Economic valuation of Landsat imagery
Crista L. Straub, Stephen R. Koontz, John B. Loomis
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1112
Landsat satellites have been operating since 1972, providing a continuous global record of the Earth’s land surface. The imagery is currently available at no cost through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A previous USGS study estimated that Landsat imagery provided users an annual benefit of $2.19 billion in 2011, with...
Baseline environmental monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and soil at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction Facility at the Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 2016
Daniel G. Galeone
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1094
Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, built an Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction (ARMD) facility in 2016. The ARMD Facility was designed to centralize rocket motor destruction and contain or capture all waste during the destruction process. Ideally, there would be no contaminant transport to air, soil, or water from...
Sampling across 20 years (1996–2017) reveals loss of diversity and genetic connectivity in the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata)
Amy G. Vandergast, Dustin A. Wood, Mark Fisher, Cameron W. Barrows, Anna Mitelberg, Julia G. Smith
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1105
The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata) is a federally threatened, aeolian sand dune obligate, endemic to the Coachella Valley, California. Historically, U. inornata is thought to have formed a large interconnected metapopulation across the valley, with local dune habitat and population size fluctuations linked to stochastic droughts and flooding. Since the...
Geology of the Monte Blanco borate deposits, Furnace Creek Wash, Death Valley, California
S.J. Muessig, W.M. Pennell, Jeffrey R. Knott, James P. Calzia
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1111
The Monte Blanco borate deposits are located along the southern margin of Death Valley’s Furnace Creek Wash, south of Twenty Mule Team Canyon road in California. Topographic and geologic mapping by S. Muessig and F.M. Byers, Jr., in 1954 documented these deposits’ geologic settings, geometries, mineralogies, and chemical characteristics. They...
Coastal Salinity Index along the southeastern Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, 1983 to 2018
Matthew D. Petkewich, Kirsten Lackstrom, Bryan J. McCloskey, Lauren F. Rouen, Paul A. Conrads
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1090
Coastal droughts have a different dynamic than upland droughts, which are typically characterized by agricultural, hydrologic, meteorological, and (or) socioeconomic effects. Drought uniquely affects coastal ecosystems because of changes in the salinity conditions of estuarine creeks and rivers. The location of the freshwater-saltwater interface in surface-water bodies is an important...
Anderson Ranch wetlands hydrologic characterization in Taos County, New Mexico
Amy E. Galanter, Zachary M. Shephard, Pamela Herrera-Olivas
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1100
The Anderson Ranch property (study area), located in Taos County, north-central New Mexico, was transferred from Chevron Mining, Inc. (CMI) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) court-ordered settlement. The study area supports freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater ponds....
Using the stream salmonid simulator (S3) to assess juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) production under historical and proposed action flows in the Klamath River, California
John M. Plumb, Russell W. Perry, Nicholas A. Som, Julie Alexander, Nicholas J. Hetrick
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1099
Executive SummaryThe production of Klamath River fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in northern California and southern Oregon is thought to be limited by poor survival during freshwater juvenile life stages, in part a result of Ceratonova shasta—a highly infectious disease that can lead to high fish mortality. Higher flushing...
Application of the Stream Salmonid Simulator (S3) to Klamath River fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), California—Parameterization and calibration
Russell W. Perry, John M. Plumb, Edward C. Jones, Nicholas A. Som, Thomas B. Hardy, Nicholas J. Hetrick
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1107
Executive SummaryIn this report, we describe application of the Stream Salmonid Simulator (S3) to Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Klamath River between Keno Dam in southern Oregon and the ocean in northern California. S3 is a deterministic life-stage-structured population model that tracks daily growth, movement, and survival...
Characterization and load estimation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from selected Rio Grande tributary stormwater channels in the Albuquerque urbanized area, New Mexico, 2017–18
Zachary M. Shephard, Kathleen E. Conn, Kimberly R. Beisner, Alanna D. Jornigan, Christina F. Bryant
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1106
In cooperation with the New Mexico County of Bernalillo, the U.S. Geological Survey characterized potential polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration and estimated loading into the Rio Grande from watersheds that are under the county’s jurisdiction. Water and sediment samples were collected in 2017–18 from six sites within four stormwater drainage basins...
Preliminary GIS representation of deep coal areas for carbon dioxide storage in the contiguous United States and Alaska
Kevin B. Jones, Laura E. Barnhart, Peter D. Warwick, Margo D. Corum
2019, Open-File Report 2018-1178
This report and its accompanying geospatial data outline many areas of coal in the United States beneath more than 3,000 ft of overburden. Based on depth, these areas may be targets for injection and storage of supercritical carbon dioxide. Additional areas where coal exists beneath more than 1,000 ft of...
Regional-scale associations between indicators of biological integrity and indicators of streamflow modification
Daren M. Carlisle, Theodore E. Grantham, Ken Eng, David M. Wolock
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1088
Although streamflow is widely recognized as a controlling factor in stream health, empirical relations between indicators of anthropogenic modification of streamflow and ecological indicators have been elusive. The objective of this report is to build upon specific findings reported in recent publications by providing a library of empirical models that...
Numerical model simulations of potential changes in water levels and capture of natural discharge from groundwater withdrawals in Snake Valley and adjacent areas, Utah and Nevada
Melissa D. Masbruch
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1083
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are concerned about cumulative effects of groundwater development on groundwater-dependent resources managed by, and other groundwater resources of interest to, these agencies in Snake Valley and adjacent areas, Utah and Nevada. Of particular concern to the NPS and...
