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USGS1983

Water-resources investigations in North Dakota; fiscal year 1983

All ongoing water resources projects in North Dakota in fiscal year 1983, are listed. The report was prepared to inform interested federal, State, and local agencies and private individuals of the activities of the Water Resources Division in the State. Information on each project includes objectives, approach, progress in 1982, plans for 1983, completed and planned report products, and the name of the project chief. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2024

Least Bell's Vireos and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers—Breeding activities and habitat use—2023 annual report

Executive Summary We completed four protocol surveys for Least Bell’s Vireos ( Vireo bellii pusillus ; hereinafter vireo) during the breeding season, supplemented by weekly territory monitoring visits between April 6 and July 20 at the San Luis Rey Flood Risk Management Project Area (hereinafter Project Area). We identified a total of 136 territorial male vireos; 121 were confirmed as paired, and 4 were confirmed as single males. For the remaining 11 territories, we were unable to confirm breeding status. In 2023, two transient vireos were detected. The vireo population in the Project Area increased by 2 percent from 2022 to 2023. Populations in southern San Diego County also increased (by 6 percent on the Otay River) or were stable (Salt Creek/Wolf Canyon). In contrast, the vireo population at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP) and at Marine Corps Air Station decreased by 2 and 10 percent, respectively. We used an index of treatment (hereinafter Treatment Index) to evaluate the effect of ongoing vegetation clearing on the Project Area vireo population. The Treatment Index measures the cumulative effect of vegetation treatment within a territory by using the percentage area treated weighted by the number of years since treatment. We determined that the Treatment Index for an unoccupied habitat was more than four times higher than that of an occupied habitat, indicating that vireos selected habitats that were less treated in which to settle. We monitored vireo nests at three general site types: (1) within the flood channel where non-native and native vegetation removal has occurred regularly (hereinafter Channel), (2) three sites near the flood channel where limited non-native and native vegetation removal has occurred (hereinafter Off-channel), and (3) three sites that have been actively restored by planting native vegetation (hereinafter Restoration). Nesting activity was monitored in 84 territories, 4 of which were occupied by single males. Overall, 46 percent of completed nests were successful, and nest success did not differ among the three sites. In 2023, we found that territories in the Channel had greater hatching success per egg compared to Off-channel, but there were no other differences with regard to clutch size, hatching, or fledging success among Channel, Off-channel, and Restoration sites. Overall breeding success and productivity were slightly higher in 2023 than in 2022, with pairs fledging an average±standard deviation of 3.1±2.1 young and 79 percent of pairs fledging at least 1 young. To investigate if the cumulative years of treatment had an effect on vireo reproductive effort, we looked at the effects of the Treatment Index on reproductive parameters. Results from generalized linear models indicated that treatment did not have an effect on vireo nesting effort (the number of nest attempts) or the number of vireo fledglings per pair produced in 2023. Similarly, we did not detect an effect of Treatment Index on the daily survival rate (DSR) of nests. Analysis of vegetation data collected at vireo nests from 2006 to 2023 did not reveal an effect of vegetation cover at the nest on DSR. We did find, however, that Channel nests were placed higher in and farther from the edge of the host plant than Off-channel nests. Within sites, we did not detect any differences in vegetation cover between successful and unsuccessful nests. Red/arroyo willow ( Salix laevigata or Salix lasiolepis ) and mule fat ( Baccharis salicifolia ) were the species most commonly selected for nesting by vireos in all three site types. Black willow ( Salix gooddingii ) and sandbar willow ( Salix exigua ) also were commonly used. Vireos used a wider variety of species for nesting