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At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
USGS2021

Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) sex ratio in tallgrass prairie: Effects of survey timing and management regime

The regal fritillary, Speyeria idalia (Drury), was once a common inhabitant of North American grassland communities. Regal fritillary populations are commonly reported to have a male biased adult sex ratio (ASR) throughout their range. We assessed the observed ASR of regal fritillary throughout an annual flight period, investigated how the overall density of both sexes changed, and tested effects of prescribed fire, grazing and haying management treatments on male and female density. We found that regal fritillary exhibited an observed 2:1 male biased ASR across the entire emergence period. Our analysis also revealed that male density peaked earlier than female density in the flight period. Point estimates of density indicated sites that received prescribed burning at the moderate fire-return interval supported ≥1.3 times greater density of males and ≥5.6 times greater density of females versus sites burned with short and long fire-return intervals. Additionally, this effect was enhanced when combined with grazing which showed males were ≥1.9 times and females had ≥1.2 times greater point estimates of density in sites that were grazed and burned at a moderate fire-return interval versus other sites. The relatively stable status of regal fritillary within our study region suggests that a 2:1 male to female ASR may be considered the model composition of populations throughout their range. Likewise, the dynamic nature of the ASR throughout the flight period highlights the importance of conducting surveys across the flight period. Finally, these results corroborate an increasing number of research results that reveal common prairie management practices, such as prescribed fire can be applied within sites that contain regal fritillary and continue to support stable populations.

Kansas↗
USGS2021

Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, 2010–2019

Evaporation-rate estimates at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, were based on eddy covariance and available energy measurements from March 2010 through April 2019 at Lake Mead and May 2013 through April 2019 at Lake Mohave. The continuous data needed to compute monthly evaporation were collected from floating-platform and land-based measurement stations located at each reservoir. Collected data include latent- and sensible-heat fluxes, net radiation, air temperature, wind speed, humidity, and water-temperature profiles. Data collection, analysis methods, and monthly evaporation results for Lake Mead through February 2012 were documented in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Scientific-Investigations Report, 2013–5229. Monthly evaporation and associated datasets for both reservoirs through April 2015 were published in a USGS Data Release (https://doi.org/10.5066/F79C6VG3). Average annual evaporation at Lake Mead was 1,896 millimeters (mm), which is a 10 percent difference from the 1,718 mm average annual evaporation at Lake Mohave; this was primarily due to differences in available energy. Average annual available energy at Lake Mead was 139 watts per square meter (W/m 2 ), which is an 18 percent difference from the 116 W/m 2 average annual available energy at Lake Mohave. Differences in available energy are driven by differences in advected heat between Lake Mead and Lake Mohave; advected heat at Lake Mohave is lower due to colder inflows and warmer outflows. Lake Mead monthly evaporation estimates for this study compare reasonably well to the Bureau of Reclamation’s 24-Month Study (24MS) evaporation coefficients, which are based on pioneering studies from the 1950s. Temporal trends in this study indicate that the effects of heat storage at Lake Mead were underestimated in the 24MS, particularly during the fall months when energy was released from the lake. Mean monthly evaporation rates at Lake Mead were greater than Lake Mohave from June through November during the study period. The seasonal pattern of evaporation at Lake Mohave in this study indicates that the effects of available energy were underestimated in the 24MS coefficients for this reservoir, and that evaporation was substantially overestimated from spring through summer during the study period of 2013 through 2019.

Arizona, Nevada↗
USGS2011

Flood of June 11, 2010, in the Upper Little Missouri River watershed, Arkansas

Catastrophic flash flooding occurred in the early morning hours of June 11, 2010, in the upper Little Missouri River and tributary streams in southwest Arkansas. The flooding, which resulted in 20 fatalities and substantial property damage, was caused by as much as 4.7 inches of rain falling in the upper Little Missouri River watershed in 3 hours. The 4.7 inches of rain in 3 hours corresponds to estimated annual exceedance probability of approximately 2 percent for a 3-hour duration storm. The maximum total estimated rainfall in the upper Missouri River watershed was 5.3 inches in 6 hours. Peak streamflows and other hydraulic properties were determined at five ungaged locations and one gaged location in the upper Little Missouri River watershed.The peak streamflow for the Little Missouri River at Albert Pike, Arkansas was 40,100 cubic feet per second, estimated to have occurred between 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM the morning of June 11, 2010. The peak streamflow resulted in average water depths in the nearby floodplain (Area C of the Albert Pike Campground) of 7 feet flowing at velocities potentially as great as 11 feet per second. Peak streamflow 9.1 miles downstream on the Little Missouri at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage near Langley, Arkansas was 70,800 cubic feet per second, which corresponds to an estimated annual exceedance probability of less than 1 percent.

