USGS Publications Warehouse

Field methods, quality- assurance, and data management plan for water- quality activities and water- level measurements, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

Treinen, Kerri; Trcka, Allison; Zingre, Jeffrey; Wehnke, Amy — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:42:23

Introduction

Water-quality activities and water-level measurements conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Project Office coincide with the USGS mission of evaluating the quantity and quality of the Nation’s water resources. The activities are conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho Operations Office. Results of water-quality and hydraulic head research efforts are presented in various USGS and scientific journal publications (refer to Fisher, 2022). These data are stored internally in the Aquarius Time Series and Aquarius Samples databases and are publicly accessible through National Water Quality Monitoring Council (2025) and U.S. Geological Survey (2025). Data collected from our studies are used by researchers, Federal and State agencies, water management and regulatory organizations, as well as the public.

This quality assurance plan (QAP) describes the methods and processes for field methods, data collection, data management, data auditing, and equipment management for both the water-quality and water- level programs at the USGS INL Project Office (hereto referred to as INL Project Office). A comprehensive quality assurance (QA) plan ensures that the processes defined in this document will guide the program staff to collect and publish reliable, useful, and defensible data products for stakeholders. This QAP supersedes previous versions of this document and is intended to complement the Quality Assurance and Data Management (QADM) Plan for the Idaho Water Science Center (IDWSC; Christopher Mebane and Lauren Zinsser, written commun., 2024).

Production of mineral commodities and geospatial map of the mineral industries and related infrastructure of China

Chung, Jaewon; Neustaedter, Elizabeth; Moon, Ji Won; Xun, Sean; Textoris, Steven — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:17:40

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) mission to distribute global mineral information and analyze supply chains, this study provides a comprehensive review of the global significance of China’s mineral production and capacity in 2023. Of 77 mineral commodities in the USGS dataset, China produced 74 and was the world’s first- ranked producer for 39 of the 74. Compared to the high share of global mineral production, including up to 98 percent of global gallium production, the country’s share of global mineral reserves was relatively small, ranging from 20 percent (zinc ore) to 52 percent (tungsten ore). China’s imports of metal ores, slag, and ash accounted for 64 percent of global imports of such commodities by value. The country’s exports of base metals and articles of base metal accounted for 17 percent of the global exports. To help nongeographic information system users assess the spatial distribution of mineral mines, processing facilities, and ports for trades in China, this study created a geospatial (also called “georeferenced”) portable document format (GeoPDF) map. In addition, the GeoPDF contains mineral resource tracts (such as antimony, copper, potash, coal, and oil and gas), exploration sites, and energy infrastructure based on the preexisting USGS data.

Open water control of invasive mussels using benthic mats—Part 1, short-term infusion of carbon dioxide under a mat

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 16:46:20

This study compared the efficacy of a benthic mat alone with carbon dioxide infusion under a mat for killing Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) (zebra mussel). Three sites were selected in Loon Lake, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Benzie County, Michigan, for replication of reference, benthic mat, and carbon dioxide mat treatments. Within a site, three 4-meter (m) x 4-m plots were delineated for each treatment and a reference. Pretreatment samples were collected to estimate zebra mussel density and macroinvertebrate community composition in reference plots. Zebra mussels (about 360) from outside of the treatment plots were caged and placed in the plots before treatment. Benthic mats (4.25 m x 4.25 m; polyethylene with a vinyl coating) were anchored on the lake bottom with sandbags and weights. Carbon dioxide was infused under a mat of the same material to a maximum of 200 milligrams per liter (mg/L; pH=6.13) every 2–4 hours, for about 12 hours. Benthic and carbon dioxide mats were deployed for 5 days. One day after mat removal, we assessed mortality of resident and sentinel caged zebra mussels and macroinvertebrate community abundance and diversity in each plot. Average pH (as a proxy for carbon dioxide) under the carbon dioxide mats was between 6.38 and 6.80, equivalent to 170.5 and 103.0 mg/L carbon dioxide, respectively. In the posttreatment survey, few zebra mussels were observed in the benthic mat and carbon dioxide treatment plots compared to the reference plots; survival was lowest in the carbon dioxide plots. Mortality of sentinel caged mussels was greater than 80 percent in carbon dioxide treatments compared to mean mortalities of 20.6 percent and 12.7 percent in the benthic mat and reference plots, respectively. Macroinvertebrate community total abundance was lower in both mat treatments compared to reference plots, but diversity was comparable among all treatments. Our study demonstrated that carbon dioxide treatment near 200 mg/L could produce greater than 80-percent mortality of zebra mussels within 5 days. Refinement of the carbon dioxide mat and delivery system could increase spatial coverage of the treatment and broaden its use to other habitats.

