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At least 1,531 records · Page 85Linked to original sources
USGS1985

Hydrology of coal-lease areas near Durango, Colorado

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management leases Federal lands and minerals for coal mining near Durango, Colorado. This report addresses the hydrologic suitability of those lands for coal leasing; the report describes the general hydrology of the Durango area and, more specifically, the hydrology of the Stollsteimer Creek study area 32 miles east of the Durango and the Hay Gulch study area, 12 miles southwest of Durango. The most productive aquifers in the Durango study area are Quaternary alluvium and the tertiary Animas Formation. Water wells completed in alluvium typically yield 5 to 20 gallons/min; wells completed is the Animas Formation yield as much as 50 gallons/min. Water quality in these aquifers is variable, but it generally is suitable for domestic use. The coal-bearing Cretaceous Fruitland and Menefee Formations are mined by surface methods at the Chimney Rock Mine in the Stollsteimer Creek study area and by underground methods at the National King Coal Mine in the Hay Gulch study area. Effects of surface mining in the Stollsteimer Creek area are: (1) Dewatering of an alluvial aquifer; and (2) Local degradation of alluvium water quality by spoil-pile effluent. Effects of underground mining in the Hay Gulch area are: (1) Introduction of water with greater dissolved-solids concentrations into the upper Hay Gulch alluvium from mine runoff; (2) Subsidence fracturing which could dewater streams and the alluvial aquifer. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2013

Report A: Fish distribution and population dynamics in Rock Creek, Klickitat County, Washington

The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with the Yakama Nation starting in fall of 2009 to study the fish populations in Rock Creek, a Washington State tributary of the Columbia River 21 kilometers upstream of John Day Dam. Prior to this study, very little was known about the ESA-listed (threatened) Mid-Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) population in this arid watershed with intermittent stream flow. The objectives of the study were to quantify fish habitat, document fish distribution, abundance, and movement, and identify areas of high salmonid productivity. To accomplish these objectives, we electrofished in the spring and fall, documenting the distribution and relative abundance of all fish species to evaluate the influence of biotic factors on salmonid productivity and survival. We surveyed the distribution of perennial pools and established a network of automated temperature recording devices from river kilometer (rkm) 2 to 23 in Rock Creek and rkm 0 to 8 in Squaw Creek, a major tributary entering Rock Creek at rkm 13, to better understand the abiotic factors influencing the salmonid populations. Salmonid abundance estimates were conducted using a mark-recapture method in a systematic subsample of the perennial pools. The proportion and timing of salmonids migrating from these pools were assessed by building, installing, and operating two passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag interrogation systems at rkm 5 and at the confluence with Squaw Creek (rkm 13). From fall 2009 to fall 2012, we PIT-tagged 3,088 O. mykiss and 151 coho salmon (O. kisutch) during electrofishing efforts. In the lowest flow periods of 2010 to 2012, we found that an average of 36% of the surveyed streambed length was dry, and 17% remained as perennial pools. The maximum temperature recorded in those pools was 24.4°C, but most pools had a maximum temperature that was less than 21°C. O. mykiss were present in most pools, and non-native fish species, such as smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), were typically found downstream of rkm 5. Coho salmon were present in nearly every pool that was sampled in 2011, but were rare in 2009, 2010, and 2012. About 27% of the PIT-tagged O. mykiss and 38% of the PIT-tagged coho were detected outmigrating to the Columbia River. Of those fish, 92% (n=695) were detected leaving Rock Creek as smolts in April and May. As of November 2013, 9 O. mykiss and 4 coho that we tagged in Rock Creek as juveniles have returned as adults to Bonneville Dam. Also, an additional 34 PIT-tagged adult steelhead, and 6 PIT-tagged coho that were tagged by other groups have been detected in Rock Creek, of which, 22 were of known origin (tagged as juveniles). Of these, 85% were tagged or released in the Snake River. The PIT-tag interrogation systems will be operated for several more years to allow time for the fish tagged as juveniles to return as adults and complete their life cycles. The Yakama Nation will use the information collected from this study to prioritize and gauge the effectiveness of ongoing and future restoration actions.

