Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have participated in a cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, to track water-quality and quantity conditions in several of the area’s water-supply reservoirs and streams. This report summarizes the hydrologic and water-quality monitoring activities through this cooperative effort, including an overview of previous and current data collection and quality-assurance and quality-control activities.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241003","issn":"2331-1258","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project Steering Committee","usgsCitation":"Diaz, J.C., and Fanelli, R.M., 2024, Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Overview of hydrologic and water-quality monitoring activities and data quality assurance: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1003, 8 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241003.","productDescription":"Report: vi, 8 p.; Data Release","numberOfPages":"18","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-140656","costCenters":[{"id":13634,"text":"South Atlantic Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499203,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116211.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":426743,"rank":1,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1003/images"},{"id":426744,"rank":2,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1003/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":426745,"rank":3,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1003/ofr20241003.pdf","size":"1.42 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024-1003"},{"id":426747,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1003/ofr20241003.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2024-1003 XML"},{"id":426746,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241003/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2024-1003 HTML"},{"id":426748,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P9MU5BAZ","text":"USGS Data Release","linkHelpText":"Associated data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2019–September 2022"}],"country":"United States","state":"North Carolina","otherGeospatial":"Triangle area","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -78.65,\n 36.25\n ],\n [\n -79.375,\n 36.25\n ],\n [\n -79.375,\n 35.5\n ],\n [\n -78.65,\n 35.5\n ],\n [\n -78.65,\n 36.25\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, South Atlantic Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
1770 Corporate Drive, Suite 500
Norcross, GA 30093
The Pecos National Historical Park protects 2.9 miles of the Pecos River and part of Glorieta Creek within the park boundaries. Updated water-quality data can assist resource managers in determining if effluent from two nearby wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is affecting the quality of the water in the Pecos River and Glorieta Creek within the park. Water samples were collected four times in 2022 at two WWTP outfalls, two locations on Glorieta Creek, and two locations on the Pecos River. Water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, turbidity, specific conductance) were measured in the field, and samples were collected and analyzed for major ions, trace elements, rare earth elements, nutrients, bacteria, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Specific conductance values in all samples collected from Glorieta Creek exceeded the New Mexico Surface Water Quality Standard (NMWQS) of 300 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen in three samples collected from Glorieta Creek and one sample for the Pecos WWTP did not meet the standard for high-quality cold-water use. Concentrations of Escherichia coli in samples from the Pecos WWTP exceeded the NMWQS of 235 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters during every sampling event. Concentrations of E. coli in samples collected from two sites on Glorieta Creek in August exceeded the NMWQS.
The chemical signature of water from Glorieta Creek indicated groundwater and (or) septic system contributions. Water samples collected from the Pecos River all had similar chemical signatures of calcium-bicarbonate type. Although concentrations of several trace elements were higher in samples from Glorieta Creek than in samples from the Pecos River, no concentrations exceeded the drinking-water standards. No concentrations exceeded aquatic life standards except for copper concentrations in two samples from the downstream location on Glorieta Creek. The trace element signature and the gadolinium anomalies in the WWTP samples indicate anthropogenic contributions.
Eleven of the 28 PFAS compounds analyzed were detected in samples during this study, with the treated wastewater effluent samples having the highest total PFAS concentrations. The total PFAS concentrations in samples from Glorieta Creek decreased by an order of magnitude as the creek flowed downstream. At the downstream site on the Pecos River, there was only one sample that had a detection of PFAS.
Director, New Mexico Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
6700 Edith Blvd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
Greater sage-grouse populations (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are threatened by a suite of disturbances and anthropogenic factors that have contributed to a net loss of sagebrush-dominant shrub cover in recent decades. Declines in sage-grouse populations are largely linked to habitat loss across their range. A key component of conservation and land use planning efforts for sage-grouse involves the continued monitoring and modeling of habitat requirements and suitability across its range. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is addressing the management of sage-grouse habitats on BLM-authorized public lands throughout the western United States through a land use planning amendment and associated environmental impact statement (86 FR 66331). More than 25 percent of the range-wide distribution of sage-grouse is within Nevada and northeastern California, and information on sage-grouse distribution and habitat requirements is important to guide appropriate management decisions. Therefore, the BLM has identified the need for updated spatially explicit information on sage-grouse habitat in Nevada and northeastern California to guide the land use planning amendment and associated management decisions.
To address this need, researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey, in close cooperation with multiple State and Federal resource agency partners, including BLM, Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), sought to map sage-grouse distribution and produce example habitat designations in these states. Herein, we report results of our primary study objective, which was to map sage-grouse habitat and create example habitat management areas, based on more than a decade of location and survival data collected from marked sage-grouse across the study region coupled with lek count survey data managed by the NDOW and the CDFW.
We expanded on previously developed methodology to incorporate information on habitat selection and survival during reproductive life stages and specific seasons with updated sage-grouse location and known fate datasets, while also including brood-rearing areas that are understood to be threatened and important for population persistence. We combined predictive habitat map surfaces for each life stage and season with updated information on current occupancy patterns to classify habitat based on its suitability and probability of occupancy. We carried out additional steps to delineate specific example habitat management areas, specifically (1) incorporated corridors connecting key nesting and brood-rearing habitat, (2) corrected outputs for pre-wildfire habitat conditions within areas burned in the last 16 years, and (3) masked out areas of anthropogenic development. Our methodological example of deriving habitat management areas was intended to help inform decisions by BLM and other land managers regarding conservation and management of sage-grouse. Associated data products in the form of habitat maps provide updated, detailed, and comprehensive information about the status of habitats and can be useful to partner agencies in their efforts to designate and rank habitats for this species of high conservation concern in Nevada and California, with full recognition that on-the-ground field data and local sources of information and expertise should be used in conjunction with inferences from these models.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241018","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Department of Wildlife, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife","programNote":"Ecosystems Mission Area—Species Management Research Program","usgsCitation":"Milligan, M.C., Coates, P.S., O’Neil, S.T., Brussee, B.E., Chenaille, M.P., Friend, D., Steele, K., Small, J.R., Bowden, T.S., Kosic, A.D., and Miller, K., 2024, Greater sage-grouse habitat of Nevada and northeastern California—Integrating space use, habitat selection, and survival indices to guide areas for habitat management: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1018, 70 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241018.","productDescription":"Report: viii, 70 p.: Data Release","numberOfPages":"70","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-157608","costCenters":[{"id":651,"text":"Western Ecological Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":427111,"rank":6,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241018/full"},{"id":426917,"rank":5,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P933VE6W","text":"USGS Data Release","description":"Coates, P.S., Milligan, M.C., O’Neil, S.T., Brussee, B.E., and Chenaille, M.P., 2024, Rasters representing Greater sage-grouse space use, habitat selection, and survival to inform habitat management: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P933VE6W.","linkHelpText":"Rasters representing Greater sage-grouse space use, habitat selection, and survival to inform habitat management"},{"id":426916,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1018/images"},{"id":426914,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1018/ofr20241018.xml"},{"id":426913,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1018/ofr20241018.pdf","text":"Report","size":"8 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":426912,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1018/covrthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"California, Idaho, Nevada","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -114,\n 43\n ],\n [\n -121,\n 43\n ],\n [\n -121,\n 38\n ],\n [\n -114,\n 38\n ],\n [\n -114,\n 43\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Western Ecological Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
3020 State University Drive East
Sacramento, California 95819
The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val Team continually monitors the geometric and radiometric performance of active Landsat missions and makes calibration adjustments, as needed, to maintain data quality at the highest level.
This report provides observed geometric and radiometric analysis results for Landsats 7, 8, and 9 for quarter 3 (July–September) of 2023. All data used to compile the Cal/Val analysis results presented in this report are freely available from the U.S. Geological Survey EarthExplorer website: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov.
This is the first quarterly report to include analysis results for Landsat 9, which was launched in September 2021. The inclusion of Landsat 9 analysis results was dependent on two factors: a complete reprocessing of the Landsat 9 data archive and enough time elapsing to begin formulating lifetime trends. In April 2023, all Landsat 9 image data acquired since the satellite’s launch were reprocessed to take advantage of calibration updates identified by the ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val Team. Additional information about the Landsat 9 reprocessing effort is available at https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/news/upcoming-reprocessing-all-landsat-9-data.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241017","usgsCitation":"Haque, M.O., Rengarajan, R., Lubke, M., Hasan, M.N., Shrestha, A., Shaw, J.L., Denevan, A., Ruslander, K., Micijevic, E., Choate, M.J., Anderson, C., Thome, K., Kaita, E., Barsi, J., Levy, R., Miller, J., and Ding, L., 2024, ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report—Quarter 3, 2023 (ver. 1.1, December 2024): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1017, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241017.","productDescription":"Report: ix, 65 p.; Dataset","numberOfPages":"80","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-159043","costCenters":[{"id":222,"text":"Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":426771,"rank":1,"type":{"id":28,"text":"Dataset"},"url":"https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov","text":"USGS database","linkHelpText":"—EarthExplorer"},{"id":464896,"rank":2,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1017/ofr20241017.XML","text":"XML","size":"184 KB","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"}},{"id":464897,"rank":3,"type":{"id":25,"text":"Version History"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1017/versionHist.txt","text":"Version History","size":"1 KB","linkFileType":{"id":2,"text":"txt"},"description":"OFR 2024–1017 Version History"},{"id":464898,"rank":4,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241017/full"},{"id":464899,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1017/images/"},{"id":464900,"rank":6,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1017/coverthb1.jpg"},{"id":464904,"rank":7,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1017/ofr20241017.pdf","text":"Report","size":"5.85 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024-1017 (ver.1.1)"}],"edition":"Version 1.0: March 19, 2024; Version 1.1: December 11, 2024","contact":"Director, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
47914 252nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected data on the vertical distribution of hydraulic head, specific capacity, and water quality using aquifer-interval-isolation tests and other vertical profiling methods in 15 boreholes completed in fractured sedimentary bedrock in Northampton, Warminster, and Warwick Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania during 2018–19. This work was done, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, to support detailed investigations at and near the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Warminster, where groundwater contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) had become a concern since 2014. Two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), have been measured in groundwater samples from supply and monitoring wells at or near NAWC Warminster in concentrations above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory levels for drinking water. The area is underlain by the Triassic Stockton Formation, which predominantly consists of sandstone interbedded with shale and siltstone beds and forms a layered fractured-rock aquifer used for private, industrial, and public drinking water supply.
