Groundwater-quality and select quality-control data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, January through December 2015, and previously unpublished data from 2013 to 2014
Terri Arnold, Laura M. Bexfield, MaryLynn Musgrove, Paul E. Stackelberg, Bruce D. Lindsey, James A. Kingsbury, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2018, Data Series 1087
Groundwater-quality data were collected from 502 wells as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Program and are included in this report. Most of the wells (500) were sampled from January through December 2015, and 2 of them were sampled in 2013. The...
U.S. Geological Survey Community for Data Integration 2017 Workshop Proceedings
Leslie Hsu, Vivian B. Hutchison, Madison L. Langseth, Benjamin Wheeler
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1081
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Community for Data Integration (CDI) Workshop was held May 16–19, 2017 at the Denver Federal Center. There were 183 in-person attendees and 35 virtual attendees over four days. The theme of the workshop was “Enabling Integrated Science,” with the purpose of bringing together the...
Real-time nowcasting of microbiological water quality at recreational beaches: A wavelet and artificial neural network-based hybrid modeling approach
Juan Zhang, Han Qiu, Xiaoyu Li, Jie Niu, Meredith B. Nevers, Xiaonong Hu, Mantha S. Phanikumar
2018, Environmental Science & Technology (52) 8446-8455
The number of beach closings caused by bacterial contamination has continued to rise in recent years, putting beachgoers at risk of exposure to contaminated water. Current approaches predict levels of indicator bacteria using regression models containing a number of explanatory variables. Data-based modeling approaches can supplement routine monitoring data and...
The foraminifera of Chincoteague Bay, Assateague Island, and the surrounding areas: A regional distribution study
Alisha M. Ellis, Jaimie E. Shaw, Lisa E. Osterman, Christopher G. Smith
2018, Journal of Foraminiferal Research (48) 223-240
Foraminiferal census data from Chincoteague Bay, Newport Bay, the salt marshes of Assateague Island, adjacent mainland salt marshes, and the inner-shelf, were assessed to determine the current assemblages in Chincoteague Bay, and how the different environments surrounding the bay, and the gradients within the bay, influence the microfossil distribution. Determining...
On the robustness of N‐mixture models
William A. Link, Matthew R. Schofield, Richard J. Barker, John R. Sauer
2018, Ecology (99) 1547-1551
N‐mixture models provide an appealing alternative to mark–recapture models, in that they allow for estimation of detection probability and population size from count data, without requiring that individual animals be identified. There is, however, a cost to using the N‐mixture models: inference is very sensitive to the model's assumptions. We consider...
Inferring presence of the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) species complex using environmental DNA
Thomas W. Franklin, Joseph C. Dysthe, Michael Golden, Kevin S. McKelvey, Blake R. Hossack, Kellie J. Carim, Cynthia Tait, Michael K. Young, Michael K. Schwartz
2018, Global Ecology and Conservation (15) 1-9
Western toads (species complex comprised of Anaxyrus boreas, A. canorus, A. exsul, and A. nelsoni) are widely distributed in the western United States but are declining, particularly in the southeastern extent of their range. The subspecies A. b. boreas is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Reliable and sensitive methods...
Duck nest depredation, predator behavior, and female response using video
Rebecca Croston, Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, Jeffrey D. Kohl, C. Alex Hartman, Sarah H. Peterson, Cory T. Overton, Cliff L. Feldheim, Michael L. Casazza
2018, Journal of Wildlife Management (82) 1014-1025
Depredation plays an important role in determining duck nest success and predator and female duck behavior during nest depredation can influence nest fate. We examined depredation of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and gadwall (A. strepera) nests in Suisun Marsh, California, USA, in 2015–2016 with continuous infrared video monitoring to identify nest...
Alaska Volcano Observatory alert and forecasting timeliness: 1989–2017
Cheryl Cameron, Stephanie Prejean, Michelle L. Coombs, Kristi L. Wallace, John Power, Diana C. Roman
2018, Frontiers in Earth Science - Volcanology (6)
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) monitors volcanoes in Alaska and issues notifications and warnings of volcanic unrest and eruption. We evaluate the timeliness and accuracy of eruption forecasts for 53 eruptions at 20 volcanoes, beginning with Mount Redoubt's 1989–1990 eruption. Successful forecasts are defined as those where AVO issued...
Female hatchling American kestrels have a larger hippocampus than males: A link with sexual size dimorphism?
