Impacts of spontaneous waterfall development on bedrock river longitudinal profile morphology
Sophie D. Rothman, Joel S. Scheingross, Scott W. McCoy, Helen Willemien Dow
2023, Journal of Geophysical Research - Earth Surface (128)
River profiles are shaped by climatic and tectonic history, lithology, and internal feedbacks between flow hydraulics, sediment transport and erosion. In steep channels, waterfalls may self-form without changes in external forcing (i.e., autogenic formation) and erode at rates faster or slower than an equivalent channel without waterfalls....
Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 2022 Report)
Robert Massatti, Daniel E. Winkler, Sasha C. Reed, Michael C. Duniway, Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford
2023, Report
A primary focus of the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) is to identify and develop appropriate native plant materials (NPMs) for current and future restoration projects. Multiple efforts have characterized the myriad challenges inherent in providing appropriate seed resources to enable effective, widespread restoration and have identified a broad...
Storms and pH of dam releases affect downstream phosphorus cycling in an arid regulated river
Bridget R. Deemer, Robin H. Reibold, Anna Fatta, Jessica R. Corman, Charles B. Yackulic, Sasha C. Reed
2023, Biogeochemistry (165) 57-74
Reservoirs often bury phosphorus (P), leading to seasonal or persistent reductions in P supply to downstream rivers. Here we ask if observed variation in the chemistry of dam release waters stimulates downstream sediment P release and biological activity in an arid, oligotrophic system, the Colorado River...
White perch health relative to urbanization and habitat degradation in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. II. Hepatic and splenic macrophage aggregates
Vicki S. Blazer, Mark A Matsche, Erin L. Pulster
2023, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (154) 107-130
Macrophage aggregate (MA) abundance in fish is a useful general biomarker of contaminant exposures and environmental stress. Hepatic and splenic MAs were evaluated in semi-anadromous white perch Morone americana (Gmelin, 1789) from the urbanized Severn River (S) and the more rural Choptank River (C), Chesapeake Bay. Fish were collected from different...
Effects of hard water precipitates on early life stage brook trout
John Davidson, Brandon J. Keplinger, Clayton D. Raines, Curtis Crouse, CHristopher Goodchild
2023, Hatchery International (24) 24-25
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) have been extirpated from many karst-geology streams in West Virginia; however, the causes are not fully understood. Specifically, the impact of calcareous precipitate (marl), which is common in hard-water environments, has not been evaluated as an impediment to juvenile survival. Accordingly, two lab-based studies were conducted...
White perch health relative to urbanization and habitat degradation in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. I. Biliary neoplasms and hepatic lesions
Vicki S. Blazer, Mark A Matsche, Erin L. Pulster
2023, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (154) 85-105
White perch Morone americana (Gmelin, 1789) from the Chesapeake Bay (USA) watershed have a high incidence of liver disease, including neoplasms of bile duct origin. Fish collected seasonally from spring 2019 to winter 2020 from the urban Severn River and the more rural Choptank River were evaluated for hepatic lesions. Biliary...
The scale-dependent role of submerged macrophytes as drift-feeding lotic fish habitat
John S. McLaren, Robert W. Van Kirk, Phaedra E. Budy, Soren Brothers
2023, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (80)
Although submerged macrophyte (hereafter, “macrophyte”) communities are globally prevalent in low-gradient rivers, the net reach-scale effect of macrophytes on drift-feeding fish microhabitat preference is poorly understood. We used snorkeling and bioenergetics to study fish habitat selection for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Henrys Fork, ID, USA,...
Riparian vegetation response amid variable climate conditions across the Upper Gila River watershed: Informing Tribal restoration priorities
Roy E. Petrakis, Laura M. Norman, Barry R. Middleton
2023, Frontiers in Environmental Science (11)
Riparian systems across the Southwest United States are extremely valuable for the human and ecological communities that engage with them. However, they have experienced substantial changes and stresses over the past century, including non-native vegetation expansion, vegetation die-offs, and increased fire activity. Vegetation management approaches, such as ecological...
