Network global navigation satellite system survey to harmonize water-surface elevation data for the Rainy River Basin
Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, R. Jason Silliker, Brenda K. Densmore, Justin Krahulik
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5109
Continuously recording water-level streamgages in Rainy Lake and Namakan Reservoir are used to regulate water levels according to rule curves established in 2000 by the International Joint Commission; however, water levels at streamgages were referenced to a variety of vertical datums, confounding efforts to model the flow of water through...
Divergent projections of future land use in the United States arising from different models and scenarios
Terry L. Sohl, Michael Wimberly, Volker C. Radeloff, David M. Theobald, Benjamin M. Sleeter
2016, Ecological Modelling (337) 281-297
A variety of land-use and land-cover (LULC) models operating at scales from local to global have been developed in recent years, including a number of models that provide spatially explicit, multi-class LULC projections for the conterminous United States. This diversity of modeling approaches raises the question: how consistent are their...
A long-term evaluation of biopsy darts and DNA to estimate cougar density
Richard A. Beausoleil, Joseph D. Clark, Benjamin T. Maletzke
2016, Wildlife Society Bulletin (40) 583-592
Accurately estimating cougar (Puma concolor) density is usually based on long-term research consisting of intensive capture and Global Positioning System collaring efforts and may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Because wildlife agency budgets rarely accommodate this approach, most infer cougar density from published literature, rely on short-term studies,...
Macroinvertebrate community sample collection methods and data collected from Sand Creek and Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, 2005–07
Morgan A. Ford, Robert E. Zuellig, David M. Walters, James F. Bruce
2016, Data Series 1012
This report provides a table of site descriptions, sample information, and semiquantitative aquatic macroinvertebrate data from 105 samples collected between 2005 and 2007 from 7 stream sites within the Sand Creek and Medano Creek watersheds in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Saguache County, Colorado. Additionally, a short description...
Assessing climate-sensitive ecosystems in the southeastern United States
Jennifer Costanza, Scott Beck, Milo Pyne, Adam Terando, Matthew J. Rubino, Rickie White, Jaime Collazo
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1073
Climate change impacts ecosystems in many ways, from effects on species to phenology to wildfire dynamics. Assessing the potential vulnerability of ecosystems to future changes in climate is an important first step in prioritizing and planning for conservation. Although assessments of climate change vulnerability commonly are done for species, fewer...
Relations between continuous real-time physical properties and discrete water-quality constituents in the Little Arkansas River, south-central Kansas, 1998-2014
Patrick P. Rasmussen, Patrick J. Eslick, Andrew C. Ziegler
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1057
Water from the Little Arkansas River is used as source water for artificial recharge of the Equus Beds aquifer, one of the primary water-supply sources for the city of Wichita, Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey has operated two continuous real-time water-quality monitoring stations since 1995 on the Little Arkansas River...
2014 annual summary of the lower Gunnison River Basin Selenium Management Program water-quality monitoring, Colorado
Mark F. Henneberg
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1129
Dissolved-selenium loading analyses of data collected at 18 water-quality sites in the lower Gunnison River Basin in Colorado were completed through water year (WY) 2014. A WY is defined as October 1–September 30. Selenium is a trace element that bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains and can cause reproductive failure, deformities,...
Climate, streamflow, and legacy effects on growth of riparian Populus angustifolia in the arid San Luis Valley, Colorado
Douglas Andersen
2016, Journal of Arid Environments (134) 104-121
Knowledge of the factors affecting the vigor of desert riparian trees is important for their conservation and management. I used multiple regression to assess effects of streamflow and climate (12–14 years of data) or climate alone (up to 60 years of data) on radial growth of clonal narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus...
Nonlinear relationships can lead to bias in biomass calculations and drift-foraging models when using summaries of invertebrate drift data
Michael J. Dodrill, Charles B. Yackulic
2016, Environmental Biology of Fishes (99) 659-670
Drift-foraging models offer a mechanistic description of how fish feed in flowing water and the application of drift-foraging bioenergetics models to answer both applied and theoretical questions in aquatic ecology is growing. These models typically include nonlinear descriptions of ecological processes and as a result may be sensitive to how...
