Geology and assessment of coal resources for the Cherokee coal bed in the Fort Union Formation, south-central Wyoming
Brian N. Shaffer, Ricardo A. Olea
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5067
The Cherokee coal bed is a locally thick and laterally continuous coal bed in the Overland Member of the Paleocene Fort Union Formation in south-central Wyoming. It represents a significant resource that is easily accessible and may be extractable through both surface and underground mining methods. A database of more...
Porosity and pore-size distribution
John R. Nimmo, Sheela Katuwal, Maik Lucas
2023, Book chapter, Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment
Porosity, the fraction of soil volume not occupied by solids, is relatively easy to conceptualize and measure. Pore-size distribution is a complex topic, in part from the lack of a clear and unique concept of a soil pore as a discrete object. Available tools for evaluating pore-size distribution involve traditional...
Flood-inundation maps for Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky
Justin A. Boldt
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5068
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.4-mile reach of Fourmile Creek at Silver Grove, Kentucky, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Silver Grove and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District. Because the City of Silver Grove is subject to flooding from...
Des Moines water trails: Health risk from waterborne pathogens during recreational water use
Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron D. Firnstahl, Sarah Opelt, Rachel M. Cook, Mark A. Borchardt
2023, Report
No abstract available....
MTAB 105, August 2023
Kyra Harvey
2023, Newsletter
This Memo to All Banders (MTAB 105) was released in August 2023. Subjects in this memo are 1. The Chief’s Chirp – a reminder to review ethics guidelines; 2. Alerts – Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, reminder that banders can only manage data not submit data through Bandit, reminder to be...
Drought-vulnerability assessment of public water systems in West Virginia
Matthew R. Kearns, Kaycee E. Faunce, Terence Messinger
2023, Open-File Report 2023-1057
Water withdrawn from rivers and streams accounts for approximately 80 percent of the public water supply in West Virginia. Localized and (or) seasonal droughts may threaten future water availability in the state, particularly in rural communities located in the headwaters of unregulated watersheds. Monthly water withdrawal data obtained from the...
The late Pleistocene Sacarosa tephra-fall deposit, Misti Volcano, Arequipa, Peru: Its magma, eruption, and implications for past and future activity
Christopher Harpel, JJ Cuno, Marie K. Takach, M. Rivera, Rigoberto Aguilar, Frank III Tepley, F. Garcia-Arenal
2023, Bulletin of Volcanology (85)
Between 38.5 ka cal BP and 32.4 ka cal BP, a dacitic Volcanic Explosivity Index 5 eruption at Misti volcano emplaced the Sacarosa tephra-fall deposit. Its biotite phenocrysts, fine grain size, scarce lithics, and abundant loose crystals characterize the deposit at locations sampled. The eruption’s ~ 800 °C magma rose rapidly from ~ 10 km depth,...
Predicting burn severity for integration with post-fire debris-flow hazard assessment: A case study from the Upper Colorado River Basin, USA
Adam Gerhard Wells, Todd Hawbaker, John Kevin Hiers, Jason W. Kean, Rachel A. Loehman, Paul F. Steblein
2023, International Journal of Wildland Fire (32) 1315-1331
Background: Burn severity significantly increases the likelihood and volume of post-wildfire debris flows. Pre-fire severity predictions can expedite mitigation efforts because precipitation contributing to these hazards often occurs shortly after wildfires, leaving little time for post-fire planning and management.Aim: The aim of this study was to predict burn severity using pre-fire conditions...
Editorial: Ecological and behavioral traits of apex predators in oceanic insular ecosystems: Advances and challenges in research and conservation
Filipe Alves, Nuno Queiroz, Patrick G.R. Jodice
2023, Frontiers in Marine Science (10)
No abstract available....
