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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
USGS1998

Level II scour analysis for Bridge 35, (ANDOVT00110035) on State Route 11, crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Andover, Vermont

This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ANDOVT00110035 on State Route 11 crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Andover, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (Federal Highway Administration, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in south-central Vermont. The 4.65-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest on the left bank and small trees and brush on the right bank upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, the Middle Branch Williams River has an incised, meandering channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 57 ft and an average bank height of 4 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulder with a median grain size (D 50 ) of 31.4 mm (0.103 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 28, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. There are cut-banks upstream and downstream of the bridge and an island in the channel upstream. The State Route 11 crossing of the Middle Branch Williams River is a 28-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 24-ft concrete tee-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 28, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 23.6 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 45 degrees to the opening while the computed opening-skew-to-roadway is 25 degrees. A scour hole ranging from 1.5 to 1.75 ft deeper than the mean thalweg depth was observed along the upstream left wingwall, the left abutment, and the downstream left wingwall during the Level I assessment. The scour countermeasures at the site included type-1 stone fill (less than 12 inches diameter) at the right road approach upstream and downstream of the bridge and type-2 stone fill (less than 36 inches diameter) at the left road approach upstream and downstream of the bridge. Additional details describing conditions at the site are included in the Level II Summary and appendices D and E. Scour depths and recommended rock rip-rap sizes were computed using the general guidelines described in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (Richardson and Davis, 1995) for the 100- and 500-year discharges. In addition, the incipient roadway-overtopping discharge was determined and analyzed as another potential worst-case scour scenario. Total scour at a highway crossing is comprised of three components: 1) long-term streambed degradation; 2) contraction scour (due to accelerated flow caused by a reduction in flow area at a bridge) and; 3) local scour (caused by accelerated flow around piers and abutments). Total scour is the sum of the three components. Equations are available to compute depths for contraction and local scour and a summary of the results of these computations follows. Contraction scour for all modelled flows ranged from 2.0 to 4.3 ft. The worst-case contraction scour occurred at the 500-year discharge. Abutment scour ranged from 14.4 to 16.5 ft at the left abutment and from 6.3 to 8.8 ft at the right abutment. The worst-case abutment scour occurred at the 500-year discharge. Additional information on scour depths and depths to armoring are included in the section titled “Scour Results”. Scoured-streambed elevations, based on the calculated scour depths, are presented in tables 1 and 2. A cross-section of the scour computed at the bridge is presented in figure 8. Scour depths were calculated assuming an infinite depth of erosive material and a homogeneous particle-size distribution. It is generally accepted that the Froehlich equation (abutment scour) gives “excessively conservative estimates of scour depths” (Richardson and Davis, 1995, p. 46). Usually, computed scour depths are evaluated in combination with other information including (but not limited to) historical performance during flood events, the geomorphic stability assessment, existing scour protection measures, and the results of the hydraulic analyses. Therefore, scour depths adopted by VTAOT may differ from the computed values documented herein.

Vermont↗
USGS1975

Data summary of June-July 1975 floods in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota

Torrential rains during late June and early July 1975, combined with wet antecedent conditions, caused severe flooding, mainly along the lower reaches of the Sheyenne and Maple Rivers and their tributaries in North Dakota, and in the Buffalo and Wild Rice River basins in Minnesota. The Red River of the North from the Fargo-Moorhead area to the Halstad, Minnesota area was also severely flooded. Because much of the region is extremely flat, large areas of the two States were inundated by flood waters. Damage, mostly agricultural, was widespread and damage estimates exceeded a quarter of a billion dollars. Local, State, and Federal officials need factual information to evaluate, coordinate, and manage programs concerned with flood losses. The purpose of this report is to provide quickly a summary of some of the basic data collected on the June-July 1975 floods. Only a part of the information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey on the extent and magnitude of the floods is presented. This information includes the magnitude and frequency of the instantaneous maximum stages (water-surface elevations) and flow rates for 62 sites, measured sediment loads at 7 sites, and hydrographs of daily mean flow at 6 sites. Additional streamflow information associated with the floods will be provided subsequently in annual data releases of the Geological Survey. The report also describes availability of graphic or photographic data depicting the areal extent of inundation. Those data may be obtained from the Applications Assistance Branch, EROS Data Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Sioux Falls, S. Dak. 57198. Only a minimal amount of rainfall data are summarized in this report to aid in documenting the flood event. These data were provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, and by the Minnesota State Office of Climatology. This assistance in providing the data and in reviewing the form of its presentation is appreciated.

