Montana StreamStats—A method for retrieving basin and streamflow characteristics in Montana: Chapter A in Montana StreamStats
Peter McCarthy, DeAnn M. Dutton, Steven K. Sando, Roy Sando
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5019-A
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides streamflow characteristics and other related information needed by water-resource managers to protect people and property from floods, plan and manage water-resource activities, and protect water quality. Streamflow characteristics provided by the USGS, such as peak-flow and low-flow frequencies for streamflow-gaging stations, are frequently used...
Peak-flow frequency analyses and results based on data through water year 2011 for selected streamflow-gaging stations in or near Montana: Chapter C in Montana StreamStats
Steven K. Sando, Peter McCarthy, DeAnn M. Dutton
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5019-C
Chapter C of this Scientific Investigations Report documents results from a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Montana Department of Transportation and the Montana Department of Natural Resources, to provide an update of statewide peak-flow frequency analyses and results for Montana. The purpose of this report...
Adjusted peak-flow frequency estimates for selected streamflow-gaging stations in or near Montana based on data through water year 2011: Chapter D in Montana StreamStats
Steven K. Sando, Roy Sando, Peter McCarthy, DeAnn M. Dutton
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5019-D
The climatic conditions of the specific time period during which peak-flow data were collected at a given streamflow-gaging station (hereinafter referred to as gaging station) can substantially affect how well the peak-flow frequency (hereinafter referred to as frequency) results represent long-term hydrologic conditions. Differences in the timing of the periods...
Pranked by Audubon: Constantine S. Rafinesque's description of John James Audubon's imaginary Kentucky mammals
Neal Woodman
2016, Archives of Natural History (43) 95-108
The North American naturalist Constantine S. Rafinesque spent much of the year 1818 engaged in a solo journey down the Ohio River Valley to explore parts of what was then the western United States. Along the way, he visited a number of fellow naturalists, and he spent...
Developing recreational harvest regulations for an unexploited lake trout population
Melissa A Lenker, Brian Weidel, Olaf P. Jensen, Christopher T. Solomon
2016, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (36) 385-397
Developing fishing regulations for previously unexploited populations presents numerous challenges, many of which stem from a scarcity of baseline information about abundance, population productivity, and expected angling pressure. We used simulation models to test the effect of six management strategies (catch and release; trophy, minimum, and maximum length limits; and...
Research needs to better understand Lake Ontario ecosystem function: A workshop summary
Thomas J. Stewart, Lars G. Rudstam, James M. Watkins, Timothy B. Johnson, Brian Weidel, Marten A. Koops
2016, Journal of Great Lakes Research (42) 1-5
Lake Ontario investigators discussed and interpreted published and unpublished information during two workshops to assess our current understanding of Lake Ontario ecosystem function and to identify research needs to guide future research and monitoring activities. The purpose of this commentary is to summarize key investigative themes and hypotheses that emerged...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Growth, survival, longevity, and population size of the Big Mouth Cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides) from the type locality in Grundy County, Tennessee, USA
Matthew L. Niemiller, Brad M. Glorioso, Dante B. Fenolio, R. Graham Reynolds, Steven J. Taylor, Brian T. Miller
2016, Copeia (104) 35-41
Salamander species that live entirely in subterranean habitats have evolved adaptations that allow them to cope with perpetual darkness and limited energy resources. We conducted a 26-month mark–recapture study to better understand the individual growth and demography of a population of the Big Mouth Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides). We...
Avian malaria in a boreal resident species: long-term temporal variability, and increased prevalence in birds with avian keratin disorder
Laura C. Wilkinson, Colleen M. Handel, Caroline R. Van Hemert, Claire Loiseau, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal
2016, International Journal for Parasitology (16) 281-290
The prevalence of vector-borne parasitic diseases is widely influenced by biological and ecological factors. Environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation can have a marked effect on haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium spp.) that cause malaria and those that cause other malaria-like diseases in birds. However, there have been few long-term studies monitoring...
Low soil moisture during hot periods drives apparent negative temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in a dryland ecosystem: A multi-model comparison
Colin Tucker, Sasha C. Reed
2016, Biogeochemistry (128) 155-169
Arid and semiarid ecosystems (drylands) may dominate the trajectory of biosphere-to-atmosphere carbon (C) exchange, and understanding dryland CO2 efflux is important for C cycling at the global-scale. However, unknowns remain regarding how temperature and moisture interact to regulate dryland soil respiration (R s ), while ‘islands of fertility’ in drylands create spatially heterogeneous R s ....
Increasing influence of air temperature on upper Colorado River streamflow
Connie A. Woodhouse, Gregory T. Pederson, Kiyomi Morino, Stephanie A. McAfee, Gregory J. McCabe
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 2174-2181
This empirical study examines the influence of precipitation, temperature, and antecedent soil moisture on upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) water year streamflow over the past century. While cool season precipitation explains most of the variability in annual flows, temperature appears to be highly influential under certain conditions, with the role...
A multiagency and multijurisdictional approach to mapping the glacial deposits of the Great Lakes region in three dimensions
Richard C. Berg, Steven E. Brown, Jason F. Thomason, Nancy R. Hasenmueller, Sally L. Letsinger, Kevin A. Kincare, John M. Esch, Alan E. Kehew, Harvey Thorleifson, Andrew Kozlowski, Brian C. Bird, Richard R. Pavey, Andy F. Bajc, Abigail K. Burt, Gary M. Fleeger, Eric C. Carson
2016, GSA Special Papers (520) 415-447
The Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition (GLGMC), consisting of state geological surveys from all eight Great Lakes states, the Ontario Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey, was conceived out of a societal need for unbiased and scientifically defensible geologic information on the shallow subsurface, particularly the delineation, interpretation, and...
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...
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...
Evidence for partial melt in the crust beneath Mt. Paektu (Changbaishan), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and China
Ri Kyong-Song, James O. S. Hammond, Ko Chol-Nam, Kim Hyok, Yun Yong-Gun, Pak Gil-Jong, Ri Chong-Song, Clive Oppenheimer, Kosima W. Liu, Kayla D. Iacovino, Ryu Kum-Ran
2016, Science Advances (2)
Mt. Paektu (also known as Changbaishan) is an enigmatic volcano on the border between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and China. Despite being responsible for one of the largest eruptions in history, comparatively little is known about its magmatic evolution, geochronology, or underlying structure. We present receiver function...
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...
