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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
USGS2009

Web-based decision support and visualization tools for water quality management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Federal, State, and local water quality managers charged with restoring the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem require tools to maximize the impact of their limited resources. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are developing a suite of Web-based tools called the Chesapeake Online Assessment Support Toolkit (COAST). The goal of COAST is to help CBP partners identify geographic areas where restoration activities would have the greatest effect, select the appropriate management strategies, and improve coordination and prioritization among partners. As part of the COAST suite of tools focused on environmental restoration, a water quality management visualization component called the Nutrient Yields Mapper (NYM) tool is being developed by USGS. The NYM tool is a web application that uses watershed yield estimates from USGS SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed (SPARROW) attributes model (Schwarz et al., 2006) [6] to allow water quality managers to identify important sources of nitrogen and phosphorous within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The NYM tool utilizes new open source technologies that have become popular in geospatial web development, including components such as OpenLayers and GeoServer. This paper presents examples of water quality data analysis based on nutrient type, source, yield, and area of interest using the NYM tool for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In addition, we describe examples of map-based techniques for identifying high and low nutrient yield areas; web map engines; and data visualization and data management techniques.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1984

A standard-reference water-suspended sediment sample for total recoverable metals

The U.S. Geological Survey has been preparing and maintaining a library of standard-reference water samples for dissolved inorganic constituents for 19 years. Recently, the reference-sample program was expanded to include a water-suspended sediment mixture for the determination of total recoverable metals. An interlaboratory round-robin study was conducted. Digestion procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were used to solubilize the metals before their measurement. The data indicate the both digestion procedures for total recoverable metals are essentially equivalent. Precision data are comparable to those data obtained in standard-reference water samples for dissolved metals.

Journal of Testing and Evaluation↗
USGS2009

Sediment characterization and dynamics in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana is the largest of several shallow estuaries that together cover over 15,000 km 2 . Wetlands, forests, and large urban areas surround the lake. Primary transport mechanisms of sediments to Lake Pontchartrain include urban runoff, major diversions of the Mississippi River, discharge from streams along the north and west shores, and tidal circulation. Sediments deposited in Lake Pontchartrain are subjected to resuspension and mixing by natural and human activities. Bioturbation and water turbulence throughout the lake are the major mixing agents, and mechanical shell dredging has reworked much of the lake bottom over the last century. Sediment characterization through direct sampling and geophysical surveys indicates that these processes continually rework the top meter of sediment. The lake receives discharge from roadways and industrial and agricultural sources. Contaminants from these sources accumulate in the lake sediments and are an important contributor to the degradation of the estuary. Decline in populations of various benthic organisms, such as shrimp and clams, has been documented in the lake. To characterize the health of this important estuary, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the geology, geomorphology, coastal processes, and environmental condition of the Pontchartrain Basin from 1994 to 1997. This report presents an assessment of sediment distribution and quality using a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the influence of various physical and chemical parameters: nearsurface stratigraphy, major trace metal concentrations (Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni), and short-lived radionuclides ( 210 Pb, 7 Be, and 137 Cs). The results are compared with water-circulation patterns to determine high-resolution sedimentation patterns in the lake. The data show a significant increase in trace metals in the top 1 m of lake sediments. Above this horizon, pollen analysis indicates a correlation with land clearing in the area, a proxy for increasing human development of the surrounding landscape and an increase in surface run-off. The data also show that the top meter of sediment undergoes frequent resuspension during high-energy circulation events and via circulation gyres in the lake. This regular turnover does not allow stratification of recently deposited sediments, restricting the sequestration of contaminated material that enters the lake.

Louisiana↗
USGS1975

Flood hazards in the Seattle-Tacoma urban complex and adjacent areas, Washington

Floods are natural hazards that have complicated man's land-use planning for as long as we have had a history. Although flood hzards are a continuing danger, the year-to-year threat cannot be accurately predicted. Also, on any one stream, the time since the last destructive flood might be so long that most people now living near the stream have not experienced such a flood. Because of the unpredictability and common infrequency of disastrous flooding, or out of ignorance about the danger, or perhaps because of an urge to gamble, man tends to focus his attention on only the advantages of the flood-prone areas, rather than the risk due to the occasional major flood. The purposes of this report are to: (1) briefly describe flood hazards in this region, including some that may be unique to the Puget Sound basin, (2) indicate the parts of the area for which flood-hazard data are available, and (3) list the main sources of hydrologic information that is useful for flood-hazard analysis in conjuction with long-range planning. This map-type report is one of a series being prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey to present basic environmental information and interpretations to assist land-use planning in the Puget Sound region.