Minnesota, North Dakota↗
USGS2008

Interpolation of reconnaissance multibeam and single-beam bathymetry offshore of Milford, Connecticut

This report releases echosounder data from the northern part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hydrographic survey H11044 in Long Island Sound, off Milford, Connecticut. The data have been interpolated and regridded into a complete-coverage data set and image of the sea floor. The grid produced as a result of the interpolation is at 10-m resolution. These data extend an already published set of reprocessed bathymetric data from the southern part of survey H11044. In Long Island Sound, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with NOAA and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, is producing detailed maps of the sea floor. Part of the current phase of research involves studies of sea-floor topography and its effect on the distributions of sedimentary environments and benthic habitats. This data set provides a more continuous perspective of the sea floor than was previously available. It helps to define topographic variability and benthic-habitat diversity for the area and improves our understanding of oceanographic processes controlling the distribution of sediments and benthic habitats. Inasmuch as precise information on environmental setting is important for selecting sampling sites and accurately interpreting point measurements, this data set can also serve as a base map for subsequent sedimentological, geochemical, and biological research.

Connecticut↗
USGS2005

Bankfull characteristics of Ohio streams and their relation to peak streamflows

Regional curves, simple-regression equations, and multiple-regression equations were developed to estimate bankfull width, bankfull mean depth, bankfull cross-sectional area, and bankfull discharge of rural, unregulated streams in Ohio. The methods are based on geomorphic, basin, and flood-frequency data collected at 50 study sites on unregulated natural alluvial streams in Ohio, of which 40 sites are near streamflow-gaging stations. The regional curves and simple-regression equations relate the bankfull characteristics to drainage area. The multiple-regression equations relate the bankfull characteristics to drainage area, main-channel slope, main-channel elevation index, median bed-material particle size, bankfull cross-sectional area, and local-channel slope. Average standard errors of prediction for bankfull width equations range from 20.6 to 24.8 percent; for bankfull mean depth, 18.8 to 20.6 percent; for bankfull cross-sectional area, 25.4 to 30.6 percent; and for bankfull discharge, 27.0 to 78.7 percent. The simple-regression (drainage-area only) equations have the highest average standard errors of prediction. The multiple-regression equations in which the explanatory variables included drainage area, main-channel slope, main-channel elevation index, median bed-material particle size, bankfull cross-sectional area, and local-channel slope have the lowest average standard errors of prediction. Field surveys were done at each of the 50 study sites to collect the geomorphic data. Bankfull indicators were identified and evaluated, cross-section and longitudinal profiles were surveyed, and bed- and bank-material were sampled. Field data were analyzed to determine various geomorphic characteristics such as bankfull width, bankfull mean depth, bankfull cross-sectional area, bankfull discharge, streambed slope, and bed- and bank-material particle-size distribution. The various geomorphic characteristics were analyzed by means of a combination of graphical and statistical techniques. The logarithms of the annual peak discharges for the 40 gaged study sites were fit by a Pearson Type III frequency distribution to develop flood-peak discharges associated with recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The peak-frequency data were related to geomorphic, basin, and climatic variables by multiple-regression analysis. Simple-regression equations were developed to estimate 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year flood-peak discharges of rural, unregulated streams in Ohio from bankfull channel cross-sectional area. The average standard errors of prediction are 31.6, 32.6, 35.9, 41.5, 46.2, and 51.2 percent, respectively. The study and methods developed are intended to improve understanding of the relations between geomorphic, basin, and flood characteristics of streams in Ohio and to aid in the design of hydraulic structures, such as culverts and bridges, where stability of the stream and structure is an important element of the design criteria. The study was done in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2006

Identification and extraction of the seaward edge of terrestrial vegetation using digital aerial photography

