Enhancement of a parsimonious water balance model to simulate surface hydrology in a glacierized watershed
Melissa M. Valentin, Roland J. Viger, Ashley E. Van Beusekom, Lauren E. Hay, Terri S. Hogue, Nathan Leon Foks
2018, Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface (123) 1116-1132
The U.S. Geological Survey monthly water balance model (MWBM) was enhanced with the capability to simulate glaciers in order to make it more suitable for simulating cold region hydrology. The new model, MWBMglacier, is demonstrated in the heavily glacierized and ecologically important Copper River watershed in Southcentral Alaska. Simulated water...
Alaska snowpack response to climate change: Statewide snowfall equivalent and snowpack water scenarios
Jeremy Littell, Stephanie A. McAfee, Gregory D. Hayward
2018, Water (10) 1-16
Climatically driven changes in snow characteristics (snowfall, snowpack, and snowmelt) will affect hydrologic and ecological systems in Alaska over the coming century, yet there exist no projections of downscaled future snow pack metrics for the state of Alaska. We updated historical and projected snow day fraction (PSF, the fraction of...
Effects of surface-water and groundwater inflows and outflows on the hydrology of the Tsala Apopka Lake Basin in Citrus County, Florida
Nicasio Sepulveda, Mark Fulkerson, Ron Basso, Patrick J. Ryan
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5055
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, initiated a study to quantify the inflows and outflows in the Floral City, Inverness, and Hernando pools of the Tsala Apopka Lake Basin in Citrus County, Florida. This study assesses hydrologic changes in pool stages, groundwater levels,...
Longevity and population age structure of the arroyo southwestern toad (Anaxyrus californicus) with drought implications
Robert N. Fisher, Cheryl S. Brehme, Stacie A. Hathaway, Tim E. Hovey, Manna L. Warburton, Drew C. Stokes
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 6124-6132
The arroyo southwestern toad is a specialized and federally endangered amphibian endemic to the coastal plains and mountains of central and southern California and northwestern Baja California. It is largely unknown how long these toads live in natural systems, how their population demographics vary across occupied drainages, and how hydrology...
Do downscaled general circulation models reliably simulate historical climatic conditions?
Andrew R. Bock, Lauren E. Hay, Gregory J. McCabe, Steven L. Markstrom, R. Dwight Atkinson
2018, Earth Interactions (22) 1-22
The accuracy of statistically downscaled (SD) general circulation model (GCM) simulations of monthly surface climate for historical conditions (1950–2005) was assessed for the conterminous United States (CONUS). The SD monthly precipitation (PPT) and temperature (TAVE) from 95 GCMs from phases 3 and 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3...
A mechanistic assessment of seasonal microhabitat selection by drift-feeding rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in a southwestern headwater stream
Bradley W. Kalb, Brock M. Huntsman, Colleen A. Caldwell, Michael A. Bozek
2018, Environmental Biology of Fishes (202) 257-273
The positioning of fishes within a riverscape is dependent on the proximity of complementary habitats. In this study, foraging and non-foraging habitat were quantified monthly over an entire year for a rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) population in an isolated, headwater stream in southcentral New Mexico. The stream follows...
Integrating real-time subsurface hydrologic monitoring with empirical rainfall thresholds to improve landslide early warning
Benjamin B. Mirus, Rachel E. Becker, Rex L. Baum, Joel B. Smith
2018, Landslides (15) 1909-1919
Early warning for rainfall-induced shallow landsliding can help reduce fatalities and economic losses. Although these commonly occurring landslides are typically triggered by subsurface hydrological processes, most early warning criteria rely exclusively on empirical rainfall thresholds and other indirect proxies for subsurface wetness. We explore the utility of explicitly accounting for...
Preliminary synthesis and assessment of environmental flows in the middle Verde River watershed, Arizona
Nicholas V. Paretti, Anne M. D. Brasher, Susanna L. Pearlstein, Dena M. Skow, Bruce Gungle, Bradley D. Garner
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5100
A 3-year study was undertaken to evaluate the suitability of the available modeling tools for characterizing environmental flows in the middle Verde River watershed of central Arizona, describe riparian vegetation throughout the watershed, and estimate sediment mobilization in the river. Existing data on fish and macroinvertebrates were analyzed in relation...
