Sediments and the sea floor of the continental shelves and coastal waters of the United States—About the usSEABED integrated sea-floor-characterization database, built with the dbSEABED processing system
Brian J. Buczkowski, Jane A. Reid, Chris J. Jenkins
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1046
Since the second half of the 20th century, there has been an increase in scientific interest, research effort, and information gathered on the geologic sedimentary character of the continental margins of the United States. Data and information from thousands of sources have increased our scientific understanding of the character of...
Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program: Mapping habitats in beach, dune, and intertidal environments along the Louisiana Gulf of Mexico shoreline, 2008 and 2015–16
Nicholas M. Enwright, William M. SooHoo, Jason L. Dugas, Craig P. Conzelmann, Claudia Laurenzano, Darin M. Lee, Kelly Mouton, Spencer J. Stelly
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1030
Barrier islands, headlands, and coastal shorelines provide numerous valuable ecosystem goods and services, including storm protection and erosion control for the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, salinity regulation in estuaries, carbon sequestration in marshes, and areas for recreation and tourism. These coastal features are dynamic environments because of their...
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) research—Preliminary results and future opportunities
David C. Kazyak, Aaron Aunins, Robin L. Johnson
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1050
The Red Knot, Calidris canutus, is a highly migratory shorebird with a cosmopolitan distribution. Six subspecies have been identified, two of which occur regularly in North America (C.c. rufa and C.c. roselaari). Given their long-distance migrations through many jurisdictions and conservation status, tools are needed to reliably distinguish the subspecies...
U.S. Geological Survey 2018 Kīlauea Volcano eruption response in Hawai'i—After-action review
Dee M. Williams, Vic F. Avery, Michelle L. Coombs, Dale A. Cox, Lief R. Horwitz, Sara K. McBride, Ryan J. McClymont, Seth C. Moran
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1041
The 2018 Kīlauea Volcano eruption lasted 107 days, and now ranks as the most destructive event at Kilauea since 1790, and as one of the most costly volcanic disasters in U.S. history. Multiple simultaneous hazard events unfolded, including sustained seismic activity leading to collapse at the summit of Halema'uma'u crater...
Time-series model, statistical methods, and software documentation for R–QWTREND—An R package for analyzing trends in stream-water quality
Aldo V. Vecchia, Rochelle A. Nustad
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1014
As part of a U.S. Geological Survey water-quality study started in 2018, in cooperation with the International Joint Commission, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, a publicly available software package called R–QWTREND was developed for analyzing trends in stream-water quality. The R–QWTREND package is a...
Assessment of rangeland ecosystem conditions in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona
Michael C. Duniway, Emily C. Palmquist
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1040
Sustainability of dryland ecosystems depends on the functionality of soil-vegetation feedbacks that affect ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling, water capture and retention, soil erosion and deposition, and plant establishment and reproduction. Useful, common indicators can provide information on soil and site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity. Evaluation of...
Ground failure triggered by shaking during the November 30, 2018, magnitude 7.1 Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake
Alex R. Grant, Randall W. Jibson, Robert C. Witter, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Adrian M. Bender
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1043
We developed an initial inventory of ground failure features from the November 30, 2018, magnitude 7.1 Anchorage earthquake. This inventory of 153 features is from ground-based observations soon after the earthquake (December 5–10) that include the presence or absence of liquefaction, landslides, and individual crack traces of lateral spreads...
Water-table elevation maps for 2008 and 2016 and water-table elevation changes in the aquifer system underlying eastern Albuquerque, New Mexico
Allison K. Flickinger, Aurelia C. Mitchell
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1036
The addition of surface water from the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project to the Albuquerque water supply and the reduction in per capita water use has led to decreased groundwater withdrawals. This decrease in withdrawals has resulted in rising groundwater levels since 2008 in portions of the aquifer underlying Albuquerque....
Black abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California: 2019, annual report
Michael C. Kenner
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1047
The U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center’s Santa Cruz Field Station, Santa Cruz, California, has been funded by the U.S. Navy to continue monitoring a suite of intertidal black abalone sites at San Nicolas Island, California. The nine rocky intertidal sites were established in 1980 by Glenn VanBlaricom (then...
2018 U.S. Geological Survey–California Geological Survey fault-imaging surveys across the Hollywood and Santa Monica Faults, Los Angeles County, California
Rufus D. Catchings, Janis Hernandez, Mark R. Goldman, Joanne H. Chan, Robert R. Sickler, Brian Olson, Coyn J. Criley
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1049
We acquired multiple types of seismic data across the Hollywood Fault in Hollywood, Calif., and the Santa Monica Fault in Beverly Hills, Calif., in May and June 2018. On the basis of our data, we infer near-surface locations of various traces of these faults.From two separate profiles across the Hollywood...
Simulation of the probabilistic plume extent for a potential replacement wastewater-infiltration lagoon, and probabilistic contributing areas for supply wells for the Town of Lac du Flambeau, Vilas County, Wisconsin
Paul F. Juckem, Michael N. Fienen
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1032
An existing two-dimensional, steady-state groundwater-flow model of the shallow groundwater-flow system of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in Vilas County, Wisconsin, originally developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, was used to simulate the potential for wastewater from a proposed relocation of a wastewater lagoon to contaminate the Lac du Flambeau...
Prioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska
Paul L. Flint, Vijay Patil, Bradley Shults, Sarah J. Thompson
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1034
The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) encompasses more than 9.5 million hectares of federally managed land on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, where it supports a diversity of wildlife, including millions of migratory birds. Within the NPR-A, Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding area provide important habitat for...
Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2010–November 30, 2011
Vincent J. DiFrenna, William J. Andrews, Kendra L. Russell, J. Michael Norris, Robert R. Mason, Jr.
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1020
A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954, established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from certain reservoirs, owned by New York...
Design and methods of the California stream quality assessment (CSQA), 2017
Jason T. May, Lisa H. Nowell, James F. Coles, Daniel T. Button, Amanda H. Bell, Sharon L. Qi, Peter C. Van Metre
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1023
During 2017, as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted the California Stream Quality Assessment to investigate the quality of streams in the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion, United States. The goal of the California Stream Quality Assessment study was to assess the...
Science plan for improving three-dimensional seismic velocity models in the San Francisco Bay region, 2019–24
Brad T. Aagaard, Russell W. Graymer, Clifford H. Thurber, Arthur J. Rodgers, Taka’aki Taira, Rufus D. Catchings, Christine A. Goulet, Andreas Plesch
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1019
This five-year science plan outlines short-term and long-term goals for improving three-dimensional seismic velocity models in the greater San Francisco Bay region as well as how to foster a community effort in reaching those goals. The short-term goals focus on improving the current U.S. Geological Survey San Francisco Bay region...
Characterization of water-quality and bed-sediment conditions in Currituck Sound, North Carolina, prior to the Mid-Currituck Bridge construction, 2011–18
Stephen L. Harden, Sharon A. Fitzgerald, Chad R. Wagner, Emilia L. Bristow, Keith A. Loftin, Barry H. Rosen
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1031
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority plans to improve transportation in the Currituck Sound area by constructing a two-lane bridge—the Mid-Currituck Bridge—across Currituck Sound from the mainland to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. The results of the final environmental impact statement for the project indicate potential water-quality and habitat effects for...
Some approaches to accounting for incidental carcass discoveries in non-monitored years using the Evidence of Absence model
Daniel Dalthorp, Paul Rabie, Manuela Huso, Andrew Tredennick
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1027
Executive SummaryWe evaluate three approaches to accounting for incidental carcasses when estimating an upper bound on total mortality (𝑀) as 𝑀∗ using the Evidence of Absence model (EoA; Dalthorp and others, 2017) to assess compliance with an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) (Dalthorp & Huso, 2015) under a monitoring protocol that...
A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts
David R. Smith, Mitchell J. Eaton, Jill J. Gannon, Timothy P. Smith, Eric L. Derleth, Jonathan Katz, Kirk F. Bosma, Elise Leduc
2020, Open-File Report 2019-1115
The collective set of decisions involved with the restoration of degraded wetlands is often more complex than considering only ecological responses and outcomes. Restoration is commonly driven by a complex interaction of social, economic, and ecological factors representing the mandate of resource stewards and the values of stakeholders. The authors...
Groundwater chloride concentrations in domestic wells and proximity to roadways in Vermont, 2011–2018
Joseph P. Levitt, Sille L. Larsen
2020, Open-File Report 2019-1148
The Vermont Department of Health and the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed the concentrations of chloride in groundwater samples collected from 4,319 domestic wells across Vermont between 2011 and 2018. Ninety of these wells were sampled twice and the remaining 4,229 were sampled once. This sample size represents approximately 4 percent...
Defining technology operational readiness for the 3D Elevation Program—A plan for investment, incubation, and adoption
Jason M. Stoker
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1015
The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is an acquisition strategy that uses data from commercial remote sensing technologies to create three-dimensional maps of the United States and U.S. territories. Currently, light detection and ranging and interferometric synthetic aperture radar are the two commercial technologies being used to provide three-dimensional information to...
Ground-motion predictions for California — Comparisons of three prediction equations
Erol Kalkan, Vladimir Graizer
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1028
We systematically evaluate datasets, functional forms, independent parameters of estimation, and resulting ground-motion predictions (as median and aleatory variability) of the Graizer and Kalkan (2015, 2016) (GK15) ground-motion prediction equation (GMPE) with the next generation of attenuation project (NGA-West2) models of Abrahamson and others (2014) (ASK14) and Boore and others...
Evaluation of water temperature effects on adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) behavior in the Yakima River, Washington, 2019
Tobias J. Kock, Scott D. Evans, Amy C. Hansen, Brian K. Ekstrom, Richard Visser, Brian Saluskin, Paul Hoffarth
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1033
A study was conducted in the lower Yakima River, Washington, during June–October 2019 to evaluate water temperature effects on adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) behavior. A total of 60 sockeye salmon adults were tagged with radio transmitters and monitored during the study. Fourteen of the fish were collected and...
Assessment of microscopic pathology in fishes collected at sites impacted by wood tar in Pennsylvania
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik, Adam J. Sperry, Diana Pavlick
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1024
In an effort to determine whether fish populations in an area affected by wood tar waste exhibited health effects, fish were collected and analyzed with histopathology. Multiple species, including Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), White Sucker (Catostumus commersonii), Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus), Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus), and...
Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year-class formation, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2017 Monitoring Report
Ryan J. Bart, Summer M. Burdick, Marshal S. Hoy, Carl O. Ostberg
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1025
Executive SummaryPopulations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter referred to as Clear Lake; fig. 1), California, are experiencing long-term declines in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because juvenile suckers are not...
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...
