Evaluating reservoir passage and survival of juvenile Chinook Salmon to support reintroduction upstream of Shasta Dam, California
Caitlin Louise Stockwell, Joseph Mitchell Morse, Mikaeli Elizabeth Dirling, Claire E. Couch, Cyril J. Michel, Jeremy J. Notch, Tobias J. Kock
2026, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
ObjectiveJuvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha that are released upstream of Shasta Reservoir migrate more than 35 km to reach Shasta Dam, although survival through this system is poorly understood. We conducted a reservoir-scale acoustic telemetry study to quantify downstream movement and survival under seasonally variable environmental conditions to inform...
A 481 m-high landslide-tsunami in a cruise ship-frequented Alaska fjord
Dan H. Shugar, Katherine R. Barnhart, Mira Berdahl, Jacqueline Caplan-Auerbach, Göran Ekström, Aram Fathian, M. Geertsema, Stephen P. Hicks, Bretwood Higman, Erin K. Jensen, Ezgi Karasozen, Patrick J. Lynett, John J. Lyons, Thomas Monahan, Gerard H. Roe, Kristian Svennevig, Liam Toney, Maximillian Van Wyk de Vries, Michael E. West
2026, Science (392) 1142-1153
Early in the morning of 10 August 2025, a >64 × 106–cubic meter landslide struck Tracy Arm fjord in Alaska. The landslide was preconditioned by glacial retreat caused by climate change. The resulting 481-meter runup megatsunami followed an initial 100-meter-high breaking wave traveling at >70 meters per second. The landslide...
Analysis of alternative weir designs for improved passage of select fish at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging weir at Blackwells Mills, New Jersey
Thomas P. Suro, Michal J. Niemoczynski, Kevin B. Mulligan
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5002
As the population of New Jersey continues to remain dense, the need for water supply will likely continue to be high, which can lead to water managers needing to make difficult decisions about managing drinking-water supply. Streamgaging weirs like the ones used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) play a...
Preliminary geologic map of the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, and the epicentral area of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina
Arthur J. Merschat, Mark W. Carter, Ashley S. Lynn, Benjamin R. Weinmann, William E. Odom, Ryan J. McAleer, Shannon A. Mahan, Kevin G. Stewart, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, E. Allen Crider, Jr.
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1010
Introduction New bedrock and surficial geologic mapping in the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, investigates the geologic framework and causative mechanisms of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina. The mapping documents (1) the...
Regional conservation planning tool: A spreadsheet model to support spatial prioritization and resource allocation decisions
Anastasia Couvillon, Gregory J. Soulliere, David H. Gordon, Diane Eggeman, Mohammed A Al-Saffar, Dale D. Humburg, James E. Lyons
2026, Wildlife Society Bulletin
Prioritization is a central component of natural resource management because conservation needs routinely exceed available resources. Waterfowl and wetland conservation programs in North America are at the forefront of landscape-scale prioritization and transboundary management decisions due to the migratory nature of ducks, geese, and swans. The growing availability of geographic...
Sex-specific Atlantic salmon upstream passage and fallback at a natural cascade after dam removal
Kurt C. Heim, Jonah L. Withers, William Arden, Laurie Earley, David Minkoff, Theodore Castro-Santos
2026, Fisheries Management and Ecology
In the Boquet River (NY, USA) a low-head dam set above a ~200-m bedrock cascade was removed in 2015. We used radio-telemetry to assess landlocked Atlantic salmon passage at the remaining cascade (2020, 2022). Across years, 52% of males (13/25) attempted cascade passage whereas females made no discernable attempts (0/11)....
Alternative approaches to dryland reclamation enhance vegetation cover and soil stability at a former uranium mine
Kathryn Delores Eckhoff, Rebecca K. Mann, Seth M. Munson, Katherine Walton-Day, Jo Ellen Hinck, Michael C. Duniway
2026, Restoration Ecology
Introduction Conventional reclamation methods to recover dryland ecosystems after mineral extraction often have low success. Alternative reclamation techniques may help overcome the many challenges to establishing persistent native vegetation and stable soils. Objectives Compare conventional reclamation approaches that focus primarily on soil stabilization to alternative approaches that may improve native ecosystem...
Fisheries sustainability: Perceptions from the ninth World Fisheries Congress
Gretchen L. Stokes, Edward V. Camp, Julie E. Claussen, Chelsey A. Crandall, Jeffrey J. Duda, M. Gabriela Palomo, Abigail J. Lynch
2026, Fisheries
The World Fisheries Congress (WFC) is one of the largest global gatherings of fisheries professionals and scientists. It is held every 4 years with the purpose of sharing ideas and perspectives about new research, emerging issues, scientific breakthroughs, and governance related to fisheries science, industry, conservation, and management. The ninth...
