acceptable goals and standards for management of environmental flows. 3. The ELOHA framework includes the synthesis of existing hydrologic and ecological databases from many rivers within a user-defined region to develop scientifically defensible and empirically testable relationships between flow alteration and ecological responses. These relationships serve as the basis for the societally driven process of developing regional flow standards. This is to be achieved by first using hydrologic modelling to build a 'hydrologic foundation' of baseline and current hydrographs for stream and river segments throughout the region. Second, using a set of ecologically relevant flow variables, river segments within the region are classified into a few distinctive flow regime types that are expected to have different ecological characteristics. These river types can be further subclassified according to important geomorphic features that define hydraulic habitat features. Third, the deviation of current-condition flows from baseline-condition flow is determined. Fourth, flow alteration-ecological response relationships are developed for each river type, based on a combination of existing hydroecological literature, expert knowledge and field studies across gradients of hydrologic alteration. 4. Scientific uncertainty will exist in the flow alteration-ecological response relationships, in part because of the confounding of hydrologic alteration with other important environmental determinants of river ecosystem condition (e.g. temperature). Application of the ELOHA framework should therefore occur in a consensus context where stakeholders and decision-makers explicitly evaluate acceptable risk as a balance between the perceived value of the ecological goals, the economic costs involved and the scientific uncertainties in functional relationships between ecological responses and flow alteration. 5. The ELOHA framework also should proceed in an adaptive management context, where collection of monitoring data or targeted field sampling data allows for testing of the proposed flow alteration-ecological response relationships. This empirical validation process allows for a fine-tuning of environmental flow management targets. The ELOHA framework can be used both to guide basic research in hydroecology and to further implementation of more comprehensive environmental flow management of freshwater sustainability on a global scale. ?? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Freshwater Biology↗
USGS2005

Topography and vegetation as predictors of snow water equivalent across the alpine treeline ecotone at Lee Ridge, Glacier National Park, Montana, U.S.A.

We derived and implemented two spatial models of May snow water equivalent (SWE) at Lee Ridge in Glacier National Park, Montana. We used the models to test the hypothesis that vegetation structure is a control on snow redistribution at the alpine treeline ecotone (ATE). The statistical models were derived using stepwise and “best” subsets regression techniques. The first model was derived from field measurements of SWE, topography, and vegetation taken at 27 sample points. The second model was derived using GIS-based measures of topography and vegetation. Both the field- ( R 2 = 0.93) and GIS-based models ( R 2 = 0.69) of May SWE included the following variables: site type (based on vegetation), elevation, maximum slope, and general slope aspect. Site type was identified as the most important predictor of SWE in both models, accounting for 74.0% and 29.5% of the variation, respectively. The GIS-based model was applied to create a predictive map of SWE across Lee Ridge, predicting little snow accumulation on the top of the ridge where vegetation is scarce. The GIS model failed in large depressions, including ephemeral stream channels. The models supported the hypothesis that upright vegetation has a positive effect on accumulation of SWE above and beyond the effects of topography. Vegetation, therefore, creates a positive feedback in which it modifies its environment and could affect the ability of additional vegetation to become established.

Montana↗
USGS1948

Some solutional features of the limestone near Lexington, Kentucky

Field work on the Ordovician limestones and shales of the Lexington area, Kentucky, has shown that no appreciable quantity of ground water is transmitted through interstitial openings in these rocks. Ground-water movement is restricted to joint planes and, to a lesser extent, bedding planes that have been enlarged by solution. Studies of these planes indicate that solution has been effective only to a limited depth below the land surface. The bottom of the solutional zone is an exaggerated replica of the land surface, showing a greater depth of the solutional zone below stream valleys. The greater depth is attributed to the greater accumulation of ground water, the dissolving agent, in those areas. Modifications of the ideal condition are effected by the less soluble beds and the configuration of the land surface. The underground drainage systems of the area develop in a manner similar to rectilinear stream patterns, showing a definite alignment along the two joint sets of the area. Directional solution has taken place where one of these joint sets has been developed to the exclusion of the other.

