Science strategy for Core Science Systems in the U.S. Geological Survey, 2013-2023
R. Sky Bristol, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Nathaniel L. Booth, Nina Burkardt, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Dean B. Gesch, Brian E. McCallum, David M. Miller, Suzette A. Morman, Barbara S. Poore, Richard P. Signell, Roland J. Viger
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1093
Core Science Systems is a new mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that grew out of the 2007 Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges: U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007–2017.” This report describes the vision for this USGS mission and outlines a strategy for Core Science Systems to...
The U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystem Science Strategy, 2012-2022 - Advancing discovery and application through collaboration
Byron K. Williams, G. Lynn Wingard, Gary Brewer, James E. Cloern, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Robert B. Jacobson, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Anthony D. McGuire, James D. Nichols, Carl D. Shapiro, Charles van Riper III, Robin P. White
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1092
Ecosystem science is critical to making informed decisions about natural resources that can sustain our Nation’s economic and environmental well-being. Resource managers and policy-makers are faced with countless decisions each year at local, state, tribal, territorial, and national levels on issues as diverse as renewable and non-renewable energy development, agriculture,...
U.S. Geological Survey energy and minerals science strategy
Richard C. Ferrero, Jonathan J. Kolak, Donald J. Bills, Zachary H. Bowen, Daniel J. Cordier, Tanya J. Gallegos, James R. Hein, Karen D. Kelley, Philip H. Nelson, Vito F. Nuccio, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Robert R. Seal II
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1072
The economy, national security, and standard of living of the United States depend heavily on adequate and reliable supplies of energy and mineral resources. Based on current population and consumption trends, the Nation's use of energy and minerals can be expected to grow, driving the demand for ever broader scientific...
Regional economic impacts of current and proposed management alternatives for Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge
Leslie Richardson, Chris Huber, Lynne Koontz
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1094
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 requires all units of the National Wildlife Refuge System to be managed under a Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The Comprehensive Conservation Plan must describe the desired future conditions of a Refuge and provide long-range guidance and management direction to achieve refuge purposes....
Natural hazards science strategy
Robert R. Holmes Jr., Lucile M. Jones, Jeffery C. Eidenshink, Jonathan W. Godt, Stephen H. Kirby, Jeffrey J. Love, Christina A. Neal, Nathaniel G. Plant, Michael L. Plunkett, Craig S. Weaver, Anne Wein, Suzanne C. Perry
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1088
The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in natural hazards is to develop and apply hazard science to help protect the safety, security, and economic well-being of the Nation. The costs and consequences of natural hazards can be enormous, and each year more people and infrastructure are at risk....
Variability of distributions of well-scale estimated ultimate recovery for continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources in the United States
U.S. Geological Survey Oil and Gas Assessment Team
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1118
Since 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey has completed assessments of continuous (unconventional) resources in the United States based on geologic studies and analysis of well-production data. This publication uses those 132 continuous oil and gas assessments to show the variability of well productivity within and among the 132 areas. The...
Sulfur dioxide emission rates from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, 2007-2010
T. Elias, A. J. Sutton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1107
Kīlauea Volcano has one of the longest running volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate databases on record. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from Kīlauea Volcano were first measured by Stoiber and Malone (1975) and have been measured on a regular basis since 1979 (Elias and Sutton, 2007, and references within). Compilations...
A Markov chain analysis of the movements of juvenile salmonids in the forebay of McNary Dam, Washington and Oregon, 2006-09
Noah S. Adams, Tyson W. Hatton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1119
Passage and survival data for yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead were collected at McNary Dam between 2006 and 2009. These data have provided critical information for resource managers to implement structural and operational changes designed to improve the survival of juvenile salmonids as they migrate past the...
A Markov chain analysis of the movements of juvenile salmonids, including sockeye salmon, in the forebay of McNary Dam, Washington and Oregon, 2006-09
Noah S. Adams, Tyson W. Hatton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1120
Passage and survival data were collected at McNary Dam between 2006 and 2009. These data have provided critical information for resource managers to implement structural and operational changes designed to improve the survival of juvenile salmonids as they migrate past the dam. Much of the valuable information collected at McNary...
Monitoring of stream restoration habitat on the main stem of the Methow River, Washington, during the pre-treatment phase (October 2008-May 2012) with a progress report for activities from March 2011 to November 2011
Wesley T. Tibbits, Kyle D. Martens, Patrick J. Connolly
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1108
Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) received a request from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to provide monitoring and an evaluation of the effectiveness of habitat actions that Reclamation plans to implement in the Upper Columbia River basin, which includes the Methow River. This monitoring and evaluation program...
Aquatic organism passage at road-stream crossings—synthesis and guidelines for effectiveness monitoring
Robert L. Hoffman, Jason B. Dunham, Bruce P. Hansen
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1090
Restoration and maintenance of passage for aquatic organisms at road-stream crossings represents a major management priority, involving an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars (for example, U.S. Government Accounting Office, 2001). In recent years, passage at hundreds of crossings has been restored, primarily by replacing barrier road culverts with...
Dissolved oxygen analysis, TMDL model comparison, and particulate matter shunting—Preliminary results from three model scenarios for the Klamath River upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Annett B. Sullivan, Stewart A. Rounds, Michael L. Deas, I. Ertugrul Sogutlugil
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1101
Efforts are underway to identify actions that would improve water quality in the Link River to Keno Dam reach of the Upper Klamath River in south-central Oregon. To provide further insight into water-quality improvement options, three scenarios were developed, run, and analyzed using previously calibrated CE-QUAL-W2 hydrodynamic and water-quality models....
