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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
USGS2011

Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2004-November 30, 2005

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered in 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes diversions of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master will furnish reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 52nd Annual Report of the River Master of the Delaware River. It covers the 2005 River Master report year; that is, the period from December 1, 2004, to November 30, 2005. During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 7.56 in., or 117 percent of the long-term average. Combined storage in Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs remained high from December 2004 to May 2005 and reached a record high level on April 3, 2005. Reservoir storage decreased steadily from May to early October, then increased rapidly through the end of November. Delaware River operations throughout the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree. Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey were in compliance with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 120 days during the report year. Releases were made at conservation rates-or rates designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs-on all other days. During the report year, New York City and New Jersey complied fully with the terms of the Decree, and directives and requests of the River Master. As part of a long-term program, the quality of water in the Delaware Estuary between Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at various locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites. In addition, selected water-quality data were collected at 3 sites on a monthly basis and at 19 sites on a twice-monthly basis.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2006–November 30, 2007

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In addition, the Decree authorizes diversions of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master will furnish reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 54th Annual Report of the River Master of the Delaware River. It covers the 2007 River Master report year—the period from December 1, 2006, to November 30, 2007. During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 46.72 inches (in.) or 107 percent of the long-term average. Combined storage in Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs was high on December 1, 2006. Reservoir storage remained high throughout the winter, declined seasonally during the summer, and began to recover in mid-October. Delaware River operations throughout the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree. Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey were in full compliance with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 123 days during the report year. Releases were made at conservation rates—or rates designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs—on all other days. During the report year, New York City and New Jersey complied fully with the terms of the Decree, and directives and requests of the River Master. As part of a long-term program, the quality of water in the Delaware Estuary between Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at various locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites. In addition, selected water-quality data were collected at 19 sites on a twice–monthly basis and at 3 sites on a monthly basis.

Delaware;Pennsylvania;New York↗
USGS2016

Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2008–November 30, 2009

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In addition, the Decree authorizes diversions of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master will furnish reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 56th Annual Report of the River Master of the Delaware River. It covers the 2009 River Master report year, the period from December 1, 2008, to November 30, 2009. During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 50.89 inches (in.) or 116 percent of the long-term average. Combined storage in Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs remained high throughout the year and did not decline below 80 percent of combined capacity at any time. Delaware River operations during the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree and the Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP). Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey were in full compliance with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 25 days during the report year. Releases were made at conservation rates—rates designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs—on all other days. During the report year, New York City and New Jersey complied fully with the terms of the Decree, and directives and requests of the River Master. As part of a long-term program, the quality of water in the Delaware Estuary between Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at various locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites. In addition, selected water-quality data were collected at 22 sites on a monthly basis. The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) collects monthly samples from March through October at 22 sites between Biles Channel and South Brown Shoal. Samples were collected and analyzed by the State of Delaware for the DRBC. At each site, water samples were collected at a single point near the center of the channel near the surface and analyzed for selected physical properties, and chemical and biological constituents including routine chemical substances, nutrients and bacteria. These consist of analyses of field measurements and laboratory determinations.

Delaware River↗
USGS2018

Evaluation of key scientific issues in the report, “State of the mountain lion—A call to end trophy hunting of America’s lion”

In their recently published report, State of the Mountain Lion: A Call to End Trophy Hunting of America’s Lion , the Humane Society of the United States suggested that mountain lion ( Puma concolor ) hunting should be abolished in the United States. The report claims this recommendation is based on scientific arguments that demonstrate the overharvest of mountain lions throughout much of their current range in the United States. We reviewed the science presented by the Humane Society to support their call for the cessation of mountain lion hunting. Rather than provide a rigorous assessment of the peer-reviewed scientific literature and available data on mountain lion ecology, population dynamics and management, the report uses a fundamentally unscientific approach that starts with an a priori assumption that hunting is detrimental to the long-term persistence of mountain lion populations, then attempts to use scientific arguments to support this value-based position. The report frequently ignores or selectively interprets relevant peer-reviewed literature, weakening the scientific credibility of the report. The report relies on imprecise and inadequate demographic measures, questionable data, and simplistic methodologies to derive dubious estimates of potential lion densities; it compares these estimates to various measures produced by State agencies (which themselves vary in reliability as estimates of abundance) to purportedly illustrate the detrimental effects of hunting. The approach used in the report to support the predetermined supposition that mountain lion populations are over-hunted fails to serve as a scientifically defensible foundation for management recommendations range-wide or at the State level.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2009–November 30, 2010

