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At least 1,603 records · Page 89Linked to original sources
USGS1968

Analysis of water quality of the Mahoning River in Ohio

The Mahoning River drains the densely populated and industrialized Warren-Youngstown area in northeastern Ohio. Significant chemical constituents and physical properties generally regarded as important in establishing water-quality standards for the Mahoning River are evaluated on the basis of hydrologic conditions and water use. Most of the interpretations and the appraisal of water-quality conditions are based on data collected from January 1963 to December 1965. Generally, streamflow during this period was lower than during a selected long-term reference period ; however, extremely low flows that occurred in the reference period did not occur in the 3-year study period. Water temperatures of the Mahoning River at Pricetown and Leavittsburg were not affected by thermal loading. Water temperatures at those stations ranged from the freezing point to 78?F during the 1963-65 period. Downstream from Leavittsburg, the use of large quantities of water for industrial cooling caused critical thermal loading during periods of low streamflow. Maximum water temperatures were 108?F and 104?F at Struthers and Lowellville, respectively. Water temperatures of the Mahoning River were lower during high water discharges and increased with higher steel-production indices. Flow augmentation and modifications in industrial processes have improved the water-temperature conditions in recent years. A combination of oxygen-consuming materials and warmed water from industrial and municipal wastes discharged into the lower reaches of the Mahoning River frequently depleted the dissolved-oxygen content. At Lowellville, the river water had a dissolved-oxygen content of 5 ppm (parts per million) or less for 67 percent of the time and 3 ppm or less for 16 percent of the time during the study period. The percentage of saturation of dissolved oxygen followed a similar trend. Both the dissolved-oxygen concentration and the percentage of saturation were noticeably lower downstream from Leavittsburg during the warm months when water temperatures were high and streamflow was low. The dissolved-oxygen content in the Mahoning River at Leavittsburg and Pricetown was almost always at acceptable levels. The calculated dissolved-solids concentration of the Mahoning River ranged from 150 to 450 ppm at Leavittsburg and from 200 ppm to 650 ppm at Lowellville. Industrial use of the water caused an increase in the dissolved-solids concentration at Lowellville. During one steel-mill shutdown the average dissolved-solids concentration decreased from about 360 to about 280 ppm. Chloride concentrations in the Mahoning River ranged from 42 ppm at Pricetown to 108 ppm at Struthers. The chloride load at 50-percent flow duration was 9 and 69 tons per day at Pricetown and Lowellville, respectively. The chloride content of the Mahoning River was well within acceptable levels. Sulfate from wastes disposal and acid mine drainage made up the largest quantity of dissolved-solids load in the Mahoning River. The sulfate load at 50-percent flow duration increased from 38 tons per day at Pricetown to 300 tons per day at Lowellville. At Pricetown the sulfate load ranged from about 2 to 588 tons per day, while at Lowellville, downstream from the industrialized area, the range was from 106 to 2,420 tons per day. Comparison of sulfate loads during periods of steel production with periods of steel-mill shutdown indicated that during low flow about half the sulfate load at Lowellville was derived from steel-mill wastes when the production index was 100. The alkalinity load of the Mahoning River at 50-percent flow duration increased from Pricetown (23 tons per day) to Lowellville (41 tons per day). During steel production the alkalinity of the water showed a marked decrease from Leavittsburg downstream to Lowellville. However, during steel-mill shutdowns the chemical composition of the river at Youngstown and Lowellville was similar to that at Leavittsburg. Acid mine drainag

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2023

The transmission patterns of the endosymbiont Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae adaptive radiation

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia , a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of Wolbachia to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for Wolbachia infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian Drosophila and Scaptomyza revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44 Wolbachia strains we identified using a modified Wolbachia multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that Wolbachia strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host’s plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of Wolbachia strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of Wolbachia transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of Wolbachia as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems.

