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At least 1,477 records · Page 82Linked to original sources

USGS2019

Insights into post-Miocene uplift of the western margin of the Colorado Plateau from the stratigraphic record of the lower Colorado River

The spatial and temporal distribution of Pliocene to Holocene Colorado River deposits (southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico) form a primary data set that records the evolution of a continental-scale river system and helps to delineate and quantify the magnitude of regional deformation. We focus in particular on the age and distribution of ancestral Colorado River deposits from field observations, geologic mapping, and subsurface studies in the area downstream from Grand Canyon (Arizona, USA). A new 4.73 ± 0.17 Ma age is reported for a basalt that flowed down Grand Wash to near its confluence with the Colorado River at the eastern end of what is now Lake Mead (Arizona and Nevada). That basalt flow, which caps tributary gravels, another previously dated 4.49 ± 0.46 Ma basalt flow that caps Colorado River gravel nearby, and previously dated speleothems (2.17 ± 0.34 and 3.87 ± 0.1 Ma) in western Grand Canyon allow for the calculation of long-term incision rates. Those rates are ~90 m/Ma in western Grand Canyon and ~18–64 m/Ma in the eastern Lake Mead area. In western Lake Mead and downstream, the base of 4.5–3.5 Ma ancestral Colorado River deposits, called the Bullhead Alluvium, is generally preserved below river level, suggesting little if any bedrock incision since deposition. Paleoprofiles reconstructed using ancestral river deposits indicate that the lower Colorado River established a smooth profile that has been graded to near sea level since ca. 4.5 Ma. Steady incision rates in western Grand Canyon over the past 0.6–4 Ma also suggest that the lower Colorado River has remained in a quasi–steady state for millions of years with respect to bedrock incision. Differential incision between the lower Colorado River corridor and western Grand Canyon is best explained by differential uplift across the Lake Mead region, as the overall 4.5 Ma profile of the Colorado River remains graded to Pliocene sea level, suggesting little regional subsidence or uplift. Cumulative estimates of ca. 4 Ma offsets across faults in the Lake Mead region are similar in magnitude to the differential incision across the area during the same approximate time frame. This suggests that in the past ~4 Ma, vertical deformation in the Lake Mead area has been localized along faults, which may be a surficial response to more deep-seated processes. Together these data sets suggest ~140–370m of uplift in the past 2–4 Ma across the Lake Mead region.

Arizona, California, Nevada↗

USGS2001

The demographic response of bank-dwelling beavers to flow regulation: A comparison on the Green and Yampa rivers

We assessed the effects of flow regulation on the demography of beavers ( Castor canadensis ) by comparing the density, home-range size, and body size of bank-dwelling beavers on two sixth-order alluvial river systems, the flow-regulated Green River and the free-flowing Yampa River, from 1997 to 2000. Flow regulation on the Green River has altered fluvial geomorphic processes, influencing the availability of willow and cottonwood, which, in turn, has influenced the demography of beavers. Beaver density was higher on the Green River (0.50.6 colonies per kilometre of river) than on the Yampa River (0.35 colonies per kilometre of river). Adult and subadult beavers on the Green River were in better condition, as indicated by larger body mass and tail size. There was no detectable difference in home-range size, though there were areas on the Yampa River that no beavers used. We attribute the improved habitat quality on the Green River to a greater availability of willow. We suggest that the sandy flats and sandbars that form during base flows and the ice cover that forms over winter on the Yampa River increase the energy expended by the beavers to obtain food and increase predation risk and thus lowers the availability of woody forage.

Canadian Journal of Zoology↗

USGS2017

Assessing the global distribution of river fisheries harvest: A systematic map protocol