The vertical distribution of aquifer properties and water quality was assessed through hydraulic tests and sampling of aquifer intervals using a straddle-packer system (13 boreholes) or depth-discrete point sampling under known borehole-flow conditions (2 boreholes). Geophysical and video logs collected by USGS during 2017–19 were used to identify potential water-bearing fractures in 15 boreholes, which ranged in depth from 210 to 604 feet (ft) and included 6 boreholes drilled in 2018 and 9 existing wells on or near the former NAWC Warminster. Measured borehole flow was predominantly downward in most of the deepest boreholes (greater than 400 ft), which were commonly located at the highest land-surface elevations, with inflow from fractures at relatively shallow depths and outflow through fractures near or below depths of 500 ft below land surface. Hydraulic head differences measured during packer tests were up to about 60 ft between shallow and deep intervals. Borehole flow was predominantly upward in most boreholes less than 400 ft in depth and farther from, and at lower land-surface elevations than, the former NAWC Warminster. Total borehole specific capacity ranged from about 0.07 to 41 gallons per minute per foot [(gal/min)/ft]. Specific-capacity values for individual intervals ranged from 0.02 to 40.0 (gal/min)/ft, with a median of 1.14 (gal/min)/ft and a large range in values at most depths.
Differences in water quality of samples as indicated by field properties (pH, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance) and concentrations of dissolved major ions, PFOA, and PFOS were apparent among isolated intervals in the boreholes. Summed concentrations of PFOA and PFOS ranged from about 11 to 10,780 nanograms per liter (ng/L) and were greater than the 2016 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory of 70 ng/L for summed PFOA and PFOS concentrations in 62 of 104 intervals and discrete depths tested. The mass ratio of PFOS to PFOA was generally higher than 1.0 in samples with summed PFOA and PFOS concentrations greater than 70 ng/L, with ratio values as high as 8.7. In many boreholes, summed concentrations of PFOA and PFOS were positively related to chloride concentrations, which were elevated above natural-background values [less than 10 milligrams per liter] in most samples and as high as 717 milligrams per liter. Sources of the elevated chloride other than, or in addition to, common rock salt (sodium chloride) were indicated by chloride to sodium molar ratios greater than 1.0. Water-quality data indicated that sampled water from some intervals with lower hydraulic heads may be affected by water from intervals with higher hydraulic heads because of vertical flow in open boreholes; samples from these intervals with lower hydraulic heads may not be fully representative due to some component of cross contamination and should be interpreted with caution.
Through a preliminary correlation of natural gamma and resistivity logs of boreholes drilled at and near the former NAWC Warminster, 11 lithologic units were identified and interpreted to strike northeast and dip to the northwest. Hydraulic heads were generally highest in isolated intervals that intercepted beds which, when projected up dip, crop out at the highest land-surface elevation on the former NAWC Warminster, indicating that the dipping-bed structure and topography are factors affecting the distribution of hydraulic head in the aquifer. The hydrogeologic framework in conjunction with the vertical distribution of hydraulic heads and water quality may assist in evaluating the locations of various PFAS sources and potential migration pathways of PFAS in groundwater at and near NAWC Warminster.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241007","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Navy","usgsCitation":"Senior, L.A., and Fiore, A.R., 2024, Results of 2018–19 water-quality and hydraulic characterization of aquifer intervals using packer tests and preliminary geophysical-log correlations for selected boreholes at and near the former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (ver. 1.1, January 2025): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1007, 136 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241007.","productDescription":"Report: xv, 136 p.; 5 Plates; Data Release","numberOfPages":"136","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-138405","costCenters":[{"id":470,"text":"New Jersey Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":532,"text":"Pennsylvania Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":426405,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241007/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2024-1007 HTML"},{"id":426406,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1007/ofr20241007.XML","description":"OFR 2024-1007 XML"},{"id":426407,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1007/images/"},{"id":426403,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1007/coverthb2.jpg"},{"id":426404,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1007/ofr20241007.pdf","text":"Report","size":"9.26 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024-1007 PDF"},{"id":426408,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P9TC92B5","text":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"Water-level data and selected field notes for aquifer-interval-isolation tests at and near the former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 2018–19 (ver. 2.0, January 2024)"},{"id":426409,"rank":7,"type":{"id":17,"text":"Plate"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1007/ofr20241007_plates.pdf","text":"Plates 1–5","size":"921 KB"},{"id":481558,"rank":8,"type":{"id":25,"text":"Version History"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1007/ofr20241007_versionHist.txt","size":"949 B","linkFileType":{"id":2,"text":"txt"}}],"country":"United States","state":"Pennsylvania","otherGeospatial":"Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -75.21874919403015,\n 40.292862181975266\n ],\n [\n -75.21874919403015,\n 40.12697956762551\n ],\n [\n -74.97075997042653,\n 40.12697956762551\n ],\n [\n -74.97075997042653,\n 40.292862181975266\n ],\n [\n -75.21874919403015,\n 40.292862181975266\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","edition":"Version 1.0: March 2024; Version 1.1 January 2025","contact":"Director, Pennsylvania Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
215 Limekiln Road
New Cumberland, PA 17070
This report is an update to the presentation by Schulz (1989) introducing potential users to the creepmeter data collected between the publication of Schulz’s report and mid-2020. The creepmeter network monitors aseismic, surface slip at various locations on the Hayward, Calaveras, and San Andreas Faults in northern and central California. There are different designs of creepmeters and these are briefly described. For a majority of the creepmeters, these data are automatically sent to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offices where they are stored and processed. In addition, for most of the creepmeters, occasional manual measurements are made and these are compared with digitally recorded data. For some sites, the comparisons indicated degradation of the electronic sensor and consequently corrections are made to the digital data. The largest transient deformation is that which followed the 2004, M6, Parkfield earthquake. Various functions found in the literature that have been used to model postseismic slip were tested with the observed postseismic behavior seen on the creepmeters in the vicinity of Parkfield, California. No single function adequately fit all the data from these Parkfield instruments. This report is a discussion and analysis of data from creepmeters deployed by the USGS. The discussion primarily focuses on instruments that are currently operating in 2020 or have operated quite recently but are no longer in service.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241011","usgsCitation":"Langbein, J., Bilham, R.G., Snyder, H.A., and Ericksen, T., 2024, Summary of Creepmeter Data from 1980 to 2020—Measurements Spanning the Hayward, Calaveras, and San Andreas Faults in Northern and Central California: U.S. Geological Survey Report 2024–1011, 110 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241011.","productDescription":"vi, 110 p.","numberOfPages":"110","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-143918","costCenters":[{"id":237,"text":"Earthquake Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499206,"rank":3,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116172.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":426750,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1011/ofr20241011.pdf","text":"Report","size":"60 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":426749,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1011/covrthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"California","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -122.83784784258054,\n 37.99394764431494\n ],\n [\n -122.83784784258054,\n 34.52234572819374\n ],\n [\n -119.36616815508066,\n 34.52234572819374\n ],\n [\n -119.36616815508066,\n 37.99394764431494\n ],\n [\n -122.83784784258054,\n 37.99394764431494\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Earthquake Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
350 N. Akron Rd.
Moffett Field, CA 94035
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey has created a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for lands in the western United States (U.S.). Oil and gas development on public lands is a long-standing and substantial component of local and regional economies and has expanded in recent decades, particularly on public lands in the western U.S. This development is associated with extensive networks of pipelines, roads, and processing facilities, across which reclamation is Federally mandated following initial well pad development (“interim” reclamation) and once resource extraction is complete (“final” reclamation). Reclamation is critical for recovering ecological services to energy-affected lands, including vegetation productivity, wildlife habitat, water and air quality, and soil stability (for example, resistance to wind and water erosion). However, reclamation of oil and gas affected lands in the western U.S. has proved challenging due to an array of regulatory and environmental factors, such as minimally developed soils, short growing seasons, herbivory, high winds, invasive species, rugged terrain, and in particular, arid climates associated with low total precipitation, high evapotranspiration rates, and highly variable precipitation patterns. We compiled and summarized journal articles, government reports, technical reports, proceedings, and theses and dissertations relevant to oil and gas reclamation. We constrained our search to products published on or before December 31, 2020 but did not limit our search by a starting date; the earliest product resulting from this effort was published in March 1969. Second, we manually scanned the last 15 years (2005-2020) of tables of contents in journals, bibliographies, and proceedings of which we were aware would contain articles highly relevant to this bibliography. We carried out the search for these products through multiple means: (1) performing a structured search of two reference databases, (2) examining articles published since 2005 in highly relevant scientific journals and conference proceedings, and (3) reviewing additional material suggested by authors of products identified in steps 1 and 2. Our search was intentionally broad in order to identify as much relevant work as possible, much of which is professionally applied and tested within the industry of oil and gas reclamation, but which remains unpublished in scientific journals. We refined the initial list of products by removing: (1) duplicates, (2) products not written in English, (3) products that were not relevant to the arid ecosystems of western North America, (4) products that were not released as research, data products, or review articles in journals or as formal scientific reports, and (5) products with data which were not relevant to reclamation of oil and gas-affected lands, or for which the study did not present new data, findings, or syntheses relevant to reclamation of oil and gas-affected lands.
