Characterizing invertebrate traits in wadeable streams of the contiguous US: differences among ecoregions and land uses
Robert E. Zuellig, Travis S. Schmidt
2012, Freshwater Science (31) 1042-1056
Much is known about invertebrate community traits in basins across Europe, but no comprehensive description of traits exists for the continental US. Little is known about the trait composition of invertebrates in reference or least-disturbed basins of the US, how trait composition varies among ecoregions, or how consistently traits respond...
Advanced methods for modeling water-levels and estimating drawdowns with SeriesSEE, an Excel add-in
Keith Halford, C. Amanda Garcia, Joe Fenelon, Benjamin B. Mirus
2012, Techniques and Methods 4-F4
Water-level modeling is used for multiple-well aquifer tests to reliably differentiate pumping responses from natural water-level changes in wells, or “environmental fluctuations.” Synthetic water levels are created during water-level modeling and represent the summation of multiple component fluctuations, including those caused by environmental forcing and pumping. Pumping signals are modeled...
Estimating seasonal evapotranspiration from temporal satellite images
Ramesh K. Singh, Shu-Guang Liu, Larry L. Tieszen, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi B. Verma
2012, Irrigation Science (30) 303-313
Estimating seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) has many applications in water resources planning and management, including hydrological and ecological modeling. Availability of satellite remote sensing images is limited due to repeat cycle of satellite or cloud cover. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of different methods namely cubic spline, fixed,...
Groundwater levels and water-quality observations pertaining to the Austin Group, Bexar County, Texas, 2009-11
J.R. Banta, Allan K. Clark
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5278
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, examined groundwater-level altitudes (groundwater levels) and water-quality data pertaining to the Austin Group in Bexar County, Texas, during 2009–11. Hydrologic data collected included daily mean groundwater levels collected at seven sites in the study area. Water-quality samples were...
Approaches in highly parameterized inversion: TSPROC, a general time-series processor to assist in model calibration and result summarization
Stephen M. Westenbroek, John Doherty, John F. Walker, Victor A. Kelson, Randall J. Hunt, Timothy B. Cera
2012, Techniques and Methods 7-C7
The TSPROC (Time Series PROCessor) computer software uses a simple scripting language to process and analyze time series. It was developed primarily to assist in the calibration of environmental models. The software is designed to perform calculations on time-series data commonly associated with surface-water models, including calculation of flow volumes,...
Contemporary seismicity in and around the Yakima-Fold-and-Thrust Belt in eastern Washington
J. Gomberg, B. Sherrod, M. Trautman, E. Burns, Diane Snyder
2012, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (102) 309-320
We examined characteristics of routinely cataloged seismicity from 1970 to the present in and around the Yakima fold‐and‐thrust belt (YFTB) in eastern Washington to determine if the characteristics of contemporary seismicity provide clues about regional‐scale active tectonics or about more localized, near‐surface processes. We employed new structural and hydrologic models...
Simulation of groundwater flow and hydrologic effects of groundwater withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system in the Pinelands of southern New Jersey
Emmanuel G. Charles, Robert S. Nicholson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5122
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system is an important source of present and future water supply in southern New Jersey. Because this unconfined aquifer system also supports sensitive wetland and aquatic habitats within the New Jersey Pinelands (Pinelands), water managers and policy makers need up-to-date information, data, and projections that show the...
Numerical simulation of groundwater movement and managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir, Hurricane Bench area, Washington County, Utah
Thomas M. Marston, Victor M. Heilweil
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5236
The Hurricane Bench area of Washington County, Utah, is a 70 square-mile area extending south from the Virgin River and encompassing Sand Hollow basin. Sand Hollow Reservoir, located on Hurricane Bench, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily as a managed aquifer recharge project by the Washington County...
Hydrologic and geochemical data collected near Skewed Reservoir, an impoundment for coal-bed natural gas produced water, Powder River Basin, Wyoming
Richard W. Healy, Cynthia A. Rice, Timothy T. Bartos
2012, Data Series 715
The Powder River Structural Basin is one of the largest producers of coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) in the United States. An important environmental concern in the Basin is the fate of groundwater that is extracted during CBNG production. Most of this produced water is disposed of in unlined surface impoundments....
Identifying bubble collapse in a hydrothermal system using hiddden Markov models
Phillip B. Dawson, M.C. Benitez, Jacob B. Lowenstern, Bernard A. Chouet
2012, Geophysical Research Letters (39)
Beginning in July 2003 and lasting through September 2003, the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park exhibited an unusual increase in ground temperature and hydrothermal activity. Using hidden Markov model theory, we identify over five million high-frequency (>15 Hz) seismic events observed at a temporary seismic station deployed in...
Role of surface-water and groundwater interactions on projected summertime streamflow in snow dominated regions : An integrated modeling approach
Justin L. Huntington, Richard G. Niswonger
2012, Water Resources Research (48)
Previous studies indicate predominantly increasing trends in precipitation across the Western United States, while at the same time, historical streamflow records indicate decreasing summertime streamflow and 25th percentile annual flows. These opposing trends could be viewed as paradoxical, given that several studies suggest that increased annual precipitation will equate to...
Spatial patterns of March and September streamflow trends in Pacific Northwest Streams, 1958-2008
Heejun Chang, Il-Won Jung, Madeline Steele, Marshall Gannett
2012, Geographical Analysis (44) 177-201
Summer streamflow is a vital water resource for municipal and domestic water supplies, irrigation, salmonid habitat, recreation, and water-related ecosystem services in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in the United States. This study detects significant negative trends in September absolute streamflow in a majority of 68 stream-gauging stations located on unregulated...