Genes and Genomics↗
USGS2024

Human-induced range expansions result in a recent hybrid zone between sister species of ducks

Landscapes are consistently under pressure from human-induced ecological change, often resulting in shifting species distributions. For some species, changing the geographical breadth of their niche space results in matching range shifts to regions other than those in which they are formally found. In this study, we employ a population genomics approach to assess potential conservation issues arising from purported range expansions into the south Texas Brush Country of two sister species of ducks: mottled ( Anas fulvigula ) and Mexican ( Anas diazi ) ducks. Specifically, despite being non-migratory, both species are increasingly being recorded outside their formal ranges, with the northeastward and westward expansions of Mexican and mottled ducks, respectively, perhaps resulting in secondary contact today. We assessed genetic ancestry using thousands of autosomal loci across the ranges of both species, as well as sampled Mexican- and mottled-like ducks from across overlapping regions of south Texas. First, we confirm that both species are indeed expanding their ranges, with genetically pure Western Gulf Coast mottled ducks confirmed as far west as La Salle county, Texas, while Mexican ducks recorded across Texas counties near the USA–Mexico border. Importantly, the first confirmed Mexican × mottled duck hybrids were found in between these regions, which likely represents a recently established contact zone that is, on average, ~100 km wide. We posit that climate- and land use-associated changes, including coastal habitat degradation coupled with increases in artificial habitats in the interior regions of Texas, are facilitating these range expansions. Consequently, continued monitoring of this recent contact event can serve to understand species’ responses in the Anthropocene, but it can also be used to revise operational survey areas for mottled ducks.

Genes↗
USGS2008

Rocks above the clouds: A hiker's and climber's guide to Colorado mountain geology

A Colorado mountain geology book written specifically for climbers, scramblers and hikers. A geologic primer for mountain people with range-by-range geological descriptions of Colorado mountains and detailed geologic information on the Fourteeners. Rocks Above the Clouds is the first geology book written for climbers, scramblers and hikers. It is an exploration of how the nature of mountains and the challenges they present to the climber and hiker are influenced by the rocks that form them, in other words, by their geology. After describing the types of rocks found in mountains, the authors of Rocks Above the Clouds cover the geologic process from the big bang through the processes that continue to shape the mountains today. This mountain geology primer is a range-by-range description of what to expect in the Colorado mountains followed by some very curious information on the Colorado 14ers. Whether you travel in the mountains as a casual hiker, peak bagging scrambler, or technical climber, knowledge of mountain geology can help in planning your route, selecting your campsite and evaluating the hazards you face. Knowing something about different rock types might enable you to pick a route that avoids loose rock. Knowing that when wet, a particular rock surface will feel like oil might encourage you to forgo that siesta on the summit and head down before the afternoon thunderstorm.

Colorado↗
USGS1985

MONITORING THE EARTH - TOO MANY PLAYERS?

Remote sensing from satellites provides a unique tool to measure the parameters of the Earth on a worldwide scale. A number of organizations are currently engaged in, or proposing to embark on, worldwide measurement/monitoring programs. Program objectives vary in type and complexity, including a form of technical library and an ambitious experiment to validate algorithms to derive land surface climatological parameters. Modeling and understanding the Earth as an integrated system is an immense undertaking and will require at least as many measurements as currently acquired. Development of a long-term program of Earth system monitoring/modeling, such as the International Global Change Program proposed by the International Council of Scientific Unions, could provide the necessary focus and structure for effective international coordination and cooperation.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1991

Characteristics of low-slope streams that affect O2 transfer rates

Multiple-regression techniques were used to derive the reaeration coefficients estimating equation for low sloped streams: K2 = 3.83 MBAS-0.41 SL0.20 H-0.76, where K2 is the reaeration coefficient in base e units per day; MBAS is the methylene blue active substances concentration in milligrams per liter; SL is the water-surface slope in foot per foot; and H is the mean-flow depth in feet. Fourteen hydraulic, physical, and water-quality characteristics were regressed against 29 measured-reaeration coefficients for low-sloped (water surface slopes less than 0.002 foot per foot) streams in Massachusetts and New York. Reaeration coefficients measured from May 1985 to October 1988 ranged from 0.2 to 11.0 base e units per day for 29 low-sloped tracer studies. Concentration of methylene blue active substances is significant because it is thought to be an indicator of concentration of surfactants which could change the surface tension at the air-water interface.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1993

Quality control and quality assurance plan for bridge channel-stability assessments in Massachusetts

A quality control and quality assurance plan has been implemented as part of the Massachusetts bridge scour and channel-stability assessment program. This program is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts-Rhode Island District, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Highway Department. Project personnel training, data-integrity verification, and new data-management technologies are being utilized in the channel-stability assessment process to improve current data-collection and management techniques. An automated data-collection procedure has been implemented to standardize channel-stability assessments on a regular basis within the State. An object-oriented data structure and new image management tools are used to produce a data base enabling management of multiple data object classes. Data will be reviewed by assessors and data base managers before being merged into a master bridge-scour data base, which includes automated data-verification routines.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1998