We summarized each product using a consistent structure (background, objectives, methods, location, findings, and implications) and assigned standardized management topics to each. Management topics are intended to aid online searching within the bibliography and are described in more detail in the Methods Section of this report; they include what type of disturbance the product addresses (well pads, mining, pipelines), what aspect of oil and gas reclamation they pertain to (practices, standards, monitoring), what type of data are present in the product (for instance soil or vegetation recovery data), and an indication if the product were from a source other than a published, peer-reviewed outlet (such as dissertations or unpublished professional reports – these are identified as grey literature). The review process for this annotated bibliography included an initial internal colleague review of each summary, requesting input on each summary from an author of the original product, and a formal peer-review. Our initial searches resulted in 3,197 total products, of which 290 met our criteria for inclusion. “Reclamation Practices” is by far the management topic most addressed, followed by “Reclamation Monitoring,” for example, products assessing what and how monitoring methods are used to track and measure reclamation outcome. This document may be accessed at https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231068 or from the U.S. Geological Survey Publication Warehouse (https://pubs.usgs.gov/). The 1-page product summaries herein will also be used to create a bibliography at https://apps.usgs.gov/science-for-resource-managers that includes links to each original product, where available, and in which subject matter will be searchable by topic, location, and year. The studies compiled and summarized here may inform planning and management actions that seek to reclaim landscapes across the western U.S. which have been affected by oil and gas development.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231068","usgsCitation":"Mann, R.K., McCormick, M.L., Munson, S.M., Cooper, H.F., Bryant, L.C., Swenson, J.K., Johnston, L.A., Wilson, S.L., and Duniway, M.C., 2024, Annotated bibliography of scientific research relevant to oil and gas reclamation best management practices in the western United States, published from 1969 through 2020: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1068, 210 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231068.","productDescription":"viii, 210 p.","ipdsId":"IP-133481","costCenters":[{"id":568,"text":"Southwest Biological Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":426562,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1068/images"},{"id":426561,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1068/ofr20231068.xml"},{"id":426560,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1068/ofr20231068.pdf","text":"Report","size":"6 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":426559,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1068/covrthb.jpg"},{"id":426563,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231068/full"}],"contact":"Southwest Biological Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2255 N. Gemini Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Alaska’s Arctic coast has some of the highest coastal erosion rates in the world, primarily driven by permafrost thaw and increasing wave energy. In the Arctic, a warming climate is driving sea ice cover to decrease in space and time. A lack of long-term observational wave data along Alaska’s coast challenges the ability of engineers, scientists, and planners to study and address threats and effects from wave-driven erosion and flooding. To overcome the lack of available observational wave data in the nearshore in this study by the U.S. Geological Survey, waves were downscaled with the Simulating WAves Nearshore numerical wave model (SWAN) for the hindcast period of 1979 to 2019 from the United States-Canada border to the Bering Sea utilizing nine model domains. For each domain, the model was forced at the open boundary with 2,500 representative “sea states,” which are likely combinations of significant wave heights, mean wave periods, mean wave directions, and wind speeds and directions. The sea states were obtained from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts “ERA5” dataset for reanalysis of winds and waves using a multivariant maximum-dissimilarity algorithm. The SWAN runs created a downscaled wave database at each grid point, which was used to reconstruct the 40-year time series in the nearshore along the 5- and 10-meter isobaths at locations approximately 400 m apart and corresponding to transects spaced approximately 50 m alongshore, as developed for USGS shoreline-change assessments. Reconstructed time series were compared to observations to validate the numerical model and the downscaled wave database method and showed overall good agreements.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231094","programNote":"Prepared in cooperation with Deltares USA and the University of California, Santa Cruz","usgsCitation":"Engelstad, A.C., Erikson, L.H., Reguero, B.G., Gibbs, A.E., and Nederhoff, K., 2024, Database and time series of nearshore waves along the Alaskan coast from the United States-Canada border to the Bering Sea: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1094, 23 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231094.","productDescription":"Report: v, 23 p.; Data Release","numberOfPages":"23","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-132323","costCenters":[{"id":520,"text":"Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499201,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116169.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":426586,"rank":6,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231094/full"},{"id":426585,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1094/images"},{"id":426584,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1094/ofr20231094.xml"},{"id":426583,"rank":3,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1094/covrthb.jpg"},{"id":426582,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1094/ofr20231094.pdf","text":"Report","size":"6 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":426581,"rank":1,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P931CSO9","text":"USGS Data Release","description":"Engelstad, A.C., Erikson, L.H., Reguero, B.G., Gibbs, A.E., Nederhoff, K.M., 2024, Nearshore wave time-series along the coast of Alaska computed with a numerical wave model: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P931CSO9.","linkHelpText":"Nearshore wave time-series along the coast of Alaska computed with a numerical wave model"}],"country":"United States","state":"Alaska","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -168.34514806758992,\n 65.52631288766165\n ],\n [\n -140.04436681759015,\n 65.52631288766165\n ],\n [\n -140.04436681759015,\n 71.42344314984271\n ],\n [\n -168.34514806758992,\n 71.42344314984271\n ],\n [\n -168.34514806758992,\n 65.52631288766165\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2885 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The work reported in this publication provides updated data and interpretation for sampling years 2015 and 2022 of the juvenile monitoring project. The study objectives, background, study area, species description, and methods remained the same or similar throughout the years, while the executive summary, results, and discussion were updated each year. Therefore much of this paper was originally presented in previous reports (Bart and others 2020a, b; Bart and others, 2021; Burdick and others, 2016; Burdick and others, 2018; Martin and others, 2022) and is repeated here for the reader’s convenience.
Populations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter, Clear Lake), California, are experiencing long-term decreases in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing not only because of adult mortality, which is relatively low, but also because they are not being balanced by recruitment of young adult suckers into adult spawning aggregations.
Long-term monitoring of juvenile sucker populations is conducted to (1) determine if there are annual and species-specific differences in production, survival, and growth; (2) better understand when juvenile sucker mortality is greatest; and (3) identify potential causes of high juvenile sucker mortality particularly in Upper Klamath Lake. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring program, begun in 2015, tracks cohorts through summer months and among years in Upper Klamath and Clear Lakes. Data on juvenile suckers captured in trap nets are used to provide information on annual variability in age-0 sucker production, juvenile sucker apparent survival, growth, species composition, and health.
Upper Klamath Lake indices of year-class strength suggest that the 2022 age-0 cohort is the lowest since standardized monitoring began. The 2021 cohort, like most cohorts, had moderately low catch rates their first year of life, with a steep drop off during the second year. Although the 2020 cohort persisted through the September 2022 sampling, this cohort was sparsely represented after the first year with no representatives from this cohort captured from July 2021 through July 2022. Despite apparently low fall through spring apparent survival, the relatively large 2019 cohort persisted in our 2020–21 samples, but has not been detected since June 2021. Klamath largescale (Catostomus snyderi) and shortnose suckers were only differentiated from each other starting in 2020. Shortnose suckers dominated the age-1 catch in 2020 and 2022, whereas age-1 Klamath largescale suckers were slightly more prevalent in 2021. Although there were occasionally age-2 and older suckers captured, none of these fish were Lost River suckers. Except for 2015, 2017, and 2021, there were more age-0 Lost River suckers than presumed shortnose suckers in Upper Klamath Lake. However, in all years sampled, there were more age-1 presumed shortnose suckers than Lost River suckers.
Age distribution of suckers captured in Clear Lake indicates greater juvenile survival than in Upper Klamath Lake. Most juvenile suckers captured throughout the years were from the 2016 and 2017 cohorts; however, by 2022 most of these fish were no longer susceptible to standard trap nets and were not as prevalent in 2022 juvenile catches, and these suckers presumedly recruited to the adult population. As the 2016 and 2017 cohorts catches declined, so did the catch in overall numbers of suckers. Excluding age-0 catches, the 2016 cohort catches peaked at age-3 and the 2017 catches peaked at age-2. In 2022, the majority of the catch was composed of age-3 to age-5 suckers. The majority of suckers captured in Clear Lake during this multiyear project were classified as the combination of Klamath largescale suckers and shortnose suckers from the Lost River Basin, from the 2016 and 2017 cohorts. The few suckers identified as Lost River or definitive shortnose suckers were from the 2016 and 2017 cohorts. A lack of age-0 suckers captured in Clear Lake during years with low spawning tributary inflow or lake levels suggested that low water prevented spawning and year class formation. However, recent data indicate that some cohorts with Klamath largescale and shortnose sucker genetics that were not captured as age-0 suckers were detected in later years at age-1 or age-2. This finding indicates that juvenile suckers in Clear Lake may spend one or more years in the tributaries and that these cohorts may primarily be represented by Klamath largescale suckers.