Washington↗
USGS2018

Public views of wetlands and waterfowl conservation in the United States—Results of a survey to inform the 2018 update of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan

Executive Summary This report provides information from a general public survey conducted in early 2017 to help inform the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) 2018 update. This report is intended for use by the NAWMP advisory committees and anyone interested in the human dimensions of wetlands and waterfowl management. A mail-out survey was sent to 5,000 addresses in the United States, which were selected randomly in proportion to the population of each State. A total of 1,030 completed surveys representing 49 States were returned, resulting in a 23 percent overall response rate. When comparing the demographics of the respondents to the U.S. census data, this sample overrepresented people who are male, older, highly educated, and white. Data were weighted on gender and age to make the results more representative of the overall U.S. population. Additionally, this sample had higher participation rates in all wildlife-related recreation activities than has been found in previous studies; this indicates there may have been selection bias, with people interested in nature-related topics more likely to complete the survey. Therefore, results likely represent a segment of the U.S. public that is more oriented toward and aware of wildlife and conservation issues than the general public as a whole. Because of this bias, responses for each question were also broken down by recreationist type (hunters, anglers, wildlife viewers, and no wildlife-related recreation). Additionally, responses for each question were split by administrative flyway (Atlantic, Central, Mississippi, Pacific) and residency (urban, urban cluster, rural) to better understand the different groups. Most respondents knew of wetlands in their local area or community, and more than half had visited wetlands in the previous 12 months. Of those who had visited wetlands, the most common reasons were for walking/hiking/biking and enjoying nature/picnicking. In addition, this sample was very concerned about the reduction or loss of ecosystem services resulting from wetlands degradation or loss. A majority of respondents were somewhat or very concerned about 9 out of 10 wetlands benefits, with hunting opportunities being the only benefit the majority of people were not concerned about. People were the most concerned about clean water, clean air, and providing a home for wildlife. In contrast, people were least concerned about hunting opportunities and wetlands providing scenic places for inspiration or spiritual renewal. Communication about wetlands that focuses on habitat, clean air, and clean water may resonate with the widest variety of people. However, if communication is targeted toward wildlife-related recreationists, including more information about the recreation benefits of wetlands and emphasizing habitat benefits may be the most effective. Many people reported having participated in conservation behaviors in the last year. The most popular activity was making the yard more desirable to wildlife, with more than three-fourths of respondents participating, followed by donating money to support wildlife/habitat conservation and talking to others in their community about conservation issues. There was lower participation in conservation behavior specifically related to wetlands and waterfowl, with two-fifths of respondents voting for candidates or ballot issues to support wetlands/waterfowl conservation and one-third advocating for political action to conserve wetlands/waterfowl. In order to better understand how to reach out to the public on nature-related topics, preferences in information channels and trust in information sources were explored. Respondents were mostly likely to want to receive their information through personal experience, by reading or accessing online content, and through watching visual media online. People were least likely to want to receive information through listening to recorded audio media, attending educational opportunities, and listening to live audio media. These results emphasize the importance of having content available online in an easily accessible and appealing format. Visual media in particular seems to be preferred across a wide variety of people. Additionally, people had the highest trust in scientific organizations, universities/educational organizations, and friends/family/neighbors/colleagues. The least trusted sources were national media/news, religious organizations, and local media/news. Urban respondents had higher trust levels overall, particularly for the government. Hunters and those in rural areas had lower levels of trust in the government but higher trust in family/friends. In this sample, few respondents reported hunting waterfowl (5 percent) or hunting other game (16 percent) in the last year. Additionally, few respondents said they were very or somewhat likely to hunt waterfowl in the following 12 months. Even after considering that self-selection bias would make it more likely for hunters to respond to the survey, the relatively small number of respondents who identified as hunters reinforces that engagement of other wildlife-related recreationists is critical to meeting the third goal of the NAWMP 2012 revision—to increase numbers of wetlands/waterfowl conservationists. Many people also had negative perceptions of hunting. Half of the respondents stated that hunting would be unpleasant, and two-fifths believed hunting would be boring. In contrast, people had more favorable attitudes toward birdwatching, with only one-sixth saying it would be unpleasant and less than one-third saying it would be boring. A majority of respondents thought they could easily go hunting or birdwatching in the following 12 months. Overall, people had much more positive views toward birdwatching and expressed fewer barriers to participating in it. When asked what would prevent them from hunting, the most frequently stated reasons were moral opposition, no interest, personal health, and time constraints; for birdwatching, the most popular responses were nothing, no interest, and time constraints. These responses indicate it may be beneficial to move beyond hunting and find ways for other groups, such as birdwatchers, to play a more active role in conservation. Although not many people hunted and many people tended to have negative attitudes toward hunting, over three-fourths of people said they knew a hunter. Given that wildlife viewers, those who did not participate in wildlife-related recreation, and urban residents tended to have negative attitudes toward hunting and (or) were not interested in participating, attempting to recruit them to participate in hunting may not be effective. However, given how many people across all groups knew a hunter and the relatively high levels of trust people had in their friends/family, hunters may be effective ambassadors for promoting waterfowl and wetlands conservation among nonhunters. Additionally, because people had less preference for viewing waterfowl and other game birds compared to their preference for seeing hummingbirds and birds of prey, conservation efforts that extend beyond waterfowl and include other species that benefit from wetlands may have more appeal to a broader range of people.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2023

