Occurrence of pesticides in groundwater underlying areas of high-density row-crop production in Alabama, 2009-2013
Heather L. Welch
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5014
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, sampled a network of 15 wells for up to 167 pesticides and pesticide degradates from 2009 through 2013 in three areas of high-density row-crop agriculture in Alabama. Eighteen herbicides, 2 fungicides, and 9 degradates were detected...
Using satellite images to monitor glacial-lake outburst floods: Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile
Beverly A. Friesen, Christopher J. Cole, David A. Nimick, Earl M. Wilson, Mark J. Fahey, Daniel J. McGrath, Jonathan Leidich
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3322
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is monitoring and analyzing glacial-lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Colonia valley in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. A GLOF is a type of flood that occurs when water impounded by a glacier or a glacial moraine is released catastrophically. In the Colonia valley,...
National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources: allocations of assessed areas to Federal lands
Marc L. Buursink, Steven M. Cahan, Peter D. Warwick
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5021
Following the geologic basin-scale assessment of technically accessible carbon dioxide storage resources in onshore areas and State waters of the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that an area of about 130 million acres (or about 200,000 square miles) of Federal lands overlies these storage resources. Consequently, about 18...
Conceptual models of the formation of acid-rock drainage at road cuts in Tennessee
Mike Bradley, Scott Worland, Tom Byl
2015, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the 2015 Tennessee Water Resources Symposium
Pyrite and other minerals containing sulfur and trace metals occur in several rock formations throughout Middle and East Tennessee. Pyrite (FeS2) weathers in the presence of oxygen and water to form iron hydroxides and sulfuric acid. The weathering and interaction of the acid on the rocks and other minerals at...
Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head and temperature in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2011-13
Brian V. Twining, Jason C. Fisher
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5042
From 2011 to 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Project Office, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected depth-discrete measurements of fluid pressure and temperature in 11 boreholes located in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Each borehole was instrumented with a multilevel monitoring system...
An evaluation of the accuracy of modeled and computed streamflow time-series data for the Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam and at a location upstream from Sardis, Ohio
G. F. Koltun
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1058
Between July 2013 and June 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) made 10 streamflow measurements on the Ohio River about 1.5 miles (mi) downstream from the Hannibal Lock and Dam (near Hannibal, Ohio) and 11 streamflow measurements near the USGS Sardis gage (station number 03114306) located approximately 2.4 mi upstream...
Do management actions to restore rare habitat benefit native fish conservation? Distribution of juvenile native fish among shoreline habitats of the Colorado River
Michael J. Dodrill, Charles B. Yackulic, Brandon Gerig, William E. Pine III, Josh Korman, Colton Finch
2015, River Research and Applications (31) 1203-1217
Many management actions in aquatic ecosystems are directed at restoring or improving specific habitats to benefit fish populations. In the Grand Canyon reach of the Colorado River, experimental flow operations as part of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program have been designed to restore sandbars and associated backwater habitats....
The Pacific northwest stream quality assessment
Peter C. Van Metre, Jennifer L. Morace, Rich W. Sheibley
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3020
In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program is assessing stream quality in the Pacific Northwest. The goals of the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (Pacific Northwest study) are to assess the quality of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors...
A method for determining average beach slope and beach slope variability for U.S. sandy coastlines
Kara S. Doran, Joseph W. Long, Jacquelyn R. Overbeck
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1053
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Assessment of Hurricane-Induced Coastal Erosion Hazards compares measurements of beach morphology with storm-induced total water levels to produce forecasts of coastal change for storms impacting the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coastlines of the United States. The wave-induced water level component (wave setup and...
Managing habitat to slow or reverse population declines of the Columbia spotted frog in the Northern Great Basin
David S. Pilliod, Richard D. Scherer
2015, Journal of Wildlife Management (79) 579-590
Evaluating the effectiveness of habitat management actions is critical to adaptive management strategies for conservation of imperiled species. We quantified the response of a Great Basin population of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) to multiple habitat improvement actions aimed to reduce threats and reverse population declines. We used mark-recapture...
Targeting climate diversity in conservation planning to build resilience to climate change
Nicole E. Heller, Jason R. Kreitler, David Ackerly, Stuart Weiss, Amanda Recinos, Ryan Branciforte, Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, Elisabeth Micheli
2015, Ecosphere (6) 1-20
Climate change is raising challenging concerns for systematic conservation planning. Are methods based on the current spatial patterns of biodiversity effective given long-term climate change? Some conservation scientists argue that planning should focus on protecting the abiotic diversity in the landscape, which drives patterns of biological diversity, rather than focusing...
Soil respiration patterns and controls in limestone cedar glades
Jennifer M. Cartwright, Dafeng Hui
2015, Plant and Soil (389) 157-169
Aims Drivers of soil respiration (Rs) in rock outcrop ecosystems remain poorly understood. We investigated these drivers in limestone cedar glades, known for their concentrations of endemic plant species and for seasonal hydrologic extremes (xeric and saturated conditions), and compared our findings to those in temperate grasslands and semi-arid ecosystems. Methods We measured...
Terrestrial ecology of semi-aquatic giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas)
Brian J. Halstead, Shannon M. Skalos, Glenn D. Wylie, Michael L. Casazza
2015, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (10) 633-644
Wetlands are a vital component of habitat for semiaquatic herpetofauna, but for most species adjacent terrestrial habitats are also essential. We examined the use of terrestrial environments by Giant Gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas) to provide behavioral information relevant to conservation of this state and federally listed threatened species. We used radio...