Comparison of erosion and channel characteristics

Erosion was observed at 33 percent of 22,495 bridge sites in nine States. Among sites with erosion, 56 percent were associated with skewed flows, curved channels, or a combination of these two conditions, and at 18 percent of the sites, channels were straight with steep bank angles. The remaining 26 percent are sites with observable erosion at piers or abutments on straight channels. Comparison of the sites with erosion to channel bed-material indicate that 44 percent of the single-span sites had gravel-size or smaller bed material and 70 percent of the multiple-span sites had gravel-size or smaller bed material.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1967

Water resources inventory of Connecticut Part 2: Shetucket River Basin

The Shetucket River basin has a relatively abundant supply of water of generally good quality which is derived from precipitation that has fallen on the basin. Annual precipitation has ranged from about 30 inches to 75 inches and has averaged about 45 inches over a 35-year period. Approximately 20 inches of water are returned to the atmosphere each year by evaporation and transpiration; the remainder of the annual precipitation either flows overland to streams or percolates downward to the water table and ultimately flows out of the basin in the Shetucket River or as underflow through the deposits beneath. During the autumn and winter months precipitation normally is sufficient to cause a substantial increase in the amount of water stored underground and in surface reservoirs within the basins whereas in the summer most of the precipitation is lost through evaporation and transpiration, resulting in sharply reduced streamflow and lowered groundwater levels. The mean monthly storage of water in the basin on an average is 3.5 inches higher in November than it is in June. The amount of water that flows out of the basin in the Shetucket River represents the total amount of water potentlally available for use by man. Annual runoff from the entire basin above the Quinebaug River has ranged from about 13 to 42 inches since 1929, and has averaged about 23 inches (300 billion gallons). Although runoff indicates the total amount of water potentially available, it is usually not economically or legally feasible for man to use all of it. On the other hand, with increased development, It is possible that some water will be reused several times. The water available may be tapped as it flows through the area or is temporarily stored in streams, lakes, and aquifers. The amounts that can be developed vary from place to place and time to time, depending on the amount of precipitation, on the size of drainage area, on the thickness, permeability and areal extent of aquifers, and on the variations in chemical and physical quality of the water. Differences in streamflow from point to point are due primarily to differences in the proportion of stratified drift in the drainage basin above each point, which affect the timing of streamflow, and to differences in precipitation, which affect the amount of streamflow. Information on streamflow from gaging stations may be extended to ungaged sites by accounting for both of these factors ,in calculations. Future floods on the upper Willimantic River or the Shetucket River are unlikely to cause major damage so long as buildings are not constructed below the highest flood elevations to be expected with the present system of reservoirs for flood control. Ground water can be obtained from wells almost anywhere in the Shetucket River basin, but the amount obtainable from individual wells at any particular point depends upon the type and water-bearing properties of the aquifers present. For practical purposes, the earth materials in the basin comprise three aquifers--stratified drift, till, and bedrock, Stratified drift is the only aquifer generally capable of yielding more than 100 gpm to individual wells. This aquifer covers about 18 percent of the basin and occurs chiefly In lowlands where it overlies till or bedrock. Coefficient of permeability of the coarse-grained unit of stratified drift averages about 1,900 gpd per sq ft. Drilled, screened wells tapping this unit, are known to yield from 200 to 675 gpm. Dug wells in coarse-grained stratified drift should supply at least 2 gpm per foot of drawdown over an 8-hour period. Fine-grained stratified drift has an average coefficient of permeability of about 400 gpd per sq ft and can usually yield to dug wells supplies sufficient for household use. Till and bedrock are widespread in extent but can provide only small to moderate water supplies. Till is tapped chiefly by dug wells; permanent supplies of more than 200 gpd can be obtained from dug wells at a majority of sites in areas of till, but there are many sites where the till is too impermeable or too thin to provide this much water throughout the year. The coefficient of permeability of till ranges from about 0.2 gpd per sq ft to 55 gpd per sq it. Bedrock Is tapped chiefly by drilled wells, about 90 percent of which will supply at least 3 gpm. Very few, however, will supply more than 50 gpm. The amount of ground water potentially available In an area depends upon the amount of groundwater outflow, the amount of ground water in storage, and the quantity of water available by Induced infiltration from streams and lakes. From data on permeability, saturated thickness, recharge, yield from aquifer storage, well performance, and streamflow, preliminary estimates of ground-water availability can be made for any point in the basin. Long-term yields estimated for 15 areas especially favorable for development of large ground-water supplies ranged from 1.3 to 61.8 mgd. Detailed site studies to determine optimum yields, drawdowns, and spacing of individual wells are needed before major ground-water development is undertaken In these or other areas. The chemical quality of water in the Shetucket basin Is generally good to excellent. Samples of naturally occurring surface water collected from 32 sites contained less than 61 ppm of dissolved solids and less than 32 ppm of hardness. Water from wells is more highly mineralized than naturally occurring water from streams. Even so only 7 percent of wells sampled yielded water with more than 200 ppm of dissolved sol-ids and only 9 percent yielded water with more than 120 ppm of hardness. Even in the major rivers, which are used to transport industrial waste, the dissolved mineral content is less than 100 ppm and hardness rarely exceeds 40 ppm. One notable exception occurs in the lower reaches of Little River where an exceptional amount of industrial waste is discharged into the river near Versailles. This waste is particularly noticeable during low streamflow. Iron and manganese In both ground water and surface water are the only constituents whose concentrations commonly exceed recommended limits for domestic and industrial use. Most wells in the basin yield clear water with little or no iron or manganese, but distributed among them are wells with ground water that contains enough of these dissolved constituents to be troublesome for most uses. iron concentrations in naturally occurring stream water exceeded 0.3 ppm under tow-flow conditions at 20 percent of the sites sampled. Large concentrations of iron in stream water result from discharge of iron-bearing ground water or from the discharge of water from swamps. In swamps the iron is released largely from decaying vegetation. Ground water more than 30 feet below the land surface has a relatively constant temperature, usually between 48°F and 50°F. Water temperature in very shallow wells may fluctuate from about 38°F in February or March to about 55°F in late summer. Water temperature in the larger streams fluctuates much more widely, ranging from 32°F at least for brief periods in winter, to about 85°F occasionally during The quantity of suspended sediment transported by streams in the basin is negligible, though amounts large enough to be troublesome may occur locally at times. The total amount of water used In the Shetucket Rlver basin for all purposes during 1961 was about 5,810 million gallons~ which is equivalent to 208 gpd per person, Public water systems supplied the domestic needs of nearly half the population of the basin; 10 systems were sampled, all of which provided water of better quality than the U.S. Public Health Service suggests for drinking water standards.