Background Although surface freshwater comprises < 0.01% of the total water volume of earth, freshwater inland capture fisheries and aquaculture represent 40% of the global reported finfish harvest. While the social, economic, and ecological importance of inland fish and fisheries is difficult to overstate, they are often undervalued and underappreciated. Accurate information about these highly dispersed fisheries is inherently difficult to acquire, often unreported, and not collected in a standardized format globally. A standardized river fishery database is needed for managing aquatic systems as well as for defining relevant development policies. Here, we describe our methodology to search, identify, and describe available river fisheries information to create a harmonized global database of river fisheries harvest. This database will provide the first global database of spatially and temporally explicit river fisheries data. The database can be used to identify locations, hotspots of data collection, and gaps in existing knowledge and will be especially important to inform studies and management at larger spatial scales (i.e., watershed, regional, or global scales). This database will also be critical for developing fish biomass models for rivers, which can provide managers with information critical for decision-making, such as improved valuation methods for river fish and fisheries. Methods This systematic map protocol describes the methodology to search, identify, and describe available information on river fish and fisheries across the globe. We define river fisheries as “both capture and aquaculture of river finfish species for food, income, or recreation”. River fish species are those finfish that live part, or all of their lives in rivers. The searches will be conducted for the period from 1950 to present using bibliographic databases and grey literature sources. To identify relevant evidence, pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used to screen articles at title, abstract, and full text. A searchable database containing extracted meta-data from relevant included studies will be developed and presented as a geodatabase. The final systematic map will consist of a descriptive narrative report of the distribution and content of river fish literature including a geodatabase of available information.

Environmental Evidence↗

USGS2003

Impacts of the Columbia River hydroelectric system on main-stem habitats of fall chinook salmon

Salmonid habitats in main-stem reaches of the Columbia and Snake rivers have changed dramatically during the past 60 years because of hydroelectric development and operation. Only about 13% and 58% of riverine habitats in the Columbia and Snake rivers, respectively, remain. Most riverine habitat is found in the upper Snake River; however, it is upstream of Hells Canyon Dam and not accessible to anadromous salmonids. We determined that approximately 661 and 805 km of the Columbia and Snake rivers, respectively, were once used by fall chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha for spawning. Fall chinook salmon currently use only about 85 km of the main-stem Columbia River and 163 km of the main-stem Snake River for spawning. We used a geomorphic model to identify three river reaches downstream of present migration barriers with high potential for restoration of riverine processes: the Columbia River upstream of John Day Dam, the Columbia-Snake-Yakima River confluence, and the lower Snake River upstream of Little Goose Dam. Our analysis substantiated the assertion that historic spawning areas for fall chinook salmon occurred primarily within wide alluvial floodplains, which were once common in the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers. These areas possessed more unconsolidated sediment and more bars and islands and had lower water surface slopes than did less extensively used areas. Because flows in the main stem are now highly regulated, the predevelopment alluvial river ecosystem is not expected to be restored simply by operational modification of one or more dams. Establishing more normative flow regimes - specifically, sustained peak flows for scouring - is essential to restoring the functional characteristics of existing, altered habitats. Restoring production of fall chinook salmon to any of these reaches also requires that population genetics and viability of potential seed populations (i.e., from tributaries, tailrace spawning areas, and hatcheries) be considered.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2014

Hydrologic alteration affects aquatic plant assemblages in an arid-land river

We evaluated the effects of long-term flow alteration on primary-producer assemblages. In 1962, Flaming Gorge Dam was constructed on the Green River. The Yampa River has remained an unregulated hydrologically variable river that joins the Green River 100 km downstream from Flaming Gorge Dam. In the 1960s before dam construction only sparse occurrences of two macroalgae, Cladophora and Chara , and no submerged vascular plants were recorded in the Green and Yampa rivers. In 2009–2010, aquatic plants were abundant and widespread in the Green River from the dam downstream to the confluence with the Yampa River. The assemblage consisted of six vascular species, Elodea canadensis , Myriophyllum sibiricum , Nasturtium officinale , Potamogeton crispus , Potamogeton pectinatus , and Ranunculus aquatilis , the macroalgae Chara and Cladophora , and the bryophyte, Amblystegium riparium . In the Green River downstream from the Yampa River, and in the Yampa River, only sparse patches of Chara and Cladophora growing in the splash zone on boulders were collected. We attribute the observed changes in the Green River to an increase in water transparency and a reduction in suspended and bed-load sediment and high flow disturbances. The lack of hydrophyte colonization downstream from the confluence with the Yampa River has implications for understanding tributary amelioration of dam effects and for designing more natural flow-regime schedules downstream from large dams.

