Relating surface water dynamics in wetlands and lakes to spatial variability in hydrologic signatures
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Peter Nieuwlandt, Heather E. Golden, Charles R. Lane, Jay R. Christensen, William Keenan, Wayana Dolan
2025, Wetland Ecology & Management (33)
The retention of surface water in wetlands and lakes can modify the timing, duration, and magnitude of river discharge. However, efforts to characterize the influence of surface water on discharge regimes have been generally limited to small, wetland-dense watersheds. We developed random forest models to explain spatial variability in six...
Expansion of aquatic and marsh area into once forest and agricultural area reflects changing hydrological conditions along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers (1989-2020)
Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
2025, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (197)
We examined 30-year trends in the abundance and distribution of aquatic and floodplain vegetation, as well as human land uses in five study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River and one reach of the Illinois River using aerial photography collected in years 1989, 2000, 2010, and 2020. Permanently inundated area...
Assessing spatial variability of nutrients, phytoplankton, and related water-quality constituents in the California Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta at the landscape scale—Comparison of four (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022) spring high-resolution mapping surveys
Emily Richardson, Tamara Kraus, Katy O’Donnell, Jeniffer Soto-Perez, Crystal Sturgeon, Elizabeth Stumpner, Brian Bergamaschi
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5035
Executive SummaryThis report summarizes results from boat-based, high-resolution water-quality mapping surveys completed before, during, and after upgrades to the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility (EchoWater Facility), the regional wastewater facility for the City of Sacramento and surrounding areas, near Elk Grove, California. Surveys were completed in the tidal aquatic environments of...
UAS-based geomorphic change detection of incised montane meadow stream channels with low-tech process-based restoration treatments
Raymond LeBeau, Miguel L. Villarreal, Jerry D. Davis
2025, Landscape Ecology
Context Montane meadows play an important hydrologic role in headwater catchments, but past land use has largely degraded their condition. Low-tech restoration methods, such as beaver dam analogs (BDAs), are increasingly used to support recovery of incised streams by promoting key geomorphic processes. However, there remains a need for studies...
Hydrologic response of groundwater and streamflow to natural and anthropogenic drivers of change in headwaters of the upper Colorado River basin during recent wet (1982–1999) and drought (2000–2022) conditions
Fred D. Tillman, Melissa D. Masbruch, Jacob E. Knight, John A. Engott, Samuel Francisco Lopez, Casey J.R. Jones, Jesse E. Dickinson, Matthew P. Miller
2025, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (60)
Study region: Headwaters of the upper Colorado River basin (UCOL), USAStudy focus: Surface-water and groundwater numerical models incorporating water-use information were used to investigate changes in climate, water use, and simulated hydrologic responses of snow processes, evapotranspiration, groundwater, and streamflow during recent wet (1982–1999) and drought (2000–2022) periods in the...
Quantifying the success of stormwater control measure networks using effective imperviousness
Aditi S. Bhaskar, Charles C. Stillwell, Matthew J. Burns, Kristina G. Hopkins, Christopher J. Walsh
2025, PLOS Water (4)
The deleterious effects of directly-connected impervious surfaces on urban streams have been widely recognized. To deal with these effects, the use of stormwater control measures that aim to disconnect impervious surfaces and prevent stormwater from reaching the stream has surged. However, we lack widespread use of consistent metrics that describe...
Over, under, and through: Hydrologic connectivity and the future of coastal landscape salinization
Ashley Helton, James Dennedy-Frank, Ryan Emanuel, Scott C Neubauer, Kyra Adams, Marcelo Ardon, Lawrence Band, Kevin A. Befus, Hanne Borstlap, Jamie Duberstein, Adam Gold, Kominoski John, Alex Manda, Holly A. Michael, Stephen Moysey, Allison Myers-Pigg, Justine Annaliese Neville, Gregory E. Noe, Jeeban Panthi, Elnaz Pezeshki, Matthew Sirianni, Ward.Nicolas
2025, Water Resources Research (61)
Seawater intrusion (SWI) affects coastal landscapes worldwide. Here we describe the hydrologic pathways through which SWI occurs - over land via storm surge or tidal flooding, under land via groundwater transport, and through watersheds via natural and artificial surface water channels—and how human modifications to those pathways alter patterns of...