Hydrologic characteristics of freshwater mussel habitat: novel insights from modeled flows
C. Ashton Drew, Michele Eddy, Thomas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope, Tom Augspurger
2018, Freshwater Science (37) 343-356
The ability to model freshwater stream habitat and species distributions is limited by the spatially sparse flow data available from long-term gauging stations. Flow data beyond the immediate vicinity of gauging stations would enhance our ability to explore and characterize hydrologic habitat suitability. The southeastern USA supports high aquatic biodiversity,...
Flood-inundation maps for the Wabash River at Lafayette, Indiana
Moon H. Kim
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5017
Digital flood-inundation maps for an approximately 4.8-mile reach of the Wabash River at Lafayette, Indiana (Ind.) were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science web...
Methods for peak-flow frequency analysis and reporting for streamgages in or near Montana based on data through water year 2015
Steven K. Sando, Peter M. McCarthy
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5046
This report documents the methods for peak-flow frequency (hereinafter “frequency”) analysis and reporting for streamgages in and near Montana following implementation of the Bulletin 17C guidelines. The methods are used to provide estimates of peak-flow quantiles for 50-, 42.9-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities...
Rethinking the use of seabed sediment temperature profiles to trace submarine groundwater flow
Barret L. Kurylyk, Dylan J. Irvine, A.A. Mohammed, V. F. Bense, Martin A. Briggs, J.W. Loder, Y. Geshelin
2018, Water Resources Research (54) 4595-4614
Submarine groundwater fluxes across the seafloor facilitate important hydrological and biogeochemical exchanges between oceans and seabed sediment, yet few studies have investigated spatially distributed groundwater fluxes in deep‐ocean environments such as continental slopes. Heat has been previously applied as a submarine groundwater tracer using an analytical solution to a heat...
Hydrologic and water-quality characteristics of Caño Boquerón, Cabo Rojo, and Puerto Mosquito, Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico, July 2015–July 2016
Julieta M. Gómez-Fragoso, Jose A. Santiago-Saez
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5018
Coastal lagoons are common features of the Puerto Rico shoreline that provide habitat for commercial and recreational species and serve important roles in the nutrient cycle of the ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, conducted a limnological study at Caño Boquerón in...
Hydrogeologic setting, conceptual groundwater flow system, and hydrologic conditions 1995–2010 in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina
Jason C. Bellino, Eve L. Kuniansky, Andrew M. O'Reilly, Joann F. Dixon
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5030
The hydrogeologic setting and groundwater flow system in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina is dominated by the highly transmissive Floridan aquifer system. This principal aquifer is a vital source of freshwater for public and domestic supply, as well as for industrial and agricultural uses throughout the...
Warming is driving decreases in snow fractions while runoff efficiency remains mostly unchanged in snow-covered areas of the western United States
Gregory J. McCabe, David M. Wolock, Melissa Valentin
2018, Journal of Hydrometeorology (19) 803-814
Winter snowfall and accumulation is an important component of the surface water supply in the western United States. In these areas, increasing winter temperatures T associated with global warming can influence the amount of winter precipitation P that falls as snow S. In this study we examine long-term trends in the fraction of winter P that falls...
Estimation of unregulated monthly, annual, and peak streamflows in Forest City Stream and lake levels in East Grand Lake, United States-Canada border between Maine and New Brunswick
Pamela J. Lombard
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5044
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the International Joint Commission, compiled historical data on regulated streamflows and lake levels and estimated unregulated streamflows and lake levels on Forest City Stream at Forest City, Maine, and East Grand Lake on the United States-Canada border between Maine and New Brunswick to...
Using regional scale flow–ecology modeling to identify catchments where fish assemblages are most vulnerable to changes in water availability
Ernie F. Hain;, Jonathan G. Kennen, Peter V. Caldwell, Stacy A.C. Nelson, Ge Sun, Steven G. McNulty
2018, Freshwater Biology (63) 928-945
Streamflow is essential for maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems and for supporting human water supply needs. Changes in climate, land use and water use practices may alter water availability. Understanding the potential effect of these changes on aquatic ecosystems is critical for long-term water management to maintain a balance between water...
