Surface-water and groundwater interactions in an extensively mined watershed, upper Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania, USA
Charles A. Cravotta III,, Daniel J. Goode, Michael D. Bartles, Dennis W. Risser, Daniel G. Galeone
2014, Hydrological Processes (28) 3574-3601
Streams crossing underground coal mines may lose flow, while abandoned mine drainage (AMD) restores flow downstream. During 2005-12, discharge from the Pine Knot Mine Tunnel, the largest AMD source in the upper Schuylkill River Basin, had near-neutral pH and elevated concentrations of iron, manganese, and sulfate. Discharge from the tunnel...
The Mussel Watch California pilot study on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs): synthesis and next steps
Keith A. Maruya, Nathan G. Dodder, Stephen B. Weisberg, Dominic Gregorio, Jonathan S. Bishop, Susan Klosterhaus, David A. Alvarez, Edward T. Furlong, Suzanne B. Bricker, Kimani L. Kimbrough, Gunnar G. Lauenstein
2014, Marine Pollution Bulletin (81) 355-363
A multiagency pilot study on mussels (Mytilus spp.) collected at 68 stations in California revealed that 98% of targeted contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were infrequently detectable at concentrations ⩽1 ng/g. Selected chemicals found in commercial and consumer products were more frequently detected at mean concentrations up to 470 ng/g dry wt. The...
Remote biopsy darting and marking of polar bears
Anthony M. Pagano, Elizabeth L. Peacock, Melissa A. McKinney
2014, Marine Mammal Science (30) 169-183
Remote biopsy darting of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) is less invasive and time intensive than physical capture and is therefore useful when capture is challenging or unsafe. We worked with two manufacturers to develop a combination biopsy and marking dart for use on polar bears. We had an 80% success...
A stakeholder project to model water temperature under future climate scenarios in the Satus and Toppenish watersheds of the Yakima River Basinin Washington, USA
D. Graves, A. Maule
2014, Climatic Change (124) 399-411
The goal of this study was to support an assessment of the potential effects of climate change on select natural, social, and economic resources in the Yakima River Basin. A workshop with local stakeholders highlighted the usefulness of projecting climate change impacts on anadromous steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a...
Groundwater flow cycling between a submarine spring and an inland fresh water spring
J. Hal Davis, Richard Verdi
2014, Ground Water (52) 705-716
Spring Creek Springs and Wakulla Springs are large first magnitude springs that derive water from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. The submarine Spring Creek Springs are located in a marine estuary and Wakulla Springs are located 18 km inland. Wakulla Springs has had a consistent increase in flow from the 1930s to...
Glyphosate and its degradation product AMPA occur frequently and widely in U.S. soils, surface water, groundwater, and precipitation
William A. Battaglin, Michael T. Meyer, Kathryn Kuivila, Julie E. Dietze
2014, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (50) 275-290
Glyphosate use in the United States increased from less than 5,000 to more than 80,000 metric tons/yr between 1987 and 2007. Glyphosate is popular due to its ease of use on soybean, cotton, and corn crops that are genetically modified to tolerate it, utility in no-till farming practices, utility in urban...
Macroinvertebrate community change associated with the severity of streamflow alteration
Daren M. Carlisle, Ken Eng, S. M. Nelson
2014, River Research and Applications (30) 29-39
Natural streamflows play a critical role in stream ecosystems, yet quantitative relations between streamflow alteration and stream health have been elusive. One reason for this difficulty is that neither streamflow alteration nor ecological responses are measured relative to their natural expectations. We assessed macroinvertebrate community condition in 25 mountain streams...
From streets to streams: Assessing the toxicity potential of urban sediment by particle size
William R. Selbig, Roger T. Bannerman, Steven Corsi
2014, Science of the Total Environment (444) 381-391
Urban sediment can act as a transport mechanism for a variety of pollutants to move towards a receiving water body. The concentrations of these pollutants oftentimes exceed levels that are toxic to aquatic organisms. Many treatment structures are designed to capture coarse sediment but do not work well to similarly...
