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At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
USGS2013

Estimating abundance of adult striped bass in reservoirs using mobile hydroacoustics

Hydroacoustic surveys have proven valuable for estimating reservoir forage fish abundance but are more challenging for adult predators such as striped bass Morone saxatilis. Difficulties in assessing striped bass in reservoirs include their low density and the inability to distinguish species with hydroacoustic data alone. Despite these difficulties, mobile hydroacoustic surveys have potential to provide useful data for management because of the large sample volume compared to traditional methods such as gill netting and the ability to target specific areas where striped bass are aggregated. Hydroacoustic estimates of reservoir striped bass have been made using mobile surveys, with data analysis using a threshold for target strength in order to focus on striped bass-sized targets, and auxiliary sampling with nets to obtain species composition. We provide recommendations regarding survey design, based in part on simulations that provide insight on the level of effort that would be required to achieve reasonable estimates of abundance. Future surveys may be able to incorporate telemetry or other sonar techniques such as side-scan or multibeam in order to focus survey efforts on productive habitats (within lake and vertically). However, species apportionment will likely remain the main source of error, and we see no hydroacoustic system on the horizon that will identify fish by species at the spatial and temporal scale required for most reservoir surveys. In situations where species composition can be reliably assessed using traditional gears, abundance estimates from hydroacoustic methods should be useful to fishery managers interested in developing harvest regulations, assessing survival of stocked juveniles, identifying seasonal aggregations, and examining predator–prey balance.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS2020

Calcite precipitation in Lake Powell reduces alkalinity and total salt loading to the Lower Colorado River Basin

Reservoirs can retain and transform carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica, but less is known about their effects on other biogeochemically relevant solutes. The salinization of freshwater ecosystems is a growing concern in many regions, and the role of reservoirs in salinity transport is an important research frontier. Here, we examine how a large desert southwest reservoir, Lake Powell, has altered the downstream transport of total dissolved solids (TDSs) as well as the dominant cations and anions comprising the TDS pool ( , , and Ca 2+ ). Average downstream TDS concentrations have declined significantly since river impoundment and seasonal fluctuations in TDS concentrations have become more modulated, but year to year variation in TDS concentrations has remained similar. While some of the reductions in TDS concentration can be attributed to watershed management, we find that Lake Powell retains about 10% of the TDS loaded to the system (1991 Mg TDS d −1 ). Much of this retention is occurring in the forms of calcium and bicarbonate, likely via calcite precipitation, and is equivalent to an average burial of 522 mg C m −2 d −1 , thus reducing the alkalinity of downstream water. Flow‐weighted modeling suggests that, in the absence of Lake Powell, downstream salinity limits would be surpassed at the outflow to Lake Powell 41% of the time (vs. 0% of the time currently). Understanding the dominant mechanisms regulating solute transport through the reservoir is important given the relevance for downstream drinking water and irrigation concerns, biogeochemical cycling, and the high potential for reduced flows in the future.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS2022

