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At least 1,297 records · Page 72Linked to original sources
USGS2018

Vibration monitoring results near a bat hibernaculum at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, March 2016

Vibrations originating from construction of a new walkway in a passage of Mammoth Cave, from walking personnel simulating a bat survey, and from ambient sources were measured near a bat hibernaculum beneath Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, to determine if the vibrations were disturbing the hibernating bats. Data presented indicate direction and magnitude of the vibrations. The seven sources of vibration that were recorded include hammer drill (one location), plate compactor (two locations), jackhammer (two locations), personnel simulating a bat survey near the hibernaculum (walking throughout the cave), and background levels. Vibrations were measured for approximately 10 seconds during each triggering of the source and each source was recorded 5–10 times to represent the reproducibility of the vibrations. The plate compactor produced the largest velocity of 0.00226 inch per second on one of the longitudinal components. The simulated bat survey produced the largest value of acceleration of 0.34 inch per square second in the vertical component. Maximum vertical velocities and accelerations did not exceed literature values for human perception or visible agitation in laboratory mice.

Kentucky↗
USGS2019

Sand Creek characterization study for Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis (Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout), Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

The Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis (Rio Grande cutthroat trout, RGCT) has undergone extensive declines in distribution and population. The RGCT is the southernmost distributed subspecies of cutthroat trout. Native to the Rio Grande Basin in Colorado and New Mexico, the subspecies is also found in the headwaters of the Pecos River and Canadian River basins in New Mexico. Currently, RGCT populations represent approximately 12 percent of the historic distribution. There are many factors that have contributed to the decline of the RGCT including small population sizes; hybridization with non-native salmonids; competition with non-native salmonids; angling; and loss of habitat resulting from wildfire, stream drying, disease, increased water temperatures; and poor land management. The eastern side of Colorado’s Rio Grande Basin is also home to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the Sand Creek watershed. This study was designed to (1) characterize current physical and biological conditions of waterbodies within the Sand Creek watershed, from headwaters to lower terminus near the dune field; (2) characterize the spatial extent of existing fisheries within the Sand Creek watershed to inform the scope of potential future reclamation efforts; and (3) evaluate key limiting factors for a future native RGCT reintroduction. Bathymetric profiles were completed for two lakes within the upper Sand Creek drainage to characterize the physical geometry of each lake and to estimate the total lake volume required for future piscicide treatment and (or) fish removal efforts. Physical and biological conditions evaluated included stream water temperature and intermittency, discharge, and the genetics and existing fish community distribution and composition within the Sand Creek watershed were key components of this study. A baseline established the geographic extent and biological constraints factored into future piscicide treatment planning and native trout reintroduction efforts. As a result of this work, the Sand Creek watershed can be broken up into several distinct categories: Lakes that are good candidates for reclamation and reintroduction of RGCT, lakes that are poor candidates for reclamation, streams that currently have fish and are good candidates for reclamation and reintroduction, streams that currently lack fish and may be good candidates for introduction of RGCT, and streams that currently lack fish and are not good candidates for introduction of RGCT. This characterization study report is intended to inform State and Federal managers of the likelihood that the Sand Creek watershed can support a sustainable population of RGCT should they be reintroduced.

Colorado↗
USGS2023

Strontium isotope chronostratigraphic age of a sirenian fossil site on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California

Fossils in the order Sirenia (family Dugongidae) from Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park in southern California, provide rare temporal and spatial links between earlier and later evolutionary forms of dugongids, and add information about their dispersal into the northeastern Pacific region. Marine sedimentary rocks containing these fossils have characteristics of both the late Oligocene to middle Miocene Vaqueros Sandstone and the early to middle Miocene Rincon formation observed elsewhere. To determine a more precise age of the fossils, marine invertebrate shells were collected from the same exposures as the sirenian fossils for chronostratigraphic assessment using strontium isotope compositions and the well-calibrated seawater strontium evolution curve. Shells used for analysis were from bivalve mollusks ( Pycnodonte sp. [oyster] and Lyropecten sp. [scallop]) and crustaceans ( Balanus sp. [barnacle]). Results show a wide range of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values, indicating that shell materials experienced varying degrees of diagenetic alteration. Strontium concentrations and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in subsamples of Pycnodonte shell show correlations between original shell material and a secondary component having lower strontium concentrations and less radiogenic (lower) 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. In contrast, all Lyropecten shell analyses yielded a uniform 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value (0.708440±0.000010 [2× standard deviation]) over a wide range of strontium concentrations (around 900 to 1,800 micrograms per gram [μg/g]). Results for Balanus shell subsamples show a range of strontium compositional behavior between the other two types of shell. Acetic acid leachates of sandy matrix confirm that diagenetic fluids had low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values consistent with the least radiogenic values in Pycnodonte subsamples. A simple mixing model between two calcite end-members can explain observed Pycnodonte data, although actual diagenetic processes likely involved secondary dissolution/reprecipitation or strontium ion exchange between shell material and pore fluid. Data indicate that only Lyropecten subsamples have retained their original 87 Sr/ 86 Sr compositions, resulting in a best-estimate age of 20.08±0.11 million years ago (Ma) (±95-percent confidence interval [CI]). Although Dugongidae fossils have been found in Miocene and younger sediments along the west coast of North America, the Santa Rosa Island specimens represent some of the earliest and most accurately dated sirenian fossils in the region. Chronostratigraphic results also constrain the timing of the transgressional processes represented by shallow-water (Vaqueros Sandstone) to deep-water (Rincon formation) depositional environments.