Melanie F. Guigueno, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Paula F. P. Henry, Jessica A. Head, Lisa E. Peters, Vince P. Palace, Robert J. Letcher, Kimberly J. Fernie
2018, Behavioural Brain Research (349) 98-101
The brain and underlying cognition may vary adaptively according to an organism’s ecology. As with all raptor species, adult American kestrels (Falco sparverius) are sexually dimorphic with females being larger than males. Related to this sexual dimorphism, kestrels display sex differences in hunting and migration, with females ranging more widely...
Using geologic structures to constrain constitutive laws not accessible in the laboratory
Johanna Nevitt, Jessica M. Warren, Kathryn M. Kumamoto, David D. Pollard
2018, Journal of Structural Geology (125) 55-63
In this essay, we explore a central problem of structural geology today, and in the foreseeable future, which is the determination of constitutive laws governing rock deformation to produce geologic structures. Although laboratory experiments provide much needed data and insights about constitutive laws, these experiments cannot cover the range of conditions and...
Wildlife management is science based: Myth or reality?
Daniel J. Decker, John F. Organ, Ann Forstchen, Michael V. Schiavone, Angela K. Fuller
2018, The Wildlife Professional 30-32
In the January/February issue of The Wildlife Professional, a group of wildlife leaders discussed what they considered "myths" in wildlife management and invited other wildlife professionals to contribute their favorites. Here, five wildlife professionals take up that theme with their discussions of the scientific basis of...
Turning on the faucet to a healthy coast
Beth Middleton, Paul A. Montagna
2018, Solutions Journal (9)
Coastal re-engineering and freshwater extraction have reduced water flow into the estuaries of the world. Because of these activities, stressed coastal vegetation is especially vulnerable to die-off during droughts, contributing to a loss of human services related to storm protection, fisheries and water quality. The subsequent collapse of vegetation is...
Status of selenium in south San Francisco Bay—A basis for modeling potential guidelines to meet National tissue criteria for fish and a proposed wildlife criterion for birds
Samuel N. Luoma, Theresa S. Presser
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1105
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed Aquatic Life and AquaticDependent Wildlife Criteria for Selenium (Se) in California’s San Francisco Bay and Delta (Bay-Delta) in June 2016. Here we apply...
A semi-arid river in distress: Contributing factors and recovery solutions for three imperiled freshwater mussels (Family Unionidae) endemic to the Rio Grande basin in North America
Charles R. Randklev, Tom Miller, Michael Hart, Jennifer Morton, Nathan A. Johnson, Kevin Skow, Kentaro Inoue, Eric Tsakiris, Susan Oetker, Ryan Smith, Clint Robertson, Roel Lopez
2018, Science of the Total Environment (631-632) 733-744
Freshwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions are in extreme demand, which creates conflicts between needs of humans and aquatic ecosystems. The Rio Grande basin in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico exemplifies this issue, as much of its aquatic biodiversity is in peril as a result of human...
Geochemical characterization and modeling of regional groundwater contributing to the Verde River, Arizona between Mormon Pocket and the USGS Clarkdale gage
Kimberly R. Beisner, W. Payton Gardner, Andrew G. Hunt
2018, Journal of Hydrology (564) 99-114
We use synoptic surveys of stream discharge, stable isotopes, and dissolved noble gases to identify the source of groundwater discharge to the Verde River in central Arizona. The Verde River more than doubles in discharge in Mormon Pocket over a 1.4 km distance that includes three discrete locations of...
Managing conflicts in the River of Grass
Stephanie S. Romanach, James M. Beerens, Larry Perez, Saira M. Haider, Leonard G. Pearlstine
2018, Solutions Journal (9)
Chances are, you would not pack up and move to a new home without first researching the neighborhood, reviewing your finances, and maybe investigating schools nearby. Similarly, you would not buy the first car you find on a magazine cover without first reviewing the technical specifications, exploring your options, and...
Projected 21st century coastal flooding in the Southern California Bight. Part 2: Tools for assessing climate change-driven coastal hazards and socio-economic impacts
Li H. Erikson, Patrick L. Barnard, Andrea C. O'Neill, Nathan J. Wood, Jeanne M. Jones, Juliette Finzi Hart, Sean Vitousek, Patrick W. Limber, Maya Hayden, Michael Fitzgibbon, Jessica Lovering, Amy C. Foxgrover
2018, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (6) 1-19
This paper is the second of two that describes the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) approach for quantifying physical hazards and socio-economic hazard exposure in coastal zones affected by sea-level rise and changing coastal storms. The modelling approach, presented in Part 1, downscales atmospheric global-scale projections to local scale coastal...