Open hydrology courseware using the United States Geological Survey’s National Water Census Data Portal
Jake Nelson, Daniel P. Ames, David L. Blodgett
2018, Open Water Journal (5) 1-14
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the primary U.S. Government agency for water data collection and dissemination. In this role, the USGS has recently created and deployed a National Water Census Data Portal (NWC-DP) which provides access to streamflow, evapotransporation, precipitation, aquatic biology and other data at the national level....
Cyclic heliothermal behaviour of the shallow, hypersaline Lake Hayward, Western Australia
Jeffrey V. Turner, Michael R. Rosen, Lee Coshell, Robert J. Woodbury
2018, Journal of Hydrology (560) 495-511
Lake Hayward is one of only about 30 hypersaline lakes worldwide that is meromictic and heliothermal and as such behaves as a natural salt gradient solar pond. Lake Hayward acts as a local groundwater sink, resulting in seasonally variable hypersaline lake water with...
Relative contributions of microbial and infrastructure heat at a crude oil-contaminated site
Ean Warren, Barbara A. Bekins
2018, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology (211) 94-103
Biodegradation of contaminants can increase the temperature in the subsurface due to heat generated from exothermic reactions, making temperature observations a potentially low-cost approach for determining microbial activity. For this technique to gain more widespread acceptance, it is necessary to better understand all the factors affecting the measured temperatures. Biodegradation...
Effects of climate change on forest vegetation in the Northern Rockies Region
Robert E. Keane, Mary Frances Mahalovich, Barry L. Bollenbacher, Mary E. Manning, Rachel A. Loehman, Terrie B. Jain, Lisa M. Holsinger, Andrew J. Larson, Meredith M. Webster
2018, General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-374-6
The projected rapid changes in climate will affect the unique vegetation assemblages of the Northern Rockies region in myriad ways, both directly through shifts in vegetation growth, mortality, and regeneration, and indirectly through changes in disturbance regimes and interactions with changes in other ecosystem processes, such as hydrology, snow dynamics,...
Simulating selenium and nitrogen fate and transport in coupled stream-aquifer systems of irrigated regions
Christopher D. Shultz, Ryan T. Bailey, Timothy K. Gates, Brent E. Heesemann, Eric D. Morway
2018, Journal of Hydrology (560) 512-529
Elevated levels of selenium (Se) in aqueous environments can harm aquatic life and endanger livestock and human health. Although Se occurs naturally in the rocks and soils of many alluvial aquifers, mining and agricultural activities can increase its rate of mobilization and transport...
Methane in groundwater from a leaking gas well, Piceance Basin, Colorado, USA
Peter B. McMahon, Judith C. Thomas, John T. Crawford, Mark M. Dornblaser, Andrew G. Hunt
2018, Science of the Total Environment (634) 791-801
Site-specific and regional analysis of time-series hydrologic and geochemical data collected from 15 monitoring wells in the Piceance Basin indicated that a leaking gas well contaminated shallow groundwater with thermogenic methane. The gas well was drilled in 1956 and plugged and abandoned in 1990. Chemical and isotopic data showed the...
Quantifying climate-related interactions in shallow and deep storage and evapotranspiration in a forested, seasonally water-limited watershed in the Southeastern United States
Brent T. Aulenbach, Norman E. Peters
2018, Water Resources Research (54) 3037-3061
The Southeastern United States experiences recurring hydrological droughts, which can reduce water availability and can result in water-limiting conditions. Long-term monitoring at Panola Mountain Research Watershed, a small, forested, seasonally water-limited watershed near Atlanta, Georgia, was used to quantify the interactions of climatic variability with shallow and deep storage and...
Featured collection introduction: Connectivity of streams and wetlands to downstream waters
Laurie C. Alexander, Ken M. Fritz, Kate Schofield, Bradley Autrey, Julie DeMeester, Heather E. Golden, David C. Goodrich, William G. Kepner, Hadas R. Kiperwas, Charles R. Lane, Stephen D. LeDuc, Scott Leibowitz, Michael G. McManus, Amina I. Pollard, Caroline E. Ridley, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Parker J. Wigington
2018, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (54) 287-297
Connectivity is a fundamental but highly dynamic property of watersheds. Variability in the types and degrees of aquatic ecosystem connectivity presents challenges for researchers and managers seeking to accurately quantify its effects on critical hydrologic, biogeochemical, and biological processes. However, protecting natural gradients of connectivity is key to protecting the...
