Framework for a long-term strategic plan for the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission
Michael C. Runge, Ellen A Bean, Adrian McInnis, Ryan Clark, Alyssa Dausman
2020, Report
The Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission oversees the use of groundwater in six parishes in Louisiana. In carrying out its statutory responsibilities and authorities, the Commission recognizes the complexity of its decisions: the long-term objectives it is seeking are multifaceted; the actions it can choose from are numerous and interdependent;...
Epigenetic response of Louisiana Waterthrush Parkesia motacilla to shale gas development
Mack W. Frantz, Petra B. Wood, Steve Latta, Amy Welsh
2020, Ibis (162) 1211-1224
Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation may vary in response to environmental stressors and introduce adaptive or maladaptive gene expression within and among wild bird populations. We examined the association between DNA methylation and demographic characteristics of the Louisiana Waterthrush Parkesia motacilla in territories with and without disturbance...
Landscape drivers of dynamic change in water quality of US rivers
Edward G. Stets, Lori A. Sprague, Gretchen P. Oelsner, Henry M. Johnson, Jennifer C. Murphy, Karen R. Ryberg, Aldo V. Vecchia, Robert E. Zuellig, James A. Falcone, Melissa L. Riskin
2020, Environmental Science & Technology (54) 4336-4343
Water security is a top concern for social well-being and dramatic changes in the availability of freshwater have occurred as a result of human uses and landscape management. Elevated nutrient loading and perturbations to major ion composition have resulted from human activities and have degraded freshwater resources. This study...
Pyrrhotite distribution in the conterminous United States, 2020
Jeffrey L. Mauk, Thomas C. Crafford, John D. Horton, Carma A. San Juan, Robinson Jr.
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3017
In parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, foundations of some homes are cracking and crumbling. Failing foundations can reduce the market value of a home and lifting a house to replace and repour a foundation is an expensive undertaking. In response, some homeowners are defaulting on their mortgages and abandoning their homes. The...
Effects of huisache removal on rangeland evapotranspiration in Victoria County, south-central Texas, 2015–18
Richard N. Slattery, Darwin J. Ockerman, Matthew Bromley, Justin Huntington, John R. Banta
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5008
The U.S. Geological Survey and Desert Research Institute, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Victoria Soil and Water Conservation District, and the San Antonio River Authority, evaluated the hydrologic effects of Vachellia farnesiana var. farnesiana (huisache)...
Short and long-term movement of mudflows of the Mississippi River Delta Front and their known and potential impacts on oil and gas infrastructure
Jason Chaytor, Wayne E. Baldwin, Samuel J. Bentley, Melanie Damour, Douglas Jones, Jillian Maloney, Michael Miner, Jeff Obelcz, Kehui Xu
2020, Geological Society of London Special Publications
Mudflows on the Mississippi River Delta Front (MRDF) are recognized hazards to oil and gas infrastructure in the shallow (20 – 300 m water depth) Gulf of Mexico. Preconditioning of the seafloor for failure results from high sedimentation rates coupled with slope over-steepening, under-consolidation, and abundant biogenic gas production. Catastrophic...
Hydrogeologic units, contour maps, and cross sections of the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers, northeastern Oklahoma, 2020
Cory A. Russell, Jacob W. Stivers
2020, Scientific Investigations Map 3452
The Boone and Roubidoux aquifers (or their equivalents) are the main sources of fresh groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma. Projected total water demand of both surface water and groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma is expected to increase approximately 56 percent from 2010 to 2060. This report provides an overview of the hydrogeology...
Identifying areas of degrading and improving groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California, USA, 1974-2014
Bryant C. Jurgens, Miranda S. Fram, Jeffrey Rutledge, George L. V Bennett V
2020, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (https://www.springer.com/journal/10661) (192)
Areas of improving and degrading groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California were assessed using spatial weighting of a new metric for scoring wells based on constituent concentrations and the direction and magnitude of a trend slope (Sen). Individual well scores were aggregated across 2135 equal-area grid cells covering the...
Trends in streamflow and precipitation for selected sites in the Elkhorn River Basin and in streamflow in the Salt Creek and Platte River Basins, Nebraska, 1961–2011
Benjamin J. Dietsch, Kellan R. Strauch
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5016
To better understand the streamflow trends at the streamgages in the Elkhorn River Basin in Nebraska, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District further investigated streamflow trends at the eight streamgages on the Elkhorn River, Salt Creek, and the Lower Platte River that...
