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At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
USGS1979

A technique for estimating heights reached by the 100-year flood on unregulated, nontidal streams in North Carolina

A method for estimating the heights reached by floods having a recurrence interval of 100 years is defined for nontidal streams with unregulated flows in North Carolina. The flood heights are the vertical distance between stream stage at median discharge (50 percent duration) and the 100-year flood stage and are defined for streams draining areas between 1 and 10,000 square miles for each of the three physiographic areas in the State. An illustrated example of how the method can be used in conjunction with topographic maps to estimate flood heights and delineate inundated areas by interpolation is given.

North Carolina↗
USGS1984

Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Coastal river basins of the North Shore and Massachusetts Bay

The coastal river basins of the North Shore and Boston Bay include streams draining the Parker River (60.4 square miles), Rowley River (9.9 square miles), Ipswich River (156 miles), Mystic River (66.0 square miles), Charles River (311 square miles), Neponset River (117 square miles), Weymouth Fore and Weymouth Back Rivers (about 63 square miles) and Weir River (about 20 square miles) basins. The study area in eastern and northeastern Massachusetts also includes the minor river basins draining into Massachusetts Bay, Ipswich Bay, or the Atlantic Ocean. Drainage areas using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics at 15 gaging stations were calculated using a new data base with daily flow records through 1981. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 95 partial-record sites and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of a basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for 15 gaged streams. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities. (USGS)

Massachusetts↗
USGS1984

Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Blackstone River basin

The Blackstone River basin encompasses 335 square miles in south-central Massachusetts, including parts of Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics, were calculated using a new data base with records through 1980. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. The 7-day, 10-year low-flow values are presented for 31 partial-record sites and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of the basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for the six gaged streams in the Blackstone River basin. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources-related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island↗
USGS1985

Traveltime, longitudinal-dispersion, reaeration, and basin characteristics of the White River, Colorado and Utah

Traveltime and longitudinal-dispersion characteristics were measured for the White River using dye tracers. Discharges ranged from 281 to 1,840 cubic feet per second and velocities ranged from 1.26 to 3.17 miles per hour. Traveltimes were determined for discharges other than measured discharges by a graphical method and a linear-regression method. Longitudinal-dispersion coefficients ranged from 284 square feet per second at a discharge of 539 cubic feet per second to 5,430 square feet per second at a discharge of 1,580 cubic feet per second. Reaeration was measured in four reaches of the White River during a medium-flow period in August 1982. Reaeration coefficients at 20 degrees Celsius ranged from 5.3 to 25.3 per day. The results of a comparison with measured reaeration coefficients and reaeration coefficients predicted using empirical equations showed that the most accurate equations were by Bennett and Rathbun (1972) and Isaacs and Gaudy (1968). Basin characteristics were computed using U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, precipitation data from the National Weather Service, and aerial photographs taken on September 11, 1981. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1994

Water-surface profile and flood boundaries for the computed 100-year flood, Muddy Creek, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana

Hydrologic and hydraulic evaluations of Muddy Creek were made to determine the magnitude of the 100-year flood and the extent of flooding that would occur as the result of this flood. Forty-three cross sections were surveyed and 14 cross sections were synthesized along a 6.7-mile reach of Muddy Creek. Data from the surveys were used to calculate the water-surface flood elevation at each cross section using a computer program (WSPRO) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The water-surface profile of the computed 100-year flood elevations was then drawn. The profile shows the streambed elevation and the location of one bridge, one culvert, and cross sections. The computed 100-year flood elevation at each cross section was used to delineate the width of the flood plain at that section. Flood boundaries between cross sections were interpolated using contour lines on topographic maps.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1994

Water-surface profile and flood boundaries for the computed 100-year flood, Lame Deer Creek, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana

Hydrologic and hydraulic evaluations of Lame Deer Creek were made to determine the magnitude of the 100-year flood and the extent of flooding that would occur as the result of this flood. SixtY-six cross sections were Surveyed and 25 cross sections were synthesized along a 9.5-mile reach of Lame Deer Creek. Data from the surveys were used to calculate the water-surface elevation at each cross section using a computer program (WSPRO) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The water-surface profile of the computed 100-year flood elevations was then drawn. The profile shows the streambed elevation and the location of the bridge, culverts, and cross sections. The computed 100-year flood elevation at each cross section was used to delineate the width of the flood plain at that section. Flood boundaries between cross sections were interpolated using contour lines on topographic maps.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1994

