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At least 1,549 records · Page 86Linked to original sources
USGS2024

CoastSeg: An accessible and extendable hub for satellite-derived-shoreline (SDS) detection and mapping

CoastSeg is an interactive browser-based program that aims to broaden the adoption of satellite-derived shoreline (SDS) detection and coastal landcover mapping workflows among coastal scientists and coastal resource management practitioners. SDS is a sub-field of coastal sciences that aims to detect and post-process a time-series of shoreline locations from publicly available satellite imagery. CoastSeg is a python package installed via pip into a conda environment that serves as an API for building custom SDS workflows. CoastSeg also provides full SDS workflow implementations via jupyter notebooks and python scripts that call functions and classes in the core CoastSeg API for specific workflows. Two fully functioning SDS workflows are already provided, and more could be added by collaborators in the SDS software community. All API codes, notebooks, scripts, and documentation are hosted on the CoastSeg GitHub repository.

Journal of Open Source Software↗
USGS1979

United States Geological Survey Yearbook, fiscal year 1978

Fiscal year 1978 saw the U.S. Geological Survey continuing to perform its basic historical missions of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about the Earth, its processes, and its water and mineral resources. Classifying Federal lands and supervising lessee mineral extraction operations on those lands were also major Survey concerns during the year. In addition, substantial progress was made in the exploration and assessment of the petroleum potential of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a recently assigned mission. These basic missions found expression in a wide range of program activities and interests as diverse as the sands of Mars and the volcanoes of Hawaii. Programs included assessment of numerous potential energy and mineral resources, study of earthquakes and other geologic hazards, appraisal of the magnitude and quality of the Nation's water resources, and supervision of lease operations on Federal lands. The Survey also was involved in developing data on land use and producing topographic, geologic, and hydrologic maps for public and private use. In cooperation with other Federal agencies, the Survey participated in studies under the U.S. Climate Program and continued its analysis of data received from the two Viking landers on the surface of Mars. On April 3, 1978, Dr. H. William Menard became the 10th Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Dr. Menard, who, until his appointment, was Professor of Geology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, Calif., brings to the Director's post the experience gained in a long and successful career as a marine geologist and oceanographer. He succeeds Dr. Vincent E. McKelvey, who continues with the Survey as a senior research scientist.

Yearbook↗
USGS1970

Reconnaissance of the Pigeon River, a cold-water river in the northcentral part of Michigan's southern peninsula

The cold-water streams of the northern states provide unique recreational values to the American people (wilderness or semi-wilderness atmosphere, fast-water canoeing, and trout fishing), but the expanding recreational needs must be balanced against the growing demand of water for public and industrial supplies, for irrigation, and for the dilution of sewage and other wastes. In order to make intelligent decisions regarding use and management of the water resource for recreation and other demands, an analysis of the hydrologic factors related to recreational values is essential. The Pigeon River is one of Michigan's outstanding trout streams and is the favorite of a large number of anglers who return year after year. Camping is also popular and is usually, but not always, associated with fishing. Boating is very rare on the Pigeon because of numerous portages around log jams. Cabin-living and resorting are relatively minor on this river as yet, but much of the private river front may be developed in future years. The Pigeon is located in the north-central part of the southern peninsula of Michigan (see index map). Headwaters are a few miles northeast of Gaylord, and the mouth is at Mullet Lake, a few miles northeast of Indian River. Interstate Highway 75 roughly parallels the river about 5 to 10 miles to the west. Exits from this highway at Gaylord, Vanderbilt, Wolverine, and Indian River, provide easy access to the Pigeon. The recreational value of the river depends on the streamflow characteristics, quality of water, and character of stream channel, and bed and banks. The purpose of this atlas is to describe these characteristics, and to show how they relate to recreational uses. Most of the information presented here was obtained from a field reconnaissance in June, 1966, and from basic records of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division. The area of field study is limited to the channel, bed, and banks of the main stem of the Pigeon from source to mouth. The study was made in cooperation with the Michigan Geological Survey, Gerald E. Eddy, Chief. Advice and assistance were also obtained from other sections of the Michigan Conservation Department. Sheet 1 of this atlas presents information on streamflow characteristics and water quality. Sheet 2 describes the physical characteristics of the stream channel, and bed and banks, and shows how these physical characteristics relate to streamflow, water quality, and recreational use.