Black abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2023 annual report

Kenner, Michael; Yee, Julie — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 13:42:45

The U.S. Geological Survey monitors a suite of intertidal black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) sites at San Nicolas Island, California, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which owns the island. The nine rocky intertidal sites were established in 1980 to study the potential effect of translocated sea otters on the intertidal black abalone population at the island. The sites were monitored from 1981 to 1997, typically annually or biennially. Monitoring resumed in 2001 and has been completed annually thereafter. Since 2018, the work has been carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center. The study sites became particularly important, from a management perspective, after a virulent disease decimated black abalone populations throughout southern California beginning in the mid-1980s. The disease, withering syndrome (Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis), was first observed on San Nicolas Island in 1992 and over the next few years, withering syndrome reduced the black abalone population on San Nicolas Island by more than 99 percent. In 2009, the black abalone subsequently was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

The subject of this report is the 2023 survey of the sites and the status of the measured population in comparison to long-term patterns (based on data collected since 1981) at San Nicolas Island. Between the years 2000 and 2023, the total monitored black abalone population at the island has grown from roughly 200 to more than 2,500 abalone following disease-related decline. Since it was first consistently measured in 2005, the average distance between adjacent black abalone has decreased substantially from approximately 50 centimeters to less than 15 centimeters, indicating that abalone are sufficiently close together at several of the sites to reproduce successfully. The total abalone count in 2023 was 2,570, which was 19.2 percent higher than in 2022 and the highest count since 1993. All nine sites had higher counts in 2023 than in the previous year. Over 25 percent of the black abalone counted in 2023 were classified as recruits, defined as having a shell length of 3 centimeters or less.

Range-wide relative abundance of the Appalachian grizzled skipper (Pyrgus centaureae wyandot) in the Eastern United States

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:09:53

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the Pyrgus centaureae wyandot (Appalachian Grizzled Skipper [AGS]) to be at-risk, based on its declining populations and the lack of information on its status. The objective of this study was to complete range-wide surveys to locate extant AGS colonies and to quantify the number of AGS observed at each location. From 2021–24, 284 surveys were done in 25 unique (that is, distinct) counties in 8 States in the Eastern United States — Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. We found AGS in only two counties: Alleghany County, Virginia, and Greenbrier County, West Virginia. AGS were observed 180 times in these two counties. Our results can inform U.S. Fish and Wildlife decisions about where and how future AGS conservation efforts can be implemented.

ECCOE Landsat quarterly calibration and validation report—Quarter 4, 2025

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:12:17

Executive Summary

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 8 and 9 for quarter 4 (October–December) of 2025. 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.

One specific activity that the ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val Team closely monitored was a Landsat 9 safehold anomaly. On October 17, 2025, Landsat 9 experienced a Solar Array Drive Assembly potentiometer fault. The onboard fault response put both the Operational Land Imager sensor and the Thermal Infrared Sensor into safe mode. Additionally, the Thermal Infrared Sensor focal plane assembly was turned off, but the cryocooler remained on. On October 20, 2025, the Solar Array Drive Assembly recovery commanding was successfully performed to put the spacecraft into nadir viewing mode. The following day, Operational Land Imager activation and recovery started, including focal plane assembly warmup. After reaching nominal operational temperatures and achieving thermal stability, science imaging resumed on October 23, 2025. Additional information about the Landsat 9 safehold anomaly is here: https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/news/landsat-9-returns-normal-operations-following-brief-safehold.

System characterization report on Tanager

Kim, Minsu; Park, Seonkyung; Clauson, Jeff; Vrabel, Jim; Sampath, Ajit — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:03:45

Executive Summary

This report addresses the system characterization of the Tanager satellite hyperspectral sensor created by Planet Labs PBC. and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational information about the Tanager hyperspectral sensor; and provide a summary of test measurements, data retention practices, data analysis results, and conclusions.

