Hydrogeology and groundwater quality at monitoring wells installed for the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan System and nearby water-supply wells, Cook County, Illinois, 1995–2013
Robert T. Kay
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5186
Groundwater-quality data collected from 1995 through 2013 from 106 monitoring wells open to the base of the Silurian aquifer surrounding the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) System in Cook County, Illinois, were analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, to...
An overview of current applications, challenges, and future trends in distributed process-based models in hydrology
Simone Fatichi, Enrique R. Vivoni, Fred L Odgen, Valeriy Y Ivanov, Benjamin B. Mirus, David Gochis, Charles W Downer, Matteo Camporese, Jason H Davison, Brian A. Ebel, Norm Jones, Jon Kim, Giuseppe Mascaro, Richard G. Niswonger, Pedro Restrepo, Riccardo Rigon, Chaopeng Shen, Mauro Sulis, David Tarboton
2016, Journal of Hydrology (537) 45-60
Process-based hydrological models have a long history dating back to the 1960s. Criticized by some as over-parameterized, overly complex, and difficult to use, a more nuanced view is that these tools are necessary in many situations and, in a certain class of problems, they are the most appropriate type of...
Relation of initial spacing and relative stand density indices to stand characteristics in a Douglas-fir plantation spacing trial
Robert O. Curtis, Sheel Bansal, Constance A. Harrington
2016, Research Paper PNW-RP-607
This report presents updated information on a 1981 Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) plantation spacing trial at 33 years from planting. Stand statistics at the most recent measurement were compared for initial spacing of 1 through 6 meters and associated relative densities. There was no clear relationship...
Enriched groundwater seeps in two Vermont headwater catchments are hotspots of nitrate turnover
Amninder J. Kaur, Donald S. Ross, James B. Shanley, Anna R. Yatzor
2016, Wetlands (36) 237-249
Groundwater seeps in upland catchments are often enriched relative to stream waters, higher in pH, Ca2+ and sometimes NO3¯. These seeps could be a NO3¯ sink because of increased denitrification potential but may also be ‘hotspots’ for nitrification because of the relative enrichment. We compared seep soils with nearby well-drained...
Tidal hydrodynamics under future sea level rise and coastal morphology in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Davina Passeri, Scott C. Hagen, Nathaniel G. Plant, Matthew V. Bilskie, Stephen C. Medeiros, Karim Alizad
2016, Earth's Future (4) 159-176
This study examines the integrated influence of sea level rise (SLR) and future morphology on tidal hydrodynamics along the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) coast including seven embayments and three ecologically and economically significant estuaries. A large-domain hydrodynamic model was used to simulate astronomic tides for present and future conditions...
Movement and survival of an amphibian in relation to sediment and culvert design
R.K Honeycutt, W.H. Lowe, Blake R. Hossack
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 761-770
Habitat disturbance from stream culverts can affect aquatic organisms by increasing sedimentation or forming barriers to movement. Land managers are replacing many culverts to reduce these negative effects, primarily for stream fishes. However, these management actions are likely to have broad implications for many organisms, including amphibians in small streams....
Evaluating potential artefacts of photo-reversal on behavioral studies with nocturnal invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Matthew Barnett, Istvan Imre, C. Michael Wagner, Richard T. Di Rocco, Nicholas S. Johnson, Grant E. Brown
2016, Canadian Journal of Zoology (94) 405-410
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus L., 1758) are nocturnal, so experiments evaluating their behaviour to chemosensory cues have typically been conducted at night. However, given the brief timeframe each year that adult P. marinus are available for experimentation, we investigated whether P. marinus exposed to a 12 h shifted diurnal cycle (reversed photoperiod) could be tested...
Managing nutrients, water, and energy for producing more food with low pollution (MoFoLoPo); What would success look like?
Jill Baron
2016, Environmental Development (18) 52-53
Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer has enabled modern agriculture to greatly improve human nutrition during the 20th century, but it has also created unintended human health and environmental pollution challenges for the 21st century. Averaged globally, about half of the fertilizer N applied to farms is removed with the crops, while...
Multi-laboratory survey of qPCR enterococci analysis method performance in U.S. coastal and inland surface waters
Richard A. Haugland, Shawn Siefring, Manju Varma, Kevin H. Oshima, Mano Sivaganesan, Yiping Cao, Meredith Raith, John Griffith, Stephen B. Weisberg, Rachel T. Noble, A. Denene Blackwood, Julie Kinzelman, Tamara Anan’eva, Rebecca N. Bushon, Erin A. Stelzer, Valarie J. Harwood, Katrina V. Gordon, Christopher Sinigalliano
2016, Journal of Microbiological Methods (123) 114-125
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has become a frequently used technique for quantifying enterococci in recreational surface waters, but there are several methodological options. Here we evaluated how three method permutations, type of mastermix, sample extract dilution and use of controls in results calculation, affect method reliability among multiple laboratories...