Michigan↗
USGS1971

Reconnaissance of the Sturgeon River, a cold-water river in the northcentral part of Michigan's southern peninsula

The cold-water streams of the northern states provide unique recreational values to the American people (wilderness or semi-wilderness atmosphere, fast-water canoeing, trout fishing), but the expanding recreational needs must be balanced against the growing demand of water for public and industrial supplies, for irrigation, and for the dilution of sewage and other wastes. In order to make intelligent decisions regarding use and management of the water resources for recreation and other demands, analysis of the hydrologic factors related to recreational values is essential. The Sturgeon River north of Gaylord, one of the best brown trout streams in Michigan, is located in the north-central part of the southern peninsula of Michigan with headwaters just north of Gaylord. The Sturgeon flows northward, generally paralleling Interstate Highway 75. The West Branch of the Sturgeon, which joins the main stem at Wolverine, was not included in this study. Exits from Interstate 75 at Gaylord, Vanderbilt, Wolverine, and Indian River provide easy access to the Sturgeon. The recreational value of a river depends on the hydrologic characteristics of the river-the streamflow, water quality, and character of bed and banks. The purpose of this atlas is to describe these characteristics and to show how they relate to recreational uses. Much of the information presented here was derived from basic records of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division. Additional information was obtained in a reconnaissance survey in May and June, 1966. The area of field study is limited to the channel, bed, and banks of the main stem from source to mouth. The study was made in cooperation with the Michigan Geological Survey, Gerald E. Eddy, Chief. Advice and assistance were also obtained from other sections of the Michigan Conservation Department. Sheet 1 of this atlas presents information on streamflow characteristics and water quality. Sheet 2 describes the physical characteristics of the stream channel and bed and banks, and shows how these physical characteristics relate to streamflow, water quality, and recreational use.

Michigan↗
USGS1971

Reconnaissance of the Black River, a cold-water river in the northcentral part of Michigan's southern peninsula

The cold-water streams of the northern states provide unique recreational values to the American people (wilderness or semi-wilderness atmosphere, fast-water canoeing, trout fishing) but the expanding recreational needs must be balanced against the growing demand of water for public and industrial supplies, for irrigation, and for the dilution of sewage and other wastes. In order to make intelligent decisions regarding use and management of the water resource for recreation and other demands, an analysis of the hydrologic factors related to recreational values is essential. The Black River north of Johannesburg in Otsego County has been rated by many fisherman as the number one brook-trout stream in the north-central part of the southern peninsula of Michigan. Headwaters are a few miles north of Johannesburg, and the Black flows northward to join the Cheboygan river a few miles south of Cheyboygan. Only the part of the Black upstream from the impoundment at Tower is included in this report. The headwaters of the Black can be reached by driving east and north from Gaylord, or east from Vanderbilt. The lower reaches included in this study can be reached from Tower or Onaway. The recreational value of a river depends on the characteristics of streamflow, water-quality, and its bed and banks. The purpose of this atlas is to describe these characteristics and to show how they relate to recreational uses. Some of the information presented here was derived from basic records of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water-Resources Division. Additional information was obtained in field reconnaissance surveys in 1966 and 1968. The study was made in cooperation with the Michigan Geological Survey, Gerald E. Eddy, Chief. Advice and assistance were also obtained from other sections of the Michigan Conservation Department. Sheet 1 of this atlas presents information on streamflow characteristics and water quality. Sheet 2 describes the physical character of the stream channel, bed and banks, and shows how it relates to streamflow, water quality, and recreational use.