This report summarizes the sensor performance of the Tanager based on the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence system characterization process. In summary, we determined that the Tanager exhibits a band-to-band geometric error ranging from -0.074 to 0.097 pixels. Compared to the Landsat Operational Land Imager, geometric offsets ranged from -5.980 meters (-0.20 pixels) to 11.348 meters (0.40 pixels). Radiometric comparisons showed offsets between -0.004 and 0.056 with slopes from 0.830 to 1.066. Spectral shifts are found between 0.65 and 0.75 nanometers. Finally, spatial performance evaluation yielded a PSF full width at half maximum of 1.27 to 1.75 pixels, a relative edge response of 0.802 to 0.651, and a modulation transfer function at Nyquist of 0.488 to 0.253.

Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and restoration efforts for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2025 Annual Report

Lynn, Suellen; Howell, Scarlett; Kus, Barbara E. — Mon, 18 May 2026 14:01:33

Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with an annual summary of the distribution, abundance, and breeding activity of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus; flycatcher) and to present results of management actions implemented to attract flycatchers and enhance flycatcher habitat at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP, or Base). Surveys for the flycatcher were done on Base between May 6 and July 23, 2025. All MCBCP’s historically occupied riparian habitat (core survey area) was surveyed for flycatchers in 2025. None of the non-core survey areas were surveyed in 2025.

No resident flycatchers were detected on Base in 2025. The one resident (female) present in 2024 did not return to the territory she occupied in 2024, and she was not detected within the historically occupied habitat surveyed in 2025.

Eight transient Willow Flycatchers of unknown subspecies were observed on two of the five drainages surveyed in 2025: Las Flores Creek and the Santa Margarita River. No Willow Flycatchers were detected at Fallbrook, Pilgrim, or San Mateo Creeks. Transients in 2025 occurred in mixed willow and riparian scrub habitats, dominated by multiple willow species (Salix spp.). Exotic vegetation was recorded in most flycatcher locations and was dominant (cover of exotics greater than 50 percent) in more than half of all transient locations. The most common exotic plant in habitat used by flycatchers was poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). All six of the flycatchers that were observed closely enough to determine banding status were unbanded.

Two measures were initiated in recent years to attract and retain resident breeding flycatchers on MCBCP: conspecific attraction using flycatcher song broadcasts and installation of artificial seeps to enhance flycatcher habitat. We surveyed plots with and without speakers that broadcast flycatcher vocalizations throughout the breeding season and detected two transient Willow Flycatchers within 20 meters of one speaker in 2025. We set up permanent vegetation sampling points surrounding artificial seeps and nearby sites without artificial seeps (Reference sites) to determine the effects of surface-water enhancement by seep pumps. Vegetation cover was highest near the ground and decreased with increasing height. Woody vegetation made up most of the cover at all height categories. Soil saturation in 2025 was higher at the sites near seeps than at the Reference sites and was associated with higher native herbaceous cover and lower non-native cover.

Continuous stream discharge, salinity, and associated data collected in the lower St. Johns River and its tributaries, Florida, 2023

Carson, Jennifer N.; Benacquisto, Matthew T. — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:09:14

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, deepened the St. Johns River channel in Jacksonville, Florida, to accommodate larger, fully loaded cargo vessels. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, monitored stage, discharge, and (or) water temperature and salinity at 26 continuous data collection sites in the St. Johns River and its tributaries.

This report contains information collected during the 2023 water year, from October 2022 to September 2023. Data at each site were compared for the length of the project, 8 years so far, and on a yearly basis to show the annual variability of discharge and salinity.

The countywide annual rainfall for the 2023 water year was below the average yearly rainfall in four of the five counties. Annual mean discharge at 9 of the 10 tributary monitoring sites was lower for the 2023 water year than for the 2022 water year, and the annual mean flow at Broward River below Biscayne Boulevard near Jacksonville, Florida (USGS site number 02246751), was the lowest recorded at that site for the 8 years of data collection. The annual mean discharge for each of the main-stem sites was higher for the 2023 water year than for the 2022 water year and was above the average for the 8 years of data collected so far.