A comprehensive inventory of communication tower infrastructure across the range of greater and Gunnison sage-grouse
Sarah C. Webster, Shawn Szabo, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Shawn T. O’Neil, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Steve Abele, Jennifer M. Hill, John Christopher Tull, Michael P. Chenaille, Peter S. Coates
2026, Scientific Data
We compiled and verified a comprehensive inventory dataset of communication tower infrastructure across the range of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), two species of conservation concern that are viewed as ecosystem health indicators for the entire sagebrush biome within the United States. Our dataset includes...
Identifying potential invasion hotspots for non-native fluvial fishes throughout the conterminous United States
Hao Yu, Arthur R. Cooper, Jared A. Ross, Wesley M. Daniel, Jack E. Taylor, Alina Sargsyan, Dana M. Infante
2026, Biological Invasions (28)
Identifying habitats that non-native fluvial fishes are likely to invade provides information for proactive management, conservation planning, and understanding the ecology of biological invasions. We identified streams in the conterminous United States with high invasion risk from 20 non-native fluvial fish species. Specifically, we (1) developed habitat...
An automated geographic information system-based hydraulic modeling tool for developing preliminary culvert designs for stream crossings in Massachusetts
Gardner C. Bent, Brendan A. McCarthy, Luke P. Sturtevant, Meghan A. McCallister, Amanda L. Tudor, Ian P. Armstrong, Mark W. Poe, Alexander P. Graziano, Carl S. Carlson
2026, Fact Sheet 2026-3065
IntroductionCurrently (2026), many of the about 25,000 roadway crossing structures over rivers and streams in Massachusetts are undersized. Undersized culverts and bridges can be detrimental to fish and wildlife movement, habitat continuity, and the health of aquatic organisms. Undersized culverts also can lack the resiliency needed to withstand large floods,...
Informing policy response to declining water supply in the Colorado River basin: Linking water supply management with outcomes for fish communities
John C. Schmidt, Charles B. Yackulic
2026, Report
Water-supply managers in the Colorado River Basin are tasked with balancing consumptive water use with natural water supply. Decisions associated with water-supply policy can include where and how much water consumption occurs, where water could be stored, and how to operate reservoirs. Water-supply decisions often affect other resources including energy...
USGS 2025 critical minerals review
James V. Jones III, Tanya Gallegos, Mojisola Abosede Kunledare, Charlotte E. Riggs
2026, Mining Engineering (78) 42-57
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides scientific information for the Department of Interior and the nation, consistent with its original mission expressed in the Organic Act of 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31): “the classification of the public lands and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products within and...
Holocene barrier dynamics & management on the Eastern Shore of Virginia
Christopher Hein, Allyson Boggess, Kayla Cahoon, Daniel J. Ciarletta, Elizabeth Davis, Michael Fenster, Ioannis Georgiou, Michelle Harris, Emily Hein, Katherine Kivimaki, William McCormick, Justin Shawler
2026, Conference Paper, Field trip guide
No abstract available....
An overview and participatory framework for choosing spatial boundaries in social–ecological systems modeling
Christina D. Perella, Jelena Vukomanovic, Caleb R. Hickman, Adam J. Terando, Mitchell J. Eaton, Marie Schaefer
2026, ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (15)
A common challenge when modeling social–ecological systems (SESs) is defining the spatial extent of the system. Boundaries that do not adequately capture both social and ecological processes and their interactions can lead to mischaracterization of the system, while expanding boundaries too widely can impact model complexity and required resources. Socially,...
Revisiting the utility of regional-scale, high-quality geophysical data in mineral exploration - A case study featuring the Mammoth Magnetic Anomaly, Pinal County, Arizona
Callum Andrew Walter
2026, Conference Paper
Regional aeromagnetic surveys passively measure the total magnetic intensity (TMI) and are a foundational tool used in mineral exploration (Airo, 2015). With the increased global demand and the number of critical mineral resources required for manufacturing high-tech devices, developing high-quality, regional-scale geophysical surveys could aid critical mineral exploration efforts and...
Geochemical geodatabase of sedimentary strata (coal, coal-adjacent rocks, tuffaceous oil shale, phosphate-rich rocks) and produced water in the Uinta region, Utah and Colorado
Ryan D. Gall, Lauren Birgenheier, Peyton Fausett, Haley Coe, Emma Morris, Diego P. Fernandez, L. Wilcock, Michael Vanden Berg, Andrew L. Masterson, Aaron M. Jubb, Justin E. Birdwell, Logan Ashurst-McGee, Nicholas Bailey, Andrew Giebel, Amanda Sha Herzberg, Jessica Chenault, Brittney Hoskins
2026, Data Series 6
The Geochemical Geodatabase of Sedimentary Strata (Coal, Coal-adjacent Rocks, Tuffaceous Oil Shale, Phosphate-rich Rocks) and Produced Water in the Uinta Region, Utah and Colorado, consists of compiled datasets acquired as part of the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Mineral (CORE-CM) Uinta Region assessment funded by the U.S. Department of...