California↗
USGS2025

Fluvial sediment dynamics in the Shoshone River and tributaries around Willwood Dam, Park County, Wyoming

Sedimentation affects many of the aging reservoirs in the United States. Dams and water diversions from rivers have been central elements of infrastructure supporting agricultural irrigation in the arid and semiarid regions of the Western United States for more than a century. The Willwood Irrigation District diversion dam (hereafter referred to as “Willwood Dam”) in Park County, Wyoming, is approximately 12 miles northeast of Cody, Wyo.; has a structural height of 70 feet; and impounds the Shoshone River for diversion into the Willwood Canal. Willwood Dam is part of a larger irrigation scheme supported by water storage in the much larger Buffalo Bill Dam, which is approximately 20 miles upstream. In October 2016, renovation construction activities at Willwood Dam and the Willwood Canal caused an unplanned evacuation of nearly 96,000 cubic yards of fine sediment. The fine sediment release in 2016 raised concerns that ongoing sediment management at Willwood Dam could impose limits on the long-term health of the aquatic ecosystem and fish populations. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Willwood Work Groups 2 and 3, initiated an investigation of the dynamics of sediment transport in the Shoshone River and selected tributaries between Buffalo Bill Dam and Willwood Dam. The goal of the study was to quantify sediment transport into and out of Willwood Dam on an annual, seasonal, and event basis to better understand the relative quantities of sediment coming from natural sources and human activities on the landscape. The study ran from March 2019 through October 2021 and used observations of streamflow, turbidity, and acoustic backscatter collected at streamgages upstream and downstream from Willwood Dam to quantify suspended-sediment loads into and out of the dam during irrigation and fallow seasons, precipitation-runoff events, and deliberate sediment releases. Each tributary’s relative contribution to the sediment load upstream from Willwood Dam was examined using discrete measurements of suspended-sediment concentration and bedload during irrigation and fallow seasons, precipitation events, and stable conditions. Analysis of daily precipitation and temperature data indicated that conditions in the study area during the 2019 agricultural year were wetter and colder than period of record normal, and drier and near normal temperatures for the 2020 and 2021 agricultural years. Not all sediment load records between 2019 and 2021 are complete because of rejected observations (outliers), instrument failures or fouling, and instrument removal for calibrations. Statistical modeling of suspended-sediment concentration using paired values of turbidity and acoustic backscatter produced four models that, after refinement, had coefficients of determination indicating that more than 84 percent of the variance was explained by either turbidity or acoustic backscatter. A system of rules was developed to select the model predictions based on the seasonal operations of Willwood Dam, assumptions about the grain sizes mobilized during these operations, and assumed accuracy of the models at the downstream streamgage (Shoshone River below Willwood Dam, near Ralston, Wyo. [streamgage 06284010]) under different operational conditions. The sediment budget between upstream and downstream estimates of loads was interpreted using the mean predicted values bound by their respective model prediction intervals. When mean predicted loads of one streamgage were contained in the prediction intervals of the other streamgage, and vice-versa, difference in the sediment budget were interpreted as “indeterminate.” Modeled sediment load balances demonstrated the depositional and erosional behaviors expected from the conceptual model of dam operations whereby sediment tends to accumulate during irrigation seasons when the dam is spilling over the top, and sediment tends to evacuate during the fallow seasons when it is flowing through the sluice gates at the base of the dam. The sediment load calculations using the rules-based model criteria indicated that between 14,200 and 380,000 tons of suspended sediment moved through the Shoshone River around Willwood Dam during the irrigation seasons of 2019, 2020, and 2021; 380,000 tons of suspended sediment were transported during the cool, wet year of 2019, and 14,200 tons of suspended sediment were transported in 2020, which was relatively dry. During fallow seasons 2019, 2020, and 2021, which had fewer complete records, between 1,140 and 106,000 tons of suspended sediment was estimated to have moved through the river. For all seasons except fallow season 2022, the models estimated that more sediment was released from the dam than entered the dam, but the modeled mean loads at each streamgage were nearly always within the prediction intervals of each other, making the sediment balance indeterminant. Examination of suspended-sediment loads during irrigation seasons indicated that between 65 and 85 percent of fine sediment was transported during annual high flows and storm events, with the remainder transported during steady, lower streamflows. Examination of suspended loads during fallow seasons indicated that deliberate sediment releases through Willwood Dam accounted for between 39 and 67 percent of the total sediment moved during the fallow seasons. Deliberate sediment releases from Willwood Dam had estimated net exports of between 1,360 and 22,400 tons. Between August 2017 and July 2023, suspended-sediment concentration and bedload sediment samples were collected from 9 tributaries to the Shoshone River during 137 sampling events, including stable and precipitation-runoff conditions. During irrigation season precipitation events, the mean total sediment yields ranged from 0.33 to 9.51 tons per day per square mile; during fallow season precipitation events, the mean total yields ranged from 0.04 to 0.95 ton per day per square mile. The mean total sediment yield per unit area across all samples at each tributary site ranged from 0.26 to 3.08 tons per day per square mile. Bedload was a minor fraction of the total load, constituting a mean of 4 percent across all samples; 3 and 6 percent for events and nonevents, respectively, during irrigation season; and 3 and 1 percent for events and nonevents, respectively, during the fallow season. With the exception of one tributary, Dry Creek, these mean yield values were within the range of watershed-scale background sediment yield values estimated from reservoir surveys and previous suspended-sediment studies. Imagery from irrigation seasons 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 was used to determine the planimetric backwater extent of the pool area in the Shoshone River behind Willwood Dam to identify any changes in sediment storage. Active river channel widths in the Shoshone River upstream from Willwood Dam were all similar between years except 2015, which was determined to be statistically different from all other years. Bathymetric data taken in the pool behind Willwood Dam during three different surveys between November 2017 and April 2022 indicated no statistically significant differences in bed elevations between the years. Results from the planimetric and bathymetric survey data provide multiple lines of evidence indicating that sediment did not accumulate behind the dam within the error of the methods used. Examination of how precipitation affects sediment transport in the Shoshone River upstream from Willwood Dam indicated that accumulated rainfall from the natural runoff events captured during the study period varied from a trace to as much as 4.26 inches, with associated predicted suspended-sediment loads varying from 112 to 232,000 tons of suspended sediment. The behavior of the sediment loads relative to accumulated precipitation did not appear to change depending on irrigation or fallow season. A model of suspended-sediment concentrations relative to the 2-day accumulated precipitation indicated that suspended-sediment concentrations in the Shoshone River upstream from Willwood Dam increased exponentially for accumulations of 0.3 inch or more; such storms accounted for 10 percent or less of precipitation events observed during the 1981 to 2018 period of record. The gaps in records, precision of the instrumentation, and large variation in grain sizes in suspended-sediment mixtures downstream from the dam made closing the sediment budgets for most seasons unattainable. The biggest recent change in sediment storage measured using the planimetric area of deposits behind Willwood Dam took place between 2015 and 2017. The main event between these two measurements was the installation of new Willwood Canal gates in October 2016, which resulted in the large unplanned sediment release. Because the sediment budgets were nearly always indeterminate and the planimetric and bathymetric data indicated little change in the bed and bank material, it is likely that the change in sediment storage behind the dam during the study period was small relative to the precision of the statistical models and other uncertainties. This body of evidence suggests that, averaged during the 3-year study period, no major changes in storage took place, and that the current operations may be keeping storage at near-equilibrium. This condition could have been initiated because the middle sluice gate has now been operational since 2014, and the sediment release in October 2016 evacuated a large amount of legacy sediment from storage. Although the uncertainties are large, sluicing events allow for controlled releases of sediment that contributed to the near equilibrium conditions observed over an annual basis during this study.