This report is created as part of the Aerial Data Collection and Creation of Products for Park Vital Signs Monitoring within the Northeast Region Coastal and Barrier Network project, which is a joint project between the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program (NPS-IM), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Observational Sciences Branch, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies (CCWS). This report is one of a series that discusses methods for extracting topographic features from aerial survey data. It details step-by-step methods used to extract a spatially referenced digital line from aerial photography that represents the seaward edge of terrestrial vegetation along the coast of Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS). One component of the NPS-IM/USGS/NASA project includes the collection of NASA aerial surveys over various NPS barrier islands and coastal parks throughout the National Park Service's Northeast Region. These aerial surveys consist of collecting optical remote sensing data from a variety of sensors, including the NASA Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), and down-looking digital mapping cameras.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2008

Weather and Climate Monitoring Protocol, Channel Islands National Park, California

Weather and climate are strong drivers of population dynamics, plant and animal spatial distributions, community interactions, and ecosystem states. Information on local weather and climate is crucial in interpreting trends and patterns in the natural environment for resource management, research, and visitor enjoyment. This document describes the weather and climate monitoring program at the Channel Islands National Park (fig. 1), initiated in the 1990s. Manual and automated stations, which continue to evolve as technology changes, are being used for this program. The document reviews the history of weather data collection on each of the five Channel Islands National Park islands, presents program administrative structure, and provides an overview of procedures for data collection, archival, retrieval, and reporting. This program overview is accompanied by the 'Channel Islands National Park Remote Automated Weather Station Field Handbook' and the 'Channel Islands National Park Ranger Weather Station Field Handbook'. These Handbooks are maintained separately at the Channel Island National Park as 'live documents' that are updated as needed to provide a current working manual of weather and climate monitoring procedures. They are available on request from the Weather Program Manager (Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001; 805.658.5700). The two Field Handbooks describe in detail protocols for managing the four remote automated weather stations (RAWS) and the seven manual Ranger Weather Stations on the islands, including standard operating procedures for equipment maintenance and calibration; manufacturer operating manuals; data retrieval and archiving; metada collection and archival; and local, agency, and vendor contracts.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1979

Program objectives for the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) for fiscal year 1980

This report describes the proposed program objectives of the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) for fiscal year 1980. These include NAWDEX program administration, NAWDEX services, water-data indexing activities, systems development, training, and the development of recommended methods for the handling and exchange of water data.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Preliminary report on the mineral resources of the Powderhorn Instant study area, Gunnison and Hinsdale counties, Colorado

The Powderhorn Instant Study Area covers approximately 51,000 acres of land under BLM administration located about 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Gunnison, Colorado. A mineral resource survey, made in 1979 by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines, indicates that both the mineral potential and the energy potential for the Powderhorn Instant Study Area are low. This report is based on geologic and geochemical investigations, examination of prospects, and an aeromagnetic survey. Spectrographic analyses were made of approximately 120 stream-sediment and rock samples. No mining districts are located within the study area.

Colorado↗
USGS1998

The central and northern Appalachian Basin-a frontier region for coalbed methane development

The Appalachian basin is the world's second largest coalbed-methane (CBM) producing basin. It has nearly 4000 wells with 1996 annual production at 147.8 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Cumulative CBM production is close to 0.9 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). The Black Warrior Basin of Alabama in the southern Appalachian basin (including a very minor amount from the Cahaba coal field) accounts for about 75% of this annual production and about 75% of the wells, and the remainder comes from the central and northern Appalachian basin. The Southwest Virginia coal field accounts for about 95% of the production from the central and northern parts of the Appalachian basin. Production data and trends imply that several of the Appalachian basin states, except for Alabama and Virginia, are in their infancy with respect to CBM development. Total in-place CBM resources in the central and northern Appalachian basin have been variously estimated at 66 to 76 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), of which an estimated 14.55 Tcf (~ 20%) is technically recoverable according to a 1995 U.S. Geological Survey assessment. For comparison in the Black Warrior basin of the 20 Tcf in-place CBM resources, 2.30 Tcf (~ 12%) is technically recoverable. Because close to 0.9 Tcf of CBM has already been produced from the Black Warrior basin and the proved reserves are about 0.8 Tcf for 1996 [Energy Information Administration (EIA), 1997]. U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves, 1996 Annual Report. U.S. Department of Energy DOE/EIA-0216(96), 145 pp.], these data imply that the central and northern Appalachian basin could become increasingly important in the Appalachian basin CBM picture as CBM resources are depleted in the southern Appalachian basin (Black Warrior Basin and Cahaba Coal Field). CBM development in the Appalachian states could decrease the eastern U.S.A.'s dependence on coal for electricity. CBM is expected to provide over the next few decades a virtually untapped source of unconventional fossil fuel in the Appalachian states, where the CBM resources are large and the demand for cleaner fossil-fuel energy is high.The central and northern Appalachian basin could become increasingly important in the Appalachian basin coalbed methane (CBM) picture as CBM resources are depleted in the southern Appalachian basin. Total in-place CBM resources in the central and the northern Appalachian basin have been estimated at 66 to 76 Tcf, of which 14.55 Tcf is technically recoverable.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS1980