Demographics and movements of least terns and piping plovers in the Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska
Erin A. Roche, Mark H. Sherfy, Megan M. Ring, Terry L. Shaffer, Michael J. Anteau, Jennifer H. Stucker
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1061
The Central Platte River Valley provides breeding habitat for a variety of migratory birds, including federally endangered interior least terns (Sternula antillarum; least tern) and threatened piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). Since 2009, researchers have collected demographic data on both species that span their lifecycle (that is, from egg laying through...
Model simulations of flood and debris flow timing in steep catchments after wildfire
Francis K. Rengers, Luke McGuire, Jason W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, D.E.J Hobley
2016, Water Resources Research (52) 6041-6061
Debris flows are a typical hazard on steep slopes after wildfire, but unlike debris flows that mobilize from landslides, most post-wildfire debris flows are generated from water runoff. The majority of existing debris-flow modeling has focused on landslide-triggered debris flows. In this study we explore the potential for using process-based...
Remote sensing of tamarisk biomass, insect herbivory, and defoliation: Novel methods in the Grand Canyon Region, Arizona
Temuulen T. Sankey, Joel B. Sankey, Rene Horne, Ashton Bedford
2016, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (82) 645-652
Tamarisk is an invasive, riparian shrub species in the southwestern USA. The northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) has been introduced to several states to control tamarisk. We classified tamarisk distribution in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona using a 0.2 m resolution, airborne multispectral data and estimated tamarisk beetle...
Modeling streamflow from coupled airborne laser scanning and acoustic Doppler current profiler data
Lam Norris, Jason W. Kean, Steve Lyon
2016, Hydrology Research (48) 981-996
The rating curve enables the translation of water depth into stream discharge through a reference cross-section. This study investigates coupling national scale airborne laser scanning (ALS) and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) bathymetric survey data for generating stream rating curves. A digital terrain model was defined from these data and...
Effects of climate change on tidal marshes along a latitudinal gradient in California
Karen M. Thorne, Glen M. MacDonald, Rich F. Ambrose, Kevin J. Buffington, Chase M. Freeman, Christopher N. Janousek, Lauren N. Brown, James R. Holmquist, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Katherine W. Powelson, Patrick L. Barnard, John Y. Takekawa
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1125
Public SummaryThe coastal region of California supports a wealth of ecosystem services including habitat provision for wildlife and fisheries. Tidal marshes, mudflats, and shallow bays within coastal estuaries link marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats, and provide economic and recreational benefits to local communities. Climate change effects such as sea-level rise...
Early life history and spatiotemporal changes in distribution of the rediscovered Suwannee moccasinshell Medionidus walkeri (Bivalvia: Unionidae)
Nathan A. Johnson, John Mcleod, Jordan Holcomb, Matthew T. Rowe, James D. Williams
2016, Endangered Species Research (31) 163-175
Accurate distribution data are critical to the development of conservation and management strategies for imperiled species, particularly for narrow endemics with life history traits that make them vulnerable to extinction. Medionidus walkeri is a rare freshwater mussel endemic to the Suwannee River Basin in southeastern North America. This species was rediscovered in...
Cross-seasonal effects on waterfowl productivity: Implications under climate change
Erik E. Osnas, Qing Zhao, Michael C. Runge, G Scott Boomer
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 1227-1241
Previous efforts to relate winter-ground precipitation to subsequent reproductive success as measured by the ratio of juveniles to adults in the autumn failed to account for increased vulnerability of juvenile ducks to hunting and uncertainty in the estimated age ratio. Neglecting increased juvenile vulnerability will positively bias the mean productivity...
Ground-penetrating radar and differential global positioning system data collected from Long Beach Island, New Jersey, April 2015
Nicholas J. Zaremba, Kathryn E.L. Smith, James M. Bishop, Christopher G. Smith
2016, Data Series 1006
Scientists from the United States Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, and students from the University of Hawaii at Manoa collected sediment cores, sediment surface grab samples, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) data from...