Visualization of petroleum exploration maturity for six petroleum provinces outside the United States and Canada

Outside the United States and Canada, most of the world’s supplies of oil and natural gas are recovered from conventional (or discrete) oil and gas accumulations. This type of hydrocarbon accumulation remains a target for exploration. In this report, exploration and discovery data are used to visually assist in describing the exploration maturity of selected petroleum provinces with respect to conventional oil and natural gas accumulations. The specific provinces are the Campos Basin (Brazil), the Santos Basin (Brazil), the North Sea Graben (northwestern Europe), the Middle Magdelena Basin (Colombia), the Sirte Basin (Libya), and the Kutei Basin (Indonesia). For each province, discovery data and well data through October 2019 are reported; from these data, depth distributions of the oil in oil fields and natural gas in gas fields were computed. The concepts of delineated prospective area and explored area include elements of geographic spatial information and statistical data analytics. Graphs showing dynamic growth of discoveries that are tied to the delineated prospective area provide a means of grading prospective area. Visualizations put the results of exploration in the context of geographic and geologic features of the play or basin and can be a tool to assist geologists with the appraisal of the number and sizes of undiscovered petroleum accumulations. Visualizations of exploration drilling and discoveries can (1) assist in conceptualizing a geologic model of the basin, (2) highlight relations among discovered accumulations in different plays or assessment units within the basin, and (3) allow the geologist to identify the missing information needed to complete the geologic model of a basin. Further, if visualization attributes can be quantified, they may be used for formulating quantitative models that predict numbers and sizes of undiscovered oil and gas accumulations. Such modeling approaches include discovery process models, Bayesian network models that characterize play or assessment unit dependencies, and innovative applications of machine learning to complement standard geologic assessments. The purpose of this report is to show how visualizations can further the understanding of exploration maturity for the six selected petroleum provinces. It also shows how the geologic framework, geologic data, and drilling and discovery trends can give context to the interpretation of the visualizations that lead to appraisal of exploration maturity.