Introduction to geospatial semantics and technology workshop handbook
Dalia E. Varanka
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1109
The workshop is a tutorial on introductory geospatial semantics with hands-on exercises using standard Web browsers. The workshop is divided into two sections, general semantics on the Web and specific examples of geospatial semantics using data from The National Map of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Open Ontology Repository....
Biological assessment of environmental flows for Oklahoma
William L. Fisher, Titus S. Seilheimer, Jason M. Taylor
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1114
Large-scale patterns in fish assemblage structure and functional groups are influenced by alterations in streamflow regime. In this study, we defined an objective threshold for alteration for Oklahoma streams using a combination of the expected range of 27 flow indices and a discriminant analysis to predict flow regime group. We...
Assessment of soil-gas contamination at three former fuel-dispensing sites, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2010—2011
Andral W. Caldwell, W. Fred Falls, Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1082
Soil gas was assessed for contaminants at three former fuel-dispensing sites at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from October 2010 to September 2011. The assessment included delineation of organic contaminants using soil-gas samplers collected from the former fuel-dispensing sites at 8th Street, Chamberlain Avenue, and 12th Street. This assessment was conducted to...
Surveillance for White-Nose Syndrome in the bat community at El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico, 2011
Ernest W. Valdez
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1097
From late winter to summer 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey Arid Lands Field Station conducted mist-netting efforts at El Malpais National Monument and on adjacent lands belonging to Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to detect the occurrence of white-nose syndrome or causal fungal agent (Geomyces destructans). During...
Automated delineation and characterization of watersheds for more than 3,000 surface-water-quality monitoring stations active in 2010 in Texas
Christy-Ann M. Archuleta, Sophia L. Gonzales, David R. Maltby II
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1077
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, developed computer scripts and applications to automate the delineation of watershed boundaries and compute watershed characteristics for more than 3,000 surface-water-quality monitoring stations in Texas that were active during 2010. Microsoft Visual Basic applications were developed...
Distribution and condition of young-of-year Lost River and shortnose suckers in the Williamson River Delta restoration project and Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2008-10--Final Report
Summer M. Burdick, David A. Hewitt
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1098
The Nature Conservancy undertook restoration of the Williamson River Delta Preserve with a primary goal "to restore and maintain the diversity of habitats that are essential to the endangered [Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris)] while, at the same time, minimizing disturbance and adverse impacts" (David...
Geochemical data from groundwater at the proposed Dewey Burdock uranium in-situ recovery mine, Edgemont, South Dakota
Raymond H. Johnson
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1070
This report releases groundwater geochemistry data from samples that were collected in June 2011 at the Dewey Burdock proposed uranium in-situ recovery site near Edgemont, South Dakota. The sampling and analytical methods are summarized, and all of the data, including quality assurance/quality control information are provided in data tables....
Logs and data from trenches across and near the Green Valley Fault at the Mason Road site, Fairfield, Solano County, California, 2006-2009
James J. Lienkaemper, Robert R. Sickler, Shannon Mahan, Johnathan Brown, Liam M. Reidy, Mindy A. Kimball
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1011
The primary purpose of this report is to provide drafted field logs of exploratory trenches excavated across the Green Valley Fault in 2007 and 2009 that show evidence for four surface rupturing earthquakes in the past one thousand years. The site location and site detail are shown on sheet 1....
National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards--Gulf of Mexico
Hilary F. Stockdon, Kara S. Doran, David M. Thompson, Kristin L. Sopkin, Nathaniel G. Plant, Asbury H. Sallenger Jr.
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1084
Sandy beaches provide a natural barrier between the ocean and inland communities, ecosystems, and resources. However, these dynamic environments move and change in response to winds, waves, and currents. During a hurricane, these changes can be large and sometimes catastrophic. High waves and storm surge act together to erode beaches...
Sediment characteristics of the Yellowstone River in the vicinity of a proposed bypass chute near Glendive, Montana, 2011
Brent R. Hanson
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1042
In 2011, sediment data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Yellowstone River at the location of a proposed bypass chute. The sediment data were collected to provide an understanding of the sediment dynamics of the given reach of...
Evaluation of modeling for groundwater flow and tetrachloroethylene transport in the Milford-Souhegan glacial-drift aquifer at the Savage Municipal Well Superfund site, Milford, New Hampshire, 2011
Philip T. Harte
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1079
The U.S. Geological Survey and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services entered into a cooperative agreement to assist in the evaluation of remedy simulations of the MSGD aquifer that are being performed by various parties to track the remedial progress of the PCE plume. This report summarizes findings from...
Evidence for mid-Holocene shift in depositional style in Mobile Bay, Alabama
David Twichell, Kyle Kelso, Elizabeth A. Pendleton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1081
The Holocene stratigraphy of Mobile Bay, Alabama, was mapped using a combination of high-resolution seismic data and sediment cores to refine changes in the bay's evolution during this time. The base of the Holocene-era stratigraphy is an erosional surface formed during the last glacial maximum. Overlying Holocene deposits are primarily...
Winter ecology and habitat use of lesser prairie-chickens in west Texas, 2008-11
Clint W. Boal, Nicholas E. Pirius
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1073
The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has experienced declines in population and occupied range by more than 90 percent since the late 1800s. The lesser prairie-chicken has been listed as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act and is undergoing review for actual listing. Populations and distribution of...