The first 7 years of this monitoring program indicated different patterns in recruitment and survival of juvenile suckers between Upper Klamath and Clear Lakes. Since the monitoring program began in 2015, age-0 sucker catch rates, interpreted as indices of year-class strength, were greatest in Upper Klamath Lake in 2016 and 2019. In those years, Lost River suckers made up the majority of age-0 sucker catches. However, in 2017 and 2020, the age-1 sucker catches from these cohorts were mainly composed of shortnose suckers or suckers with genetic markers of both Klamath largescale and shortnose suckers, indicating a low first year survival for Lost River suckers even when age-0 catches were high. Age-0 suckers do not fully recruit to our sampling gear in Upper Klamath Lake until August, experience high mortality by September, and are almost undetectable in subsequent years. In Clear Lake, suckers are often not captured until age-1 or age-2 and juvenile annual survival appears much greater; however, there does appear to be a drop-off in catch rates as the suckers age and become less susceptible to the fishing gear.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241013","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation","usgsCitation":"Martin, B.A., Caldwell, J.M., Krause, J.R., and Harris, A.C., 2024, Growth, survival, and cohort formation of juvenile Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2021–22 monitoring report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1013, 39 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241013.","productDescription":"Report: vi, 39 p.; 1 Data Release","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-159115","costCenters":[{"id":654,"text":"Western Fisheries Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":426337,"rank":6,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1013/ofr20241013.XML"},{"id":426335,"rank":4,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P93KYGEG","text":"USGS data release","description":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"Upper Klamath Lake and Clear Lake sampling for suckers from 2015 through 2022. Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey, Klamath Falls Field Station, Klamath Falls, Oregon"},{"id":426334,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241013/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2024-1013"},{"id":426333,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1013/ofr20241013.pdf","size":"3 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024-1013"},{"id":426332,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1013/ofr20241013.jpg"},{"id":426336,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1013/images"}],"country":"United States","state":"California, Oregon","otherGeospatial":"Clear Lake Reservoir, Upper Klamath Lake","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -121.01266997658502,\n 41.93494622821743\n ],\n [\n -121.26100788006954,\n 41.93494622821743\n ],\n [\n -121.26100788006954,\n 41.786587280075025\n ],\n [\n -121.01266997658502,\n 41.786587280075025\n ],\n [\n -121.01266997658502,\n 41.93494622821743\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n },\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -121.78179025160858,\n 42.649405814487636\n ],\n [\n -122.11246478619483,\n 42.649405814487636\n ],\n [\n -122.11246478619483,\n 42.22404414347665\n ],\n [\n -121.78179025160858,\n 42.22404414347665\n ],\n [\n -121.78179025160858,\n 42.649405814487636\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Western Fisheries Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
6505 NE 65th Street
Seattle, Washington 98115-5016
Motile Aeromonad septicemia is a substantial concern during fish propagation and can be catastrophic for fish hatcheries. We tested the efficacy of two different drugs (florfenicol and oxytetracycline) offered with feed as possible treatment options to control mortality because of motile Aeromonad infection. We offered top-coated medicated feeds to hatchery-reared Sander vitreus (walleye) that were naturally infected with motile Aeromonad infection during two separate trials in 2011 and 2012. Substantial walleye mortality occurred before positive clinical outcomes from the medicated feed treatments were observed, and additional treatment measures were taken by hatchery staff to mitigate further mortality in their walleye production tanks. This report summarizes the data that were collected during medicated feed trials. Statistical inferences on treatment efficacy are not included because of the confounding treatments and possible secondary pathogens present throughout this study.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231056","usgsCitation":"Merkes, C.M., Tuttle-Lau, M.T., Schleis, S.M., and Cupp, A.R., 2024, Summary of data collected during field efficacy trials of florfenicol and oxytetracycline dihydrate in controlling mortality in walleye (Sander vitreus) because of motile Aeromonad infections: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1056, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231056.","productDescription":"Report: vii, 19 p.; Appendix; Data Release","numberOfPages":"32","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-141472","costCenters":[{"id":606,"text":"Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":426453,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VHDBCW","text":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"Trial data for field effectiveness of florfenicol and oxytetracycline dihydrate in controlling mortality in walleye (Sander vitreus)"},{"id":426454,"rank":7,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231056/full"},{"id":426452,"rank":5,"type":{"id":3,"text":"Appendix"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1056/downloads/","text":"Appendix 1","linkHelpText":"—Documentation and Data"},{"id":426451,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1056/images/"},{"id":426448,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1056/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":426449,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1056/ofr20231056.pdf","text":"Report","size":"1.7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023–1056"},{"id":426450,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1056/ofr20231056.XML"}],"contact":"Director, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2630 Fanta Reed Road
La Crosse, WI 54603
This report describes scientific gaps that limit our ability to predict water-quality effects on water availability for beneficial uses across the United States. Water-quality constituents considered in the report include salinity, geogenic constituents, contaminants of emerging concern, and nitrogen. For each constituent, there is a selection of scientific gaps, approaches, and outcomes to help guide portions of the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area (https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources) research portfolio and other national research efforts. Although the report is not comprehensive, and new issues are likely to emerge, it does provide an assessment of many of the major challenges and opportunities concerning water-quality effects on water availability for beneficial uses. Due to the changing nature of water-quality concerns, and to deal with issues not described in this report, it will be important to maintain broad-based expertise and flexibility to address the full spectrum of long-term water-quality issues facing the Nation’s water resources.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231086","usgsCitation":"Tesoriero, A.J., Erickson, M.L., Conaway, C.H., Tomaszewski, E.J., and Green, C.T., eds., 2024, Knowledge gaps and opportunities for understanding water-quality processes affecting water availability for beneficial uses: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1086, 81 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231086.","productDescription":"Report: xi, 81 p., 5 Chapters","numberOfPages":"81","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-148986","costCenters":[{"id":37277,"text":"WMA - Earth System Processes Division","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499194,"rank":9,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116146.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":426322,"rank":8,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231085","text":"Open-File Report 2023-1085","description":"Harvey, J.W., Conaway, C.H., Dornblaser, M., Gellis, A., Stewart, A.R., and Green, C.T., eds., 2024, Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities in Water-Quality Drivers of Aquatic Ecosystem Health: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1085, 72 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr202231085.","linkHelpText":"- Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities in Water-Quality Drivers of Aquatic Ecosystem Health"},{"id":426294,"rank":7,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/ofr20231086e.pdf","text":"Chapter E","size":"600 KB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Improving Predictions of Nitrogen Effects on Beneficial Uses of Water"},{"id":426293,"rank":6,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/ofr20231086d.pdf","text":"Chapter D","size":"700 KB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- The Influence of Contaminants of Emerging Concern on Beneficial Uses of Water"},{"id":426289,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/ofr20231086.pdf","text":"Full Report","size":"12 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":426288,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/covrthb.jpg"},{"id":426292,"rank":5,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/ofr20231086c.pdf","text":"Chapter C","size":"1 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Geogenic Water-Quality Effects on Beneficial Uses of Water"},{"id":426290,"rank":3,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/ofr20231086a.pdf","text":"Chapter A","size":"8 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Introduction to Water-Quality Limitations on Beneficial Uses of Water"},{"id":426291,"rank":4,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1086/ofr20231086b.pdf","text":"Chapter B","size":"2 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Addressing Salinity Challenges to the Beneficial Uses of Water"}],"contact":"Water Resources Mission Area
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
This report identifies key scientific gaps that limit our ability to predict water quality effects on health of aquatic ecosystems and proposes approaches to address those gaps. Topics considered include (1) coupled nutrient-carbon cycle processes and related ecological-flow-regime drivers of ecosystem health, (2) anthropogenic and geogenic toxin bioexposure, (3) fine sediment drivers of aquatic ecosystem health, and (4) freshwater salinization. Each topic is addressed in terms of scientific gaps, approaches, and timelines to help guide portions of the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area (https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources) research portfolio and other national research efforts. The report provides an assessment of several of the major challenges and opportunities concerning water quality impacts on aquatic ecosystem health. It will be important to maintain broad-based expertise and flexibility to address the full range of long-term water quality issues facing the Nation’s water resources.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231085","usgsCitation":"Harvey, J.W., Conaway, C.H., Dornblaser, M., Gellis, A., Stewart, A.R., and Green, C.T., eds., 2024, Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities in Water-Quality Drivers of Aquatic Ecosystem Health: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1085, 72 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231085.","productDescription":"Report: xi, 72 p., 5 Chapters","numberOfPages":"72","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-149046","costCenters":[{"id":37277,"text":"WMA - Earth System Processes Division","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499193,"rank":9,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116145.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":426323,"rank":8,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231086","text":"Open-File Report 2023-1086","description":"Tesoriero, A.J., Erickson, M.L., Conaway, C.H., Tomaszewski, E.J., and Green, C.T., eds., 2024, Knowledge gaps and opportunities for understanding water-quality processes affecting water availability for beneficial uses: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1086, 81 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231086.","linkHelpText":"- Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities for Understanding Water-Quality Processes Affecting Water Availability for Beneficial Uses"},{"id":426271,"rank":5,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/ofr20231085c.pdf","text":"Chapter C","size":"1.3 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Anthropogenic and Geogenic Contaminant Bioexposures Affecting Aquatic Ecosystems"},{"id":426270,"rank":4,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/ofr20231085b.pdf","text":"Chapter B","size":"1 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Coupled Nutrient-Carbon Cycle Processes and Related Ecological-Flow Drivers of Aquatic Health"},{"id":426267,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/covrthb.jpg"},{"id":426269,"rank":3,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/ofr20231085a.pdf","text":"Chapter A","size":"1.7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Framework for a Gap Analysis of Aquatic Ecosystem Health"},{"id":426268,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/ofr20231085.pdf","text":"Full Report","size":"7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":426272,"rank":6,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/ofr20231085d.pdf","text":"Chapter D","size":"1.6 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Fine Sediment Drivers of Aquatic Ecosystem Health"},{"id":426273,"rank":7,"type":{"id":6,"text":"Chapter"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1085/ofr20231085e.pdf","text":"Chapter E","size":"2 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"- Freshwater Salinization—An Expanding Impairment of Aquatic Ecosystem Health"}],"contact":"Water Resources Mission Area
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
Living shorelines with salt marsh species, rock breakwaters, and sand nourishment were built along the coastal areas in the Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, in 2016 in response to Hurricane Sandy (2012). The Fog Point living shoreline at Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge was designed with the “headland - breakwater - embayment” pattern. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, Northeastern University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Louisiana State University studied wave, current, and sediment dynamics to assess the effectiveness of the Fog Point living shoreline structures in terms of wave attenuation and erosion reduction. Wave gages, current meters, sediment traps, sediment tiles, and lateral erosion pins were deployed along the Fog Point shoreline during February 10–14, 2020. Because of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, sensors were not retrieved until August 25, 2021, which was 18 months after field deployment, resulting in tremendous loss or damage of sensors and sediment measurements.
