Fort Collins Science Center Ecosystem Dynamics Branch
Jim Wilson, C. Melcher, Z. Bowen
2009, Fact Sheet 2008-3100
Complex natural resource issues require understanding a web of interactions among ecosystem components that are (1) interdisciplinary, encompassing physical, chemical, and biological processes; (2) spatially complex, involving movements of animals, water, and airborne materials across a range of landscapes and jurisdictions; and (3) temporally complex, occurring over days, weeks, or...
Occurrence of Selected Nutrients, Trace Elements, and Organic Compounds in Streambed Sediment in the Lower Chena River Watershed near Fairbanks, Alaska, 2002-03
Ben W. Kennedy, Cassidee C. Hall
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5067
In 2002-03, the U.S. Geological Survey collected samples of streambed sediment at 18 sites in the lower Chena River watershed for analysis of selected nutrients, traces elements, and organic compounds. The purpose of the project was to provide Federal, State, and local agencies as well as neighborhood committees, with information...
Pesticides in Ground Water of Wyoming, 1995-2006
Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Timothy T. Bartos, Laura L. Hallberg
2009, Fact Sheet 2009-3006
In 1991, members of local, State, and Federal governments, as well as industry and interest groups, formed the Ground-water and Pesticides Strategy Committee (GPSC) to prepare the State of Wyoming Generic Management Plan for Pesticides in Ground Water. Little existing information was available describing pesticide occurrence in ground water; therefore,...
Estimation of Streamflow Characteristics for Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Northeastern Montana
Steven K. Sando, Timothy J. Morgan, DeAnn M. Dutton, Peter McCarthy
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5009
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR) encompasses about 1.1 million acres (including Fort Peck Reservoir on the Missouri River) in northeastern Montana. To ensure that sufficient streamflow remains in the tributary streams to maintain the riparian corridors, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is negotiating water-rights issues with the...
Occurrence of Pesticides in Ground Water of Wyoming, 1995-2006
Timothy T. Bartos, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Laura L. Hallberg
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5024
Little existing information was available describing pesticide occurrence in ground water of Wyoming, so the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality on behalf of the Wyoming Ground-water and Pesticides Strategy Committee, collected ground-water samples twice (during late summer/early...
Tritium/Helium-3 Apparent Ages of Shallow Ground Water, Portland Basin, Oregon, 1997-98
Stephen R. Hinkle
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5057
Water samples for tritium/helium-3 age dating were collected from 12 shallow monitoring wells in the Portland basin, Oregon, in 1997, and again in 1998. Robust tritium/helium-3 apparent (piston-flow) ages were obtained for water samples from 10 of the 12 wells; apparent ages ranged from 1.1 to 21.2 years. Method precision...
Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2007, 2005-06, and 2006-07
V. L. McGuire
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5019
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.6 million acres (174,000 square miles) in parts of eight States - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with ground water in the...
Estimating Locations of Perennial Streams in Idaho Using a Generalized Least-Squares Regression Model of 7-Day, 2-Year Low Flows
Molly S. Wood, Alan Rea, Kenneth D. Skinner, Jon Hortness
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5015
Many State and Federal agencies use information regarding the locations of streams having intermittent or perennial flow when making management and regulatory decisions. For example, the application of some Idaho water quality standards depends on whether streams are intermittent. Idaho Administrative Code defines an intermittent stream as one having a...
Estimated Perennial Streams of Idaho and Related Geospatial Datasets
Alan Rea, Kenneth D. Skinner
2009, Data Series 412
The perennial or intermittent status of a stream has bearing on many regulatory requirements. Because of changing technologies over time, cartographic representation of perennial/intermittent status of streams on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps is not always accurate and (or) consistent from one map sheet to another. Idaho Administrative Code...
Estimation of selenium loads entering the south arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, from May 2006 through March 2008
David L. Naftz, William P. Johnson, Michael L. Freeman, Kimberly Beisner, Ximena Diaz, VeeAnn A. Cross
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5069
Discharge and water-quality data collected from six streamflow-gaging stations were used in combination with the LOADEST software to provide an estimate of total (dissolved + particulate) selenium (Se) load to the south arm of Great Salt Lake (GSL) from May 2006 through March 2008. Total estimated Se load to GSL...
Status and Trends of Sea Otter Populations in Southeast Alaska, 1969-2003
George G. Esslinger, James L. Bodkin
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5045
Aerial surveys of all known sea otter (Enhydra lutris) habitat in Southeast Alaska (SE AK) in 2002-2003 indicated a population size of 8,949 otters [Standard Error (SE) = 899] at an average density of 0.92 otters per square kilometer. These findings on sea otter distribution and abundance were compared to...
Hydrogeologic Framework and Occurrence and Movement of Ground Water in the Upper Humboldt River Basin, Northeastern Nevada
Russell W. Plume
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5014
The upper Humboldt River basin encompasses 4,364 square miles in northeastern Nevada, and it comprises the headwaters area of the Humboldt River. Nearly all flow of the river originates in this area. The upper Humboldt River basin consists of several structural basins, in places greater than 5,000 feet deep, in...
Ground-water-withdrawal component of the Michigan water-withdrawal screening tool
Howard W. Reeves, David A. Hamilton, Paul W. Seelbach, A. Jeremiah Asher
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5003
A water-withdrawal assessment process and Internet-based screening tool have been developed to evaluate proposed new or increased high-capacity water withdrawals in Michigan. Michigan legislation defines high capacity withdrawals as those capable of removing an average of 100,000 gallons per day for a consecutive 30-day period. This report describes the ground-water...