Wyoming↗
USGS2025

Assessment of treated wastewater infiltration in Bright Angel Wash and the potential for contaminants of emerging concern influencing spring water quality along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

In April 2021, a synoptic study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS) identified wastewater-related contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in springs along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. These springs are located north of Bright Angel Wash, an ephemeral channel that receives treated effluent from the South Rim Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP). Although water flows southwest and away from the canyon, there is evidence that treated wastewater is finding a flow path along fractures associated with the Bright Angel Fault back to water sources along the South Rim. The CECs identified during the April 2021 sampling included several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pharmaceutical compounds. The PFAS compounds detected only consisted of perfluoroalkyl acids, and these were only detected at Bright Angel Wash (treated wastewater), Monument Spring, and upper Horn Bedrock Spring. The other five sampled springs (the Salt Creek, Horn East Alluvium, Garden, Pumphouse, and Pipe Springs) had no detections of PFAS compounds. The five perfluoroalkyl acids detected at Monument Spring (in descending order of concentration) were perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluoropentanoic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorohexanoic acid, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. Only the short-chained PFBS and perfluorobutanoic acid compounds were detected at the upper Horn Bedrock Spring. All the same perfluoroalkyl acids were found at Bright Angel Wash, except for PFBS. Monument Spring was the only spring to have detections of pharmaceuticals. The two pharmaceuticals detected at the highest concentrations at Monument Spring were diphenhydramine (antihistamine) and carbamazepine (anticonvulsant or anti-epileptic drug). The other detected pharmaceuticals included (in descending order of concentration) fluconazole (antifungal), sulfamethoxazole (antibiotic), metformin (diabetes drug), tramadol (opioid analgesic), and venlafaxine (antidepressant and nerve pain medication). The same pharmaceuticals were detected in the wastewater at Bright Angel Wash but in greater concentrations. No CEC concentrations measured at Monument Spring exceeded any drinking water standards or human health benchmarks; however, most of the compounds detected have no regulatory standards. Studies of the ecological effects of these compounds show that some of the compounds detected can have endocrine and physiological effects, but generally, effects were observed at concentrations multiple orders of magnitude greater than what was measured during the April 2021 study. Data from 1980 through 2022 retrieved from the Water Quality Portal were combined with data from the one-time synoptic sampling in April 2021 to assess the usefulness of other analytes for identifying a wastewater connection to South Rim springs. Most of the historical water chemistry data showed a statistical difference between samples collected within and east of the Garden Creek watershed and samples collected from locations in watersheds to the west of Garden Creek, including the Horn Creek, Salt Creek, Monument Creek, and Hermit Creek watersheds, which roughly align with the Bright Angel Fault. Most of the historical analytes were inconclusive as potential wastewater tracers, but nitrate, chloride, and gadolinium data possibly support the historical contribution of wastewater to Monument Spring.