An updated numerical simulation of the ground-water flow system for the Castle Lake debris dam, Mount St. Helens, Washington, and implications for dam stability against heave

A numerical simulation of the ground-water flow system in the Castle Lake debris dam, calibrated to data from the 1991 and 1992 water years, was used to estimate factors of safety against heave and internal erosion. The Castle Lake debris dam, 5 miles northwest of the summit of Mount St. Helens, impounds 19,000 acre-ft of water that could pose a flood hazard in the event of a lake breakout. A new topographic map of the Castle Lake area prior to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was prepared and used to calculate the thickness of the debris avalanche deposits that compose the dam. Water levels in 22 piezometers and discharges from seeps on the dam face measured several times per year beginning in 1990 supplemented measurements in 11 piezometers and less frequent seep discharge measurements made since 1983. Observations in one group of piezometers reveal heads above the land surface and head gradients favoring upward flow that correspond to factors of safety only slightly greater than 2. The steady-state ground-water flow system in the debris dam was simulated using a threedimensional finite difference computer program. A uniform, isotropic model having the same shape as the dam and a hydraulic conductivity of 1.55 ft/day simulates the correct water level at half the observation points, but is in error by 10 ft or more at other points. Spatial variations of hydraulic conductivity were required to calibrate the model. The model analysis suggests that ground water flows in both directions between the debris dam and Castle Lake. Factors of safety against heave and internal erosion were calculated where the model simulated upward flow of ground water. A critical gradient analysis yields factors of safety as low as 2 near the piezometers where water level observations indicate low factors of safety. Low safety factors are also computed near Castle Creek where slumping was caused by a storm in January, 1990. If hydraulic property contrasts are present in areas of the debris dam unsampled by piezometers, then low safety factors may exist that are not evident in the numerical model analysis. Numerical model simulations showed that lowering Castle Lake by 40 feet increases many factors of safety by 0.1, but increases greater than 1 are limited to the area of 1990 slumping.

Washington↗
USGS1995

Water-surface profile and flood boundaries for the computed 100-year flood, Rosebud Creek, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana

Hydrologic and hydraulic evaluations of Rosebud Creek were made to determine the magnitude of the 100-year flood and the extent of flooding that would occur as the result of this flood. The magnitude of the 100-year flood was determined to range from 2,620 to 3,980 ft3/s, depending on location. Field surveys were made at 149 cross sections along a 39-mile reach of Rosebud Creek. An additional 33 cross sections along the same reach were synthesized. Data from the surveys were used to calculate the water-surface elevation at each cross section using a computer program (WSPRO) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The water-surface profile of the computed 100-year flood elevations was then drawn. The profile also shows the streambed elevation and the location of the bridges and cross sections. The computed 100-year flood elevation at each cross section was used to delineate the width of the flood plain at that section. Flood boundaries between cross sections were interpolated using contour lines on topographic maps.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1995

Flooding in the middle Koyukuk River basin, Alaska, August 1994

During August 1994, a flood on the Koyukuk River, Alaska, inundated the villages of Allakaket and Alatna and parts of Hughes. Topographic maps of the inundated areas, showing peak water-surface elevations and depths of water, indicate that flooding ranged from 2 to more than 10 feet deep in Allakaket, from 8 to more than 10 feet deep in Alatna, and from 0 to more than 10 feet deep in Hughes. Severe damage to buildings occurred in Allakaket and Alatna; minor damage occurred in Hughes, although some homes were irreparably damaged by inundation. Between the mouth of the Kanuti River, about 10 miles downstream from Allakaket, to Hughes, the peak discharge was about 330,000 cubic feet per second. A flow of that magnitude at Hughes has an annual probability of occurrence of 1 percent.

