SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Nature Scientific Reports”

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

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources

USGS2020

Compounds of emerging concern detected in water samples from potable water and wastewater treatment plants and detected in water and bed-sediment samples from sites on the Trinity River, Dallas, Texas, 2009–13

The population in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in northern Texas is rapidly growing, resulting in a rapid increase in the demand for potable water and an increase in the discharge of wastewater treatment plant effluent. An assessment of compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in samples collected at potable water and wastewater treatment plants in Dallas and downstream from Dallas in the Trinity River was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Dallas, Dallas Water Utilities. CECs are synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not commonly monitored in the environment but can enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological or human health effects. CECs can enter the environment through nonpoint sources (for example, runoff) and point sources (for example, concentrated animal feeding operations and treated-effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants), which can increase concentrations of CECs especially in highly populated areas. CECs include pharmaceuticals (prescription and nonprescription), steroidal hormones, stanols, sterols, detergents and detergent metabolites (hereinafter referred to as “detergents”), personal-use products, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), flame retardants, plasticizers, and other organic compounds used in everyday domestic, agricultural, and industrial applications. The release of CECs to the environment went largely unrecognized until relatively recently. Increased loading of certain CECs to the environment, combined with advancements in laboratory analysis methods that resulted in appreciably lower detection levels, brought greater attention to the release of CECs. In addition, synthesis of new chemicals or changes in use and disposal of existing chemicals can create new sources of CECs. Some CECs are endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), which can elicit adverse effects on development, behavior, and reproduction of wildlife and can cause dysfunction of human and wildlife endocrine (hormone) systems. Results of studies in the United States and Europe indicate that CECs, their metabolites, and industrial, agricultural, and household wastewater products are present in the aquatic environment, water treatment plants, and septic systems. CECs, especially pharmaceuticals, are of interest because of their persistence, widespread use, and potential to cause adverse effects in humans and nontargeted organisms. There is also concern that some CECs and EDCs resist degradation of water treatment processes at potable water treatment plants (PWTPs) and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and that treated-effluent discharge could contain compounds that negatively affect biota living in receiving waters. Therefore, CECs and EDCs are more likely to be detected in environmental samples collected near areas of high population density where treated effluent from WWTPs can contribute substantially to receiving waters. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Dallas, Dallas Water Utilities, evaluated the occurrence and concentrations of selected CECs in samples collected at PWTPs and WWTPs in Dallas and downstream from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in the Trinity River, Texas, from August 2009 to December 2013. Water samples were collected at three PWTP sites, two WWTP sites, and five study sites on the Trinity River; all sites where samples were collected were in or downstream from Dallas. These water samples were analyzed for 120 CECs, including human-health pharmaceuticals (prescription and nonprescription), antibiotics, steroidal hormones, stanols, sterols, detergents, personal-use products (flavors and fragrances), pesticides and repellents, industrial wastewater compounds, disinfection compounds, PAHs, flame retardants, and plasticizers. Additionally, bed-sediment samples were collected at each of the five Trinity River sites. The bed-sediment samples were analyzed for 57 CECs. In general, the water treatment processes at PWTPs and WWTPs were effective at reducing detections and concentrations of CECs to undetectable levels or transforming the compounds into degradates that were not analyzed. There were 14 and 73 CECs detected in raw water and in untreated-influent water at PWTPs and WWTPs, respectively. Of these, 11 of the 14 CECs detected in raw-water samples and 44 of the 73 CECs detected in untreated-influent samples were not detected in finished water or in treated-effluent water samples, respectively, indicating that these compounds were removed or degraded to compounds that were not analyzed. Some CECs, however, are resistant to degradation and were detected in untreated and treated water at PWTPs and at WWTPs. The three CECs detected at PWTPs in raw-water and finished-water samples were tris(dichloroisopropyl)phosphate, benzophenone, and methyl salicylate. At WWTPs, 29 CECs were detected, including carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, 4-androstene-3,17- dione , 3-beta-coprostanol, acetyl-hexamethyl-tetrahydronaphthalene (AHTN), hexahydro-hexamethyl-cyclopenta-benzopyran (HHCB), 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tribromomethane, benzophenone, and tris(dichloroisopropyl)phosphate, in untreated and treated water, indicating that treatment processes likely did not remove or degrade these compounds. Of the 23 CECs detected in stream-water samples collected at 5 sites on the Trinity River in or near Dallas, 10 CECs (carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, 3-beta-coprostanol, cholesterol, HHCB, benzophenone, triethyl citrate, tributyl phosphate, and tris(dichloroisopropyl)phosphate) were detected at all 5 sites. The 10 CECs detected in water samples collected at all 5 sites on the Trinity River were also detected in treated-effluent water at WWTPs. Eleven of the 57 targeted CECs were detected in bed-sediment samples collected at study sites on the Trinity River. Of these 11 CECs, only 2 (beta-sitosterol and cholesterol) were detected in bed-sediment samples at all 5 sites on the Trinity River. Nine of these 11 CECs were not detected in any water-column sample, likely because of the strong hydrophobic characteristics of these compounds. Results from water treatment plants indicate that the water treatment process is less effective for removing or degrading compounds that are engineered to be resistant to degradation. These results also indicate the presence of CECs and EDCs at locations upstream from PWTPs in Dallas. Results from Trinity River main-stem sites indicate that some compounds are naturally attenuated during transport, but a few are persistent throughout the study reach. Many CECs and EDCs are hydrophobic and were only detected in bed sediment, indicating multiple pathways through which CECs can persist in the environment. In general, concentrations of CECs in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area were similar to those found in metropolitan areas nationwide.