Tropical wetlands in the Anthropocene: The critical role of wet-dry cycles
Michael J. Osland, Beth A. Middleton
2018, Solutions Journal (9)
In the face of climate change and increasing human water demands for agriculture, industry, and cities, the fate of wetland ecosystems in tropical wet-dry climates is threatened. To maximize biodiversity and ecological resilience, the value of the ecosystem services provided by tropical wetlands can be incorporated into regional land use...
Methylmercury dynamics in Upper Sacramento Valley rice fields with low background soil mercury levels
K. Christy Tanner, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Jacob Fleck, Kenneth W. Tate, Bruce A. Linquist
2018, Journal of Environmental Quality (47) 830-838
Few studies have considered how methylmercury (MeHg, a toxic form of Hg produced in anaerobic soils) production in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields can affect water quality, and little is known about MeHg dynamics in rice fields. Surface water MeHg and total Hg (THg) imports, exports, and storage were studied in...
Characterization of peak streamflows and flood inundation of selected areas in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana from the August and September 2017 flood resulting from Hurricane Harvey
Kara M. Watson, Glenn R. Harwell, David S. Wallace, Toby L. Welborn, Victoria G. Stengel, Jeremy S. McDowell
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5070
Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, on August 25, 2017, as a Category 4 hurricane with wind gusts exceeding 150 miles per hour. As Harvey moved inland, the forward motion of the storm slowed down and produced tremendous rainfall amounts over southeastern Texas, with 8-day rainfall amounts exceeding 60...
Nutrient loads in the Lost River and Klamath River Basins, south-central Oregon and northern California, March 2012–March 2015
Liam N. Schenk, Marc A. Stewart, Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5075
The U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation collected water-quality data from March 2012 to March 2015 at locations in the Lost River and Klamath River Basins, Oregon, in an effort to characterize water quality and compute a nutrient budget for the Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Reclamation Project. The study...
Water-quality conditions with an emphasis on cyanobacteria and associated toxins and taste-and-odor compounds in the Kansas River, Kansas, July 2012 through September 2016
Jennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster, Thomas J. Williams, Matthew D. Mahoney, Madison R. May, Keith A. Loftin
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5089
Cyanobacteria cause a multitude of water-quality concerns, including the potential to produce toxins and taste-and-odor compounds that may cause substantial economic and public health concerns, and are of particular interest in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers that are used for drinking-water supply. Extensive cyanobacterial blooms typically do not develop in the...
Metamodeling for groundwater age forecasting in the Lake Michigan Basin
Michael N. Fienen, B. Thomas Nolan, Leon J. Kauffman, Daniel T. Feinstein
2018, Water Resources Research (54) 4750-4766
Groundwater age is an important indicator of groundwater susceptibility to anthropogenic contamination and a key input to statistical models for forecasting water quality. Numerical models can provide estimates of groundwater age, enabling interpretation of measured age tracers. However, to extend to national‐scale groundwater systems where numerical models are not routinely...
Shifts in the relationship between mRNA and protein abundance of gill ion-transporters during smolt development and seawater acclimation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Arne K. Christensen, Amy M. Regish, Stephen D. McCormick
2018, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology (221) 63-73
Smolting Atlantic salmon exhibit a seasonal increase in seawater tolerance that is associated with changes in the abundance of major gill ion-transporter transcripts and proteins. In the present study, we investigate how the transcript and protein abundance of specific ion-transporter isoforms relate to each other during smolt development and seawater acclimation, and how each...
Environmental controls, emergent scaling, and predictions of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in coastal salt marshes
Omar I. Abdul-Aziz, Khandker S. Ishitaq, Jianwu Tang, Serena Moseman-Valtierra, Kevin D. Kroeger, Meagan Gonneea Eagle, Jordan Mora, Kate Morkeski
2018, Journal of Geophysical Research G: Biogeosciences (123) 2234-2256
Coastal salt marshes play an important role in mitigating global warming by removing atmospheric carbon at a high rate. We investigated the environmental controls and emergent scaling of major greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in coastal salt marshes by conducting data analytics and...