Campos Basin, Kutei Basin, Middle Magdelena Basin,↗
USGS2007

Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey: 2006-2010

Executive Summary The mission of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is to provide scientifically credible measures of the status and trends of North American bird populations at continental and regional scales to inform biologically sound conservation and management actions. Determining population trends, relative abundance, and distributions of North American avifauna is critical for identifying conservation priorities, determining appropriate conservation actions, and evaluating those actions. The BBS program, jointly coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey and Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service, provides the U.S. and Canadian Federal governments, state and provincial agencies, other conservation practitioners, and the general public with science-based avian population trend estimates and other information for regional and national species’ population assessments. Despite the demonstrated value of the BBS for furthering avian conservation across North America, its importance is often underappreciated, and it is underfunded compared with many other government-supported programs that report on status of the environment. Today, BBS resources, adjusted for inflation, are below the amount allocated in the 1970s and are still only sufficient to support two biologists. Yet the number of routes, participants, data, and data requests has quadrupled. Data and information management and delivery requirements and security concerns, non-existent in 1966, impose further demands on BBS resources. In addition, the Mexican expansion of the BBS offers new hope for a truly continental approach to avian conservation, but also brings additional challenges. Meeting the goals of this plan will take cooperation among myriad stakeholders; yet, even with collaboration, most objectives of this plan will be unattainable if BBS program support is not increased. The BBS developed this strategic plan to help set priorities and identify resources required for the program to continue to meet the evolving needs of the conservation community for information on bird population change. By setting clear goals, strategies, and measures of success, this plan provides a cohesive framework and vision for maintenance and development of the BBS. The plan identifies two major goals for the BBS, with a number of strategies and objectives to achieve these goals. Over the next 5 years, progress made in addressing each long-term goal and its associated 5-year strategies and objectives will gage the plan’s success. Specific actions, projected outcomes, and measures of success related to accomplishing these are outlined in Table 1, with a timeline in Table 2. The two main goals for the program, with a summary of the strategies to achieve them, are: Goal 1: Collect scientifically credible measures of the status and trends of North American bird populations at continental and regional scales. The North American Breeding Bird Survey will continue to support North American natural resource conservation through the collection of scientifically credible measures of the status and trends of continental bird populations. While doing this, the BBS will work to improve the science behind the program to better meet its mission and the changing needs of the avian conservation community. In partnership with collaborators, the BBS will address detection probability bias and habitat bias, improve analytical methods, and more fully assess and account for observer quality. Moreover, the BBS will improve the quality and breadth of avian population data through strategic increases in route density and the establishment of a Mexican BBS program. Goal 2: Ensure BBS data and analytical results are widely available and easily accessible for use by the avian conservation and management communities. At the heart of the BBS lies a four-million-record database containing more than 40 years of data on more than 600 bird species. These data are of no value if not well maintained, appropriately analyzed, and widely and easily accessible. The USGS has greatly improved data management and accessibility in recent years. Trend estimates were first made available via the Internet in the mid-1990s, followed closely by the raw data with baseline metadata and standard operating procedures. Nevertheless, numerous enhancements to data management and the usability of BBS results will greatly improve the ability of the BBS to serve avian conservation goals. The BBS needs to ensure that BBS data and results presented on the web site use the best data-management practices and statistical methods, with adequate documentation for users to understand them and any differences between different trend estimates. Moreover, the BBS needs to increase communication with BBS partners and stakeholders to ensure that it continues to meet the avian population status and trends needs of the conservation community and to encourage the development of new products. Working with collaborators, the BBS will develop tools for integrating environmental parameters like habitat change into the analyses, and for integrating BBS data with other avian survey results. In addition, the BBS will continue to improve data and database management through the incorporation of additional data and data fields, such as georeferenced stop locations and more complete metadata for the raw data and results, thus enhancing the uses that can be made of the data.

Circular↗
USGS1978

Hydrologic monitoring of waste-injection wells near Pensacola, Florida, March 1970 - December 1977

This report presents hydraulic and chemical data collected from March 1970 to December 1977 at a deep-well waste-injection system at the Monsanto Company's plant near Pensacola, Florida. The injection system presently consists of Injection Well A, Injection Well B, and two deep monitor wells all completed open hole in the lower limestone of the Floridan aquifer and one shallow monitor well completed in the upper limestone of the Floridan aquifer. The two deep monitor wells are used to observe hydraulic and geochemical effects of waste injection in the injection zone at locations 1.5 miles south-southeast and 1.9 miles north-northwest of the center of the injection site. The shallow monitor well, used to observe any effects in the first permeable zone above the 220-foot-thick confining bed, is 100 feet northeast of Injection Well A. Since injection began in July 1963, about 14.2 billion gallons of acidic industrial waste consisting of an aqueous solution of nitric acid, inorganic salts, and numerous organic compounds have been injected into a limestone aquifer containing saline water. From July 1963 to April 1968, the pH of the waste was raised to about 5.5 with aqueous ammonia prior to injection. Since 1968, no aqueous ammonia has been added and the waste has been injected at a pH of about 2.3. Wellhead injection pressures at both injection wells in December 1977 averaged 170 pounds per square inch and the hydraulic pressure gradient was 0.52 pound per square inch per foot of depth to the top of the injection zone. Increases in pressures since 1970 at the north and south monitor wells ranged from 21 to 31 pounds per square inch. The pressure in the shallow monitor well declined about 6 pounds per square inch. No changes were detected in the chemical characteristics of water from the shallow monitor and the north monitor wells. Since late 1973, concentrations of bicarbonate and dissolved organic carbon in water from the south monitor well have increased. These increases in bicarbonate and dissolved organic carbon have been accompanied by increases in gas content of water at the point of discharge from the well and a distinctive odor like that of the waste. In samples of water from the south monitor well, concentrations of nitrogen gas ranged from 5.1 to 12.7 milligrams per liter, methane from 24 to 70 milligrams per liter, and carbon dioxide from 14 to 56 milligrams per liter.

