Facilitating adaptive management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through the use of online decision support tools
Cassandra Mullinx, Scott Phillips, Kelly Shenk, Paul Hearn, Olivia Devereux
2009, Conference Paper, Planning for an uncertain future - Monitoring, integration, and adaptation (SIR 2009-5049)
The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) is attempting to more strategically implement management actions to improve the health of the Nation’s largest estuary. In 2007 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) CBP office began a joint effort to develop a suite of Internetaccessible decision-support tools and...
Ultra-deep oxidation and exotic copper formation at the late pliocene boyongan and bayugo porphyry copper-gold deposits, surigao, philippines: Geology, mineralogy, paleoaltimetry, and their implications for Geologic, physiographic, and tectonic controls
D.P. Braxton, D. R. Cooke, A.M. Ignacio, R. O. Rye, P.J. Waters
2009, Economic Geology (104) 333-349
The Boyongan and Bayugo porphyry copper-gold deposits are part of an emerging belt of intrusion-centered gold-rich deposits in the Surigao district of northeast Mindanao, Philippines. Exhumation and weathering of these Late Pliocene-age deposits has led to the development of the world's deepest known porphyry oxidation profile at Boyongan (600 m),...
Sulfate-rich eolian and wet interdune deposits, erebus crater, meridiani Planum, Mars
J.M. Metz, J.P. Grotzinger, D. M. Rubin, K.W. Lewis, S. W. Squyres, J.F. Bell
2009, Journal of Sedimentary Research (79) 247-264
This study investigates three bedrock exposures at Erebus crater, an ?? 300 m diameter crater approximately 4 km south of Endurance crater on Mars. These outcrops, called Olympia, Payson, and Yavapai, provide additional evidence in support of the dune-interdune model proposed for the formation of the deposits at the Opportunity...
Behavioural thermoregulation by subyearling fall (autumn) Chinook salmon oncorhynchus tshawytscha in a reservoir
K.F. Tiffan, T.J. Kock, W.P. Connor, R.K. Steinhorst, D.W. Rondorf
2009, Journal of Fish Biology (74) 1562-1579
This study investigated behavioural thermoregulation by subyearling fall (autumn) Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in a reservoir on the Snake River, Washington, U.S.A. During the summer, temperatures in the reservoir varied from 23?? C on the surface to 11?? C at 14 m depth. Subyearlings implanted with temperature-sensing radio transmitters were...
An ecological risk assessment of the acute and chronic toxicity of the herbicide picloram to the threatened bull trout (salvelinus confluentus) and the rainbow trout (onchorhyncus mykiss)
J.F. Fairchild, K.P. Feltz, L.C. Sappington, A.L. Allert, K.J. Nelson, J. Valle
2009, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (56) 761-769
We conducted acute and chronic toxicity studies of the effects of picloram acid on the threatened bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and the standard coldwater surrogate rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Juvenile fish were chronically exposed for 30 days in a proportional flow-through diluter to measured concentrations of 0,...
Isotopic composition of low-latitude paleoprecipitation during the Early Cretaceous
M.B. Suarez, Luis A. Gonzalez, Greg A. Ludvigson, F.J. Vega, J. Alvarado-Ortega
2009, Geological Society of America Bulletin (121) 1584-1595
The response of the hydrologic cycle in global greenhouse conditions is important to our understanding of future climate change and to the calibration of global climate models. Past greenhouse conditions, such as those of the Cretaceous, can be used to provide empirical data with which to evaluate climate models. Recent...
Assessing the impact of land use change on hydrology by ensemble modeling (LUCHEM) III: Scenario analysis
J. A. Huisman, L. Breuer, H. Bormann, A. Bronstert, B.F.W. Croke, H.-G. Frede, T. Graff, L. Hubrechts, A.J. Jakeman, G. Kite, J. Lanini, G. Leavesley, D.P. Lettenmaier, G. Lindstrom, J. Seibert, M. Sivapalan, N.R. Viney, P. Willems
2009, Advances in Water Resources (32) 159-170
An ensemble of 10 hydrological models was applied to the same set of land use change scenarios. There was general agreement about the direction of changes in the mean annual discharge and 90% discharge percentile predicted by the ensemble members, although a considerable range in the magnitude of predictions for...
Effects of simplifying fracture network representation on inert chemical migration in fracture-controlled aquifers
Tristan Wellman, Allen M. Shapiro, Mary C. Hill
2009, Water Resources Research (45)
[1] While it is widely recognized that highly permeable ‘large‐scale' fractures dominate chemical migration in many fractured aquifers, recent studies suggest that the pervasive ‘small‐scale’ fracturing once considered of less significance can be equally important for characterizing the spatial extent and residence time associated with transport processes....
