Toxoplasmosis
Dolores E. Hill, J. P. Dubey, Rachel C. Abbott, Charles van Riper III, Elizabeth A. Enright
Rachel C. Abbott, Charles van Riper III, Elizabeth A. Enright, editor(s)
2014, Circular 1389
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii), one of the better known and more widespread zoonotic diseases, originated in wildlife species and is now well established as a human malady. Food- and waterborne zoonoses, such as toxoplasmosis, are receiving increasing attention as components of disease emergence and resurgence. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted to humans via...
Simulated effects of existing and proposed surface-water impoundments and gas-well pads on streamflow and suspended sediment in the Cypress Creek watershed, Arkansas
Rheannon M. Hart
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5057
Cypress Creek is located in central Arkansas and is the main tributary to Brewer Lake, which serves as the primary water supply for Conway, Arkansas, and the surrounding areas. A model of the Cypress Creek watershed was developed and calibrated in cooperation with Southwestern Energy Company using detailed precipitation, streamflow,...
A review of environmental impacts of salts from produced waters on aquatic resources
Aïda M. Farag, David D. Harper
2014, International Journal of Coal Geology (126) 157-161
Salts are frequently a major constituent of waste waters produced during oil and gas production. These produced waters or brines must be treated and/or disposed and provide a daily challenge for operators and resource managers. Some elements of salts are regulated with water quality criteria established for the protection of...
Testing the accuracy of a 1-D volcanic plume model in estimating mass eruption rate
Larry G. Mastin
2014, Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres (119) 2474-2495
During volcanic eruptions, empirical relationships are used to estimate mass eruption rate from plume height. Although simple, such relationships can be inaccurate and can underestimate rates in windy conditions. One-dimensional plume models can incorporate atmospheric conditions and give potentially more accurate estimates. Here I present a 1-D model for plumes...
The Southeast Stream Quality Assessment
Peter C. Van Metre, Celeste A. Journey
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3023
In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) is assessing stream quality across the Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States. The goal of the Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) is to characterize multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life—contaminants, nutrients,...
Greenhouse gases generated from the anaerobic biodegradation of natural offshore asphalt seepages in southern California
T.D. Lorenson, Florence L. Wong, Peter Dartnell, Ray W. Sliter
2014, Geo-Marine Letters (34) 281-295
Significant offshore asphaltic deposits with active seepage occur in the Santa Barbara Channel offshore southern California. The composition and isotopic signatures of gases sampled from the oil and gas seeps reveal that the coexisting oil in the shallow subsurface is anaerobically biodegraded, generating CO2 with secondary CH4 production. Biomineralization can...
From headwaters to coast: Influence of human activities on water quality of the Potomac River Estuary
Suzanne B. Bricker, Karen C. Rice, Owen P. Bricker III
2014, Aquatic Geochemistry (20) 291-323
The natural aging process of Chesapeake Bay and its tributary estuaries has been accelerated by human activities around the shoreline and within the watershed, increasing sediment and nutrient loads delivered to the bay. Riverine nutrients cause algal growth in the bay leading to reductions in light penetration with consequent declines...
Groundwater studies: principal aquifer surveys
Karen R. Burow, Kenneth Belitz
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3024
In 1991, the U.S. Congress established the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop nationally consistent long-term datasets and provide information about the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. The USGS uses objective and reliable data, water-quality models, and systematic scientific studies to...
Water use characteristics of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) communities along an ecotone with marsh at a northern geographical limit
Ken W. Krauss, Karen L. McKee, Mark W. Hester
2014, Ecohydrology (7) 354-365
Mangroves are expanding into warm temperate-zone salt marsh communities in several locations globally. Although scientists have discovered that expansion might have modest effects on ecosystem functioning, water use characteristics have not been assessed relative to this transition. We measured early growing season sapflow (Js) and leaf transpiration (Tr) in Avicennia...
Accuracy of aging ducks in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey
Aaron T. Pearse, Douglas H. Johnson, Kenneth D. Richkus, Frank C. Rohwer, Robert R. Cox Jr., Paul I. Padding
2014, Wildlife Society Bulletin (38) 26-32
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts an annual Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey to estimate composition of harvested waterfowl by species, sex, and age (i.e., juv or ad). The survey relies on interpretation of duck wings by a group of experienced biologists at annual meetings (hereafter, flyway wingbees). Our objectives...
Statistics for stochastic modeling of volume reduction, hydrograph extension, and water-quality treatment by structural stormwater runoff best management practices (BMPs)
Gregory E. Granato
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5037
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to indicate the risk for stormwater concentrations, flows, and loads to be above user-selected water-quality goals and the potential effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce such risks. SELDM...
Fathead minnow and bluegill sunfish life-stage responses to 17β-estradiol exposure in outdoor mesocosms
Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Zachary G. Jorgenson, Daniel C. Rearick, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Kim T. Fredricks, Mark P. Gaikowski
2014, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (50) 376-387
Developmental and reproductive effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) exposure on two generations of fathead minnows and one generation of bluegill sunfish were assessed. Fish were exposed to E2 for six continuous weeks in outdoor mesocosms simulating natural lake environments. First generation fish were exposed while sexually mature. Second generation fathead minnows...
Blood lead concentrations in Alaskan tundra swans: linking breeding and wintering areas with satellite telemetry
Craig R. Ely, Christian Franson
2014, Ecotoxicology (23) 349-356
Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) like many waterfowl species are susceptible to lead (Pb) poisoning, and Pb-induced mortality has been reported from many areas of their wintering range. Little is known however about Pb levels throughout the annual cycle of tundra swans, especially during summer when birds are on remote northern...