Florida↗
USGS2013

Chapter A: Summary and findings

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is conducting epidemiological studies to evaluate the potential for health effects from exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in finished water supplied to family housing units at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (USMCB Camp Lejeune). The core period of interest for the epidemiological studies is 1968– 1985. VOCs of major interest to the epidemiological studies include tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), trans -1,2-dichloroethylene (1,2-tDCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and benzene. Eight water-distribution systems have supplied or currently (2013) are supplying finished water to family housing and other facilities at USMCB Camp Lejeune. The three distribution systems of interest to this study—Tarawa Terrace, Hadnot Point, and Holcomb Boulevard—have historically supplied finished water to the majority of family housing units at the Base. Historical exposure data needed for the epidemiological studies are limited or unavailable. To obtain estimates of historical exposure, water-modeling methods are used to quantify concentrations of particular contaminants in finished water and to compute the level and duration of human expo- sure to contaminated finished water. During 2007–2009, ATSDR published historical reconstruction results for contaminants delivered in finished water to Tarawa Terrace family housing areas and vicinity. Corresponding results for Hadnot Point and Holcomb Boulevard family housing areas and vicinity are presented here as a series of reports supporting ATSDR’s health studies at USMCB Camp Lejeune. These reports and associated supplements provide comprehensive descriptions of information, data analyses and interpretations, and modeling results used to reconstruct historical contaminant concentration levels in finished water delivered within the service areas of the Hadnot Point and Holcomb Boulevard water treatment plants (WTPs) and vicinities. This report, Chapter A: Summary and Findings, summarizes analyses and results of reconstructed VOC concentrations in groundwater, in water-supply wells, and in finished water delivered by the Hadnot Point WTP (HPWTP) and Holcomb Boulevard WTP (HBWTP) to family housing areas and vicinities. Methods and approaches to complete the historical reconstruction process for the Hadnot Point–Holcomb Boulevard study area included (1) information discovery and data mining, (2) three-dimensional, steady-state (predevelopment) and transient groundwater-flow modeling using MODFLOW-2005 and objective parameter estimation using PEST-12, (3) deter- mining historical water-supply well scheduling and operations using TechWellOp, (4) three-dimensional contaminant fate and transport modeling for VOCs dissolved in groundwater using MT3DMS-5.3, (5) estimating the volume of light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) released to the subsurface at the Hadnot Point Industrial Area using TechNAPLVol, (6) analysis of LNAPL and dissolved phase fate and transport using TechFlowMP, (7) reconstruction of water-supply well concentrations at the Hadnot Point landfill using the linear control theory model (LCM) TechControl, (8) computation of flow-weighted average concentrations of VOCs assigned to finished water delivered by the HPWTP using a materials mass balance (simple mixing) model, (9) extended period simulation of hydraulics and water quality of the Holcomb Boulevard water-distribution system using EPANET 2, (10) sensitivity analysis of hydraulic, fate and transport, and numerical-model parameter values, (11) uncertainty analysis by coupling Kalman filtering with Monte Carlo simulation within the LCM methodology, and (12) probabilistic analysis of intermittent connections (1972–1985) of the Hadnot Point and Holcomb Boulevard water-distribution systems using the TechMarkov-Chain model. The end result of the historical reconstruction process was the estimation of monthly mean concentrations of selected VOCs in finished water distributed to housing areas served by the HPWTP and HBWTP. Historical reconstruction results summarized herein provide considerable evidence that concentrations of several contaminants of interest in finished water delivered by the HPWTP substantially exceeded current maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) during all or much of the epidemiological study period of 1968–1985. Reconstructed concentrations of TCE exceeded the current MCL of 5 micrograms per liter (μg/L) prior to and during the entire epidemiological study period and reached a maximum reconstructed concentration of 783 μg/L during November 1983. The most likely date that TCE first exceeded its current MCL is during August 1953; however, this exceedance could have been as early as November 1948. Corresponding finished-water concentrations of PCE exceeded the current MCL of 5 μg/L during most of the period 1975–1985 and also reached a maximum concentration of 39 μg/L during November 1983. Similar results for 1,2-tDCE and VC were also noted during the period 1975–1985. The maximum reconstructed concentrations of 1,2-tDCE and VC were 435 and 67 μg/L, respectively, and also occurred during November 1983. The respective current MCLs for these contaminants are 100 and 2.0 μg/L. Substantial volumes of liquid hydrocarbon fuels were lost due to leakage to the subsurface within the Hadnot Point Industrial Area. This area contained as many as 10 active water-supply wells. Despite the large volumes lost, finished- water concentrations of benzene only slightly exceeded the current MCL of 5 μg/L during the period 1980–1985. The maximum reconstructed concentration of 12 μg/L of benzene occurred during April 1984. Within the HBWTP service area, only TCE routinely exceeded its current MCL during intermittent periods (1972–1985). The TCE resulted from transfers of finished water from the Hadnot Point water-distribution system to the Holcomb Boulevard water-distribution system. The maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 51 μg/L occurred during June 1978 at the Berkeley Manor housing area. During the 8-day period of January 28 through February 4, 1985, the HBWTP was out of service, and the HPWTP continuously supplied finished water to the Holcomb Boulevard housing area. During this period, the maximum reconstructed TCE concentration at the HPWTP was 324 μg/L, which resulted in a maximum reconstructed monthly mean concentration of 66 μg/L within the Paradise Point housing area.