Monitoring data indicated that wave heights were substantially reduced at locations behind the breakwater (headland) compared to the wave heights in the offshore location, but not at the location in the control area (the embayment). Current patterns and current velocities at the location behind the breakwater were complex and changed dramatically compared to the current patterns and current velocities offshore. Sediments were blocked by the breakwater most of the time except during periods of storms with wave heights larger than 0.9 meter, when waves overtopped the breakwater and brought sediments to the tidal flat and salt marshes behind the breakwater. Behind the breakwater, both sediment deposition and erosion were observed during the 18 months of monitoring. Continued low elevation marsh edge erosion from wave undercutting along the embayment was observed, especially at the existing wave-cut gullies.
Monitoring results indicate that the “breakwater + marsh planting” structure along the Fog Point shoreline has limited shoreline protection capacity. Marsh edge erosion behind the breakwater was likely caused by the limited sediment supply from marine sources for transport and delivery, as well as the effects of circulation and current velocity on the settling and deposition of suspended sediments from eroded marshes. Marsh edge erosion continued in the embayment or control area where no shoreline restoration structures were implemented. Long-term (decadal scale) monitoring and adaptive management of living shoreline structures could help to assess the effectiveness of wave attenuation for reducing shoreline erosion and enhancing vegetation growth for trapping sediments and the effectiveness of marsh surface elevation growth for keeping pace with sea level rise.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241004","issn":"2331-1258","collaboration":"Prepared in collaboration with Northeastern University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Louisiana State University","usgsCitation":"Wang, H., Chen, Q., Capurso, W.D., Niemoczynski, L.M., Wang, N., Zhu, L., Snedden, G.A., Whitbeck, M., Wilson, C.A., and Brownley, M., 2024, Monitoring of wave, current, and sediment dynamics along the Fog Point Living Shoreline, Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1004, 32 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241004.","productDescription":"Report: x, 32 p.; Data Release","numberOfPages":"46","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-153204","costCenters":[{"id":374,"text":"Maryland Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":470,"text":"New Jersey Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":474,"text":"New York Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":17705,"text":"Wetland and Aquatic Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499204,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116048.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":425618,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P9TXZX5W","text":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"Field observation of wind waves and current velocity (2020) along the Fog Point Living Shoreline, Maryland"},{"id":425617,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1004/ofr20241004.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2024-1004 XML"},{"id":425616,"rank":4,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241004/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2024-1004 HTML"},{"id":425615,"rank":2,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1004/images"},{"id":425614,"rank":3,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1004/ofr20241004.pdf","size":"5.01 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024-1004"},{"id":425613,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1004/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"Maryland","otherGeospatial":"Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -76.16645677294429,\n 38.13763711090462\n ],\n [\n -76.16645677294429,\n 37.8778983810208\n ],\n [\n -75.85669162075443,\n 37.8778983810208\n ],\n [\n -75.85669162075443,\n 38.13763711090462\n ],\n [\n -76.16645677294429,\n 38.13763711090462\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
700 Cajundome Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506–3152
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western lands. Previously published reports introduced a methodology for preparing annotated bibliographies to facilitate the integration of recent, peer-reviewed science into resource management decisions. Therefore, relevant text from those efforts is reproduced here to frame the presentation. Invasive annual grasses are widely distributed throughout the western United States and threaten native ecosystems by altering fire regimes, replacing native plants, and altering grazing patterns, often with tremendous associated costs. One invasive annual grass, Taeniatherum caput-medusae (hereafter, medusahead), was first documented in the United States in 1887 and has been identified as a species of management concern. Medusahead’s life history traits allow it to quickly and effectively dominate native plant communities, and it has already taken over millions of acres in western North America. Although medusahead can spread widely and disrupt ecosystem function, it has been studied less than other western invasive grass species. We compiled and summarized peer-reviewed journal articles, data products, and formal technical reports (such as U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service General Technical Reports and U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports) on medusahead, published between January 2010 and January 2022. We first performed a systematic search of three reference databases and three government databases using the search phrase “medusahead” OR “medusa head” OR “Taeniatherum caput-medusae” OR “Taeniatherum caputmedusae” OR “Taeniatherum asperum.” We refined the initial list of products by removing (1) duplicates, (2) products not written in English, (3) publications that were not focused on North America, (4) publications that were not published as research, data products, or scientific review articles in peer-reviewed journals or as formal technical reports, and (5) products for which medusahead was not a research focus, or the study did not present new data or findings about medusahead. We summarized each product using a consistent structure (background, objectives, methods, location, findings, and implications) and identified the management topics (for example, species and population characteristics; habitat; and control and management efforts) addressed by each product. We also noted which publications included new geospatial data. The review process for this annotated bibliography included an initial internal colleague review of each summary, requesting input on each summary from an author of the original publication, and a formal peer review. Our initial searches resulted in 4,245 total products, of which 211 met our criteria for inclusion. The most commonly addressed management topics addressed in products summarized in the annotated bibliography were as follows: nonnative invasive plants, weed management, site-scale habitat characteristics, habitat restoration or reclamation, and cultural management of weeds. All published bibliographies, including the online version of this bibliography, are available at the Science for Resource Managers (https://apps.usgs.gov/science-for-resource-managers). This database is searchable by topic, location, and year and includes links to each original publication. The studies compiled and summarized here may inform planning and management actions that seek to maintain and restore sagebrush landscapes and associated native species across the western United States.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231089","usgsCitation":"Meineke, J.K., Maxwell, L.M., Foster, A.C., McCall, L.E., Rutherford, T.K., Samuel, E.M., Selby, L.B., Willems, J.S., Kleist, N.J., and Jordan, S.E., 2024, Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Taeniatherum caput-medusae published from January 2010 to January 2022: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1089, 164 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231089.","productDescription":"x, 164 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-140487","costCenters":[{"id":291,"text":"Fort Collins Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":425553,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1089/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":425554,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1089/ofr20231089.pdf","text":"Report","size":"3.80 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023-1089"},{"id":425574,"rank":3,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1089/images"},{"id":425575,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1089/ofr20231089.xml"},{"id":426837,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231089/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2023-1089"}],"contact":"Director, Fort Collins Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. C
Fort Collins, CO 80526-8118
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals with a nondegradable fluorinated carbon backbone that have been incorporated in countless industrial and commercial applications. Because PFAS are nondegradable, they have been detected in all environmental media, indicating extensive global contamination. The unique physiochemical properties of PFAS and their complex interactions with environmental matrices create a great challenge for researchers when selecting site-specific sample matrices, sampling logistics, various analytical methods, and data interpretation. The widespread contamination and the potential toxicity of PFAS to human and environmental health have resulted in the proposed designation of two commonly used PFAS as hazardous substances, which may prompt new requirements for reporting, regulatory action, and site cleanup. For researchers involved in natural resource damage assessment efforts, understanding the multifaceted dynamics of the environmental fate and transport of PFAS will be essential for appropriate sample collections, analyses, and data interpretation. This guide aims to provide fundamental concepts and considerations involved with environmental sampling for PFAS during site assessments.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241001","usgsCitation":"Pulster, E.L., Bowman, S.R., Keele, L., and Steevens, J., 2024, Guide to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) sampling within Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1001, 57 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241001.","productDescription":"vi, 57 p.","numberOfPages":"68","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-154208","costCenters":[{"id":192,"text":"Columbia Environmental Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":425487,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1001/images/"},{"id":425486,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1001/ofr20241001.XML"},{"id":425485,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1001/ofr20241001.pdf","text":"Report","size":"2.5 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024–1001"},{"id":425484,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1001/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":425489,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241001/full"}],"contact":"Director, Columbia Environmental Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
4200 New Haven Road
Columbia, MO 65201
Several recent generation global-climate models were found to have anomalously high climate sensitivities and may not be useful for certain applications. Four approaches for developing ensembles of climate projections for applications that address this issue are:
Advantages and disadvantages of each approach are described by using example applications to study the effects of climate change on an imaginary at-risk species. Choosing the right approach is dependent on the location, goals, and system focus of each application and the risk-tolerance and resource-management context.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20241008","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the University of Colorado and the University of Oklahoma","usgsCitation":"Boyles, R., Nikiel, C.A., Miller, B.W., Littell, J., Terando, A.J., Rangwala, I., Alder, J.R., Rosendahl, D.H., and Wootten, A.M., 2024, Approaches for using CMIP projections in climate model ensembles to address the ‘hot model’ problem: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1008, 14 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241008","productDescription":"v, 14 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-151266","costCenters":[{"id":114,"text":"Alaska Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":565,"text":"Southeast Climate Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":36940,"text":"National Climate Adaptation Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":49928,"text":"South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":425438,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1008/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":425439,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1008/ofr20241008.pdf","text":"Report","size":"820 KB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2024-1008"},{"id":425440,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1008/images/"},{"id":425441,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20241008/full"},{"id":425442,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1008/ofr20241008.XML"}],"contact":"Director, Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
100 Brooks Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27607
Changes in the quantity of sand stored within river segments can affect aquatic and riparian habitat, archeological resources, and recreation. Since summer to fall of 2002, gaging stations on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park and on its major tributaries and selected lesser tributaries have measured the mass of sand transported past each station, which allows for changes in the mass of sand stored between gaging stations to be calculated. Sand mass balances on six Colorado River segments are currently measured; the upstream two segments measure sand mass balance in Marble Canyon, the middle three segments measure sand mass balance within the majority of Grand Canyon, and the downstream-most segment—western Grand Canyon and the Lake Mead delta—measures the quantity of sand transported past Diamond Creek and ultimately deposited in Lake Mead.