Hydrologic characterization of desert soils with varying degrees of pedogenesis: 1. field experiments evaluating plant-relevant soil water behavior
John R. Nimmo, Kim S. Perkins, Kevin M. Schmidt, David M. Miller, Jonathan D. Stock, Kamini Singha
2009, Vadose Zone Journal (8) 480-495
To assess the eff ect of pedogenesis on the soil moisture dynamics infl uencing the character and quality of ecological habitat, we conducted infi ltration and redistribution experiments on three alluvial deposits in the Mojave National Preserve: (i) recently deposited active wash sediments, (ii) a soil of early Holocene age,...
Flow and geochemistry of groundwater beneath a back-barrier lagoon: The subterranean estuary at Chincoteague Bay, Maryland, USA
J.F. Bratton, J.K. Böhlke, D.E. Krantz, C.R. Tobias
2009, Marine Chemistry (113) 78-92
To better understand large-scale interactions between fresh and saline groundwater beneath an Atlantic coastal estuary, an offshore drilling and sampling study was performed in a large barrier-bounded lagoon, Chincoteague Bay, Maryland, USA. Groundwater that was significantly fresher than overlying bay water was found in shallow plumes up to 8 m thick...
Avian response to early tidal salt marsh restoration at former commercial salt evaporation ponds in San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Nicole D. Athearn, John Y. Takekawa, Joel Shinn
2009, Natural Resources and Environmental Issues (15) 77-86
Restoration of former commercial salt evaporation ponds in the San Francisco Bay estuary is intended to reverse a severe decline (>79%) in tidal salt marshes. San Francisco Bay is a critical migratory stopover site and wintering area for shorebirds and waterfowl, and salt ponds are important high tide roosting and...
Re-greening the Sahel: Farmer-led innovation in Burkina Faso and Niger
Chris Reij, Melinda Smale, G. Gray Tappan
David J. Spielman, Rajul Pandya-Lorch, editor(s)
2009, Book chapter, Millions fed: Proven successes in agricultural development
The Sahel—the belt of land that stretches across Africa on the southern edge of the Sahara—has always been a tough place to farm. Rainfall is low and droughts are frequent. The crust of hard soil is, at times, almost impermeable, and harsh winds threaten to sweep away everything in their...
The response of hydrophobic organics and potential toxicity in streams to urbanization of watersheds in six metropolitan areas of the United States
Wade L. Bryant Jr., S. Goodbred
2009, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (157)
Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were deployed in streams along a gradient of urban land-use intensity in and around six metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh–Durham, North Carolina; and Denver–Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2003; and Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas; Milwaukee–Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon, in 2004 to examine relations between percent urban...
Status and trends of prey fish populations in Lake Superior, 2008
Owen T. Gorman, Lori M. Evrard, Gary A. Cholwek, Jill M. Falck, Daniel L. Yule
2009, Conference Paper
The Great Lakes Science Center has conducted annual daytime bottom trawl surveys of the Lake Superior nearshore (15-80 m bathymetric depth zone) every spring since 1978 to provide a long-term index of relative abundance and biomass of the fish community. Between May 5 and June 14, 2008, 58 stations were...
Copper isotope fractionation in acid mine drainage
B.E. Kimball, R. Mathur, A.C. Dohnalkova, A.J. Wall, R.L. Runkel, S.L. Brantley
2009, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (73) 1247-1263
We measured the Cu isotopic composition of primary minerals and stream water affected by acid mine drainage in a mineralized watershed (Colorado, USA). The δ65Cu values (based on 65Cu/63Cu) of enargite (δ65Cu = −0.01 ± 0.10‰; 2σ) and chalcopyrite (δ65Cu = 0.16 ± 0.10‰) are within the range of reported values for terrestrial primary Cu sulfides (−1‰ < δ65Cu < 1‰). These mineral...
Biogeochemical mercury methylation influenced by reservoir eutrophication, Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, Idaho, USA
J. E. Gray, M.E. Hines
2009, Chemical Geology (258) 157-167
Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir (SFCR) in southern Idaho has been under a mercury (Hg) advisory since 2001 as fish in this reservoir contain elevated concentrations of Hg. Concentrations of total Hg (HgT) and methyl-Hg (MeHg) were measured in reservoir water, bottom sediment, and porewater to examine processes of Hg methylation...
