Landscape and flow metrics affecting the distribution of a federally-threatened fish: Improving management, model fit, and model transferability
Thomas A. Worthington, T. Zhang, Daniel R. Logue, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Shannon K. Brewer
2016, Ecological Modelling (342) 1-18
Truncated distributions of pelagophilic fishes have been observed across the Great Plains of North America, with water use and landscape fragmentation implicated as contributing factors. Developing conservation strategies for these species is hindered by the existence of multiple competing flow regime hypotheses related to species...
Constraining the relative importance of raindrop- and flow-driven sediment transport mechanisms in postwildfire environments and implications for recovery time scales
Luke McGuire, Jason W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, Francis K. Rengers, Thad A. Wasklewicz
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research (121) 2211-2237
Mountain watersheds recently burned by wildfire often experience greater amounts of runoff and increased rates of sediment transport relative to similar unburned areas. Given the sedimentation and debris flow threats caused by increases in erosion, more work is needed to better understand the physical mechanisms responsible for the observed increase...
Sea lamprey avoid areas scented with conspecific tissue extract in Michigan streams
Richard Di Rocco, Nicholas S. Johnson, Linnea Brege, I. Imre, G.E. Brown
2016, Fisheries Management and Ecology (23) 548-560
Three in-stream experiments were conducted to determine whether sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus L., tissue extract (alarm cue) and 2-phenylethylamine hydrochloride (PEA HCl, a putative predator cue) influenced the distribution of migrating adult sea lamprey. Experiments evaluated sea lamprey movement when an odour was applied to (1) a tributary of a...
Challenge to the model of lake charr evolution: Shallow- and deep-water morphs exist within a small postglacial lake
Louise Chavarie, Andrew M. Muir, Mara S. Zimmerman, Shauna M. Baillie, Michael J. Hansen, Nancy A. Nate, Daniel L. Yule, Trevor Middel, Paul Bentzen, Charles C. Krueger
2016, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
All examples of lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush) diversity occur within the largest, deepest lakes of North America (i.e. > 2000 km2). We report here Rush Lake (1.3 km2) as the first example of a small lake with two lake charr morphs (lean and huronicus). Morphology, diet, life history, and genetics were examined to...
Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Kristin B. Byrd, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Thomas Leeuw, Bryan D. Downing, James T. Morris, Matthew C. Ferner
2016, Ecosphere (7)
Reducing uncertainty in data inputs at relevant spatial scales can improve tidal marsh forecasting models, and their usefulness in coastal climate change adaptation decisions. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (MEM), a one-dimensional mechanistic elevation model, incorporates feedbacks of organic and inorganic inputs to project elevations under sea-level rise scenarios. We tested...
Intermittent surface water connectivity: Fill and spill vs. fill and merge dynamics
Scott G. Leibowitz, David M. Mushet, Wesley E. Newton
2016, Wetlands (36) 323-342
Intermittent surface connectivity can influence aquatic systems, since chemical and biotic movements are often associated with water flow. Although often referred to as fill and spill, wetlands also fill and merge. We examined the effects of these connection types on water levels, ion concentrations, and biotic communities of eight prairie...
Documentation and hydrologic analysis of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, October 29–30, 2012
Thomas P. Suro, Anna Deetz, Paul Hearn
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5085
In 2012, a late season tropical depression developed into a tropical storm and later a hurricane. The hurricane, named “Hurricane Sandy,” gained strength to a Category 3 storm on October 25, 2012, and underwent several transitions on its approach to the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern coast of the United...
Spatial and temporal variation of stream chemistry associated with contrasting geology and land-use patterns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed—Summary of results from Smith Creek, Virginia; Upper Chester River, Maryland; Conewago Creek, Pennsylvania; and Difficult Run, Virginia, 2010–2013
Kenneth E. Hyer, Judith M. Denver, Michael J. Langland, James S. Webber, J. K. Böhlke, W. Dean Hively, John W. Clune
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5093
Despite widespread and ongoing implementation of conservation practices throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, water quality continues to be degraded by excess sediment and nutrient inputs. While the Chesapeake Bay Program has developed and maintains a large-scale and long-term monitoring network to detect improvements in water quality throughout the watershed, fewer...
Flood-inundation maps for the Yellow River at Plymouth, Indiana
Chad D. Menke, Aubrey R. Bunch, Moon H. Kim
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5117
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 4.9-mile reach of the Yellow River at Plymouth, Indiana (Ind.), were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site...
Patterns of diel variation in nitrate concentrations in the Potomac River
Douglas A. Burns, Matthew P. Miller, Brian A. Pellerin, Paul D. Capel
2016, Freshwater Science (35) 1117-1132
The Potomac River is a large source of N to Chesapeake Bay, where reducing nutrient loads is a focus of efforts to improve trophic status. Better understanding of NO3– loss, reflected in part by diel variation in NO3– concentrations, may refine model predictions of N loads to the Bay. We...
Interannual water-level fluctuations and the vegetation of prairie potholes: Potential impacts of climate change
Arnold van der Valk, David M. Mushet
2016, Wetlands (36) 397-406
Mean water depth and range of interannual water-level fluctuations over wet-dry cycles in precipitation are major drivers of vegetation zone formation in North American prairie potholes. We used harmonic hydrological models, which require only mean interannual water depth and amplitude of water-level fluctuations over a wet–dry cycle, to examine how...
