Columbia River Estuary ecosystem classification—Concept and application
Charles A. Simenstad, Jennifer L. Burke, Jim E. O'Connor, Charles Cannon, Danelle W. Heatwole, Mary F. Ramirez, Ian R. Waite, Timothy D. Counihan, Krista L. Jones
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1228
This document describes the concept, organization, and application of a hierarchical ecosystem classification that integrates saline and tidal freshwater reaches of estuaries in order to characterize the ecosystems of large flood plain rivers that are strongly influenced by riverine and estuarine hydrology. We illustrate the classification by applying it to...
Compilation of watershed models for tributaries to the Great Lakes, United States, as of 2010, and identification of watersheds for future modeling for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
William F. Coon, Elizabeth A. Murphy, David T. Soong, Jennifer B. Sharpe
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1202
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) during 2009–10, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) compiled a list of existing watershed models that had been created for tributaries within the United States that drain to the Great Lakes. Established Federal programs that are overseen by the National Oceanic and...
PCB-induced changes of a benthic community and expected ecosystem recovery following in situ sorbent amendment
Elisabeth M.-L. Janssen, Janet K. Thompson, Samuel N. Luoma, Richard G. Luthy
2011, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (30) 1819-1826
The benthic community was analyzed to evaluate pollution-induced changes for the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site at Hunters Point (HP) relative to 30 reference sites in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. An analysis based on functional traits of feeding, reproduction, and position in the sediment shows that HP is depauperate in...
Hydrogeologic framework of the Johns Creek subbasin and vicinity, Mason County, Washington
Wendy B. Welch, Mark E. Savoca
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5168
This report describes the hydrogeologic framework of the groundwater-flow system in the Johns Creek subbasin and vicinity. The study area covers 97 square miles in southeastern Mason County, Washington, and includes the Johns Creek subbasin, which drains an area of about 11 square miles. The study area extends beyond the...
USGS research on Florida's isolated freshwater wetlands
Arturo E. Torres, Kim H. Haag, Terrie M. Lee, Patricia A. Metz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3094
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has studied wetland hydrology and its effects on wetland health and ecology in Florida since the 1990s. USGS wetland studies in Florida and other parts of the Nation provide resource managers with tools to assess current conditions and regional trends in wetland resources. Wetland...
Assessment of surface-water quantity and quality, Eagle River watershed, Colorado, 1947-2007
Cory A. Williams, Jennifer L. Moore, Rodney J. Richards
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5075
From the early mining days to the current tourism-based economy, the Eagle River watershed (ERW) in central Colorado has undergone a sequence of land-use changes that has affected the hydrology, habitat, and water quality of the area. In 2000, the USGS, in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District,...
A geographic information system tool for aquatic resource conservation in the Red and Sabine River Watersheds of the southeast United States
J. A. Jenkins, S. B. Hartley, J. Carter, D. J. Johnson, J. B. Alford
2011, Article
Our goal was to build a geographic information system (GIS) tool to enhance modeling and hypothesis testing relevant to watersheds and fish fauna of the Red and Sabine Rivers in the southeastern United States. Species of concern were identified from wildlife action plans and Web sites. Spatial distributions of fish...
Simulated changes in salinity in the York and Chickahominy Rivers from projected sea-level rise in Chesapeake Bay
Karen C. Rice, Mark Bennett, Jian Shen
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1191
As a result of climate change and variability, sea level is rising throughout the world, but the rate along the east coast of the United States is higher than the global mean rate. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Newport News, Virginia, conducted a study to...
Simulating daily water temperatures of the Klamath River under dam removal and climate change scenarios
Russell W. Perry, John C. Risley, Scott J. Brewer, Edward C. Jones, Dennis W. Rondorf
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1243
A one-dimensional daily averaged water temperature model was used to simulate Klamath River temperatures for two management alternatives under historical climate conditions and six future climate scenarios. The analysis was conducted for the Secretarial Determination on removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. In 2012, the Secretary of...