Arizona↗
USGS1953

Radiometric reconnaissance in the Garfield and Taylor park quadrangles, Chaffee and Gunnison counties, Colorado

During the summer of 1952 most of the mines and prospects in the Garfield and Taylor Park quadrangles of west-central Colorado were examined radiometrically by the U. S. Geological Survey to determine the extent, grade, and mode of occurrence of radioactive substances. The region contains a relatively large number of rock types, chiefly pre-Cambrian schists, gneisses, and granites; large and small isolated areas of sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic and Mesozoic ages; and a great succession of intrusive rocks of Tertiary age that range from andesite to granite and occur as stocks, chonoliths, sills, dikes, and one batholith. The prevailing structures are northwest-trending folds and faults. Ores valued at about $30,000,000 have been produced from this region. Silver, lead, zinc, and gold have accounted for most of this value, but small tonnages of copper, tungsten, and molybdenum have also been produced. The principal ore minerals are sphalerite, silver-bearing galena, cerussite, smithsonite, and gold-bearing pyrite and limonite; they occur chiefly as replacement bodies in limestone and as shoots in pyritic quartz veins. Anomalous radioactivity is uncommon and the four localities at which it is known are widely separated in space. The uranium content of samples from these localities is low. Brannerite, the only uranium-bearing mineral positively identified in the region, occurs sparingly in a few pegmatites and in one quartz-beryl-pyrite vein. Elsewhere radioactivity is associated with (l) black shale seams in the Manitou dolomite, (2) a quartz-pyrite-molybdenite vein, (3) a narrow border zone of oxidized material surrounding a small lead zinc ore body in the Manitou dolomite along a strong fault zone.

Colorado↗
USGS1952

Results of diamond drilling and geologic investigation of the Shirley May (Garo) uranium deposit, Park County, Colorado

The Shirley May (Garo) uranium deposit near Garo, Park County, Colo., consists of tyuyamunite and carnotite that occur as disseminations and as fracture fillings in three beds of medium- to coarse-grained sandstone. The sandstones are in the Maroon formation of Permian age. This deposit was explored by means of 12 core-drill holes, totalling 2,003 feet. The deposit is on the northeast flank of the Garo anticline, a local structure that probably is related to Tertiary tectonic movement. In the vicinity of the deposit the sedimentary rocks strike northwest and dip steeply. They are cut by numerous northerly-trending faults that have horizontal displacements of as much as 1,000 feet. The ore minerals tyuyamunite, carnotite, volborthite, calciovolborthite, malachite, azurite, chalcocite(?) , and an unidentified yellow to dark-red vanadium oxide are restricted to a complexly faulted area. The ore body that has yielded most of the uranium ore is in the uppermost ore-bearing sandstone (bed no. 1) and is stratigraphically 50 and 150 feet above the ore horizons in sandstones nos. 2 and 3, respectively. The uranium content of samples from the mine workings ranges from 0. 001 to 0. 48 percent uranium; dump samples contain as much as 2.39 percent uranium. A total of 40 tons of uranium ore, averaging 1.0 percent uranium, was produced in 1919.

Colorado↗
USGS1951

Garo uranium deposits, Park County, Colorado

The uranium deposits, three-fourths of a mile south of Garo, Park County, Colo., were mined over 30 years ago for radium ore. The old workings are now abandoned and inaccessible. Forty tons of ore that contained 1.0 percent uranium are reported to have been mined from two light-gray sandstone beds that are stratigraphically about 100 feet apart. The minerals reported to occur in these sandstones are carnotite, malachite, azurite, calciovolborthite, and volborthite. The deposits are in close proximity to a radioactive cherty limestone which is one foot thick, that contains as much as 0.01 percent uranium. The uranium in the carnotite and the uranium in the chert may be genetically related. Mr. ¥. H. Gaddis of Hartsel, Colo., has recently attempted to reopen some of the workings, but as of April 1951 this operation had not revealed any significant new data. Future prospecting should be initiated in the two sandstone beds that have been mineralized. The chert can be used as a marker bed in correlating the sandstones from one exposure to another.

Colorado↗
USGS2001

Quantification of metal loads by tracer injection and synoptic sampling in Daisy Creek and the Stillwater River, Park County, Montana, August 1999

A metal-loading study using tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling methods was conducted in Daisy Creek and a short reach of the Stillwater River during baseflow in August 1999 to quantify the metal inputs from acid rock drainage in the New World Mining District near Yellowstone National Park and to examine the downstream transport of these metals into the Stillwater River. Loads were calculated for many mainstem and inflow sites by combining streamflow determined using the tracer-injection method with concentrations of major ions and metals that were determined in synoptic water-quality samples. Water quality and aquatic habitat in Daisy Creek have been affected adversely by drainage derived from waste rock and adit discharge at the McLaren Mine as well as from natural weathering of pyrite-rich mineralized rock that comprises and surrounds the ore zones. However, the specific sources and transport pathways are not well understood. Knowledge of the main sources and transport pathways of metals and acid can aid resource managers in planning and conducting effective and cost-efficient remediation activities. The metals cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc occur at concentrations that are sufficiently elevated to be potentially lethal to aquatic life in Daisy Creek and to pose a toxicity risk in part of the Stillwater River. Copper is of most concern in Daisy Creek because it occurs at higher concentrations than the other metals. Acidic surface inflows had dissolved concentrations as high as 20.6 micrograms per liter (μg/L) cadmium, 26,900 μg/L copper, 76.4 μ g/L lead, and 3,000 μ g/L zinc. These inflows resulted in maximum dissolved concentrations in Daisy Creek of 5.8 μ g/L cadmium, 5,790 μ g/L copper, 3.8 μ g/L lead, and 848 μ g/L zinc. Significant copper loading to Daisy Creek occurred only in the upper half of the stream. Sources included subsurface inflow and right-bank (mined side) surface inflows. Copper loads in left-bank (unmined side) surface inflows were negligible. Most (71 percent) of the total copper loading in the study reach occurred along a 341-foot reach near the stream’s headwaters. About 53 percent of the total copper load was contributed by five surface inflows that drain a manganese bog and the southern part of the McLaren Mine. Copper loading from subsurface inflow was substantial, contributing 46 percent of the total dissolved copper load to Daisy Creek. More than half of this subsurface copper loading occurred downstream from the reaches that received significant surface loading. Flow through the shallow subsurface appears to be the main copper-transport pathway from the McLaren Mine and surrounding altered and mineralized bedrock to Daisy Creek during base-flow conditions. Little is known about the source of acid and copper in this subsurface flow. However, possible sources include the mineralized rocks of Fisher Mountain upgradient of the McLaren Mine area, the surficial waste rock at the mine, and the underlying pyritic bedrock.