A method for estimating spatially variable seepage and hydrualic conductivity in channels with very mild slopes
Margaret Shanafield, Richard G. Niswonger, David E. Prudic, Greg Pohll, Richard Susfalk, Sorab Panday
2014, Hydrological Processes (28) 51-61
Infiltration along ephemeral channels plays an important role in groundwater recharge in arid regions. A model is presented for estimating spatial variability of seepage due to streambed heterogeneity along channels based on measurements of streamflow-front velocities in initially dry channels. The diffusion-wave approximation to the Saint-Venant equations, coupled with Philip's...
Vibrational, X-ray absorption, and Mössbauer spectra of sulfate minerals from the weathered massive sulfide deposit at Iron Mountain, California
Juraj Majzlan, Charles N. Alpers, Christian Bender Koch, R. Blaine McCleskey, Satish B.C. Myneni, John M. Neil
2014, Chemical Geology (284) 296-305
The Iron Mountain Mine Superfund site in California is a prime example of an acid mine drainage (AMD) system with well developed assemblages of sulfate minerals typical for such settings. Here we present and discuss the vibrational (infrared), X-ray absorption, and Mössbauer spectra of a number of these phases, augmented...
The planning process
Carol C. Russell, Kathleen S. Smith, Virginia T. McLemore
Carol C. Russell, Kathleen S. Smith, Virginia T. McLemore, editor(s)
2014, Book chapter, Sampling and monitoring for the mine life cycle: Management technologies for metal mining influenced water
No abstract available. ...
Chapter A2. Selection of equipment for water sampling
Franceska D. Wilde, Mark W. Sandstrom, Stanley C. Skrobialowski
2014, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations 09-A2
The National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data (National Field Manual) describes protocols and provides guidelines for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel who collect data used to assess the quality of the Nation's surface-water and ground-water resources. This chapter of the manual addresses the selection of equipment commonly...
Chapter A7. Section 7.1. Fecal indicator bacteria
Donna N. Myers, Marc A. Sylvester
2014, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations 09-A7.1
Fecal indicator bacteria are used to assess the microbiological quality of water because, although not typically disease causing, they are correlated with the presence of several waterborne disease-causing organisms. The concentration of indicator bacteria is a measure of water safety for body-contact recreation or for consumption. This report provides information...
A manual for remote sensing of Maine lake clarity
Ian M. McCullough, Cyndy Loftin, Steven A. Sader
2013, Technical Bulletin of the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station 207
The purpose of this manual is to support use of satellite-based remote sensing for statewide lake water-quality monitoring in Maine. The authors describe step-by-step methods that combine Landsat and MODIS satellite data with field-collected Secchi disk data for statewide assessment of lake water clarity. Landsat can be simultaneously used to...
Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York
Paul M. Heisig
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5282
The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system along a 32-mile reach of the Susquehanna River valley and adjacent areas was evaluated in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York. The surficial geology, inferred ice-marginal positions, and distribution of stratified-drift aquifers were mapped from existing data. Ice-marginal positions, which represent...
The Shoreline Management Tool—An ArcMap tool for analyzing water depth, inundated area, volume, and selected habitats, with an example for the lower Wood River Valley, Oregon
Daniel T. Snyder, Tana Haluska, Darius Respini-Irwin
2013, Open-File Report 2012-1247
The Shoreline Management Tool is a geographic information system (GIS) based program developed to assist water- and land-resource managers in assessing the benefits and effects of changes in surface-water stage on water depth, inundated area, and water volume. Additionally, the Shoreline Management Tool can be used to identify aquatic or...
A one-dimensional diffusion analogy model for estimation of tide heights in selected tidal marshes in Connecticut
David M. Bjerklie, Kevin O’Brien, Ron Rozsa
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5076
A one-dimensional diffusion analogy model for estimating tide heights in coastal marshes was developed and calibrated by using data from previous tidal-marsh studies. The method is simpler to use than other one- and two-dimensional hydrodynamic models because it does not require marsh depth and tidal prism information; however, the one-dimensional...
U.S. Geological Survey environmental health science strategy — Providing environmental health science for a changing world
Patricia R. Bright, Herbert T. Buxton, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Larry B. Barber, Francis H. Chapelle, Paul C. Cross, David P. Krabbenhoft, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Donald E. Tillitt, Patricia L. Toccalino, James R. Winton
2013, Circular 1383-E
Executive SummaryAmerica has an abundance of natural resources. We have bountiful clean water, fertile soil, and unrivaled national parks, wildlife refuges, and public lands. These resources enrich our lives and preserve our health and wellbeing. These resources have been maintained because of our history of respect for their value and...