Southwestern Naturalist↗

USGS2021

Testing hypotheses on signatures of precipitation variability in the river and floodplain deposits of the Paleogene San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA

Much progress has been made in recent years towards a set of recognition criteria for river discharge variability in river channel deposits, and thus sedimentary proxies for precipitation variability. Despite this progress, there is currently no consensus on how different styles of discharge variability are reflected in river sedimentary records, and whether variable-discharge river records from different climate types can be distinguished. Herein, river discharge and precipitation variability in the Paleogene is investigated using associations between river channel and floodplain deposits across the Paleocene-Eocene boundary from the Paleocene upper Nacimiento Formation and the early Eocene San Jose Formation in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA. The succession is identified as deposits of variable-discharge river systems based on shared channel-deposit characteristics with modern and ancient variable-discharge river systems and the proposed facies models, in addition to alternations of poorly drained and well-drained floodplain deposits and/or slickensides indicating alternating wet-dry cycles. A long-term stratigraphic trend toward increasingly well-drained floodplain deposits is also observed and hypothesized to indicate successively more arid conditions from the Paleocene into the early Eocene. Comparisons with modern rivers from various climate zones suggest a long-term shift from a monsoonal climate in the Paleocene, to a fluctuating subhumid climate, ultimately leading to semiarid to arid conditions in the early Eocene. These observations suggest that floodplain deposits may be a better indicator of ambient climate, whereas channel deposits are records for frequency and magnitude of high-intensity precipitation events. Therefore, the existing facies models for variable-discharge rivers that consider only channel facies may not capture critical information needed to make accurate interpretations of paleoclimatic conditions. This study also adds to a growing body of evidence from geologic records of mid-latitude Paleogene river systems suggesting increases in the magnitude or variability of river discharge coinciding with established climate perturbations.

New Mexico↗

USGS2009

Quaternary incision rates and drainage evolution of the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers, western Colorado, as calibrated by the Lava Creek B ash

The Quaternary erosional history of western Colorado is documented in terraces of the Colorado, Gunnison, and Uncompahgre Rivers that contain the Lava Creek B ash (0.64 Ma). This paper reports an important new ash locality that dates ca. 100-m-high river gravels associated with the paleo-confluence of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers upstream from Grand Junction. Provenance analysis reveals paleo-Gunnison River gravels (containing granite and gneiss clasts) and paleo-Uncompahgre River gravels (containing Uncompahgre Group quartzite and San Juan volcanic field rocks). The paleo-Uncompahgre River gravels are 3 m directly beneath Lava Creek B ash, and the areal distribution of terraces indicates that this area was the paleo-confluence between the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers. This confluence has shifted 11 km to the east since 0.64 Ma due to events related to stream piracy and drainage reorganization. Gunnison terrace straths near the paleo-confluence are estimated to be 106 m above the modern strath, giving an estimated incision rate of 165 m/Ma. Because of excellent age and geologic control, this is one of the best incision-rate data points in the upper Colorado River system. It is similar to previously reported regional rates, but is substantially lower than upstream incision rates in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River. This dated Gunnison River terrace anchors the projection of Lava Creek B-bearing Grand Mesa pediment surfaces (e.g., Petrie Mesa) to regional base level and helps constrain a regional reconstruction of the 0.64-Ma profile of the paleo-Gunnison River. This reconstruction shows dramatic differences in incision rate in the Gunnison River system since 0.64 Ma, and that a transient knickpoint migrated past Sawmill Mesa prior to 0.64 Ma. This incision data point has important implications for evaluating major Quaternary changes in the configuration of this part of the Rocky Mountain drainage system. It also provides evidence for a young, disequilibrium drainage system that is responding to base-level changes downstream driven by a stream capture event, which in turn may have been driven by tectonic or climatic perturbations.

Colorado↗

USGS2012

Concentrations of selected metals in Quaternary-age fluvial deposits along the lower Cheyenne and middle Belle Fourche Rivers, western South Dakota, 2009-10

