Methane in aquifers used for public supply in the United States
Peter B. McMahon, Kenneth Belitz, Jeannie R. B. Barlow, Bryant C. Jurgens
2017, Applied Geochemistry (84) 337-347
In 2013 to 2015, 833 public supply wells in 15 Principal aquifers in the U.S. were sampled to identify which aquifers contained high methane concentrations (>1 mg/L) and determine the geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical conditions associated with high concentrations. This study represents the first national assessment of methane in aquifers used...
Degradation of crude 4-MCHM (4-methylcyclohexanemethanol) in sediments from Elk River, West Virginia
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Denise M. Akob, Mary Jo Baedecker, Tracey Spencer, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Darren S. Dunlap, Adam C. Mumford, Amisha T. Poret-Peterson, Douglas B. Chambers
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 12139-12145
In January 2014, approximately 37 800 L of crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (crude MCHM) spilled into the Elk River, West Virginia. To understand the long-term fate of 4-MCHM, we conducted experiments under environmentally relevant conditions to assess the potential for the 2 primary compounds in crude MCHM (1) to undergo biodegradation and (2)...
Dissolved organic matter compositional change and biolability during two storm runoff events in a small sgricultural watershed
Robert S Eckard, Brian A. Pellerin, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Philip A. M. Bachand, Sandra M. Bachand, Robert G. M. Spencer, Peter J. Hernes
2017, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (122) 2634-2650
Agricultural watersheds are globally pervasive, supporting fundamentally different organic matter source, composition, and concentration profiles in comparison to natural systems. Similar to natural systems, agricultural storm runoff exports large amounts of organic carbon from agricultural land into waterways. But intense management of upper soil layers, waterway channelization,...
Flood-inundation maps for the Meramec River at Valley Park and at Fenton, Missouri, 2017
Benjamin J. Dietsch, Jacob N. Sappington
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5116
Two sets of digital flood-inundation map libraries that spanned a combined 16.7-mile reach of the Meramec River that extends upstream from Valley Park, Missouri, to downstream from Fenton, Mo., were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, Missouri...
Skagit River coho salmon life history model—Users’ guide
Andrea Woodward, Grant Kirby, Scott Morris
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1125
Natural resource management is conducted in the context of multiple anthropogenic stressors and is further challenged owing to changing climate. Experiments to determine the effects of climate change on complex ecological systems are nearly impossible. However, using a simulation model to synthesize current understanding of key ecological processes through...
Contaminants of emerging concern in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes: I. Patterns of occurrence
Sarah M. Elliott, Mark E. Brigham, Kathy Lee, Jo A. Banda, Steven J. Choy, Daniel J. Gefell, Thomas A. Minarik, Jeremy N. Moore, Zachary G. Jorgenson
2017, PLoS ONE (12) 1-21
Human activities introduce a variety of chemicals to the Laurentian Great Lakes including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, plasticizers, and solvents (collectively referred to as contaminants of emerging concern or CECs) potentially threatening the vitality of these valuable ecosystems. We conducted a basin-wide study to identify the presence of CECs and...
Hydrogeology and simulated groundwater flow and availability in the North Fork Red River aquifer, southwest Oklahoma, 1980–2013
S. Jerrod Smith, John H. Ellis, Derrick L. Wagner, Steven M. Peterson
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5098
On September 8, 1981, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board established regulatory limits on the maximum annual yield of groundwater (343,042 acre-feet per year) and equal-proportionate-share (EPS) pumping rate (1.0 acre-foot per acre per year) for the North Fork Red River aquifer. The maximum annual yield and EPS were based on...
Phytoforensics—Using trees to find contamination
Jordan L. Wilson
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3076
The water we drink, air we breathe, and soil we come into contact with have the potential to adversely affect our health because of contaminants in the environment. Environmental samples can characterize the extent of potential contamination, but traditional methods for collecting water, air, and soil samples below the ground...
Long-term trends of surface-water mercury and methylmercury concentrations downstream of historic mining within the Carson River watershed
Eric D. Morway, Carl E. Thodal, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale
2017, Environmental Pollution (229) 1006-1018
The Carson River is a vital water resource for local municipalities and migratory birds travelling the Pacific Flyway. Historic mining practices that used mercury (Hg) to extract gold from Comstock Lode ore has left much of the river system heavily contaminated with Hg, a practice that continues in many parts...
An evaluation of the efficacy of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas)
Brian J. Halstead, Dustin A. Wood, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Amy G. Vandergast, Julia S. Ersan, Shannon M. Skalos, Michael L. Casazza
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1123
Detecting populations of rare or cryptic species is essential for their conservation. For species like giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas), conventional survey methods can be expensive and inefficient. These sampling difficulties might be overcome by modern techniques that detect deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) shed by organisms into the environment (eDNA). We evaluated...
Geologic assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Lower Paleogene Midway and Wilcox Groups, and the Carrizo Sand of the Claiborne Group, of the Northern Gulf coast region
Peter D. Warwick
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1111
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently conducted an assessment of the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas potential of Tertiary strata underlying the onshore areas and State waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico coastal region. The assessment was based on a number of geologic elements including an evaluation of...