in Channel and Off-channel sites (10 and 13 species, respectively) compared to Restoration sites (2 species), although there was limited nesting in Restoration sites in 2023. There were 51 vireos banded before the 2023 breeding season that were resighted and identified at the Project Area in 2023. Two of these vireos were originally banded outside of the Project Area, at the Santa Margarita River on MCBCP. Adult birds of known age ranged from 1 to 7 years old. Between 2006 and 2023, survival of males (66±11 percent) was consistently higher than that of females (60±12 percent). First-year birds from 2006 to 2022 had an average annual survival of 15±5 percent. First-year dispersal in 2023 averaged 20.2±31.3 kilometers (km), with the longest dispersal (76.3 km) by a female that was recaptured at Wolf Canyon, a tributary to Otay River. From 2007 to 2012, most returning first-year vireos returned to the Project Area, whereas from 2014 to 2016, a greater proportion of returning birds dispersed to areas outside of the Project Area. From 2018 to 2022, the trend shifted, and more first-year vireos returned to the Project Area, except for 2022 when only one out of five first-year vireos returned to the Project Area. This trend continued in 2023: 71 percent of all first-year vireos returned to the Project Area, and 29 percent dispersed to areas outside of the Project Area (San Diego River and Wolf Canyon). Most of the returning adult male vireos showed strong between-year fidelity to their previous territories. In 2023, 94 percent of males (34/36) occupied a territory that they had defended in 2022 (within 100 meters [m]). In 2023, 33 percent of females (1/3) detected returned to a territory they occupied in 2022. The average between-year movement for returning adult vireos was 0.2±0.9 km. The amount of treatment at adults’ 2022 territories did not affect the distance adults moved to their 2023 territories. We completed four protocol surveys for the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ( Empidonax traillii extimus ; hereinafter flycatcher) at the Project Area between May 15 and July 21, 2023. In 2023, four transient Willow Flycatchers were detected in the Project Area. Two transients were detected in Reach 1, one in Reach 3a, and one in Whelan Mitigation. No resident flycatchers were documented in the Project Area in 2023. A total of 46 vegetation transects (516 points) were sampled in the Project Area in 2023. There were 71 percent (368/516) of points located in the Channel, and 22 percent (113/516) were in Upper Pond. The remaining 7 percent (35/516) of points were at the Whelan Restoration site. Foliage cover below 1 m was higher at the Channel points and Upper Pond compared to Whelan Restoration. From 1 to 3 m, foliage cover was similar at all 3 sites; however, above 3 m foliage cover was higher in the Channel compared to the Upper Pond and Whelan Restoration sites. Average canopy height was higher in the Channel (5.6±3.8 m) compared to Upper Pond (4.7±2.7 m) and Whelan Restoration (4.0±2.0 m). From 2006 to 2023, total foliage cover declined from 2 to 3 m and above 6 m in the Channel, in contrast to Upper Pond and Whelan Restoration, where little directional change in vegetation cover has occurred and where vegetation cover has largely recovered to 2006 levels. Within the Channel, the steepest declines occurred between 2009 and 2013 and between 2014 and 2016. Since 2016, we observed an increase in foliage cover, largely herbaceous, between 0 and 2 m within the Channel. Although increases were observed at all height classes after 2016, percentage cover has remained below levels measured before 2009. We sampled vegetation at 45 vireo nests and 45 random plots (territory plots) within territories in the Channel and Upper Pond after the 2023 breeding season. Vireos in the Channel established territories in areas with significantly more cover from 3 to 7 m but less cover below 1 m relative to the available habitat. Within territories, Channel vireos selected nest sites largely at random, but with significantly less foliage cover from 4 to 5 m. Vireos at Upper Pond established territories in areas with significantly more foliage cover below 4 m and from 5 to 6 m relative to available habitat. Within territories, Upper Pond vireos also selected nest sites at random except for a preference for sites with significantly less foliage cover below 1 m.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2023