Montana↗
USGS2001

Trace-metal concentrations in sediment and water and health of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of streams near Park City, Summit County, Utah

The spatial distribution of metals in streambed sediment and surface water of Silver Creek, McLeod Creek, Kimball Creek, Spring Creek, and part of the Weber River, near Park City, Utah, was examined. From the mid-1800s through the 1970s, this region was extensively mined for silver and lead ores. Although some remediation has occurred, residual deposits of tailing wastes remain in place along large sections of Silver Creek. These tailings are the most likely source of metals to this system. Bed sediment samples were collected in 1998, 1999, and 2000 and analyzed using two extraction techniques: a total extraction that completely dissolves all forms of metals in minerals and trace elements associated with the sediment; and a weak-acid extraction that extracts the metals and trace elements that are only weakly adsorbed onto the sediment surface. This latter method is used to determine the more biologically relevant fraction of metal complexed onto the sediment. Water samples were collected in March and August 2000 and were analyzed for total and dissolved trace metals. Concentrations of silver, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc in the streambed sediment of Silver Creek greatly exceeded background concentrations. These metals also exceeded established aquatic life criteria at most sites. In the Weber River, downstream of the confluence with Silver Creek, concentrations of cadmium, lead, zinc, and total mercury in streambed sediment also exceeded aquatic life guidelines, however, concentrations of metals in streambed sediment of McLeod and Kimball Creeks were lower than Silver Creek. Water-column concentrations of zinc, total mercury, and methylmercury in Silver Creek were high relative to unimpacted sites, and exceeded water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic organisms. Qualitative measurements of the macroinvertebrate community in Silver Creek were compared to the spatial distribution of metals in streambed sediment. The data indicate that impairment related to metal concentration exists in Silver Creek.

Utah↗
USGS2002

Metal concentrations and sources in the Miller Creek watershed, Park County, Montana, August 2000

Miller Creek is a tributary of Soda Butte Creek in south-central Montana near the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. Surface-water and streambed-sediment samples were collected from streams and seeps throughout the Miller Creek watershed during low-flow conditions on August 28-31, 2000, to characterize metal concentrations and identify possible sources contributing metal to Miller Creek. Most water in Miller Creek appears to be unaffected by mining disturbances or natural weathering of mineralized rocks, although such effects are common elsewhere in the New World Mining District. Values for pH were near neutral to basic. Total-recoverable copper, lead, and zinc concentrations were low, relative to State of Montana water-quality standards, with many concentrations less than the analytical minimum reporting levels. Metal concentrations in Miller Creek during this study ranged from 1 to 6 micrograms per liter (?g/L) for total-recoverable copper, <1 to 5 ?g/L for total-recoverable lead, and <1 to 26 ?g/L for total-recoverable zinc. Concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in all samples from Miller Creek were less than the chronic aquatic-life criteria, except for one total-recoverable lead value (5 ?g/L) just downstream from the Black Warrior Mine inflow. Leachable lead and zinc concentrations in streambed-sediment samples collected during this study were highest at the Black Warrior Mine inflow. Leachable concentrations at this site were about 20 times greater for lead and 11 times greater for zinc than concentrations in the streambed-sediment sample collected from Miller Creek upstream from this inflow. However, these elevated concentrations had little effect on the leachable metal concentrations in the streambed-sediment sample collected downstream from the Black Warrior Mine inflow. Metal loading to Miller Creek during this low-flow study was relatively small. Three small left-bank inflows having elevated copper concentrations entered Miller Creek near the middle of the study reach and their combined total-recoverable copper load accounted for about 96 percent of the copper load in Miller Creek. Small loads of lead (about 2 micrograms per second) entered Miller Creek from the Black Warrior Mine inflow and a right bank inflow. None of the loads entering Miller Creek had an appreciable effect on mainstem metal concentrations. In addition, substantial differences between mining related areas and areas influenced by local geology could not be determined.