The headwaters of the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers drain the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, an area that has been affected by mining and ore-milling operations since the discovery of gold in 1875. A tributary to the Belle Fourche River is Whitewood Creek, which drains the area of the Homestake Mine, a gold mine that operated from 1876 to 2001. Tailings discharged into Whitewood Creek contained arsenopyrite, an arsenic-rich variety of pyrite associated with gold ore, and mercury used as an amalgam during the gold-extraction process. Approximately 18 percent of the tailings that were discharged remain in fluvial deposits on the flood plain along Whitewood Creek, and approximately 25 percent remain in fluvial deposits on the flood plain along the Belle Fourche River, downstream from Whitewood Creek. In 1983, a 29-kilometer (18-mile) reach of Whitewood Creek and the adjacent flood plain was included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, commonly referred to as a "Superfund site." Listing of this reach of Whitewood Creek was primarily in response to arsenic toxicity of fluvial deposits on the flood plain. Lands along the lower Cheyenne River were transferred to adjoining States and Tribes in response to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1999. An amendment in 2000 to WRDA required a study of sediment contamination of the Cheyenne River. In response to the WRDA amendment, the U.S. Geological Survey completed field sampling of reference sites (not affected by mine-tailing disposal) along the lower Belle Fourche and lower Cheyenne Rivers. Reference sites were located on stream terraces that were elevated well above historical stream stages to ensure no contamination from historical mining activity. Sampling of potentially contaminated sites was performed on transects of the active flood plain and adjacent terraces that could potentially be inundated during high-flow events. Sampling began in 2009 and was completed in 2010. A total of 74 geochemical samples were collected from fluvial deposits at reference sites, and 473 samples were collected from potentially contaminated sites. Sediment samples collected were analyzed for 23 metals, including arsenic and mercury. Sequential replicate, split duplicate, and field quality-control samples were analyzed for quality assurance of data-collection methods. The metal concentrations in sediment samples and location information are presented in this report in electronic format (Microsoft Excel), along with non-parametric summary statistics of those data. Cross-sectional topography is graphed with arsenic and mercury concentrations on transects at the potentially contaminated sites. The mean arsenic concentration in reference sediment samples was 8 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), compared to 250, 650, and 76 mg/kg for potentially contaminated sediment samples at the surface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, the subsurface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, and the surface of the lower Cheyenne River site, respectively. The mean mercury concentration in reference sediment samples was 16 micrograms per kilogram (μg/kg), compared to 130, 370, and 71 μg/kg for potentially contaminated sediment samples at the surface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, the subsurface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, and the surface of the lower Cheyenne River site, respectively.

South Dakota↗

USGS2006

Monitoring changes in the Platte River riparian corridor with serial LiDAR surveys

The Platte River in central Nebraska is a wide, sand-bedded river that provides habitat for migratory water birds along the North American flyway. The central Platte River functions as critical habitat for the endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) and also is an important habitat for the endangered least tern (Sterna antillarum) and the threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus). Upstream water-resource development over the last century has decreased the water and sediment supplied to the central Platte River. This has resulted in vegetation encroachment and narrowing of Platte River channels. The National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council, in a recent review of these critical habitat designations, concluded that the current morphology of Platte River channels is limiting the recovery of the endangered and threatened avian species. Habitat-enhancement efforts along the Platte River currently (2006) are focused on the clearing of vegetation from in-channel and riparian areas, whereas future plans propose the release of water from upstream dams as a means to prevent vegetation from encroaching on the active river channel. For this reason, monitoring the physical response of the river channel to these management treatments is an important component of a proposed habitat recovery program. Understanding the effects of management strategies on Platte River riparian habitat also is a key objective of the U.S. Geological Survey's Platte River Priority Ecosystem Program (http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/platte/). This fact sheet describes applications of LiDAR to monitor changes in the Platte River riparian corridor.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS1990

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Pasadena Valley and Ticeska quadrangles, Idaho

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snaked River underlies the most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic ricks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but is deeper than 1,000 ft in few areas. The Snake River had excavated a canyon into the nearly flat-lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon intersects the Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges from the north canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill. To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Dam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Idaho↗

USGS1991

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Thousand Springs and Niagara quadrangles, Idaho

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snake River underlies most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic rocks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface but is deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges from the northern canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along the describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill. To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Sam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Idaho↗

USGS2001

Water quality and nutrient loading in the Klamath River between Keno, Oregon and Seiad Valley, CA from 1996-1998