Michigan↗
USGS1971

Reconnaissance of the Pere Marquette River, a cold water river in the central part of Michigan's Southern Peninsula

The cold-water streams of the northern states provide unique recreational values to the American people (wilderness or semi-wilderness atmosphere, fast-water canoeing, and trout fishing) but the expanding recreational needs must be balanced against the growing demand of water for public and industrial supplies, for irrigation, and for the dilution of sewage and other wastes. In order to make intelligent decisions regarding use and management of the water resource for recreation and other demands, an analysis of the hydrologic factors related to recreational values is essential. The Pere Marquette, an outstanding river for brown and steelhead trout fishing, is also a popular canoe trail. Larger boats, some equipped with motors, are common in the lower reaches where the river is wide and deep. Cabins are abundant on the river near Baldwin but are relatively sparse elsewhere. The broad swampy floodplain that borders most of the river between Walhalla and Ludington apparently offers few favorable cabin sites. The Pere Marquette is located in the west-central part of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan, and flows westward from the headwaters near Chase in Lake County to the mouth at Ludington, in Mason County. The river is south of, and roughly parallel to, U.S. Highway 10 from Chase to Ludington. Access to the river is by roads leading south from U.S. 10 at Nirvana, Idlewild, Baldwin, Branch, Walhalla, Scottville, and many intermediate points. The recreational value of the river depends on the streamflow characteristics, quality of water, and character of stream channel and bed and banks. The purpose of this report is to describe these characteristics and show how they relate to recreational USGS. Most of the information presented here was obtained from a field reconnaissance in July and August, 1966, and from basic records of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division. The area of field study is limited to the channel, bed, and banks of the Middle Branch and main stem of the Pere Marquette from source to mouth. The study was made in cooperation with the Michigan Geological Survey, Gerald E. Eddy, Chief. Advice and assistance were also obtained from other sections of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Sheet 1 of this atlas presents information on streamflow and quality of water. Sheet 2 describes the physical characteristics of the stream channel, and bed and banks, and shows how these characteristics relate to streamflow, water quality, and recreational use.

Michigan↗
USGS1981

Measured sections of the Browns Park Formation (Miocene) in Moffat County, Colorado, 1980

Eight partial sections of the Browns Park Formation of Miocene age were measured in Moffat County, northwestern Colorado, during the 1980 field season, as part of a study of the stratigraphy and depositional environments of the formation. These newly measured sections are intended to complement other surface sections of the Browns Park Formation measured (Hansen, 1965) to the west in Uintah County, Utah, and measured (Buffler, 1967) or diagrammed (Kucera, 1968) to the east in, respectively, Routt and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado. Rock samples collected, indicated parenthetically by 80-SL prefixes, are shown in the section descriptions purely for reference purposes; petrographic and analytical results will be reported in later publications. Color names with numbers are based on comparison with the rock-color chart by Goddard and others (1948). Field investigations were supported by the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NUKE) program of the Grand Junction Office, U. S. Department of Energy, under contract No. DE-A113-78GJ01686.

Colorado↗
USGS1984

Annual ground-water use in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Minnesota, 1970-79

Annual ground-water use in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area from 1970-79 is presented by aquifer and type of use. The data show that most ground water is withdrawn from wells in the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer and that major uses of the water are for self-supplied industry and public supplies. Annual ground-water-use data are presented by county for each of the five major aquifers; Prairie du Chien-Jordan, Mount Simon-Hinckley, Ironton-Galesville, St. Peter, and drift. The data also are presented by county for each major use type, including public supply, self-supplied industry, commercial air-conditioning, irrigation, lake-level maintenance, and dewatering. The data were collected initially by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and were supplemented by data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Minnesota↗
USGS1994

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Minnesota, 1993 water year

Water-resources activities of the Minnesota District, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey are a continued response to the need for information on the quantity and quality of water resources. U.S. Geological Survey water-resource activities in Minnesota are done in cooperation with State, local, and other Federal agencies. Some activities are short in duration (1-5 years), while others are continuous. This report is a summary of water-resource activities in the Minnesota District for the 1993 water year. A list of reports published during the 1993 water year and additional sources of U.S. Geological Survey publications also are included.

