Water resources of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Lawrence B. Prakken, John K. Lovelace
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3075
This fact sheet presents a brief overview of groundwater and surface-water resources in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Information on the availability, past and current use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is discussed. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National...
Performance of quantitative vegetation sampling methods across gradients of cover in Great Basin plant communities
David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle
2013, Rangeland Ecology and Management (66) 634-647
Resource managers and scientists need efficient, reliable methods for quantifying vegetation to conduct basic research, evaluate land management actions, and monitor trends in habitat conditions. We examined three methods for quantifying vegetation in 1-ha plots among different plant communities in the northern Great Basin: photography-based grid-point intercept (GPI), line-point intercept...
USGS science at work in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary
Michelle K. Shouse, Dale A. Cox
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3037
The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta form one of the largest estuaries in the United States. The “Bay-Delta” system provides water to more than 25 million California residents and vast farmlands, as well as key habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife. To help ensure the health of...
Borehole-explosion and air-gun data acquired in the 2011 Salton Seismic Imaging Project (SSIP), southern California: description of the survey
Elizabeth J. Rose, Gary S. Fuis, Joann M. Stock, John A. Hole, Annie M. Kell, Graham Kent, Neal W. Driscoll, Mark Goldman, Angela M. Reusch, Liang Han, Robert R. Sickler, Rufus D. Catchings, Michael J. Rymer, Coyn J. Criley, Daniel S. Scheirer, Steven M. Skinner, Coye J. Slayday-Criley, Janice M. Murphy, Edward G. Jensen, Robert McClearn, Alex J. Ferguson, Lesley A. Butcher, Max A. Gardner, Iain D. Emmons, Caleb L. Loughran, Joseph R. Svitek, Patrick C. Bastien, Joseph A. Cotton, David S. Croker, Alistair J. Harding, Jeffrey M. Babcock, Steven H. Harder, Carla M. Rosa
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1172
The Imperial and Coachella Valleys are being formed by active plate-tectonic processes. From the Imperial Valley southward into the Gulf of California, plate motions are rifting the continent apart. In the Coachella Valley, the plates are sliding past one another along the San Andreas and related faults (fig. 1). These...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Alabama
William J. Carswell Jr.
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3105
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Alabama, elevation data are critical for flood risk management; infrastructure and construction management; wildfire management, planning, and response; natural resources conservation; geologic...
Geochemistry of soils from the San Rafael Valley, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Helen W. Folger, Floyd Gray
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1149
This study was conducted to determine whether surficial geochemical methods can be used to identify subsurface mineraldeposits covered by alluvium derived from surrounding areas. The geochemical investigation focused on an anomalous geo-physical magnetic high located in the San Rafael Valley in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The magnetic high, inferred to...
Ups and Downs of Burbot and their predator Lake Trout in Lake Superior, 1953-2011
Owen T. Gorman, Shawn P. Sitar
2013, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (142) 1757-1772
The fish community of Lake Superior has undergone a spectacular cycle of decline and recovery over the past 60 years. A combination of Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus depredation and commercial overfishing resulted in severe declines in Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush, which served as the primary top predator of the community....
Hyporheic zone denitrification: controls on effective reaction depth and contribution to whole-stream mass balance
Judson W. Harvey, John Karl Böhlke, Mary A. Voytek, Durelle Scott, Craig R. Tobias
2013, Water Resources Research (49) 6298-6316
Stream denitrification is thought to be enhanced by hyporheic transport but there is little direct evidence from the field. To demonstrate at a field site, we injected 15NO3−, Br (conservative tracer), and SF6 (gas exchange tracer) and compared measured whole-stream denitrification with in situ hyporheic denitrification in shallow and deeper...
Obligate brood parasites show more functionally effective innate immune responses: an eco-immunological hypothesis
D. Caldwell Hahn, Scott G. Summers, Kenneth J. Genovese, Haiqi He, Michael H. Kogut
2013, Evolutionary Biology (40) 554-561
Immune adaptations of obligate brood parasites attracted interest when three New World cowbird species (Passeriformes, Icteridae, genus Molothrus) proved unusually resistant to West Nile virus. We have used cowbirds as models to investigate the eco-immunological hypothesis that species in parasite-rich environments characteristically have enhanced immunity as a life history adaptation....