Arkansas↗
USGS2013

Water-quality conditions, and constituent loads and yields in the Cambridge drinking-water source area, Massachusetts, water years 2005–07

The source water area for the drinking-water supply of the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, encompasses major transportation corridors, as well as large areas of light industrial, commercial, and residential land use. Because of ongoing development in the drinking-water source area, the Cambridge water supply has the potential to be affected by a wide variety of contaminants. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has monitored surface-water quality in the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Basins, which compose the drinking-water source area, since 1997 (water year 1997) through continuous monitoring and discrete sample collection and, since 2004, through systematic collection of streamwater samples during base-flow and stormflow conditions at five primary sampling stations in the drinking-water source area. Four primary sampling stations are on small tributaries in the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Basins; the fifth primary sampling station is on the main stem of Stony Brook and drains about 93 percent of the Cambridge drinking-water source area. Water samples also were collected at six secondary sampling stations, including Fresh Pond Reservoir, the final storage reservoir for the raw water supply. Storm runoff and base-flow concentrations of calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), sodium (Na), and sulfate (SO 4 ) were estimated from continuous records of streamflow and specific conductance for six monitoring stations, which include the five primary sampling stations. These data were used to characterize current water-quality conditions, estimate loads and yields, and describe trends in Cl and Na in the tributaries and main-stem streams in the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Basins. These data also were used to describe how streamwater quality is affected by various watershed characteristics and provide information to guide future watershed management. Water samples were analyzed for physical properties and concentrations of Ca, Cl, Na, and SO 4 , total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), caffeine, and a suite of 59 polar pesticides. Values of physical properties and constituent concentrations varied widely, particularly in samples from tributaries. Median concentrations of Ca, Cl, Na, and SO4 in samples collected in the Hobbs Brook Basin (39.8, 392, 207, and 21.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L), respectively) were higher than those for the Stony Brook Basin (17.8, 87.7, 49.7, and 14.7 mg/L, respectively). These differences in major ion concentrations are likely related to the low percentages of developed land and impervious area in the Stony Brook Basin. Concentrations of dissolved Cl and Na in samples, and those estimated from continuous records of specific conductance (particularly during base flow), often were greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) secondary drinking-water guideline for Cl (250 mg/L), the chronic aquatic-life guideline for Cl (230 mg/L), and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs drinking-water guideline for Na (20 mg/L). Mean annual flow-weighted concentrations of Ca, Cl, and Na were generally positively correlated with the area of roadway land use in the subbasins. Correlations between mean annual concentrations of Ca and SO 4 in base flow and total roadway, total impervious, and commercial-industrial land uses were statistically significant. Concentrations of TN (range of 0.42 to 5.13 mg/L in all subbasins) and TP (range of 0.006 to 0.80 mg/L in all subbasins) in tributary samples did not differ substantially between the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Basins. Concentrations of TN and TP in samples collected during water years 2004–07 exceeded proposed reference concentrations of 0.57 and 0.024 mg/L, in 94 and 56 percent of the samples, respectively. Correlations between annual flow-weighted concentrations of TN and percentages of recreational land use and water-body area were statistically significant; however, no significant relation was found between TP and available land-use information. The volume of streamflow affected water-quality conditions at the primary sampling stations. Turbidity and concentrations of TP were positively correlated with streamflow. In contrast, concentrations of major ions were negatively correlated with streamflow, indicating that these constituents were diluted during stormflows. Concentrations of TN were not correlated with streamflow. Twenty-five pesticides and caffeine were detected in water samples collected in the drinking-water source area and in raw water collected from the Cambridge water-treatment facility intake at the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Imidacloprid, norflurazon, and siduron were the most frequently detected pesticides with the frequency of detections ranging from about 24 to 41 percent. Caffeine was detected in about 37 percent of water samples at concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 1.82 micrograms per liter (μg/L). Although some of the detected pesticides degrade rapidly, norflurazon and siduron are relatively stable and are able to immigrate though the serial reservoir system. Concentrations of 2,4-D, carbaryl, imazaquin, MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid), metsulfuron-methyl, norflurazon, siduron, and caffeine were detected more frequently in stormflow samples than in base-flow samples. Concentrations of pesticides did not exceed USEPA drinking-water guidelines or other health standards and were several orders of magnitude less than the lethal exposure level established for several fish species common to the drinking-water source area. Imidacloprid, an insecticide, was the only pesticide with a concentration exceeding available long-term aquatic-life guidelines. Several pesticides correlated significantly with the amount of recreational, residential, and commercial area in the tributary subbasins. Mean annual base-flow concentrations of caffeine correlated significantly with parking-lot land use. For most tributaries, about 70 percent of the annual loads of Ca, Cl, Na, and SO 4 were associated with base flow. Upward temporal trends in annual loads of Cl and Na were identified on the basis of data for water years 1998 to 2008 for the outlet of the Cambridge Reservoir in the Hobbs Brook Basin; however, similar trends were not identified for the main stem of Stony Brook downstream from the reservoir. The proportions of the TN load attributed to base flow and stormflow were similar in each tributary. In contrast, more than 83 percent of the TP loads in the tributaries and about 73 percent of the TP load in main stem of Stony Brook were associated with stormflow. Mean annual yields of Ca, Cl, Na, and SO 4 in the Stony Brook Reservoir watershed, which represents most of the drinking-water source area, were 14, 85, 46, and 9 metric tons per square kilometer, respectively. Mean annual yields among the individual tributary subbasins varied extensively. Mean annual yields for the respective constituents increased with an increase in roadway and parking-lot area in the tributary subbasins. Mean annual yields of TN in the tributary subbasins ranged from about 740 to more than 1,200 kilograms per square kilometer and exceeded the yield for the main stem of Stony Brook at USGS station 01104460 upstream from the Stony Brook Reservoir. Mean annual yields estimated for the herbicides 2,4-D and imidacloprid ranged from 34 to 310 grams per square kilometer (g/km 2 ) and 3 to 170 g/km 2 , respectively. Annual loads for 2,4-D were entirely associated with stormflow. The largest annual load for imidacloprid was estimated for the main stem of Stony Brook; however, the highest annual yield for this pesticide, as well as for benomyl, carbaryl, metalaxyl, and propiconazole, was estimated for a tributary to the Stony Brook Reservoir that drains largely residential and recreational areas. Mean annual yields for the herbicide siduron ranged from 6.9 to 35 g/km 2 with most of the loads associated with stormflow. Mean annual yields for the insecticide diuron ranged from 2.1 to 4.4 g/km 2 . Annual yields of caffeine ranged from 11 to 410 g/km 2 .

