Water quality of streams draining abandoned and reclaimed mined lands in the Kantishna Hills area, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2008–11
Timothy P. Brabets, Robert T. Ourso
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5048
The Kantishna Hills are an area of low elevation mountains in the northwest part of Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Streams draining the Kantishna Hills are clearwater streams that support several species of fish and are derived from rain, snowmelt, and subsurface aquifers. However, the water quality of many...
Groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, California
Mary C. Parsons, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2013, Fact Sheet 2012-3111
Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to...
Characterization and data-gap analysis of surface-water quality data in the Piceance study area, western Colorado, 1959–2009
Judith C. Thomas, Jennifer L. Moore, Keelin R. Schaffrath, Jean A. Dupree, Cory A. Williams, Kenneth J. Leib
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5015
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Federal, State, county, and industry partners, developed a Web-accessible common data repository to provide access to historical and current (as of August 2009) water-quality information (available on the Internet at http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/cwqdr/Piceance/index.shtml). Surface-water-quality data from public and private sources were compiled for the period...
Stochastic empirical loading and dilution model (SELDM) version 1.0.0
Gregory E. Granato
2013, Techniques and Methods 4-C3
The Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) is designed to transform complex scientific data into meaningful information about the risk of adverse effects of runoff on receiving waters, the potential need for mitigation measures, and the potential effectiveness of such management measures for reducing these risks. The U.S. Geological...
Golden eagle records from the Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey: information for wind energy management and planning
Wade Eakle, Patti Haggerty, Mark Fuller, Susan L. Phillips
2013, Data Series 753
The purpose of this Data Series report is to provide the occasions, locations, and counts when golden eagles were recorded during the annual Midwinter Bald Eagle Surveys. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are protected by Federal statutes including the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) (16 USC 668-668c) and the...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, 2007—California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Mary C. Parsons, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5248
Groundwater quality in the approximately 620-square-mile (1,600-square-kilometer) San Francisco Bay study unit was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in the Southern Coast Ranges of California, in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda,...
An evaluation of seepage gains and losses in Indian Creek Reservoir, Ada County, Idaho, April 2010–November 2011
Marshall L. Williams, Alexandra B. Etheridge
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5047
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, conducted an investigation on Indian Creek Reservoir, a small impoundment in east Ada County, Idaho, to quantify groundwater seepage into and out of the reservoir. Data from the study will assist the Idaho Water Resources Department’s Comprehensive...
Multi-regional synthesis of temporal trends in biotic assemblages in streams and rivers of the continental United States
Matthew P. Miller, Anne M.D. Brasher, Jonathan G. Keenen
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5046
Biotic assemblages in aquatic ecosystems are excellent integrators and indicators of changing environmental conditions within a watershed. Therefore, temporal changes in abiotic environmental variables often can be inferred from temporal changes in biotic assemblages. Algae, macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblage data were collected from 91 sampling sites in 4 geographic regions...
Missing great earthquakes
Susan E. Hough
2013, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth 1098-1108
The occurrence of three earthquakes with moment magnitude (Mw) greater than 8.8 and six earthquakes larger than Mw 8.5, since 2004, has raised interest in the long-term global rate of great earthquakes. Past studies have focused on the analysis of earthquakes since 1900, which roughly marks the start of the...
The NAS Alert System: A look at the first eight years
Pamela L. Fuller, Matt Neilson, Dane H. Huge
2013, Fisheries (38) 128-138
The U.S. Geological Survey's Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database program (http://nas.er.usgs.gov) tracks the distribution of introduced aquatic organisms across the United States. Awareness of, and timely response to, novel species introductions by those involved in nonindigenous aquatic species management and research requires a framework for rapid dissemination of occurrence data...
A new map of standardized terrestrial ecosystems of Africa
Roger G. Sayre, Patrick Comer, Jon Hak, Carmen Josse, Jacquie Bow, Harumi Warner, Mahamane Larwanou, Ensermu Kelbessa, Tamrat Bekele, Harald Kehl, Ruba Amena, Rado Andriamasimanana, Taibou Ba, Laurence Benson, Timothy Boucher, Matthew Brown, Jill J. Cress, Oueddo Dassering, Beverly A. Friesen, Francis Gachathi, Sebei Houcine, Mahamadou Keita, Erick Khamala, Dan Marangu, Fredrick Mokua, Boube Morou, Ladislav Mucina, Samuel Mugisha, Edward Mwavu, Michael Rutherford, Patrice Sanou, Stephen Syampungani, Bojoi Tomor, Abdallahi Ould Mohamed Vall, Jean Pierre Vande Weghe, Eunice Wangui, Lucy Waruingi
2013, African Geographical Review
Terrestrial ecosystems and vegetation of Africa were classified and mapped as part of a larger effort and global protocol (GEOSS – the Global Earth Observation System of Systems), which includes an activity to map terrestrial ecosystems of the earth in a standardized, robust, and practical manner, and at the finest...
Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2012
Richard T. Kraus, Mark Rogers, Patrick M. Kocovsky, William Edwards, Betsy L. Bodamer Scarbro, Kevin R. Keretz, R. Wirick
2013, Report
No abstract available....
Comparative spring-staging ecology of sympatric arctic-nesting geese in south-central Nebraska
Aaron T. Pearse, Gary L. Krapu, Robert R. Cox Jr.
2013, American Midland Naturalist (169) 371-381
The Rainwater Basin in Nebraska has been a historic staging area for midcontinent greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) since the 1950s and, in the mid-1990s, millions of midcontinent lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) expanded their spring migration route to include this region. In response to speculation...
