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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
USGS2022

The Water Recycling Revolution: Tapping into the future

The Water Recycling Revolution discusses issues affecting acceptance of water reuse for public supply. The book is useful to water resource, regulatory, and public health professionals interested in the history of successful and unsuccessful attempts to conserve, recycle, and reuse treated municipal wastewater as a public resource. The book is timely given the extended drought conditions throughout much of the American southwest and the almost one billion gallons of water available daily for reuse in southern California alone (Ding, 2022).

Groundwater↗
USGS2007

Understanding knowledge and perceptions of bats among residents of Fort Collins, Colorado

As regional urbanization increases in Colorado, so do interactions between humans and wildlife. Where previous habitat has been reduced due to urbanization and development, a few bat species that easily adapt to new environments now roost in homes and buildings (Kunz and Reynolds, 2003). Bats frequently serve as reservoirs of disease that have potential health consequences for humans and other mammals (Messenger and others, 2003). As bat use of buildings becomes more frequent, the incidences of bat/human contact and the risk of spreading disease also increase. In Colorado, rabies is most common in the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) Pape and others, 1999), the most ubiquitous species of urban-dwelling bat in the United States (Barbour and Davis, 1969) and the most common species submitted for rabies testing in Colorado (Pape and others, 1999). An in-depth knowledge of the big brown bat - including its ecology, habitat and movements, and aspects of disease transmission - and of its interactions with humans is essential for making informed management decisions regarding this species. To balance the competing priorities of species preservation and public safety, natural resource managers and public health professionals must be able to accurately estimate citizens' knowledge, perceptions, and perceived risks regarding the bat species that use human dwellings and harbor diseases potentially dangerous to humans. A recently completed five-year ecological study (2001-2005) on bats inhabiting buildings in Fort Collins, Colo., has provided much information on the basic epidemiology of rabies and on the ecology of the local bat population (Davis, Rudd, and Bowen, 2007; Ellison and others, 2007; Neubaum, Douglas, and others, in press; Neubaum, O'Shea, and Wilson, 2006; Neubaum, Wilson, and O'Shea, 2007; O'Shea, Ellison, and Stanley, 2004; Pearce and O'Shea, 2007; Pearce and others, in press; Shankar and others, 2004; Shankar and others, 2005; Wimsatt and others 2005). Research investigating the human dimensions of bats and bat/rabies relationships, however, has been very limited (Gibbins and others, 2002; Liesener and others, 2006). Herein, we report the results of a study to evaluate perceptions and knowledge of bats and rabies among residents of Fort Collins, Colo. The study resulted from collaborations between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) bat ecologists of the Trust Species and Habitats branch, and social scientists of the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance branch, both of the USGS Fort Collins Science Center (FORT).

Open-File Report↗
USGS1976

Leasing policies for the extractive resources

Much of the available analysis of policies for the disposal of publicly held resources is based on comparatively straightforward extensions of the neoclassical pricing and allocation theory. As such, these analyses have to a large extent not fully incorporated the fact that firms normally acquire rights to these resources in sealed tender markets. In this paper, a simple bidding model is used to show that the choice of disposal policies can influence the firm's bid and also the public revenues obtained from the sale of the resource. It is additionally shown that the implications of such policy choices are conditioned by the firm's attitudes towards risk. Finally, it is argued that a modification of existing prescriptions may be necessary if a more realistic specification of the disposal problem taking account of the sealed tender market in which rights are obtained, is considered.

The Annals of Regional Science↗
USGS2015

The current status of mapping karst areas and availability of public sinkhole-risk resources in karst terrains of the United States

Subsidence from sinkhole collapse is a common occurrence in areas underlain by water-soluble rocks such as carbonate and evaporite rocks, typical of karst terrain. Almost all 50 States within the United States (excluding Delaware and Rhode Island) have karst areas, with sinkhole damage highest in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. A conservative estimate of losses to all types of ground subsidence was $125 million per year in 1997. This estimate may now be low, as review of cost reports from the last 15 years indicates that the cost of karst collapses in the United States averages more than $300 million per year. Knowing when a catastrophic event will occur is not possible; however, understanding where such occurrences are likely is possible. The US Geological Survey has developed and maintains national-scale maps of karst areas and areas prone to sinkhole formation. Several States provide additional resources for their citizens; Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania maintain databases of sinkholes or karst features, with Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio providing sinkhole reporting mechanisms for the public.

Hydrogeology Journal↗
USGS1984

Government investment in mineral resource information on leasable public lands: The case of strippable coal

A scheme is presented to aid the government in estimating the net benefits, in terms of itsrecovery of expected rents, of performing various levels of exploration of mineral tracts prior to leasing and making such information available to potential bidders. Conditions are identified where the government will profit by investment in geologic data that are collected and provided to potential bidders without reducing the expected returns to bidders. Expected benefits of an optimal data-collection program depend on (1) the degree of bidder risk aversion, (2) the expected degree of lease competition and (3) unique lease tract factors that determine economic rents—thickness of seams, proximity to markets, extraction costs, and the spatial correlation characteristics of data. The effects of price uncertainty and government policies affecting market stability on the value of information are also discussed.