Massachusetts↗
USGS2015

Potentiometric surfaces and water-level trends in the Cockfield (upper Claiborne) aquifer in southern Arkansas and the Wilcox (lower Wilcox) aquifer of northeastern and southern Arkansas, 2012

The Cockfield aquifer, located in southern Arkansas, is composed of Eocene-age sand beds found near the base of the Cockfield Formation of Claiborne Group. The Wilcox aquifer, located in northeastern and southern Arkansas, is composed of Paleocene-age sand beds found in the middle to lower part of the Wilcox Group. The Cockfield and Wilcox aquifers are primary sources of groundwater. In 2010, withdrawals from the Cockfield aquifer in Arkansas totaled 19.2 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), and withdrawals from the Wilcox aquifer totaled 36.5 Mgal/d. A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and the Arkansas Geological Survey to measure water levels associated with the Cockfield aquifer and the Wilcox aquifer in northeastern and southern Arkansas. Water levels were measured at 43 wells completed in the Cockfield aquifer and 47 wells completed in the Wilcox aquifer in February and March 2012. Measurements from 2012 are presented as potentiometric-surface maps and in combination with measurements from 2006 as water-level difference maps. Trends in water-level change over time within the Cockfield and Wilcox aquifers were determined using the water-level difference maps and selected well hydrographs. The Cockfield aquifer study area in southern Arkansas is bounded on the east by the Mississippi River and on the west by the area that contains outcrops and subcrops of the Cockfield Formation. The northern boundary of the Cockfield aquifer study area is defined by the area that contains observation wells completed in the Cockfield aquifer and the southern boundary is the Louisiana State line. The Wilcox aquifer study area in northeastern Arkansas is bounded on the east by the Mississippi River and on the north by the Missouri State line. The southern and western boundaries are defined by areas containing observation wells completed in the Wilcox aquifer or by outcrop areas on or near Crowleys Ridge. The Wilcox aquifer study area in southern Arkansas is defined by observation wells completed in the Wilcox aquifer or by areas that contain outcrops of the Wilcox Group, or both. The potentiometric-surface map of the Cockfield aquifer shows the regional direction of groundwater flow was generally toward the east-southeast, except in areas of intense groundwater withdrawals such as southwestern Ashley County, where groundwater flows toward the town of Crossett. The highest water-level altitude measured was 350 feet (ft) above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) in central Columbia County. The lowest water-level altitude measured was 40 ft above NGVD 29 in southeastern Lincoln County. The water-level difference map for the Cockfield aquifer in Arkansas was constructed using 42 water-level measurements made during 2006 and 2012. The difference in water levels for the Cockfield aquifer ranged from 27.4 ft to -10.4 ft. The largest water-level rise was in Calhoun County, and the largest water-level decline was 10.4 ft in Union County. Of the 42 wells, 13 wells had a rise in water level, and the remaining 29 wells had a decline in water level. Hydrographs for 32 wells in the Cockfield aquifer with historical water-level data were evaluated using linear regression to calculate the annual rise or decline for each well. These data were aggregated by county and statistically evaluated for the range, mean, and median of water-level change in each county. Hydrographs for Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Columbia, and Union Counties indicated both rising and declining water levels. The mean annual water-level rise or decline for Calhoun County was 0.00 foot per year (ft/yr) or unchanged. The mean annual water-level for Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Columbia, Lincoln, and Union Counties show declines ranging from -0.02 to -1.10 ft/yr. Two potentiometric-surface maps, one for the southern area and one for the northeastern area, were constructed to show the altitude of the water surface in the Wilcox aquifer. The direction of groundwater flow in the northeastern area was generally towards the south-southwest except for some areas immediately adjacent to the Mississippi River where the flow was more eastward towards the river. The highest water-level altitude was 219 ft in northern Mississippi County, and the lowest water-level altitude was 123 ft near West Memphis in Crittenden County. The direction of groundwater flow in the northern part of the southern area was generally towards the southwest. The direction of groundwater flow in the southern part was in all directions because of two cones of depression and two water-level mounds. The highest water-level altitude measured was 394 ft at the center of a water-level mound in eastern Hot Spring County and a water-level mound in southwestern Hempstead County. The lowest water-level altitude measured was 145 ft at the center of the cone of depression in Clark County. Water-level difference maps for the Wilcox aquifer in Arkansas were constructed using 47 water-level measurements made during 2006 and 2012. The difference in water levels for the Wilcox aquifer in the northeastern area ranged from 22.0 ft to -17.9 ft. The largest rise in water level occurred in Crittenden County, and the largest decline occurred in Lee County. Twenty-one wells had rising water levels, and 10 wells had declining water levels. The difference in water levels for the Wilcox aquifer in the southern area ranged from 18.1 ft to -4.2 ft. The largest rise and the largest decline in water level occurred in Nevada County. Twelve wells had rising water levels, and 4 wells had declining water levels. Linear regression analysis of long-term hydrographs was used to determine the mean annual water-level rise and decline in the Wilcox aquifer in the northeastern and southern areas of Arkansas. In the northeastern area, the mean annual water level declined in all seven counties. The mean annual declines ranged from -0.55 ft/yr in Craighead County to -1.46 ft/yr in St. Francis County. In the southern area, the annual rise and decline calculations for wells with over 20 years of records indicate rising and declining water levels in Clark, Hot Spring, and Nevada Counties. The mean annual water level declined in all counties except Hot Spring County.