Assessing the suitability of YY males and ZZ females as an invasive species population control method across life histories
Richard A. Erickson, Hannah Mann Thompson, Stacie A. Kageyama, Grace M. Andriacchi, Aaron R. Cupp, Reynaldo Patino, Jon Amberg
2023, Biological Invasions (25) 3737-3751
Natural resource managers use tools to control invasive species. In theory, stocking YY males or ZZ females would allow managers to skew sex ratios until populations collapse. In combination with other suppression methods, such as removal, this approach could be incorporated into Integrated Pest Management plans....
Effects of impoundments on selected flood-frequency and daily mean streamflow characteristics in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina
Toby D. Feaster, Jonathan W. Musser
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5065
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long history of working cooperatively with the South Carolina Department of Transportation to develop methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods for rural and urban streams that have minimal to no regulation or tidal influence. As part of those previous investigations,...
Effects of lead exposure on birds breeding in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Rebecka Brasso, Danielle M. Cleveland, Frank R. Thompson III, David E. Mosby, Kathy Hixson, Melissa Roach, Barnett A. Rattner, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Julia S. Lankton
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5032
Lead mining in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District began in the 1700s and continued for nearly 300 years; the waste piles associated with smelting, mining, and milling of lead ores have released metal residues that have contaminated soil and water in the region. Previous studies in the district have...
Best practices for distributing and deploying U.S. Geological Survey Shiny applications
Daniel F. Shryock, Micah Wright, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Todd Esque
2023, Techniques and Methods 7-B2
A goal of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research is to create actionable science for U.S. Department of the Interior managers and partners. Properly managed and released software tools can quickly, accurately, and easily translate scientific results to aid managers’ decision-making. The USGS policies on software development and distribution affect how...
Conservation at the nexus of niches: Multidimensional niche modeling to improve management of Prairie Chub
Zachary D. Steffensmeier, Shannon K. Brewer, Maeghen Wedgeworth, Trevor A. Starks, Anthony W. Rodger, Erin Nguyen, Joshuah S. Perkin
2023, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (43) 1205-1224
ObjectiveA central challenge in applied ecology is understanding how organisms are spatially and temporally distributed and how management might be tailored to maintain or restore species distributions. The niche concept is central to understanding species distributions, but the diversity of niche definitions requires that multiple dimensions be...
Automated mapping of culverts, bridges, and dams
Ethan J. Shavers, Larry Stanislawski, Joel Schott, Zachary Brosseau
2023, Conference Paper, Abstracts of the International Cartographic Association
Accurate maps of built structures around stream channels, such as dams, culverts, and bridges, are vital in monitoring infrastructure, risk management, and hydrologic modeling. Hydrologic modeling is essential for research and decisionmaking related to infrastructure and development planning, emergency management, ecology, and developing hydrographic data. Technological advances in remote sensing...
Lock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022
Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, Jessica C. Stanton, Andrea K. Fritts, Matthew Sholtis, Theodore Castro-Santos, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Janice L. Albers
2023, Open-File Report 2023-1058
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Richardson, 1845; Bighead Carp], H. molitrix [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Silver Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Grass Carp], and Mylopharyngodon piceus [Richardson, 1846; Black Carp]) expansion threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and other major waterways. Numerous tools and techniques are...
Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022
Andrea K. Fritts, Daniel Gibson-Reinemer, Jessica C. Stanton, Kyle Mosel, Marybeth K. Brey, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Douglas Appel, Jacob Faulkner, Joshua Tompkins, Theodore Castro-Santos, Matthew Sholtis, Andy Turnpenny, Peter Sorensen, Rob Simmonds
2023, Open-File Report 2023-1051
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Bighead Carp], Mylopharyngodon piceus [Black Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Grass Carp], and H. molitrix [Silver Carp]) continue to spread in the United States and deterrents at river navigation locks are one emerging control strategy for slowing the spread. High-head navigation dams on large rivers serve as impediments...