Forecasting the combined effects of urbanization and climate change on stream ecosystems: from impacts to management options
Karen C. Nelson, Margaret A. Palmer, James E. Pizzuto, Glenn E. Moglen, Paul L. Angermeier, Robert H. Hilderbrand, Mike Dettinger, Katharine Hayhoe
2009, Journal of Applied Ecology (46) 154-163
Streams collect runoff, heat, and sediment from their watersheds, making them highly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances such as urbanization and climate change. Forecasting the effects of these disturbances using process-based models is critical to identifying the form and magnitude of likely impacts. Here, we integrate a new biotic model with...
How processing digital elevation models can affect simulated water budgets
E. L. Kuniansky, M.A. Lowery, B. G. Campbell
2009, Ground Water (47) 97-107
For regional models, the shallow water table surface is often used as a source/sink boundary condition, as model grid scale precludes simulation of the water table aquifer. This approach is appropriate when the water table surface is relatively stationary. Since water table surface maps are not readily available, the elevation...
Potential effects of mercury on threatened California black rails
Danika C. Tsao, A. Keith Miles, John Y. Takekawa, Isa Woo
2009, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (56) 292-301
San Francisco Bay (SFB) estuary sediments contain high levels of mercury (Hg), and tidal marsh resident species may be vulnerable to Hg contamination. We examined Hg concentrations in California black rails, a threatened waterbird species that inhabits SFB tidal salt marshes. We captured 127 black rails during the prebreeding and...
Exotic plant species associations with horse trails, old roads, and intact native communities in the Missouri Ozarks
E.D. Stroh, M.A. Struckhoff
2009, Natural Areas Journal (29) 50-56
We compared the extent to which exotic species are associated with horse trails, old roads, and intact communities within three native vegetation types in Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri. We used a general linear model procedure and a Bonferroni multiple comparison test to compare exotic species richness, exotic to native...
Wastewater effluent, combined sewer overflows, and other sources of organic compounds to Lake Champlain
P. Phillips, A. Chalmers
2009, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (45) 45-57
Abstract: Some sources of organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) to streams, lakes, and estuaries, including wastewater‐treatment‐plant effluent, have been well documented, but other sources, particularly wet‐weather discharges from combined‐sewer‐overflow (CSO) and urban runoff, may also be major sources of OWCs. Samples of wastewater‐treatment‐plant (WWTP) effluent, CSO effluent, urban...
Temporal variations of Escherichia coli concentrations in a large Midwestern river
K. E. Schilling, Y.-K. Zhang, D.R. Hill, C.S. Jones, C.F. Wolter
2009, Journal of Hydrology (365) 79-85
The Raccoon River used by the Des Moines Water Works to serve more than 400,000 people in central Iowa is threatened by contamination from Escherichia coli bacteria from point and nonpoint sources. The 9389 km2 watershed is highly agricultural, with 73% of the land in row crop production and widespread...
Comparing wastewater chemicals, indicator bacteria concentrations, and bacterial pathogen genes as fecal pollution indicators
S.K. Haack, J.W. Duris, L.R. Fogarty, D.W. Kolpin, M. J. Focazio, E. T. Furlong, M. T. Meyer
2009, Journal of Environmental Quality (38) 248-258
The objective of this study was to compare fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli [EC], and enterococci [ENT]) concentrations with a wide array of typical organic wastewater chemicals and selected bacterial genes as indicators of fecal pollution in water samples collected at or near 18 surface water drinking water intakes....
A cross-site comparison of factors influencing soil nitrification rates in northeastern USA forested watersheds
D.S. Ross, B.C. Wemple, A.E. Jamison, G. Fredriksen, J. B. Shanley, G.B. Lawrence, S.W. Bailey, J.L. Campbell
2009, Ecosystems (12) 158-178
Elevated N deposition is continuing on many forested landscapes around the world and our understanding of ecosystem response is incomplete. Soil processes, especially nitrification, are critical. Many studies of soil N transformations have focused on identifying relationships within a single watershed but these results are often not transferable. We studied...
Landscape planning for agricultural nonpoint source pollution reduction III: Assessing phosphorus and sediment reduction potential
M.W. Diebel, J.T. Maxted, Dale M. Robertson, S. Han, M. J. Vander Zanden
2009, Environmental Management (43) 69-83
Riparian buffers have the potential to improve stream water quality in agricultural landscapes. This potential may vary in response to landscape characteristics such as soils, topography, land use, and human activities, including legacies of historical land management. We built a predictive model to estimate the sediment and phosphorus load reduction...