Arkansas↗
USGS2017

Analysis of trends of water quality and streamflow in the Blackstone, Branch, Pawtuxet, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, 1979 to 2015

Trends in long-term water-quality and streamflow data from six water-quality-monitoring stations within three major river basins in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that flow into Narragansett Bay and Little Narragansett Bay were evaluated for water years 1979–2015. In this study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Water Resources Board, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, water-quality and streamflow data were evaluated with a Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season smoothing method, which removes the effects of year-to-year variation in water-quality conditions due to variations in streamflow (discharge). Trends in annual mean, annual median, annual maximum, and annual 7-day minimum flows at four continuous streamgages were evaluated by using a time-series smoothing method for water years 1979–2015. Water quality at all monitoring stations changed over the study period. Decreasing trends in flow-normalized nutrient concentrations and loads were observed during the period at most monitoring stations for total nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate, and total phosphorus. Average flow-normalized loads for water years 1979–2015 decreased in the Blackstone River by up to 46 percent in total nitrogen, 17 percent in nitrite plus nitrate, and 69 percent in total phosphorus. The other rivers also had decreasing flow-normalized trends in nutrient concentrations and loads, except for the Pawtuxet River, which had an increasing trend in nitrite plus nitrate. Increasing trends in flow-normalized chloride concentrations and loads were observed during the study period at all of the rivers, with increases of more than 200 percent in the Blackstone River. Small increasing trends in annual mean daily streamflow were observed in 3 of the 4 rivers, with increases of 1.2 to 11 percent; however, the trends were not significant. All 4 rivers had decreases in streamflow for the annual 7-day minimums, but only 3 of the 4 rivers had decreases that were significant (34 to 54 percent). The Branch River had decreasing annual mean daily streamflow (7.5 percent) and the largest decrease in the annual 7-day minimum streamflow. The Blackstone and Pawtuxet Rivers had the largest increases in annual maximum daily flows but had decreases in the annual 7-day minimum flows.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island↗
USGS2003

Occurrence and transport of cadmium, lead, and zinc in the Spokane River basin, Idaho and Washington, water years 1999-2001