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master will furnish reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 57th Annual Report of the River Master of the Delaware River. It covers the 2010 River Master report year, the period from December 1, 2009, to November 30, 2010. During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 49.38 inches or 112 percent of the long-term average. Combined storage in Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs remained high much of the year and did not decline below 80 percent of combined capacity until September 2010. A lower basin drought warning was issued by the Delaware River Basin Commission on September 24, 2010. It automatically ended on October 31, 2010, when the reservoir contents rose above drought levels, due in large part to heavy rainfall during the last week of September. River Master operations during the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree and the Flexible Flow Management Program. Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey were in full compliance with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 81 days during the report year. Interim Excess Release Quantity and conservation releases, designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs, were made during the report year. The quality of water in the Delaware Estuary between Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at various locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites.

Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylv↗
USGS2020

Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2010–November 30, 2011

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master will furnish reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 58th Annual Report of the River Master of the Delaware River. It covers the 2011 River Master report year, the period from December 1, 2010, to November 30, 2011. During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 71.43 inches or 162 percent of the long-term average. On December 1, 2010, combined usable storage in the New York City reservoirs in the upper Delaware River Basin was 230.430 billion gallons or 85.1 percent of combined storage capacity. The reservoirs were at about 100 percent of usable capacity on May 31, 2011. Combined storage remained high (above 80 percent combined capacity) through November 2011. River Master operations during the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree and the Flexible Flow Management Program. Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey were in full compliance with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 5 days during the report year (July 24–28, 2011). Conservation releases, designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs, were also made during the report year. The quality of water in the Delaware Estuary between Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at various locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites.

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania↗
USGS2022

Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2011–November 30, 2012

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York City, to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master will furnish reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 59th annual report of the River Master of the Delaware River. It covers the 2012 River Master report year, the period from December 1, 2011 to November 30, 2012. During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 43.35 inches or 97 percent of the long-term average. Combined storage in the Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs remained high through late May, declined from then until mid-September, decreasing below 80 percent of combined capacity in late August, increased in late October, and decreased slightly in November 2012. Delaware River Master operations during the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree and the Flexible Flow Management Program. Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey were in full compliance with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 52 days during the report year. Interim Excess Release Quantity and conservation releases, designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs, were also made during the report year. An agreement was signed on October 25, 2012, to increase discharge mitigation releases from the Neversink Reservoir due to potential impacts from Hurricane Sandy. The quality of water in the Delaware River estuary between Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at various locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites.

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania↗
USGS2025

Preliminary field report of landslide hazards following Hurricane Helene

Executive Summary This report reflects our knowledge regarding the widespread landslide activity associated with Hurricane Helene observed during the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) mission assignment to North Carolina in October 2024. The material in this report was originally prepared for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under mission assignment DR-4827-NC. The data and commentary in this report are reflective of a report provided to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on October 18, 2024, as well as information provided in briefings at the Buncombe County Emergency Operations Center. The report has been modified for public dissemination. This assessment was based on systematic visual examination and mapping of landslide locations from aerial and satellite imagery, visual and photographic observations from low-level helicopter overflights and conversations with local landslide experts from the North Carolina Geological Survey and Appalachian Landslide Consultants PLLC, and more than 50 years of combined landslide hazard professional experience of the mission-assigned field team. No systematic field investigations were done by the USGS. While responding to the event, the USGS did not identify any landslides that posed an immediate major threat to recovery personnel in parts of nine counties in North Carolina (Avery, Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Watauga, and Yancey); however, threats from renewed landslide activity may remain heightened in localized areas for months or even years. Known areas of the most abundant landslide occurrence include Bat Cave, Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Fairview, steep areas in Asheville, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The USGS shared detailed locations of known landslides with the Emergency Operations Centers. The thousands of landslide scars on hillsides and landslide deposits on flatter ground may present some threat to recovery activities. Soil and rocks will continue to erode from newly exposed landslide scars and may pose a threat to people and infrastructure who are immediately nearby. In general, the steeper and taller the landslide scar, the greater the potential threat. This threat is heightened during periods of rainfall and increases with the duration and intensity of rainstorms. Very heavy rainfall, or repeated rainfall events during short periods, could also initiate new landslides on steep slopes. Excavation of landslide deposits, particularly excavation of those deposits directly adjacent to steep slopes, may also pose a threat to nearby people and equipment. An interagency collaborative mapping effort led by the USGS that informed this assessment identified 1,155 landslide locations by the October 2024 briefings, but that number increased to 2,217 in a final reviewed version of the locations published in January 2025. Locations were mapped from satellite imagery, fixed-wing and helicopter surveys, media and social media, and field reports in the 3 weeks following the passage of the remnants of Hurricane Helene. USGS products outlined in this report are publicly available and include geotagged photographs from aerial reconnaissance, hazard models, an interactive view of mapped landslide locations, and landslide safety and education resources.