Low stand density moderates growth declines during hot droughts in semi-arid forests
Caitlin M. Andrews, Anthony W. D’Amato, Shawn Fraver, Brian Palik, Michael A. Battaglia, John B. Bradford
2020, Journal of Applied Ecology (57) 1089-1102
Increasing heat and aridity in coming decades is expected to negatively impact tree growth and threaten forest sustainability in dry areas. Maintaining low stand density has the potential to mitigate the negative effects of increasingly severe droughts by minimizing competitive intensity.However, the direct impact of stand density on the...
Quantifying background nitrate removal mechanisms in an agricultural watershed with contrasting subcatchment baseflow concentrations
Wesley O. Zell, Teresa B Culver, Ward E. Sanford, Jonathan L Goodall
2020, Journal of Environmental Quality (49) 392-403
Numerous studies have documented the linkages between agricultural nitrogen loads and surface water degradation. In contrast, potential water quality improvements due to agricultural best management practices are difficult to detect because of the confounding effect of background nitrate removal rates, as well as the groundwater-driven delay between land surface action...
Well predictive performance of play-wide and Subarea Random Forest models for Bakken productivity
Emil D. Attanasi, Philip A. Freeman, Tim Coburn
2020, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering (191)
In recent years, geologists and petroleum engineers have struggled to clearly identify the mechanisms that drive productivity in horizontal, hydraulically-fractured oil wells producing from the middle member of the Bakken formation. This paper fills a gap in the literature by showing how this play’s heterogeneity affects factors that drive well...
Sequential biodegradation of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene at oxic-anoxic groundwater interfaces in model laboratory columns
Steven J. Chow, Michelle M. Lorah, Amar R. Wadhawan, Neal D. Durant, Edward J. Bouwer
2020, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology (231)
Halogenated organic solvents such as chlorobenzenes (CBs) are frequent groundwater contaminants due to legacy spills. When contaminated anaerobic groundwater discharges into surface water through wetlands and other transition zones, aeration can occur from various physical and biological processes at shallow depths, resulting in oxic-anoxic interfaces (OAIs). This study investigated the...
Li and Ca enrichment in the Bristol Dry Lake brine compared to brines from Cadiz and Danby Dry Lakes, Barstow-Bristol Trough, California, USA
Michael R. Rosen, Lisa L. Stillings, Tyler Kane, Kate M. Campbell, Matthew Vitale, Ray Spanjers
2020, Minerals (10)
Relatively few discharging playas in western United States extensional basins have high concentrations of lithium (Li) and calcium (Ca) in the basin-center brines. However, the source of both these ions is not well understood, and it is not clear why basins in close proximity within the same...
Evaluating dewatering approaches to protect larval Pacific lamprey
Theresa L. Liedtke, Lisa K. Weiland, Joseph J. Skalicky, Ann E. Gray
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1026
Executive SummaryLarval Pacific lamprey live for several years burrowed in nearshore sediments where they filter feed on detritus and organic matter. Dewatering of larval habitat can occur as a result of flow-management practices, construction projects, or seasonal closures of irrigation diversions. Effective management of dewatering events requires guidance on approaches...
Characterization of feed coals and coal combustion byproducts from the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, Powder River Basin, Wyoming
Michael E. Brownfield
2020, Mountain Geologist (57) 199-240
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined the physical and chemical properties of more than 260 feed coal and coal combustion byproducts from two coal-fired power plants. These plants utilized a low-sulfur (0.23-0.47 wt. % S) and low ash (4.9-6.3 wt. % ash) subbituminous coal from the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone...
Implementation of a surface water extent model in Cambodia using cloud-based remote sensing
Christopher E. Soulard, Jessica J. Walker, Roy E. Petrakis
2020, Remote Sensing (12)
Mapping surface water over time provides the spatially explicit information essential for hydroclimatic research focused on droughts and flooding. Hazard risk assessments and water management planning also rely on accurate, long-term measurements describing hydrologic fluctuations. Stream gages are a common measurement tool used to better understand flow and inundation dynamics,...