A water quality study was performed in the mainstem Klamath River from Keno, Oregon to Seiad Valley, California during 1996 through 1998. Four sites within the study area were continuously monitored using multiparameter recorders. Water quality sampling was also performed at these four locations in 1996 and 1997. Additional water quality sampling sites were added in 1998 for a total of 8 locations between Keno and Seiad. Temperature ranged from near zero °C to >25 °C with cooler temperatures in early spring and fall, and maximum temperatures occurring in july and August of each year. Dissolved oxygen concentration ranged from near zero mg/L to >13 mg/L with highest DO occurring in early spring and fall and lowest DO occurring in mid-summer. Air temperature was generally highly correlated with water temperature with r values ranging from 0.8 to 0.9 during the study period from 1996-1998. Water temperature in the study area exceeded chronic (>16°C) and acute (>22°C) criteria for salmonids during the summer months. Although chronic DO «7 mg/L) criteria were exceeded throughout most of the study area during the summer, in the free-flowing river below Iron Gate Dam the acute DO «5.5 mg/L) criteria were not exceeded. Nonpoint source pollution in the form of agricultural return flows, industrial, or sewage effluent entering the stream may have resulted in higher ammonia and total organic nitrogen concentrations at the upstream locations in the Klamath River study area (Keno and J.C. Boyle Powerplant). Nitrification of ammonia and organic nitrogen seemed to result in higher concentrations of nitrate in the downstream Klamath River (Iron Gate Dam). Total phosphorus concentration stayed relatively stable through the reservoirs in the study area, but decreased in the downstream direction between Iron Gate Dam and Seiad. Ortho-phosphorus concentrations increased longitudinally through the reservoirs, then decreased in the downstream direction between Iron Gate Dam and Seiad. An increase in ortho-phosphorus concentration can indicate internal cycling occurring in the reservoirs as well as photosynthesis. On an annual basis total phosphorus loading increased longitudinally from up- to downstream between Keno and Seiad. The increase was statistically significant (p =.03) indicating that the reservoirs in series in the Klamath River study area do not function as a nutrient sink. However, during the summer there was no statistically significant difference in total P loading when Keno, Iron Gate and Seia~ locations were compared, therefore, the reservoirs may act as a nutrient sink seasonally. The Klamath River study locations were generally nitrogen limited, although at Keno, a regUlar change from N limitation to P limitation occurred during the fall of all three years of the study. When the Klamath River annual nutrient loading values are compared to other rivers in the vicinity, the Carson, Truckee, and Long Tom Rivers also appear to be nutrient enriched. The Carson and South Yamhill Rivers seem to be N limited systems and the Wood, Long Tom, Snake and Truckee Rivers seem to be P limited systems. Implementing management strategies for reservoir operations to improve water quality and reduce nutrient concentration or loading in the Klamath River study area to benefit anadromous fisheries may be difficult and expensive. However, improving the thermal regime in spring to benefit YOY salmonids may be possible as is short-term relief in late summer for oversummering species. Decreases in nutrient concentration or loading accomplished through best management practices in the water shed may allow general protection of water resources in the Klamath Basin for future needs.

California, Oregon↗

USGS2003

Assessment of habitat and streamflow requirements for habitat protection, Usquepaug–Queen River, Rhode Island, 1999–2000

The relations among stream habitat and hydrologic conditions were investigated in the Usquepaug–Queen River Basin in southern Rhode Island. Habitats were assessed at 13 sites on the mainstem and tributaries from July 1999 to September 2000. Channel types are predominantly low-gradient glides, pools, and runs that have a sand and gravel streambed and a forest or shrub riparian zone. Along the stream margins, overhanging brush, undercut banks supported by roots, and downed trees create cover; within the channel, submerged aquatic vegetation and woody debris create cover. These habitat features decrease in quality and availability with declining streamflows, and features along stream margins generally become unavailable once streamflows drop to the point at which water recedes from the stream banks. Riffles are less common, but were identified as critical habitat areas because they are among the first to exhibit habitat losses or become unavailable during low-flow periods. Stream-temperature data were collected at eight sites during summer 2000 to indicate the suitability of those reaches for cold-water fish communities. Data indicate stream temperatures provide suitable habitat for cold-water species in the Fisherville and Locke Brook tributaries and in the mainstem Queen River downstream of the confluence with Fisherville Brook. Stream temperatures in the Usquepaug River downstream from Glen Rock Reservoir are about 6°F warmer than in the Queen River upstream from the impoundment. These warmer temperatures may make habitat in the Usquepaug River marginal for cold-water species. Fish-community composition was determined from samples collected at seven sites on tributaries and at three sites on the mainstem Usquepaug–Queen River. Classification of the fish into habitat-use groups and comparison to target fish communities developed for the Quinebaug and Ipswich Rivers indicated that the sampled reaches of the Usquepaug–Queen River contained most of the riverine fish species that would have been expected to occur in this area. Streamflow records from the gaging station Usquepaug River near Usquepaug were used to (1) determine streamflow requirements for habitat protection by use of the Tennant method, and (2) define a flow regime that mimics the river's natural flow regime by use of the Range of Variability Approach. The Tennant streamflow requirement, defined as 30 percent of the mean annual flow, was 0.64 cubic feet per second per square mile (ft 3 /s/mi 2 ). This requirement should be considered an initial estimate because flows measured at the Usquepaug River gaging station are reduced by water withdrawals upstream from the gage. The streamflow requirements may need to be revised once a watershed-scale precipitationrunoff model of the Usquepaug River is complete and a simulation of streamflows without water withdrawals has been determined.