Minnesota↗
USGS2013

The development and application of a decision support system for land management in the Lake Tahoe Basin—The Land Use Simulation Model

This report describes and applies the Land Use Simulation Model (LUSM), the final modeling product for the long-term decision support project funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and developed by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Geographic Science Center for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Within the context of the natural-resource management and anthropogenic issues of the basin and in an effort to advance land-use and land-cover change science, this report addresses the problem of developing the LUSM as a decision support system. It includes consideration of land-use modeling theory, fire modeling and disturbance in the wildland-urban interface, historical land-use change and its relation to active land management, hydrologic modeling and the impact of urbanization as related to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board’s recently developed Total Maximum Daily Load report for the basin, and biodiversity in urbanizing areas. The LUSM strives to inform land-management decisions in a complex regulatory environment by simulating parcel-based, land-use transitions with a stochastic, spatially constrained, agent-based model. The tool is intended to be useful for multiple purposes, including the multiagency Pathway 2007 regional planning effort, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Regional Plan Update, and complementary research endeavors and natural-resource-management efforts. The LUSM is an Internet-based, scenario-generation decision support tool for allocating retired and developed parcels over the next 20 years. Because USGS staff worked closely with TRPA staff and their “Code of Ordinances” and analyzed datasets of historical management and land-use practices, this report accomplishes the task of providing reasonable default values for a baseline scenario that can be used in the LUSM. One result from the baseline scenario for the model suggests that all vacant parcels could be allocated within 12 years. Results also include: assessment of model functionality, brief descriptions of the 7 basic output tables, assessment of the rate of change in land-use allocation pools over time, locations and amounts of the spatially explicit probabilities of land-use transitions by real estate commodity, and analysis of the state change from today’s existing land cover to potential land uses in the future. Assumptions and limitations of the model are presented. This report concludes with suggested next steps to support the continued utility of the LUSM and additional research avenues.