A water-quality investigation of the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille and Spokane River Basins began in 1997 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program. As part of the investigation, selected streams in the Spokane River Basin were sampled for trace metals during water years 1999–2001. These data, combined with data collected as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study, were used to assess the occurrence, loads, and transport of cadmium, lead, and zinc at 21 streamflow-gaging stations in the Spokane River Basin. Concentrations of dissolved and total cadmium, lead, and zinc varied widely both at and among stations. At most stations, dissolved cadmium and zinc composed most of the total concentrations; dissolved lead generally composed less than 10 percent of the total lead concentration. From the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Mullan downstream to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Pinehurst, concentrations of trace metals increased 2 to 4 orders of magnitude. The mean flow-weighted concentrations of total cadmium, lead, and zinc near Pinehurst for water years 1999–2001 were 5.7, 80, and 810 micrograms per liter ( µg/L), respectively. On the Coeur d’Alene River near Harrison, downstream from the confluence of the metal-enriched South Fork and the relatively dilute North Fork Coeur d’Alene River, the mean flow-weighted concentrations of total cadmium, lead, and zinc were 1.6, 88, and 240 µg/L, respectively. Trace-metal concentrations were smaller in the Spokane River than in the Coeur d’Alene River because of dilution and retention in Coeur d’Alene Lake. The mean flowweighted concentrations of total cadmium, lead, and zinc in the Spokane River near Post Falls were 0.32, 3.1, and 71 µg/L, respectively. Regression models relating the mass transport, or load, of trace metals to changes in stream discharge and time were successful in simulating the variability in trace-metal concentrations and loads. The median coefficient of determination for the load models for the 21 stations was largest for total lead (92 percent) and smallest for dissolved and total cadmium (82 percent). Whereas most of the cadmium and zinc loads in the Spokane River Basin were derived from the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River, most of the lead load was derived from the Coeur d’Alene River downstream from the confluence of the North and South Forks. Major tributary sources of trace metals to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River were Canyon Creek, Ninemile Creek, and Government Gulch. These three tributaries contributed about 3,000 pounds of cadmium, 23,000 pounds of lead, and 310,000 pounds of zinc annually to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River. Erosion and transport of sediment-bound lead in the Coeur d’Alene River was the primary source of total lead, accounting for almost 400,000 pounds annually during water years 1999–2000. Ground-water discharge in the area of the Bunker Hill Superfund site was a major source of zinc in the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River, contributing more than 250,000 pounds per year. During water years 1999–2000, the average annual loads of cadmium, lead, and zinc transported from the Coeur d’Alene, St. Joe, and St. Maries Rivers to Coeur d’Alene Lake were 8,900, 500,000, and 1.4 million pounds, respectively. The Coeur d’Alene River accounted for more than 99 percent of the total load of each of these three metals entering the lake. About 4,600 pounds of cadmium, 44,000 pounds of lead, and 980,000 pounds of zinc were transported from Coeur d’Alene Lake into the Spokane River. Between the Spokane River near Post Falls, Idaho, and the Spokane River at Long Lake, Washington, there was an annual net loss of about 2,600, 20,000, and 250,000 pounds of cadmium, lead, and zinc, respectively. About 2,000 pounds of cadmium, 24,000 pounds of lead, and 730,000 pounds of zinc were transported annually downstream from Long Lake toward the Columbia River.

Idaho;Washington↗
USGS2002

Estimating mean annual streamflow of rural streams in Kentucky

Mean annual streamflow ( Q a ), defined as the mean of the series of annual mean streamflow values, was determined for selected rural stream sites in Kentucky. Streamflow data for the available period of record through the 1999 water year (October 1, 1998-September 30, 1999) at 235 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations with at least 5 years of record located in and adjacent to Kentucky were used in the analysis. Record-extension procedures were applied for selected gaging stations to reduce time-sampling error and, thus, improve estimates of the long-term Q a . Techniques to estimate the Q a at ungaged stream sites in Kentucky were developed. One-, two-, and three-variable regression equations that included total drainage area, station latitude minus 36 degrees, and mean basin elevation as explanatory variables were developed by use of ordinary- and generalized-least-squares regression. The three-variable regression equation has an approximate average standard error of prediction of 13.7 percent. The one- and two-variable equations exhibit geographical biases, and the indicated standard errors of prediction may poorly estimate the true prediction errors, depending upon the location in the State. Therefore, the three-variable equation should be used for estimating mean annual streamflow of rural streams in Kentucky whenever possible.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2020

Appendix C: Interim report on subtask focused on resampling historic Kennedy/ITD plots for RP-284

In October 2019, an Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Cooperative Transportation Research Program award was made to Boise State University in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate the use of weed-suppressive bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain ACK55) with preemergent herbicides (imazapic and indaziflam) to reduce exotic annual grasses (cheatgrass, medusahead) on ITD right-of-ways. The work includes a subtask in which ITD right-of-ways treated with ACK55 by Dr. Ann Kennedy 4-5 years previously (2017 report; ITD-RP-258) were resampled in summer 2020, focusing only on ACK55 and not the herbicides (which are tested separately and will be reported on in the future). The 2020 sampling protocol was similar but more intensive than the ITD-RP-258. There were no differences in annual grasses on areas sprayed with ACK55 and nearby untreated areas.