Connecticut↗
USGS1967

Hydrogeologic data for the Shetucket River basin, Connecticut

This report presents hydrologic and geologic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during an investigation of water resources in the Shetucket River basin of Connecticut in cooperation with the Connecticut Water Resources Commission. The Shetucket River basin occupies about 507 square miles in the eastern part of the State, including the towns of Andover, Ashford, Chaplin, Coventry, Mansfield, Scotland, Sprague, Windham, and Willington, and parts of Bolton, Canterbury, Columbia, Eastford, Ellington, Franklin, Lebanon, Lisbon, Hampton, Hebron, Norwich, Pomfret, Stafford, Tolland, Union, Vernon, and Woodstock. A companion interpretive report, Connecticut Water Resources Bulletin ll, (Thomas, and others, 1967), evaluates the water resources of the basin. The data on the following pages serve to document and supplement that report and should be especially useful in planning the development of water resources at specific localities. Data were collected as part of this investigation during the period July 1962 through December 1964. Streamflow records from continuous-record gaging stations in the basin for this period have been published annually along with data from other parts of the State in a series of U.S. Geological Survey reports entitled "Surface Water Records of Connecticut." Water-level measurements in wells throughout the State from 1960 through 1964, including those made as part of this investigation, are published in Connecticut Water Resources Bulletin 7 (Meikle and Baker, 1965). Most other data collected during this investigation are tabulated on the following pages. Included are some well records and chemical analyses of water samples collected prior to July 1962 and not previously published. The locations of sites at which data were collected are shown on plate A in the pocket at the back of the report. Plate A includes the locations of 98 sites where 2 to 6 miscellaneous measurements of streamflow were made during 1963 and 13 other sites where continuous records are maintained. Data for these sites have already been published in "Surface Water Records of Connecticut" and are not repeated here. Data presented~ unless otherwise noted, were collected by U.S. Geological Survey personnel.