Parks look for ways to alleviate Glen Canyon Dam’s dramatic downstream impacts

Introduction Regardless of the location, time of day, or season, the grandeur of Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area inspires awe. Visitors can reflect on the sunlit colors of the towering canyon walls or witness the vibrant, golden display of Fremont cottonwood leaves each fall. For millions of years, the Colorado River has sculpted canyon country; for thousands of years, it has been a lifeline for humans, wildlife, and plants. But despite its wild appearance, the river does not flow freely; it is regulated by the upstream Glen Canyon Dam, which profoundly affects the surrounding natural environment and visitor experiences. The National Park Service and its partners in the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program are working on a 20-year experimental project to restore some of the natural systems that were damaged or lost because of the dam. The program is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation. The project covers 296 miles of the Colorado River, from Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell Reservoir through the Grand Canyon to Pearce Ferry at Lake Mead Reservoir. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey lead the program’s experiments, some of which have already proved fruitful. A Changed Ecosystem Since its completion in 1963, the dam has changed downstream habitats along the river, adversely affecting some of them. Before the dam was built, sparsely vegetated sandbars along the Colorado River were more prevalent. River rafters and other backcountry adventurers valued these sandy beaches as campsites and break spots. Dam operations changed the river flow regime, decreasing the size and duration of large floods while also increasing the level of low flows. This caused native clonal plant species like arrowweed and non-native species such as tamarisk to encroach on sandbars, decreasing the size of campsite areas and degrading their condition. Previously commonplace, cottonwood and willow gallery forests that are ideal for bird habitat are now essentially nonexistent. This is because the regulated flows don’t allow for marsh back channels, which relied on periodic large floods. The dam has also affected archeological sites. Many of these sites are in pre-dam river sediment deposits, which provide a protective barrier against erosion. The dammed river now carries up to 95 percent less sediment, which means there is less sand available to cover the fragile sites. Sites are commonly in sand dunes along the river corridor, where wind re-supplies the dunes with sand blown from adjacent sandbars. Encroaching vegetation on the sandbars limits movement of what little sand is now available to cover and protect these sites. In 2018, the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and some of their partners began experimental vegetation treatments along the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. This was in accordance with the 2016 Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan. Their purpose was to determine effective ways to mitigate the dam’s adverse impacts. The treatments have had some notable successes in improving the condition of campsites, archeological sites, and the riparian plant ecosystem.

Arizona↗
USGS2011

Source and delivery of nutrients to receiving waters in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States

This study investigates nutrient sources and transport to receiving waters, in order to provide spatially detailed information to aid water-resources managers concerned with eutrophication and nutrient management strategies. SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) nutrient models were developed for the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic (NE US) regions of the United States to represent source conditions for the year 2002. The model developed to examine the source and delivery of nitrogen to the estuaries of nine large rivers along the NE US Seaboard indicated that agricultural sources contribute the largest percentage (37%) of the total nitrogen load delivered to the estuaries. Point sources account for 28% while atmospheric deposition accounts for 20%. A second SPARROW model was used to examine the sources and delivery of phosphorus to lakes and reservoirs throughout the NE US. The greatest attenuation of phosphorus occurred in lakes that were large relative to the size of their watershed. Model results show that, within the NE US, aquatic decay of nutrients is quite limited on an annual basis and that we especially cannot rely on natural attenuation to remove nutrients within the larger rivers nor within lakes with large watersheds relative to the size of the lake.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗
USGS2021

Hydrologic conditions in Kansas, water year 2020

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, maintains a long-term network of hydrologic monitoring stations in Kansas. This network included 219 real-time streamgages, 12 real-time reservoir-level monitoring stations, and 20 groundwater monitoring stations in water year (WY) 2020. A WY is a 12-month period from October 1 to September 30 and is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Real-time data are verified by U.S. Geological Survey personnel throughout the year with regular measurements of streamflow, lake levels, and groundwater levels. Hydrologic data collected in real time aid in the understanding of, and decisions made involving, water resources of Kansas. Hydrologic conditions are assessed annually by comparing statistical analyses of current and past WY data for the period of record. The monitoring of hydrologic conditions in Kansas can provide critical information to meet several needs including water-resources management, protection of life and property, reservoir operations, agricultural practices, public supply, ecological assessments, and industrial and recreational purposes.

Kansas↗
USGS2017

Satellite monitoring of cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom frequency in recreational waters and drinking water sources