Least Bell's Vireos and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers at the San Luis Rey Flood Risk Management Project Area in San Diego County, California—Breeding activities and habitat use—2022 annual report

Executive Summary We completed four protocol surveys for Least Bell’s Vireos ( Vireo bellii pusillus ; vireo) during the breeding season, supplemented by weekly territory monitoring visits. We identified a total of 133 territorial male vireos; 114 were confirmed as paired, and 3 were confirmed as single males. For the remaining 16 territories, we were unable to confirm breeding status. Two transient vireos were detected in 2022. The vireo population in the Project Area increased by 9 percent from 2021 to 2022. The vireo population at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton also increased (4 percent), whereas the population at Marine Corps Air Station remained relatively stable (decreased from 10 pairs to 9) and the Otay River population decreased by 10 percent (2 territories). We used an index of treatment (Treatment Index) to evaluate the effect of on-going vegetation clearing on the Project Area vireo population. The Treatment Index measures the cumulative effect of vegetation treatment within a territory (since 2005) by using the percentage area treated weighted by the number of years since treatment. We determined that the Treatment Index for unoccupied habitat was more than four times that of occupied habitat, indicating that vireos selected habitat that was less treated in which to settle. We monitored vireo nests at three general site types: (1) within the flood channel where exotic and native vegetation removal has occurred regularly (Channel), (2) three sites near the flood channel where limited exotic and native vegetation removal has occurred (Off-channel), and (3) three sites that have been actively restored by planting native vegetation (Restoration). Nesting activity was monitored in 80 territories, 3 of which were occupied by single males and 1 by a male whose breeding status could not be confirmed. Overall, 38 percent of completed nests were successful and nest success did not differ among the three sites. In 2022, there were no differences with regard to clutch size, hatching, or fledging success among Channel, Off-channel and Restoration sites. Overall breeding success and productivity were slightly higher in 2022 than in 2021, with 72 percent of pairs fledgling at least one young and pairs fledging an average of 2.2±1.7 young. To investigate if the cumulative years of treatment had an effect on vireo reproductive effort, we looked at the effects of the Treatment Index on reproductive parameters. Results from generalized linear models indicated that treatment did not have an effect on vireo nesting effort or the number of vireo fledglings per pair produced in 2022. Similarly, we did not detect an effect of Treatment Index on daily survival rate (DSR) of nests. Analysis of vegetation data collected at vireo nests from 2006 to 2022 did not reveal an effect of vegetation cover at the nest on DSR. We did find, however, that Channel nests were placed higher in the host plant than Off-channel nests. In the Channel and Off-channel sites, successful nests were placed closer to the edge of the host plants than unsuccessful nests. Additionally, successful Off-channel nests were placed lower in the vegetation, in shorter host plants, and closer to the edge of the vegetation clump than unsuccessful nests. Red/arroyo willow ( Salix laevigata or Salix lasiolepis ) were the species most commonly selected for nesting by vireos in all three site types. Black willow ( Salix gooddingii ) and mule fat ( Baccharis salicifolia ) also were commonly used. Vireos used a wider variety of species for nesting in Channel and Off-channel sites (eight and six species, respectively) compared to Restoration sites (two species), although there was limited nesting in Restoration sites in 2022. There were 43 vireos banded before the 2022 breeding season that were resighted and identified at the Project Area in 2022, all of which were originally banded in the Project Area. Adult birds of known age ranged from 1 to 7 years old. A total of 146 vireos were newly banded in 2022. There were 8 adult vireos banded with a unique color combination, and 138 nestlings were banded with a single dark blue numbered federal band on the left leg. Between 2006 and 2022, survivorship of males (66±11 percent) was consistently higher than that of females (59±12 percent). First-year birds from 2006 to 2022 had an average annual survivorship of 15±6 percent. First-year dispersal in 2022 averaged 6.7±7.4 kilometers (km), with the longest dispersal (15.3 km) by a male that was recaptured at Fallbrook Creek, Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station (FNWS). From 2007 to 2011, most returning first-year vireos returned to the Project Area, whereas from 2014 to 2016, the majority of returning birds dispersed to areas outside of the Project Area. From 2018 to 2021, the trend shifted, and more first-year vireos returned to the Project area. In 2022, only one first-year vireo returned to the project area and two dispersed to sites outside the Project Area (upstream to the middle San Luis Rey River and to Fallbrook Creek, FNWS). However, the total number of identified first-year vireos was low and the trend in 2022 will likely shift as additional returning first-year vireos are identified in subsequent years. Most of the returning adult male vireos showed strong between-year site fidelity to their previous territories. Seventy-three percent of males (27/37) occupied a territory in 2022 that they had defended in 2021 (within 100 meters [m]). There were no females (0/4) detected in 2022 that returned to a territory they occupied in 2021; however, 50 percent of females (2/4) detected in 2022 returned to areas adjacent to their previous territories (within 300 m). The average between-year movement for returning adult vireos was 0.3±0.7 km. The amount of treatment at adults’ 2021 territories did not affect the distance adults moved to their 2022 territories. We completed four protocol surveys for the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ( Empidonax traillii extimus ; flycatcher) at the Project Area between May 16 and July 25, 2022. Four transient Willow Flycatchers were detected in the Project Area in 2022. Two transients were detected in Reach 1, one in Reach 3a, and one in Pilgrim Pond. There were not any resident flycatchers documented in the Project Area in 2022. A total of 46 vegetation transects (528 points) were sampled at the Project Area in 2022. Seventy-one percent (378/528) of points were located in the Channel, and 22 percent (115/528) were in Upper Pond. The remaining 7 percent (35/528) of points were at the Whelan Restoration site. Foliage cover below 2 m was higher at the Channel points compared to Upper Pond and Whelan Restoration, which can be attributed to the dense herbaceous vegetation that grows after mowing. Above 2 m, foliage cover was similar at the Channel and Whelan Restoration sites and was higher than at Upper Pond. Average canopy height was higher in the Channel (5.6±3.4 m) compared to Upper Pond (4.7±2.9 m) and Whelan Restoration (4.6±1.9 m). From 2006 to 2022, total foliage cover declined above 2 m in the Channel, in contrast to Upper Pond and Whelan Restoration, where little directional change in vegetation cover has occurred and where vegetation cover has largely recovered to 2006 levels. Within the Channel, the steepest declines occurred between 2009 and 2013 and between 2014 and 2016. Since 2016, we observed an increase in foliage cover, largely herbaceous, between 0 and 2 m within the Channel. The percent cover remained below levels detected before 2009 for other height classes. We sampled vegetation at 44 vireo nests and 44 random plots (“territory” plots) within territories in the Channel and Upper Pond after the 2022 breeding season. Vireos in the Channel established territories in areas with significantly more cover from 3 to 6 m but less cover below 2 m relative to the available habitat. Within territories, Channel vireos selected nest sites with significantly more foliage cover from 2 to 3 m. Vireos at Upper Pond established territories in areas with significantly more foliage cover from 5 to 6 m and below 1 m relative to available habitat. However, within territories, Upper Pond vireos selected nest sites with significantly less foliage cover from 5 to 6 m and below 1 m. Data either are not available or have limited availability owing to restrictions of the funding entity (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Please contact Christopher Chabot, Planning Division, Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for more information.

