Simulated changes in salinity in the York and Chickahominy Rivers from projected sea-level rise in Chesapeake Bay
Karen C. Rice, Mark Bennett, Jian Shen
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1191
As a result of climate change and variability, sea level is rising throughout the world, but the rate along the east coast of the United States is higher than the global mean rate. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Newport News, Virginia, conducted a study to...
Simulating daily water temperatures of the Klamath River under dam removal and climate change scenarios
Russell W. Perry, John C. Risley, Scott J. Brewer, Edward C. Jones, Dennis W. Rondorf
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1243
A one-dimensional daily averaged water temperature model was used to simulate Klamath River temperatures for two management alternatives under historical climate conditions and six future climate scenarios. The analysis was conducted for the Secretarial Determination on removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. In 2012, the Secretary of...
Nutrient fluxes and the recent collapse of coastal California salmon populations
Jonathan W. Moore, Sean A. Hayes, Walter Duffy, Sean Gallagher, Cyril J. Michel, David Wright
2011, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (68) 1161-1170
Migratory salmon move nutrients both in and out of fresh waters during the different parts of their life cycle. We used a mass-balance approach to quantify recent changes in phosphorus (P) fluxes in six coastal California, USA, watersheds that have recently experienced dramatic decreases in salmon populations. As adults, semelparous...
Nutrient and sediment concentrations and corresponding loads during the historic June 2008 flooding in eastern Iowa
L. Hubbard, D.W. Kolpin, S. J. Kalkhoff, Dale M. Robertson
2011, Journal of Environmental Quality (40) 166-175
A combination of above-normal precipitation during the winter and spring of 2007-2008 and extensive rainfall during June 2008 led to severe flooding in many parts of the midwestern United States. This resulted in transport of substantial amounts of nutrients and sediment from Iowa basins into the Mississippi River. Water samples...
Aqueous geochemical data from the analysis of stream-water samples collected in June and August 2008—Taylor Mountains 1:250,000- and Dillingham D-4 1:63,360-scale quadrangles, Alaska
Bronwen Wang, Victoria Owens, Elizabeth Bailey, Greg Lee
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1100
We report on the chemical analysis of water samples collected from the Taylor Mountains 1:250,000- and Dillingham D-4 1:63,360-scale quadrangles, Alaska. Reported parameters include pH, conductivity, water temperature, major cation and anion concentrations, and trace-element concentrations. We collected the samples as part of a multiyear U.S. Geological Survey project entitled...
Analysis of methods to determine storage capacity of, and sedimentation in, Loch Lomond Reservoir, Santa Cruz County, California, 2009
Kelly R. McPherson, Lawrence A. Freeman, Lorraine E. Flint
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5141
In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Santa Cruz, conducted bathymetric and topographic surveys to determine the water storage capacity of, and the loss of capacity owing to sedimentation in, Loch Lomond Reservoir in Santa Cruz County, California. The topographic survey was done as a...
Water-level altitudes 2011 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2010 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas
Michaela R. Johnson, Jason K. Ramage, Mark C. Kasmarek
2011, Scientific Investigations Map 3174
Most of the subsidence in the Houston–Galveston region has occurred as a direct result of groundwater withdrawals for municipal supply, industrial use, and irrigation that depressured and dewatered the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers causing compaction of the clay layers of the aquifer sediments. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological...
Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow at the Green Valley reclaimed coal refuse site near Terre Haute, Indiana
E. Randall Bayless, Leslie D. Arihood, Kathleen K. Fowler
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5116
The Green Valley reclaimed coal refuse site, near Terre Haute, Ind., was mined for coal from 1948 to 1963. Subsurface coal was cleaned and sorted at land surface, and waste material was deposited over the native glacial till. Approximately 2.7 million cubic yards of waste was deposited over 159 acres...
Observations of debris flows at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA: Part 1, in-situ measurements of flow dynamics, tracer particle movement and video imagery from the summer of 2009
Scott W. McCoy, Jeffrey A. Coe, Jason W. Kean, Greg E. Tucker, Dennis M. Staley, Thad A. Wasklewicz
2011, Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment 715-726
Debris flows initiated by surface-water runoff during short duration, moderate- to high-intensity rainfall are common in steep, rocky, and sparsely vegetated terrain. Yet large uncertainties remain about the potential for a flow to grow through entrainment of loose debris, which make formulation of accurate mechanical models of debris-flow routing difficult....
Conceptual model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system
Victor M. Heilweil, Lynette E. Brooks, editor(s)
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5193
A conceptual model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system (GBCAAS) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for a regional assessment of groundwater availability as part of a national water census. The study area is an expansion of a previous USGS Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis (RASA)...
Assessment of conservation practices in the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed, southwestern Oklahoma
Carol Becker
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5257
The Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed encompasses about 813 square kilometers of rural farm land in Caddo, Custer, and Washita Counties in southwestern Oklahoma. The Fort Cobb Reservoir and six stream segments were identified on the Oklahoma 1998 303(d) list as not supporting designated beneficial uses because of impairment by nutrients,...
Groundwater-quality data in the northern Coast Ranges study unit, 2009: Results from the California GAMA Program
Timothy M. Mathany, Barbara J. Dawson, Jennifer L. Shelton, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Data Series 609
Groundwater quality in the 633-square-mile Northern Coast Ranges (NOCO) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from June to November 2009, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program's Priority Basin Project (PBP) and the U.S. Geological...
Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of groundwater resources in Rush Valley, Tooele County, Utah
Philip M. Gardner, Stefan Kirby
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5068
The water resources of Rush Valley were assessed during 2008–2010 with an emphasis on refining the understanding of the groundwater-flow system and updating the groundwater budget. Surface-water resources within Rush Valley are limited and are generally used for agriculture. Groundwater is the principal water source for most other uses including...