Between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2020, the amount of sand stored in the Colorado River in Marble Canyon decreased, whereas the sand mass balance in Grand Canyon was indeterminate. Of the 3 years of study presented herein, sand was eroded from Marble Canyon during sediment year 2018 (July 1, 2017–June 30, 2018), a year with less than 40 percent of the 2003–2020 mean Paria River sand input, and sediment year 2020 (July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020), a year with negligible Paria River sand input. During sediment year 2018, when the Little Colorado River supplied negligible sand, sand was also eroded from Grand Canyon. The sand mass balance was indeterminate for Grand Canyon during sediment year 2020. During sediment year 2019 (July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019) sand accumulated in both Marble Canyon and Grand Canyon. This sediment year had sand inputs from both the Paria River and the Little Colorado River of more than 170 percent the 2003–2020 mean, coupled with below post-1964 mean discharge from Glen Canyon Dam.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231093","usgsCitation":"Griffiths, R.E., Topping, D.J., and Unema, J.A., 2024, Changes in sand storage in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park from July 2017 through June 2020: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1093, 9 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231093.","productDescription":"v, 9 p.","numberOfPages":"9","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-147171","costCenters":[{"id":128,"text":"Arizona Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":568,"text":"Southwest Biological Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":425105,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1093/images"},{"id":425103,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1093/ofr20231093.pdf","text":"Report","size":"6 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"}},{"id":425102,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1093/covrthb.jpg"},{"id":425104,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1093/ofr20231093.xml","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"}},{"id":499200,"rank":6,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116003.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":425106,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231093/full"}],"country":"United States","state":"Arizona","otherGeospatial":"Grand Canyon National Park","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -114.67941991219553,\n 37.29250555492341\n ],\n [\n -114.67941991219553,\n 35.64936002497116\n ],\n [\n -111.03195897469551,\n 35.64936002497116\n ],\n [\n -111.03195897469551,\n 37.29250555492341\n ],\n [\n -114.67941991219553,\n 37.29250555492341\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Southwest Biological Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2255 N. Gemini Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
In 2012, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior placed a 20-year limit on mineral extraction on Federal lands in the Grand Canyon watershed to permit further study of the environmental effects of uranium mining. Tribal concerns were also noted by the U.S. Department of the Interior and included in the rationale for the decision stating Tribal resource impacts could not be mitigated and cultural degradation may result should mining occur within sacred and traditional places of Tribal peoples. The U.S. Geological Survey previously developed a conceptual framework for a uranium mine in the region that defined contaminant sources and physical, chemical, and biological processes that affect contaminant transport to ecological receptors. However, published risk models have largely ignored exposure pathways relevant to Tribal communities in terms of traditional uses and existential values of the resources included. This report presents an updated conceptual risk framework for uranium mining that includes indigenous knowledge components informed by the Havasupai Tribe perspective.
The expansion of the framework relied on connecting to the foundations of the Havasupai ceremonial wheel—food, environment, belief system, and ceremony. The framework is applied to uranium development near Red Butte, an important gathering place for multiple federally recognized Tribes including the Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni. Plants and animals important to the Havasupai for subsistence, ceremonial, and medicinal practices and how mining affects these practices are described. The final framework is presented in English and Havasupai to aid Tribal members in understanding how the framework relates to their community and to help preserve the language and historical cultural practices for future generations. New or expanded exposure pathways include inhalation, ingestion, and absorption from traditional food and medicines as well as ceremonial practices. The updated framework has allowed the U.S. Geological Survey to take first steps in understanding resources important to the Havasupai and to build relationships to improve co-production in our research. Ideally, the framework and other research can be used, along with indigenous knowledge, in Federal research and decision making for mining in the Grand Canyon region.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231092","usgsCitation":"Tilousi, C., and Hinck, J.E., 2024, Expanded conceptual risk framework for uranium mining in Grand Canyon watershed—Inclusion of the Havasupai Tribe perspective (ver. 1.1, February 2024): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1092, 25 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231092.","productDescription":"vi, 25 p.","numberOfPages":"36","onlineOnly":"N","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-157227","costCenters":[{"id":508,"text":"Office of the AD Hazards","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499197,"rank":10,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_116005.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":425864,"rank":9,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/gip241","text":"General Information Product 241"},{"id":425233,"rank":6,"type":{"id":25,"text":"Version History"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1092/versionHist.txt","size":"1 kB","linkFileType":{"id":2,"text":"txt"}},{"id":424862,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231092/full"},{"id":424859,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1092/images/"},{"id":424858,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1092/ofr20231092.XML"},{"id":424857,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1092/ofr20231092.pdf","text":"Report","size":"7.9 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023–1092"},{"id":424856,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1092/coverthb2.jpg"},{"id":425791,"rank":8,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/gip240","text":"General Information Product 240"},{"id":425790,"rank":7,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/gip239","text":"General Information Product 239"}],"country":"United States","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -117.19147841939832,\n 38.32491175913418\n ],\n [\n -117.19147841939832,\n 32.88011313999995\n ],\n [\n -110.33600966939846,\n 32.88011313999995\n ],\n [\n -110.33600966939846,\n 38.32491175913418\n ],\n [\n -117.19147841939832,\n 38.32491175913418\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","edition":"Version 1.0: January 30, 2024; Version 1.1: February 1, 2024","contact":"Associate Director, Natural Hazards Mission Area
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
Director, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
8711 37th Street Southeast
Jamestown, ND 58401
Regional mapping of actively deforming landslides, including measurements of landslide velocity, is integral for hazard assessments in paraglacial environments. These inventories are also critical for describing the potential impacts that the warming effects of climate change have on slope instability in mountainous and cryospheric terrain. The objective of this study is to identify slow-moving landslides in the Prince William Sound region, southcentral Alaska, United States, which has had rapid deglaciation since the mid-1800s, and assess their tsunamigenic plausibility. We use an automated time series persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar processing method with 7 years of Sentinel-1 data (2016–22) to identify 43 slow-moving slopes with average velocities ranging from approximately 0.2 to 21 millimeters per year. Landslide presence is confirmed using aerial imagery and previous landslide inventory records. We assess the tsunamigenic plausibility of the landslides using empirically derived estimates of landslide mobility based on modeled landslide volumes. Of the identified landslides, our preliminary analysis suggests that 11 have tsunamigenic potential if they were to fail rapidly and catastrophically. Although our estimate of tsunamigenic plausibility is preliminary and can be refined with additional observations and analyses, it can be used to prioritize ongoing and future hazard assessment, surveillance, and research efforts.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231099","collaboration":"Prepared in collaboration with Southern Methodist University","programNote":"Landslide Hazards Program","usgsCitation":"Schaefer, L.N., Kim, J., Staley, D.M., Lu, Z., and Barnhart, K.R., 2024, Satellite interferometry landslide detection and preliminary tsunamigenic plausibility assessment in Prince William Sound, southcentral Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1099, 22 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231099.","productDescription":"v, 22 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-155368","costCenters":[{"id":300,"text":"Geologic Hazards Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":617,"text":"Volcano Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499202,"rank":6,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_115975.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":424451,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1099/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":424866,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1099/ofr20231099.xml"},{"id":424865,"rank":3,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1099/images"},{"id":424452,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1099/ofr20231099.pdf","text":"Report","size":"11.3 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023-1099"},{"id":424970,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231099/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2023-1099"}],"country":"United States","state":"Alaska","otherGeospatial":"Prince William Sound","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -149.54873591535403,\n 61.68671968753719\n ],\n [\n -149.54873591535403,\n 59.52701043286805\n ],\n [\n -143.89688082106878,\n 59.52701043286805\n ],\n [\n -143.89688082106878,\n 61.68671968753719\n ],\n [\n -149.54873591535403,\n 61.68671968753719\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Geologic Hazards Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Box 25046, Mail Stop 966
Denver, CO 80225
Resurveys of seven geomorphologic cross sections located in the Lily Park and Deerlodge Park, Colorado, reaches of the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers were conducted in October 2017. These cross sections extend from Lily Park, at the confluence of the two rivers, to Deerlodge Park within Dinosaur National Monument. Four cross sections were first surveyed in 1983 and then resurveyed in 1997. The remaining three cross sections were first surveyed in 1997. Analysis of historical aerial photographs (taken from 1961 to 2015) was conducted to contextualize the measured changes in the cross sections, confirm cross-section longitudinal positions along the rivers, and verify the timing of artificial realignment and straightening of the Little Snake River. Erosion occurred between 1983 and 1997 in all four cross sections first surveyed in 1983, largely through channel widening. Continued erosion occurred between 1997 and 2017 in six of the seven cross sections, also largely by channel widening with only minor changes in channel depth. Though erosion occurred over a longer time period, the net erosion observed at these cross sections over three decades is consistent with the net erosion documented by a sediment-transport-based monitoring program on the Yampa River and Little Snake Rivers from 2013 to 2020.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231070","usgsCitation":"Griffiths, R.E., Topping, D.J., Leonard, C., and Unema, J.A., 2023, Resurvey of cross sections on the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers in Lily and Deerlodge Parks, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2023–1070, 12 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231070.","productDescription":"v, 12 p.","numberOfPages":"12","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-133353","costCenters":[{"id":128,"text":"Arizona Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":568,"text":"Southwest Biological Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499190,"rank":6,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_115974.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":424646,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1070/covrthb.jpg"},{"id":424648,"rank":3,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1070/images"},{"id":424647,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1070/ofr20231070.pdf","text":"Report","size":"8 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"linkHelpText":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1070/ofr20231070.pdf"},{"id":424656,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231070/full"},{"id":424655,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1070/ofr20231070.xml"}],"country":"United States","state":"Colorado","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -108.59179261388168,\n 40.52987272306311\n ],\n [\n -108.59179261388168,\n 40.41797684941369\n ],\n [\n -108.31771685264421,\n 40.41797684941369\n ],\n [\n -108.31771685264421,\n 40.52987272306311\n ],\n [\n -108.59179261388168,\n 40.52987272306311\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Southwest Biological Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2255 N. Gemini Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954 (New Jersey v. New York, 347 U.S. 995), established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes the diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from specific reservoirs owned by New York City to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master provide reports to the Court, not less frequently than annually. This report is the 61st annual report of the River Master of the Delaware River. The report covers the 2014 River Master report year, which is the period from December 1, 2013, to November 30, 2014.