AIMS for wildlife: Developing an automated interactive monitoring system to integrate real-time movement and environmental data for true adaptive management
Michael L. Casazza, Austen Lorenz, Cory T. Overton, Elliott L. Matchett, Andrea Lynn Mott, Desmond Alexander Mackell, Fiona McDuie
2023, Journal of Environmental Management (345)
To effectively manage species and habitats at multiple scales, population and land managers require rapid information on wildlife use of managed areas and responses to landscape conditions and management actions. GPS tracking studies of wildlife are particularly informative to species ecology, habitat use, and...
Efficacy of hydrogen peroxide to reduce Gyrodactylus species infestation density on four fish species
Maren T. Tuttle-Lau, Eric Leis, Aaron R. Cupp, Laura Lynne Peterman, Jillian Hebert, Richard A. Erickson, Susan M. Schleis, Mark P. Gaikowski
2023, Journal of Aquatic Animal Health (35) 64-77
ObjectiveThe ability to effectively treat parasitic infestations of fish is of high importance for fish culture facilities. However, tools or approved therapies for treating infestations on fish are limited. This paper summarizes results from four separate clinical field studies that evaluated the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2;...
Becoming an actionable scientist: Challenges, competency, and the development of expertise
Julia B. Goolsby, Amanda E. Cravens, Mary Ann Rozance
2023, Environmental Management (72) 1128-1145
Demand has grown for actionable science to support real-world decision-making around climate change and related environmental management challenges. Producing actionable science requires scientists to hold a distinct set of competencies, yet relatively little is known about what these competencies are or how to train scientists to...
Telescoping prey selection in invasive Burmese pythons spells trouble for endangered rodents
Issac Lord, Joseph Redinger, Jeremy Dixon, Kristen Hart, Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Christina M. Romagosa, Michael V. Cove
2023, Food Webs (37)
The allometric scaling of predators and their prey is well established within snakes (i.e., gape-width limits maximum prey sizes). However, while some species exhibit ontogenetic shifts to larger prey as they grow, others exhibit telescoping prey selection and continue to...
Nearshore subtidal community response during and after sediment disturbance associated with dam removal
Stephen P. Rubin, Melissa M. Foley, Ian M. Miller, Andrew W. Stevens, Jonathan A. Warrick, Helen D. Berry, Nancy E. Elder, Matthew M. Beirne, Guy Gelfenbaum
2023, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (11)
Dam removal is used increasingly to restore aquatic ecosystems and remove unnecessary or high-risk infrastructure. As the number of removals increases, there is a growing understanding about the hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological responses to these removals. Most dam removal studies, however, focus on river and watershed responses to dam removal....
Conservation decision support for Silver Chub habitat in Lake Erie
James E. McKenna Jr.
2023, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (43) 1151-1165
ObjectiveConservation and restoration of aquatic species is difficult, especially for rare species, because their habitats are typically disturbed, obscuring the natural ability of the habitat to support each species. The Lake Erie population of Silver Chub Macrhybopsis storeriana struggles to sustain itself in a habitat disturbed by a wide...
Seventy questions of importance to the conservation of the North Central grasslands of the United States in a changing climate
Christine D. Miller Hesed, Heather M. Yocum, Molly S. Cross, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Ben Wheeler, Jon P. Beckmann, Marissa Ahlering, Kimberly R. Hall, Emily Boyd-Valandra, Danika Mosher, Brian W. Miller, Sarah Jaffe
2023, Conservation Science and Practice (5)
Successful conservation of ecosystems in a changing climate requires actionable research that directly supports the rethinking and revising of management approaches to address changing risks and opportunities. As an important first step toward actionable research, we reviewed and synthesized grassland management-related documents to identify broadly shared questions that, if answered,...
Evaluation of hydrodynamic mixing in an afterbay reservoir
Paul Work
2023, Journal of Environmental Engineering (149)
This study focused on the mixing of a solute, assumed to be conservative, introduced to one arm of an afterbay reservoir, between Keswick and Shasta Dams on the Sacramento River near Redding, California. Rhodamine water tracer (WT) dye served as the solute in a field experiment, and was introduced over...