Washington↗
USGS2006

Idaho and Montana non-fuel exploration database 1980-1997

This report describes a relational database containing information about mineral exploration projects in the States of Idaho and Montana for the years 1980 through 1997 and a spatial (geographic) database constructed using data from the relational database. The focus of this project was to collect information on exploration for mineral commodities with the exception of sand, gravel, coal, geothermal, oil, and gas. The associate databases supplied with this report are prototypes that can be used or modified as needed. The following sources were used to create the databases-serial mining periodicals; annual mineral publications; mining company reports; U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) publications; an Idaho mineral property data base developed by Dave Boleneus, USGS, Spokane, Washington; Montana state publications; and discussions with representatives of Montana, principally the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology and the Department of Environmental Quality. Fifty commodity groups were reported between the 596 exploration projects identified in this study. Precious metals (gold, silver, or platinum group elements) were the primary targets for about 67 percent of the exploration projects. Information on 17 of the projects did not include commodities. No location could be determined for 51 projects, all in Idaho. During the time period evaluated, some mineral properties were developed into large mining operations (for example Beal Mountain Mine, Stillwater Mine, Troy Mine, Montana Tunnels Mine) and six properties were reclaimed. Environmental Impact Statements were done on four properties. Some operating mines either closed or went through one or more shutdowns and re-openings. Other properties, where significant resources were delineated by recent exploration during this time frame, await the outcome of important factors for development such as defining additional reserves, higher metal prices, and the permitting process. Many of these projects examined relatively minor mineral occurrences. Approximately half of the exploration projects are located on Federal lands and about 40 percent were on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. More than 75 percent of the exploration occurred in areas with significant previous mineral activity.

Data Series↗
USGS2000

Naturally occurring radionuclides in the ground water of southeastern Pennsylvania

Naturally occurring radionuclides in the ground water of southeastern Pennsylvania may pose a health hazard to some residents, especially those drinking water from wells drilled in the Chickies Quartzite. Water from 46 percent of wells sampled in the Chickies Quartzite and 7 percent of wells sampled in other geologic formations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) for total radium. Radon-222 may pose a health problem for homeowners by contributing to indoor air radon-222 levels. The radon-222 activity of water from 89 percent of sampled wells exceeded 300 pCi/L (picocuries per liter), the proposed USEPA MCL, and water from 16 percent of sampled wells exceeded 4,000 pCi/L. Uranium does not appear to be present in elevated concentrations in ground water in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1999

A Study of Natural and Restored Wetland Hydrology

The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are jointly studying the hydrology of a long-existing natural wetland and a recently restored wetland in the Kankakee River Valley in northwestern Indiana. In characterizing the two wetlands, project investigators are testing innovative methods to identify the analytical tools best suited for evaluating the success of wetland restoration. Investigators also are examining and comparing the relations between hydrology and restored wetland vegetation.

Indiana↗
USGS2005

Host Fish Identification and Early Life Thermal Requirements for the Federal Endangered Winged Mapleleaf Mussel

The winged mapleleaf mussel (Quadrula fragosa, WML) is a Federal endangered species historically inhabiting at least 34 river systems in 12 Midwestern states. Only four populations are currently known to exist, including one confirmed reproducing population in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (NSR) bordering Minnesota and Wisconsin. Recovery efforts are limited by a lack of life history information, particularly which species of fish serve as host to the mussel's parasitic larvae (glochidia). Since 1997, biologists at the University of Minnesota have tried to identify host fish for the WML. Department of the Interior colleagues working in western Wisconsin at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's La Crosse Fishery Resources Office and Genoa National Fish Hatchery, the National Park Service's St. Croix NSR, and the U.S. Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) in La Crosse joined the team in 2001 to expand and accelerate the laboratory host fish identification program by making use of the well-equipped aquatic research facilities at UMESC. We report on several WML early life history investigations conducted at UMESC since autumn 2003 to identify suitable host fish species and evaluate thermal requisites for the development of glochidia into free-living juvenile mussels.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2009

Alaska Interagency Ecosystem Health Work Group

The Alaska Interagency Ecosystem Health Work Group is a community of practice that recognizes the interconnections between the health of ecosystems, wildlife, and humans and meets to facilitate the exchange of ideas, data, and research opportunities. Membership includes the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Sea Life Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2014

The National Map hydrography data stewardship: what is it and why is it important?