Transient surface liquid in Titan's south polar region from Cassini
A. G. Hayes, O. Aharonson, J. I. Lunine, R. L. Kirk, H. A. Zebker, L. C. Wye, R. D. Lorenz, E. P. Turtle, P. Paillou, Giuseppe Mitri, S. D. Wall, E. R. Stofan, K. L. Mitchell, C. Elachi
2011, Icarus (211) 655-671
Cassini RADAR images of Titan’s south polar region acquired during southern summer contain lake features which disappear between observations. These features show a tenfold increases in backscatter cross-section between images acquired one year apart, which is inconsistent with common scattering models without invoking temporal variability. The morphologic boundaries are...
Nutrient and sediment concentrations and corresponding loads during the historic June 2008 flooding in eastern Iowa
L. Hubbard, D.W. Kolpin, S. J. Kalkhoff, Dale M. Robertson
2011, Journal of Environmental Quality (40) 166-175
A combination of above-normal precipitation during the winter and spring of 2007-2008 and extensive rainfall during June 2008 led to severe flooding in many parts of the midwestern United States. This resulted in transport of substantial amounts of nutrients and sediment from Iowa basins into the Mississippi River. Water samples...
Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of groundwater resources in Rush Valley, Tooele County, Utah
Philip M. Gardner, Stefan Kirby
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5068
The water resources of Rush Valley were assessed during 2008–2010 with an emphasis on refining the understanding of the groundwater-flow system and updating the groundwater budget. Surface-water resources within Rush Valley are limited and are generally used for agriculture. Groundwater is the principal water source for most other uses including...
Conceptual model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system
Victor M. Heilweil, Lynette E. Brooks, editor(s)
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5193
A conceptual model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system (GBCAAS) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for a regional assessment of groundwater availability as part of a national water census. The study area is an expansion of a previous USGS Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis (RASA)...
Phreatophytic land-cover map of the northern and central Great Basin Ecoregion: California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming
Amy M. Mathie, Toby L. Welborn, David D. Susong, Mary L. Tumbusch
2011, Scientific Investigations Map 3169
Increasing water use and changing climate in the Great Basin of the western United States are likely affecting the distribution of phreatophytic vegetation in the region. Phreatophytic plant communities that depend on groundwater are susceptible to natural and anthropogenic changes to hydrologic flow systems. The purpose of this report is...
Radium content of oil- and gas-field produced waters in the northern Appalachian Basin (USA): Summary and discussion of data
E. L. Rowan, M.A. Engle, C.S. Kirby, T. F. Kraemer
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5135
Radium activity data for waters co-produced with oil and gas in New York and Pennsylvania have been compiled from publicly available sources and are presented together with new data for six wells, including one time series. When available, total dissolved solids (TDS), and gross alpha and gross beta particle activities...
Sediment load from major rivers into Puget Sound and its adjacent waters
Jonathan A. Czuba, Christopher S. Magirl, Christiana R. Czuba, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher A. Curran, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Richard S. Dinicola
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3083
Each year, an estimated load of 6.5 million tons of sediment is transported by rivers to Puget Sound and its adjacent waters—enough to cover a football field to the height of six Space Needles. This estimated load is highly uncertain because sediment studies and available sediment-load data are sparse...
Refinement and evaluation of the Massachusetts firm-yield estimator model version 2.0
Sara B. Levin, Stacey A. Archfield, Andrew J. Massey
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5125
The firm yield is the maximum average daily withdrawal that can be extracted from a reservoir without risk of failure during an extended drought period. Previously developed procedures for determining the firm yield of a reservoir were refined and applied to 38 reservoir systems in Massachusetts, including 25 single- and...
Recent (2008-10) water quality in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer and its contributing zone, central Texas, with emphasis on factors affecting nutrients and bacteria
Barbara Mahler, MaryLynn Musgrove, Thomas L. Sample, Corinne I. Wong
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5139
The Barton Springs zone, which comprises the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer and the watersheds to the west that contribute to its recharge, is in south-central Texas, an area with rapid growth in population and increasing amounts of land area affected by development. During November 2008-March 2010, an...