During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 42.40 inches or 95 percent of the long-term average. On December 1, 2013, combined useable storage in New York’s Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs in the upper Delaware River Basin was 200.133 billion gallons or 73.9 percent of the combined capacity of 270.8 billion gallons. The reservoirs were at about 99.7 percent of usable capacity on May 31, 2014. Combined storage in the Pepacton, Cannonsville, and Neversink Reservoirs decreased below 80 percent of combined capacity in late August. The lowest combined storage was 151.730 billion gallons or 56 percent of combined capacity on November 24, 2014. Delaware River Master operations during the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree and the Flexible Flow Management Program.
Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and the State of New Jersey fully complied with the Decree. Reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 94 days during the report year. Interim Excess Release Quantity and conservation releases, designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs, were also made during the report year.
Water quality in the Delaware River estuary between streamgages at Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at several locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four locations.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231084","isbn":"978-1-4113-4543-0","programNote":"Water Availability and Use Science Program","usgsCitation":"Russell, K.L., Andrews, W.J., DiFrenna, V.J., Norris, J.M., and Mason, R.R., Jr., 2024, Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2013–November 30, 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1084, 98 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231084.","productDescription":"xii, 98 p.","numberOfPages":"98","onlineOnly":"N","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-123859","costCenters":[{"id":509,"text":"Office of the Associate Director for Water","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":547,"text":"Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499192,"rank":6,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_115976.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":422830,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1084/ofr20231084.XML"},{"id":422831,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1084/images/"},{"id":422832,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231084/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2023-1084"},{"id":422833,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1084/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":422834,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1084/ofr20231084.pdf","text":"Report","size":"9.01 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023-1084"}],"country":"United States","state":"New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania","otherGeospatial":"Delaware River","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -76.3534603634281,\n 39.372074240175664\n ],\n [\n -74.00,\n 39.372074240175664\n ],\n [\n -74.00,\n 43.02029898998293\n ],\n [\n -76.3534603634281,\n 43.02029898998293\n ],\n [\n -76.3534603634281,\n 39.372074240175664\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Delaware River Master
Office of the Delaware River Master
U.S. Geological Survey
120 Route 209
South Milford, PA 18337
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), (1) estimated water-level change from a multiple-well aquifer test centered on CTUIR well number 422 and (2) evaluated hydraulic connections between the pumping and observation wells on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Mission, northeastern Oregon to improve the understanding of aquifer characteristics and hydrologic flow boundaries. Water-level changes, or pumping responses, were determined by distinguishing the pumping signal from environmental fluctuations in groundwater levels using analytical water-level models. The pumping well produces water from basalt units from a depth of 450 to 1,057 feet below land surface and was intermittently pumped during February 1–April 18, 2016. Water-level responses to pumping were estimated in the pumping well and in seven observation wells within 4 miles (mi) of the pumping well. The observation wells are open to basalt and some observation wells are either separated from the pumping well by faults and other structural features, within structural zones, or adjacent to structural features. Pumping responses at the observation wells were classified as detected in two wells, ambiguous in one well, and not detected in four wells. Observation-well open-interval elevations overlapped with the pumping-well open interval in both wells with detected pumping responses. Observation wells with detections are 1.8 mi east of the pumping well and across a fault, and 1.4 mi south of the pumping well. The pumping response was classified as ambiguous in an observation well located 1.4 mi west of the pumping well, where the dip of the basalt unit steepens, and adjacent to the Agency syncline. Pumping responses were not detected in observation wells within 0.3 mi of the pumping well where observation-well open-interval elevations are above the top of the pumping well open interval. Analysis of pumping responses indicates (1) a more permeable zone of basalt is adjacent to the lower portion of the pumping-well open interval and extends eastward, (2) basalt adjacent to the upper portion of the pumping-well open-interval is less permeable than the lower portion or separated from the lower portion by a less permeable zone, and (or) (3) a less permeable zone limits vertical hydraulic connectivity between the pumping well and the overlying basalt.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231081","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation","usgsCitation":"Garcia, C.A., Kennedy, J.J., and Ely, K., 2024, Water-level change from a multiple-well aquifer test in volcanic rocks, Umatilla Indian Reservation near Mission, northeastern Oregon, 2016: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1081, 16 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231081.","productDescription":"Report: vii, 16 p.; Data Release","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-149402","costCenters":[{"id":518,"text":"Oregon Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":499191,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_115942.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":424231,"rank":6,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1081/ofr20231081.XML"},{"id":424229,"rank":4,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q1122I","text":"USGS data release","description":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"Multiple-well aquifer-test data and results, Umatilla Indian Reservation near Mission, northeastern Oregon"},{"id":424228,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231081/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2023-1081"},{"id":424227,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1081/ofr20231081.pdf","text":"Report","size":"3.9 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023-1081"},{"id":424230,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1081/images"},{"id":424226,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1081/ofr20231081.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"Oregon","otherGeospatial":"Umatilla Indian Reservation","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -118.5,\n 45.44\n ],\n [\n -118.5,\n 45.36\n ],\n [\n -118.36,\n 45.36\n ],\n [\n -118.36,\n 45.44\n ],\n [\n -118.5,\n 45.44\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director , Oregon Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
601 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 1950
Portland, OR 97204
Survival of out-migrating juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta averages less than 33 percent, depending on water flow through the delta, and is partially governed by the distribution of fish among three Sacramento River distributaries: Sutter, Steamboat, and Georgiana sloughs. Behavioral altering structures in the junctions of the distributaries can effectively increase entrainment into favorable routes, thereby increasing through-delta (Verona to Chips Island, California) survival. The effectiveness of these structures, hence forth called “behavioral barriers,” are dependent on shape, length, location, barrier type, and water velocity, which is governed by Sacramento River discharge (hereinafter referred to as “flow”).
We developed a machine learning tool to optimize behavioral barrier designs at up to three junctions within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for improving through-delta survival of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). This barrier optimization tool (BOT) works by evolving barrier solutions in one to three junctions by repeatedly simulating survival of populations of Sacramento River origin fish as they pass through the Delta. Over approximately 6,000 simulations per junction, the BOT converges on barrier designs that result in the greatest average survival given simulated environmental conditions. Survival at each iteration of the model is simulated using a modified version of the salmon travel time and routing simulation (STARS) model. In the BOT, STARS is modified by replacing probabilistic route determinations with an individual based model (IBM) that simulates fish behavior to predict the entrainment rates in each junction. The IBM allows the flexibility to explore how entrainment changes with evolving barrier designs. We used juvenile winter-run-sized Chinook salmon catch data collected at Knights Landing from 1997 to 2011 to create realistic arrival and spatial distributions of simulated fish within the BOT that varied among water years (hereafter years). We demonstrated the capabilities of the BOT by comparing optimized barrier solutions and their resulting simulated improvement in survival among three scenarios that differed in the number of junctions with barriers (Georgiana Slough, Steamboat Slough, or both) and the barrier operational period (early: November 1–March 15, or late: January 1–April 30). In this initial demonstration of the BOT we only considered a bioacoustic fish fence (BAFF) at Georgiana Slough and a floating fish guidance structure (FFGS) at Steamboat Slough.