Nevada↗
USGS2018

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Monterey-Salinas Shallow Aquifer Study Unit, 2012–13: California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 7,820-square-kilometer (km 2 ) Monterey-Salinas Shallow Aquifer (MS-SA) study unit was investigated from October 2012 to May 2013 as part of the second phase of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is in the central coast region of California in the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The MS-SA study was designed to provide a statistically robust assessment of untreated-groundwater quality in the shallow aquifer systems. The assessment was based on water-quality samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 100 groundwater sites and 70 household tap sites, along with ancillary data such as land use and well-construction information. The shallow aquifer systems were defined by the depth interval of wells associated with domestic supply. The MS-SA study unit consisted of four study areas—Santa Cruz (210 km 2 ), Pajaro Valley (360 km 2 ), Salinas Valley (2,000 km 2 ), and Highlands (5,250 km 2 ). This study had two primary components: the status assessment and the understanding assessment . The first primary component of this study—the status assessment —assessed the quality of the groundwater resource indicated by data from samples analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, and naturally present inorganic constituents, such as major ions and trace elements. The status assessment is intended to characterize the quality of groundwater resources in the shallow aquifer system of the MS-SA study unit, not the treated drinking water delivered to consumers by water purveyors. As opposed to the public wells, however, water from private wells, which often tap the shallow aquifer, is usually consumed without any treatment. The second component of this study—the understanding assessment —identified the natural and human factors that potentially affect groundwater quality by evaluating land-use characteristics, measures of location, geologic factors, groundwater age, and geochemical conditions of the shallow aquifer. An additional component of this study was a comparison of MS-SA water-quality results to those of the GAMA Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Groundwater Basins study unit. This study unit covered much of the same areal extent as the MS-SA, but assessed the deeper, public drinking-water aquifer system. Relative concentrations (sample concentration divided by the benchmark concentration) were used to evaluate concentrations of constituents in groundwater samples relative to water-quality benchmarks for those constituents that have Federal or California benchmarks, such as maximum contaminant levels. For organic and special-interest constituents, relative concentrations were classified as high, greater than 1.0; moderate, greater than 0.1 and less than or equal to 1.0; or low, less than or equal to 0.1. For inorganic constituents, relative concentrations were classified as high, greater than 1.0; moderate, greater than 0.5 and less than or equal to 1.0; or low, less than or equal to 0.5. A relative concentration greater than 1.0 indicates that the concentration was greater than a benchmark. Aquifer-scale proportions were used to quantify regional-scale groundwater quality. The aquifer-scale proportions are the areal percentages of the shallow aquifer system where relative concentrations for a given constituent or class of constituents were high, moderate, or low. Inorganic constituents were measured at high and moderate relative concentrations more frequently than organic constituents. In the MS-SA study unit, inorganic constituents with benchmarks were detected at high relative concentrations in 51 percent of the study unit. The greatest proportions of high relative concentrations of trace elements and radioactive constituents were in the Highlands and Santa Cruz study areas, whereas high relative concentrations of nutrients were most often detected in the Salinas Valley and Pajaro Valley study areas and salinity indicators were most often detected in the Highlands and Salinas Valley study areas. The trace elements detected at high relative concentrations were arsenic, boron, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and strontium. The radioactive constituents detected at high relative concentrations were adjusted gross alpha radioactivity and uranium. The nutrient detected at high relative concentrations was nitrate plus nitrite. The salinity indicators detected at high relative concentrations were chloride, sulfate, and total dissolved solids. Organic constituents (VOCs and pesticides) were not detected at high relative concentrations in any of the study areas. The fumigant 1,2-dichloropropane was detected at moderate relative concentrations. The VOC chloroform and the pesticide simazine were the only organic constituents detected in more than 10 percent of samples. The constituents of special interest NDMA ( N -nitrosodimethylamine) and perchlorate were detected at high relative concentrations in the MS-SA study unit. Selected constituents were evaluated with explanatory factors to identify potential sources or processes that could explain their presence and distribution. Trace elements and radioactive constituents came from natural sources and were not elevated by anthropogenic sources or processes, except for selenium and the radioactive constituent uranium. Arsenic, manganese, iron, selenium, and uranium concentrations were all influenced by oxidation-reduction conditions. Unlike other trace elements and radioactive constituents, uranium and selenium can be affected by agricultural practices. Uranium and selenium can be released from aquifer sediments as a result of irrigation recharge water interacting with bicarbonate systems. Nitrate can be strongly affected by anthropogenic sources. Nitrate concentrations were significantly higher in modern groundwater, indicating recent inputs of nitrate to the shallow aquifer system. Nitrate was positively correlated with agricultural land use, indicating that irrigation-return water could be leaching nitrogen fertilizer and naturally present nitrate to elevate nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater. The salinity indicators total dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate all had natural sources in the MS-SA study unit, primarily marine sediments. Concentrations of the constituents were elevated as a result of evaporative concentration of irrigation water or precipitation. Sulfate concentrations were significantly correlated to agricultural land use, indicating that agricultural land-use practices are a contributing source of sulfate to groundwater. The samples with most of the detections of VOCs were from sites in the Pajaro Valley and northern part of the Salinas Valley. Most of the samples with pesticide detections were from sites in the Salinas Valley study area. The herbicide simazine was positively correlated to the percentage of agricultural land use, and its concentrations were higher in modern groundwater than in pre-modern groundwater. Perchlorate, similar to nitrate, has natural and anthropogenic sources. Correlations of perchlorate to dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and percentage of agricultural land use indicated that the irrigation-return water could be leaching naturally present perchlorate, as well as perchlorate from historical applications of Chilean nitrate fertilizer, to increase perchlorate concentrations in groundwater. The quality of the water in the shallow aquifer system from this study was compared with the quality of water in the public drinking-water aquifer in a previous GAMA (MS-PA) study in the same area. The shallow system was more oxic and had more sites with modern groundwater than the public drinking-water aquifer, which was more anoxic and had sites with more pre-modern groundwater. Arsenic and selenium were found at high relative concentrations in a greater proportion of the shallow system. Manganese and iron were found at high relative concentrations in a greater proportion of the public drinking-water aquifer. Uranium was found at higher relative concentrations in a greater proportion of the shallow system. Concentrations of arsenic, iron, manganese, and molybdenum are not likely to change much as groundwater percolates from the shallow system to the public drinking-water aquifer because there are no anthropogenic sources affecting these constituents. Uranium and selenium concentrations in the public drinking-water aquifer could be affected by the higher concentrations in the shallow system because of irrigation-return water, however. Nitrate and salinity indicators had concentrations that were much higher in the shallow system than the deeper public drinking-water aquifer. High concentrations of these constituents in the shallow system could lead to increased concentrations in the public drinking-water aquifer in parts of the study units because of land-use practices, such as irrigated agriculture. Organic constituents were detected more frequently in the public drinking-water aquifer than in the shallow system, possibly because more of the sites sampled in the public drinking-water aquifer were in urban areas compared to the sites sampled for the shallow system or because sources of contamination have decreased as a result of changes in use at the land surface.