Single-channel seismic-reflection profiles and sidescan sonar records collected during May 15-20, 1978, on the southern New England continental shelf

The U.S. Geological Survey completed a cruise aboard the R/V CAPE HENLOPEN during May 15-20, 1978, to map the surface character, thickness and extent of the fine-grained.sediment deposit that covers an area 100 x 200 km on the southern New England Continental Shelf. The study area lies between Great South Channel to the east and Black Channel to the west, and extends from the 50-m isobath to the shelf edge. Single-channel high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles and echo-sounding profiles were collected along 941 km of trackline, sidescan sonar records were collected along 673 km of trackline. The subbottom profiles were collected by using a Huntec*system that was towed at midwater depths. Filters were set at 1 to 7 kHz. Echo-sounding records were collected by using a 60 kHz EDO Western system. A Klein stdescan sonar, set to scan 100 m to either side of the towed fish, was used to collect the sonographs. Navigation during the survey was done by the scientific staff using Loran-C equipment. Fixes were recorded and logged at least every 15 minutes; after the cruise, they were digitized and stored on magnetic tape. The original records can be seen and studied at the U.S. Geological Survey Data Library at Woods Hole, MA 02543. Microfilm copies of the subbottom, echo­sounding, and sidescan sonar records collected during the cruise can be purchased from the National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center, NOAA (National Oceanic ancl Atmosphere Administration), Boulder, CO 80302.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1998

Organochlorine compounds and trace elements in fish tissue and bed sediments in the lower Snake River basin, Idaho and Oregon

Fish-tissue and bed-sediment samples were collected to determine the occurrence and distribution of organochlorine compounds and trace elements in the lower Snake River Basin. Whole-body composite samples of suckers and carp from seven sites were analyzed for organochlorine compounds; liver samples were analyzed for trace elements. Fillets from selected sportfish were analyzed for organochlorine compounds and trace elements. Bed-sediment samples from three sites were analyzed for organochlorine compounds and trace elements. Twelve different organochlorine compounds were detected in 14 fish-tissue samples. All fish-tissue samples contained DDT or its metabolites. Concentrations of total DDT ranged from 11 micrograms per kilogram wet weight in fillets of yellow perch from C.J. Strike Reservoir to 3,633 micrograms per kilogram wet weight in a whole-body sample of carp from Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River. Total DDT concentrations in whole-body samples of sucker and carp from the Snake River at C.J. Strike Reservoir, Snake River at Swan Falls, Snake River at Nyssa, and Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River exceeded criteria established for the protection of fish-eating wildlife. Total PCB concentrations in a whole-body sample of carp from Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River also exceeded fish-eating wildlife criteria. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in whole-body samples, in general, were larger than concentrations in sportfish fillets. However, concentrations of dieldrin and total DDT in fillets of channel catfish from the Snake River at Nyssa and Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River, and concentrations of total DDT in fillets of smallmouth bass and white crappie from Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River exceeded a cancer risk screening value of 10 -6 established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in bed sediment were smaller than concentrations in fish tissue. Concentrations of p,p'DDE, the only compound detected in all three bed-sediment samples, ranged from 1.1 micrograms per kilogram dry weight in C.J. Strike Reservoir to 11 micrograms per kilogram dry weight in Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River. Data from this study, compared with data collected in the upper Snake River Basin from 1992 to 1994, indicates that, in general, organochlorine concentrations in fish tissue and bed sediment increased from the headwaters of the Snake River in Wyoming downstream to Brownlee Reservoir. The largest trace-element concentrations in fish tissue were in liver samples from carp from Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River and suckers from the Boise River near Twin Springs. Concentrations of most trace elements were larger in livers than in the sport- fish fillets. However, mercury concentrations were generally larger in the sportfish fillets; they ranged from 0.08 microgram per gram wet weight in yellow perch from C.J. Strike Reservoir to 0.32 microgram per gram wet weight in channel catfish from Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River. None of the trace-element concentrations in fillets exceeded median international standards or U.S. Food and Drug Administration action levels. Large trace-element concentrations in the upper Snake River Basin were reported in liver samples from suckers from headwater streams, probably a result of historical mining and weathering of metal-rich rocks. Concentrations of most trace elements in the bed-sediment samples were largest in Brownlee Reservoir at Mountain Man Lodge. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc in bed sediment from the Mountain Man Lodge site exceeded either the threshold effect level or probable effect level established by the Canadian Government for the protection of benthic life. Arsenic, chromium, copper, and nickel concentrations in bed sediment from Brownlee Reservoir at Burnt River and chromium, copper, and nickel in bed sediment from C.J. Strike Reservoir also exceeded the threshold effect level.