Vegetation of the Elwha River estuary: Chapter 8 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Patrick B. Shafroth, Tracy L. Fuentes, Cynthia Pritekel, Matthew M. Beirne, Vanessa B. Beauchamp
Jeffrey J. Duda, Jonathan A. Warrick, Christopher S. Magirl, editor(s)
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5120-8
The Elwha River estuary supports one of the most diverse coastal wetland complexes yet described in the Salish Sea region, in terms of vegetation types and plant species richness. Using a combination of aerial imagery and vegetation plot sampling, we identified 6 primary vegetation types and 121 plant species in...
Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington- Biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal
Jeffrey J. Duda, Jonathan A. Warrick, Christopher S. Magirl
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5120
This report includes chapters that summarize the results of multidisciplinary studies to quantify and characterize the current (2011) status and baseline conditions of the lower Elwha River, its estuary, and the adjacent nearshore ecosystems prior to the historic removal of two long-standing dams that have strongly influenced river, estuary, and...
Relations between hydrology, water quality, and taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds in Lake Houston, Texas, April 2006-September 2008
Amy M. Beussink, Jennifer L. Graham
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5121
Lake Houston is a surface-water-supply reservoir and an important recreational resource for the city of Houston, Texas. Growing concerns over water quality in Lake Houston prompted a detailed assessment of water quality in the reservoir. The assessment focused on water-quality constituents that affect the aesthetic quality of drinking water. The...
Long-term patterns and short-term dynamics of stream solutes and suspended sediment in a rapidly weathering tropical watershed
James B. Shanley, William H. McDowell, Robert F. Stallard
2011, Water Resources Research (47)
The 326 ha Río Icacos watershed in the tropical wet forest of the Luquillo Mountains, northeastern Puerto Rico, is underlain by granodiorite bedrock with weathering rates among the highest in the world. We pooled stream chemistry and total suspended sediment (TSS) data sets from three discrete periods: 1983–1987, 1991–1997, and...
Landscape unit based digital elevation model development for the freshwater wetlands within the Arthur C. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Southeastern Florida
Zhixiao Xie, Zhongwei Liu, John W. Jones, Aaron L. Higer, Pamela A. Telis
2011, Applied Geography (31) 401-412
The hydrologic regime is a critical limiting factor in the delicate ecosystem of the greater Everglades freshwater wetlands in south Florida that has been severely altered by management activities in the past several decades. "Getting the water right" is regarded as the key to successful restoration of this unique wetland...
Improved online δ18O measurements of nitrogen‐ and sulfur‐bearing organic materials and a proposed analytical protocol
Haiping Qi, Tyler B. Coplen, Leonard I Wassenaar
2011, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry (25) 2049-2058
It is well known that N2 in the ion source of a mass spectrometer interferes with the CO background during the δ18O measurement of carbon monoxide. A similar problem arises with the high‐temperature conversion (HTC) analysis of nitrogenous O‐bearing samples (e.g. nitrates and keratins) to CO for δ18O measurement, where...
Lagrangian sampling of wastewater treatment plant effluent in Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa, during the summer of 2003 and spring of 2005— Hydrological and water-quality data
Larry B. Barber, Steffanie H. Keefe, Dana W. Kolpin, Douglas J. Schnoebelen, Jennifer L. Flynn, Gregory K. Brown, Edward T. Furlong, Susan T. Glassmeyer, James L. Gray, Michael T. Meyer, Mark W. Sandstrom, Howard E. Taylor, Steven D. Zaugg
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1054
This report presents methods and data for a Lagrangian sampling investigation into chemical loading and in-stream attenuation of inorganic and organic contaminants in two wastewater treatment-plant effluent-dominated streams: Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa. Water-quality sampling was timed to coincide with low-flow conditions when dilution of the wastewater treatment-plant...
