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USGS2012

Aquatic organism passage at road-stream crossings—synthesis and guidelines for effectiveness monitoring

Restoration and maintenance of passage for aquatic organisms at road-stream crossings represents a major management priority, involving an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars (for example, U.S. Government Accounting Office, 2001). In recent years, passage at hundreds of crossings has been restored, primarily by replacing barrier road culverts with bridges or stream simulation culverts designed to pass all species and all life stages of aquatic life and simulate natural hydro-geomorphic processes (U.S. Forest Service, 2008). The current situation has motivated two general questions: 1. Are current design standards for stream simulation culverts adequately re-establishing passage for aquatic biota? and 2. How do we monitor and evaluate effectiveness of passage restoration? To address the latter question, a national workshop was held in March 2010, in Portland, Oregon. The workshop included experts on aquatic organism passage from across the nation (see table of participants, APPENDIX) who addressed four classes of methods for monitoring effectiveness of aquatic organism passage—individual movement, occupancy, demography, and genetics. This report has been written, in part, for field biologists who will be undertaking and evaluating the effectiveness of aquatic organism passage restoration projects at road-stream crossings. The report outlines basic methods for evaluating road-stream crossing passage impairment and restoration and discusses under what circumstances and conditions each method will be useful; what questions each method can potentially answer; how to design and implement an evaluation study; and points out the fundamental reality that most evaluation projects will require special funding and partnerships among researchers and resource managers. The report is organized into the following sections, which can be read independently: 1. Historical context: In this section, we provide a brief history of events leading up to the present situation involving aquatic organism passage as a useful context for the issues covered herein. 2. Importance of connectivity for aquatic organisms: In this section, we provide background information regarding the movement characteristics of aquatic organisms and their vulnerability to passage impairment, and the importance of connectivity for a broad diversity of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates. This section should be useful for practitioners in selecting what species to monitor in relation to aquatic organism passage. 3. Methods for evaluating aquatic organism passage: In this section, we present a range of perspectives on alternatives for assessing and monitoring aquatic organism passage impairment and the effectiveness of passage restoration actions, including the following methods: Individual Movement, Occupancy Models, Abundance (Demography), and Molecular Genetic Markers. 4. Relevance, strengths, and limitations of the four methods: In this section, we discuss the utility of each of the methods as a tool for assessing and quantifying passage impairment and restoration effectiveness. 5. Guidelines for selecting a method: In this section, we review some fundamental criteria and guidelines to consider when selecting a method for monitoring in the context of answering three important questions that should be addressed when developing a plan for evaluating aquatic organism passage. 6. Study and monitoring design considerations: In this section, we discuss four key design elements that need to be considered when developing a monitoring design for assessing passage impairment and restoration. The basic objectives of the report are to: 1. Review the movement characteristics of five groups of aquatic organisms that inhabit streams and to assess their general vulnerability to passage impairment at road-stream crossings; 2. Review four methods for monitoring aquatic organism passage impairment and the effectiveness of actions to restore passage at road-stream crossing structures; 3. Assess the relevance, strengths, and limitations of each method as a monitoring tool; 4. Identify and discuss guidelines that will be useful for selecting a monitoring method; and 5. Discuss what we have identified as the four key elements that need to be considered when developing a monitoring design for assessing passage impairment and restoration at road-stream crossings.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2017

A comparison of three federal datasets for thermoelectric water withdrawals in the United States for 2010

Historically, thermoelectric water withdrawal has been estimated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) water-use compilations. Recently, the USGS developed models for estimating withdrawal at thermoelectric plants to provide estimates independent from plant operator-reported withdrawal data. This article compares three federal datasets of thermoelectric withdrawals for the United States in 2010: one based on the USGS water-use compilation, another based on EIA data, and the third based on USGS model-estimated data. The withdrawal data varied widely. Many plants had three different withdrawal values, and for approximately 54% of the plants the largest withdrawal value was twice the smallest, or larger. The causes of discrepancies among withdrawal estimates included definitional differences, definitional noise, and various nondefinitional causes. The uncertainty in national totals can be characterized by the range among the three datasets, from 5,640 m 3 /s (129 billion gallons per day [bgd]) to 6,954 m 3 /s (158 bgd), or by the aggregate difference between the smallest and largest values at each plant, from 4,014 m 3 /s (92 bgd) to 8,590 m 3 /s (196 bgd). When used to assess the accuracy of reported values, the USGS model estimates identify plants that need to be reviewed.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗
USGS2001

Data-collection methods, quality-assurance data, and site considerations for total dissolved gas monitoring, lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2000

Excessive total dissolved gas pressure can cause gas-bubble trauma in fish downstream from dams on the Columbia River. In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey collected data on total dissolved gas pressure, barometric pressure, water temperature, and probe depth at eight stations on the lower Columbia River from the John Day forebay (river mile 215.6) to Camas (river mile 121.7) in water year 2000 (October 1, 1999, to September 30, 2000). These data are in the databases of the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Methods of data collection, review, and processing, and quality-assurance data are presented in this report.