Isotopic niche plasticity of American alligators within the southern Everglades
Mathew Denton, Michael Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti, Laura A. Brandt, Sidney T. Godfrey, Darren Johnson, Kristen Hart
2025, PLoS ONE (20)
Hydrologic alterations within the Everglades have degraded American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) habitat, reduced prey base, and increased physiological stress. Alligator body condition declined across many management areas from 2000 through 2014, prompting us to investigate the relationship between their intraspecific isotopic niche dynamics and body condition. Alligators within the estuary...
Assessment and validation of depressions in digital elevation models from multiple elevation data sources and delineation of depressions, sinking streams, and their watersheds in Tennessee and parts of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi
David E. Ladd, John K. Carmichael
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5134
Closed depressions and sinking streams in karst landscapes pose difficulties for water-resources management, in the construction of roads and other public works, and in hydrologic and hydrogeomorphic analyses. Digital elevation models (DEMs) can be used to identify the location and determine the size and shape of closed depressions, but separating...
Staying alive: Post-translocation apparent survival of fishes in headwater springs following drought
Sophia Marie Bonjour, Keith B. Gido, Peter J. Pfaff, Abigail Rick, Aiden Masek
2025, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (45) 659-668
ObjectiveIncreasing fragmentation from constructed barriers, increased water use, and climate change limits the resiliency of stream fish metapopulations by reducing colonization. Management actions such as stocking or translocating fish may help contribute to the resilience of isolated habitats and increase redundancy of populations in intermittent stream...
Hydrogeology, water budget, and simulated groundwater availability in the Salt Fork Arkansas River and Chikaskia River alluvial aquifers, northern Oklahoma, 1980–2020
Nicole C. Gammill, S. Jerrod Smith
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5043
The 1973 Oklahoma Groundwater Law (Oklahoma Statute §82–1020.5) requires that the Oklahoma Water Resources Board conduct hydrologic investigations of the State’s aquifers to determine the maximum annual yield for each groundwater basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, conducted an updated hydrologic investigation of...
Network of networks: Time series clustering of AmeriFlux sites
David E. Reed, Housen Chu, Brad G. Peter, Jiquan Chen, Michael Abraha, Brian Amiro, Ray G. Anderson, M. Altaf Arain, Paulo Arruda, Greg A. Barron-Gafford, Carl Bernacchi, Daniel P. Beverly, Sebastien C. Biraud, T. Andrew Black, Peter D. Blanken, Gil Bohrer, Rebecca Bowler, David R. Bowling, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte, Mario Bretfeld, Nathaniel A. Brunsell, Stephen H. Bullock, Gerardo Celis, Xingyuan Chen, Aimee T. Classen, David R. Cook, Alejandro Cueva, Higo J. Dalmagro, Kenneth J. Davis, Ankur Desai, Alison J. Duff, Allison L. Dunn, David Durden, Colin W. Edgar, Eugenie Euskirchen, Rosvel Bracho, Brent E. Ewers, Lawrence B. Flanagan, Christopher R. Florian, Vanessa Foord, Inke Forbrich, Brandon R. Forsythe, John Frank, Jaime Garatuza-Payan, Sarah Goslee, Christopher M. Gough, Mark B. Green, Timothy Griffis, Manuel Helbig, Andrew C. Hill, Ross Hinkle, Jason Horne, Elyn Humphreys, Hiroki Ikawa, Go Iwahana, Rachhpal Jassal, Bruce K. Johnson, Mark Johnson, Steven A. Kannenberg, Eric Kelsey, John King, John F. Knowles, Sara Knox, Hideki Kobayashi, Thomas Kolb, Randy Kolka, Ken Krauss, Lars Kutzbach, Brian T. Lamb, Beverly E. Law, Sung-Ching Lee, Xuhui Lee, Heping Liu, Henry W. Loescher, Sparkle L. Malone, Roser Matamala, Marguerite Mauritz, Stefan Metzger, Gesa Meyer, Bhaskar Mitra, J. William Munger, Zoran Nesic, Asko Noormets, Thomas L. O'Halloran, Patrick T. O'Keeffe, Steven F. Oberbauer, Walter Oechel, Patty Oikawa, Paulo C. Olivas, Andrew Ouimette, Gilberto Pastorello, Jorge F. Perez-Quezada, Claire Phillips, Gabriela Posse, Bo Qu, William L. Quinton, Michele L. Reba, Andrew D. Richardson, Valentin Picasso, Adrian V. Rocha, Julio C. Rodriguez, Roel Ruzol, Scott Saleska, Russell L. Scott, Adam P. Schreiner-McGraw, Edward A.G. Schuur, Maria Silveira, Oliver Sonnentag, David L. Spittlehouse, Ralf Staebler, Gregory Starr, Christina Staudhammer, Chris Still, Cove Sturtevant, Ryan C. Sullivan, Andy Suyker, David Trejo, Masahito Ueyama, Rodrigo Vargas, Brian Viner, Enrique R. Vivoni, Dong Wang, Eric J. Ward, Susanne Wiesner, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, David Yannick, Enrico A. Yepez, Terenzio Zenone, Junbin Zhao, Donatella Zona