Califoria↗
USGS2010

Migration of waterfowl in the east asian flyway and spatial relationship to HPAI H5N1 outbreaks

Poyang Lake is situated within the East Asian Flyway, a migratory corridor for waterfowl that also encompasses Guangdong Province, China, the epicenter of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. The lake is the largest freshwater body in China and a significant congregation site for waterfowl; however, surrounding rice fields and poultry grazing have created an overlap with wild waterbirds, a situation conducive to avian influenza transmission. Reports of HPAI H5N1 in healthy wild ducks at Poyang Lake have raised concerns about the potential of resilient free-ranging birds to disseminate the virus. Yet the role wild ducks play in connecting regions of HPAI H5N1 outbreak in Asia is hindered by a lack of information about their migratory ecology. During 2007-08 we marked wild ducks at Poyang Lake with satellite transmitters to examine the location and timing of spring migration and identify any spatiotemporal relationship with HPAI H5N1 outbreaks. Species included the Eurasian wigeon ( Anas penelope ), northern pintail ( Anas acuta ), common teal ( Anas crecca ), falcated teal ( Anas falcata ), Baikal teal ( Anas formosa ), mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), garganey ( Anas querquedula ), and Chinese spotbill ( Anas poecilohyncha ). These wild ducks (excluding the resident mallard and Chinese spotbill ducks) followed the East Asian Flyway along the coast to breeding areas in northern China, eastern Mongolia, and eastern Russia. None migrated west toward Qinghai Lake (site of the largest wild bird epizootic), thus failing to demonstrate any migratory connection to the Central Asian Flyway. A newly developed Brownian bridge spatial analysis indicated that HPAI H5N1 outbreaks reported in the flyway were related to latitude and poultry density but not to the core migration corridor or to wetland habitats. Also, we found a temporal mismatch between timing of outbreaks and wild duck movements. These analyses depend on complete or representative reporting of outbreaks, but by documenting movements of wild waterfowl, we present ecological knowledge that better informs epidemiological investigations seeking to explain and predict the spread of avian influenza viruses. ?? 2010 American Association of Avian Pathologists.

Avian Diseases↗
USGS2007

Wind River Watershed Restoration: Annual Report April 2005 - March 2006

This report summarizes work completed by U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) in the Wind River subbasin during the period April 2005 through March 2006 under Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contract 22095. During this period, we collected temperature, flow, and habitat data to characterize habitat condition and variation within and among tributaries and mainstem sections in the Wind River subbasin. We also conducted electrofishing and snorkeling surveys to determine juvenile salmonid populations within select study areas throughout the subbasin. Portions of this work were completed with additional funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG).

Washington↗
USGS1987

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in North Dakota, fiscal year 1986

This report was prepared to inform interested Federal, State, and local agencies and private individuals of the activities of the Water Resources Division in the State. All ongoing water-resources projects in North Dakota in fiscal year 1986 are listed. Information on each project includes objectives, approach, progress in 1985, plans for 1986, completed and planned report products, and the name of the project chief.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2015

Summarizing components of U.S. Department of the Interior vulnerability assessments to focus climate adaptation planning

A secretarial order identified climate adaptation as a critical performance objective for future management of U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) lands and resources in response to global change. Vulnerability assessments can inform climate adaptation planning by providing insight into what natural resources are most at risk and why. Three components of vulnerability—exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity—were defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as necessary for identifying climate adaptation strategies and actions. In 2011, the DOI requested all internal bureaus report ongoing or completed vulnerability assessments about a defined range of assessment targets or climate-related threats. Assessment targets were defined as freshwater resources, landscapes and wildlife habitat, native and cultural resources, and ocean health. Climate-related threats were defined as invasive species, wildfire risk, sea-level rise, and melting ice and permafrost. Four hundred and three projects were reported, but the original DOI survey did not specify that information be provided on exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity collectively as part of the request, and it was unclear which projects adhered to the framework recommended by the IPCC. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center conducted a supplemental survey to determine how frequently each of the three vulnerability components was assessed. Information was categorized for 124 of the 403 reported projects (30.8 percent) based on the three vulnerability components, and it was discovered that exposure was the most common component assessed (87.9 percent), followed by sensitivity (68.5 percent) and adaptive capacity (33.1 percent). The majority of projects did not fully assess vulnerability; projects focused on landscapes/wildlife habitats and sea-level rise were among the minority that simultaneously addressed all three vulnerability components. To maintain consistency with the IPCC definition of vulnerability, DOI may want to focus initial climate adaptation planning only on the outcomes of studies that comprehensively address vulnerability as inclusive of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Although the present study results are preliminary and used an unstructured survey design, they illustrate the importance of a comprehensive and consistent vulnerability definition and of using information on vulnerability components in DOI surveys to ensure relevant data are used to identify adaptation options.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2003

Water quality and trend analysis of Colorado-Big Thompson system reservoirs and related conveyances, 1969 through 2000