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHAB) cause extensive problems in lakes worldwide, including human and ecological health risks, anoxia and fish kills, and taste and odor problems. CyanoHABs are a particular concern in both recreational waters and drinking water sources because of their dense biomass and the risk of exposure to toxins. Successful cyanoHAB assessment using satellites may provide an indicator for human and ecological health protection. In this study, methods were developed to assess the utility of satellite technology for detecting cyanoHAB frequency of occurrence at locations of potential management interest. The European Space Agency's MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) was evaluated to prepare for the equivalent series of Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Imagers (OLCI) launched in 2016 as part of the Copernicus program. Based on the 2012 National Lakes Assessment site evaluation guidelines and National Hydrography Dataset, the continental United States contains 275,897 lakes and reservoirs >1 ha in area. Results from this study show that 5.6% of waterbodies were resolvable by satellites with 300 m single-pixel resolution and 0.7% of waterbodies were resolvable when a three by three pixel (3 × 3-pixel) array was applied based on minimum Euclidian distance from shore. Satellite data were spatially joined to U.S. public water surface intake (PWSI) locations, where single-pixel resolution resolved 57% of the PWSI locations and a 3 × 3-pixel array resolved 33% of the PWSI locations. Recreational and drinking water sources in Florida and Ohio were ranked from 2008 through 2011 by cyanoHAB frequency above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) high threshold for risk of 100,000 cells mL −1 . The ranking identified waterbodies with values above the WHO high threshold, where Lake Apopka, FL (99.1%) and Grand Lake St. Marys, OH (83%) had the highest observed bloom frequencies per region. The method presented here may indicate locations with high exposure to cyanoHABs and therefore can be used to assist in prioritizing management resources and actions for recreational and drinking water sources.

Florida, Ohio↗
USGS2015

Control of nitrogen and phosphorus transport by reservoirs in agricultural landscapes

Reservoirs often receive excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) lost from agricultural land, and may subsequently influence N and P delivery to inland and coastal waters through internal processes such as nutrient burial, denitrification, and nutrient turnover. Currently there is a need to better understand how reservoirs affect nutrient transport in agricultural landscapes, where few prior studies have provided joint views on the variation in net retention/loss among reservoirs, the role of reservoirs apart from natural lakes, and differences in effects on N versus P, especially over time frames >1 year. To address these needs, we compiled water quality data from many rivers in intermediate-to-large drainages of the Midwestern US, including tributaries to the Upper Mississippi River, Great Lakes, and Ohio River Basins, where cropland often covers >50 % of the contributing area. Incorporating 18 years of data (1990–2007), effects of reservoirs on river nutrient transport were examined using comparisons between reservoir out- flow sites and unimpeded river sites (N = 869, including 100 reservoir outflow sites) supported by mass balance analysis of individual reservoirs (n = 17). Reservoir outflows sites commonly had 20 % lower annual yields (mass per catchment area per year) of total N and total P (TP) than unimpeded rivers after accounting for cropland coverage. Reservoir outflow sites also had lower interannual variability in TP yields. The mass balance approach confirmed net N losses in reservoirs, suggesting denitrification of agricultural N, or N burial in sediments. Net retention of P ranged more widely, and multiple systems showed net P export, providing new evidence that legacy P within reservoir systems may mobilize over the long-term. Our results indicate that reservoirs broadly influence the downstream transport of N and P through agricultural river networks, including networks where natural lakes and wetlands are relatively scarce. This calls for a more complete understanding of agricultural reservoirs as open, connected features of river networks where biogeochemical processes are often influential to downstream water quality, but potentially sensitive to changes associated with sedimentation, eutrophication, infrastructure aging, and reservoir management.

Biogeochemistry↗
USGS2022

Final report: Understanding historical and predicting future lake temperatures in North and South Dakota

Lakes, reservoirs, and ponds are central and integral features of the landscape of the North Central US. These water bodies provide aesthetic, cultural, and ecosystem services to surrounding wildlife and human communities. Lakes are warming, resulting in the loss of many native fish. In order to manage economically valuable fisheries and other ecosystem services provided by lakes, it is important for managers to have access to accurate estimates of water temperature to better understand past change and to plan for potential future further warming. These data are invaluable for making decisions such as whether to continue stocking plans as usual in certain lakes or how to set specific harvest limits. This project developed new state-of-the-art methods to model historical thermal habitat for thousands of lakes in the Midwest US.