Viruses as groundwater tracers: using ecohydrology to characterize short travel times in aquifers
Randall J. Hunt, Mark A. Borchardt, Kenneth R. Bradbury
2014, Ground Water (52) 187-193
Viruses are attractive tracers of short (<3 year) travel times in aquifers because they have unique genetic signatures, are detectable in trace quantities, and are mobile in groundwater. Virus “snaphots” result from infection and disappearance in a population over time; therefore, the virus snapshot shed in the fecal wastes of an...
Identifying marine Important Bird Areas using at-sea survey data
Melanie A. Smith, Nathan J. Walker, Christopher M. Free, Matthew J. Kirchhoff, Gary S. Drew, Nils Warnock, Iain J. Stenhouse
2014, Biological Conservation (172) 180-189
Effective marine bird conservation requires identification of at-sea locations used by populations for foraging, staging, and migration. Using an extensive database of at-sea survey data spanning over 30 years, we developed a standardized and data-driven spatial method for identifying globally significant marine Important Bird Areas in Alaska. To delineate these...
Simulation of groundwater flow and interaction of groundwater and surface water on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin
Paul F. Juckem, Michael N. Fienen, Randall J. Hunt
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5020
The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Indian Health Service are interested in improving the understanding of groundwater flow and groundwater/surface-water interaction on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation (Reservation) in southwest Vilas County and southeast Iron County, Wisconsin, with particular interest in an understanding of the potential...
Groundwater availability in the Crouch Branch and McQueen Branch aquifers, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 1900-2012
Bruce G. Campbell, James Landmeyer
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5050
Chesterfield County is located in the northeastern part of South Carolina along the southern border of North Carolina and is primarily underlain by unconsolidated sediments of Late Cretaceous age and younger of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Approximately 20 percent of Chesterfield County is in the Piedmont Physiographic Province, and this...
Noble gas isotopes in mineral springs within the Cascadia Forearc, Washington and Oregon
Patricia A. McCrory, James E. Constantz, Andrew G. Hunt
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1064
This U.S. Geological Survey report presents laboratory analyses along with field notes for a pilot study to document the relative abundance of noble gases in mineral springs within the Cascadia forearc of Washington and Oregon. Estimates of the depth to the underlying Juan de Fuca oceanic plate beneath the sample...
Groundwater-quality data in seven GAMA study units: results from initial sampling, 2004-2005, and resampling, 2007-2008, of wells: California GAMA Program Priority Basin Project
Robert H. Kent, Kenneth Belitz, Miranda S. Fram
2014, Data Series 795
The Priority Basin Project (PBP) of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The GAMA-PBP began...
Distribution and extent of heavy metal accumulation in Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia), upper Santa Cruz River watershed, southern Arizona, 2011-12
Michael B. Lester, Charles van Riper III
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1072
Riparian ecosystems in arid environments provide critical habitat for breeding, migratory, and wintering birds, yet are often at risk of contamination by heavy metals. Birds and other animals living in contaminated areas are susceptible to adverse health effects as a result of long-term exposure and bioaccumulation of heavy metals. We...
Mercury in the soil of two contrasting watersheds in the eastern United States
Douglas A. Burns, Laurel G. Woodruff, Paul M. Bradley, William F. Cannon
2014, PLoS ONE (9)
Soil represents the largest store of mercury (Hg) in terrestrial ecosystems, and further study of the factors associated with soil Hg storage is needed to address concerns about the magnitude and persistence of global environmental Hg bioaccumulation. To address this need, we compared total Hg and methyl Hg concentrations and...
Soils, vegetation, and woody debris data from the 2001 Survey Line fire and a comparable unburned site, Tanana Flats region, Alaska
Kristen L. Manies, Jennifer W. Harden, Teresa N. Holingsworth
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1049
This report describes the collection and processing methodologies for samples obtained at two sites within Interior Alaska: (1) a location within the 2001 Survey Line burn, and (2) an unburned location, selected as a control. In 2002 and 2004 U.S. Geological Survey investigators measured soil properties including, but not limited...
Decadal surface water quality trends under variable climate, land use, and hydrogeochemical setting in Iowa, USA
Christopher T. Green, Barbara A. Bekins, Stephen J. Kalkhoff, Robert M. Hirsch, Lixia Liao, Kimberlee K. Barnes
2014, Water Resources Research (50) 2425-2443
Understanding how nitrogen fluxes respond to changes in agriculture and climate is important for improving water quality. In the midwestern United States, expansion of corn cropping for ethanol production led to increasing N application rates in the 2000s during a period of extreme variability of annual precipitation. To examine the...
Delineation of brine contamination in and near the East Poplar oil field, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, northeastern Montana, 2004-09
Joanna N. Thamke, Bruce D. Smith
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5024
The extent of brine contamination in the shallow aquifers in and near the East Poplar oil field is as much as 17.9 square miles and appears to be present throughout the entire saturated zone in contaminated areas. The brine contamination affects 15–37 billion gallons of groundwater. Brine contamination in the...
Understanding thermodynamic relationships and geochemical mass balances from catchment to coast: A tribute to the life and career of Owen P. Bricker III
Suzanne B. Bricker, Fred T. Mackenzie, Jill Baron, Jason Price
2014, Aquatic Geochemistry (20) 81-86
This special volume of aquatic geochemistry is dedicated to the memory of Owen Peterson Bricker III (1936–2011) and serves as a tribute to his life and career. Owen had a distinguished and productive research career in both academics at Johns Hopkins University (Fig. 1) and as a public servant with...