The U.S. Geological Survey, in an ongoing cooperative monitoring program with the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Bureau of Reclamation, and City of Fort Collins, has collected water-quality data in north-central Colorado since 1969 in reservoirs and conveyances, such as canals and tunnels, related to the Colorado–Big Thompson Project, a water-storage, collection, and distribution system. Ongoing changes in water use among agricultural and municipal users on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, changing land use in reservoir watersheds, and other water-quality issues among Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District customers necessitated a reexamination of water-quality trends in the Colorado–Big Thompson system reservoirs and related conveyances. The sampling sites are on reservoirs, canals, and tunnels in the headwaters of the Colorado River (on the western side of the transcontinental diversion operations) and the headwaters of the Big Thompson River (on the eastern side of the transcontinental diversion operations). Carter Lake Reservoir and Horsetooth Reservoir are off-channel water-storage facilities, located in the foothills of the northern Colorado Front Range, for water supplied from the Colorado–Big Thompson Project. The length of water-quality record ranges from approximately 3 to 30 years depending on the site and the type of measurement or constituent. Changes in sampling frequency, analytical methods, and minimum reporting limits have occurred repeatedly over the period of record. The objective of this report was to complete a retrospective water-quality and trend analysis of reservoir profiles, nutrients, major ions, selected trace elements, chlorophyll- a , and hypolimnetic oxygen data from 1969 through 2000 in Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Lake, and the Granby Pump Canal in Grand County, Colorado, and Horsetooth Reservoir, Carter Lake, Lake Estes, Alva B. Adams Tunnel, and Olympus Tunnel in Larimer County, Colorado. This report summarizes and assesses: Water-quality and field-measurement profile data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and stored in the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, Time-series trends of chemical constituents and physical properties, Trends in oxygen deficits in the hypolimnion of the reservoirs in the late summer season by the seasonal Kendall trend test method, Nutrient limitation and trophic status indicators, and Water-quality data in terms of Colorado water-quality standards. Water quality was generally acceptable for primary uses throughout the Colorado–Big Thompson system over the site periods of record, which are all within the span of 1969 to 2000. Dissolved solids and nutrient concentrations were low and typical of a forested/mountainous/crystalline bedrock hydrologic setting. Most of the more toxic trace elements were rarely detected or were found in low concentrations, due at least in part to a relative lack of ore-mineral deposits within the drainage areas of the Colorado–Big Thompson Project. Constituent concentrations consistently met water-quality standard thresholds set by the State of Colorado. Trophic-State Index Values indicated mesotrophic conditions generally prevailed at reservoirs, based on available Secchi depth, total phosphorus concentrations, and chlorophyll- a concentrations. Based on plots of time-series values and concentrations and seasonal Kendall nonparametric trends testing, dissolved solids and most major ions are decreasing at most sites. Many of the nutrient data did not meet the minimum criteria for time-series testing; but for those that did, nutrient concentrations were generally stable (no statistical trend) or decreasing (ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus). Iron and manganese concentrations were stable or decreasing at most sites that met testing criteria. Chlorophyll- a data were only collected for 11 years but generally indicated quasi-stable or downward temporal trends.

Colorado↗
USGS1987

Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey water-resources reports for Utah

This bibliography contains a complete listing to December 31, 1986, of reports relating to the water resources of Utah prepared by personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey. Discussions of the related subjects of geology, hydrology, and chemical quality of the water are included in many of the reports. The reports were, for the most part, prepared by personnel assigned to the Water Resources Division, Utah District, in cooperation with State, other Federal, and local agencies. A few reports were prepared under contract with the Geological Survey or in cooperation with the geological Survey. A few were compiled under direct funds to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Utah↗
USGS1980

Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey water-resources reports for Utah

This bibliography contains a complete listing to June 30, 1980, of reports relating to the water resources of Utah prepared by personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey. Discussions of the related subjects of geology, hydrology, and chemical quality of the water are included in many of the reports. The reports were, for the most part, prepared by personnel assigned to the Water Resources Division, Utah District, in cooperation with State and local agencies.

Utah↗
USGS1975

Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey water-resources reports for Utah

This bibliography contains a complete listing to December 31, 1974, of reports relating to the water resources of Utah prepared by personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey. Discussions of the related subjects of geology, hydrology, and chemical quality of the water are included in many of the reports. The reports were, for the most part, prepared by personnel assigned to the Water Resources Division, Utah District, in cooperation with State and local agencies.

Utah↗
USGS1972

Bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey water-resources reports for Utah

This bibliography contains a complete listing to December 31, 1971, of reports relating to the water resources of Utah prepared by personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey. Discussions of the related subjects of geology, hydrology, and chemical quality of the water are included in many of the reports. The reports were, for the most part, prepared by personnel assigned to the Water Resources Division, Utah District, in cooperation with State and local agencies.