Texas↗

USGS2018

Understanding the influence of nutrients on stream ecosystems in agricultural landscapes

Sustaining the quality of the Nation’s water resources and the health of our diverse ecosystems depends on the availability of sound water-resources data and information to develop effective, science-based policies. Effective management of water resources also brings more certainty and efficiency to important economic sectors. Taken together, these actions lead to immediate and long-term economic, social, and environmental benefits that make a difference to the lives of the almost 400 million people projected to live in the United States by 2050. In 1991, Congress established the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) to address where, when, why, and how the Nation’s water quality has changed, or is likely to change in the future, in response to human activities and natural factors. Since then, NAWQA has been a leading source of scientific data and knowledge used by national, regional, State, and local agencies to develop science-based policies and management strategies to improve and protect water resources used for drinking water, recreation, irrigation, energy development, and ecosystem needs ( https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/applications/ ). Plans for the third decade of NAWQA (2013–23) address priority water-quality issues and science needs identified by NAWQA stakeholders, such as the Advisory Committee on Water Information and the National Research Council, and are designed to meet increasing challenges related to population growth, increasing needs for clean water, and changing land-use and weather patterns. Excess nutrients are a pervasive problem of streams, lakes, and coastal waters. The current report, “The Quality of Our Nation’s Waters—Understanding the Effects of Nutrients on Stream Ecosystems in Agricultural Landscapes,” presents a summary of results from USGS investigations conducted from 2003 to 2011 on processes that influence nutrients and how nutrient enrichment can alter biological components of agricultural streams. This study included collecting data from 232 sites distributed among eight study areas. This report summarizes findings on processes that influence nutrients and how nutrient enrichment can alter biological communities in agricultural streams. These findings are relevant to local, State, regional, and national decision-makers involved in efforts to (1) better understand the influence of nutrients on agricultural streams, (2) develop nutrient criteria for streams and rivers, (3) reduce nutrients to streams and downstream receiving waters, and (4) develop tools for tracking nutrient and biological conditions following nutrient reduction strategies. All NAWQA reports are available online at https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/bib/ . We hope this publication will provide you with insights and information to meet your water-resource needs and will foster increased citizen awareness and involvement in the protection and restoration of our Nation’s waters. The information in this report is intended primarily for those interested or involved in resource management and protection, conservation, regulation, and policymaking at the regional and national levels.

Central Columbia-Yakima River Basins, Great River ↗

USGS2005

USGS California Water Science Center water programs in California

California is threatened by many natural hazards—fire, floods, landslides, earthquakes. The State is also threatened by longer-term problems, such as hydrologic effects of climate change, and human-induced problems, such as overuse of ground water and degradation of water quality. The threats and problems are intensified by increases in population, which has risen to nearly 36.8 million. For the USGS California Water Science Center, providing scientific information to help address hazards, threats, and hydrologic issues is a top priority. To meet the demands of a growing California, USGS scientific investigations are helping State and local governments improve emergency management, optimize resources, collect contaminant-source and -mobility information, and improve surface- and ground-water quality. USGS hydrologic studies and data collection throughout the State give water managers quantifiable and detailed scientific information that can be used to plan for development and to protect and more efficiently manage resources. The USGS, in cooperation with state, local, and tribal agencies, operates more than 500 instrument stations, which monitor streamflow, ground-water levels, and surface- and ground-water constituents to help protect water supplies and predict the threats of natural hazards. The following are some of the programs implemented by the USGS, in cooperation with other agencies, to obtain and analyze information needed to preserve California's environment and resources.