Contaminants of emerging concern in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes: II. Biological consequences of exposure
Linnea M. Thomas, Zachary G. Jorgenson, Mark E. Brigham, Steven J. Choy, Jeremy N. Moore, Jo A. Banda, D.J. Gefell, Thomas A. Minarik, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
2017, PLoS ONE (12)
The Laurentian Great Lakes contain one fifth of the world’s surface freshwater and have been impacted by human activity since the Industrial Revolution. In addition to legacy contaminants, nitrification and invasive species, this aquatic ecosystem is also the recipient of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) with poorly understood biological consequences....
Groundwater quality in the Yuba River and Bear River Watersheds, Sierra Nevada, California
Miranda S. Fram, Monica Jasper, Kimberly A. Taylor
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1115
Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Program’s Priority Basin Project assesses the quality of groundwater resources used for drinking water supply and increases public access to...
A review of surface energy balance models for estimating actual evapotranspiration with remote sensing at high spatiotemporal resolution over large extents
Ryan R. McShane, Katelyn P. Driscoll, Roy Sando
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5087
Many approaches have been developed for measuring or estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa), and research over many years has led to the development of remote sensing methods that are reliably reproducible and effective in estimating ETa. Several remote sensing methods can be used to estimate ETa at the high spatial resolution...
USGS microbiome research
Christina A. Kellogg, M. Camille Hopkins
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3074
Microbiomes are the communities of microorganisms (for example, bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that live on, in, and around people, plants, animals, soil, water, and the atmosphere. Microbiomes are active in the functioning of diverse ecosystems, for instance, by influencing water quality, nutrient acquisition and stress tolerance in plants, and stability...
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2013–September 2015
C.A. Pfeifle, J.L. Cain, R.B. Rasmussen
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1068
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of...
Analysis of seafloor change around Dauphin Island, Alabama, 1987–2015
James G. Flocks, Nancy T. DeWitt, Chelsea A. Stalk
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1112
Dauphin Island is a 26-km-long barrier island located southwest of Mobile Bay, Alabama, in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. The island contains sandy beaches, dunes, maritime forests, freshwater ponds and intertidal wetlands, providing habitat for many endangered and threatened species. Dauphin Island also provides protection for and maintains estuarine conditions...
Introduced American Bullfrog distribution and diets in Grand Teton National Park
Lauren M Flynn, Tess Marie Kreofsky, Adam J. Sepulveda
2017, Northwest Science (3) 244-256
Introduced American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) have been present in Grand Teton National Park since approximately the 1950s, but little is known about their distribution and potential impacts. In this study, we surveyed the current bullfrog distribution and spatial overlap with sympatric native amphibians in the park, and characterized post-metamorphic bullfrog...
Bathymetric surveys of the Neosho River, Spring River, and Elk River, northeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri, 2016–17
Shelby L. Hunter, Chad E. Ashworth, S. Jerrod Smith
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5101
In February 2017, the Grand River Dam Authority filed to relicense the Pensacola Hydroelectric Project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The predominant feature of the Pensacola Hydroelectric Project is Pensacola Dam, which impounds Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees (locally called Grand Lake) in northeastern Oklahoma. Identification of information gaps...
Bathymetric and velocimetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near St. Louis, Missouri, May 23–27, 2016
Richard J. Huizinga
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5076
Bathymetric and velocimetric data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, near 13 bridges at 8 highway crossings of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in the greater St. Louis, Missouri, area from May 23 to 27, 2016. A multibeam echosounder mapping system...
Streamflow of 2016—Water year summary
Xiaodong Jian, David M. Wolock, Harry F. Lins, Steven J. Brady
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3063
The maps and graphs in this summary describe national streamflow conditions for water year 2016 (October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016) in the context of streamflow ranks relative to the 87-year period of 1930–2016, unless otherwise noted. The illustrations are based on observed data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s...
Field manual for identifying and preserving high-water mark data
Toby D. Feaster, Todd A. Koenig
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1105
This field manual provides general guidance for identifying and collecting high-water marks and is meant to be used by field personnel as a quick reference. The field manual describes purposes for collecting and documenting high-water marks along with the most common types of high-water marks. The manual provides a list...
Projecting impacts of climate change on water availability using artificial neural network techniques
Eric D. Swain, Julieta Gomez-Fragoso, Sigfredo Torres-Gonzalez
2017, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (143)
Lago Loíza reservoir in east-central Puerto Rico is one of the primary sources of public water supply for the San Juan metropolitan area. To evaluate and predict the Lago Loíza water budget, an artificial neural network (ANN) technique is trained to predict river inflows. A method is...
Structural equation model of total phosphorus loads in the Red River of the North Basin, USA and Canada
Karen R. Ryberg
2017, Journal of Environmental Quality (46) 1072-1080
Attribution of the causes of trends in nutrient loading is often limited to correlation, qualitative reasoning, or references to the work of others. This paper represents efforts to improve causal attribution of water-quality changes. The Red River of the North basin provides a regional test case because of international interest...
Local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies alters stream ecosystem structure at landscape scales despite high environmental variability
Troy N. Simon, Ronald D. Bassar, Andrew J. Binderup, Alex S. Flecker, Mary Freeman, James F. Gill, Michael C. Marshall, Steve A. Thomas, Joseph Travis, David N. Reznick, Catherine M. Pringle
2017, Copeia (105) 504-513
While previous studies have shown that evolutionary divergence alters ecological processes in small-scale experiments, a major challenge is to assess whether such evolutionary effects are important in natural ecosystems at larger spatial scales. At the landscape scale, across eight streams in the Caroni drainage, we found that the presence of...