Utah↗
USGS2013

Wind River watershed restoration. Annual report. November 2011 through October 2012

Introduction This report summarizes work by U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) in the Wind River subbasin, from November 2011 through October 2012. Funding was provided by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) under contract 55275. The primary focus of USGS activities during this time was tagging of parr steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, and establishing a network of instream PIT tag interrogation systems (PTIS). The PIT-tagged parr steelhead will provide movement and life history data through recapture events and detections at instream PTIS systems, will contribute to estimates of adult steelhead returning to the Wind River, and aid in the evaluation of the removal of Hemlock Dam on Trout Creek steelhead populations. The Wind River Watershed project (BPA Project Number 1998-019-00) is a collaborative effort to restore wild steelhead in the Wind River, WA. The four partner agencies are the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), USGS-CRRL, and Underwood Conservation District (UCD). This partnership was established in the early 1990s with support from BPA, and has continued to conduct extensive habitat, research, monitoring, and coordination activities across the subbasin. The project works at multiple levels to identify and characterize key limiting habitat factors in the Wind River; restore degraded habitats and watershed processes; document fish populations, life histories, and interactions; investigate efficacy of restoration actions; and to share information across agency and non-agency boundaries. Long-term research in the Wind River has focused on assessments of steelhead/rainbow trout populations, relationships with introduced populations of spring Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis , and effects of habitat variables and habitat restoration on fish productivity. During the period covered by this report, we PIT tagged steelhead parr in headwater sections of the subbasin (Figure 1), maintained a PTIS in Trout Creek, installed a PTIS in the Wind River, and installed smaller scale PTISs in Trapper Creek, Paradise Creek, and the Wind River upstream of Paradise Creek (Figure 2). Additionally we maintained thermologgers to collect water temperature data near the PIT tagging sites. A statement of work (SOW) was submitted to BPA in October 2011 that outlined work to be performed by USGS-CRRL. The SOW was organized by Work Element (WE), with each describing a research task. This report summarizes the progress completed under each WE.

Washington↗
USGS1988

Brief descriptions of mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in the Port Moller and Stepovak Bay quadrangles, Alaska peninsula

This report contains brief descriptions of known mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in the Port Moller and Stepovak Bay quadrangles on the Alaska Peninsula. These quadrangles, and the adjoining Simeonof Island quadrangle to the south were the subject of an Alaska Mineral Resource Assessment Program (AMRAP) mapping and mineral resource assessment project. This compilation of descriptions was made from the published literature (Wilson and others, 1986) and unpublished reports and data of The Aleut Corporation, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The initial compilation was primarily based on data from Cobb (1972) and MacKevett and Holloway (1977), however information provided by The Aleut Corporation and data gathered during the Port Moller AMRAP project added most of the information in the descriptions and the database. Compilation of this database is an ongoing process and this is a progress report of work completed to date. The authors would appreciate any corrections or additional information that users may be able to contribute. To facilitate active use of the descriptions, where information is not available for a particular field in the database, it is left blank so that the use can write in data as they obtain it.

Alaska↗
USGS1990

Landscape ecology: a concept for protecting park resources

The Southwest Region has been supporting Resource Basic Inventory (RBI) efforts to establish baseline data for comparisons with long-term monitoring results to be conducted in the future. This “pulse taking” is a part of the Servicewide initiative being fostered so that resource managers, scientists, and park managers will be able to track the health of park resources by determining changes and trends. The RBI work is being linked with the development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Bandelier, Big Thicket, Big Bend, Padre Island, and Guadalupe Mountains. Many of the parks in the southwest Region have only partially completed RBIs. This informational shortcoming is a pervasive threat to the parks because without detailed knowledge of the parks’ respective resources the Service cannot protect them adequately. To overcome this deficiency, the SWRO’s Division of Natural Resources Management and Science has fostered at Bandelier a pilot research effort, which started in FY ’87 and utilizes a landscape ecology paradigm. This concept links the RBI, GIS, and research activities in a park to present an overall picture of the park in its regional ecosystem setting. The flowchart diagrams this project’s concept. The results have been encouraging. A final report was recently completed (Allen 1989). This concept may now be applied to other Southwest Region parks.

Park Science↗
USGS1999

Summary of hydrogeologic and ground-water-quality data and hydrogeologic framework at selected well sites, Adams County, Pennsylvania