Quantifying interregional flows of multiple ecosystem services – A case study for Germany
Janina Kleeman, Matthias Schroter, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Christian Kuhlicke, Thomas Kastner, Dor Fridman, Catharina J. E. Schulp, Sarah Wolff, Javier Martinez-Lopez, Thomas Koellner, Sebastian Arnhold, Berta Martin-Lopez, Alexandra Marques, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Jianguo Liu, Meidad Kissinger, Carlos Guerra, Aletta Bonn
2020, Global Environmental Change (61)
Despite a growing number of national-scale ecosystem service (ES) assessments, few studies consider the impacts of ES use and consumption beyond national or regional boundaries. Interregional ES flows – ecosystem services “imported” from and “exported” to other countries – are rarely analyzed and their importance for global sustainability is little...
Reconnaissance of surface water estrogenicity and the prevalence of intersex in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) inhabiting New Jersey
Luke Iwanowicz, Kelly L. Smalling, Vicki S. Blazer, Ryan P. Braham, Lakyn R. Sanders, Anna Boetsma, Nick Procopio, Sandra Goodrow, Gary Buchanan, Daniel Millemann, Bruce Ruppel, John Vile, Brian Henning, John Abatemarco
2020, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (17)
The observation of testicular oocytes in male fishes has been utilized as a biomarker of estrogenic endocrine disruption. A reconnaissance project led in the Northeastern United States (US) during the period of 2008–2010 identified a high prevalence of intersex smallmouth bass on or near US Fish & Wildlife Service National...
A critical review on the potential impacts of neonicotinoid insecticide use: Current knowledge of environmental fate, toxicity, and implications for human health
Hans-Joachim Lehmler, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle L. Hladik, John D. Vargo, Keith E. Schilling, Gregory H. LeFevre, Tonya L. Peeples, Matthew C. Poch, Lauren E. LaDuca, David M. Cwiertny, R. William Field
2020, Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts (22) 1315-1346
Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used in both urban and agricultural settings around the world. Historically, neonicotinoid insecticides have been viewed as ideal replacements for more toxic compounds, like organophosphates, due in part to their perceived limited potential to affect the environment and human health. This critical review investigates the environmental...
Contaminant subsidies to riparian food webs in Appalachian streams impacted by mountaintop removal coal mining
Laura C. Naslund, Jacqueline R. Gerson, Alexander C. Brooks, David Walters, Emily S. Bernhardt
2020, Environmental Science & Technology (54) 3951-3959
Selenium is highly elevated in Appalachian streams and stream organisms that receive alkaline mine drainage from mountaintop removal coal mining compared to unimpacted streams in the region. Adult aquatic insects can be important vectors of waterborne contaminants to riparian food webs, yet pathways of Se transport and exposure of riparian...
A within-season approach for detecting early crop stage of corn and soybean using high temporal and spatial resolution imagery
Feng Gao, Martha Anderson, Craig S. T. Daughtry, Arnon Karnieli, W. Dean Hively, William P. Kustas
2020, Remote Sensing of Environment (242)
Crop emergence is a critical stage for crop development and crop growth modeling. Mapping crop emergence using remote sensing data is challenging. Previous remote sensing phenology algorithms showed that crop stages could be detected around the V3-V4 (3 to 4 established leaves) vegetative stage. Traditional approaches have a strong assumption...
Water resources of Union Parish, Louisiana
Angela L. Robinson
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3002
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Union Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about 4.88...
Linking landscape-scale conservation to regional and continental outcomes for a migratory species
Brady J. Mattsson, Jim H Devries, James A. Dubovsky, Darius J. Semmens, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Jonathan J. Derbridge, Laura Lopez-Hoffman
2020, Scientific Reports (10)
Land-use intensification on arable land is expanding and posing a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. We develop methods to link funding for avian breeding habitat conservation and management at landscape scales to equilibrium abundance of a migratory species at the continental scale. We apply...
A historical look at changing water quality in the Delaware River basin
Jennifer C. Murphy, Megan E. Shoda
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3007
In 2019 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched a pilot regional Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) in the Delaware River Basin (fig. 1). IWAA is intended to explore, test, and refine systems and processes for assessing water availability for human and ecological uses and understanding their underlying controls. Water quality...