Montana↗
USGS2003

Resurvey of quality of surface water and bottom material of the Barataria Preserve of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana, 1999-2000

The quality of water and bottom material in the Barataria Preserve of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana, was surveyed from March 1999 to May 2000. Organochlorine, chlorophenoxy acid, and organophosphorus pesticides; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's); and trace elements were analyzed in surface water and bottom material from three sites previously sampled in a 1981-82 survey. Surface water at six sites was sampled and analyzed for selected nutrients and major inorganic ions based on their importance to human health, the health of the marshes of the Barataria Preserve, or their usefulness in tracking the circulation of Mississippi River water in the Barataria Preserve. Southern Louisiana was in a moderate to severe drought during most of the sampling period, which elevated salinity in the Barataria Preserve for at least 8 months. Specific conductance values were less than 3,000 µS/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius) in surface water throughout the Barataria Preserve from March through September 1999. Specific conductance values increased over the next 2 months and then remained between 5,000 and 6,000 µS/cm. The herbicide 2,4-D was detected in water at the two sites sampled in August 1999 but not at any site during the two other sampling times. Iron, manganese, and the trace elements copper, nickel, and zinc were detected in dissolved and whole-water samples at all three sites. Nitrite+ nitrate, as nitrogen, concentrations ranged from less than 0.002 to 0.19 mg/L (milligrams per liter). Ammonia, as nitrogen, concentrations ranged from less than 0.01 to 0.16 mg/L. Orthophosphate, as phosphorus, concentrations ranged from less than 0.002 to 0.14 mg/L. Calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfate, and chloride concentrations in surface water were elevated due to the marine influence on the composition of surface water in the Barataria Preserve during the sampling period. Sulfate and chloride concentrations reached 379 and 2,830 mg/L, respectively. Polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordane, and DDT were detected in bottom material. Trace elements were detected in bottom material at all three of the sampled sites. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 4 to 9 µg/g (micrograms per gram) and lead concentrations from 20 to 31 µg/g. Mercury concentrations also were above laboratory reporting levels (LRL's) for bottom material at all three sites. The herbicide 2,4-D was detected in surface water during both surveys. Other organic compounds were not detected in surface water. Mercury and chromium were detected in surface water at all three sites during the 1981-82 survey but were below LRL?s during the 1999-2000 survey. Changes in chemical characteristics of bottom material occurred during the years between the 1981-82 and 1999-2000 surveys. DDT decreased in the bottom material at Bayou Segnette near Barataria. DDE, a degradation product, increased at this site, indicating that over time, DDT concentrations are decreasing in bottom material. PCB's were present in similar concentrations (Bayou Segnette near Barataria) or increased (Bayou Segnette 4.6 miles below Westwego) from 1981-82 to 1999-2000. Cadmium concentrations consistently decreased by half or more at all three sites from 1981-82 to 1999-2000. Mercury concentrations were consistently lower at all three sites in the 1999-2000 survey, but the differences from the 1981-82 survey were small. Chromium concentrations increased at two of the three sites from 1981-82 to the present survey. At the third site, no chromium value was available for the earlier survey. Concentrations of copper and nickel increased in bottom material at the two sites on Bayou Segnette, but decreased at Kenta Canal northwest of Westwego. Probable Effects Levels (PEL's) and Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines (ISQG's) concentrations, as tabulated by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the of the Environment, were used to assess the probability of biological impairment in the Barataria Preserve. PEL’s are concentrations of a chemical at or above which some biological impairment is likely. ISQG concentrations are those at or below which biological impairment is unlikely. Concentrations of 2,4-D and trace elements, when detected in surface water, were substantially lower than levels at which biological impairment could be expected. Concentrations of organic compounds in bottom material were at most less than 25 percent of PEL’s, and usually much lower. Arsenic, cadmium, copper, and lead concentrations in bottom material were generally slightly above or lower than ISQG concentrations in both surveys, although arsenic was as high as 53 percent of PEL’s at one site in the 1999-2000 survey. All other trace elements in bottom material were present in concentrations lower than ISQG concentrations.

Louisiana↗
USGS2004

Water quality in Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park — Trends and spatial characteristics of selected constituents

Seasonal changes in water levels and flows in Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY) and Everglades National Park (EVER) affect water quality. As water levels and flows decline during the dry season, physical, geochemical and biological processes increase the breakdown of organic materials and the build-up of organic waste, nutrients, and other constituents in the remaining surface water. For example, concentrations of total phosphorus in the marsh are less than 0.01 milligram per liter (mg/L) during much of the year. Concentrations can rise briefly above this value during the dry season and occasionally exceed 0.1 mg/L under drought conditions. Long-term changes in water levels, flows, water management, and upstream land use also affect water quality in BICY and EVER, based on analysis of available data (1959-2000). During the 1980's and early 1990's, specific conductance and concentrations of chloride increased in the Taylor Slough and Shark River Slough. Chloride concentrations more than doubled from 1960 to 1990, primarily due to greater canal transport of high dissolved solids into the sloughs. Some apparent long-term trends in sulfate and total phosphorus were likely attributable, at least in part, to high percentages of less-than and zero values and to changes in reporting levels over the period of record. High values in nutrient concentrations were evident during dry periods of the 1980's and were attributable either to increased canal inflows of nutrient-rich water, increased nutrient releases from breakdown of organic bottom sediment, or increased build-up of nutrient waste from concentrations of aquatic biota and wildlife in remaining ponds. Long-term changes in water quality over the period of record are less pronounced in the western Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp; however, short-term seasonal and drought-related changes are evident. Water quality varies spatially across the region because of natural variations in geology, hydrology, and vegetation and because of differences in water management and land use. Nutrient concentrations are relatively low in BICY and EVER compared with concentrations in parts of the northern Everglades that are near agricultural and urban lands. Concentrations of total phosphorus generally are higher in BICY (median values, 1991-2000, were mostly greater than 0.015 mg/L) than in EVER (median values, 1991-2000, less than 0.01 mg/L), probably because of higher phosphorus in natural sources such as shallow soils, rocks, and ground water in the Big Cypress region than in the Everglades region. Conversely, concentrations of chloride and sulfate are higher in EVER (median values in Shark River Slough, 1991-2000, mostly greater than 2 mg/L sulfate and 50 mg/L chloride) than in BICY (median values, 1991-2000, less than 1 mg/L sulfate and at most sites less than 20 mg/L chloride), probably because of the canal transport system, which conveys more water from an agricultural source into EVER than into BICY. Trace elements and contaminants such as pesticides and other toxic organic compounds are in relatively low concentrations in BICY and EVER compared with concentrations in parts of the northern Everglades near agricultural and urban sources. Concentrations rarely exceeded aquatic life criteria in BICY and EVER. Atrazine was the only pesticide found in water that exceeded the criteria (in 2 out of 304 samples). The pesticides heptachlor expoxide, lindane, and p,p?-DDE exceeded criteria in canal bed sediments in 1, 2, and 16 percent of the samples, respectively.