California↗
USGS2016

Identifying and preserving high-water mark data

High-water marks provide valuable data for understanding recent and historical flood events. The proper collection and recording of high-water mark data from perishable and preserved evidence informs flood assessments, research, and water resource management. Given the high cost of flooding in developed areas, experienced hydrographers, using the best available techniques, can contribute high-quality data toward efforts such as public education of flood risk, flood inundation mapping, flood frequency computations, indirect streamflow measurement, and hazard assessments. This manual presents guidance for skilled high-water mark identification, including marks left behind in natural and man-made environments by tranquil and rapid flowing water. This manual also presents pitfalls and challenges associated with various types of flood evidence that help hydrographers identify the best high-water marks and assess the uncertainty associated with a given mark. Proficient high-water mark data collection contributes to better understanding of the flooding process and reduces risk through greater ability to estimate flood probability. The U.S. Geological Survey, operating the Nation’s premier water data collection network, encourages readers of this manual to familiarize themselves with the art and science of high-water mark collection. The U.S. Geological survey maintains a national database at http://water.usgs.gov/floods/FEV/ that includes high-water mark information for many flood events, and local U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Centers can provide information to interested readers about participation in data collection and flood documentation efforts as volunteers or observers.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1986

Three-dimensional steady-state simulation of flow in the sand-and-gravel aquifer, southern Escambia County, Florida

The sand-and-gravel aquifer is the only freshwater aquifer in southern Escambia County, Florida and is the source of public water supply for the area, including the City of Pensacola. The aquifer was simulated by a two-layer, digital model to provide hydrologic information for water resource planning. The lower layer represents the main-producing zone; the upper layer represents all of the aquifer above the main-producing zone including an unconfined zone and discontinuous perched, confined , and confining zones. The model was designed for steady-state simulation and predicts the response of the aquifer (changes in water levels) to groundwater pumping where steady-state conditions have been reached. Input to the model includes matrices representing constant-head nodes, starting head, transmissivity of layer 1, leakance between layers 1 and 2, lateral hydraulic conductivity of layer 2, and altitude of the base layer 2. The sources of water to the model are from recharge by infiltrated precipitation (estimated from base runoff), inflow across boundaries, and induced recharge from river leakance in periods of prolonged groundwater pumping. Model output includes final head and drawdown for each layer and total values for discharge and recharge in the model area. The model was calibrated for 1972 pumping and tested by simulating pumpages during 1939-40, 1958, and 1977. Sensitivity analyses showed water levels in both layers were most sensitive to changes in the recharge matrix and least sensitive to river leakage. Suggestions for further development of the model include subdivision and expansion of the grid, assignment of storage coefficients for transient simulations, more intensive study of the stream-aquifer relations, and consideration of the effects of infiltration basins on recharge. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2018