North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS2024

Water-quality constituent concentrations and loads computed using real-time water-quality data for the Republican River, Clay Center, Kansas, August 2018 through July 2023

Milford Lake, the largest reservoir by surface area in Kansas, has had confirmed harmful algal blooms every summer since reporting began in 2011, except 2018–19. Milford Lake has been listed as impaired and designated hypereutrophic under section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act. In 2014, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment established a total maximum daily load for eutrophication and dissolved oxygen impairments. In 2018, the Natural Resources Conservation Service funded the Regional Conservation Partnership Program for the Milford Lake Watershed to focus on best management practices in the Lower Republican River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, completed this study to assess and quantify water-quality constituent concentrations and loads for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and suspended sediment (SS) using previously published models for the Republican River near Clay Center, Kansas (U.S. Geological Survey station 06856600), about 15 miles upstream from Milford Lake, during August 1, 2018, through July 31, 2023. TN, TP, and SS concentrations and loads were monitored because of their relation to water supply and water-quality issues in Milford Lake, including nutrient and sediment transport, taste-and-odor events, potentially toxic cyano-harmful algal bloom events, and subsequent downstream transport of contaminants. Data from this report can be used to evaluate changing conditions, provide science-based information for decision making, and help meet regulatory requirements. The study mean annual loads for TN and TP were greater than the reported mean annual total maximum daily load and exceeded the watershed reduction goals as well as Kansas nonpoint source reduction goals defined by the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy for the Lower Republican watershed. TN and TP annual loads during 2019–20 were greater than the defined mean annual total maximum daily load. During 2022, TN and TP annual loads were less than the Kansas nonpoint source reduction goal and during 2023 were less than the watershed reduction goal. SS loads were less than the mean annual sedimentation rate computed from the total maximum daily load for the entirety of the study period, and the study mean annual load was 72 percent less than the designed annual reservoir sedimentation rate for Milford Lake. Data collected during the study period represented a wide range of streamflow and water-quality conditions at the Clay Center site, ranging from low-flow with less frequent runoff during 2023 to high-flow with frequent runoff during 2018. Nutrient reduction goals were only met in the final 2 years of the study period when annual mean flow conditions were lower than normal, indicating that goals may be unattainable during average or high-flow conditions. In all years except 2019, the annual mean SS load was less than the 20-year sediment load reduction target. Although annual SS loads at the Clay Center site generally decreased over time, corresponding reductions in annual streamflow indicated that these reductions may primarily be related to less frequent runoff from the upstream basin. Continued water-quality monitoring and tracking of best management practices are necessary to understand the success of Regional Conservation Partnership Program efforts to reduce nutrient transport in the Milford Lake Watershed.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Hydrologic effects of proposed changes in management practices, Winnebago Pool, Wisconsin

Various changes in the management practices for the Winnebago pool have been proposed. The objectives of the proposed changes are protecting wetlands adjacent to the lakes in the pool and assuring adequate flow in the Fox River downstream from Lake Winnebago. Three proposed operation plans for the Winnebago pool were studied to determine the effects on lake stage and discharge. A digital reservoir model simulated daily lake stage and discharge from the Winnebago pool. Inflow for this simulation was computed from daily discharge, recorded at Rapide Croche Dam, and daily stage, recorded at Oshkosh. This computed inflow is net inflow, combining the effects of streamflow, precipitation, evaporation, and net ground-water inflow. The model was adapted to simulate operation of the Winnebago pool according to each of the proposed plans. Because the important features of each operation plan were expressed in terms of stages to be attained at certain dates, simulated discharge was adjusted daily to keep simulated lake stage close to that specified in the plan. The simulated lake stage for each of the proposed plans exceeded the allowable maximum in some years. However, the simulated stage exceeded the allowable maximum less frequently and for shorter periods than did the observed stage. For the 61 years simulated (water years 1918-78), the simulated 7-day, 10- year low flow ((57,10) at Rapide Croche Dam was 1,000 ft^/s compared with 900 ft^/s for the observed record. The 7-day, 2-year low flow (Qy 2) was 1,500 ft^/s (simulated) versus 1,600 ft3/s (observed). The model predicted that executing the proposed operation plan would result in monthly Q7 JQ for August and September of 1,100 ft-Vs. This is no change for August and a 12-percent increase for September. In addition, the study illustrated that the discharge from the Winnebago pool could be managed to guarantee that the discharge in the Fox River downstream would not fall below a specified discharge up to 1,500 ft^/s. In most years this would have no effect on the stage of the pool. In a few years there would be a conflict between releasing water from the pool to maintain the desired discharge and maintaining water levels above the required minimum stage. The frequency of this possible conflict varies with the level of discharge desired in the Fox River from 1 year in 60 for a discharge of 1,100 ft^/s to about 1 year in 15 for a discharge of 1,500 ft^/s.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2022