North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgini↗
USGS1977

Selected Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Mines, and Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys reports and maps on Alaska released during 1976, indexed by quadrangle

This open-file report lists all Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Mines, and State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys reports and maps on the geology, geophysics, and mineral and water resources of Alaska published or released to open files in 1976. They are listed by the quadrangles (scale 1:250,000) into which Alaska has been subdivided for topographic mapping (p. 3). As these three agencies also issued reports and maps on other subjects, the following lists are selected in the sense that such documents are not included. Most of the listed reports and maps bear a 1976 imprint date; a few with a 1975 imprint date actually were not delivered until 1976. Also included are a few that I overlooked when I prepared a similar index of reports and maps issued in 1975. Reports that deal with regional tectonic hypotheses, regional syntheses, Alaska as a whole, or with areas that can not be identified with a specific quadrangle are listed under Alaska - General, as are statistical presentations, indexes, and the like. Reports and maps that deal with offshore areas not within quadrangle boundaries are listed under Offshore Areas. The Alaska - General and Offshore Areas lists appear before the alphabetically arranged quadrangle listings. This index is intended to bring up to date the other indexes of this series, which are listed on p. 2.

Alaska↗
USGS1981

Preparation of isoseismal maps and summaries of reported effects for pre-1900 California earthquakes

This is the second annual report of a three year project to clarify the earthquake history of California for the period before 1900. More than four thousand additional newspaper issues were searched for earthquake reports, bringing the total number of issues examined to more than eleven thousand. About one quarter of the issues searched have provided earthquake reports. Summaries of these reports, emphasizing the information used to assign earthquake intensities, were prepared. The strength and spatial distribution of the reported earthquake effects were used to estimate the magnitude and epicentral location of the earthquakes. The third annual report, projected for August 1981, will provide isoseismal maps showing the distribution of the intensity reports which control the estimates of magnitude and epicenter.

California↗
USGS1998

Preliminary report on methodology for calculating coal resources of the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, Powder River basin, Wyoming and Montana

The National Coal Resource Assessment of the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone includes reports on the geology, stratigraphy, quality, and quantity of coal. The calculation of resources is only one aspect of the assessment. Without thorough documentation of the coal resource study and the methods used, the results of our study could be misinterpreted. The task of calculating coal resources included many steps, the use of several commercial software programs, and the incorporation of custom programs. The methods used for calculating coal resources for the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone vary slightly from the methods used in other study areas, and by other workers in the National Coal Resource Assessment. The Wyodak-Anderson coal zone includes up to 10 coal beds in any given location. The net coal thickness of the zone at each data point location was calculated by summing the thickness of all of the coal beds that were greater than 2.5 ft thick. The amount of interburden is not addressed or reported in this coal resource assessment. The amount of overburden reported is the amount of rock above the stratigraphically highest coal bed in the zone. The resource numbers reported do not include coal within mine or lease areas, in areas containing mapped Wyodak-Anderson clinker, or in areas where the coal is extrapolated to be less than 2.5 ft thick. The resources of the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone are reported in Ellis and others (1998). A general description of how the resources were calculated is included in that report. The purpose of this report is to document in more detail some of the parameters and methods used, define our spatial data, compare resources calculated using different grid options and calculation methods, and explain the application of confidence limits to the resource calculation.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Revisions to suspended-sediment concentration, percent smaller than 0.063 millimeter, and instantaneous suspended-sediment discharge reported for a cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, October 1989 to February 2015