Alaska↗
USGS1996

Water-surface profile and flood boundaries for the computed 100-year flood, Big Muddy Creek, Fort Peck Indian Reservation and adjacent area, Montana

Hydrologic and hydraulic evaluations of Big Muddy Creek were made to determine the magnitude of the 100-year flood and the extent of flooding that would occur as the result of this flood. The magnitude of the 100-year flood was determined to range from 13,600 to 20,400 ft3/s, depending on location. Field surveys were made at 39 cross sections along a 41-mile reach of Big Muddy Creek. An additional two cross sections along the same reach were synthesized. Data from the surveys were used to calculate the water-surface elevation at each cross section using a computer program (WSPRO) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The water-surface profile of the computed 100-year flood elevations was then drawn. The profile also shows the streambed elevation and the location of the bridges and cross sections. The computed 100-year flood elevation at each cross section was used to delineate the width of the flood plain at that section. Flood boundaries between cross sections were interpolated using contour lines on topographic maps.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1996

Development, verification, and application of a simplified method to estimate total-streambed scour at bridge sites in Illinois

A simplified method to estimate total-streambed scour was developed for application to bridges in the State of Illinois. Scour envelope curves, developed as empirical relations between calculated total scour and bridge-site chracteristics for 213 State highway bridges in Illinois, are used in the method to estimate the 500-year flood scour. These 213 bridges, geographically distributed throughout Illinois, had been previously evaluated for streambed scour with the application of conventional hydraulic and scour-analysis methods recommended by the Federal Highway Administration. The bridge characteristics necessary for application of the simplified bridge scour-analysis method can be obtained from an office review of bridge plans, examination of topographic maps, and reconnaissance-level site inspection. The estimates computed with the simplified method generally resulted in a larger value of 500-year flood total-streambed scour than with the more detailed conventional method. The simplified method was successfully verified with a separate data set of 106 State highway bridges, which are geographically distributed throughout Illinois, and 15 county highway bridges.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1998

Revised Methods for Characterizing Stream Habitat in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

Stream habitat is characterized in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program as part of an integrated physical, chemical, and biological assessment of the Nation's water quality. The goal of stream habitat characterization is to relate habitat to other physical, chemical, and biological factors that describe water-quality conditions. To accomplish this goal, environmental settings are described at sites selected for water-quality assessment. In addition, spatial and temporal patterns in habitat are examined at local, regional, and national scales. This habitat protocol contains updated methods for evaluating habitat in NAWQA Study Units. Revisions are based on lessons learned after 6 years of applying the original NAWQA habitat protocol to NAWQA Study Unit ecological surveys. Similar to the original protocol, these revised methods for evaluating stream habitat are based on a spatially hierarchical framework that incorporates habitat data at basin, segment, reach, and microhabitat scales. This framework provides a basis for national consistency in collection techniques while allowing flexibility in habitat assessment within individual Study Units. Procedures are described for collecting habitat data at basin and segment scales; these procedures include use of geographic information system data bases, topographic maps, and aerial photographs. Data collected at the reach scale include channel, bank, and riparian characteristics.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1999

Hydrologic assessment of the Upper Dorr Run Watershed, Hocking County, Ohio, 1998

The Upper Dorr Run Watershed in Hocking County, Ohio, has been mined several times for coal and clay since 1913 and is a significant source of acid mine drainage to the Hocking River. To assess the surface-water hydrology of the site, a topographic map showing the location of springs and other hydrologic features of interest was prepared using aerial photography and field surveying and mapping techniques. Discharge and water-quality measurements at six springs and one stream site were made during field investigations in June 1998. Discharge and water quality observed at a downstream weir on Upper Dorr Run represents the combined discharge from springs plus ground-water inflow. Discharges from springs to surface water were generally small (less than 0.3 cubic foot per second), but one spring constituted 56 percent of the total discharge measured at the downstream weir. The total flow at an intermediate measurement site was less than the combined discharge of the upgradient springs because of evaporation, transpiration, and ground-water flow beneath the stream channel. The total flow at the weir was greater than the combined discharge of all springs, primarily because two potential sources of water were not included in field measurements. The water quality in Upper Dorr Run is strongly affected by acid mine drainage as indicated by pH less than 4, elevated acidity, and elevated concentrations of dissolved sulfate and dissolved iron. Concentrations of chemical constituents in the water were lower at the downstream weir than at the source springs because of residence times in ponds and chemical interactions between the water and the atmosphere. Acidity loads during the sampling period were significantly higher from the Lower Kittanning (No. 5) coal (272 kilograms per day) than from the Upper Kittanning (No. 6) coal (17.7 kilograms per day). Comparison of data obtained in 1998 to data obtained in 1982 showed that quality of water of selected sampling sites had not changed appreciably in 16 years.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2022

Scaling-up deep learning predictions of hydrography from IfSAR data in Alaska

The United States National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a database of vector features representing the surface water features for the country. The NHD was originally compiled from hydrographic content on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps but is being updated with higher quality feature representations through flow-routing techniques that derive hydrography from high-resolution elevation data. However, deriving hydrography through flow-routing methods is a complex process that needs to be tailored to different geographic conditions, which can lead to varying solutions. To address this problem, this paper evaluates automated deep learning and its transferability to extract hydrography from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) elevation data spanning a range of geographic conditions in Alaska.