2025, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology (372)
Environmental observation networks, such as AmeriFlux, are foundational for monitoring ecosystem response to climate change, management practices, and natural disturbances; however, their effectiveness depends on their representativeness for the regions or continents. We proposed an empirical, time series approach to quantify the similarity of ecosystem fluxes across AmeriFlux sites. We...
Spatiotemporal drivers of water quality and phytoplankton communities in a cyanobacteria-dominated reservoir provide management insights
Linnea A. Rock, William W. Fetzer, Lindsay Patterson, Samuel J. Sillen, Ron Steg, Annika W. Walters, Sarah M. Collins
2025, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (197)
Reservoirs serve critical roles providing drinking water, irrigation, flood control, hydropower, recreation, fisheries, and aquatic habitat. Yet their physical position, complex shape, and large watersheds make reservoirs especially susceptible to eutrophication and harmful algal bloom (HAB) production. Boysen Reservoir, WY, is a high priority for proactive nutrient management because it...
Select elements of concern in surface water of three hydrologic basins (Delaware River, Illinois River, and Upper Colorado River)—Data screening for the development of spatial and temporal models
Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, R. Blaine McCleskey, Samantha L. Sullivan, Jonathan Casey Root, Serena M. Seawolf, Katherine M. Ransom, Susan Wherry, Evangelos Kakouros, Shaun Baesman
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1033
The report focuses on the screening of previously published concentration data associated with 12 elements of concern (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, manganese, lead, selenium, uranium, and zinc) measured in stream surface waters of three hydrologic basins (Delaware River Basin, Illinois River Basin, and the Upper Colorado River...
Effects of total suspended solids on photomineralization of dissolved organic matter in the Peace-Athabasca Delta, Canada
Wayana Dolan, Tamlin M. Pavelsky, Julianne Davis, Nathan LaFramboise, Catherine Polik, Rose Cory
2025, JGR Biogeosciences (130)
Northern deltas receive chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from their watersheds, which can be oxidized to carbon dioxide upon absorption of sunlight (i.e., photomineralized). These deltas also receive total suspended solids (TSS), which may shade sunlight absorption by CDOM, thus limiting photomineralization. To quantify this interaction for the first time,...
Borehole geophysical time-series logging to monitor passive ISCO treatment of residual chlorinated-ethenes in a confining bed, NAS Pensacola, Florida
Philip Harte, Michael A. Singletary, James E. Landmeyer
2025, Hydrology Journal (12)
In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is a common method to remediate chlorinated ethene contaminants in groundwater. Monitoring the effectiveness of ISCO can be hindered because of insufficient observations to assess oxidant delivery. Advantageously, potassium permanganate, one type of oxidant, provides the opportunity to use its strong electrical signal as a surrogate...
Characterizing water-quality response after the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire using a novel application of the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season method
Manya Helene Ruckhaus, David W. Clow, Robert M. Hirsch, Tanner William Chapin
2025, Hydrological Processes (39)
The frequency and severity of wildfire activity in the western United States emphasises the utility of hydrologic models to predict water-quality response. This study presents a novel application of the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge and Season (WRTDS) method to assess potential changes in water quality in two watersheds draining...