Oregon, Washington↗
USGS1971

Monitoring pesticides in wildlife

Early in the development of the wildlife monitoring program, certain criteria were recognized as being important in the selection of species of wild animals suitable for pesticide monitoring purposes. Ideally, the forms selected should be geographically well distributed, and they should be reasonably abundant and readily available for sampling. In addition, animals occurring near the top of food chains have the capacity to reflect residues in organisms occurring at lower levels in the same food chains. Based on these criteria, species chosen for monitoring include the starling (Sturnus vulgaris), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and black ducks (Anas rubripes), and the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The black duck is substituted for the mallard in States where suitable numbers of mallards cannot be obtained. The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife is held responsible for the execution of the wildlife portion of the National Pesticide Monitoring Program. The primary objective is to ascertain on a nationwide basis and independent of specific treatments the levels and trends of certain pesticidal chemicals and other pollutants in the bodies of selected forms of wildlife. The program was first described by Johnson et al. (4) in 1967. The purpose of this report is to update and redescribe the wildlife monitoring program and briefly review accomplishments.

Pesticides Monitoring Journal↗
USGS2017

Status of natural and human environment

This report present the results of the 2017 AMAP Assessment of Adaptation Actions for a changing Arctic (AACA): Perspectives form the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Region. This is one of three pilot study regions included in the AACA project. AACA is the first AMAP assessment dealing with adaptation actions and how to meet possible Arctic futures in these times of rapid chance. Information contained in this report is fully referenced and based first and foremost on peer-reviewed and published results of research and monitoring undertaken within the past decade. Care has been taken to ensure that no critical probability statements are based on non-peer-reviewed materials Access to reliable and up-to-date information is essential for the development of science-based decision-making regarding ongoing changes in the Arctic and their global implications.

Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort region↗
USGS2023

Review and development of best practices for toxicity tests with dreissenid mussels

Since their introduction to North America in the 1980s, research to develop effective control tools for invasive mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis ) has been ongoing across various research institutions using a range of testing methods. Inconsistencies in experimental methods and reporting present challenges for comparing data, repeating experiments, and applying results. The Invasive Mussel Collaborative established the Toxicity Testing Work Group (TTWG) in 2019 to identify “best practices” and guide development of a standard framework for dreissenid mussel toxicity testing protocols. We reviewed the literature related to laboratory-based dreissenid mussel toxicity tests and determined the degree to which standard guidelines have been used and their applicability to dreissenid mussel testing. We extracted detailed methodology from 99 studies from the peer-reviewed and gray literature and conducted a separate analysis for studies using presettlement and postsettlement mussels. We identified specific components of methods and approaches that could be refined or standardized for dreissenid mussels. These components included species identification, collection methods, size/age class distinction, maintenance practices, testing criteria, sample size, response measures, reporting parameters, exposure methods, and mortality criteria. We consulted experts in the field of aquatic toxicology and dreissenid mussel biology on our proposed. The final recommendations contained in the present review are based on published standard guidelines, methods reported in the published and gray literature, and the expertise of TTWG members and an external panel. In addition, our review identifies research needs for dreissenid mussel testing including improved methods for early–life stage testing, comparative data on life stages and between dreissenid mussel species, inclusion of a reference toxicant, and additional testing of nontarget species (i.e., other aquatic organisms). Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1649–1666. © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1987

Effects of contaminants on naiad mollusks (Unionidae): A review

Although the uptake, storage, and elimination of contaminants by naiad mollusks has been studied, relatively little information is available on toxicity. Contaminants appear to have destroyed some populations directly by exerting toxic effects, or indirectly by causing or contributing to the elimination of essential food organisms or host fish. The most frequently studied contaminants are Cd, Cu, Mn-Mn 54 , Pb-Pb 210 . and Zn-Zn 65 . Manganese seems to be most readily taken up and stored in tissues; no apparent damage has been reported from tissue concentrations of thousands of parts per million (ppm) and the element appears to be essential to metabolism. Zinc and cadmium also accumulate at high levels in tissues. Lead was never found to be lethal in the studies reviewed. Various common contaminants have been reported to be toxic at the following concentrations (ppm): cadmium. 2; copper sulfate, 2 to 18.7; ammonia, 5; potassium. 11; chromium, 12.4; arsenic trioxide, 16; copper, 19; and zinc, 66. In long-term exposures, concentrations of copper as low as 25 parts per billion (ppb) were lethal. Fry of fish infected with 20-35 glochidia were more sensitive than uninfected fish to toluene, naphthalene, and crude oil. Although few specific adverse impacts of contaminants have become clearly evident, circumstantial evidence leaves little doubt that contaminants have been responsible for decreases in population density, range, and diversity. Stresses that have been responsible for the disappearance of naiad mollusks in contaminated areas have not generally been identified, and the components of the stresses have seldom been quantitatively and qualitatively correlated with the composition and size of the naiad fauna. Often two or more factors appear to work in combination to produce the total stress that adversely affects populations. Naiad mollusks are important indicaters of contaminants in the environment; residues in soft tissue indicate recent or current exposure, and residues in shells indicate past exposure.

