Survival, movement, and health of hatchery-raised juvenile Lost River suckers within a mesocosm in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
Danielle M. Hereford, Summer M. Burdick, Diane G. Elliott, Amari Dolan-Caret, Carla M. Conway, Alta C. Harris
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1012
The recovery of endangered Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) in Upper Klamath Lake is limited by poor juvenile survival and failure to recruit into the adult population. Poor water quality, degradation of rearing habitat, and toxic levels of microcystin are hypothesized to contribute to low juvenile survival. Studies of wild...
A plan for study of hexavalent chromium, CR(VI) in groundwater near a mapped plume, Hinkley, California, 2016
John A. Izbicki, Krishangi D. Groover
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1004
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Hinkley compressor station, in the Mojave Desert 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is used to compress natural gas as it is transported through a pipeline from Texas to California. Between 1952 and 1964, cooling water used at the compressor station was treated...
Development of working hypotheses linking management of the Missouri River to population dynamics of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon)
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1236
This report documents a process of filtering of hypotheses that relate Missouri River Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) population dynamics to management actions including flow alterations, channel reconfigurations, and pallid sturgeon population augmentation. The filtering process was a partnership among U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—Annual report 2013
Aaron J. DeLonay, Robert B. Jacobson, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Patrick J. Braaten, Kevin J. Buhl, Brandon L Eder, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B. Fuller, Tyler M. Haddix, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Jason C. Rhoten, Christopher J. Wesolek, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1197
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of pallid sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of...
Bivalve effects on the food web supporting delta smelt - A long-term study of bivalve recruitment, biomass, and grazing rate patterns with varying freshwater outflow
Jeff S. Crauder, Janet K. Thompson, Francis Parchaso, Rosa I. Anduaga, Sarah A. Pearson, Karen Gehrts, Heather Fuller, Elizabeth Wells
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1005
Executive Summary Phytoplankton is an important and limiting food source in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta) and San Francisco Bay; the decline of phytoplankton biomass is one possible factor in the pelagic organism decline and specifically in the decline of the protected delta smelt. The bivalves Corbicula fluminea andPotamocorbula amurensis...
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, M. J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M. Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake R. Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan E. Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. McCallum, Joseph R. Mendelson III, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C. LeAnn White
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1233
The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander...
Hydrologic conditions in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico, 2010–15
Sigfredo Torres-Gonzalez, Jose M. Rodriguez
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1215
In 1958, the U.S. Geological Survey began documenting hydrologic conditions, including groundwater levels, groundwater withdrawals for agricultural irrigation and public water supply, and water quality, in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico. This information has improved the understanding of the water resources of the region. The hydrologic data indicate that...
Assessing the impact of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy on the morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York
William C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, Jane F. Denny
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1238
This report documents the changes in seabed morphology and modern sediment thickness detected on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, before and after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy made landfall. Comparison of acoustic backscatter imagery, seismic-reflection profiles, and bathymetry collected in 2011 and in 2014 show that...
Identify potential lock treatment options to prevent movement of aquatic invasive species through the Chicago Area Waterways System (CAWS)
Terrance D. Hubert, Michael A. Boogaard, Kim T. Fredricks
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1001
Introduction The Illinois River is a primary tributary of the Mississippi River, connecting with the Mississippi at Grafton, Illinois. The headwaters of the river are at the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee Rivers in eastern Grundy County, Illinois. Approximately 273 miles long, it runs through the heart of Illinois...
Reconnaissance sediment budget for selected watersheds of West Maui, Hawai‘i
Jonathan D. Stock, Kim A. Falinski, Tova Callender
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1190
Episodic runoff brings suspended sediment to the nearshore waters of West Maui, Hawaiʻi. Even small rainfalls create visible plumes over a few hours. We used mapping, field experiments, and analysis of recent (July 19–20, 2014) and historic rainfall to estimate sources of land-based pollution for two watersheds in West...
Evaluation of the hydraulic and biological performance of the portable floating fish collector at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, 2014
John W. Beeman, Scott D. Evans, Philip V. Haner, Hal C. Hansel, Amy C. Hansen, Gabriel S. Hansen, Tyson W. Hatton, Jamie M. Sprando, Collin D. Smith, Noah S. Adams
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1003
The biological and hydraulic performance of a new portable floating fish collector (PFFC) located in a cul-de-sac within the forebay of Cougar Dam, Oregon, was evaluated during 2014. The purpose of the PFFC was to explore surface collection as a means to capture juvenile salmonids at one or more sites...
USGS lidar science strategy—Mapping the technology to the science
Jason M. Stoker, John Brock, Christopher E. Soulard, Kernell G. Ries, Larry J. Sugarbaker, Wesley E. Newton, Patricia K. Haggerty, Kathy Lee, John A. Young
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1209
Summary The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) utilizes light detection and ranging (lidar) and enabling technologies to support many science research activities. Lidar-derived metrics and products have become a fundamental input to complex hydrologic and hydraulic models, flood inundation models, fault detection and geologic mapping, topographic and land-surface mapping, landslide and volcano...