Methods for estimating annual exceedance probability discharges for streams in Arkansas, based on data through water year 2013
Daniel M. Wagner, Joshua D. Krieger, Andrea G. Veilleux
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5081
In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study to update regional skew, annual exceedance probability discharges, and regional regression equations used to estimate annual exceedance probability discharges for ungaged locations on streams in the study area with the use of recent geospatial data, new analytical methods, and available annual...
A method for examining the geospatial distribution of CO2 storage resources applied to the Pre-Punta Gorda Composite and Dollar Bay reservoirs of the South Florida Basin, U.S.A
Tina Roberts-Ashby, Brandon N. Ashby
2016, Marine and Petroleum Geology (77) 141-159
This paper demonstrates geospatial modification of the USGS methodology for assessing geologic CO2 storage resources, and was applied to the Pre-Punta Gorda Composite and Dollar Bay reservoirs of the South Florida Basin. The study provides detailed evaluation of porous intervals within these reservoirs and utilizes GIS to evaluate the potential...
Low-flow characteristics for streams on the Islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, State of Hawaiʻi
Chui Ling Cheng
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5103
Statistical models were developed to estimate natural streamflow under low-flow conditions for streams with existing streamflow data at measurement sites on the Islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. Streamflow statistics used to describe the low-flow characteristics are flow-duration discharges that are equaled or exceeded between 50 and 95...
Changes in groundwater recharge under projected climate in the upper Colorado River basin
Fred D. Tillman, Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Tom Pruitt
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 6968-6974
Understanding groundwater-budget components, particularly groundwater recharge, is important to sustainably manage both groundwater and surface water supplies in the Colorado River basin now and in the future. This study quantifies projected changes in upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) groundwater recharge from recent historical (1950–2015) through future (2016–2099) time periods, using...
Preliminary results from exploratory sampling of wells for the California oil, gas, and groundwater program, 2014–15
Peter B. McMahon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Michael T. Wright, Michael T. Land, Matthew K. Landon, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Avner Vengosh, George R. Aiken
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1100
Introduction In 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled water wells in the Los Angeles Basin and southern San Joaquin Valley, California, and oil wells in the San Joaquin Valley for analysis of multiple chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers. The purpose of this reconnaissance sampling was to evaluate the utility of tracers for assessing the effects of oil...
Coastal bathymetry data collected in June 2014 from Fire Island, New York—The wilderness breach and shoreface
Timothy R. Nelson, Jennifer L. Miselis, Cheryl J. Hapke, Kathleen E. Wilson, Rachel E. Henderson, Owen T. Brenner, Billy J. Reynolds, Mark E. Hansen
2016, Data Series 1007
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, collected bathymetric data along the upper shoreface and within the wilderness breach at Fire Island, New York, in June 2014. The U.S. Geological Survey is involved in a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to map...
Archive of bathymetry and backscatter data collected in 2014 nearshore Breton and Gosier Islands, Breton National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
Nancy T. DeWitt, Jake J. Fredericks, James G. Flocks, Jennifer L. Miselis, Stanley D. Locker, Jack L. Kindinger, Julie Bernier, Kyle W. Kelso, Billy J. Reynolds, Dana S. Wiese, Trevor Browning
2016, Data Series 1005
As part of the Barrier Island Monitoring Project, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted nearshore geophysical surveys off Breton and Gosier Islands, Louisiana, in July and August of 2014. To assist the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with restoration...
Baseline coastal oblique aerial photographs collected from Navarre Beach, Florida, to Breton Island, Louisiana, September 18–19, 2015
Karen L. M. Morgan
2016, Data Series 1008
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of the National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project, conducts baseline and storm-response photography missions to document and understand the changes in vulnerability of the Nation's coasts to extreme storms. On September 18–19, 2015, the USGS conducted an oblique aerial photographic survey...