Rapid population growth in Adams County has increased the demand for ground water and led Adams County planning officials to undertake an effort to evaluate the capabilities of existing community water systems to meet future, projected growth and to begin wellhead-protection programs for public-supply wells. As part of this effort, this report summarizes ground-water data on a countywide scale and provides hydrogeologic information needed to delineate wellheadprotection areas in three hydrogeologic units (Gettysburg Lowland, Blue Ridge, and Piedmont Lowland). Reported yields, specific capacities, well depths, and reported overburden thickness can vary by hydrogeologic unit, geologic formation, water use (domestic and nondomestic), and topographic setting. The reported yields of domestic wells drilled in the Gettysburg Lowland (median reported yield of 10 gallons per minute) are significantly greater than the reported yields from the Blue Ridge, Piedmont Lowland, and Piedmont Upland (median reported yields of 7.0, 8.0, and 7.0 gallons per minute, respectively). Reported yields of domestic wells completed in the diabase and the New Oxford Formation of the Gettysburg Lowland, and in the metarhyolite and metabasalt of the Blue Ridge, are significantly lower than reported yields of wells completed in the Gettysburg Formation. For nondomestic wells, reported yields from the Conestoga Formation of the Piedmont Lowland are significantly greater than in the diabase. Reported yields of nondomestic wells drilled in the Gettysburg, New Oxford, and Conestoga Formations, and the metarhyolite are significantly greater than those for domestic wells drilled in the respective geologic formations. Specific capacities of nondomestic wells in the Conestoga and Gettysburg Formations are significantly greater than their domestic counterparts. Specific capacities of nondomestic wells in the Conestoga Formation are significantly greater than the specific capacities of nondomestic wells in the metarhyolite, diabase, and Gettysburg and New Oxford Formations.Well depths do not vary considerably by hydrogeologic unit; instead, the greatest variability is by water use. Nondomestic wells drilled in the metarhyolite, Kinzers, Conestoga, Gettysburg, and New Oxford Formations are completed at significantly greater depths than their domestic counterparts. The reported thickness of overburden varies significantly by geologic formation and water use, but not by topographic setting. The median overburden thickness of the Blue Ridge (35 feet) is greater than in any other hydrologic unit. Except where adversely affected by human activities, ground water in Adams County is suitable for most purposes. Calcium and magnesium are the dominant cations, and bicarbonate is the dominant anion. In general, the pH and hardness of ground water is lower in areas that are underlain by crystalline rocks (Blue Ridge and Piedmont Upland) than in areas underlain by sedimentary rocks, especially where limestone or dolomite is dominant (Piedmont Lowland). Dissolved nitrate (as N) and dissolved nitrite (as N) concentrations in the water from 9 of 69 wells and 3 of 80 wells sampled exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant levels (MCL) of 10 and 1.0 mg/L (milligrams per liter), respectively. Sulfate concentrations greater than the proposed USEPA MCL of 500 mg/L were reported from the water in 3 of 110 wells sampled. Iron concentrations in the water from 13 of 67 wells sampled and manganese in the water from 9 of 64 wells sampled exceeded the USEPA secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) of 300 and 50 mg/L (micrograms per liter), respectively. Aluminum concentrations in the water from 16 of 22 wells sampled exceeded the lower USEPA SMCL threshold of 50 µg/L. Pesticides were detected in the water from seven wells but at concentrations that did not exceed USEPA MCL's. Most volatile organic compounds detected in the ground water were confined to USEPA Superfund sites or the immediate area around the sites. The hydrogeologic framework in the vicinity of four public-supply well fields (Gettysburg, Abbottstown, Fairfield, and Littlestown) consists of two zones—an upper zone and a lower zone. In general, the upper zone is thin (5 to 60 feet or more) and dominated by saturated regolith and deeply weathered bedrock. The upper zone is bounded at the top by the water table and below by bedrock in which secondary porosity and permeability are considerably lower. Ground water is generally unconfined, and recharge rates are rapid. Ground-water flow is influenced more strongly by the topography of the ground surface and bedrock surface than by geologic structure. The lower zone is relatively thick (400 to 1,000 feet) and consists of slightly weathered to highly competent bedrock. Ground-water flow paths in the lower zone are generally greater and recharge rates are longer than in the upper zone; confined conditions are common, especially at depth.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2002

Selected micrometeorological and soil-moisture data at Amargosa Desert Research Site in Nye County near Beatty, Nevada, 1998-2000

Selected micrometeorological and soil-moisture data were collected at the Amargosa Desert Research Site adjacent to a low-level radioactive waste and hazardous chemical waste facility near Beatty, Nev., 1998-2000. Data were collected in support of ongoing research studies to improve the understanding of hydrologic and contaminant-transport processes in arid environments. Micrometeorological data include precipitation, air temperature, solar radiation, net radiation, relative humidity, ambient vapor pressure, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, soil temperature, and soil-heat flux. All micrometeorological data were collected using a 10-second sampling interval by data loggers that output daily mean, maximum, and minimum values, and hourly mean values. For precipitation, data output consisted of daily, hourly, and 5-minute totals. Soil-moisture data included periodic measurements of soil-water content at nine neutron-probe access tubes with measurable depths ranging from 5.25 to 29.75 meters. The computer data files included in this report contain the complete micrometeorological and soil-moisture data sets. The computer data consists of seven files with about 14 megabytes of information. The seven files are in tabular format: (1) one file lists daily mean, maximum, and minimum micrometeorological data and daily total precipitation; (2) three files list hourly mean micrometeorological data and hourly precipitation for each year (1998-2000); (3) one file lists 5-minute precipitation data; (4) one file lists mean soil-water content by date and depth at four experimental sites; and (5) one file lists soil-water content by date and depth for each neutron-probe access tube. This report highlights selected data contained in the computer data files using figures, tables, and brief discussions. Instrumentation used for data collection also is described. Water-content profiles are shown to demonstrate variability of water content with depth. Time-series data are plotted to illustrate temporal variations in micrometeorological and soil-water content data. Substantial precipitation at the end of an El Ni?o cycle in early 1998 resulted in measurable water penetration to a depth of 1.25 meters at one of the four experimental soil-monitoring sites.