Evaluation of permeability and non-Darcy flow in vuggy macroporous limestone aquifer samples with lattice Boltzmann methods
Michael C. Sukop, Haibo Huang, Pedro F. Alvarez, Evan A. Variano, Kevin J. Cunningham
2013, Water Resources Research (49) 216-230
Lattice Boltzmann flow simulations provide a physics-based means of estimating intrinsic permeability from pore structure and accounting for inertial flow that leads to departures from Darcy's law. Simulations were used to compute intrinsic permeability where standard measurement methods may fail and to provide better understanding of departures from Darcy's law...
Iodine-129 in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2010-12
Roy C. Bartholomay
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5195
From 1953 to 1988, approximately 0.941 curies of iodine-129 (129I) were contained in wastewater generated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) with almost all of this wastewater discharged at or near the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). Most of the wastewater containing 129I was discharged directly into the...
Effect of tidal fluctuations on transient dispersion of simulated contaminant concentrations in coastal aquifers
Ivana La Licata, Christian D. Langevin, Alyssa M. Dausman, Luca Alberti
2013, Hydrogeology Journal (19) 1313-1322
Variable-density groundwater models require extensive computational resources, particularly for simulations representing short-term hydrologic variability such as tidal fluctuations. Saltwater-intrusion models usually neglect tidal fluctuations and this may introduce errors in simulated concentrations. The effects of tides on simulated concentrations in a coastal aquifer were assessed. Three analyses are reported: in...
Paleomagnetic contributions to the Klamath Mountains terrane puzzle-a new piece from the Ironside Mountain batholith, northern California
Edward A. Mankinen, C. Sherman Gromme, W. Porter Irwin
2013, Tectonophysics (608) 401-407
We obtained paleomagnetic samples from six sites within the Middle Jurassic Ironside Mountain batholith (~170 Ma), which constitutes the structurally lowest part of the Western Hayfork terrane, in the Klamath Mountains province of northern California and southern Oregon. Structural attitudes measured in the coeval Hayfork Bally Meta-andesite were used...
Water-table and Potentiometric-surface altitudes in the Upper Glacial, Magothy, and Lloyd aquifers beneath Long Island, New York, April-May 2010
Jack Monti Jr., Michael D. Como, Ronald Busciolano
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3270
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with State and local agencies, systematically collects groundwater data at varying measurement frequencies to monitor the hydrologic conditions on Long Island, New York. Each year during April and May, the USGS conducts a synoptic survey of water levels to define the spatial distribution...
Post-fire debris-flow hazard assessment of the area burned by the 2013 Beaver Creek Fire near Hailey, central Idaho
Kenneth D. Skinner
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1273
A preliminary hazard assessment was developed for debris-flow hazards in the 465 square-kilometer (115,000 acres) area burned by the 2013 Beaver Creek fire near Hailey in central Idaho. The burn area covers all or part of six watersheds and selected basins draining to the Big Wood River and is at...
Comparison of electrofishing techniques to detect larval lampreys in wadeable streams in the Pacific Northwest
Jason B. Dunham, Nathan D. Chelgren, Michael P. Heck, Steven M. Clark
2013, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (33) 1149-1155
We evaluated the probability of detecting larval lampreys using different methods of backpack electrofishing in wadeable streams in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Our primary objective was to compare capture of lampreys using electrofishing with standard settings for salmon and trout to settings specifically adapted for capture of lampreys. Field work...
Effects of sea-level rise on salt water intrusion near a coastal well field in southeastern Florida
Christian D. Langevin, Michael Zygnerski
2013, Ground Water (51) 781-803
A variable-density groundwater flow and dispersive solute transport model was developed for the shallow coastal aquifer system near a municipal supply well field in southeastern Florida. The model was calibrated for a 105-year period (1900 to 2005). An analysis with the model suggests that well-field withdrawals were the dominant cause...