The gap between experts, farmers and non-farmers on perceived environmental vulnerability and the influence of values and beliefs

Science has played a mixed role in guiding conservation and sustainability-oriented decision-making by individuals, policymakers, institutions, and governments. Not all science-based conservation and sustainability initiatives that address issues facing humanity and ecosystems and global problems have gained public support. Conservation decisions and policy prescriptions are and may be based on perceptions about and experiences with the environment, local land use, and ecosystems that may not align with or be grounded in science or evidence from experts in the field. Values, beliefs, and perceptions associated with nature play a critical role in how individuals view biodiversity conservation, sustainability, and natural resource management . This study first examines the gap between experts (scientists and other field experts) and the public (farmers and non-farmers) about the state of water and land resources, wildlife and associated habitats, and aquatic biodiversity in the Smoky Hill River Watershed in western Kansas. Second, the study examines the role that values and beliefs play in shaping environmental perceptions for farmers and non-farmers. Analysis confirms that a gap between experts and farmers/non-farmers does exist, especially with respect to the state of the Ogallala Aquifer, playas, rivers and streams, lakes and reservoirs, native grasslands, wildlife habitats, farmland, native fish populations, and wildlife species. Ordered-logistic regression analyses, meanwhile, indicate that farmer and non-farmer perceptions about the state of the local environment are influenced by traditional and self-interested values, as well as environmental values and beliefs, but less so by religiosity and political ideology. Despite broad takeaways, results exhibited heterogeneity across the farmer and non-farmer subpopulations. If environmental professionals cannot align ecological data, stakeholders’ values/perceptions, and policies, then the existing body of technical research and management on sustainability in natural and social sciences may be of little value.

Journal of Environmental Management↗
USGS2019

Small ponds in headwater catchments are a dominant influence on regional nutrient and sediment budgets

Small ponds—farm ponds, detention ponds, or impoundments below 0.01 km 2 —serve important human needs throughout most large river basins. Yet the role of small ponds in regional nutrient and sediment budgets is essentially unknown, currently making it impossible to evaluate their management potential to achieve water quality objectives. Here we used new hydrography data sets and found that small ponds, depending on their spatial position within both their local catchments and the larger river network, can dominate the retention of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment compared to rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Over 300,000 small ponds are collectively responsible for 34%, 69%, and 12% of the mean annual retention of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in the Northeastern United States, respectively, with a dominant influence in headwater catchments (54%, 85%, and 50%, respectively). Small ponds play a critical role among the many aquatic features in long‐term nutrient and sediment loading to downstream waters.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2024

Effects of exploitation and emigration on apparent survival of Walleye in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota

Objective In 2017, we began a 5-year mark–recapture study to estimate apparent survival of Walleye Sander vitreus and angler exploitation in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota, and inform management strategies for this fishery. The study revealed substantial downstream emigration of Walleye; therefore, we also examined the influence of emigration on apparent mortality. Methods We estimated Walleye apparent survival using the Seber parameterization of the dead recovery model. In our models, we included factors influencing voluntary fish release, as well as harvest restrictions, tagging location, and year. We used a multistate Markov model to estimate emigration in relation to Walleye total length, sex, and tagging location, as well as annual reservoir discharge. The exploitation and emigration estimates informed our interpretations of annual Walleye apparent survival. Result Apparent survival patterns were explained by an interaction between Walleye length and a minimum harvest length restriction. Apparent survival was lower during July and August, when the minimum harvest length limit was suspended, and results suggest that anglers were willing to release preferred sizes (≥508 mm) when able to harvest smaller (<381 mm) Walleye. Annual apparent survival, exploitation, and emigration estimates ranged between 15% and 47%, 8% and 25%, and 11% and 28%, respectively. Emigration was influenced by tagging location and annual discharge: increasing with proximity to Big Bend dam and during high annual flows. Although years with high exploitation or emigration corresponded to years with low apparent survival, estimates did not explain the magnitude of mortality or emigration indicated by survival models. Conclusion Our results revealed that harvest–release decisions by Walleye anglers in Lake Sharpe are primarily influenced by regulations, although exploitation was not a significant source of mortality. Annual patterns in apparent survival indicate high mortality or emigration. Continued investigations into immigration and emigration and sources of mortality of Lake Sharpe Walleye are warranted to better inform management strategies for the fishery.