Evaluation of groundwater-flow models for estimating drawdown from proposed groundwater development in Tule Desert, Nevada
Keith J. Halford
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1091
At the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is releasing with this open-file report (OFR) a previously unpublished review and comparison of two numerical models for Tule Desert, Nevada. The original review was performed in spring 2013, and only minor editorial revisions were...
Juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) survival in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon, 2018
Tobias J. Kock, Russell W. Perry, Gabriel S. Hansen, Philip V. Haner, Adam C. Pope, John M. Plumb, Karen M. Cogliati, Amy C. Hansen
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1097
A field study was conducted to estimate survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon, during 2018. The study consisted of releasing three groups of genetically-marked fish into the reservoir, and sampling them monthly. Juveniles were released during April 10–13 (116,708 fish), May 15–18 (31,911 fish),...
Fish and habitat assessment in Rock Creek, Klickitat County, Washington 2016–17
Jill M. Hardiman, Elaine Harvey
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1092
Executive SummaryIntermittent streams are important and productive for salmonid habitat. Rock Creek, in southeastern Washington, flows south to the Columbia River at river kilometer (rkm) 368 and is an intermittent stream of great significance to the Yakama Nation and to the Kah-miltpah (Rock Creek) Band in particular. Historically, native...
Offshore shallow structure and sediment distribution, Punta Gorda to Point Arena, Northern California
Jeffrey W. Beeson, Samuel Y. Johnson
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1072
This publication consists of two map sheets that display shallow geologic structure, along with sediment distribution and thickness, for an approximately 150-km-long offshore section of the northern California coast between Punta Gorda and Point Arena. Each map sheet includes three maps at scales of either 1:100,000 or 1:200,000, and together...
Continuous stream discharge, salinity, and associated data collected in the lower St. Johns River and its tributaries, Florida, 2017
Patrick J. Ryan
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1078
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, plans to deepen the St. Johns River channel in Jacksonville, Florida, from 40 to 47 feet along 13 miles of the river channel, beginning at the mouth of the river at the Atlantic Ocean, to accommodate larger, fully loaded cargo vessels. The...
Molecular identification of fecal contamination in the Elks Run Watershed, Jefferson County, West Virginia, 2016–17
W. Bane Schill, Deborah D. Iwanowicz
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1064
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study using modern methods of molecular analysis aimed at attempting to identify the source(s) of fecal contamination that had been identified in previous studies conducted by the West Virginia Conservation Agency in the Elk Run watershed, Jefferson County, West Virginia. Water samples from multiple...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and metals in ambient sediment at mussel biomonitoring sites, Puget Sound, Washington
Renee K. Takesue, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Kathleen E. Conn
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1087
Caged mussels used as biomonitors can provide insights about ambient contaminant assemblages and spatial patterns, sources of contaminants, and contaminant exposure risks for consumers of wild and farmed mussels. This study explored the potential role of ambient sediment in the uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and...
Monitoring of endangered Klamath Basin suckers translocated from Lake Ewauna to Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2014−2017
Nathan V. Banet, David A. Hewitt
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1085
Data from a 4-year capture and transport program were used to assess translocation as a management strategy for two long-lived, federally endangered catostomids in the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon. Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose (Chasmistes brevirostris) suckers, two species endemic to the Klamath Basin, were translocated from Lake...
Using scenarios to evaluate vulnerability of grassland communities to climate change in the Southern Great Plains of the United States
Daniel J. Manier, Natasha B. Carr, Gordon C. Reese, Lucy Burris
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1046
Scenario planning is a useful tool for identifying key vulnerabilities of ecological systems to changing climates, informed by the potential outcomes for a set of divergent, plausible, and relevant climate scenarios. We evaluated potential vulnerabilities of grassland communities to changing climate in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) and the Landscape...
Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir Drainage Area, Rhode Island, Water Year 2017
Kirk P. Smith
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1039
As part of a long-term cooperative program to monitor water quality within the Scituate Reservoir drainage area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Providence Water Supply Board, collected streamflow and water-quality data at the Scituate Reservoir and tributaries. Streamflow and concentrations of chloride and sodium estimated from records...
Effective solubility assessment for organic analytes in liquid samples, BKK class I landfill, West Covina, California, 2014–16
Michelle M. Lorah, Emily H. Majcher, Carol J. Morel
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1080
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey assessed the effective solubilities of organic analytes at the BKK Class Ⅰ Landfill site, West Covina, California, in cooperation with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, using available data for liquid samples collected within (in-waste) and below (sub-waste) the landfill in 2014–16. The primary...
Baseline groundwater hydrology and water quality in and around Bluff, Utah
Olivia L. Miller
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1076
Southeastern Utah has a long history of oil and gas production. Two new hydrocarbon extraction wells have been proposed several miles northeast of the town of Bluff, Utah. In response to concern about the impacts of oil and gas extraction in the area on drinking-water quality, this study provides groundwater...
South Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Plan: 2019–23
Thomas F. Cuffney, Ana M. Garcia, Arthur J. Horowitz, Jacob H. LaFontaine, James E. Landmeyer, Anna M. McKee, Kristen B. McSwain, Jaime A. Painter, John M. Shelton, Christopher A. Smith
2019, Open-File Report 2019-1068
Executive SummaryThe South Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Planning Team has developed a unified strategic science plan to guide the science vision of the South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) in response to the merging of the Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Water Science Centers. This plan proposes...