Mineral Resource Assessment of Marine Sand Resources in Cape- and Ridge-Associated Marine Sand Deposits in Three Tracts, New York and New Jersey, United States Atlantic Continental Shelf
James D. Bliss, S. Jeffress Williams, Matthew A. Arsenault
2009, Bulletin 2209-N
Demand is growing in the United States and worldwide for information about the geology of offshore continental shelf regions, the character of the seafloor, and sediments comprising the seafloor and subbottom. Interest in locating sand bodies or high quality deposits that have potential as sources for beach nourishment and ecosystem...
Processing, Analysis, and General Evaluation of Well-Driller Logs for Estimating Hydrogeologic Parameters of the Glacial Sediments in a Ground-Water Flow Model of the Lake Michigan Basin
Leslie D. Arihood
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5184
In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey began a pilot study for the National Assessment of Water Availability and Use Program to assess the availability of water and water use in the Great Lakes Basin. Part of the study involves constructing a ground-water flow model for the Lake Michigan part of...
Federal standards and procedures for the National Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)
Kimberly A. Jones, Lily S. Niknami, Susan G. Buto, Drew Decker
2009, Techniques and Methods 11-A3
The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is a seamless, national hydrologic unit dataset developed using the guidelines and specifications outlined in this document. A hydrologic unit defines the areal extent of surface-water drainage to an outlet point on a dendritic stream network or to outlet points where the stream network is...
Derivation of Nationally Consistent Indices Representing Urban Intensity Within and Across Nine Metropolitan Areas of the Conterminous United States
Thomas F. Cuffney, James A. Falcone
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5095
Two nationally consistent multimetric indices of urban intensity were developed to support studies of the effects of urbanization on streams in nine metropolitan areas of the conterminous United States: Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Boston, Massachusetts; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Milwaukee-Green Bay, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Salt...
Ground-water quality data in the San Francisco Bay study unit, 2007: Results from the California GAMA Program
Mary C. Ray, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2009, Data Series 396
Ground-water quality in the approximately 620-square-mile San Francisco Bay study unit (SFBAY) was investigated from April through June 2007 as part of the Priority Basin project of the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act...
Development of a Flood-Warning System and Flood-Inundation Mapping for the Blanchard River in Findlay, Ohio
Matthew T. Whitehead, Chad J. Ostheimer
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5234
Digital flood-inundation maps of the Blanchard River in Findlay, Ohio, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Findlay, Ohio. The maps, which correspond to water levels at the USGS streamgage at Findlay (04189000), were provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation...
Evaluation of the effects of precipitation on ground-water levels from wells in selected alluvial aquifers in Utah and Arizona, 1936-2005
Philip M. Gardner, Victor M. Heilweil
2009, Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5242
Increased withdrawals from alluvial aquifers of the southwestern United States during the last half-century have intensified the effects of drought on ground-water levels in valleys where withdrawal for irrigation is greatest. Furthermore, during wet periods, reduced withdrawals coupled with increased natural recharge cause rising ground-water levels. In order to manage...
Changing perceptions of change: The role of scientists in tamarix and river management
Juliet C. Stromberg, Matthew K. Chew, Pamela L. Nagler, Edward P. Glenn
2009, Restoration Ecology (17) 177-186
Initially introduced to western United States to provide ecosystem services such as erosion control, Tamarix by the mid-1900s had became vilified as a profligate waster of water. This large shrub continues, today, to be indicted for various presumed environmental and economic costs, and millions of dollars are expended on its eradication. In...
Predator avoidance performance of larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) following short-term exposure to estrogen mixtures
Meghan R. McGee, Matthew L. Julius, Alan M. Vajda, David O. Norris, Larry B. Barber, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
2009, Aquatic Toxicology (91) 355-361
Aquatic organisms exposed to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) at early life-stages may have reduced reproductive fitness via disruption of reproductive and non-reproductive behavioral and physiological pathways. Survival to reproductive age relies upon optimal non-reproductive trait expression, such as adequate predator avoidance responses, which may be impacted through EDC exposure. During...
Persistence of dragonfly exuviae on vegetation and rock substrates
Maria A. Aliberti Lubertazzi, H. S. Ginsberg
2009, Northeastern Naturalist (16) 141-147
Surveys of dragonfly exuviae have been used to assess rare species' habitats, lake water quality status, and wetland restoration programs. Knowledge of the persistence of exuviae on various substrates is necessary to accurately interpret exuvial surveys. In 2006, we recorded exuvial persistence at defined areas in a variety of small...
The legacy of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA
Judith Z. Drexler, Christian S. de Fontaine, Steven J. Deverel
2009, Wetlands (29) 372-386
Throughout the world, many extensive wetlands, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (hereafter, the Delta), have been drained for agriculture, resulting in land-surface subsidence of peat soils. The purpose of this project was to study the in situ effects of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the...
Mapping Hurricane Rita inland storm tide
Charles Berenbrock, Mason Jr., Stephen F. Blanchard
2009, Journal of Flood Risk Management (2) 76-82
Flood‐inundation data are most useful for decision makers when presented in the context of maps of affected communities and (or) areas. But because the data are scarce and rarely cover the full extent of the flooding, interpolation and extrapolation of the information are needed. Many geographic information systems provide various...
