Hydrogeologic framework and extent of saltwater intrusion in Kings, Queens, and Nassau Counties, Long Island, New York
Frederick Stumm, Jason S. Finkelstein, John Williams, Andrew D. Lange
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5048
In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey began a multiyear cooperative study with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to evaluate the sustainability of Long Island’s sole-source aquifer system through hydrogeologic mapping, compilation of groundwater chloride concentrations, and groundwater flow modeling. In the initial phase of the islandwide study,...
A conterminous United States–Wide validation of relative tidal elevation products
Justine Annaliese Neville, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, James Grace, Michael Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu
2024, Estuaries and Coasts (47) 2227-2237
Recent large-scale spatial products have been developed to assess wetland position in the tidal frame, but nationwide comparisons and validations are missing for these products. Wetland position within the tidal frame is a commonly used characteristic to compare wetlands across biogeomorphic gradients and factors heavily into...
Simulation of groundwater flow and brine discharge to the Dolores River in the Paradox Valley, Montrose County, Colorado
Charles E. Heywood, Suzanne S. Paschke, M. Alisa Mast, Kenneth R Watts
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5038
Salinity, or total dissolved solids (TDS), of the Colorado River affects agricultural, municipal, and industrial water users and is an important concern in the Western United States. In the Paradox Valley of southwestern Colorado, natural discharge of sodium-chloride brine to the Dolores River from the underlying core of a salt-valley...
Hydrogeologic conceptual model of groundwater occurrence and brine discharge to the Dolores River in the Paradox Valley, Montrose County, Colorado
Suzanne S. Paschke, M. Alisa Mast, Philip M. Gardner, Connor P. Newman, Kenneth R. Watts
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5094
Salinity, or total dissolved solids (TDS), of the Colorado River is a major concern in the southwestern United States where the river provides water to about 40 million people for municipal and industrial use and is used to irrigate about 5.5 million acres of land. Much of the salinity in...
Abiotic and demographic drivers of flea parasitism on deer mice in a recovering mixed-conifer forest a decade postfire
Colton J. Padilla, Jessica T. Martin, James W. Cain III, Matthew E. Gompper
2024, Journal of Parasitology (110) 375-385
With the intensity and frequency of wildfires increasing rapidly, the need to study the ecological effects of these wildfires is also growing. An understudied aspect of fire ecology is the effect fires have on parasite–host interactions, including ectoparasites that might be pathogen vectors. Although some studies have examined the impacts...
Testing tree-ring cellulose δ18O with water isotopes for Holocene lake δ18O interpretations in the central Rocky Mountains USA
Lesleigh Anderson, M. Alisa Mast, Rebecca Lynn Brice, Max Berkelhammer
2024, The Holocene
Stable isotopes of water preserved in geologic archives, primarily as oxygen (δ18O), have proven critical for documenting Earth’s climatic and hydrologic systems past and present. However, timescale differences of water isotope inputs to proxy systems and the signal embedded in long paleorecords often confound translation to observed hydroclimatic metrics. Here,...
Global assessment of aquatic Isoëtes species ecology
Mattia M. Azzella, Alice Dalla Vecchia, Thomas Abeli, Janne Alahuhta, Victor B. Amoroso, Enric Ballesteros, Vincent Bertrin, Daniel Brunton, Alexander A. Bobrov, Cecilio Caldeira, Simona Ceschin, Elena V. Chemeris, Martina Ctvrtlikova, Mary de Winton, Esperanca Gacia, Oleg G. Grishutkin, Deborah Hofstra, Daniella Ivanova, Maria O. Ivanova, Nikita K. Konotop, Danelle M. Larson, Sara Magrini, Marit Mjelde, Olga A. Mochalova, Guilherme Oliveira, Ole Pedersen, Jovani B. de S. Pereira, Cristina Ribaudo, Maria Inmaculada Romero Bujan, Angelo Troia, Yulia S. Vinogradova, Polina A. Volkova, Daniel Zandonadi, Nadezhda V. Zueva, Rossano Bolpagni
2024, Freshwater Biology (69) 1420-1437
Isoëtes are iconic but understudied wetland plants, despite having suffered severe losses globally mainly because of alterations in their habitats. We therefore provide the first global ecological assessment of aquatic Isoëtes to identify their environmental requirements and to evaluate if taxonomically related species differ in their...
Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2016–November 30, 2017
Kendra L. Russell, William J. Andrews, Vincent J. DiFrenna, J. Michael Norris, Robert R. Mason, Jr.
2024, Open-File Report 2024-1022
Executive SummaryA Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954 (New Jersey v. New York, 347 U.S. 995), established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes the diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and...
Status and performance of the ShakeAlert® earthquake early warning system: 2019-2023
A.I. Lux, Deborah Smith, M. Böse, Jeffrey J. McGuire, Jessie K. Saunders, Minh Huynh, I. Stubailo, Jennifer R Andrews, G. Lotto, B. Crowell, S. Crane, R. M. Allen, Douglas D. Given, R. Hartog, T. Heaton, A. Husker, J. Marty, Leland O'Driscoll, Harold J. Tobin, Sara K. McBride, D. Toomey
2024, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (114) 3041-3062
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)‐operated ShakeAlert® system is the United States West Coast earthquake early warning system (Given et al., 2018). In this study we detail ShakeAlert’s performance during some of the largest events seen by the system thus far. Statewide public alerting using ShakeAlert messages was authorized...