Rhode Island↗

USGS2012

Monitoring of stream restoration habitat on the main stem of the Methow River, Washington, during the pre-treatment phase (October 2008-May 2012) with a progress report for activities from March 2011 to November 2011

Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) received a request from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to provide monitoring and an evaluation of the effectiveness of habitat actions that Reclamation plans to implement in the Upper Columbia River basin, which includes the Methow River. This monitoring and evaluation program is to partially fulfill Reclamations part of the 2008 Biological Opinion for the Federal Columbia River Power System that includes a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) to protect listed salmon and steelhead across their life cycle. The target species in the Methow River for this monitoring and restoration effort include Upper Columbia River (UCR) spring Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), UCR steelhead ( O. mykiss ), and bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ), which are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This report covers UCR activities performed by USGS personnel from March 2011 to November 2011. It involves collecting and analyzing data collected during pre-implementation (2008–2012) there will be a follow-up after actions are completed (2012–2014). The goal of Reclamation is to maximize the potential of habitat and improve proposed limiting factors affecting the middle Methow River subwatershed (Reclamation, 2010). The Middle Methow (M2) reach (river kilometer mile [rkm] 843.065 to 843.080) of the Methow River was selected as the treatment reach for this study based on possible stream restoration plans by Reclamation (fig. 1). The upper Methow River (rkm 843.094 and 843.080), Chewuch River, and the Methow River downstream of the Twisp River (rkm 843.065) are being sampled as reference and control reaches in this study (fig. 2). This report covers the third year in the pre-evaluation of the M2 reach and its side channels. Restoration of the M2 reach is scheduled for 2012, which is planned to be followed by a multi-year intensive post-evaluation period. The intent of the summary of information provided in this report is to fulfill the objectives and tasks submitted in a statement of work to Reclamation in November 2010 (Connolly and Martens, 2011). The study design provides data by which to assess potential fish response to a Reclamation habitat restoration effort focused to improve juvenile salmonid rearing habitat in the M2, which runs between the towns of Winthrop and Twisp, Washington (fig. 1). The pre-treatment phase of the study is designed so that specific questions about the response of target fish species (spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout) to the restoration actions can be addressed. Effectiveness is being determined by measuring fish productivity and habitat connectivity of the restoration reach and adjoining reaches, and their tributaries. The study includes sampling efforts directed to understand the relationships between stream habitat and the abundance of various fish species and to assess the response of the fish community. To complement these measurements, we will use models to predict response to treatment, and we will update the model with empirically derived data as these data become available. This modeling effort is expected to inform us of data gaps, sensitivity of key variables, and ability to detect response based on variability of the data. The approach and actions taken or planned by Reclamation to modify off-channel habitat are largely untested as to their effectiveness to improve target fish species’ productivity and survival needs. Those documented strategies that identify both physical parameters and biological relationships and benefits have been identified (Reclamation, 2008). To assess biological performance, we plan to compare age structure, growth, and age at smolting between those fish that stay in natal areas versus those fish that move. To assess retention in, and movement from or into, the restoration reach, we have used a combination of within-reach and out-of-reach sampling. We are using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, a network of instream PIT tag interrogation systems, and smolt traps to assess differences in biological performance and the magnitude of retention in, and movement from and into, the restoration reach.