Idaho↗
USGS1998

Streamflow characteristics for the Black Hills of South Dakota, through water year 1993

This report summarizes streamflow records and describes streamflow characteristics for streams draining the Black Hills of western South Dakota. Monthly and annual streamflow records are tabulated for all available years of record, through water year 1993, for 129 continuous-record gaging stations, including 111 stations for which records of daily flow are available and 18 stations for which only monthly records are available. Various summary statistics and graphics are presented for stations with sufficient periods of record. In addition to streamflow summaries, records of monthend contents are presented for five reservoirs operated by the Bureau of Reclamation in the Black Hills area. Streamflow characteristics are described for four categories of hydrogeologic settings, including interior sedimentary basins, interior crystalline basins, interior basins downstream of loss zones (loss-zone basins), and exterior basins. All of the interior basins are located predominantly within the outermost extent of the outcrop of the Inyan Kara Group and the exterior basins are located predominantly beyond this outcrop. Distinct differences in variability of annual and monthly streamflow are described for the four categories of hydrogeologic settings. The interior sedimentary basins, which are dominated by springflow from headwater areas, have the smallest variability in both annual and monthly flow, as a group. The exterior basins, as a group, have the largest variability in both annual and monthly flow. Streamflow variability for the interior crystalline basins, which are composed primarily of Precambrian and Tertiary igneous and metamorphic rocks, generally falls midway between the interior sedimentary and exterior basins. Loss-zone stations, which are located downstream of loss zones that occur where streams cross outcrops of the Madison Limestone and other overlying sedimentary units, exhibit the widest range in streamflow variability of any of the categories. Most of the loss-zone basins have springs located upstream of the gaging stations, but downstream of the loss zones. Flow at several of the loss-zone stations is dominated by large and consistent springflow; however, flow at other loss-zone stations is dominated by streamflow losses or by tributary inflows between the loss zones and the gaging stations, which results in extremely variable streamflow characteristics. It is demonstrated that springflow in Battle, Spring, Elk, and Bear Butte Creeks is much more variable than in Cascade Springs, Fall River, Beaver Creek, and Redwater River. Interior crystalline basins and exterior basins are shown to be much more responsive to climatic conditions than the springflow-dominated basins. Zero-flow months have been recorded for all of the exterior basins and most of the interior crystalline basins; however, zero-flow months have not been recorded for any of the interior sedimentary basins. Zero-flow months have not been recorded for the loss-zone stations with large, consistent springflow; however, zero-flow months are common for loss-zone stations with smaller, less consistent springs. Direct surface runoff is demonstrated to be uncommon for outcrops of the Madison Limestone and Minnelusa Formation. Examination of streamflow records for two basins with large outcrops of these formations indicates that direct surface runoff seldom occurs. Annual streamflow is shown to increase from south to north, which is consistent with climatic patterns for the area. Annual yield generally is larger for all of the interior categories than for the exterior basins; however, this is consistent with larger precipitation and smaller evapotranspiration rates at higher elevations. Annual yields generally are largest for the interior sedimentary basins; however, all of these basins are located in the northern Black Hills. Interior crystalline basins located in the northern Black Hills have annual yields that are comparable with interior sedimentary basins.

South Dakota↗
USGS2004

Determination of channel-morphology characteristics, bankfull discharge, and various design-peak discharges in western Montana

Stream-restoration projects using natural stream designs typically are based on channel configurations that can accommodate a wide range of streamflow and sediment-transport conditions without excessive erosion or deposition. Bankfull discharge is an index of streamflow considered to be closely related to channel shape, size, and slope (channel morphology). Because of the need for more information about the relation between channel morphology and bankfull discharge, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Montana Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Lolo National Forest, conducted a study to collect channel-morphology and bankfull-discharge data at gaged sites and use these data to improve current (2004) methods of estimation of bankfull discharge and various design-peak discharges at ungaged sites. This report presents channel-morphology characteristics, bankfull discharge, and various design-peak discharges for 41 sites in western Montana. Channel shape, size, and slope and bankfull discharge were determined at 41 active or discontinued USGS streamflow-gaging sites in western Montana. The recurrence interval for the bankfull discharge for this study ranged from 1.0 to 4.4 years with a median value of 1.5 years. The relations between channel-morphology characteristics and various design-peak discharges were examined using regression analysis. The analyses showed that the only characteristics that were significant for all peak discharges were either bankfull width or bankfull cross-sectional area. Bankfull discharge at ungaged sites in most of the study area can be estimated by application of a multiplier after determining the 2-year peak discharge at the ungaged site. The multiplier, which is the ratio of bankfull discharge to the 2-year peak discharge determined at the 41 sites, ranged from 0.21 to 3.7 with a median value of 0.84. Regression relations between bankfull discharge and drainage area and between bankfull width and drainage area were examined for three ranges of mean annual precipitation. The results of the regression analyses indicated that both drainage area and mean annual precipitation were significantly related (p values less than 0.05) to bankfull discharge.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1992