This report presents revised results for four parameters reported for suspended-sediment samples that were collected in the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin as part of a cooperative program between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, New Orleans District and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The cooperative program has been active since 1973 at seven sites: two sites on the main stem of the Mississippi River, three sites on the Atchafalaya River, one site on the Old River Outflow Channel, and one site on the lower Red River above the confluence with the Old River Outflow Channel. The four parameters—suspended-sediment concentration, percent by mass of the sediment that passes through a 0.063-millimeter (US 230) sieve, instantaneous stream discharge, and instantaneous suspended-sediment discharge—reported for 2,895 samples have been modified to reflect the findings of a full review of the cooperative program, which was initiated by both agencies in January 2015. The revised results are for samples collected from October 1989 through February 2015. Ninety-four percent of the revised values for suspended-sediment concentration are lower than their corresponding original reported values, indicating that less suspended sediment moves through the lower Mississippi River system than was previously reported. For example, the median revised instantaneous suspended-sediment discharge at the Mississippi River at Tarbert Landing, Miss. (USGS station 07295100), was 315,000 short tons per day, compared to 378,000 short tons per day as originally reported. At the Atchafalaya River at Simmesport, La. (USGS station 07381490), the median revised suspended-sediment discharge was 105,000 short tons per day, compared to 143,000 short tons per day as originally reported. The systematic downward revision in instantaneous suspended-sediment discharge values was due to a systematic downward revision in the suspended fine (less than 0.063 millimeter) sediment concentration. The effect of the revision on the suspended-sand concentration and instantaneous suspended-sand discharge was weaker. Any model of sediment load or transport processes in the basin that uses data from the affected samples should be reevaluated on the basis of the revised results.

Lower Mississippi basin↗
USGS2019

Use of set blanks in reporting pesticide results at the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory, 2001-15