Observing glacier elevation changes from spaceborne optical and radar sensors – an inter-comparison experiment using ASTER and TanDEM-X data
Livia Piermattei, Michael Zemp, Christian Sommer, Fanny Brun, Matthias H. Braun, Liss M. Andreassen, Joaquin M. C. Belart, Etienne Berthier, Atanu Bhattacharya, Laura Boehm Vock, Tobias Bolch, Amaury Dehecq, Ines Dussaillant, Daniel Falaschi, Caitlyn Florentine, Dana Floricioiu, Christian Ginzler, Gregoire Guillet, Romain Hugonnet, Andreas Kaab, Owen King, Christoph Klug, Friedrich Knuth, Lukas Krieger, Jeff La Frenierre, Robert McNabb, Christopher McNeil, Rainer Prinz, Louis C. Sass, Thorsten Seehaus, David Shean, Desiree Treichler, Anja Wendt, Ruitang Yang
2024, The Cryosphere (18) 3195-3230
Observations of glacier mass changes are key to understanding the response of glaciers to climate change and related impacts, such as regional runoff, ecosystem changes, and global sea level rise. Spaceborne optical and radar sensors make it possible to quantify glacier elevation changes, and...
Projected changes in mangrove distribution and vegetation structure under climate change in the southeastern United States
Remi Bardou, Michael Osland, Jahson B. Alemu I, Laura Colleen Feher, David P. Harlan, Steven B. Scyphers, Christine C. Shepard, Savannah H. Swinea, Kalaina Thorne, Jill E. Andrew, A. Randall Hughes
2024, Journal of Biogeography (51) 2285-2297
AimThe climate change-induced transition from grass-dominated marshes to woody-plant-dominated mangrove forests has the potential to impact the ecosystem goods and services provided by coastal wetlands. To better anticipate and prepare for these impacts, there is a need to advance understanding of future changes in mangrove distribution and...
The use of conceptual ecological models to identify critical data and uncertainties to support numerical modeling: The northern Gulf of Mexico eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica example
Megan K. La Peyre, Shaye Sable, Danielle A. Marshall, Elise R. Irwin, Chad W. Hanson
2024, Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science (16)
ObjectiveIncreasing reliance on numerical simulation models to help inform management and restoration choices benefits from careful consideration of critical early steps in model development. Along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica fulfills important ecological and economic roles. Using the eastern oyster...
Least Bell's Vireos and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers—Breeding activities and habitat use—2023 annual report
Alexandra Houston, Lisa D. Allen, Shannon M. Mendia, Barbara E. Kus
2024, Open-File Report 2024-1040
Executive SummaryWe completed four protocol surveys for Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus; hereinafter vireo) during the breeding season, supplemented by weekly territory monitoring visits between April 6 and July 20 at the San Luis Rey Flood Risk Management Project Area (hereinafter Project Area). We identified a total of 136...
Estimation of reservoir storage capacity and geomorphic change detection analysis from a multibeam bathymetric survey of Randy Poynter Lake, Rockdale County, Georgia
A.R. Whaling, W.J. Bolton
2024, Scientific Investigations Map 3523
Rockdale County Department of Water Resources has a directive to update estimates of the reservoir storage capacity of Randy Poynter Lake, located in northern Georgia, and to assess recent sedimentation and associated storage capacity loss. In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey completed a multibeam bathymetric survey of Randy Poynter Lake...
Foraging ecology of southern sea otters at the northern range extent informs regional population dynamics
Sophia N. Lyon, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, Julie L. Yee, Jessica Fujii, Nicole M. Thometz
2024, Endangered Species Research (54) 383-394
Sea otters Enhydra lutris are vital keystone predators throughout the North Pacific that were nearly extirpated during the maritime fur trade. Recovery of southern sea otters E. l. nereis has proceeded slowly, with much of their historical range remaining unoccupied, resulting in reduced ecosystem functioning. Numerous studies have used foraging metrics to assess...
Paired comparisons with quiet surface drones show evidence of fish behavioral response to motorized vessels during acoustic surveys in Lake Superior
Thomas M. Evans, Lars G. Rudstam, Suresh A Sethi, Daniel L. Yule, David Warner, Steve A. Farha, Andrew R. Barnard, Mark Richard Dufour, Timothy P. O’Brien, Kayden Nasworthy, Ian Harding, Bradley A. Ray, Edmund J. Isaac, Joshua Blankenheim, Hannah B. Blair, James M. Watkins, Steven A. Senczyszyn, James Roberts, Peter C. Esselman
2024, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (81) 1740-1851
Acoustic surveys are important for fish stock assessments, but fish responses to survey vessels can bias acoustic estimates. We leveraged quiet uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) to characterize potential bias in acoustic surveys. Five conventional motorized ships overtook USVs from astern over 2 km transects at night in...