Resources and Energy↗
USGS2022

Stakeholder engagement to guide decision-relevant water data delivery

Water resources management and policy making require access to reliable scientific data. However, water managers may need to overcome various obstacles to accessing data. For example, insufficient technological infrastructures, low data literacy, and data format complexities often inhibit data user access. Thus, it is imperative to include stakeholders in the design of data delivery systems. The United States Geological Survey's Water Resources Mission Area is currently developing Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) — multi-extent, stakeholder driven, near real-time water availability census and prediction for human and ecological uses. To provide appropriate user accessibility to data delivery systems developed for IWAAs, a user-centered design process including stakeholder focus groups was used to determine potential water data user needs and preferences. Focus groups identified five types of potential users: Public sector water resources managers, Public sector water resources manager data analysts, Industry and private companies, Tribal Nations, and Nonprofit organizations. Different water data user types depended on diverse spatial and temporal scale data. Public sector water resources managers benefitted most from data synthesized into user-friendly platforms and Public sector water resources data analysts preferred easy access to raw data. These findings can support the development of a water data delivery platform that meets a variety of user needs.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗
USGS2024

California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project: Domestic-Supply Assessment

The GAMA-PBP is a comprehensive assessment of statewide groundwater quality in California. The first phase of the GAMA-PBP in 2004–15 assessed groundwater resources used for public drinking-water supplies. The second phase is assessing groundwater resources used for domestic drinking-water supplies. An estimated 2 million Californians rely on individual domestic wells or State small-system wells for drinking water, and far less information is available about these resources than about public-supply resources. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began sampling wells for this second phase in 2012. Domestic wells typically are drilled to shallower depths in the groundwater system than public-supply wells. Shallow groundwater may respond more quickly and be more susceptible to contamination from human activities at the land surface than groundwater in deeper aquifers.

California↗
USGS2014

Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy supplies over much of the last three centuries. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to fulfilling the Nation’s energy needs. Although both conventional oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources. Some chapters are new, and several have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters pertain to large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. This volume discusses the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available from chapter I.1 as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files about the characteristics of selected coal beds and oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology. Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs are included in other chapters. Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the topics, papers, and digital images valuable for land-use and policy planning. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian basin↗
USGS2001

A Microsoft Windows version of the MARK3 Monte Carlo resource simulator

This publication includes a version of the MARK3 Monte Carlo resource simulator that will run under Microsoft Windows 98, NT, and 2000. The disc also includes grade and tonnage information and related deposit model files that allow the user to calculate probability curves for mineral resources. A total of 113 deposit models are included on the disc although some of them are subsets of others. In most cases the list of deposits with associated grade and tonnage data are also present. Ten of the models contain proprietary information and the grade and tonnage for those are not included. The program also includes an extensive help file that provides information about the program and about the concepts that are the basis of the program and about this method for estimating quantitative mineral resources.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2007

An overview of the Valles Caldera National Preserve: the natural and cultural resources

The Valles Caldera National Preserve is one of New Mexico’s natural wonders and a popular area for public recreation, sustainable natural resource production, and scientific research and education. Here, we provide a concise overview of the natural and cultural history of the Preserve, including descriptions of the ecosystems, flora and fauna. We note that, at the landscape scale, the Valles caldera appears to be spectacularly pristine; however, humans have extracted resources from the Preserve area for many centuries, resulting in localized impacts to forests, grasslands and watersheds. The Valles Caldera Trust is now charged with managing the Preserve and providing public access, while preserving and restoring these valuable public resources.

New Mexico↗
USGS1987

Monthly streamflow and ground-water conditions in the United States and southern Canada, water years, 1945-85

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey has been measuring streamflow since 1888 and collecting ground-water data since 1894. The monthly publication Water Resources Review (now National Water Conditions) was established in water year 1945 to provide information quickly to the public on the status of surface- and ground-water resources of the Nation. Each monthly issue contains a map depicting the status of water conditions relative to normal for that month. This report presents these maps and a synopsis of surface and ground-water conditions for the last 41 water years (194585); a water year begins October 1 and ends September 30 of the following year.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1981

Current water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey in North Dakota; fiscal year 1981

The U.S. Geological Survey, through its Water Resources Division, investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution, and movement of the surface and underground water that composes the Nation's water resources. This publication contains a brief description of the ongoing investigations of the North Dakota District. Much of the Geological Survey program is conducted in cooperation with several state agencies and other Federal agencies. The publications resulting from the program are listed periodically in a miscellaneous release titled, "Water Resources Investigations in North Dakota, 19xx." The last such release was issued in 1976. They are also listed in a monthly nationwide release titled, "New Publications of the Geological Survey, List xxx--Publications issued in month 19xx."

North Dakota↗
USGS1984

Water-resources investigations in North Dakota; fiscal year 1984

The U.S. Geological Survey, through its Water Resources Division, investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution, and movement of the surface and underground water that composes the Nation's water resources. This publication contains a brief description of the ongoing investigations of the North Dakota District. Much of the Geological Survey program is conducted in cooperation with other Federal agencies and several state agencies. The publications resulting from the program are listed periodically in a miscellaneous release titled, "Water Resources Investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey, 19XX." The last such release was issued in 1982. They are also listed in a monthly nationwide release titled, "New Publications of the Geological Survey, List XXX--Publications issued in month 19XX."

Open-File Report↗
USGS2016

Preparing future fisheries professionals to make good decisions

Future fisheries professionals will face decision-making challenges in an increasingly complex field of fisheries management. Though fisheries students are well trained in the use of the scientific method to understand the natural world, they are rarely exposed to structured decision making (SDM) as part of an undergraduate or graduate education. Specifically, SDM encourages users (e.g., students, managers) to think critically and communicate the problem and then identify specific, measurable objectives as they relate to the problem. Next, users must think critically and creatively about management alternatives that can be used to meet the objectives—there must be more than one alternative or there is no decision to be made. Lastly, the management alternatives are evaluated with regard to how likely they are to succeed in terms of multiple, possibly completing, objectives, such as how stakeholder groups value outcomes of management actions versus monetary cost. We believe that exposure to SDM and its elements is an important part of preparing future fisheries professional to meet the challenges they may face. These challenges include reduced budgets, the growth of potentially competing natural resource interest groups, and stakeholder desire to be involved in management decisions affecting public trust resources, just to name a few.

Fisheries↗