Understanding the hydrologic impacts of wastewater treatment plant discharge to shallow groundwater: Before and after plant shutdown
Laura E. Hubbard, Steffanie H. Keefe, Dana W. Kolpin, Larry B. Barber, Joseph W. Duris, Kasey J. Hutchinson, Paul M. Bradley
2016, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (2) 864-874
Effluent-impacted surface water has the potential to transport not only water, but wastewater-derived contaminants to shallow groundwater systems. To better understand the effects of effluent discharge on in-stream and near-stream hydrologic conditions in wastewater-impacted systems, water-level changes were monitored in hyporheic-zone and shallow-groundwater piezometers in a reach of Fourmile Creek...
Three-dimensional visualization maps of suspended-sediment concentrations during placement of dredged material in 21st Avenue West Channel Embayment, Duluth-Superior Harbor, Duluth, Minnesota, 2015
Joel T. Groten, Christopher A. Ellison, Mollie H. Mahoney
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5086
Excess sediment in rivers and estuaries poses serious environmental and economic challenges. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) routinely dredges sediment in Federal navigation channels to maintain commercial shipping operations. The USACE initiated a 3-year pilot project in 2013 to use navigation channel dredged material to aid in restoration...
Mercury concentrations in water and mercury and selenium concentrations in fish from Brownlee Reservoir and selected sites in the Boise and Snake Rivers, Idaho and Oregon, 2013–15
Marshall L. Williams, Dorene E. MacCoy
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1098
Mercury (Hg) analyses were conducted on samples of sport fish and water collected from selected sampling sites in Brownlee Reservoir and the Boise and Snake Rivers to meet National Pollution Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements for the City of Boise, Idaho, between 2013 and 2015. City of...
Completion summary for boreholes TAN-2271 and TAN‑2272 at Test Area North, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Brian V. Twining, Roy C. Bartholomay, Mary Hodges
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5088
In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed boreholes TAN-2271 and TAN-2272 for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory in southeast Idaho. Borehole TAN-2271 initially was cored...
Adjusting annual maximum peak discharges at selected stations in northeastern Illinois for changes in land-use conditions
Thomas M. Over, Riki J. Saito, David T. Soong
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5049
The effects of urbanization on annual maximum peak discharges in northeastern Illinois and nearby areas from 1945 to 2009 were analyzed with a two-step longitudinal-quantile linear regression approach. The peak discharges were then adjusted to 2010 land-use conditions. The explanatory variables used were daily precipitation at the time of the...
Using macroinvertebrate assemblages and multiple stressors to infer urban stream system condition: A case study in the central US
John W. Nichols, Jason A. Hubbart, Barry C. Poulton
2016, Urban Ecosystems (19) 679-704
Characterizing the impacts of hydrologic alterations, pollutants, and habitat degradation on macroinvertebrate species assemblages is of critical value for managers wishing to categorize stream ecosystem condition. A combination of approaches including trait-based metrics and traditional bioassessments provides greater information, particularly in anthropogenic stream ecosystems where traditional approaches can be confounded...
Saharan dust nutrients promote Vibrio bloom formation in marine surface waters
Jason R. Westrich, Alina M. Ebling, William M. Landing, Jessica L. Joyner, Keri M. Kemp, Dale W. Griffin, Erin K. Lipp
2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (113) 5964-5969
Vibrio is a ubiquitous genus of marine bacteria, typically comprising a small fraction of the total microbial community in surface waters, but capable of becoming a dominant taxon in response to poorly characterized factors. Iron (Fe), often restricted by limited bioavailability and low external supply, is an essential micronutrient that can...
Comparison of remote sensing indices for monitoring of desert cienegas
Natalie R. Wilson, Laura M. Norman, Miguel L. Villarreal, Leila Gass, Ron Tiller, Andrew Salywon
2016, Arid Land Research and Management (30) 460-478
This research considers the applicability of different vegetation indices at 30 m resolution for mapping and monitoring desert wetland (cienega) health and spatial extent through time at Cienega Creek in southeastern Arizona, USA. Multiple stressors including the risk of decadal-scale drought, the effects of current and predicted global warming, and continued...
Assessing the relationship between groundwater nitrate and animal feeding operations in Iowa (USA)
Keith W. Zirkle, Bernard T. Nolan, Rena R. Jones, Peter J. Weyer, Mary H. Ward, David C. Wheeler
2016, Science of the Total Environment (566-567) 1062-1068
Nitrate-nitrogen is a common contaminant of drinking water in many agricultural areas of the United States of America (USA). Ingested nitrate from contaminated drinking water has been linked to an increased risk of several cancers, specific birth defects, and other diseases. In this research, we assessed the relationship between animal...