Developing a framework for evaluating tallgrass prairie reconstruction methods and management

The thousands of hectares of prairie reconstructed each year in the tallgrass prairie biome can provide a valuable resource for evaluation of seed mixes, planting methods, and post-planting management if methods used and resulting characteristics of the prairies are recorded and compiled in a publicly accessible database. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of such data to understand the outcomes of reconstructions over a 10-year period at two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges. Variables included number of species planted, seed source (combine-harvest or combine-harvest plus hand-collected), fire history, and planting method and season. In 2015 we surveyed vegetation on 81 reconstructions and calculated proportion of planted species observed; introduced species richness; native species richness, evenness and diversity; and mean coefficient of conservatism. We conducted exploratory analyses to learn how implied communities based on seed mix compared with observed vegetation; which seeding or management variables were influential in the outcome of the reconstructions; and consistency of responses between the two refuges. Insights from this analysis include: 1) proportion of planted species observed in 2015 declined as planted richness increased, but lack of data on seeding rate per species limited conclusions about value of added species; 2) differing responses to seeding and management between the two refuges suggest the importance of geographic variability that could be addressed using a public database; and 3) variables such as fire history are difficult to quantify consistently and should be carefully evaluated in the context of a public data repository.

Ecological Restoration↗
USGS1992

Development of spatial data guidelines and standards: spatial data set documentation to support hydrologic analysis in the U.S. Geological Survey

Spatial data analysis has become an integral component in many surface and sub-surface hydrologic investigations within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Currently, one of the largest costs in applying spatial data analysis is the cost of developing the needed spatial data. Therefore, guidelines and standards are required for the development of spatial data in order to allow for data sharing and reuse; this eliminates costly redevelopment. In order to attain this goal, the USGS is expanding efforts to identify guidelines and standards for the development of spatial data for hydrologic analysis. Because of the variety of project and database needs, the USGS has concentrated on developing standards for documenting spatial sets to aid in the assessment of data set quality and compatibility of different data sets. An interim data set documentation standard (1990) has been developed that provides a mechanism for associating a wide variety of information with a data set, including data about source material, data automation and editing procedures used, projection parameters, data statistics, descriptions of features and feature attributes, information on organizational contacts lists of operations performed on the data, and free-form comments and notes about the data, made at various times in the evolution of the data set. The interim data set documentation standard has been automated using a commercial geographic information system (GIS) and data set documentation software developed by the USGS. Where possible, USGS developed software is used to enter data into the data set documentation file automatically. The GIS software closely associates a data set with its data set documentation file; the documentation file is retained with the data set whenever it is modified, copied, or transferred to another computer system. The Water Resources Division of the USGS is continuing to develop spatial data and data processing standards, with emphasis on standards needed to support hydrologic analysis, hydrologic data processing, and publication of hydrologic thermatic maps. There is a need for the GIS vendor community to develop data set documentation tools similar to those developed by the USGS, or to incorporate USGS developed tools in their software.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1961

Developing ground water in the central Sevier Valley, Utah

This report presents a summary of conclusions reached from the recently completed State Engineer-United States Geological Survey cooperative investigation of the geology and ground water resources of the central Sevier River Valley. The detailed report will be published as a United States Geological Survey water supply paper and will be available to the public.