Kentucky↗
USGS2010

Sediment Loading from Crab Creek and Other Sources to Moses Lake, Washington, 2007 and 2008

The average sediment-accumulation rate on the bed of Moses Lake since 1980, based on the identification of Mount St. Helens ash in lakebed cores, was 0.24 inches per year. Summed over the lake surface area, the average sediment-accumulation rate on the lakebed is 190,000 tons per year. Based on USGS stream-gaging station data, the average annual sediment load to Moses Lake from Crab Creek was 32,000 tons per year between 1943 and 2008; the post Mount St. Helens eruption annual load from Crab Creek was calculated to be 13,000 tons per year. The total mass input from Crab Creek and other fluvially derived sediment sources since 1980 has been about 20,000 tons per year. Eolian sediment loading to Moses Lake was about 50,000 tons per year before irrigation and land-use development largely stabilized the Moses Lake dune field. Currently, eolian input to the lake is less than 2,000 tons per year. Considering all sediment sources to the lake, most (from 80 to 90 percent) of post-1980 lakebed-sediment accumulation is from autochthonous, or locally formed, mineral matter, including diatom frustuals and carbonate shells, derived from biogenic production in phytoplankton and zooplankton. Suspended-sediment samples collected from Crab Creek and similar nearby waterways in 2007 and 2008 combined with other USGS data from the region indicated that a proposed Bureau of Reclamation supplemental feed of as much as 650 cubic feet per second through Crab Creek might initially contain a sediment load of as much as 1,500 tons per day. With time, however, this sediment load would decrease to about 10 tons per day in the sediment-supply-limited creek as available sediment in the channel is depleted. Sediment loads in the supplemental feed ultimately would be similar to loads in other bypass canals near Moses Lake. Considering the hydrology and geomorphology of the creek over multiple years, there is little evidence that the proposed supplemental feed would substantially increase the overall sediment load from Crab Creek to Moses Lake relative to natural, background conditions. Because Moses Lake is relatively shallow and subject to significant wind-driven circulation currents, mixing also would redistribute some of the fluvial sediment load deposited from Crab Creek throughout Parker Horn and the rest of Moses Lake, further mitigating the local effect of Crab Creek sedimentation near the City of Moses Lake.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2021

Phosphorus sources, forms, and abundance as a function of streamflow and field conditions in a Maumee River tributary, 2016-2019

Total phosphorus (TP), dissolved P (DP), and suspended sediment (SS) were sampled in Black Creek, Indiana, monthly during base flow and for 100 storm events during water years 2016–2019, enabling analysis of how each of these varied as a function of streamflow and field conditions at nested edge-of-field sites. Particulate P was normalized for SS (P SS = [TP − DP]/SS). Streamflow events were differentiated by maximum TP concentrations co-occurring with maximum SS (SED) or DP (SOL). The combination of new precipitation and high antecedent soil-water storage during months when fields were exposed coincided with higher streamflow that drove SED events. These SED events carried more SS, including sediment eroded from streambanks that added sediment P but also may have provided for sorption of DP. During SOL events, DP was higher and contributed approximately half of TP; SS was lower. These SOL events had higher P SS , more similar to that in base flow as well as composited samples of overland flow and tile-drain discharge from fields. Base-flow samples had significantly higher P SS concentrations than most event samples, with ≤25 times enrichment relative to soil P concentrations in fine-grained source material. Combining base-flow and event samples showed that P SS integrates SS, DP, and streamflow. Addition of new suspended sediment during events may provide for sorption of DP during and after events and storage in the system, delaying delivery of this P to Lake Erie relative to what would be expected for the dissolved form but adding to the legacy P stored in the stream system.

Indiana↗
USGS1998

Stream habitat characteristics at selected sites in the Georgia-Florida coastal plain

Habitat characterization is part of a multidisciplinary approach to water-quality assessment implemented by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Habitat data were collected in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit at 24 sites during 1993-95. Data were collected for habitat characteristics at three spatial scales: basin, segment, and reach. Basin data include physiography, land resource provinces, and land use, providing a description of the environmental setting at each site. Segment data include length, gradient, and sinuosity. A Kendall correlation analysis performed on segment characteristics and the log-of-basin area showed a correlation between segment gradient and the log-of-basin area and a correlation between sinuosity and segment length. Reach data consist of field-collected measurements of both instream and riparian habitats. Sand and detritus were the most common channel-bed substrates among the sampled sites. Measurements of channel width, water depth, and bank width and height were used to create cross-sectional profiles of each sampled area. Elevations of selected durations plotted on cross sections illustrated the percentage of time that the banks were inundated at each site. Sites were divided into two groups based on duration of bank inundation (less than or equal to 1 percent and greater than 1 percent). Bank woody vegetation was also sampled and a clustering algorithm known as Two-Way INdicator SPecies ANalysis (TWINSPAN) was used to analyze these data. TWINSPAN divided the sites into two groups based on their vegetation composition. A statistical comparison of the two types of site groups (duration of bank inundation and vegetation) was performed. The significant association between these groups was consistent with the hypothesis that inundation frequency affected riparian vegetation.

Florida, Georgia↗