Macroinvertebrate and diatom metrics as indicators of water-quality conditions in connected depression wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Billy Justus, David Burge, Jennifer Cobb, Travis Marsico, Jennifer Bouldin
2016, Freshwater Science (35) 1049-1061
Methods for assessing wetland conditions must be established so wetlands can be monitored and ecological services can be protected. We evaluated biological indices compiled from macroinvertebrate and diatom metrics developed primarily for streams to assess their ability to indicate water quality in connected depression wetlands. We collected water-quality and biological...
On the sustainability of inland fisheries: Finding a future for the forgotten
Steven J. Cooke, Edward H. Allison, Beard Jr., Robert Arlinghaus, Angela Arthington, Devin Bartley, Ian G. Cowx, Carlos Fuentevilla, Nancy J. Leonard, Kai Lorenzen, Abigail Lynch, Vivian M. Nguyen, So-Jung Youn, William W. Tayor, Robin Welcomme
2016, Ambio (45) 753-764
At present, inland fisheries are not often a national or regional governance priority and as a result, inland capture fisheries are undervalued and largely overlooked. As such they are threatened in both developing and developed countries. Indeed, due to lack of reliable data, inland fisheries have never been part of...
Year-round monitoring of contaminants in Neal and Rogers Creeks, Hood River Basin, Oregon, 2011-12, and assessment of risks to salmonids
Whitney B. Temple, Jennifer L. Morace, Elena B. Nilsen, David Alvarez, Kevin Masterson
2016, PLoS ONE (11)
Pesticide presence in streams is a potential threat to Endangered Species Act listed salmonids in the Hood River basin, Oregon, a primarily forested and agricultural basin. Two types of passive samplers, polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs), were simultaneously deployed at four sites in the...
Yellowstone River Compact Commission sixty-fifth annual report, 2016
Seth Davidson
2016, Report
No abstract available....
Effects of pulse and press drying disturbance on benthic stream communities
Dustin T. Lynch, Daniel D. Magoulick
2016, Freshwater Science (35) 998-1009
Natural disturbance is an integral component of most ecosystems and occurs in 3 different forms: pulse, press, and ramp. In lotic ecosystems, seasonal drought is a major form of disturbance, particularly in intermittent headwater streams, which often are reduced to pools that serve as refuges for biota. We used simulated...
The new Landsat 8 potential for remote sensing of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)
E. Terrence Slonecker, Daniel K. Jones, Brian A. Pellerin
2016, Marine Pollution Bulletin (107) 518-527
Due to a combination of factors, such as a new coastal/aerosol band and improved radiometric sensitivity of the Operational Land Imager aboard Landsat 8, the atmospherically-corrected Surface Reflectance product for Landsat data, and the growing availability of corrected fDOM data from U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations, moderate-resolution remote sensing of...
Increased water deficit decreases Douglas fir growth throughout western US forests
Christina M Restaino, David L. Peterson, Jeremy S. Littell
2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (113) 9557-9562
Changes in tree growth rates can affect tree mortality and forest feedbacks to the global carbon cycle. As air temperature increases, evaporative demand also increases, increasing effective drought in forest ecosystems. Using a spatially comprehensive network of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) chronologies from 122 locations that experience distinctly different climate in...
Seasonal Variability in Vadose zone biodegradation at a crude oil pipeline rupture site
Natasha J. Sihota, Jared J. Trost, Barbara Bekins, Andrew M. Berg, Geoffrey N. Delin, Brent E. Mason, Ean Warren, K. Ulrich Mayer
2016, Vadose Zone Journal (15)
Understanding seasonal changes in natural attenuation processes is critical for evaluating source-zone longevity and informing management decisions. The seasonal variations of natural attenuation were investigated through measurements of surficial CO2 effluxes, shallow soil CO2 radiocarbon contents, subsurface gas concentrations, soil temperature, and volumetric water contents during a 2-yr period. Surficial...