South Dakota↗
USGS2011

Hypolimnetic dissolved-oxygen dynamics within selected White River reservoirs, northern Arkansas-southern Missouri, 1974-2008

Dissolved oxygen is a critical constituent in reservoirs and lakes because it is essential for metabolism by all aerobic aquatic organisms. In general, hypolimnetic temperature and dissolved-oxygen concentrations vary from summer to summer in reservoirs, more so than in natural lakes, largely in response to the magnitude of flow into and release out of the water body. Because eutrophication is often defined as the acceleration of biological productivity resulting from increased nutrient and organic loading, hypolimnetic oxygen consumption rates or deficits often provide a useful tool in analyzing temporal changes in water quality. This report updates a previous report that evaluated hypolimnetic dissolved-oxygen dynamics for a 21-year record (1974-94) in Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, and Norfork Lakes, as well as analyzed the record for Greers Ferry Lake. Beginning in 1974, vertical profiles of temperature and dissolved-oxygen concentrations generally were collected monthly from March through December at sites near the dam of each reservoir. The rate of change in the amount of dissolved oxygen present below a given depth at the beginning and end of the thermal stratification period is referred to as the areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit. Areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit was normalized for each reservoir based on seasonal flushing rate between April 15 and October 31 to adjust for wet year and dry year variability. Annual cycles in thermal stratification within Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Norfork, and Greers Ferry Lakes exhibited typical monomictic (one extended turnover period per year) characteristics. Flow dynamics drive reservoir processes and need to be considered when analyzing areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit rates. A nonparametric, locally weighted scatter plot smooth line describes the relation between areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit and seasonal flushing rates, without assuming linearity or normality of the residuals. The results in this report are consistent with earlier findings that oxygen deficit rates and flushing-rate adjusted areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit in Beaver and Table Rock Lakes were decreasing between 1974 and 1994. The additional data (1995-2008) demonstrate that the decline in flushing-rate adjusted areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit in Beaver Lake has continued, whereas that in Table Rock Lake has flattened out in recent years. The additional data demonstrate the flushing-rate adjusted areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit in Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes have declined since 1995 (improved water quality), which was not indicated in earlier studies, while Greers Ferry Lake showed little net change over the period of record. Given the amount of data (35 years) for these reservoirs, developing an equation or model to predict areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit and, therefore, areal hypolimnetic oxygen content, on any given day during future stratification seasons may be useful for reservoir managers.

Missouri;Arkansas↗
USGS1984

Water-data program of the US Geological Survey in Kansas, fiscal year 1983

The U.S. Geological Survey is the principal Federal agency responsible for the collection of hydrologic data needed for the planning, development, use, and management of the water resources in Kansas. Hydrologic-data collection by the U.S. Geological Survey in Kansas began in 1895. The fiscal-year 1983 water-data program, operated in cooperation with several Federal , State, and local agencies, included 270 stations for collection of river, lake, and reservoir data, 1,940 wells for collection of ground-water data; 53 sampling stations and 215 wells for collection of water-quality data. This report provides a detailed description of the water-data program, including coordination and funding, data-collection activities, quality-assurance plans, availability of data, network design, and future needs for water data. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2025

Food habits of Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pikeminnow in Lake Cascade, Idaho