Resource Publication↗
USGS2002

Preliminary hydrogeologic assessment and study plan for a regional ground-water resource investigation of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces of North Carolina

Prolonged drought, allocation of surface-water flow, and increased demands on ground-water supplies resulting from population growth are focuses for the need to evaluate ground-water resources in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces of North Carolina. Urbanization and certain aspects of agricultural production also have caused increased concerns about protecting the quality of ground water in this region. More than 75 percent of the State's population resides in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces in an area that covers 30,544 square miles and 65 counties. Between 1940 and 2000, the population in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces increased from 2.66 to 6.11 million; most of this increase occurred in the Piedmont. Of the total population, an estimated 1.97 million people, or 32.3 percent (based on the 1990 census), relied on ground water for a variety of uses, including commercial, industrial, and most importantly, potable supplies. Ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont traditionally has not been considered as a source for large supplies, primarily because of readily available and seemingly limitless surface-water supplies, and the perception that ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces occurs in a complex, generally heterogeneous geologic environment. Some reluctance to use ground water for large supplies derives from the reputation of aquifers in these provinces for producing low yields to wells, and the few high-yield wells that are drilled seem to be scattered in areas distant from where they are needed. Because the aquifers in these provinces are shallow, they also are susceptible to contamination by activities on the land surface. In response to these issues, the North Carolina Legislature supported the creation of a Resource Evaluation Program to ensure the long-term availability, sustainability, and quality of ground water in the State. As part of the Resource Evaluation Program, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, initiated a multiyear study of ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces. The study began in 1999. Most of the study area is underlain by a complex, two-part, regolith-fractured crystalline rock aquifer system. Thickness of the regolith throughout the study area is highly variable and ranges from 0 to more than 150 feet. The regolith consists of an unconsolidated or semiconsolidated mixture of clay and fragmental material ranging in grain size from silt to boulders. Because porosities range from 35 to 55 percent, the regolith provides the bulk of the water storage within the Blue Ridge and Piedmont ground-water system. At the base of the regolith is the transition zone where saprolite grades into unweathered bedrock. The transition zone has been identified as a potential conduit for rapid ground-water flow. If this is the case, the transition zone also may serve as a conduit for rapid movement of contaminants to nearby wells or to streams with channels that cut into 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Raleigh, North Carolina. 2 North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section. or through the transition zone. How rapidly a contaminant moves through the system largely may be a function of the characteristics of the transition zone. The transition zone is one of several topics identified during the literature review and data synthesis, for which there is a deficiency in data and understanding of the processes involved in the movement of ground water to surface water. Because the Blue Ridge and Piedmont study area is so large, and the hydrogeology diverse, it is not feasible to study all of the area in detail. A more feasible approach is to select areas that are most representative of the land use, geology, and hydrology to obtain an understanding of the hydrologic processes in the selected areas, and transfer the knowledge from these local "type areas" to similar regional hydrogeologic areas. For the purpose of this study, the term "type area" applies to a 10- to 100-square mile area within a hydrogeologic terrane where information is sufficient to develop and test a concept of ground-water flow by using analytical or numerical methods that can be validated by field measurements. Ideally, these type areas are selected to be representative of the flow system that is present wherever a particular hydrogeologic terrane is present. This report consists of two basic parts. The first part describes the results of a comprehensive review and synthesis of information and literature that provides the basic background for the study. This includes current (2002) knowledge regarding general geology and the hydrogeologic framework of the fractured-rock aquifer system that underlies the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces. In spite of the quantity of information identified during the literature review and the amount of past work that has been documented, there are still research needs to be met. The second part of the report describes State ground-water issues and problems, available data, and data deficiencies. It also describes the design and implementation of efforts to characterize ground-water quality and to quantify factors that influence the movement and availability of ground water in the hydrogeologic terranes characterized by (1) massive or foliated crystalline rocks overlain by thick regolith and (2) massive or foliated crystalline rocks overlain by thin regolith. As of September 2001, seven sites had been identified as potential study sites to be used to characterize the hydrogeology and water quality of ype areas considered representative of the larger terranes. Detailed geologic mapping, core drilling, well installation, and surface and borehole geophysical surveys are in progress at four of the sites.

North Carolina↗