Washington↗

USGS2014

Hydrologic data for the Obed River watershed, Tennessee

The Obed River watershed drains a 520-square-mile area of the Cumberland Plateau physiographic region in the Tennessee River basin. The watershed is underlain by conglomerate, sandstone, and shale of Pennsylvanian age, which overlie Mississippian-age limestone. The larger creeks and rivers of the Obed River system have eroded gorges through the conglomerate and sandstone into the deeper shale. The largest gorges are up to 400 feet deep and are protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act as part of the Obed Wild and Scenic River, which is managed by the National Park Service. The growing communities of Crossville and Crab Orchard, Tennessee, are located upstream of the gorge areas of the Obed River watershed. The cities used about 5.8 million gallons of water per day for drinking water in 2010 from Lake Holiday and Stone Lake in the Obed River watershed and Meadow Park Lake in the Caney Fork River watershed. The city of Crossville operates a wastewater treatment plant that releases an annual average of about 2.2 million gallons per day of treated effluent to the Obed River, representing as much as 10 to 40 percent of the monthly average streamflow of the Obed River near Lancing about 35 miles downstream, during summer and fall. During the past 50 years (1960–2010), several dozen tributary impoundments and more than 2,000 small farm ponds have been constructed in the Obed River watershed. Synoptic streamflow measurements indicate a tendency towards dampened high flows and slightly increased low flows as the percentage of basin area controlled by impoundments increases.

Tennessee↗

USGS2014

Design of a sediment-monitoring gaging network on ephemeral tributaries of the Colorado River in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons, Arizona

Management of sediment in rivers downstream from dams requires knowledge of both the sediment supply and downstream sediment transport. In some dam-regulated rivers, the amount of sediment supplied by easily measured major tributaries may overwhelm the amount of sediment supplied by the more difficult to measure lesser tributaries. In this first class of rivers, managers need only know the amount of sediment supplied by these major tributaries. However, in other regulated rivers, the cumulative amount of sediment supplied by the lesser tributaries may approach the total supplied by the major tributaries. The Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon has been hypothesized to be one such river. If this is correct, then management of sediment in the Colorado River in the part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area downstream from the dam and in Grand Canyon National Park may require knowledge of the sediment supply from all tributaries. Although two major tributaries, the Paria and Little Colorado Rivers, are well documented as the largest two suppliers of sediment to the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, the contributions of sediment supplied by the ephemeral lesser tributaries of the Colorado River in the lowermost Glen Canyon, and Marble and Grand Canyons are much less constrained. Previous studies have estimated amounts of sediment supplied by these tributaries ranging from very little to almost as much as the amount supplied by the Paria River. Because none of these previous studies relied on direct measurement of sediment transport in any of the ephemeral tributaries in Glen, Marble, or Grand Canyons, there may be significant errors in the magnitudes of sediment supplies estimated during these studies. To reduce the uncertainty in the sediment supply by better constraining the sediment yield of the ephemeral lesser tributaries, the U.S. Geological Survey Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center established eight sediment-monitoring gaging stations beginning in 2000 on the larger of the previously ungaged tributaries of the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. The sediment-monitoring gaging stations consist of a downward-looking stage sensor and passive suspended-sediment samplers. Two stations are equipped with automatic pump samplers to collect suspended-sediment samples during flood events. Directly measuring discharge and collecting suspended-sediment samples in these remote ephemeral streams during significant sediment-transporting events is nearly impossible; most significant run-off events are short-duration events (lasting minutes to hours) associated with summer thunderstorms. As the remote locations and short duration of these floods make it prohibitively expensive, if not impossible, to directly measure the discharge of water or collect traditional depth-integrated suspended-sediment samples, a method of calculating sediment loads was developed that includes documentation of stream stages by field instrumentation, modeling of discharges associated with these stages, and automatic suspended-sediment measurements. The approach developed is as follows (1) survey and model flood high-water marks using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, (2) create a stage-discharge relation for each site by combining the modeled flood flows with the measured stage record, (3) calculate the discharge record for each site using the stage-discharge relation and the measured stage record, and (4) calculate the instantaneous and cumulative sediment loads using the discharge record and suspended-sediment concentrations measured from samples collected with passive US U-59 samplers and ISCO TM pump samplers. This paper presents the design of the gaging network and briefly describes the methods used to calculate discharge and sediment loads. The design and methods herein can easily be used at other remote locations where discharge and sediment loads are required.