Per capita invasion probabilities: an empirical model to predict rates of invasion via ballast water
Deborah A. Reusser, Henry Lee II, Melanie Frazier, Gregory M. Ruiz, Paul W. Fofonoff, Mark S. Minton, A. Whitman Miller
2013, Ecological Applications (23) 321-330
Ballast water discharges are a major source of species introductions into marine and estuarine ecosystems. To mitigate the introduction of new invaders into these ecosystems, many agencies are proposing standards that establish upper concentration limits for organisms in ballast discharge. Ideally, ballast discharge standards will be biologically defensible and adequately...
Mapping spatial resources with GPS animal telemetry: foraging manatees locate seagrass beds in the Ten Thousand Islands, Florida, USA
Daniel H. Slone, James P. Reid, W. Judson Kenworthy
2013, Marine Ecology Progress Series (476) 285-299
Turbid water conditions make the delineation and characterization of benthic habitats difficult by traditional in situ and remote sensing methods. Here, we develop and validate modeling and sampling methodology for detecting and characterizing seagrass beds by analyzing GPS telemetry records from radio-tagged manatees. Between October 2002 and October 2005, 14...
Counting at low concentrations: the statistical challenges of verifying ballast water discharge standards
Melanie Frazier, A. Whitman Miller, Henry Lee II, Deborah A. Reusser
2013, Ecological Applications (23) 339-351
Discharge from the ballast tanks of ships is one of the primary vectors of nonindigenous species in marine environments. To mitigate this environmental and economic threat, international, national, and state entities are establishing regulations to limit the concentration of living organisms that may be discharged from the ballast tanks of...
Approaches to setting organism-based ballast water discharge standards
Henry Lee II, Deborah A. Reusser, Melanie Frazier
2013, Ecological Applications (23) 301-310
As a vector by which foreign species invade coastal and freshwater waterbodies, ballast water discharge from ships is recognized as a major environmental threat. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) drafted an international treaty establishing ballast water discharge standards based on the number of viable organisms per volume of ballast discharge...
Web-based flood database for Colorado, water years 1867 through 2011
Michael S. Kohn, Robert D. Jarrett, Gary S. Krammes, Amanullah Mommandi
2013, Open-File Report 2012-1225
In order to provide a centralized repository of flood information for the State of Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Transportation, created a Web-based geodatabase for flood information from water years 1867 through 2011 and data for paleofloods occurring in the past 5,000 to...
Rapid microsatellite marker development using next generation pyrosequencing to inform invasive Burmese python -- Python molurus bivittatus -- management
Margaret E. Hunter, Kristen M. Hart
2013, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (14) 4793-4804
Invasive species represent an increasing threat to native ecosystems, harming indigenous taxa through predation, habitat modification, cross-species hybridization and alteration of ecosystem processes. Additionally, high economic costs are associated with environmental damage, restoration and control measures. The Burmese python, Python molurus bivittatus, is one of the most notable invasive species...
Baseline data for evaluating development trajectory and provision of ecosystem services of created fringing oyster reefs in Vermilion Bay, Louisiana
Megan La Peyre, Lindsay Schwarting, Shea Miller
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1053
Understanding the time frame in which ecosystem services (that is, water quality maintenance, shoreline protection, habitat provision) are expected to be provided is important when restoration projects are being designed and implemented. Restoration of three-dimensional shell habitats in coastal Louisiana and elsewhere presents a valuable and potentially self-sustaining approach to...
Trends and causes of historical wetland loss in coastal Louisiana
Julie Bernier
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3017
Wetland losses in the northern Gulf Coast region of the United States are so extensive that they represent critical concerns to government environmental agencies and natural resource managers. In Louisiana, almost 3,000 square kilometers (km2) of low-lying wetlands converted to open water between 1956 and 2004, and billions of dollars...
Gallium--A smart metal
Nora Foley, Brian W. Jaskula
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3006
Gallium is a soft, silvery metallic element with an atomic number of 31 and the chemical symbol Ga. The French chemist Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran discovered gallium in sphalerite (a zinc-sulfide mineral) in 1875 using spectroscopy. He named the element "gallia" after his native land of France (formerly Gaul; in...
Preliminary assessment of bioengineered fringing shoreline reefs in Grand Isle and Breton Sound, Louisiana
Megan La Peyre, Lindsay Schwarting, Shea Miller
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1040
Restoration of three-dimensional shell habitats in coastal Louisiana presents a valuable and potentially self-sustaining approach to providing shoreline protection and critical nekton habitat and may contribute to water quality maintenance. The use of what has been called “living shorelines” is particularly promising because in addition to the hypothesized shoreline protection...
California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project--shallow aquifer assessment
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
2013, Fact Sheet 2012-3136
The California State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) GAMA Program is a comprehensive assessment of statewide groundwater quality in California. From 2004 to 2012, the GAMA Program’s Priority Basin Project focused on assessing groundwater resources used for public drinking-water supplies. More than 2,000 public-supply wells were sampled by U.S. Geological...
Geology and oil and gas assessment of the Todilto Total Petroleum System, San Juan Basin Province, New Mexico and Colorado: Chapter 3 in Total petroleum systems and geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the San Juan Basin Province, exclusive of Paleozoic rocks, New Mexico and Colorado
J.L. Ridgley, J. R. Hatch
2013, Data Series 69-F-3
Organic-rich, shaly limestone beds, which contain hydrocarbon source beds in the lower part of the Jurassic Todilto Limestone Member of the Wanakah Formation, and sandstone reservoirs in the overlying Jurassic Entrada Sandstone, compose the Todilto Total Petroleum System (TPS). Source rock facies of the Todilto Limestone were deposited in a...