Water-quality constituent concentrations and loads computed using real-time water-quality data for the Republican River, Clay Center, Kansas, August 2018 through July 2023
Ariele R. Kramer, Justin R. Abel
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5072
Milford Lake, the largest reservoir by surface area in Kansas, has had confirmed harmful algal blooms every summer since reporting began in 2011, except 2018–19. Milford Lake has been listed as impaired and designated hypereutrophic under section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act. In 2014, the Kansas Department of...
Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Elizabeth Bastiaans, Adrianne Brand, Jacey Brooks, Catherine Devlin, Kristen Epp, Matt Evans, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Brian Gratwicke, Kristine Grayson, Natalie Haydt, Raisa Hernandez-Pacheco, Daniel J. Hocking, Amanda Hyde, Michael Losito, Maisie MacKnight, Tanya Matlaga, Louise Mead, David J. Munoz, William B. Peterman, Veronica Puza, Charles Shafer, Sean Sterrett, Chris Sutherland, Lily M. Thompson, Alexa R. Warwick, Alexander D. Wright, Kerry Yurewicz, David A. W. Miller
2024, Biology Letters (20)
Characterizing the population density of species is a central interest in ecology. Eastern North America is the global hotspot for biodiversity of plethodontid salamanders, an inconspicuous component of terrestrial vertebrate communities, and among the most widespread is the eastern red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Previous work suggests...
Wildland fire effects on sediment, salinity, and selenium yields in a basin underlain by Cretaceous marine shales near Rangely, Colorado
Natalie K. Day, Todd M. Preston, Patrick C. Longley
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5043
Understanding and quantifying soil erosion from rangelands is a high priority for land managers, especially in areas underlain by Cretaceous Mancos Shale, which is a natural source of sediment, salinity, and selenium to surface waters in many areas of western Colorado and eastern Utah. The purpose of this report is...
Monitoring and simulation of hydrology, suspended sediment, and nutrients in selected tributary watersheds of Lake Erie, New York
Katherine R. Merriman, Benjamin N. Fisher, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Aubrey R. Bunch, Robert J. Welk, William M. Kappel
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5022
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Erie County, New York, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, collected water-quality samples in nine selected New York tributaries to Lake Erie, computed estimates of suspended sediment and nutrient loads using the R scripting package...
Developing version 2 of satellite-estimated precipitation monthly reports for selected locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Gabriel B. Senay, David A. Helweg, Stefanie Kagone, Thomas Cecere, Tiare Eastmond, Amy Koch, Kurtis Nelson, Jack Randon
2024, Data Report 1199
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI; also known as the Marshall Islands) is a nation of more than 30 low-lying atolls and islands, most of which are inhabited, dispersed across an Exclusive Economic Zone over 770,000 square miles in the tropical central north Pacific Ocean. The study objectives and...
Redistribution of debris-flow sediment following severe wildfire and floods in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA
Jonathan M. Friedman, Anne C. Tillery, Samuel J. Alfieri, Elizabeth Rachaelann Skaggs, Patrick B. Shafroth, Craig D. Allen
2024, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (49) 4263-4274
Severe fire on steep slopes increases stormwater runoff and the occurrence of runoff-initiated debris flows. Predicting locations of debris flows and their downstream effects on trunk streams requires watershed-scale high-resolution topographic data. Intense precipitation in July and September 2013 following the June 2011 Las Conchas Fire in the Jemez Mountains,...
Revision of ModelMuse to support the use of PEST software with MODFLOW and SUTRA models
Richard B. Winston
2024, Techniques and Methods 6-A64
Executive SummaryModelMuse is a graphical user interface for several groundwater modeling programs. ModelMuse was updated to generate the input files for the parameter estimation software suite PEST. The software is used with MODFLOW or SUTRA models to run PEST-based parameter estimation and display the updated model inputs after parameter estimation....
Body mass changes of dabbling and diving ducks wintering in California
Mark P. Herzog, Joshua T. Ackerman, Jeffrey D. Kohl, Brady Lynn Fettig, C. Alex Hartman, Sarah H. Peterson, Michael L. Casazza, Joseph P. Fleskes
2024, Journal of Wildlife Management (88)
Bird body mass is often used as an index of body condition and fluctuates throughout the year in response to environmental conditions and avian life-history events. We examined the body mass of 59,572 ducks representing 13 species (7 dabbling duck species and 6 diving duck species) harvested within the 3...
Estimating traffic volume and road age in Wyoming to inform resource management planning: An application with wildlife-vehicle collisions
Richard D. Inman, Benjamin Seward Robb, Michael S. O’Donnell, David R. Edmunds, Matthew J Holloran, Cameron L. Aldridge
2024, Ecological Indicators (116)
Road networks and their associated vehicular traffic disturb many terrestrial systems, but inventories of roads used to assess these effects often focus on the ‘where’ (e.g., local road type and density) and neglect the ‘when’ (e.g., temporal disturbance) or ‘how much’ (e.g.,...