Florida↗
USGS2004

Microbiological Water Quality in Relation to Water-Contact Recreation, Cuyahoga River, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, 2000 and 2002

The microbiological water quality of a 23-mile segment of the Cuyahoga River within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park was examined in this study. This segment of the river receives discharges of contaminated water from stormwater, combined-sewer overflows, and incompletely disinfected wastewater. Frequent exceedances of Ohio microbiological water-quality standards result in a health risk to the public who use the river for water-contact recreation. Water samples were collected during the recreational season of May through October at four sites on the Cuyahoga River in 2000, at three sites on the river in 2002, and from the effluent of the Akron Water Pollution Control Station (WPCS) both years. The samples were collected over a similar range in streamflow in 2000 and 2002. Samples were analyzed for physical and chemical constituents, as well as the following microbiological indicators and pathogenic organisms: Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, F-specific and somatic coliphage, enterovirus, infectious enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia. The relations of the microorganisms to each other and to selected water-quality measures were examined. All microorganisms analyzed for, except Cryptosporidium, were detected at least once at each sampling site. Concentrations of E. coli exceeded the Ohio primary-contact recreational standard (298 colonies per 100 milliliters) in approximately 87 percent of the river samples and generally were higher in the river samples than in the effluent samples. C. perfringens concentrations were positively and significantly correlated with E. coli concentrations in the river samples and generally were higher in the effluent samples than in the river samples. Several of the river samples that met the Ohio E. coli secondary-contact recreational standard (576 colonies per 100 milliliters) had detections of enterovirus, infectious enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, and Salmonella, indicating that there are still risks even when the E. coli standard is not exceeded. River samples in which the secondary-contact recreational standard for E. coli was exceeded showed a higher percentage of the co-occurrence of pathogenic organisms than samples that met the standard. This indicates that in this study area, E. coli is a useful indicator of human health risk. Detections of hepatitis A virus tended to be associated with higher median concentrations of somatic coliphage, F-specific coliphage, and infectious enterovirus. In addition, geometric mean C. perfringens concentrations tended to be higher in samples where hepatitis A virus was present than in samples where hepatitis A virus was absent. Hepatitis A virus was not detected in samples collected upstream from the Akron WPCS; all downstream detections had coincident detections in the Akron WPCS effluent, suggesting that Akron WPCS was a principal source of hepatitis A virus at the downstream sites. Geometric mean concentrations of E. coli were calculated on the basis of analytical results from at least five samples collected at each river site during May, July, and September of 2000. In each case, the Ohio geometric-mean primary-contact recreational standard of 126 col/100 mL was exceeded. E. coli concentrations were significantly correlated with streamflow and increased with streamflow at sites upstream and downstream from the Akron WPCS. This indicates that E. coli loads from sources upstream from the Akron WPCS have the potential to appreciably influence the frequency of attainment of recreational water-quality standards at downstream locations.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1976

Simulation of streamflow of Flambeau River at Park Falls, Wisconsin to define low-flow characteristics

Daily streamflows of the Flambeau River at Park Falls, Wisconsin , were simulated for a 31-year period. Streamflow was simulated using a streamflow-routing model. These simulated daily flows were analyzed for summer (June 1-October 31) low-flow frequency. The resultant 7-day, 10-year summer low flow is 260 cubic feet per second. The standard error of estimate for this 10-year-frequency low flow is equivalent to the standard error of estimate for 16 years of gaging-station records.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1978

Water chemistry of the Redwood Creek and Mill Creek basins, Redwood National Park, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, California