Science for drought response
Tamara Wilson, Stephanie Anne McAfee
2026, Report
Droughts impact water availability and quality, agriculture, energy production, ecosystem health, cultural resources, and wildfire risk. In an average year, nearly 15% of the US experiences significant drought, and in some recent years, drought conditions have impacted more than a third of the nation (U.S. Drought Monitor). The U.S. Geological...
Diverging mineral chemistry of iron and nickel throughout Earth’s changing redox conditions reveals foundation for their evolution as protein cofactors
Benjamin Jelen, Yarissa Peralta, Shaunna M. Morrison, Beth A. Christensen, Elisha Kelly Moore
2026, Life (16)
Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth’s surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, protein metal-site coordination-sphere analysis, and curated redox comparisons to test how geochemistry and metalloprotein architecture co-evolved. Mineral network analyses show broader...
The United States Magnetotelluric Array and the National Impedance Map
Anna Kelbert, Paul A. Bedrosian, Adam Schultz, Gary D. Egbert, Louise Pellerin, Jeffrey J. Love, Andy Frassetto, Benjamin S. Murphy
2026, Reviews of Geophysics (64)
The United States Magnetotelluric Array (USMTArray) data set, collected in the years 2006–2024, consists of more than 1,700 long-period magnetotelluric stations covering the entirety of the contiguous United States on a quasi-regular 70 km grid. Funding across multiple federal agencies was critical to sustaining this effort to its completion. Important components...
Understanding the occurrence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface waters of the nontidal Passaic River Basin
Molly L. Schreiner, Kristin M. Romanok, Jacob T. Gray, Eileen J. Brown, Brianna M. Williams, Maureen Kneser, Albert J. Capuzzi, Jason Boerner, Luke Giunta, Paul Serillo, John J. Trainor, Kelly L. Smalling
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5018
This study, completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC), was designed to characterize the occurrence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface waters of the nontidal Passaic River Basin in New Jersey that have the potential to...
Forecasting spread of invasive fish over a largescale network of lakes using local expert knowledge
Michaela Palmieri, Leandro E. Miranda, Melanie R. Boudreau, Corey Garland Dunn, Leslie M. Burger, Dennis K. Riecke
2026, Aquatic Invasions (21) 127-146
Understanding spatial distribution patterns is essential to management of invasive species. Aquatic invasive species can be notably challenging to detect due to the substantial effort required to locate them underwater. This limitation has resulted in a lack of timely distribution maps, particularly over vast regions, and hindered...
Assessment of long-term trends in streamflow statistics within and near the Mobile Bay and Perdido Bay watersheds, United States, 1950–2022
William H. Asquith, Elena R. Crowley-Ornelas, Amanda R. Whaling
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5142
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, assessed monotonic trends for a variety of streamflow statistics for 69 long-term U.S. Geological Survey streamgages within either the Mobile Bay or Perdido Bay watersheds that were active through at least at the end of calendar year...
Building resilience in dryland ecosystems: A climate adaptation strategy menu for pinyon–juniper woodlands
Jesse Gray, Mandy L. Slate, Alyson Ennis, Courtney Peterson, John B. Bradford, Adam Roy Noel, Michael C. Duniway, Tara B. Bishop, Ian P. Barrett, Chris Domschke, Joel T. Humphries, Nicole N. Barger
2026, Forests (17)
Pinyon–juniper (PJ) woodlands, one of the most extensive mature and old-growth woodland types in the Western United States, provide critical ecological, cultural, and economic benefits but face increasing threats from climate change, altered disturbance regimes, invasive species, and pests. We developed the PJ Woodland Climate Adaptation Management Menu, a decision...
Nest site and habitat changes over 15 years in a predicted climate refugium in Beluga, AK, USA, have a positive impact on Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) nest survival
Eden Smith, Rose J. Swift, Anna Courtemanche, Feipeng Huang, Mary Margaret Pelton, Lauren Puleo, Josiah Simmonds, Matthew Waller, Hannah Walton, Casey Weissburg, Luke R. Wilde, Nathan R. Senner
2026, Polar Biology (49)
Climate change is transforming the Arctic and sub-Arctic at a pace that threatens many taxa with population declines and extinction. However, some habitats–such as muskeg bogs–can serve as climatic refugia and lessen the effects of a changing climate on the species that rely on them. Hudsonian Godwits (Limosa haemastica) are...