North Carolina↗
USGS2010

Solving groundwater flow problems by conjugate-gradient methods and the strongly implicit procedure

The performance of the preconditioned conjugate-gradient method with three preconditioners is compared with the strongly implicit procedure (SIP) using a scalar computer. The preconditioners considered are the incomplete Cholesky (ICCG) and the modified incomplete Cholesky (MICCG), which require the same computer storage as SIP as programmed for a problem with a symmetric matrix, and a polynomial preconditioner (POLCG), which requires less computer storage than SIP. Although POLCG is usually used on vector computers, it is included here because of its small storage requirements. In this paper, published comparisons of the solvers are evaluated, all four solvers are compared for the first time, and new test cases are presented to provide a more complete basis by which the solvers can be judged for typical groundwater flow problems. Based on nine test cases, the following conclusions are reached: (1) SIP is actually as efficient as ICCG for some of the published, linear, two-dimensional test cases that were reportedly solved much more efficiently by ICCG; (2) SIP is more efficient than other published comparisons would indicate when common convergence criteria are used; and (3) for problems that are three-dimensional, nonlinear, or both, and for which common convergence criteria are used, SIP is often more efficient than ICCG, and is sometimes more efficient than MICCG.

Water Resources Research↗
USGS1995

Development of a National Digital Geospatial Data Framework

This proposal of a data framework to organize and enhance the activities of the geospatial data community to meet needs for basic themes of data was developed in response to a request in Executive Order 12906, Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (U.S. Executive Office of the President, 1994). The request stated: in consultation with State, local, and tribal governments and within 9 months of the date of this order, the FGDC shall submit a plan and schedule to OMB [U.S. Office of Management and Budget] for completing the initial implementation of a national digital geospatial data framework ("framework") by January 2000 and for establishing a process of ongoing data maintenance. The framework shall include geospatial data that are significant, in the determination of the FGDC, to a broad variety of users within any geographic area or nationwide. At a minimum, the plan shall address how the initial transportation, hydrology, and boundary elements of the framework might be completed by January 1998 in order to support the decennial census of 2000. The proposal was developed by representatives of local, regional, State, and Federal agencies under the auspices of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). The individuals are listed in the appendix of this report. This Framework Working Group identified the purpose and goals for the framework; identified incentives for participation; defined the information content; developed preliminary technical, operational, and business contexts; specified the institutional roles needed; and developed a strategy for a phased implementation of the framework.Members of the working group presented the concepts of the framework for discussion at several national and regional public meetings. The draft of the report also was provided for public, written review. These discussions and reviews were the source of many improvements to the report.The FGDC approved the report for submission to the Office of Management and Budget on March 31, 1995.