Utah↗
USGS2003

Pharmaceuticals, hormones, personal-care products, and other organic wastewater contaminants in water resources: Recent research activities of the U.S. Geological Survey's toxic substances hydrology program

Recent decades have brought increasing concerns for potential contamination of water resources that could inadvertently result during production, use, and disposal of the numerous chemicals offering improvements in industry, agriculture, medical treatment, and even common household products. Increasing knowledge of the environmental occurrence or toxicological behavior of these contaminants from various studies in Europe, United States, and elsewhere has resulted in increased concern for potential adverse environmental and human health effects (Daughton and Ternes, 1999). Ecologists and public health experts often have incomplete understandings of the toxicological significance of many of these contaminants, particularly long-term, low-level exposure and when they occur in mixtures with other contaminants (Daughton and Ternes, 1999; Kümmerer, 2001). In addition, these ‘emerging contaminants’ are not typically monitored or assessed in ambient water resources. The need to understand the processes controlling the transport and fate of these contaminants in the environment, and the lack of knowledge of the significance of long-term exposures have increased the need to study environmental occurrence down to trace (nanogram per liter) levels. Furthermore, the possibility that mixtures of environmental contaminants may interact synergistically or antagonistically has increased the need to characterize the types of mixtures that are found in our waters. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Toxic Substances Hydrology Program (Toxics Program) is developing information and tools on emerging water-quality issues that will be used to design and improve water-quality monitoring and assessment programs of the USGS and others, and for proactive decision-making by industry, regulators, the research community, and the public (http://toxics.usgs.gov/regional/emc.html). This research on emerging water-quality issues includes a combination of laboratory work to develop new analytical capabilities as well as field work on the occurrence, fate, and effects of these contaminants.

Geohealth News↗
USGS1983

Ground-water resources in the Hood Basin, Oregon

The Hood Basin, an area of 1,035 square miles in north-central Oregon, includes the drainage basins of all tributaries of the Columbia River between Eagle Creek and Fifteenmile Creek. The physical characteristics and climate of the basin are diverse. The Wasco subarea, in the eastern half of the basin, has moderate relief, mostly intermittent streams, and semiarid climate. The Hood subarea, in the western half, has rugged topography, numerous perennial streams, and a humid climate. Water-bearing geologic units that underlie the basin include volcanic, volcaniclastic, and sedimentary rocks of Miocene to Holocene age, and unconsolidated surficial deposits of Pleistocene and Holocene age. The most important water-bearing unit, the Columbia River Basalt Group, underlies almost the entire basin. Total thickness probably exceeds 2,000 feet, but by 1980 only the upper 1,000 feet or less had been developed by wells. Wells in this unit generally yield from 15 to 1,000 gallons per minute and a few yield as much as 3,300 gallons per minute. The most productive aquifer in the Columbia River Basalt Group is The Dalles Ground Water Reservoir, a permeable zone of fractured basalt about 25 to 30 square miles in extent that underlies the city of The Dalles. During the late 1950's and mid-1960's, withdrawals of 15,000 acre-feet per year or more caused water levels in the aquifer to decline sharply. Pumpage had diminished to about 5,000 acre-feet per year in 1979 and water levels have stabilized, indicating that ground water recharge and discharge, including the pumping, are in balance. The other principal geologic units in the basin have more limited areal distribution and less saturated thickness than the Columbia River Basalt Group. Generally, these units are capable of yielding from a few to a hundred gallons per minute to wells. Most of the ground water in the basin is chemically suitable for domestic, irrigation, or other uses. Some ground water has objectionable concentrations of iron (0.3 to 6.4 milligrams per liter) and manganese (0.05 to 1.2 milligrams per liter) or is moderately hard to very hard (60 to 260 milligrams per liter as CaCO 3 ). The principal use of ground water in the Hood Basin is for irrigation of crops, with an estimated withdrawal of 7,700 acre-feet in 1979. Additional ground-water withdrawals in 1979 were estimated as: Industrial, 2,600 acre-feet; public supply, 2,100 acre-feet; and domestic and stock supply, 200 acre-feet.

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