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) were designed and populated by a large consortium of agencies involved in hydrography across the United States. The effort was led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The high-resolution NHD dataset, completed in 2007, is based on the USGS 7.5-minute series topographic maps at a scale of 1:24,000. There are now 26 million features in the NHD representing a 7.5 million mile stream network with over 6.5 million waterbodies. The six-level WBD, completed in 2010, is based on 1:24,000 scale data and contains over 23,000 watershed polygons. The NHD’s flow network, attribution, and linear referencing are used to conduct extensive scientific analyses. The NHD is ideal for cartographic applications such as the US Topo topographic map series, and also is available on the Geospatial Platform, which provides shared and trusted geospatial data, services, and applications for use by government agencies, their partners, and the public. The WBD watersheds are used by scientists and managers to identify discrete drainage areas. The ongoing maintenance of the NHD and WBD is essential for improving these datasets to meet the ever increasing demand for currency, additional detail, and more significant attribution. The best source of information about changes in local hydrography are users closest to the data, such as State and local governments, as well as Federal land management agencies, and other users of the data. The need for local knowledge has led to the creation of a collaborative data stewardship process to revise and maintain the NHD.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2017

The Upper Mississippi River System—Topobathy

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), the navigable part of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, is a diverse ecosystem that contains river channels, tributaries, shallow-water wetlands, backwater lakes, and flood-plain forests. Approximately 10,000 years of geologic and hydrographic history exist within the UMRS. Because it maintains crucial wildlife and fish habitats, the dynamic ecosystems of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and its tributaries are contingent on the adjacent flood plains and water-level fluctuations of the Mississippi River. Separate data for flood-plain elevation (lidar) and riverbed elevation (bathymetry) were collected on the UMRS by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program. Using the two elevation datasets, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) developed a systemic topobathy dataset.

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin↗
USGS2010

Using land-cover data to understand effects of agricultural and urban development on regional water quality

The Land-Cover Trends project is a collaborative effort between the Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to understand the rates, trends, causes, and consequences of contemporary land-use and land-cover change in the United States. The data produced from this research can lead to an enriched understanding of the drivers of future landuse change, effects on environmental systems, and any associated feedbacks. USGS scientists are using the EPA Level III ecoregions as the geographic framework to process geospatial data collected between 1973 and 2000 to characterize ecosystem responses to land-use changes. General land-cover classes for these periods were interpreted from Landsat Multispectral Scanner, Thematic Mapper, and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery to categorize and evaluate land-cover change using a modified Anderson Land-Use/Land-Cover Classification System for image interpretation.

General Information Product↗
USGS2002

Water-quality parameters and benthic algal communities at selected streams in Minnesota, August 2000 - Study design, methods and data

Water-quality measurements and benthic algal samples were measured or collected from select Minnesota streams as part of a multiagency (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Geological Survey) study. The goal of the multiagency study was to identify quantifiable thresholds of water-quality impairment and establish quantifiable indicators of nutrient enrichment for medium to high-order streams. This report describes the study design, sampling methods, and summarizes the physical, chemical, and benthic algal data for a component of the multiagency study that was designed to document diurnal water-quality measurements (specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen), benthic algal community composition and chlorophyll-a content, and primary productivity at 12 stream sites on 6 streams in Minnesota during August 2000. Specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentrations and percent dissolved oxygen saturation measurements were made with submersible data recorders at 30 minute intervals for a period of 3-6 days during August 2000. Benthic algae collected from wood and rock substrate were identified and enumerated. Biovolume (volume of algal cells per unit area), density (number of cells per unit area), and chlorophyll-a content from benthic algae were determined. These data can be used as part of the multiagency study to develop an understanding of the relations among nutrient concentrations, algal abundance, algal community composition, and primary production and respiration processes in rivers of differing ecoregions in Minnesota.