Connecticut↗
USGS1973

Surface electrical properties experiment

The surface electrical properties (SEP) experiment was used to explore the subsurface material of the Apollo 17 landing site by means of electromagnetic radiation. The experiment was designed to detect electrical layering, discrete scattering bodies, and the possible presence of water. From the analysis of the data, it was expected that values of the electrical properties (dielectric constant and loss tangent) of lunar material in situ would be obtained.

Book chapter↗
USGS2013

International summit on integrated environmental modeling

This report describes the International Summit on Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM), held in Reston, VA, on 7th-9th December 2010. The meeting brought together 57 scientists and managers from leading US and European government and non-governmental organizations, universities and companies together with international organizations convened over a number of years, including: the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) workshop on Collaborative Approaches to Integrated Modeling: Better Integration for Better Decisionmaking (December, 2008); the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco (December 2009); and the International Congress on Environmental Modeling and Software (July 2010). From these meetings there is now recognition that many separate communities are involved in developing IEM. The aim of the Summit was to bring together two key groupings, the US and Europe, with the intention of creating a community open to all.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1985

Monitoring the earth: too many players?

A number of organizations are currently engaged in, or proposing to embark on, worldwide measurement/monitoring programs. Program objectives vary in type and complexity, including a form of technical library (the Global Environment Monitoring System of the United Nations Environment Program), and an ambitious experiment to validate algorithms to derive land surface climatological parameters (International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project). Modeling and understanding the Earth as an integrated system is an immense undertaking and will require at least as many measurements as are currently acquired. Improved coordination is required among the diverse national and international measurement/monitoring programs to ensure that sensors, launch dates, orbits, and supporting research are complementary to the maximum extent possible. Development of a long-term program of Earth system monitoring/modeling, such as the International Global Change Program proposed by the International Council of Scientific Unions, could provide the necessary focus and structure for effective international coordination and cooperation.

Pecora 10 Symposium↗
USGS2015

Achieving high survival of tournament-caught black bass: past efforts and future needs and opportunities

Rapid growth of black bass (Micropterus spp.) tournaments in the 1960s and 1970s caused concern among fisheries managers and anglers about the impacts of tournament-caused mortality on bass populations. Tournament organizers voluntarily implemented live-release events in the early 1980s. As catch-and-release practices became more common, procedures to improve the survival of tournament-caught fish were developed and have evolved. The objectives of this paper are to review education and outreach efforts to improve survival of tournament-caught black bass, suggest research needs and opportunities to achieve greater survival, and show the relevance of high survival to contemporary black bass management. Since 1985, a succession of informational products describing those techniques have been developed and distributed to anglers. Although research has confirmed the effectiveness of the recommended procedures and documented that angler and tournament organizer behavior has changed and the survival of tournament-caught black bass has increased, the impacts of the outreach efforts on tournament practices have not been quantified. Continued efforts towards increasing angler awareness of proper handling techniques may benefit from better communication, endorsement by professional anglers, and the use of incentives by state agencies to encourage better fish care.

Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish an↗
USGS2007

Birds of the Rio Grande and other riparian habitats of Western Webb County, Texas

We conducted 164 diurnal morning point counts in 1997 and 89 nocturnal point counts in 1998 along the Rio Grande and at other riparian habitats on remote ranchland in northwestern Webb County. We subsequently conducted 94 diurnal morning and 37 nocturnal point counts in 1999 on public lands along the Rio Grande and at other riparian habitats at Laredo, Webb County. From these systematic surveys (n  384) and other irregular visits to sites during the length of the study, we detected a total of 209 bird species. Many species (97) are distributed widely over much of North America, but substantial numbers of species were also of primarily eastern (30), western (30), southwestern (26), and tropical (26) distributions. Fifty-five of the 209 species (26%) occur on >1 species priority lists in six bird conservation plans that we reviewed, but only four of these were tropical species. This suggests that tropical species, the driving force behind ecotourism-sustained economies in southern Texas, may not benefit directly from recent bird conservation plans, since their lists of priority species do not include many tropical birds. Thus, conservation projects designed to benefit primarily tropical species will not be ranked highly for funding if evaluated on the basis of the bird conservation plans we reviewed.

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society↗