Idaho, Oregon↗
USGS2008

Comparison of two U.S. power-plant carbon dioxide emissions data sets

Estimates of fossil-fuel CO2 emissions are needed to address a variety of climate-change mitigation concerns over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. We compared two data sets that report power-plant CO 2 emissions in the conterminous U.S. for 2004, the most recent year reported in both data sets. The data sets were obtained from the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Environmental Protection Agency's eGRID database. Conterminous U.S. total emissions computed from the data sets differed by 3.5% for total plant emissions (electricity plus useful thermal output) and 2.3% for electricity generation only. These differences are well within previous estimates of uncertainty in annual U.S. fossil-fuel emissions. However, the corresponding average absolute differences between estimates of emissions from individual power plants were much larger, 16.9% and 25.3%, respectively. By statistical analysis, we identified several potential sources of differences between EIA and eGRID estimates for individual plants. Estimates that are based partly or entirely on monitoring of stack gases (reported by eGRID only) differed significantly from estimates based on fuel consumption (as reported by EIA). Differences in accounting methods appear to explain differences in estimates for emissions from electricity generation from combined heat and power plants, and for total and electricity generation emissions from plants that burn nonconventional fuels (e.g., biomass). Our analysis suggests the need for care in utilizing emissions data from individual power plants, and the need for transparency in documenting the accounting and monitoring methods used to estimate emissions.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2017

Onshore industrial wind turbine locations for the United States

This dataset provides industrial-scale onshore wind turbine locations in the United States, corresponding facility information, and turbine technical specifications. The database has wind turbine records that have been collected, digitized, locationally verified, and internally quality controlled. Turbines from the Federal Aviation Administration Digital Obstacles File, through product release date July 22, 2013, were used as the primary source of turbine data points. The dataset was subsequently revised and reposted as described in the revision histories for the report. Verification of the turbine positions was done by visual interpretation using high-resolution aerial imagery in Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) ArcGIS Desktop. Turbines without Federal Aviation Administration Obstacles Repository System numbers were visually identified and point locations were added to the collection. We estimated a locational error of plus or minus 10 meters for turbine locations. Wind farm facility names were identified from publicly available facility datasets. Facility names were then used in a Web search of additional industry publications and press releases to attribute additional turbine information (such as manufacturer, model, and technical specifications of wind turbines). Wind farm facility location data from various wind and energy industry sources were used to search for and digitize turbines not in existing databases. Technical specifications for turbines were assigned based on the wind turbine make and model as described in literature, specifications listed in the Federal Aviation Administration Digital Obstacles File, and information on the turbine manufacturer’s Web site. Some facility and turbine information on make and model did not exist or was difficult to obtain. Thus, uncertainty may exist for certain turbine specifications. That uncertainty was rated and a confidence was recorded for both location and attribution data quality.

Data Series↗