Informing Lake Erie agriculture nutrient management via scenario evaluation
Donald Scavia, Margaret Kalcic, Rebecca Logsdon Muenich, Noel Aloysius, Jeffrey Arnold, Chelsie Boles, Remegio Confesor, Joseph DePinto, Marie Gildow, Jay Martin, Jennifer Read, Todd Redder, Dale M. Robertson, Scott P. Sowa, Yu-Chen Wang, Michael White, Haw Yen
2016, Report
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been increasing in extent and intensity in the western basin of Lake Erie. The cyanobacteria Microcystis produces toxins that pose serious threats to animal and human health, resulting in beach closures and impaired water supplies, and have even forced a “do not drink” advisory for...
Slow climate velocities of mountain streams portend their role as refugia for cold-water biodiversity
Daniel J. Isaak, Michael K. Young, Charles H. Luce, Steven W. Hostetler, Seth J. Wenger, Erin E. Peterson, Jay Ver Hoef, Matthew C. Groce, Dona L. Horan, David E. Nagel
2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (113) 4374-4379
The imminent demise of montane species is a recurrent theme in the climate change literature, particularly for aquatic species that are constrained to networks and elevational rather than latitudinal retreat as temperatures increase. Predictions of widespread species losses, however, have yet to be fulfilled despite decades of climate change, suggesting...
Evaluation of six NEHRP B/C crustal amplification models proposed for use in western North America
David Boore, Kenneth W. Campbell
2016, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (106) 673-686
We evaluate six crustal amplification models based on National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) B/C crustal profiles proposed for use in western North America (WNA) and often used in other active crustal regions where crustal properties are unknown. One of the models is based on an interpolation of generic rock...
Increased temperatures combined with lowered salinities differentially impact oyster size class growth and mortality
Megan K. LaPeyre, Molly Rybovich, Steven G. Hall, Jerome F. La Peyre
2016, Journal of Shellfish Research (35) 101-113
Changes in the timing and interaction of seasonal high temperatures and low salinities as predicted by climate change models could dramatically alter oyster population dynamics. Little is known explicitly about how low salinity and high temperature combinations affect spat (<25mm), seed (25–75mm), andmarket (>75mm) oyster growth and mortality. Using field...
2015 National Park visitor spending effects: Economic contributions to local communities, states, and the nation
Catherine M. Cullinane Thomas, Lynne Koontz
2016, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR—2016/1200
The National Park Service (NPS) manages the Nation’s most iconic destinations that attract millions of visitors from across the Nation and around the world. Trip-related spending by NPS visitors generates and supports a considerable amount of economic activity within park gateway communities. This economic effects analysis measures how NPS visitor...
Population size and stopover duration estimation using mark–resight data and Bayesian analysis of a superpopulation model
James E. Lyons, William L. Kendall, J. Andrew Royle, Sarah J. Converse, Brad A. Andres, Joseph B. Buchanan
2016, Biometrics (72) 262-271
We present a novel formulation of a mark–recapture–resight model that allows estimation of population size, stopover duration, and arrival and departure schedules at migration areas. Estimation is based on encounter histories of uniquely marked individuals and relative counts of marked and unmarked animals. We use a Bayesian analysis of a...
The Chief Joseph Hatchery Program 2013 Annual Report
Casey Baldwin, Andrea Pearl, Matthew Laramie, John Rohrback, Pat Phillips, Keith Wolf
2016, Report
The Chief Joseph Hatchery is the fourth hatchery obligated under the Grand Coulee Dam/Dry Falls project, originating in the 1940s. Leavenworth, Entiat, and Winthrop National Fish Hatcheries were built and operated as mitigation for salmon blockage at Grand Coulee Dam, but the fourth hatchery was not built, and the obligation...
Aeshnid dragonfly larvae as bioindicators of methylmercury contamination in aquatic systems impacted by elevated sulfate loading
Jeffrey D. Jeremiason, T. K. Reiser, R. A. Weitz, M.E. Berndt, George R. Aiken
2016, Ecotoxicology (25) 456-468
Methylmercury (MeHg) levels in dragonfly larvae and water were measured over two years in aquatic systems impacted to varying degrees by sulfate releases related to iron mining activity. This study examined the impact of elevated sulfate loads on MeHg concentrations and tested the use of MeHg in dragonfly larvae as...