Objective Yellow Perch Perca flavescens was first encountered in Lake Cascade, Idaho, in 1957. Since its introduction, the abundance of Yellow Perch in Lake Cascade has been highly variable. Historically, declines in Yellow Perch abundance were attributed to predation by Northern Pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis . In the 1990s, Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu became established in Lake Cascade. Although Yellow Perch abundance has been high and currently supports a world-class fishery, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has documented poor Yellow Perch recruitment in recent years, concerning regional managers. An investigation into the food habits of Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pikeminnow was conducted to better understand the importance of juvenile Yellow Perch to predator diets. Methods In Lake Cascade, gill nets were deployed monthly from April 2022 to May 2023. Ageing structures and stomach contents were removed from Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pikeminnow. Diet composition was quantified and then summarized by species, cohort, and season. Bioenergetics modeling, coupled with estimates of predator abundance, was used to evaluate overall consumption of Yellow Perch. Results In total, stomach contents were extracted from 1,099 Yellow Perch, 440 Smallmouth Bass, and 980 Northern Pikeminnow. Food habits varied by season and predator length, but Yellow Perch was a primary prey item of all study species. The energetic contribution of Yellow Perch to Yellow Perch varied from 10% to 80% across seasons. Smallmouth Bass consumed fewer Yellow Perch than either Yellow Perch or Northern Pikeminnow. The highest average per capita consumption of Yellow Perch (i.e., across seasons) was observed for 500–600-mm Northern Pikeminnow (five Yellow Perch/Northern Pikeminnow). Energetic contribution of Yellow Perch to Northern Pikeminnow diets was highest in spring 2023, yet Northern Pikeminnow consumed the highest average number of Yellow Perch in July. Bioenergetics modeling estimated that per-capita annual consumption of Yellow Perch was 6.0 kg for Yellow Perch, 3.4 kg for Smallmouth Bass, and 9.9 kg for Northern Pikeminnow. In total, estimated consumption of all study species was as high as 37% of the estimated total number age-0 Yellow Perch produced. Conclusions Yellow Perch was an important prey item for all three species, particularly Yellow Perch and Northern Pikeminnow. Results from this study provide important information on the predation of Yellow Perch in Lake Cascade. Further, this work will bolster a growing body of research on the food habits of and interactions between native and nonnative predators in western reservoir systems.

Idaho↗
USGS2018

Simulation of groundwater storage changes in the Quincy Basin, Washington

The Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group and younger sedimentary deposits of lacustrine, fluvial, eolian, and cataclysmic-flood origins compose the aquifer system of the Quincy Basin in eastern Washington. Irrigation return flow and canal leakage from the Columbia Basin Project have caused groundwater levels to rise substantially in some areas. Water resource managers are considering extraction of additional stored groundwater to supply increasing demand. To help address these concerns, the transient groundwater model of the Quincy Basin documented in this report was developed to quantify the changes in groundwater flow and storage. The model based on the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference numerical code MODFLOW uses a 1-kilometer finite-difference grid and is constrained by logs from 698 wells in the study area. Five model layers represent two sedimentary hydrogeologic units and underlying basalt formations. Head-dependent flux boundaries represent the Columbia River and other streams, lakes and reservoirs, underflow to and (or) from adjacent areas, and discharge to agricultural drains and springs. Specified flux boundaries represent recharge from precipitation and anthropogenic sources, including irrigation return flow and leakage from water-distribution canals and discharge through groundwater withdrawal wells. Transient conditions were simulated from 1920 to 2013 using annual stress periods. The model was calibrated with the parameter-estimation code PEST to a total of 4,064 water levels measured in 710 wells. Increased recharge since predevelopment resulted in an 11.5 million acre-feet increase in storage in the Quincy Groundwater Management Subarea of the Quincy Basin. Four groundwater-management scenarios were formulated with input from project stakeholders and were simulated using the calibrated model to provide representative examples of how the model could be used to evaluate the effect on groundwater levels as a result of potential changes in recharge, groundwater withdrawals, or increased flow in Crab Creek. Decreased recharge and increased groundwater withdrawals both resulted in declines in groundwater levels over 2013 conditions, whereas increasing the flow in Crab Creek resulted in increased groundwater levels over 2013 conditions.