Arizona↗

USGS2019

Groundwater quality in the Delaware, Genesee, and St. Lawrence River Basins, New York, 2015

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, collected groundwater samples from 5 production wells and 5 domestic wells in the Delaware River Basin, 8 production wells and 7 domestic wells in the Genesee River Basin, and 1 municipal well, 7 production wells, and 13 domestic wells in the St. Lawrence River Basin in New York. All samples were collected from May through November 2015 in an effort to characterize groundwater quality in these basins. The samples were collected and processed by using standard U.S. Geological Survey procedures and were analyzed for 148 physiochemical properties and constituents, including dissolved gases, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, radionuclides, and indicator bacteria. The Delaware River Basin study area covers 2,360 square miles (mi 2 ) in southeastern New York. Of the 10 wells sampled in the Delaware River Basin, 3 are completed in sand and gravel, and 7 are completed in bedrock. Groundwater in the Delaware River Basin was generally of good quality, although properties and concentrations of some constituents—pH, iron, manganese, aluminum, radon-222, and total coliform bacteria—sometimes equaled or exceeded primary, secondary, or proposed drinking-water standards. The constituent most frequently detected in concentrations exceeding drinking-water standards (10 of 10 samples) was radon-222. The Genesee River Basin study area includes the entire 2,439 mi 2 of the basin in western New York. Of the 15 wells sampled in the Genesee River Basin, 6 are completed in sand and gravel, and 9 are completed in bedrock. Groundwater in the Genesee River Basin was generally of good quality, although properties and concentrations of some constituents—chloride, sodium, dissolved solids, iron, manganese, aluminum, arsenic, radon-222, methane, total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, and Escherichia coli bacteria—sometimes equaled or exceeded primary, secondary, or proposed drinking-water standards. The constituent most frequently detected in concentrations exceeding drinking-water standards (12 of 15 samples) was radon-222. The St. Lawrence River Basin study area includes the entire 5,650 mi 2 of the basin in northeastern New York. Of the 21 wells sampled in the St. Lawrence River Basin, 7 are completed in sand and gravel, and 14 are completed in bedrock. Groundwater in the St. Lawrence River Basin was generally of good quality, although properties and concentrations of some constituents—pH, chloride, sodium, dissolved solids, iron, manganese, sulfate, nitrate, radon-222, total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, and Escherichia coli bacteria—sometimes equaled or exceeded primary, secondary, or proposed drinking-water standards. The constituent most frequently detected in concentrations exceeding drinking-water standards (14 of 21 samples) was radon-222.

New York↗

USGS2019

Movements of juvenile Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Yakima and Columbia Rivers, Washington, 2018—A pilot study using acoustic telemetry

Telemetry has been an invaluable tool to improve our understanding of adult Pacific Lamprey ( Entosphenus tridentatus ) movements and to guide management approaches to protect and restore this species of concern. Juvenile and larval lamprey, however, are much smaller than adults, and have not been monitored with telemetry because available transmitters have traditionally been too large. With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed a prototype micro-transmitter of appropriate size for use in small fish such as juvenile lampreys and eels. Through a collaborative research approach, we used these prototype transmitters to do a pilot level evaluation of juvenile lamprey (macrophthalmia) movements in the Yakima and Columbia Rivers in 2018. Our project monitored tagged lamprey using acoustic monitoring arrays installed and maintained for juvenile salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) migration studies done by our partners. The study was done in the lower Yakima River, Washington, from river mile 111 to the river mouth, and in the Columbia River, from the Yakima River mouth to Camas, Washington, downstream of Bonneville Dam. We released four groups of tagged lamprey from May 9 to 15, 2018. Two groups were released at the upper site (located at the State Route 24 bridge, about 4.5 river miles upstream of Wapato Dam), and two groups were released at the lower site (about 1.7 miles upstream of the Yakima River mouth). We detected 95.6 percent of the tagged lamprey, with more individuals detected in the Columbia River than in the Yakima River. Lamprey arrived at Bonneville Dam in an average of 8.0–9.6 days from the upper site (300 river miles) and in an average of 6.5 days from the lower site (193 river miles). Lamprey moved through the study area at an average rate of 30–35 miles per day and generally remained at each detection site for less than about 20 minutes. Most lamprey (63 percent) arrived at detection sites during periods of darkness, but some travel occurred during daylight and transitional light periods.

Washington↗