Hydrologic conditions in Massachusetts during water year 2014
Richard J. Verdi
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1056
Hydrologic data and conditions throughout Massachusetts during water year 2014 (October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014) are presented in this report. Stream discharge and groundwater levels during water year 2014 varied geographically across the State. The data are described as being above, below, or near normal in relation to...
Evaluation of the Ott Hydromet Qliner for measuring discharge in laboratory and field conditions
Jason C. McVay
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1052
The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the University of Iowa IIHR – Hydroscience and Engineering, evaluated the use of the Ott Hydromet Qliner using laboratory flume tests along with field validation tests. Analysis of the flume testing indicates the velocities measured by the Qliner at a 40-second exposure time...
Geologic control on the evolution of the inner shelf morphology offshore of the Mississippi barrier islands, northern Gulf of Mexico, USA
James G. Flocks, Jack L. Kindinger, Kyle W. Kelso
2015, Continental Shelf Research (101) 59-70
Between 2008 and 2013, high-resolution geophysical surveys were conducted around the Mississippi barrier islands and offshore. The sonar surveys included swath and single-beam bathymetry, sidescan, and chirp subbottom data collection. The geophysical data were groundtruthed using vibracore sediment collection. The results provide insight into the evolution of the inner shelf...
Associations between water physicochemistry and Prymnesium parvum presence, abundance, and toxicity in west Texas reservoirs
Matthew M. VanLandeghem, Mukhtar Farooqi, Greg M. Southard, Reynaldo Patino
2015, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (51) 471-486
Toxic blooms of golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) have caused substantial ecological and economic harm in freshwater and marine systems throughout the world. In North America, toxic blooms have impacted freshwater systems including large reservoirs. Management of water chemistry is one proposed option for golden alga control in these systems. The...
Spatiotemporal associations of reservoir nutrient characteristics and the invasive, harmful alga Prymnesium parvum in West Texas
Matthew M. VanLandeghem, Mukhtar Farooqi, Greg M. Southard, Reynaldo Patino
2015, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (51) 487-501
Golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) is a harmful alga that has caused ecological and economic harm in freshwater and marine systems worldwide. In inland systems of North America, toxic blooms have nearly eliminated fish populations in some systems. Modifying nutrient profiles through alterations to land or water use may be a...
Prevalence and genetic diversity of haematozoa in South American waterfowl and evidence for intercontinental redistribution of parasites by migratory birds
Matthew M. Smith, Andrew M. Ramey
2015, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (4) 22-28
To understand the role of migratory birds in the movement and transmission of haematozoa within and between continental regions, we examined 804 blood samples collected from eleven endemic species of South American waterfowl in Peru and Argentina for infection by Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and/or Leucocytozono blood parasites. Infections were detected in...
Modeled intermittency risk for small streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin under climate change
Lindsay V. Reynolds, Patrick B. Shafroth, N. LeRoy Poff
2015, Journal of Hydrology (523) 768-780
Longer, drier summers projected for arid and semi-arid regions of western North America under climate change are likely to have enormous consequences for water resources and river-dependent ecosystems. Many climate change scenarios for this region involve decreases in mean annual streamflow, late summer precipitation and late-summer streamflow in the coming...
A real-time, quantitative PCR protocol for assessing the relative parasitemia of Leucocytozoon in waterfowl
Matthew M. Smith, Joel A. Schmutz, Chloe Apelgren, Andrew M. Ramey
2015, Journal of Microbiological Methods (111) 72-77
Microscopic examination of blood smears can be effective at diagnosing and quantifying hematozoa infections. However, this method requires highly trained observers, is time consuming, and may be inaccurate for detection of infections at low levels of parasitemia. To develop a molecular methodology for identifying and quantifying Leucocytozoon parasite infection in...
Characterization of Missouri surface waters near point sources of pollution reveals potential novel atmospheric route of exposure for bisphenol A and wastewater hormonal activity pattern
Christopher D. Kassotis, David A. Alvarez, Julia A. Taylor, Frederick S. vom Saal, Susan C. Nagel, Donald E. Tillitt
2015, Science of the Total Environment (524-525) 384-393
Surface water contamination by chemical pollutants increasingly threatens water quality around the world. Among the many contaminants found in surface water, there is growing concern regarding endocrine disrupting chemicals, based on their ability to interfere with some aspect of hormone action in exposed organisms, including humans. This study assessed water...
The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) surface-water model, version 2
Pamela A. Telis, Zhixiao Xie, Zhongwei Liu, Yingru Li, Paul Conrads
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5209
The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) is an integrated network of water-level gages, interpolation models that generate daily water-level and water-depth data, and applications that compute derived hydrologic data across the freshwater part of the greater Everglades landscape. The U.S. Geological Survey Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science provides support for...
California’s water: The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, James E. Cloern, William Fleenor, Brian Gray, Wim Kimmerer, Peter Moyle
2015, Report
The Delta is the deteriorating, fragile hub of California’s water supply system. Critical decisions about its future are pending. This publication is part of a briefing kit that highlights the state’s most pressing water management issues in nine key areas: Climate change and waterManaging droughtsPaying for waterPreparing for floods<br...
Using stable isotopes of carbon to investigate the seasonal variation of carbon transfer in a northwestern Arkansas cave
Katherine J. Knierim, Erik Pollock, Phillip D. Hays, Jam Khojasteh
2015, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies (77) 12-27
Stable-isotope analyses are valuable in karst settings, where characterizing biogeochemical cycling of carbon along groundwater flow paths is critical for understanding and protecting sensitive cave and karst water resources. This study quantified the seasonal changes in concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C) of aqueous and gaseous carbon species—dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)...