Isotopic incorporation and the effects of fasting and dietary lipid content on isotopic discrimination in large carnivorous mammals
Karyn D. Rode, Craig A. Stricker, Joy Erlenbach, Charles T. Robbins, Seth Cherry, Seth D. Newsome, Amy Cutting, Shannon Jensen, Gordon Stenhouse, Matt Brooks, Amy Hash, Nicole Nicassio
2016, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (89) 182-197
There has been considerable emphasis on understanding isotopic discrimination for diet estimation in omnivores. However, discrimination may differ for carnivores, particularly species that consume lipid-rich diets. Here, we examined the potential implications of several factors when using stable isotopes to estimate the diets of bears, which can consume lipid-rich diets...
Changing exhumation patterns during Cenozoic growth and glaciation of the Alaska Range: Insights from detrital thermochronology and geochronology
Richard O. Lease, Peter J. Haeussler, Paul O'Sullivan
2016, Tectonics (35) 934-955
Cenozoic growth of the Alaska Range created the highest topography in North America, but the space-time pattern and drivers of exhumation are poorly constrained. We analyzed U/Pb and fission-track double dates of detrital zircon and apatite grains from 12 catchments that span a 450 km length of the Alaska Range to...
Late Holocene expansion of Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the Central Rocky Mountains, USA
Jodi R. Norris, Julio L. Betancourt, Stephen T. Jackson
2016, Journal of Biogeography (43) 778-790
"Aim: Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) experienced one of the most extensive and rapid post-glacial plant migrations in western North America. We used plant macrofossils from woodrat (Neotoma) middens to reconstruct its spread in the Central Rocky Mountains, identify other vegetation changes coinciding with P. ponderosa expansion at the same sites,...
Basin scale controls on CO2 and CH4 emissions from the Upper Mississippi River
John T. Crawford, Luke C. Loken, Emily H. Stanley, Edward G. Stets, Mark M. Dornblaser, Robert G. Striegl
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 1973-1979
The Upper Mississippi River, engineered for river navigation in the 1930s, includes a series of low-head dams and navigation pools receiving elevated sediment and nutrient loads from the mostly agricultural basin. Using high-resolution, spatially resolved water quality sensor measurements along 1385 river kilometers, we show that primary productivity and organic...
Seasonal habitat use of brook trout and juvenile steelhead in a Lake Ontario tributary
James H. Johnson, Ross Abbett, Marc A. Chalupnicki, Francis Verdoliva
2016, Journal of Freshwater Ecology (31) 239-249
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are generally restricted to headwaters in New York tributaries of Lake Ontario. In only a few streams are brook trout abundant in lower stream reaches that are accessible to adult Pacific salmonids migrating from the lake. Consequently, because of the rarity of native brook trout populations...
Occupancy dynamics in human-modified landscapes in a tropical island: implications for conservation design
Julissa I. Irizarry, Jaime A. Collazo, Stephen J. Dinsmore
2016, Diversity and Distributions (22) 410-421
AimAvian communities in human-modified landscapes exhibit varying patterns of local colonization and extinction rates, determinants of species occurrence. Our objective was to model these processes to identify habitat features that might enable movements and account for occupancy patterns in habitat matrices between the Guanica and Susua forest reserves. This knowledge...
Seismic site characterization of an urban dedimentary basin, Livermore Valley, California: Site tesponse, basin-edge-induced surface waves, and 3D simulations
Stephen H. Hartzell, Alena L. Leeds, Leonardo Ramirez-Guzman, James P. Allen, Robert G. Schmitt
2016, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (103) 609-631
Thirty‐two accelerometers were deployed in the Livermore Valley, California, for approximately one year to study sedimentary basin effects. Many local and near‐regional earthquakes were recorded, including the 24 August 2014 Mw 6.0 Napa, California, earthquake. The resulting ground‐motion data set is used to quantify the seismic response of the Livermore basin, a...
Erratum to Surface‐wave green’s tensors in the near field
Matthew M. Haney, Hisashi Nakahara
2016, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (106) 816-818
Haney and Nakahara (2014) derived expressions for surface‐wave Green’s tensors that included near‐field behavior. Building on the result for a force source, Haney and Nakahara (2014) further derived expressions for a general point moment tensor source using the exact Green’s tensors. However, it has come to our attention that, although...