Nevada↗
USGS2013

Description of input and examples for PHREEQC version 3: A computer program for speciation, batch-reaction, one-dimensional transport, and inverse geochemical calculations

PHREEQC version 3 is a computer program written in the C and C++ programming languages that is designed to perform a wide variety of aqueous geochemical calculations. PHREEQC implements several types of aqueous models: two ion-association aqueous models (the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory model and WATEQ4F), a Pitzer specific-ion-interaction aqueous model, and the SIT (Specific ion Interaction Theory) aqueous model. Using any of these aqueous models, PHREEQC has capabilities for (1) speciation and saturation-index calculations; (2) batch-reaction and one-dimensional (1D) transport calculations with reversible and irreversible reactions, which include aqueous, mineral, gas, solid-solution, surface-complexation, and ion-exchange equilibria, and specified mole transfers of reactants, kinetically controlled reactions, mixing of solutions, and pressure and temperature changes; and (3) inverse modeling, which finds sets of mineral and gas mole transfers that account for differences in composition between waters within specified compositional uncertainty limits. Many new modeling features were added to PHREEQC version 3 relative to version 2. The Pitzer aqueous model ( pitzer.dat database, with keyword PITZER ) can be used for high-salinity waters that are beyond the range of application for the Debye-Hückel theory. The Peng-Robinson equation of state has been implemented for calculating the solubility of gases at high pressure. Specific volumes of aqueous species are calculated as a function of the dielectric properties of water and the ionic strength of the solution, which allows calculation of pressure effects on chemical reactions and the density of a solution. The specific conductance and the density of a solution are calculated and printed in the output file. In addition to Runge-Kutta integration, a stiff ordinary differential equation solver (CVODE) has been included for kinetic calculations with multiple rates that occur at widely different time scales. Surface complexation can be calculated with the CD-MUSIC (Charge Distribution MUltiSIte Complexation) triple-layer model in addition to the diffuse-layer model. The composition of the electrical double layer of a surface can be estimated by using the Donnan approach, which is more robust and faster than the alternative Borkovec-Westall integration. Multicomponent diffusion, diffusion in the electrostatic double layer on a surface, and transport of colloids with simultaneous surface complexation have been added to the transport module. A series of keyword data blocks has been added for isotope calculations— ISOTOPES, CALCULATE_VALUES, ISOTOPE_ALPHAS, ISOTOPE_RATIOS, and NAMED_EXPRESSIONS . Solution isotopic data can be input in conventional units (for example, permil, percent modern carbon, or tritium units) and the numbers are converted to moles of isotope by PHREEQC. The isotopes are treated as individual components (they must be defined as individual master species) so that each isotope has its own set of aqueous species, gases, and solids. The isotope-related keywords allow calculating equilibrium fractionation of isotopes among the species and phases of a system. The calculated isotopic compositions are printed in easily readable conventional units. New keywords and options facilitate the setup of input files and the interpretation of the results. Keyword data blocks can be copied (keyword COPY ) and deleted (keyword DELETE ). Keyword data items can be altered by using the keyword data blocks with the _MODIFY extension and a simulation can be run with all reactants of a given index number (keyword RUN_CELLS ). The definition of the complete chemical state of all reactants of PHREEQC can be saved in a file in a raw data format ( DUMP and _RAW keywords). The file can be read as part of another input file with the INCLUDE$ keyword. These keywords facilitate the use of IPhreeqc, which is a module implementing all PHREEQC version 3 capabilities; the module is designed to be used in other programs that need to implement geochemical calculations; for example, transport codes. Charting capabilities have been added to some versions of PHREEQC. Charting capabilities have been added to Windows distributions of PHREEQC version 3. (Charting on Linux requires installation of Wine.) The keyword data block USER_GRAPH allows selection of data for plotting and manipulation of chart appearance. Almost any results from geochemical simulations (for example, concentrations, activities, or saturation indices) can be retrieved by using Basic language functions and specified as data for plotting in USER_GRAPH . Results of transport simulations can be plotted against distance or time. Data can be added to a chart from tab-separated-values files. All input for PHREEQC version 3 is defined in keyword data blocks, each of which may have a series of identifiers for specific types of data. This report provides a complete description of each keyword data block and its associated identifiers. Input files for 22 examples that demonstrate most of the capabilities of PHREEQC version 3 are described and the results of the example simulations are presented and discussed.

Techniques and Methods↗