The increase in simulated through-delta fish survival ranged from 1.0 to 6.3 percent among the optimized barrier designs. The most effective Georgiana Slough barrier design predicted improved survival by 6.3 percent and was chosen by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as the Georgiana Slough salmon migratory barrier planned for operation annually from 2023 to 2030 at Georgiana Slough in response to the 2020 California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Incidental Take Permit Minimization Measure 8.9.1 (California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW], 2020). When barriers were simulated in both junctions, the percentages of simulated winter-run Chinook salmon interacting with a barrier at Steamboat or Georgiana sloughs were 95 percent given the early operational period and 48 percent given the late operational period. When barriers were simulated at both sloughs, the optimal barrier at Steamboat Slough effectively routed fish into the Sacramento River. This is because the Georgiana Slough barrier reduced routing into Georgiana Slough where survival is low, which resulted in higher survival for fish routed down the Sacramento River at Steamboat Slough than fish routed down Steamboat Slough. Whereas when no barrier was simulated at Georgiana Slough, the optimized barrier at Steamboat Slough routed fish into Steamboat Slough. This is because survival was higher through Steamboat Slough than the Sacramento River and Georgiana Slough combined. The greatest improvement in survival (6.3 percent) was predicted over the earlier operational period with only a barrier at Georgiana Slough.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20231095","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the California Department of Water Resources","usgsCitation":"Swyers, N.M., Blake, A., Stumpner, P., Burau, J.R., Burdick, S.M., and Anwar, M.S., 2024, A machine learning tool for design of behavioral fish barriers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1095, 38 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231095.","productDescription":"ix, 38 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-151594","costCenters":[{"id":154,"text":"California Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":654,"text":"Western Fisheries Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":424660,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20231095/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2023-1095"},{"id":424362,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1095/images"},{"id":424363,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1095/ofr20231095.XML"},{"id":424359,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1095/ofr20231095.jpg"},{"id":424360,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2023/1095/ofr20231095.pdf","text":"Report","size":"9.6 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2023-1095"}],"country":"United States","state":"California","otherGeospatial":"Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -122.4,\n 38.5\n ],\n [\n -122.4,\n 38.0\n ],\n [\n -121.8,\n 38.0\n ],\n [\n -121.8,\n 38.5\n ],\n [\n -122.4,\n 38.5\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Western Fisheries Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
6505 NE 65th Street
Seattle, Washington 98115-5016
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) operates the Central Valley Project (CVP), one of the nation’s largest water projects. Reclamation has an ongoing need to improve the scientific basis for adaptive management of the CVP and, by extension, joint operations with California’s State Water Project. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works cooperatively with the Bureau of Reclamation to provide scientific support for the management of Reclamation’s CVP project. Major habitat restoration efforts and a new water-diversion point are planned to benefit delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) and other species of concern while ensuring the reliability of water supply. In addition, various flow actions and management activities have been identified as possible methods to increase populations of delta smelt and salmonid (Oncorhynchus spp.) runs of concern. The overarching goal of this cooperative project was to provide Reclamation with the scientific information needed to evaluate the efficacy of ongoing and future adaptive management actions and to improve the scientific basis for more flexible CVP operations that would achieve water-supply reliability and fish protection. The research and monitoring described in this report comprises the period 2015–19 and focuses on management issues related to native fish species of concern, especially delta smelt. Conserving the delta smelt population while providing a reliable water supply is a primary management and policy issue in California.
Our approach for this cooperative project is based on the “physics to fish” concept, the idea that high-quality habitat is generated and sustained by the interaction between physical processes and the landscape. These interactions create a template for chemical and biological processes that can change across a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Following this concept, this project (hereafter referred to as “the physics to fish project”) included monitoring and studies of water flows, sediments, water quality, and invertebrate and fish dynamics across a range of spatial and temporal scales and in regions relevant to resource managers tasked with managing water supplies and ecosystem health in the San Francisco Estuary. The intent of this approach was to document the habitat conditions, important processes, and interactions among them that create high-quality habitat for native fishes so that the likely effects of future management actions (for example, habitat restoration) can be objectively assessed at the local (site-specific), regional (within subregions of the estuary), and landscape (across the entire estuary and beyond) scales.
Hydrodynamically, the upper estuary (landward of Carquinez Strait) is characterized by a fixed volume of tidally exchanged water (for example, tidal prism) that interacts with the existing channel network and bathymetry to create regions with differing hydrodynamics. Our results indicate that careful study of construction or reoperation of existing infrastructure to perform management actions can help (1) improve the accuracy of hydrodynamic models; (2) further understanding of ecological effects; and (3) enhance abilities to predict ecological outcomes. At the local scale, we developed a new concept called the Lagrangian to Eulerian (LE) ratio that can be used as a tool for understanding the importance of various hydrodynamic processes in specific channels or channel networks and for forecasting transport dynamics. Channels with LE ratios<1 in a channel network or in a dead-end slough are hydrodynamically able to develop an exchange zone between two parcels of water that may have different chemical and physical properties. In a dead-end channel, there is a landward region with long residence time (no-exchange zone) and a seaward region with short residence time (high-exchange zone) that are well mixed with seaward waters. At the transition (exchange zone) between the high and no-exchange regions, a gradient will form in water-quality constituents that differ in concentration between the landward and seaward waters.
Turbidity affects fish habitat and has declined through time in the San Francisco Estuary. Average turbidity across the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (hereafter referred to as “the Delta”) is dependent on annual hydrology. In dry years, the region around Cache Slough (known regionally as the “Cache Slough Complex”) in the northern Delta is generally more turbid than Suisun Bay and the lower Sacramento River. When the Yolo By-Pass (known regionally as “Yolo Bypass”), a large flood bypass that runs parallel to the Sacramento River in the northern Delta, is not flooding and river flows are lower, sediment is usually transported into the Cache Slough Complex because flood tides dominate ebb tides, resulting in transport of suspended sediment from seaward areas of the upper estuary into the Cache Slough Complex. These hydrodynamic conditions also favor the formation of turbidity maximums (TMs) in the Cache Slough Complex. The TMs are areas of higher suspended-sediment concentration, providing higher-turbidity habitat favored by some fishes, including delta smelt, and they can also concentrate other constituents, including phytoplankton and organic carbon that can be important in food webs.
Pelagic primary production by phytoplankton is the basis for Delta food webs supporting pelagic fishes such as delta smelt; however, phytoplankton abundance in the Delta has declined during recent decades. We examined how nutrients, hydrodynamics, and other factors affect phytoplankton blooms. Based on our results, we developed three new concepts of phytoplankton bloom formation in the Delta, each associated with a distinct set of hydrologic conditions. First, productivity cascades highlighted how local processes can contribute to phytoplankton blooms observed at the regional scale. Second, we observed phytoplankton blooms in the upper San Francisco Estuary that were associated with transport out of Yolo By-Pass (transport blooms). Third, we also documented a series of phytoplankton blooms that were in the confluence area at the landward edge of Suisun Bay. The conditions leading to creation of confluence phytoplankton blooms are not yet understood, but the confluence region connects the Cache Slough Complex with Suisun Marsh. Therefore, blooms in this area have the potential to spread to large areas of the Delta.
At the landscape scale, the distribution of the invasive clams (Potamocorbula amurensis and Corbicula fluminea, hereafter referred to as “Corbicula”) is driven by salinity. At smaller spatial scales, the distribution of either species is sensitive to multiple factors affecting survival and reproduction, complicating efforts to predict distribution and abundance without considering local-scale conditions across the area of interest. In the Cache Slough Complex, the area landward of the exchange zone in regions with LE ratio<1 were characterized by low abundances of Corbicula probably because recruits from seaward areas are not transported past the exchange zone and because there are no landward tributaries with adult Corbicula to provide an upstream source of recruits. Corbicula biomass was highest near or downstream from the exchange zone consistent with Corbicula grazing on phytoplankton produced in the exchange zone or transported from the no-exchange zone. The severity of Corbicula grazing could be reduced by manipulating the hydrodynamic characteristics of waterways; however, the beneficial and harmful effects on the organisms meant to benefit from increased phytoplankton production, including zooplankton and fish species of concern, should be thoroughly examined before manipulating hydrodynamic characteristics.
The distribution of fishes at the landscape scale is generally driven by the position of the salinity field in the estuary. The physics to fish project compared distributions of fishes at Ryer Island, a tidal wetland in Suisun Bay and a region of variable salinity, with fish distributions at the Cache Slough Complex, a freshwater region. At Ryer Island, there was an absence of freshwater invasive species and an abundance of native species, such as Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus), tule perch (Hysterocarpus traskii), and Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis). The native species were almost exclusively captured in wetland and nearshore shallow-water habitat regardless of water-quality conditions. In the Cache Slough Complex, our regional scale objective was to elucidate how hydrodynamic-physical habitat interactions drive fish-community structure. Our studies showed that dendritic channel systems were better able to support native species, while intertidal habitats supported those species best able to exploit the transient character of the habitat. Habitats upstream from the exchange zone were especially important in supporting high numbers of native fishes relative to within or downstream from the exchange zone. Many of the native species were associated with tidal marsh in the no-exchange zone. More pelagic-oriented, mobile species, such as Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis), threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense), and Sacramento pikeminnow, were more affected by water-quality conditions, such as turbidity.
The physics to fish concept developed in this project provides a framework for designing individual projects and for considering the cumulative effects of multiple projects in a region, using the LE ratio as a guiding metric. The physics to fish concept may also provide a suitable framework for coordinating management actions. Tidal wetlands can function in several ways in the hydrodynamic framework. Relatively small tidal wetlands with short channel networks and with LE ratios>1 are not able to maintain a landward no-exchange zone or an exchange zone. This likely means that any contributions to pelagic food webs would be limited to resources derived from wetland vegetation, which can include dissolved and particulate organic matter (detritus) and populations of consumers that can increase in abundance based on those resources. The fate of the contributed production from these channels depends on the characteristics of the receiving waters seaward of the tidal wetland. If these channels join a large system such as Suisun Bay, then any contribution is likely to be rapidly dispersed in the larger volume; however, the channel junction might provide a focal point for consumers, such as fishes, to congregate and feed on material leaving the wetland on ebb tides before it is dispersed in the larger volume. Fishes might also access these resources by entering the wetland.
The physics to fish project has established a foundation and several new concepts for understanding how habitat restoration can benefit native fish populations at the local and regional levels. Many of the ideas regarding habitat restoration and channel modifications outlined in this report could help guide management actions that could improve conditions for native fishes at little or no water cost beyond water already dedicated to other management actions. A complete list of products originating from this work is provided in appendix 1.
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California Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
6000 J Street, Placer Hall
Sacramento, California 95819