Washington↗
USGS2023

Assessing potential effects of changes in water use in the middle Carson River Basin with a numerical groundwater-flow model, Eagle, Dayton, and Churchill Valleys, west-central Nevada

During the economic boom of the mid part of the first decade of the 2000s in northwestern Nevada, municipal and housing growth increased use of the water resources of this semi-arid region. In 2008, when the economy slowed, new housing development stopped, and immediate pressure on groundwater resources abated. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, began a hydrogeologic study of the middle Carson River Basin. The first half of the study reviewed and synthesized previous geologic studies and contributed new datasets that served as a foundation for a three-dimensional, transient numerical model of groundwater and surface-water flow for the middle Carson River Basin extending from Eagle Valley to Churchill Valley. The model can be used to evaluate the effects of proposed alternative management strategies on groundwater sustainability, flows in the Carson River, and routine operation of Lahontan Reservoir and can also provide a basis for basin-wide investigations seeking to quantitatively evaluate the effects of climate change or yet-to-be-determined alternative management strategies. The middle Carson model was constructed using the U.S. Geological Survey groundwater modeling software MODFLOW-NWT. MODFLOW is widely used groundwater modeling software and is well-suited for evaluating groundwater and surface-water interactions. The model uses 550-feet square grid cells that align with the previously published model for Carson Valley (adjacent upstream valley). Six grid layers with more finely resolved vertical resolution near the perimeter of the active model domain and near surface-water features, compared to other areas of the active model domain, hone the simulated groundwater and surface-water exchanges. In addition to simulating groundwater and surface-water interaction, crop and phreatophyte evapotranspiration, lake evaporation, mountain-front recharge, recharge from irrigation return flows, and groundwater pumping are also simulated. Surface-water flow entering the model domain, including the Carson River, tributary inflow from perennial streams in Eagle Valley, and trans-basin imports through the Truckee Canal (surface water diverted from the Truckee River) are specified according to U.S. Geological Survey streamgage records. Groundwater pumpage and surface-water diversions to 10 agricultural ditches and the managed release from Lahontan Reservoir, at the end of the middle Carson River Basin, are specified according to water-manager records. The model simulation period extended from 2000 through 2010 (January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2010) using 574 weekly stress periods, with a single steady-state stress period at the beginning of the simulation that establishes initial conditions by approximating average conditions during the transient simulation period. All available observations for this period were used during the model calibration process, performed using automated parameter-estimation software. Calibration targets included observations of groundwater elevations in wells, streamflow, differences in observed streamflow between successive streamgages and actual evapotranspiration from irrigated lands. Among all 5,296 simulated and observed groundwater level pairs, the mean error was 1.42 feet; the mean absolute error, 7.71 feet; and the percent bias was −0.1 percent. Three alternative management scenarios, run using the entire period of analysis (2000–10), were simulated to improve understanding of the potential effects of (1) loss of irrigated agricultural lands following conversion of water-rights to municipal groundwater rights; (2) reclaiming treated wastewater with induction wells; and (3) exercising permitted but under-utilized groundwater rights. Scenarios 2 and 3 were further explored using two and four subscenarios, respectively. Simulated scenario results ranged from having little effect on the groundwater system relative to a baseline simulation to having spatially extensive and large groundwater-level declines (10 to 20 feet) compared to the baseline simulation. None of the simulated scenarios increased delivery of river flows to Lahontan Reservoir. On the contrary, one of the subscenarios under alternative management scenario 3 led to surface-water delivery shortfalls of more than 10,000 acre-feet per year. Future model improvements may include an extension of the model simulation period backward and forward in time and directly linking it to the upstream Carson Valley groundwater model. Furthermore, converting this MODFLOW model to a GSFLOW model, which fully integrates groundwater and surface-water flows including precipitation runoff and infiltration, may provide an improved tool for comprehensive management of water-resources in the middle Carson River Basin.

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