Seasonal patterns of weight, hematology, and serum characteristics of free-ranging female white-tailed deer in Minnesota

Weights, hematology, and serum profIles of white-tailed does in the central Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota were examined year-around to determine seasonal patterns of nutritional condition and metabolism. Deer were initially captured by Clover trap or rocket net. Between 15 February 1989 and 23 January 1990, we recaptured 12 adult (> 1.5 years) female deer 1-9 times each (a total of 59 recaptures) using a radio-controlled capture collar. Monthly weights of deer exhibited a cyclic seasonal pattern. Mean weight declined 22 % from February to an annual minimum during May, then steadily increased 45 % to a maximum in October. Seasonal patterns were most evident for hemoglobin concentration, red blood cells, packed cell volume, serum total protein, urea nitrogen, creatinine, the urea N to creatinine ratio, triiodothyronine, cortisol, and potassium. Wide seasonal variations of these characteristics were indicative of shifts in the deer's metabolic physiology. Although seasonal metabolic shifts are partially attributable to an endogenous rhythm, the intensity of, their expression was most likely affected by nutritional changes and concomitant alterations of body condition. Annual changes in seasonal trends of blood characteristics may be useful in investigating nutritional effects of specific environmental and demographic factors. We compare our findings with those reported for deer on ranges farther south.

Minnesota↗
USGS2010

Analysis of the Shallow Groundwater Flow System at Fire Island National Seashore, Suffolk County, New York

Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) occupies 42 kilometers of the barrier island for which it is named that lies off the southern shore of Suffolk County, N.Y. Freshwater in the highly permeable, sandy aquifer underlying Fire Island is bounded laterally by marine surface waters and at depth by saline groundwater. Interspersed throughout FIIS are 17 pre-existing residential communities that in summer months greatly increase in population through the arrival of summer residents and vacationers; in addition, the National Park Service (NPS) has established several facilities on the island to accommodate visitors to FIIS. The 2.2 million people estimated by the NPS to visit Fire Island annually impact groundwater quality through the release of waste-derived contaminants, such as nutrients, pathogens, and organic compounds, into the environment. Waste-contaminated groundwater can move through the aquifer and threaten the ecological health of the adjacent back-barrier estuaries to which much of the groundwater ultimately discharges. In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the NPS, began a 3-year investigation to (1) collect groundwater levels and water-quality (nutrient) samples, (2) develop a three-dimensional model of the shallow (water-table) aquifer system and adjacent marine surface waters, and (3) calculate nitrogen loads in simulated groundwater discharges from the aquifer to back-barrier estuaries and the ocean. The hydrogeology of the shallow aquifer system was characterized from the results of exploratory drilling, geophysical surveying, water-level monitoring, and water-quality sampling. The investigation focused on four areas-the communities of Kismet and Robbins Rest, the NPS Visitor Center at Watch Hill, and the undeveloped Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness. Thirty-five observation wells were installed within FIIS to characterize subsurface hydrogeology and establish a water-table monitoring network in the four study areas. A variable-density model of the shallow aquifer system and adjacent marine surface waters was developed to simulate groundwater flow patterns and rates. Nitrogen loads from the shallow aquifer system were calculated from representative total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and simulated groundwater discharges to back-barrier estuaries and the ocean. The model simulates groundwater directions, velocities, and discharge rates under 2005 mean annual conditions. Groundwater budgets were developed for recharge areas of similar land use that contribute freshwater to back-barrier estuaries, the ocean, and subsea-discharge zones. Total freshwater discharge from the shallow aquifer system is about 43,500 cubic meters per day (m3/d) (79.8 percent) to back-barrier estuaries and about 10,200 m3/d (18.7 percent) to the ocean; about 836 m3/d (1.5 percent) may exit the system as subsea underflow. The total contribution of fresh groundwater to shoreline discharge zones amounts to about 53,700 m3/d (98.5 percent). The median age of freshwater discharged to back-barrier estuaries and the ocean was 3.4 years, and the 95th-percentile age was 20 years. The TN concentrations and loads under 2005 mean annual conditions for areas that contribute fresh groundwater to back-barrier estuaries and the ocean were calculated for the principal land uses on Fire Island. The overall TN load from the shallow aquifer system to shoreline discharge zones is about 16,200 kilograms per year (kg/yr) (82.2 percent) to back-barrier estuaries and about 3,500 kg/yr (17.8 percent) to the ocean. The overall TN load to marine surface waters amounts to about 19,700 kg/yr-roughly 6 percent of the annual TN load from shallow groundwater entering the South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) from the Suffolk County mainland, which is about 345,000 kg/yr. In contrast to the TN load from shallow groundwater for the SSER watershed, which annually yields about 353 kilograms per square kilometer (kg/km2), the overall TN loa