Among the tributary sites, annual mean salinity was highest at Clapboard Creek above Buckhorn Bluff near Jacksonville, Fla. (USGS site number 302657081312400), the site closest to the Atlantic Ocean, and was lowest at Durbin Creek near Fruit Cove, Fla. (USGS site number 022462002), the site farthest from the ocean, for all years. Annual mean salinity data from the main-stem sites indicate that salinity decreased with distance upstream from the ocean, which was expected. Annual mean salinity for the 2023 water year was higher than or equal to that of the 2022 water year for all main-stem and tributary sites, except at St. Johns River at Dancy Point near Spuds, Fla. (USGS site number 294213081345300), which was lower. Three main-stem monitoring stations (USGS site numbers 295856081372301, 02245340, and 301057081414800) and six tributary monitoring stations (USGS site numbers 300803081354500, 022462002, 301204081434900, 02246459, 02246518, and 02246804) either had the highest annual mean salinities or tied with the highest annual mean salinities at their respective sites since data collection began.

Natomas basin giant gartersnake annual monitoring report 2024

Fri, 8 May 2026 17:28:23

The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a semi aquatic snake endemic to the Central Valley of California. After losing 95 percent of its historic wetland habitat (Frayer and others, 1989), giant gartersnakes became state and federally listed as a threatened species (California Fish and Game Commission, 1971; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993, 1999). Continued monitoring of current populations and implementation of suggested management actions is necessary to recover the species. The Natomas basin in Sacramento, California, supports a population of giant gartersnakes persisting in restored marshes and rice agriculture. This annual report summarizes the giant gartersnake monitoring project for 2024, focusing on the apparent survival, abundance, density, and distribution of the giant gartersnakes and the connectivity of habitat throughout the Natomas basin. In 2024, 131 giant gartersnakes were captured 216 times at 44 sites by hand or trap. The catch-per-unit effort decreased from 2023 to 2024 but was similar to other years of the study. Estimates of occupancy increased between 2023 and 2024, although the trend of occupancy from 2011 through 2024 is still decreasing overall at a mean annual rate of 3 percent per year. Apparent survival was much higher at Betts-Kismat-Silva from 2018 to 2019 and from 2021 to 2022 than in other years, but this may be partly attributed to different sampling efforts over the years. Trapping effort was more consistent in the Sills tract, and apparent survival was slightly higher in later years (2022–23 and 2023–24). Giant gartersnake populations appeared to remain stable in 2024, but abundance, density, survival, and distribution is highly variable across different sites and years of the study. Continued monitoring of the populations would allow for better trend estimates over time and assessment of the effects of management activities. Giant gartersnake populations throughout the basin and on reserve lands would likely benefit from the following: (1) creating more managed marsh; (2) increasing the amount of emergent tule vegetation in existing marshes (for example, Cummings, Natomas Farms, and Lucich South); (3) continuing to flood existing marshes in early spring; (4) maintaining rice agriculture; and (5) continuing research into conservation actions that target the giant gartersnake, such as habitat and water management and translocation.

Preliminary geologic map of the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, and the epicentral area of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina

Tue, 5 May 2026 14:00:53

Introduction

New bedrock and surficial geologic mapping in the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, investigates the geologic framework and causative mechanisms of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina. The mapping documents (1) the coseismic surface rupture from the 2020 earthquake and related brittle structures in the bedrock; (2) the fault contact between the western Blue Ridge and eastern Blue Ridge; (3) lithostratigraphy in the Lynchburg Group, Ashe Metamorphic Suite, and Alligator Back Metamorphic Suite; (4) the nature of the contact between the Lynchburg Group, Ashe Metamorphic Suite, and Alligator Back Metamorphic Suite; and (5) surficial deposits.

Development of a two-stage lifecycle model to inform the trap-and-haul program for Oncorhynchus kisutch (coho salmon) in the Lewis River, Washington

Plumb, John; Perry, Russell — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:56:24

Restoration of salmon populations in the upper Lewis River Basin, Washington, depends on a trap-and-haul program owing to the Lewis River Hydroelectric Project (hereinafter referred to as “Project”) operated by PacifiCorp and Cowlitz Public Utilities District (hereinafter referred to as “Utilities”), which has been a barrier to salmon passage since the 1930s. Thus, sustaining the Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum, 1792; coho salmon) population upstream from the Project currently depends on two fundamental factors: (1) the collection of upstream migrating adult coho salmon at Merwin Dam, the lowermost dam within the Project, and transporting them by truck to spawn above Swift Dam, the uppermost dam within the Project; and (2) the collection of out-migrating juvenile coho salmon at the downstream collection facility at Swift Dam for transport and release below the Project. The reintroduction program began once the downstream collection facility at Swift Dam was commissioned in late 2012, with the first year of transport data being collected in 2013. Over the past decade, the Utilities have been collecting data on juvenile outmigrants and adult fish returns at the dams. The need to construct a lifecycle model for Lewis River anadromous fish was identified by the Lewis River Aquatic Technical Subgroup, with the understanding that many years (more than 15 years) of data collection are needed to adequately measure the lifecycle production of salmon. The U.S. Geological Survey was contracted to develop and apply the model to past data at the Lewis River dams to help inform future data collection and provide a framework that can be updated annually to measure trap-and-haul program performance within a lifecycle context.