Alaska↗
USGS1990

Plant communities of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park

A survey of the plant communities on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, was conducted from January through July 1988. Vegetation data were collected at 296 sites using a releve technique. The plant communities described include: grassland, coastal marsh, caliche scrub, coastal sage scrub, lupine scrub, baccharis scrub, coastal bluff scrub, coastal dune scrub, mixed chaparral, mixed woodland, torrey pine woodland, closed-cone pine woodland, island oak woodland, riparian woodland, and riparian herbaceous vegetation. The areal extent of each community was mapper on USGS 7.5' topographic maps, and digitized for GIS manipulation.

Technical Report↗
USGS2006

Characterization of breeding habitats for black and surf scoters in the eastern boreal forest and subarctic regions of Canada

We analyzed characteristics of wetland habitats used by breeding black scoters (Melanitta nigra) and surf scoters (M. perspicillata) in the eastern boreal forest and subarctic regions of Canada based on satellite telemetry data collected in the spring and summer. During 2002 and 2004, nine black scoters (four males, five females) were tracked to breeding areas in Quebec, Manitoba, and Northwest Territories. In addition, in 2001?04, seven surf scoters (three males, four females) were tracked to breeding areas in Labrador, Quebec, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Based on satellite telemetry data, locations of black and surf scoters in breeding areas were not significantly different in regard to latitude and longitude. Presumed breeding areas were manually plotted on topographic maps and percent cover type and water were estimated. Breeding habitat of black scoters was significantly different than that for surf scoters, with black scoters mainly using open (tundra) areas (44%) and surf scoters using mainly forest areas (66%). Surf scoters presumed breeding areas were at significantly higher elevations than areas used by black scoters. Some breeding areas were associated with islands, but the role of islands for breeding areas is equivocal. These results aid in the identification of potentially critical breeding areas and provide a baseline classification of breeding habitats used by these two species.

Book chapter↗
USGS1974

The winter bird survey of central Maryland, U.S.A

A method for monitoring changes in winter bird populations was tested in central Maryland in the winters of 1970, 1971 and 1972. A systematic sample of 41 transects was established to sample an area of 6150 sq. km. Each transect, located at the center of a standard 7 1/2-minute topographic map, was 8 km in length and approximately square in shape. Coverage began at local sunrise on any one day from 15 January to 15 February, and was completed in exactly 4 hours. Birds seen or heard within one-fourth mile (0.40) km were recorded separately for each hour, and those identified at a greater distance were entered in a separate column. The mean number of species per route was 29. Ten species showed a statistically significant change from 1970 to 1971 and 8 from 1971 to 1972. The Winter Bird Survey results were compared with the results from the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count in the same area. Close correlation was found between the two surveys, but in general the Winter Bird Survey totals are higher except for species that frequent feeding trays and those that are conspicuous along roadsides. The Winter Bird Survey method shows much promise as a means of world-wide monitoring of bird populations; it is urged that field tests be conducted on other continents.

Acta Ornithologica↗
USGS2008

Radargrammetry on three planets

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) can provide useful images in situations where passive optical imaging cannot, either because the microwaves used can penetrate atmospheric clouds, because active imaging can "see in the dark," or both. We have participated in the NASA Magellan mission to Venus in the 1990s and the current NASA-ESA Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan, which have used SAR to see through the clouds of Venus and Titan, respectively, and have developed software and techniques for the production of digital topographic models (DTMs) from radar stereopairs. We are currently preparing for similar radargrammetric analysis of data from the Mini-RF instrument to be carried to the Moon on both the ISRO Chandrayaan-1 and NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) missions later in 2008. These instruments are intended to image the permanently shadowed areas at the lunar poles and even see below the surface to detect possible water ice deposits. In this paper, we describe our approach to radargrammetric topographic mapping, based on the use of the USGS ISIS software system to ingest and prepare data, and the commercial stereoanalysis software SOCET SET (® BAE Systems), augmented with custom sensor models we have implemented, for DTM production and editing. We describe the commonalities and differences between the various data sets, and some of the lessons learned, both radargrammetric and geoscientific.

The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, ↗