FY 1997 Annual Financial Report: Water Availability and Quality

Water Availability and Quality

Goal: Manage the Nation's water resources wisely for present and future generations.

The USGS provides reliable, impartial, timely data on and an understanding of the quantity and quality of the Nation's water resources. This enables decisionmakers to plan, operate, and regulate the water resources infrastructure of the Nation and to undertake cost-effective programs to preserve and enhance water quality.

FY 1997 Accomplishments

Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico

FY 1997 was the second year of the 5-year Middle Rio Grande Basin study undertaken by the Ground-Water Resources Program. The study's primary goal is to better define water availability in the Middle Rio Grande Basin through improvement of the USGS ground-water model for the area that is used by a number of water-management and scientific agencies in the Albuquerque area (including the City of Albuquerque, the New Mexico State Engineer Office, Sandia National Labs, and the City of Rio Rancho). Results from this study are being used by water-management agencies in the region as it becomes available. For example, ground-water age-dating undertaken by the project to define the movement of water through the aquifer is being used by the City of Albuquerque. This information is used for early detection of ground-water contaminants for municipal-supply wells. The data on mountain-front recharge to the aquifer is being used by the City of Santa Fe in their plans to reduce flow in the Santa Fe River.

Water-Quality Monitoring

USGS data and new scientific methods resulting from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) are being used by a number of State agencies to design new and more cost-effective water protection strategies, or to improve water-quality monitoring and assessment techniques. For example:

USGS biological and habitat protocols have recently been integrated into Idaho's state-wide surface water-quality monitoring network. The prior network design had focused primarily on water chemistry constituents.
The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission is initiating a new Source Water Assessment Program, mandated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), with significant technical support from the USGS. The approach, designed with input from USGS, borrows heavily from the NAWQA programs retrospective approach and relies on USGS pesticide data sets for the State of Texas.
The States of Minnesota and North Dakota used USGS fish data to establish an Index of Biotic Integrity scoring system for use in the Red River of the North Basin.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation began a statewide pesticide monitoring project with the USGS based on NAWQA program data collection protocols. This information is being used by the State to make decisions on registering pesticides.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has decided to begin using the concepts of the NAWQA program to prioritize ground-water areas for assessments. This constitutes a major component of the State's strategy for ground-water protection. As part of this effort, the USGS will provide pesticide analysis and quality assurance support for the Pesticides and Ground Water Strategy. Also, based on USGS findings of bacterial contamination in rural household wells, the State is analyzing additional samples from rural areas to determine the extent of bacterial contamination.

Water-Quality Monitoring in Washington

The NAWQA fact sheet, "Nitrate concentrations in ground water of the Central Columbia Plateau" has received considerable attention from State and Federal agencies. This fact sheet is the basis for the Washington State Department of Ecology creating a ground-water management area covering three counties in the study area, to address nitrate in ground water. The counties (Grant, Franklin, and Adams) are in an intensely agricultural region. The USGS is providing analysis in three dimensions to identify likely areas for lower nitrate concentrations (potential sites for future drinking water), and the USGS is designing a long-term nitrate monitoring plan.

Deformities in Frogs and Toads

USGS scientists are the first to characterize the types of deformities occurring in metamorphosed frogs and toads collected from at least 12 States. The deformities consist primarily of missing and extra limbs with some eye, jaw, internal and external deformities. This characterization is a critical step in determining probable causes.

Avian Botulism in Wetland Ecosystems
Avian botulism, caused by a highly potent toxin produced by bacteria commonly found in wetland soils, kills large numbers of birds annually throughout North America and the world. Tens of thousands of birds can die in a single outbreak, and annual losses in the hundreds of thousands are common. USGS scientists have developed models for the occurrence of this disease based on specific environmental conditions in wetland ecosystems that cause the bacteria that produce the toxin. These models will allow wildlife managers to predict outbreaks and develop wetland management techniques to reduce the risk of avian botulism. Waterfowl

Disease Diagnosis in Migratory Birds

More than 115 disease outbreaks in migratory birds in the United States were reported to the USGS during FY 1997. These outbreaks range in magnitude up to 85,000 birds in a single outbreak at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah. The USGS provided diagnostic support and technical assistance in the control of wildlife disease outbreaks (see map).

FY 1997 migratory bird dieoff

Water Availability and Quality || Natural Hazards || Geographic and Cartographic Information || Contaminated Environments || Land and Water Use || Nonrenewable Resources || Environmental Effects on Human Health || Biological Resources
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Maintained by John Watson
Last updated June 19, 1998