Because coho salmon can live as long as 5 years, estimating demographic parameters for coho salmon populations over their lifecycle requires at least 10 or more years of data collection. Over the past decade, PacifiCorp has been collecting data on fish collection efficiency and the numbers of adult and juvenile salmon transported around the Lewis River dams, making this an ideal time to formulate a lifecycle model that can guide future data collection efforts and provide preliminary information to resource managers. The goal of the statistical lifecycle model is to estimate annual production and survival during two critical life-stage transitions: (1) the freshwater production from escapement of adults released upstream from Swift Dam, and the collection of downstream migrating juveniles at the downstream passage facility at Swift Dam; and (2) the smolt-to-adult survival from the time of collection at Swift Dam to their return as adults. We used the Beverton-Holt stock-recruitment model to estimate juvenile production from the number of spawners (Beverton and Holt, 1957). This approach allowed us to test for density dependence at current spawner abundances while estimating annual productivity, defined as the number of juveniles produced per spawner at low spawner abundance. Productivity was then expressed as a function of the number of juveniles collected and transported downstream from the Project. Because juvenile fish collection efficiency (FCE) directly affects the number of juveniles that survive to continue downstream migration, FCE is a primary determinant of fish production. Consequently, the modeling framework is well suited to evaluate the performance of trap-and-haul programs within a lifecycle context.

The objectives of this study were to (1) gather and collate available data on adult and juvenile coho salmon at Merwin and Swift Dams; (2) quantify adult escapement, juvenile abundance, and the age at outmigration and adult return; (3) describe, formulate and fit the integrated population model to the data; and (4) summarize our findings, identify data gaps, and identify opportunities for future studies that could improve model estimation and inference. Our key findings were: (1) over and above the number of spawning females, FCE was the primary factor affecting productivity of coho salmon above Swift Dam; (2) smolt-to-adult return (SAR) rates were relatively high considering that harvest was included in the estimate, averaging about 4.5 percent and ranging as high as 12.9 percent; and (3) juvenile capacity upstream from Swift Dam was difficult to estimate due to the limited range in spawning females over the time series of data, suggesting the model may be improved by collecting data at higher spawner abundances. In addition, by including FCE in the model, we estimated that the median pre-collection productivity, defined as the number of juveniles produced per spawner when FCE=1, was 64 juveniles per spawner. Because the two-stage lifecycle model partitions factors that affect fish production in rivers versus the ocean, the model estimates may help inform fishery managers about the overall role that fish collection at Swift Dam plays in the recovery and sustainability of Lewis River coho salmon. By providing the model with (1) more years of data, (2) higher numbers of spawning females, and (3) data on age at juvenile migration in relation to age at adult return, greater certainty in the estimates of capacity and SAR can be attained. Ultimately, information provided by the model may assist in the evaluation and continued improvement of the current trap-and-haul program to support anadromous fishes in the Lewis River Basin.

Annotated bibliography of scientific research on new world screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) myiasis in wildlife

Timbie, Sarah; Weidenkopf, Shelby Jo; Grear, Daniel — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:24:42

The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax; NWS) is a parasitic blowfly that lays its eggs in open wounds of live, warm-blooded animals including livestock, wildlife, and potentially humans. The larvae consume living animal tissue, and if untreated, the infestation can lead to death. Although NWS was eradicated in the United States in 1966, it has been moving northward from its endemic range in South America during the past decade and could seriously threaten the health of U.S. wildlife populations, making detection, treatment, and surveillance of the disease far more difficult across this multi-sector disease system.
As the likelihood of NWS reintroduction to the United States increases, veterinarians, wildlife managers, and conservation specialists need to be informed and prepared to respond. The existing knowledge about NWS interactions with wildlife hosts is lacking, especially regarding North American species where the NWS has been eradicated for more than 50 years. To address this knowledge gap, we compiled an annotated bibliography that consolidates key information from the existing literature on NWS infestation in wild animals.