The effects of salinity exposure on multiple life stages of a common freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata
Carrie J. Blakeslee, Heather S. Galbraith, Laura S. Robertson, Barbara St. John White
2013, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (32) 2849-2854
There is growing concern over the effects of increased salinization on freshwater organisms, which are largely unknown for unionid mussels. Adult and larval Elliptio complanata were exposed to low-level salt concentrations to determine the effects on mussel survival, physiology, and reproduction. Adults were exposed to salt concentrations of 0 parts...
Two flysch belts having distinctly different provenance suggest no stratigraphic link between the Wrangellia composite terrane and the paleo-Alaskan margin
Chad P. Hults, Frederic H. Wilson, Raymond A. Donelick, Paul B. O'Sullivan
2013, Lithosphere (5) 575-594
The provenance of Jurassic to Cretaceous flysch along the northern boundary of the allochthonous Wrangellia composite terrane, exposed from the Lake Clark region of southwest Alaska to the Nutzotin Mountains in eastern Alaska, suggests that the flysch can be divided into two belts having different sources. On the north, the...
Temporal changes and sexual differences in spatial distribution of Burbot in Lake Erie
Martin A. Stapanian, Larry D. Witzel, Andy Cook
2013, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (142) 1724-1732
We used GIS mapping techniques to examine capture data for Burbot Lota lota from annual gill-net surveys in Canadian waters of Lake Erie during late August and September 1994–2011. Adult males were captured over a larger area (3–17% for ≥20% maximum yearly catch [MYC]) than adult females. More males than...
Brant (Branta bernnicla)
David H. Ward, Dirk V. Derksen, A. Reed, J.S. Sedinger
2013, Report, The Birds of North America Online
The Brant (called Brent Goose in Europe) is a small dark goose that occurs throughout much of the northern hemisphere. In contrast to other goose species, Brant are characterized by their extensive use of native coastal habitats outside the breeding season. Three to four subspecies are recognized (see Systematics), mainly on the...
Equations for estimating bankfull channel geometry and discharge for streams in Massachusetts
Gardner C. Bent, Andrew M. Waite
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5155
Regression equations were developed for estimating bankfull geometry—width, mean depth, cross-sectional area—and discharge for streams in Massachusetts. The equations provide water-resource and conservation managers with methods for estimating bankfull characteristics at specific stream sites in Massachusetts. This information can be used for the adminstration of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Rivers...
Hydrogeology and hydrologic conditions of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer System from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
John P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Jack Monti Jr., Mark R. Nardi, Jason S. Finkelstein, Kurt J. McCoy
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5133
The seaward-dipping sedimentary wedge that underlies the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain forms a complex groundwater system. This major source of water provides for public and domestic supply and serves as a vital source of freshwater for industrial and agricultural uses throughout the region. Population increases and land-use and climate changes,...
Watershed Regressions for Pesticides (WARP) models for predicting stream concentrations of multiple pesticides
Wesley W. Stone, Charles G. Crawford, Robert J. Gilliom
2013, Journal of Environmental Quality (42) 1838-1851
Watershed Regressions for Pesticides for multiple pesticides (WARP-MP) are statistical models developed to predict concentration statistics for a wide range of pesticides in unmonitored streams. The WARP-MP models use the national atrazine WARP models in conjunction with an adjustment factor for each additional pesticide. The WARP-MP models perform best for...
Spatial ecological processes and local factors predict the distribution and abundance of spawning by steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) across a complex riverscape
Jeffrey A. Falke, Jason B. Dunham, Christopher E. Jordan, Kris M. McNyset, Gordon H. Reeves
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Processes that influence habitat selection in landscapes involve the interaction of habitat composition and configuration and are particularly important for species with complex life cycles. We assessed the relative influence of landscape spatial processes and local habitat characteristics on patterns in the distribution and abundance of spawning steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss),...