Executive Summary Background .—Pesticide results from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) are used for water-quality assessments by many agencies and organizations. The USGS is committed to providing data of the highest possible quality to the consumers of its data. A cooperator’s inquiries about specific pesticide detections in water revealed potential laboratory contamination issues for some results. Consequently, the USGS conducted an extensive evaluation of potential low-level contamination related to processing or analysis of water-quality samples at NWQL for 21 pesticide compounds of interest to the cooperator. This is the most comprehensive study of NWQL pesticide quality-control (QC) results to date. Purpose and scope .—The purpose of this study was to document protocols used by the NWQL to censor pesticide results and to determine the effects of laboratory contamination—as determined from detections in laboratory set blanks—on pesticide detections in groundwater and surface-water samples. More than 30,000 pesticide results from 113 selected batches of samples (2 percent or less of total batches) analyzed by the NWQL during the 15 years from 2001 to 2015 were reviewed. All laboratory results from the selected batches, including results from environmental (surface water and groundwater) and QC (set-blank, blind-blank, and blind-spike) samples, were evaluated. The study includes results for 21 pesticide compounds analyzed in groundwater and surface-water samples collected across the United States. Eleven pesticide compounds were analyzed by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method and 10 compounds by a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method. Objectives and methods .—The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the characteristics of laboratory contamination over time, (2) compare distributions of pesticide results in set blanks with distributions in environmental samples, (3) evaluate the potential for false-positive and false-negative reporting of results, and (4) evaluate the effects of reevaluating historical pesticide results using 2017 compound identification protocols on detections of pesticides in groundwater and surface-water samples. The 113 instrument batches selected for this study contained detections of one or more of the 21 pesticide compounds in set blanks or were among those batches with the highest pesticide detection frequencies in set blanks. As a result, the dataset for this study was targeted toward pesticides and batches with laboratory contamination. The objectives were addressed by statistically comparing environmental and set-blank results; computing moving averages of set-blank detection frequencies to identify periods of episodic contamination; and using summary statistics, tabular summaries, and graphical approaches, such as time-series plots and cumulative distribution functions. Results .— Objective 1 : Laboratory contamination, as determined by pesticide detections in set blanks, was found in 13 percent of set-blank results from the 113 targeted batches included in this study (as compared to 6 percent of set-blank results from all 7,620 batches analyzed during the study period). It is estimated that 92 percent of the laboratory contamination during the study period was episodic, meaning that it occurred during discrete periods of time. All 21 of the targeted pesticide compounds had periods of episodic contamination, with most episodes ranging in duration from about 1 to 8 months. The remaining 8 percent of laboratory contamination was random or from a known source (deterministic). Objective 2 : For some compounds, graphs of cumulative distribution functions of the entire distributions of set-blank and environmental samples overlap, suggesting that there is no difference in the distributions of the two types of samples. However, time-series graphs show that detections in set blanks often occur at different times (sometimes separated by years) than detections in environmental samples, indicating clear differences in those distributions, and indicating the importance of evaluating the timing of detections in all sample types. For most compounds detected in set-blank and environmental samples, detection frequencies were significantly greater in set blanks than in groundwater or surface-water samples ( p <0.05). There are several explanations for this finding, including that the 113 batches of samples chosen for this study targeted batches with detections in set blanks or that detections in set-blank samples were historically determined with less stringent identification criteria than for environmental samples (groundwater and surface-water samples). Objective 3 : The false-positive and false-negative rates from blind samples submitted during the study period by the USGS Quality Systems Branch generally were less than 1 and 5 percent, respectively, for the 21 pesticides. The only compound with a false-positive rate greater than 1 percent was flumetsulam (2.6 percent), indicating that there is a higher likelihood of flumetsulam being reported as a detection when it is not present in an environmental sample compared with the reporting of other compounds. Objective 4 : Altogether, for data in targeted batches, NWQL would have reported 0.1 percent of results from groundwater samples and 1.4 percent of results from surface-water samples differently if 2017 identification protocols were applied to historical pesticide results. In most of these cases, detections observed in historical results would change to nondetections. The small percentages of changes that would occur if historical data were reevaluated indicate that historical protocols used by the NWQL to identify detections in environmental samples were robust and produced results that are predominantly consistent with current [2017] practices. Conclusions .—The NWQL produces high-quality pesticide results at environmentally relevant concentrations. NWQL identification protocols and censoring practices are largely effective at minimizing the reporting of false-positive and false-negative results. Laboratory contamination, when it occurred, tended to occur in episodes; thus, evaluating the timing and magnitude of detections in set blanks relative to detections in environmental samples was determined to be an important consideration for analysis of environmental results. Because NWQL censoring practices do not address all types and occurrences of laboratory contamination, options for additional censoring practices are provided for data users with more specific or stringent data-quality objectives. The methods used to analyze the 21 compounds for this report can similarly be applied to all 173 pesticide compounds that were analyzed by the NWQL during the same time period. This study also has helped to identify potential improvements in reporting USGS data, such as conducting more frequent review of set-blank datasets.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1933

Sixth report of the United States Geographic Board: 1890 to 1932

This report contains, with the exception of a comparatively small number, all the decisions rendered by the board from its organization in 1890 through June, 1932, and supersedes all previous reports. Not included in this report are such decisions as have either been vacated, or, being revised, have been replaced by new decisions listed under the revised name or spelling. Several thousand earlier decisions for features and places in the United States, Alaska, and the Philippine Islands have been amplified, brought up to date, and made to agree in form and content with the decisions rendered in recent years. So great have been the changes since 1914 in the geographic nomenclature of the Eastern Hemisphere that the board deemed it advisable to vacate all the names as given in the fifth and earlier reports for places and features not within the United States and its outlying territories and possessions. In place of these a new list has been drawn up comprising some 2,500 of the more important names, which are in accord with the changes which have taken place since the World War. These new decisions, printed in 1932 in a separate pamphlet with the title, "First Report on Foreign Geographic Names," have been consolidated in this volume with domestic names in one alphabetical arrangement. In the fifth report the Philippine and the Hawaiian names were each separately listed at the close of that volume. In the present report, however, they are interspersed alphabetically with other names. The Board welcomes the views of map makers and of all others who are interested in geographic nomenclature as to how its decisions may be made of greater service.