An open-water electrical geophysical tool for mapping sub-seafloor heavy placer minerals in 3D and migrating hydrocarbon plumes in 4D
Jefferey C. Wynn, Scott Urquhart, Mike Williamson, John B. Fleming
2011, Conference Paper, OCEANS '11 MTS/IEEE Kona
A towed-streamer technology has been developed for mapping placer heavy minerals and dispersed hydrocarbon plumes in the open ocean. The approach uses induced polarization (IP), an electrical measurement that encompasses several different surface-reactive capacitive and electrochemical phenomena, and thus is ideally suited for mapping dispersed or disseminated targets. The application...
Numerical simulation of groundwater flow for the Yakima River basin aquifer system, Washington
D.M. Ely, M.P. Bachmann, J. J. Vaccaro
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5155
A regional, three-dimensional, transient numerical model of groundwater flow was constructed for the Yakima River basin aquifer system to better understand the groundwater-flow system and its relation to surface-water resources. The model described in this report can be used as a tool by water-management agencies and other stakeholders to quantitatively...
Phreatophytic land-cover map of the northern and central Great Basin Ecoregion: California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming
Amy M. Mathie, Toby L. Welborn, David D. Susong, Mary L. Tumbusch
2011, Scientific Investigations Map 3169
Increasing water use and changing climate in the Great Basin of the western United States are likely affecting the distribution of phreatophytic vegetation in the region. Phreatophytic plant communities that depend on groundwater are susceptible to natural and anthropogenic changes to hydrologic flow systems. The purpose of this report is...
Summary of inorganic compositional data for groundwater, soil-water, and surface-water samples collected at the Headgate Draw subsurface drip irrigation site, Johnson County, Wyoming
Nicholas J. Geboy, Mark A. Engle, Karl T. Schroeder, John W. Zupancic
2011, Data Series 619
As part of a 5-year project on the impact of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) application of coalbed-methane (CBM) produced waters, water samples were collected from the Headgate Draw SDI site in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA. This research is part of a larger study to understand short- and long-term...
Meteoric precipitation at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: Chemical and stable isotope analyses, 2006-09
Richard J. Moscati, Kevin M. Scofield
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5140
Meteoric precipitation samples collected in 2006-09 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were analyzed for chemistry and stable isotope composition. Precipitation is the major source of infiltration to the unsaturated zone and of recharge to the saturated zone at Yucca Mountain. On February 28, 2005, seepage of water was observed about 40 to...
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative-2010 Annual Report
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Laura Biewick, Steven W. Blecker, Gregory K. Boughton, R. Sky Bristol, Natasha B. Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Melanie L. Clark, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Bradley C. Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven L. Garman, Steve Germaine, JoAnn Holloway, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Jessica Montag, Christopher J. Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Lisa L. Stillings, Michele L. Tuttle, Anna B. Wilson
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1219
This is the third report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual work activities. The first report described activities for 2007 and 2008, and the second report covered work activities for FY09. This third report covers work activities conducted in...
Weeds of Hawaii’s lands devoted to watershed protection and biodiversity conservation: Role of biological control as the missing piece in an integrated pest management strategy
Arthur C. Medeiros, L.L. Loope
2011, Conference Paper, Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Despite Hawaii’s reputation as an extinction icon, significant biological resources remain, especially in watersheds, natural areas, and specialized edaphic sites (e.g., lava dry forest, coastal). While direct habitat destruction by humans continues, human-facilitated biological invaders are currently the primary agents of continuing degradation. The ability of invasive plants to have...
Investigation of the potential source area, contamination pathway, and probable release history of chlorinated-solvent-contaminated groundwater at the Capital City Plume Site, Montgomery, Alabama, 2008-2010
James Landmeyer, Scott Miller, Bruce G. Campbell, Don A. Vroblesky, Amy C. Gill, Athena P. Clark
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5148
Detection of the organic solvent perchloroethylene (PCE) in a shallow public-supply well in 1991 and exposure of workers in 1993 to solvent vapors during excavation activities to depths near the water table provided evidence that the shallow aquifer beneath the capital city of Montgomery, Alabama, was contaminated. Investigations conducted from...
Assessment of soil-gas, soil, and water contamination at the former 19th Street landfill, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010
W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1145
Soil gas, soil, and water were assessed for organic and inorganic constituents at the former 19th Street landfill at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from February to September 2010. Passive soil-gas samplers were analyzed to evaluate organic constituents in the hyporheic zone and flood plain of a creek and soil gas within...
Radium content of oil- and gas-field produced waters in the northern Appalachian Basin (USA): Summary and discussion of data
E. L. Rowan, M.A. Engle, C.S. Kirby, T. F. Kraemer
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5135
Radium activity data for waters co-produced with oil and gas in New York and Pennsylvania have been compiled from publicly available sources and are presented together with new data for six wells, including one time series. When available, total dissolved solids (TDS), and gross alpha and gross beta particle activities...
Sediment load from major rivers into Puget Sound and its adjacent waters
Jonathan A. Czuba, Christopher S. Magirl, Christiana R. Czuba, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher A. Curran, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Richard S. Dinicola
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3083
Each year, an estimated load of 6.5 million tons of sediment is transported by rivers to Puget Sound and its adjacent waters—enough to cover a football field to the height of six Space Needles. This estimated load is highly uncertain because sediment studies and available sediment-load data are sparse...
Nonnative fish control in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona: An effective program or serendipitous timing?
Coggins Jr., Michael D. Yard, William E. Pine III
2011, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (140) 456-470
The federally endangered humpback chub Gila cypha in the Colorado River within Grand Canyon is currently the focus of a multiyear program of ecosystem-level experimentation designed to improve native fish survival and promote population recovery as part of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. A key element of this...