Characterization of the hydrologic resources of San Miguel County, New Mexico, and identification of hydrologic data gaps, 2011
Anne Marie Matherne, Anne M. Stewart
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5238
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with San Miguel County, New Mexico, conducted a study to assess publicly available information regarding the hydrologic resources of San Miguel County and to identify data gaps in that information and hydrologic information that could aid in the management of available water resources....
Low-flow characteristics of streams under natural and diversion conditions, Waipiʻo Valley, Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi
Richard A. Fontaine
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5118
Over the past 100 years, natural streamflow in Waipiʻo Valley has been reduced by the transfer of water out of the valley by Upper and Lower Hāmākua Ditches. The physical condition and diversion practices along the two ditch systems have varied widely over the years, and as a result, so...
Geomorphic analysis of the river response to sedimentation downstream of Mount Rainier, Washington
Jonathan A. Czuba, Christopher S. Magirl, Christiana R. Czuba, Christopher A. Curran, Kenneth H. Johnson, Theresa D. Olsen, Halley K. Kimball, Casey C. Gish
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1242
A study of the geomorphology of rivers draining Mount Rainier, Washington, was completed to identify sources of sediment to the river network; to identify important processes in the sediment delivery system; to assess current sediment loads in rivers draining Mount Rainier; to evaluate if there were trends in streamflow or...
Flood-inundation maps for a nine-mile reach of the Des Plaines River from Riverwoods to Mettawa, Illinois
Elizabeth A. Murphy, David T. Soong, Jennifer B. Sharpe
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5227
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9-mile reach of the Des Plaines River from Riverwoods to Mettawa, Illinois, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and the Villages of Lincolnshire and Riverwoods. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the...
Ohio River backwater flood-inundation maps for the Saline and Wabash Rivers in southern Illinois
Elizabeth A. Murphy, Jennifer B. Sharpe, David T. Soong
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5212
Digital flood-inundation maps for the Saline and Wabash Rivers referenced to elevations on the Ohio River in southern Illinois were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The inundation maps, accessible through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding...
Wetland fire remote sensing research--The Greater Everglades example
John Jones
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3133
Fire is a major factor in the Everglades ecosystem. For thousands of years, lightning-strike fires from summer thunderstorms have helped create and maintain a dynamic landscape suited both to withstand fire and recover quickly in the wake of frequent fires. Today, managers in the Everglades National Park are implementing controlled...
Simulated effects of hydrologic, water quality, and land-use changes of the Lake Maumelle watershed, Arkansas, 2004–10
Rheannon M. Hart, W. Reed Green, Drew A. Westerman, James C. Petersen, Jeanne L. DeLanois
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5246
Lake Maumelle, located in central Arkansas northwest of the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, is one of two principal drinking-water supplies for the Little Rock, and North Little Rock, Arkansas, metropolitan areas. Lake Maumelle and the Maumelle River (its primary tributary) are more pristine than most other...
Estimated probability of arsenic in groundwater from bedrock aquifers in New Hampshire, 2011
Joseph D. Ayotte, Matthew Cahillane, Laura Hayes, Keith W. Robinson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5156
Probabilities of arsenic occurrence in groundwater from bedrock aquifers at concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) were estimated during 2011 using multivariate logistic regression. These estimates were developed for use by the New Hampshire Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. About 39 percent of New Hampshire bedrock...
The genetic structure of a relict population of wood frogs
Rick Scherer, Erin Muths, Barry Noon, Sara Oyler-McCance
2012, Conservation Genetics (13) 1521-1530
Habitat fragmentation and the associated reduction in connectivity between habitat patches are commonly cited causes of genetic differentiation and reduced genetic variation in animal populations. We used eight microsatellite markers to investigate genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity in a relict population of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvatica) in Rocky...
Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley
Bridget R. Scanlon, Claudia C. Faunt, Laurent Longuevergne, Robert C. Reedy, William M. Alley, Virginia L. McGuire, Peter B. McMahon
2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (109) 9320-9325
Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that...
Assessing future risks to agricultural productivity, water resources and food security: How can remote sensing help?
Prasad S. Thenkabail, Jerry W. Knox, Mutlu Ozdogan, Murali Krishna Gumma, Russell G. Congalton, Zhuoting Wu, Cristina Milesi, Alex Finkral, Mike Marshall, Isabella Mariotto, Songcai You, Chandra Giri, Pamela Nagler
2012, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (78) 773-782
Although global food production has been rising, the world sti ll faces a major food security challenge. Over one billion people are currently undernourished (Wheeler and Kay, 2010). By the 2050s, the human population is projected to grow to 9.1 billion. Over three-quarters of these people will be living in...
High-resolution tephrochronology of the Wilson Creek Formation (Mono Lake, California) and Laschamp event using 238U-230Th SIMS dating of accessory mineral rims
Jorge A. Vazquez, Marsha I. Lidzbarski
2012, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (357-358) 54-67
Sediments of the Wilson Creek Formation surrounding Mono Lake preserve a high-resolution archive of glacial and pluvial responses along the eastern Sierra Nevada due to late Pleistocene climate change. An absolute chronology for the Wilson Creek stratigraphy is critical for correlating the paleoclimate record to other archives in the western...
Characterizing post-drainage succession in Thermokarst Lake Basins on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska with TerraSAR-X Backscatter and Landsat-based NDVI data
Prajna Regmi, Guido Grosse, Miriam C. Jones, Benjamin M. Jones, Katey Walter Anthony
2012, Remote Sensing (4) 3741-3765
Drained thermokarst lake basins accumulate significant amounts of soil organic carbon in the form of peat, which is of interest to understanding carbon cycling and climate change feedbacks associated with thermokarst in the Arctic. Remote sensing is a tool useful for understanding temporal and spatial dynamics of drained basins. In...