Midcontinent Prairie-Pothole wetlands and climate change: An Introduction to the Supplemental Issue
David M. Mushet
2016, Wetlands (36) 223-228
The multitude of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America forms one of Earth’s largest wetland complexes. The midcontinent location exposes this ecologically and economically important wetland system to a highly variable climate, markedly influencing ponded-water levels, hydroperiods, chemical characteristics, and biota of individual basins. Given their dominance...
Quantifying seepage using heat as a tracer in selected irrigation canals, Walker River Basin, Nevada, 2012 and 2013
Ramon C. Naranjo, David W. Smith
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5133
The Walker River is an important source of water for western Nevada. The river provides water for agriculture and recharge to local aquifers used by several communities. Farmers began diverting water from the Walker River in the 1860s to support growing agricultural development. Over time, the reduced inflows into...
River rating complexity
Robert R. Holmes Jr.
2016, Conference Paper, River flow 2016
Accuracy of streamflow data depends on the veracity of the rating model used to derive a continuous time series of discharge from the surrogate variables that can readily be collected autonomously at a streamgage. Ratings are typically represented as a simple monotonic increasing function (simple rating), meaning the discharge is...
Groundwater quality from private domestic water-supply wells in the vicinity of petroleum production in Southwestern Indiana
Martin R. Risch, Cheryl A. Silcox
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1122
Compounds of emerging concern in the San Antonio River Basin, Texas, 2011–12
Rebecca B. Lambert, Stephen P. Opsahl
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3071
The City of San Antonio and the surrounding municipalities in Bexar County, Texas, are among the fastest growing cities in the Nation. Increases in residential and commercial development are changing runoff patterns and likely will increase chemical loads into streams. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio...
Potash—A vital agricultural nutrient sourced from geologic deposits
Douglas B. Yager
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1167
This report summarizes the primary sources of potash in the United States. Potash is an essential nutrient that, along with phosphorus and nitrogen, is used as fertilizer for growing crops. Plants require sufficient potash to activate enzymes, which in turn catalyze chemical reactions important for water uptake and photosynthesis. When...
Role of riparian shade on the fish assemblage of a reservoir littoral
C. D. Raines, Leandro E. Miranda
2016, Environmental Biology of Fishes (99) 753-760
Research into the effects of shade on reservoir fish assemblages is lacking, with most investigations focused on streams. Unlike many streams, the canopy in a reservoir shades only a narrow fringe of water adjacent to the shoreline, and may not have the influential effect on the aquatic environment reported in...
Effects of climate and water balance across grasslands of varying C3 and C4 grass cover
Dana L. Witwicki, Seth M. Munson, David P. Thoma
2016, Ecosphere (7)
Climate change in grassland ecosystems may lead to divergent shifts in the abundance and distribution of C3 and C4 grasses. Many studies relate mean climate conditions over relatively long time periods to plant cover, but there is still much uncertainty about how the balance of C3and C4 species will be...
Aquatic-macroinvertebrate communities of Prairie-Pothole wetlands and lakes under a changed climate
Kyle I. McLean, David M. Mushet, David A. Renton, Craig A. Stockwell
2016, Wetlands (36) 423-435
Understanding how aquatic-macroinvertebrate communities respond to changes in climate is important for biodiversity conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region and other wetland-rich landscapes. We sampled macroinvertebrate communities of 162 wetlands and lakes previously sampled from 1966 to 1976, a much drier period compared to our 2012–2013 sampling timeframe. To identify...
Sensitivity of the projected hydroclimatic environment of the Delaware River basin to formulation of potential evapotranspiration
Tanja N. Williamson, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Paul C.D. Milly
2016, Climatic Change (139) 215-228
The Delaware River Basin (DRB) encompasses approximately 0.4 % of the area of the United States (U.S.), but supplies water to 5 % of the population. We studied three forested tributaries to quantify the potential climate-driven change in hydrologic budget for two 25-year time periods centered on 2030 and 2060, focusing on...
Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2015
Miya N. Barr, David C. Heimann
2016, Data Series 1023
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams and springs throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During water year 2015 (October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015), data were collected at 74...
Climate change impacts on ecosystems and ecosystem services in the United States: Process and prospects for sustained assessment
Nancy B. Grimm, Peter M Groffman, Michelle D. Staudinger, Heather Tallis
2016, Climatic Change (135) 97-109
The third United States National Climate Assessment emphasized an evaluation of not just the impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, but also the impacts of climate change on the benefits that people derive from nature, known as ecosystem services. The ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services component of the...
Community exposure to potential climate-driven changes to coastal-inundation hazards for six communities in Essex County, Massachusetts
Nina Abdollahian, Jamie L. Ratliff, Nathan J. Wood
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1187
IntroductionUnderstanding if and how community exposure to coastal hazards may change over time is crucial information for coastal managers tasked with developing climate adaptation plans. This report summarizes estimates of population and asset exposure to coastal-inundation hazards associated with sea-level-rise and storm scenarios in six coastal communities of the Great...
Sedimentation survey of Lago Caonillas, Utuado, Puerto Rico, September–November 2012
Luis R. Soler-Lopez
2016, Scientific Investigations Map 3368
During September–November 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, conducted a sedimentation survey of Lago Caonillas to estimate current (2012) reservoir storage capacity and the recent (2000–2012) reservoir sedimentation rate by comparing the 2012 bathymetric survey data with the February 2000 data....