Spatiotemporal patterns of mercury accumulation in lake sediments of western North America
Paul Drevnick, Colin A. Cooke, Daniella Barraza, Jules M. Blais, Kenneth Coale, Brian F. Cumming, Chris Curtis, Biplob Das, William F. Donahue, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Daniel R. Engstrom, William F. Fitzgerald, Chad V. Furl, John R. Gray, Roland I. Hall, Togwell A. Jackson, Kathleen R. Laird, W. Lyle Lockhart, Robie W. Macdonald, M. Alisa Mast, Callie Mathieu, Derek C.G. Muir, Peter Outridge, Scott Reinemann, Sarah E. Rothenberg, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandex, Louis, Rhea Sanders, Hamed Sanei, Elliott Skierszkan, Peter C. Van Metre, Timothy Veverica, Johan A. Wiklund, Brent B. Wolfe
2016, Science of the Total Environment (568) 1157-1170
For the Western North America Mercury Synthesis, we compiled mercury records from 165 dated sediment cores from 138 natural lakes across western North America. Lake sediments are accepted as faithful recorders of historical mercury accumulation rates, and regional and sub-regional temporal and spatial trends were...
An assessment of mercury in estuarine sediment and tissue in Southern New Jersey using public domain data
Kara Ng, Zoltan Szabo, Pamela A. Reilly, Julia Barringer, Kelly L. Smalling
2016, Marine Pollution Bulletin (107) 22-35
Mercury (Hg) is considered a contaminant of global concern for coastal environments due to its toxicity, widespread occurrence in sediment, and bioaccumulation in tissue. Coastal New Jersey, USA, is characterized by shallow bays and wetlands that provide critical habitat for wildlife but share space with expanding urban landscapes. This study...
The role of ocean tides on groundwater-surface water exchange in a mangrove-dominated estuary: Shark River Slough, Florida Coastal Everglades, USA
Christopher G. Smith, Rene M. Price, Peter W. Swarzenski, Jeremy C. Stalker
2016, Estuaries and Coasts (39) 1600-1616
Low-relief environments like the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) have complicated hydrologic systems where surface water and groundwater processes are intimately linked yet hard to separate. Fluid exchange within these lowhydraulic-gradient systems can occur across broad spatial and temporal scales, with variable contributions to material transport and transformation. Identifying and assessing...
Characterizing supraglacial meltwater channel hydraulics on the Greenland Ice Sheet from in situ observations
Colin J. Gleason, Laurence C. Smith, Vena W. Chu, Carl J. Legleiter, Lincoln H. Pitcher, Brandon T. Overstreet, Asa K. Rennermalm, Richard R. Forster, Kang Yang
2016, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (41) 2111-2122
Supraglacial rivers on the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) transport large volumes of surface meltwater toward the ocean, yet have received relatively little direct research. This study presents field observations of channel width, depth, velocity, and water surface slope for nine supraglacial channels on the southwestern GrIS collected between 23 July...
Geology and biology of the "Sticky Grounds," shelf-margin carbonate mounds, and mesophotic ecosystem in the eastern Gulf of Mexico
Stanley D. Locker, John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington, Stacey Harter, Albert C. Hine, Shane Dunn
2016, Continental Shelf Research (125) 71-87
Shelf-margin carbonate mounds in water depths of 116–135 m in the eastern Gulf of Mexico along the central west Florida shelf were investigated using swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom imaging, rock dredging, and submersible dives. These enigmatic structures, known to fisherman as the “Sticky Grounds”, trend along slope, are...
Impact of formation water geochemistry and crude oil biodegradation on microbial methanogenesis
Jenna L. Shelton, Jennifer C. McIntosh, Peter D. Warwick, John E. McCray
2016, Organic Geochemistry (98) 105-117
Converting non-producible crude oil to CH4 via methanogenic crude oil biodegradation in oil reservoirs could serve as one way to increase our energy profile. Yet, field data supporting the direct relationship between methanogenesis and crude oil biodegradation are sparse. Indicators of methanogenesis, based on the formation water and gas geochemistry...
Estimation of peak discharge quantiles for selected annual exceedance probabilities in northeastern Illinois
Thomas M. Over, Riki J. Saito, Andrea G. Veilleux, Padraic S. O’Shea, Jennifer B. Sharpe, David T. Soong, Audrey L. Ishii
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5050
This report provides two sets of equations for estimating peak discharge quantiles at annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) of 0.50, 0.20, 0.10, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, and 0.002 (recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years, respectively) for watersheds in Illinois based on annual maximum peak...
Loss of genetic diversity and increased subdivision in an endemic Alpine Stonefly threatened by climate change
Steve Jordan, J. Joseph Giersch, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Scott Hotalling, Liz Fanning, Tyler H. Tappenbeck, Gordon Luikart
2016, PLoS ONE (11)
Much remains unknown about the genetic status and population connectivity of high-elevation and high-latitude freshwater invertebrates, which often persist near snow and ice masses that are disappearing due to climate change. Here we report on the conservation genetics of the meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana (Ricker) of Montana, USA, a cold-water...