Application of mercury stable isotopes to examine sources and hydrologic factors impacting mercury bioaccumulation and cycling in invertebrates of a model saline lake
Samuel Francisco Lopez, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Frank J. Black, Hannah Erin Mcilwain, Laura Elizabeth Flucke, Jacob M. Ogorek, William P. Johnson
2025, Water Research (284)
Invertebrates, such as brine shrimp and brine flies, are key prey items for millions of resident and migratory birds that utilize saline lakes such as Great Salt Lake (GSL). Elevated methylmercury (MeHg) in invertebrate and waterfowl species of GSL has been assumed to be linked to elevated MeHg in GSL’s...
Observing northern high-latitude river systems to understand changes in a warming Arctic
Joshua C. Koch, J. A. O’Donnell
2025, Current Climate Change Reports (11)
Purpose of ReviewStreams and rivers are undergoing rapid change as the Arctic warms and thaws. We review recent observations in Arctic stream systems to identify ubiquitous changes and the most useful tools for observing change and exploring the underlying processes.Recent FindingsRecent literature indicates increasingly significant trends...
Effects of climate change on midwestern ecosystems: Eastern North American temperate freshwater marsh, wet meadow and shrubland
Hugh Ratcliffe, Katherine Charton, Taylor Siddons, Marta P. Lyons, Olivia E. LeDee
2025, Report
The Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow and Shrubland is a hydrologically dynamic ecosystem highly sensitive to shifts in water availability. Across the Midwest, climate change is expected to intensify two primary stressors, flooding and drought, resulting in increased hydrologic variability that may threaten the persistence of these...
Effects of climate change on midwestern ecosystems: North American bog and fen
Hugh Ratcliffe, Katherine Charton, Taylor Siddons, Marta P. Lyons, Olivia E. LeDee
2025, Report
The North American Bog and Fen ecosystem may be increasingly vulnerable to climate stressors, particularly water deficits and warming temperatures. These peat-forming wetlands, found at the southern extent of their range in the Midwest, depend on relatively stable hydrological and thermal conditions. Climate change may disrupt these conditions through projected...
Simulation of the impacts of projected climate change on groundwater resources in the urban, semiarid Yucaipa Valley watershed, southern California using an integrated hydrologic model
Derek W. Ryter, Ayman H. Alzraiee, Richard G. Niswonger
2025, Journal of Hydrology, Regional Studies (60)
Managing water resources in semiarid watersheds is challenging due to limited supply and uncertain future climate conditions. This paper examines the impact of future climate changes on an urban watershed in southern California using an integrated hydrologic model. GSFLOW modeling software is used to simulate the nonlinear relationships between climate...
Estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods at ungaged locations on streams in Tennessee through the 2013 water year
David Ladd, Paul A. Ensminger
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5130
To improve estimates of the frequency of annual peak flows for ungaged locations on non-urban, unregulated streams in Tennessee, generalized least-squares multiple linear-regression techniques were used to relate annual peak flows from streamgages operated by the U.S. Geological Survey to physical, climatic, and land-use characteristics of their drainage basins. Geospatial...
Mobile radar provides insights into hydrologic responses in burn areas
Jonathan J. Gourley, Yagmur Derin, Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter, John W, Fulton, Laura A. Hempel, Braden White
2025, International Journal of Wildland Fire (34)
BackgroundWildfires often occur in mountainous terrain, regions that pose substantial challenges to operational meteorological and hydrologic observing networks.AimsA mobile, post-fire hydrometeorological observatory comprising remote-sensing and in situ instrumentation was developed and deployed in a burnt area to provide unique insights into rainfall-induced post-fire hazards.MethodsMobile radar-based rainfall...
Monitoring visitor activity and informal trail disturbance in Yosemite Valley meadows to assess temporal changes in use and impacts
Sheri A. Shiflett, Jeffery S. Jenkins, Rachel F. Mattos, Kai Thiry, Peter Christian Ibsen, Melissa Booher, Angela Tricomi, Nicole D Athearn
2025, Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (50)
Montane meadows provide vital habitat that supports ecosystems, regulate hydrological processes, and offer valuable recreational opportunities. Meadows account for 3 % of Yosemite National Park's area, including Yosemite Valley, and are particularly susceptible to human impacts such as formation of informal trails. We collected observational data on visitor activity and quantified...