Report↗
USGS1975

The geologic story of Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royale is an outstanding example of relatively undisturbed northwoods lake wilderness. But more than simple preservation of such an environment is involved in its inclusion in our National Park System. Its isolation from the mainland provides an almost untouched laboratory for research in the natural sciences, especially those studies whose very nature depends upon such isolation. One excellent example of such research is the intensive study of the predator-prey relationship of the timber wolf and moose, long sponsored by the National Park Service and Purdue University. In probably no other place in North America are the necessary ecological conditions for such a study so admirably fulfilled as on Isle Royale. The development of a natural laboratory with such conditions is ultimately dependent upon geologic processes and events that although not unique in themselves, produced in their interplay a unique result, the island archipelago as we know it today, with its hills and valleys, swamps and bogs the ecological framework of the plant and animal world. Even the most casual visitor can hardly fail to be struck by the fiordlike nature of many of the bays, the chains of fringing islands, the ridge-and-valley topography, and the linear nature of all these features. The distinctive topography of the archipelago is, of course, only the latest manifestation of geologic processes in operation since time immemorial. Fragments of geologic history going back over a billion years can be read from the rocks of the island, and with additional data from other parts of the Lake Superior region, we can fill in some of the story of Isle Royale. After more than a hundred years of study by man, the story is still incomplete. But then, geologic stories are seldom complete, and what we do know allows a deeper appreciation of one of our most naturally preserved parks and whets our curiosity about the missing fragments.

Michigan↗
USGS2023

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) surveys at the city of Carlsbad Preserve, San Diego County, California—2022 data summary

Executive Summary We surveyed for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers ( Empidonax traillii extimus ; flycatcher) at five survey areas within the City of Carlsbad Preserve, Carlsbad, California, in 2022. Three flycatcher surveys were completed between May 18 and June 29, 2022. Territorial or transient flycatchers were not observed at the City of Carlsbad Preserve in 2022.

California↗
USGS2013

Data entry module and manuals for the Land Treatment Digital Library

Across the country, public land managers make decisions each year that influence landscapes and ecosystems within their jurisdictions. Many of these decisions involve vegetation manipulations, which often are referred to as land treatments. These treatments include removal or alteration of plant biomass, seeding of burned areas, application of herbicides, and other activities. Data documenting these land treatments usually are stored at local management offices in various formats. Therefore, anyone interested in the types and effects of land treatments across multiple jurisdictions must first assemble the information, which can be difficult if data discovery and organization involve multiple local offices. A centralized system for storing and accessing the data helps inform land managers when making policy and management considerations and assists scientists in developing sampling designs and studies. The Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL) was created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a comprehensive database incorporating tabular data, documentation, photographs, and spatial data about land treatments in a single system. It was developed over a period of several years and refined based on feedback from partner agencies and stakeholders. Currently, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land treatment data are being entered by USGS personnel as part of a memorandum of understanding between the USGS and BLM. The LTDL has a website maintained by the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center where LTDL data can be viewed https://www.usgs.gov/apps/ltdl . The resources and information provided in this data series allow other agencies, organizations, and individuals to download an empty, stand-alone LTDL database to individual or networked computers. Data entered in these databases may be submitted to the USGS for possible inclusion in the online LTDL. Multiple computer programs are used to accomplish the objective of the LTDL. The support of an information-technology specialist or professionals familiar with Microsoft Access™, ESRI’s ArcGIS™, Python, Adobe Acrobat Professional™, and computer settings is essential when installing and operating the LTDL. After the program is operational, a critical element for successful data entry is an understanding of the difference between database tables and forms, and how to edit data in both formats. Complete instructions accompany the program, and they should be followed carefully to ensure the setup and operation of the database goes smoothly.

Data Series↗
USGS2009

Southwest principal aquifers regional ground-water quality assessment

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifers in the southwestern United States. The Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers in the region to ground-water contamination by synthesizing the baseline knowledge of ground-water quality conditions in 15 basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. The improved understanding of aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability to contamination is assisting in the development of tools that water managers can use to assess and protect the quality of ground-water resources. This fact sheet provides an overview of the basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States and description of the completed and planned regional analyses of ground-water quality being performed by the SWPA study.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New ↗
USGS2023

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023—USGS disaster emergency recovery activities