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2012

Analysis of annual dissolved-solids loading from selected natural and irrigated catchments in the Upper Colorado River Basin, 1974-2003

Dissolved-solids loading from 17 natural catchments and 14 irrigated catchments in the Upper Colorado River Basin was examined for the period from 1974 through 2003. In general, dissolved-solids loading increased and decreased concurrently in natural and irrigated catchments but at different magnitudes. Annually, the magnitude of loading in natural catchments changed about 10 percent more, on average, than in irrigated catchments. Measures of variability, or spread, indicate that natural catchments had 35 percent greater annual variability in loading than irrigated catchments. Precipitation and dissolved-solids loads were positively correlated in natural catchments, and a weak positive correlation was determined for irrigated catchments. A weak negative correlation between temperature and dissolved-solids load was determined for both natural and irrigated catchments. In irrigated catchments, the dissolved-solids load response to an above-average precipitation period from 1982 through 1987 generally lagged behind that in the natural catchments. On average, irrigated catchments with reservoir storage had the largest normalized maximum annual loads during the wet period.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS2013

Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002

Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effects study on the main stem of the Yellowstone River. The cumulative-effects study is intended to provide a basis for future management decisions in the watershed. Streamflow statistics, such as flow-frequency and flow-duration data calculated for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions, are a necessary component of the cumulative effects study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calculated streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers for the 1928–2002 study period. Unregulated streamflow represents flow conditions that might have occurred during the 1928–2002 study period if there had been no water-resources development in the Yellowstone River Basin. Regulated streamflow represents estimates of flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if the level of water-resources development existing in 2002 was in place during the entire study period. Peak-flow frequency estimates for regulated and unregulated streamflow were developed using methods described in Bulletin 17B. High-flow frequency and low-flow frequency data were developed for regulated and unregulated streamflows from the annual series of highest and lowest (respectively) mean flows for specified n-day consecutive periods within the calendar year. Flow-duration data, and monthly and annual streamflow characteristics, also were calculated for the unregulated and regulated streamflows.

Montana;North Dakota;Wyoming↗
USGS2024

Special topic—Boreholes

Introduction Installation of instrument packages in deep (several hundred to several thousand meters) boreholes near volcanoes is relatively expensive (a few million to tens of millions of U.S. dollars), but can provide a low-noise, high-quality source of geophysical (seismic, strain, tilt, and pore pressure), physical (temperature and water level), and geochemical data. Observations from instruments at depth have the potential to provide insights into processes associated with magma intrusion, unrest, and eruption that would not otherwise be possible (Lowenstern and others, 2017; Eichelberger, 2020). Examples of instrumented boreholes in volcanic areas include the 3-kilometer (km)-deep Long Valley Exploratory Well (LVEW) in California (for example, Priest and others, 1998; Prejean and Ellsworth, 2001; Fischer and others, 2003; Roeloffs and others, 2003; Sorey and others, 2003), the 1,262 meter-deep NSF Well (commonly referred to as the “Keller Well”) within the summit caldera of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi (Keller and others, 1979; Myren and others, 2006), and the Caribbean Andesite Lava Island-volcano Precision Seismo-geodetic Observatory (CALIPSO) project at Soufrière Hills, Montserrat, which includes a series of four 200-meter (m)-deep holes (for example, Mattioli and others, 2004; Voight and others, 2006). The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) of the National Science Foundation’s Earthscope project placed seismometers, tiltmeters, strainmeters, and pore-pressure sensors at depths of 100 to 250 m in more than 100 boreholes scattered in western North America, including at Mount St. Helens, Washington, and Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming. The total cost for an instrumented PBO borehole ranged from $250,000 to $270,000 U.S. dollars (USD) and a few thousand USD are required annually for maintenance (David Mencin, UNAVCO, written commun., October 2020).

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1996

Changes in high-flow frequency and channel geometry of the Neosho River downstream from John Redmond Dam, southeastern Kansas

The streamflow regimen of the Neosho River downstream from John Redmond Dam in southeastern Kansas has changed significantly since the dam's completion in 1964. The controlled releases from the dam have decreased the magnitudes of peak discharges and increased the magnitudes of low discharges. The trends in river stage for selected discharges also have changed at two of the streamflow-gaging stations--those closest to the dam. There is a significant downward trend in the stages associated with the median annual peak discharges, but no significant trend in the stages associated with the annual mean discharges, which indicates that the river channel is increasing in width but not depth or that the hflow velocity has increased at the streamflow-gaging stations. Because there were not significant trends present in precipitation, mean annual discharge, or annual peak discharge, the changes are attributed to John Redmond Dam.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