Evaluation of the 8310-N-S manufactured by Sutron–Results of bench, temperature, and field deployment testing
Gerald A. Kunkle
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1210
The Sutron 8310-N-S (8310) data collection platform (DCP) manufactured by Sutron Corporation was evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) for conformance to the manufacturer’s specifications for recording and transmitting data. The 8310-N-S is a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)-enclosed DCP with a built-in Geostationary Operational...
Water use in Georgia by county for 2010 and water-use trends, 1985–2010
Stephen J. Lawrence
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1230
Water use and water withdrawals and returns in 2010 are estimated for each major river basin, principal aquifer, water-planning region, and county in Georgia using data obtained from various Federal and State agencies and local sources. Offstream water use in 2010 is estimated for the categories of public supply, domestic,...
Estimated agricultural pesticide use for Southeast Stream-Quality Assessment, 2014
Nancy T. Baker
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1224
Introduction One of the goals of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southeast Stream-Quality Assessment (SESQA) is to characterize contaminants at perennial-stream sites throughout the southern Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountains. The evaluation of pesticide inputs from agricultural sources will aid in that characterization. Methods used for calculating county-level pesticide use documented in...
Profiles of reservoir properties of oil-bearing plays for selected petroleum provinces in the United States
Philip A. Freeman, Emil D. Attanasi
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1195
Profiles of reservoir properties of oil-bearing plays for selected petroleum provinces in the United States were developed to characterize the database to be used for a potential assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of oil that would be technically recoverable by the application of enhanced oil recovery methods using...
Collaborative Studies for Mercury Characterization in Coal and Coal Combustion Products, Republic of South Africa
Allan Kolker, Constance L. Senior, Chris van Alphen
2016, Open-File Report 2014-1153
Mercury (Hg) analyses were obtained for 42 samples of feed coal provided by Eskom, the national electric utility of South Africa, representing all 13 coal-fired power stations operated by Eskom in South Africa. This sampling includes results for three older power stations returned to service starting in the late 2000s....
Bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin for marine geological investigations
Brian D. Andrews, Jason D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, Daniel S. Brothers, James V. Gardner, Elizabeth A. Lobecker, Brian R. Calder
2016, Open-File Report 2012-1266
A bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin covering almost 725,000 square kilometers of seafloor from the New England Seamounts in the north to the Blake Basin in the south is compiled from existing multibeam bathymetric data for marine geological investigations. Although other terrain models of the same area are...
Cenozoic volcanic rocks of Saudi Arabia
R. G. Coleman, R. T. Gregory, Glen F. Brown
2016, Open-File Report 83-788
The Cenozoic volcanic rocks of Saudi Arabia cover about 90,000 km2, one of the largest areas of alkali olivine basalt in the world. These volcanic rocks are in 13 separate fields near the eastern coast of the Red Sea and in the western Arabian Peninsula highlands from Syria southward to...
GIS-Based Identification of Areas with Mineral Resource Potential for Six Selected Deposit Groups, Bureau of Land Management Central Yukon Planning Area, Alaska
James V. Jones III, Susan M. Karl, Keith A. Labay, Nora B. Shew, Matthew Granitto, Timothy S. Hayes, Jeffrey L. Mauk, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Erin Todd, Bronwen Wang, Melanie B. Werdon, Douglas B. Yager
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1021
This study, covering the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Yukon Planning Area (CYPA), Alaska, was prepared to aid BLM mineral resource management planning. Estimated mineral resource potential and certainty are mapped for six selected mineral deposit groups: (1) rare earth element (REE) deposits associated with peralkaline to carbonatitic intrusive...
Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment
Natasha B. Carr, Cynthia P. Melcher, editor(s)
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1155
The Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment was conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The overall goals of the BLM Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs) are to identify important ecosystems and wildlife habitats at broad spatial scales; identify where these resources are at risk from Change Agents, including...
Science information to support Missouri River Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) effects analysis
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1226
The Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon Effects Analysis (EA) was commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a foundation of understanding of how pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) population dynamics are linked to management actions in the Missouri River. The EA consists of several steps: (1) development of comprehensive,...
Effects of drought and fire on bird communities of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Chris McCreedy, Charles van Riper III, Todd C. Esque, Abigail J. Darrah
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1240
Executive Summary The U.S. Government created the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (Kofa NWR) in 1939 in response to a citizen campaign to improve desert bighorn sheep populations in Arizona. The Kofa NWR is mountainous and remote, and its management by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) keeps anthropogenic disturbance levels...
Paleoseismology of the Denali fault system at the Schist Creek site, central Alaska
Stephen F. Personius, Anthony J. Crone, Patricia A.C. Burns, Ned Rozell
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1225
Two hand-dug trenches at the Schist Creek site on the Denali fault system in central Alaska exposed evidence of four surface-rupturing earthquakes on the basis of upward terminations of fault strands and at least one buried, scarp-derived colluvial wedge. Limited radiocarbon ages provide some constraints on times of the ruptures....
Fish tag recovery from Anaho Island nesting colony, Pyramid Lake, Nevada
G. Gary Scoppettone, Mark C. Fabes, Peter H. Rissler, Donna Withers
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1242
In 2001, tags applied to the federally endangered species cui-ui (Chasmistes cujus) to study their population dynamics were discovered strewn throughout the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) nesting colony on Anaho Island, Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Cui-ui are endemic to Pyramid Lake, and Anaho Island harbors one of North America’s largest...