Title VII of Division N in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328), was enacted on December 29, 2022. The U.S. Geological Survey received $41.04 million in disaster emergency supplemental funding for repairing and replacing facilities and equipment, collecting high-resolution elevation data in affected areas, and completing scientific assessments to support direct recovery and rebuilding decisions in the wake of declared disasters related to hurricanes and typhoons in 2022.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2005

Surficial geologic interpretation and sidescan sonar imagery of the sea floor in west-central Long Island Sound

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT-DEP) to conduct detailed studies of the surficial geology in Long Island Sound (LIS). The study goals are to interpret sedimentary environments within the Sound, to further understand processes controlling sediment distribution, and to provide a framework for future studies. Sidescan-sonar mosaics produced by USGS and NOAA show detailed acoustic images of the sea floor with 1- m resolution. These images, along with data obtained from sediment samples, seismic-reflection profiles, and seafloor video, are used to interpret the surficial geology. As part of this cooperative program, since 1995, 12 sidescan-sonar surveys of the LIS sea floor have been completed (Poppe and others, 1997; Twichell and others, 1997; Poppe and others, 1998a; Poppe and others, 1998b; Twichell and others, 1998; Poppe and others, 1999a; Poppe and others, 1999b; Poppe and others, 2001; Poppe and others, 2004; Zajac and others, 2003). The purpose of this report is to release digital versions of the imagery and interpretations from NOAA survey H11044 originally published in McMullen and others (2005). Survey H11044, which covers an area of 293 km 2 in west-central LIS , includes the area of the previously published Milford Survey (Twichell and others, 1998) and the westernmost part of the New Haven Harbor Survey (Poppe and others, 2001). These two surveys detailed surficial geology and mapped sediment distributions. In this study, we map the sediment distribution across a broader, previously unstudied area and the sedimentary environments.

Connecticut↗
USGS2015

Carbon dioxide storage in unconventional reservoirs workshop: summary of recommendations

“Unconventional reservoirs” for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage—that is, geologic reservoirs in which changes to the rock trap CO 2 and therefore contribute to CO 2 storage—including coal, shale, basalt, and ultramafic rocks, were the focus of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) workshop held March 28 and 29, 2012, at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The goals of the workshop were to determine whether a detailed assessment of CO 2 storage capacity in unconventional reservoirs is warranted, and if so, to build a set of recommendations that could be used to develop a methodology to assess this storage capacity. Such an assessment would address only the technically available resource, independent of economic or policy factors. At the end of the workshop, participants agreed that sufficient knowledge exists to allow an assessment of the potential CO 2 storage resource in coals, organic-rich shales, and basalts. More work remains to be done before the storage resource in ultramafic rocks can be meaningfully assessed. In order to assess the CO 2 storage capacity of coals and organic-rich shales, the workshop participants agreed that the following several factors are key: sorption mechanisms and capacity, pore fluid composition and saturation, thermal maturity, formation thickness, and whether hydrocarbons have been extracted from the formation previously (for example, by enhanced gas or oil recovery). In order to assess the CO 2 storage capacity of basalts, the workshop participants agreed that key factors include temperature, pressure, pH, water chemistry, mineral chemistry, organic content, mineralogy, porosity, permeability, relative permeabilities, and CO 2 phase. The storage capacity for all unconventional reservoirs may be modeled using a volumetric equation starting with the extent of the rock unit and adjusted using these key factors and reaction terms. The ideas that were developed during this workshop can be used by USGS scientists to develop a methodology to assess the CO 2 storage resource in unconventional reservoirs. This methodology could then be released for public comment and peer review. After completing this development process, the USGS could then use the methodology to assess the CO 2 storage resource in unconventional reservoirs.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1983

Instructions for using the U.S. Geological Survey data base of wells on Long Island, New York

The population of central and eastern Long Island, New York depends on ground water for its supply of fresh water. Data on more than 7,500 wells on the island have been collected by various State and local agencies and compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey since 1906. During 1975-81, the Geological Survey developed a data base for its Data General Nova 1220 minicomputer to store and process the well information. The data base is composed of seven sections, each of which may be revised and updated. Three types of magnetic devices with limited capacity are used for data storage--disk, Linctape, and 9-track tape. This breakdown makes each section small enough to store and update on a small minicomputer while allowing simultaneous data retrieval from all sections. This manual gives complete instructions for revising, storing, and retrieving well data. Most programming is in FORTRAN, but some is in assembly language. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