A 2-year study was made in the Redwood Creek and Mill Creek drainage basins of Redwood National Park to determine existing chemical water-quality conditions and to identify the effects of logging on water quality in the main stems and tributaries of the two basins. Overall, the chemical water quality of the main stems and the tributaries is excellent, suitable for most beneficial uses. Dissolved-solids concentrations range from 25 milligrams per liter in the Redwood Creek basin and 21 milligrams per liter in the Mill Creek basin during the rainy season to 139 and 49 during the dry season. Water shifts from a mixed calcium-sodium bicarbonate-chloride type toward a calcium bicarbonate type from the end of the wet season to the end of the dry season. It shifts back toward a mixed calcium-sodium bicarbonate-chloride type from the end of the dry season to the end of the wet season. The pH shifts with the water type from a median value of 6.80 in the rainy season to 7.37 in the dry season. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are generally too low to support nuisance algae but are high enough, in some streams, to support modest populations, particularly in the main stem where light levels are high. Trace-metal concentrations are low, typical of clean streams. Evidence suggests that dissolved calcium and bicarbonate in stream water is produced by weathering of the Franciscan assemblage underlying the basins but that chlorides are transported inland from the ocean as dry fallout and spray and in rain. Exposure of the surface soils to the elements, either by logging or by natural causes such as sparse vegetation, seems to accelerate weathering, which leads to a calcium bicarbonate water type. Logging accelerates weathering most in the tributary watersheds with regoliths derived from sandstone and least in those with regoliths derived from schist; however, the data suggest that the rate of weathering in a schistose watershed can increase dramatically if soil disruption is extensive. Studies during storms indicated that specific conductance and alkalinity were two to three times as likely to decrease at the discharge peak in logged watersheds as in forested ones. This suggests that overland flow containing lower concentrations of soil-derived dissolved solids than flow from other sources is a larger component of peak flow in logged watersheds than in forested watersheds. Comparing a storm in November 1974 to one in February 1975, nitrate concentration increased significantly from November to February in a stream draining a logged watershed and decreased significantly in a stream draining a forested watershed. Then from the rainy season to the dry season, nitrate decreased in both logged and forested watersheds. This pattern suggests that soil nitrate produced by fixation and organic decomposition early in the rainy season tends to wash out of logged watersheds but be taken up in tree growth in forested watersheds. As the dry season progresses, base flow containing little nitrate enters the streams, causing a decrease in nitrate concentration. By contrast, the other plant nutrients--phosphorus, Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonium, and dissolved organic carbon--all decreased in streams from the November 1974 storm to the February 1975 storm and changed little from the rainy season through the dry season. This pattern suggests that these materials tend to accumulate in the soil during the dry season and be washed out and diluted as the rainy season progresses. Very little reaches the water table due to soil absorption so that little appears in the base flow during the dry season.

California↗
USGS1986

Water quality of selected lakes in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington with respect to lake acidification

Thirteen lakes in Mount Rainier National Park were evaluated for general chemical characteristics, sensitivity to acidification by acidic precipitation, and degree of existing acidification. The lakes studies were Allen, one of the Chenuis group, Crescent , Crystal, Eleanor, Fan, one of the Golden group, Marsh, Mowich, Mystic, Shriner, and two unnamed lakes. The lakes were sampled in August 1983. Specific conductance values were generally 21 microsiemens/cm at 25 C or less, and dissolved solids concentrations were generally 20 mg/L or less. The major cations were calcium and sodium, and the major anion was bicarbonate. Alkalinity concentrations ranged from 2.1 to 9.0 mg/L in 12 of the lakes. Allen Lake was the exception, having an alkalinity concentration of 27 mg/L. The pH values for all of the lakes ranged from 5.8 to 6.5. In most of the lakes, vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance were relatively uniform. In the deeper lakes, temperature decreased with depth and dissolved-oxygen concentrations increased to about 20 feet, remained constant to 80 ft, then decreased with increasing depth. Exceptions to general water quality patterns were observed in three lakes. Allen Lake had a specific conductance value of 58 Microsiemens/cm. The lake of the Golden group was anaerobic at the bottom and had relatively high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved metals, and a lower light transmission than the other lakes studied. One of the unnamed lakes had relatively high concentrations of phytoplankton and dissolved organic carbon and relatively low levels of light transmission. Comparisons of lake data to acid-sensitivity thresholds for specific conductance and alkalinity indicated that all of the lakes except Allen would be sensitive to acidic precipitation. The small sizes of the lakes, and their locations in basins of high precipitation and weathering-resistant rock types, enhance their sensitivity. None of the lakes in this study appeared to be presently acidified. (Lantz-PTT)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1987

Flood characteristics for the Nisqually River and susceptibility of Sunshine Point and Longmire facilities to flooding in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Inundation from 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year floods at Sunshine Point and Longmire facilities and the Longmire visitors ' center and ranger station generally is not a serious hazard as long as the existing dikes and banks of the Nisqually River and Tahoma Creek remain intact and flood capacities of the channels are maintained. However, average water velocities during floods are high (as much as 23 ft/sec) and the channel, banks, and some dikes are composed of unstable materials. Sunshine Point campground is particularly susceptible to flooding and damage from Tahoma Creek, and to a lesser extent from the Nisqually River, if large amounts of debris or rock material accumulate in the channels and change the flood elevation or courses of either stream. At Longmire flood inundation or damage from the Nisqually River is much less, but flooding is still possible. There, high ridges upstream protect the several park facilities from the river, but accumulations of debris or rock in the channel could cause flooding from overtopping of dikes or riverbanks. Glacial outburst floods are a matter of serious concern at both Sunshine Point campground and Longmire. Glacial outbursts can and have produced very large flood discharges and transported large quantities of debris and rock materials. Although none have been known to transport these materials from Tahoma Glacier as far as Sunshine Point campground, one in 1955 from Nisqually Glacier (estimated at 70,000 cu ft/sec near the glacier) did appreciably increase the magnitude of the water discharge at Longmire. For safety, campers and visitors need to be advised about the potential flood hazards at both facilities.

Washington↗