A novel suspended-sediment sampling method: Depth-Integrated Grab (DIG)
Joel T. Groten, Sara B. Levin, Erin N. Coenen, J. William Lund, Gregory D. Johnson
2023, Applied Sciences (13)
Measuring suspended sediment in fluvial systems is critical to understanding and managing water resources. Sampling suspended sediment has been the primary means of understanding fluvial suspended sediment. Specialized samplers, sampling methods, and laboratory methods developed by select U.S. Federal Agencies are more representative of river and stream conditions than commonly...
Frequently asked questions about water quality in the Coeur d’Alene Basin area
Lauren M. Zinsser
2023, Report
No abstract available....
Validation of a species-specific probe-based qPCR assay for the threatened meltwater stonefly, Lednia tumana, in environmental samples
Patrick Ross Hutchins, Jonathan Giersch, Adam Sepulveda, Clint C. Muhlfeld
2023, Conservation Genetics Resources (15) 105-107
A probe-based quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed to detect meltwater stonefly (Lednia tumana) environmental (e)DNA in water samples. The limits of detection and quantification, respectively, were 12.1 and 58.4 gene copies for calibration standards and these values were similarly low in a relevant environmental sample...
Triple oxygen isotope compositions of globally distributed soil carbonates record widespread evaporation of soil waters
Julia Kelson, Tyler E. Huth, Benjamin H. Passey, Naomi E. Levin, Sierra V. Petersen, Paolo Ballato, Emily J. Beverly, Daniel O. Breecker, Gregory D. Hoke, Adam M. Hudson, Ji Haoyuan, Alexis Licht, Jay Quade
2023, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (355) 138-160
The stable isotopic composition of pedogenic carbonates is central to many studies of past climate and topography, providing a basis for our understanding of Earth's terrestrial history. A core assumption of many applications of oxygen isotope values (δ18O) of pedogenic carbonate is that they reflect the δ18O value of precipitation...
Development of a quantitative PCR assay for detecting northwest salamander (ambystoma gracile) in environmental DNA samples
Marshal S. Hoy, Carl O. Ostberg
2023, Conservation Genetics Resources (15) 109-112
We developed a primer and probe based quantitative PCR assay for use with environmental DNA to detect Northwest salamander (Ambystoma gracile), a species endemic to the temperate Pacific coastal region of North America. The assay targets a region in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop gene. Tests...
Validation and standardization of SPE and HPLC-UV methods for simultaneous determination of legacy and insensitive munitions
Austin Scircle, Ashley Kimble, Jared C. Smith, Bobbi Stromer, Samuel Beal, Jay Clausen, Thomas Georgian, Adam C. Mumford, Geoffrey Giarmo, Martin Peterson, Hart Hedgpeth, Rebecca Crouch, Anthony J. Bednar
2023, Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management (20)
There have been few attempts to consolidate legacy and insensitive munitions analyses. Furthermore, there are no standard methods for insensitive munitions (IM) in tissues, resulting in overlapping methods and supplementary analyses. The goal of the present study was to validate extraction and instrumental methods previously developed and address analytical methodology...
2023 Coastal master plan: ICM-wetlands – Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) updates
Kristin DeMarco, Donald Schoolmaster, Brady Couvillion
2023, Report, 2023 Louisiana’s comprehensive master plan for a sustainable coast
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) provides critical structural habitat for valuable nekton and wildlife species across coastal ecosystems and can buffer the negative effects of land loss. Landscape change and restoration efforts across coastal Louisiana can impact the occurrence, coverage, and species assemblages of SAV, and changes to these foundational species...
Vortex trapping of sand grains over ripples under oscillatory flow
Donya P. Frank-Gilchrist, Allison Penko, Margaret L. Palmsten, Joseph Calantoni
2023, Conference Paper, Proceedings of MARID VII
Sand ripples significantly impact morphodynamics in the nearshore by generating coherent vortices, which can transport suspended sediment to greater heights in the water column than above flat beds. Coherent vortices can trap sediment grains if the settling velocity of the grain is smaller than the maximum vertical fluid velocity in...
The "H," "A," and "B" of a HAB: A definitional framework
Rebecca Michelle Gorney, Jennifer L. Graham, Jennifer C. Murphy
2023, Lakeline (43) 7-11
The use of the phrase “harmful algal bloom” and the acronym HAB originated in the marine science world, and referred to blooms also known as red tides, which can kill fish and sea life. The organisms that make up marine HABs generally do not thrive in lakes. In freshwater, HABs...