Minnesota↗
USGS2004

Baseline Characteristics of Jordan Creek, Juneau, Alaska

Anadromous fish populations historically have found healthy habitat in Jordan Creek, Juneau, Alaska. Concern regarding potential degradation to the habitat by urban development within the Mendenhall Valley led to a cooperative study among the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Geological Survey, that assessed current hydrologic, water-quality, and physical-habitat conditions of the stream corridor. Periods of no streamflow were not uncommon at the Jordan Creek below Egan Drive near Auke Bay stream gaging station. Additional flow measurements indicate that periods of no flow are more frequent downstream of the gaging station. Although periods of no flow typically were in March and April, streamflow measurements collected prior to 1999 indicate similar periods in January, suggesting that no flow conditions may occur at any time during the winter months. This dewatering in the lower reaches likely limits fish rearing and spawning habitat as well as limiting the migration of juvenile salmon out to the ocean during some years. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations may not be suitable for fish survival during some winter periods in the Jordan Creek watershed. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations were measured as low as 2.8 mg/L at the gaging station and were measured as low as 0.85 mg/L in a tributary to Jordan Creek. Intermittent measurements of pH and dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the mid-reaches of Jordan Creek were all within acceptable limits for fish survival, however, few measurements of these parameters were made during winter-low-flow conditions. One set of water quality samples was collected at six different sites in the Jordan Creek watershed and analyzed for major ions and dissolved nutrients. Major-ion chemistry showed Jordan Creek is calcium bicarbonate type water with little variation between sampling sites.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2012

Summary of data from onsite and laboratory analyses of surface water and marsh porewater from South Florida Water Management District Water Conservation Areas, the Everglades, South Florida, March 1995

This report presents results of chemical analysis for samples collected during March, 1995, as part of a study to quantify the interaction of aquatic organic material (referred to here as dissolved organic carbon with dissolved metal ions). The work was done in conjunction with the South Florida Water Management District, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey South Florida Ecosystems Initiative, and the South Florida National Water Quality Assessment Study Unit. Samples were collected from surface canals and from marsh sites. Results are based on onsite and laboratory measurements for 27 samples collected at 10 locations. The data file contains sample description, dissolved organic carbon concentration and specific ultraviolet absorbance, and additional analytical data for samples collected at several sites in the Water Conservation Areas, the Everglades, south Florida.

Florida↗
USGS2013

Initial results from a reconnaissance of cyanobacteria and associated toxins in Illinois, August--October 2012

Ten lakes and two rivers in Illinois were sampled in August–October 2012 to determine the concentrations and spatial distribution of cyanobacteria and associated cyanotoxins throughout the State. The reconnaissance was a collaborative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Sample results indicated that concentrations of both total cyanobacterial cells and microcystin were commonly at levels likely to result in adverse human health effects, according to World Health Organization guidance values. Concentrations generally decreased from August to October following precipitation events and lower temperatures.

Illinois↗
USGS2014

Magnetic resonance sounding survey data collected in the North Platte, Twin Platte, and South Platte Natural Resource Districts, Western Nebraska, Fall 2012

This report is a release of digital data and associated survey descriptions from a series of magnetic resonance soundings (MRS, also known as surface nuclear magnetic resonance) that was conducted during October and November of 2012 in areas of western Nebraska as part of a cooperative hydrologic study by the North Platte Natural Resource District (NRD), South Platte NRD, Twin Platte NRD, the Nebraska Environmental Trust, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The objective of the study was to delineate the base-of-aquifer and refine the understanding of the hydrologic properties in the aquifer system. The MRS technique non-invasively measures water content in the subsurface, which makes it a useful tool for hydrologic investigations in the near surface (up to depths of approximately 150 meters). In total, 14 MRS production-level soundings were acquired by the USGS over an area of approximately 10,600 square kilometers. The data are presented here in digital format, along with acquisition information, survey and site descriptions, and metadata.

Nebraska↗
USGS2015

Literature review of the potential effects of hydrogen peroxide on nitrogen oxidation efficiency of the biofilters of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for freshwater finfish

A comprehensive literature review was done for the effects of hydrogen peroxide (HP) on biofilter function in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) using these databases: ISI/Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed as the literature review was conducted. The initial search produced 5,748 potential citations. Once the literature search was complete, these 5,748 titles were screened for applicable papers using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. If the title contained any of the inclusion terms, it was retained. Titles of the remaining papers were then screened for exclusion terms. If the title contained one or more of the exclusion terms, it was eliminated from further consideration. This refined search produced 1,405 papers. After the initial screening, the remaining 1,405 papers underwent a second screening. Titles and abstracts (when available) were again read to verify that the topic of the paper was related to RAS. During the second screening, a second person verified that the papers proposed for elimination were not related to RAS. A combined reference list of the 512 remaining papers was created and submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) librarian in order to obtain the actual papers; electronic copies of those citations were obtained and reviewed. The UMESC librarian also received weekly updates from Scopus (a bibliographic database containing abstracts and citations for academic journal articles) using the search terms. Any resulting papers from those updates were screened using the inclusion criteria and relevant papers were requested. From those, 86 were cited in the literature review. An additional 11 papers from other search methods (e.g., mining references lists) also were obtained.

Open-File Report↗