U.S. Geological Survey water science strategy—Observing, understanding, predicting, and delivering water science to the Nation
Eric J. Evenson, Randall C. Orndorff, Charles D. Blome, John Karl Böhlke, Paul K. Hershberger, Victoria E. Langenheim, Gregory J. McCabe, Scott E. Morlock, Howard W. Reeves, James P. Verdin, Holly S. Weyers, Tamara M. Wood
2013, Circular 1383-G
Executive SummaryThis report expands the Water Science Strategy that began with the USGS Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges—U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007–2017” (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007). This report looks at the relevant issues facing society and develops a strategy built around observing, understanding, predicting, and delivering water...
U.S. Geological Survey ecosystems science strategy—Advancing discovery and application through collaboration
Byron K. Williams, G. Lynn Wingard, Gary Brewer, James E. Cloern, Guy Gelfenbaum, Robert B. Jacobson, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Anthony D. McGuire, James D. Nichols, Carl D. Shapiro, Charles van Riper III, Robin P. White
2013, Circular 1383-C
Executive SummaryEcosystem science is critical to making informed decisions about natural resources that can sustain our Nation’s economic and environmental well-being. Resource managers and policymakers are faced with countless decisions each year at local, regional, and national levels on issues as diverse as renewable and nonrenewable energy development, agriculture, forestry,...
U.S. Geological Survey core science systems strategy: characterizing, synthesizing, and understanding the critical zone through a modular science framework
R. Sky Bristol, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Nathaniel L. Booth, Nina Burkardt, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Dean B. Gesch, Brian E. McCallum, David M. Miller, Suzette A. Morman, Barbara S. Poore, Richard P. Signell, Roland J. Viger
2013, Circular 1383-B
Executive SummaryCore Science Systems is a new mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that resulted from the 2007 Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges: U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007–2017.” This report describes the Core Science Systems vision and outlines a strategy to facilitate integrated characterization and understanding...
Mass-balance modeling of mineral weathering rates and CO2 consumption in the forested, metabasaltic Hauver Branch watershed, Catoctin Mountain, Maryland, USA
Karen C. Rice, Jason R. Price, David W. Szymanski
2013, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (38) 859-875
Mineral weathering rates and a forest macronutrient uptake stoichiometry were determined for the forested, metabasaltic Hauver Branch watershed in north-central Maryland, USA. Previous studies of Hauver Branch have had an insufficient number of analytes to permit determination of rates of all the minerals involved in chemical weathering, including biomass. More...
Groundwater conditions in Utah, spring of 2013
Carole B. Burden, Adam S. Birken, V. Noah Derrick, Martel J. Fisher, Christopher M. Holt, Paul Downhour, Lincoln Smith, Robert J. Eacret, Travis L. Gibson, Bradley A. Slaugh, Nickolas R. Whittier, James H. Howells, Howard K. Christiansen
2013, Cooperative Investigations Report 54
This is the fiftieth in a series of annual reports that describe groundwater conditions in Utah. Reports in this series, published cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, provide...
Between- and within-lake responses of macrophyte richness metrics to shoreline developmen
Marcus W. Beck, Bruce C. Vondracek, Lorin K. Hatch
2013, Lake and Reservoir Management (29) 179-193
Aquatic habitat in littoral environments can be affected by residential development of shoreline areas. We evaluated the relationship between macrophyte richness metrics and shoreline development to quantify indicator response at 2 spatial scales for Minnesota lakes. First, the response of total, submersed, and sensitive species to shoreline development was evaluated...
Estimating spatial and temporal components of variation in count data using negative binomial mixed models
Brian J. Irwin, Tyler Wagner, James R. Bence, Megan V. Kepler, Weihai Liu, Daniel B. Hayes
2013, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (142) 171-183
Partitioning total variability into its component temporal and spatial sources is a powerful way to better understand time series and elucidate trends. The data available for such analyses of fish and other populations are usually nonnegative integer counts of the number of organisms, often dominated by many low values with...