Hydrologic framework and characterization of the Little Colorado River alluvial aquifer near Leupp, Arizona
Jon P. Mason, Jeffrey R. Kennedy, Jamie P. Macy, Bruce Gungle
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5052
The Little Colorado River alluvial aquifer near Leupp, Arizona, was investigated as a possible source of irrigation water for the Leupp and Birdsprings Chapters of the Navajo Nation. The physical, chemical, and hydraulic characteristics of the alluvial aquifer were studied using geophysical surveys, installation of observation wells, water-level measurements, chemical...
Winners and losers over a ½ century of change in crayfish assemblages of Wyoming, USA
Braxton Newkirk, Eric R. Larson, Andrew D. Walker, Annika W. Walters
2023, Freshwater Science (42) 146-160
Crayfish have experienced extensive assemblage reorganization as a result of global change, with some species becoming globally invasive and others becoming rare or extinct. We combined historical and contemporary sampling data to determine temporal trends of crayfish assemblages of Wyoming, USA, identifying winners and losers over a ½ century of...
Utilizing anthropogenic compounds and geochemical tracers to identify preferential structurally controlled groundwater pathways influencing springs in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA
Kimberly R. Beisner, Nicholas V. Paretti, Jeramy Roland Jasmann, Larry B. Barber
2023, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (48)
Study region: This study focuses on the Colorado River watershed in the area along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Study focus: This study utilizes anthropogenic chemical tracers to investigate the fate of treated wastewater effluent discharged within Grand Canyon National Park. Anthropogenic chemical tracers were used to discern...
Assessing impacts of human stressors on stream fish habitats across the Mississippi River basin
Jared Ross, Dana M. Infante, Arthur R. Cooper, Joanna B. Whittier, Wesley Daniel
2023, Water (15)
Effective conservation of stream fishes and their habitats is complicated by the fact that human stressors alter the way in which natural factors such as stream size, catchment geology, and regional climate influence stream ecosystems. Consequently, efforts to assess the condition of stream fishes and their habitats must not only...
Importance of subsurface water for hydrological response during storms in a post-wildfire bedrock landscape
Abra Atwood, Madeline Hille, Marin Clark, Francis K. Rengers, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Kirk Townsend, A. Joshua West
2023, Nature Geoscience Communications (14)
Wildfire alters the hydrologic cycle, with important implications for water supply and hazards including flooding and debris flows. In this study we use a combination of electrical resistivity and stable water isotope analyses to investigate the hydrologic response during storms in three catchments: one unburned and...
U.S. Geological Survey Rocky Mountain Region 2022 science exchange, showcasing interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art USGS science
Dana E. Peterson, Katherine L. French, Jeannette H. Oden, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy N. Titus, Katharine G. Dahm, Jessica M. Driscoll, William J. Andrews
2023, Fact Sheet 2023-3017
IntroductionThe Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River Basin in the Western United States represent complex, interconnected systems that sustain a number of species, including tens of millions of humans. These systems face several challenges, including worsening drought, altered wildfire regimes, climate change, and the spread of invasive species. These factors...
Role of trace metal co-limitation in cyanobacterial blooms of Maumee Bay (Lake Erie) and Green Bay (Lake Michigan)
James H. Larson, Keith A. Loftin, Erin A. Stelzer, David M. Costello, Sean Bailey, Mary Anne Evans, Carrie E. Givens, Lisa R. Fogarty
2023, Journal of Freshwater Ecology (38)
The open waters of large lakes can sometimes become so depleted in important metals that phytoplankton communities become either growth limited or limited in some metabolic function. Metals such as Fe, Ni, Mo, and Zn are used as co-factors for enzymes by phytoplankton in core metabolic functions, as well as...
Open water dreissenid mussel control projects: Lessons learned from a retrospective analysis
Angelique D. Dahlberg, Diane L. Waller, David Hammond, Keegan Lund, Nicholas B. D. Phelps
2023, Scientific Reports (13)
Dreissenid mussels are one of the most problematic aquatic invasive species (AIS) in North America, causing substantial ecological and economic effects. To date, dreissenid mussel control efforts in open water have included physical, biological, and chemical methods. The feasibility of successful dreissenid mussel management or eradication in lakes is relatively...