Report of the United States Geographic Board↗
USGS2013

A bibliography of all known publications & reports on the Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi

This functional bibliography is meant to be a complete and comprehensive bibliography of all discoverable reports containing information on the Gulf Sturgeon (GS). This bibliography contains all known reports presenting, documenting, summarizing, listing, or interpreting information on the GS through 31 December 2013. Report citations are organized into four sections. Section I includes published scientific journal articles, books, dissertations and theses, published and unpublished technical reports, published harvest prohibitions, and online articles reporting substantive scientific information. Section II includes newspaper, newsletter, magazine, book, agency news releases, and online articles reporting on GS occurrences, mortalities, captures, jumping, boat collisions, aquaculture, historical photographs, and other largely non-scientific or anecdotal issues. Section III consists of books, theses, ecotour-guides, media articles, editorials, and blogs reporting a mix of anecdotal information, historical information, and opinion on GS conservation, habitat issues, exploitation, aquaculture, and human interaction - but presenting very limited or no substantive scientific information. Section IV includes videos, films and audio recordings documenting GS life history and behavior.

Report↗
USGS1995

1995 annual report on Alaska's mineral resources

Section 1011 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980, as amended, requires that "On or before October 1, 1982, and annually thereafter, the President shall transmit to the Congress all pertinent public information relating to minerals in Alaska gathered by the United States Geological Surveys, United States Bureau of Mines, and any other Federal agency." This report has been prepared in response to that requirement. This circular is the fourteenth in the series of annual mineral reports mandated by the ANILCA. The report provides information about current Alaskan mineral projects and events during 1994; the emphasis is on Federal activity. The report addresses both onshore and offshore areas of Alaska. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM), and Minerals Management Service (MMS) are the principal Federal agencies that publish information about energy and mineral resources in Alaska. Their reports and data form the basis for decisions by other Federal agencies regarding land use, access, environmental impacts, and mining claim evaluation. The time required for sample analysis, data synthesis, and publication is lengthy; as a result, scientific reports are generally issued a year or more after initial sample and data collection. Other sources of information for this report include additional Federal and State publications, trade and professional journals, presentations at public meetings and hearings, and press releases. Information is provided for two broad categories of minerals: energy resources and nonfuel-mineral resources.

Circular↗
USGS2014

"Report a Landslide” A website to engage the public in identifying geologic hazards

Direct observation by people is the most practical way of identifying, locating, and describing most damaging landslides. In an effort to increase public awareness of landslide hazards and encourage public participation in collecting basic data about landslides, the USGS recently launched a website called “Report a landslide.” The website is modeled in part after the highly successful USGS website “Did you feel it?” which has been used for several years to gather data from the public about intensity of felt earthquakes. The new “Report a landslide” website encourages visitors to report where and when they observed a landslide and to classify the landslide by movement type. Interested users also can report information about damage and casualties, dimensions, and simple geological observations, and can submit photographs of the landslide. Once a user submits a report, the location of the reported landslide appears on a map, and the location is linked to a summary of submitted data. Photos are reviewed prior to posting on the event page. By adding existing USGS data from historical landslides and promoting the website in the wake of large, regional landslide events, we hope to generate widespread awareness and interest in the website. The “Report a landslide” site has great potential for eventually creating a nationwide source of basic landslide data.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2010

Factors influencing reporting and harvest probabilities in North American geese

We assessed variation in reporting probabilities of standard bands among species, populations, harvest locations, and size classes of North American geese to enable estimation of unbiased harvest probabilities. We included reward (US10,20,30,50, or100) and control (0) banded geese from 16 recognized goose populations of 4 species: Canada (Branta canadensis), cackling (B. hutchinsii), Ross's (Chen rossii), and snow geese (C. caerulescens). We incorporated spatially explicit direct recoveries and live recaptures into a multinomial model to estimate reporting, harvest, and band-retention probabilities. We compared various models for estimating harvest probabilities at country (United States vs. Canada), flyway (5 administrative regions), and harvest area (i.e., flyways divided into northern and southern sections) scales. Mean reporting probability of standard bands was 0.73 (95 CI 0.690.77). Point estimates of reporting probabilities for goose populations or spatial units varied from 0.52 to 0.93, but confidence intervals for individual estimates overlapped and model selection indicated that models with species, population, or spatial effects were less parsimonious than those without these effects. Our estimates were similar to recently reported estimates for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). We provide current harvest probability estimates for these populations using our direct measures of reporting probability, improving the accuracy of previous estimates obtained from recovery probabilities alone. Goose managers and researchers throughout North America can use our reporting probabilities to correct recovery probabilities estimated from standard banding operations for deriving spatially explicit harvest probabilities.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