California↗

USGS2013

Economic resilience through "One-Water" management

Disruption of water availability leads to food scarcity and loss of economic opportunity. Development of effective water-resource policies and management strategies could provide resiliance to local economies in the face of water disruptions such as drought, flood, and climate change. To accomplish this, a detailed understanding of human water use and natural water resource availability is needed. A hydrologic model is a computer software system that simulates the movement and use of water in a geographic area. It takes into account all components of the water cycle--“One Water”--and helps estimate water budgets for groundwater, surface water, and landscape features. The U.S. Geological Survey MODFLOW One-Water Integrated Hydrologic Model (MODFLOWOWHM) software and scientific methods can provide water managers and political leaders with hydrologic information they need to help ensure water security and economic resilience.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2010

Implementation of local grid refinement (LGR) for the Lake Michigan Basin regional groundwater-flow model

The U.S. Geological Survey is evaluating water availability and use within the Great Lakes Basin. This is a pilot effort to develop new techniques and methods to aid in the assessment of water availability. As part of the pilot program, a regional groundwater-flow model for the Lake Michigan Basin was developed using SEAWAT-2000. The regional model was used as a framework for assessing local-scale water availability through grid-refinement techniques. Two grid-refinement techniques, telescopic mesh refinement and local grid refinement, were used to illustrate the capability of the regional model to evaluate local-scale problems. An intermediate model was developed in central Michigan spanning an area of 454 square miles (mi2) using telescopic mesh refinement. Within the intermediate model, a smaller local model covering an area of 21.7 mi2 was developed and simulated using local grid refinement. Recharge was distributed in space and time using a daily output from a modified Thornthwaite-Mather soil-water-balance method. The soil-water-balance method derived recharge estimates from temperature and precipitation data output from an atmosphere-ocean coupled general-circulation model. The particular atmosphere-ocean coupled general-circulation model used, simulated climate change caused by high global greenhouse-gas emissions to the atmosphere. The surface-water network simulated in the regional model was refined and simulated using a streamflow-routing package for MODFLOW. The refined models were used to demonstrate streamflow depletion and potential climate change using five scenarios. The streamflow-depletion scenarios include (1) natural conditions (no pumping), (2) a pumping well near a stream; the well is screened in surficial glacial deposits, (3) a pumping well near a stream; the well is screened in deeper glacial deposits, and (4) a pumping well near a stream; the well is open to a deep bedrock aquifer. Results indicated that a range of 59 to 50 percent of the water pumped originated from the stream for the shallow glacial and deep bedrock pumping scenarios, respectively. The difference in streamflow reduction between the shallow and deep pumping scenarios was compensated for in the deep well by deriving more water from regional sources. The climate-change scenario only simulated natural conditions from 1991-2044, so there was no pumping stress simulated. Streamflows were calculated for the simulated period and indicated that recharge over the period generally increased from the start of the simulation until approximately 2017, and decreased from then to the end of the simulation. Streamflow was highly correlated with recharge so that the lowest streamflows occurred in the later stress periods of the model when recharge was lowest.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2014

Early detection of invasive plants: principles and practices

Invasive plants infest an estimated 2.6 million acres of the 83 million acres managed by the National Park Service (NPS) in the United States. The consequences of these invasions present a significant challenge for the NPS to manage the agency’s natural resources “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” More NPS lands are infested daily despite diligent efforts to curtail the problem. Impacts from invasive species have been realized in most parks, resulting in an expressed need to control existing infestations and restore affected ecosystems. There is a growing urgency in the NPS and other resource management organizations to be proactive. The NPS I&M Program, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Status and Trends Program, compiled this document to provide guidance and insight to parks and other natural areas engaged in developing early-detection monitoring protocols for invasive plants. While several rapid response frameworks exist, there is no consistent or comprehensive guidance informing the active detection of nonnative plants early in the invasion process. Early-detection was selected as a primary focus for invasive-species monitoring because, along with rapid response, it is a key strategy for successful management of invasive species. Eradication efforts are most successful on small infestations (that is less than 1 hectare) and become less successful as infestation size increases, to the point that eradication is unlikely for large (that is greater than 1,000 hectares) populations of invasive plants. This document provides guidance for natural resource managers wishing to detect invasive plants early through an active, directed monitoring program. It has a Quick-Start Guide to direct readers to specific chapters and text relevant to their needs. Decision trees and flow charts assist the reader in deciding what methods to choose and when to use them. This document is written in a modular format to accommodate use of individual chapters. It may also be approached in a linear fashion, as a sequence of steps leading to a comprehensive approach to early-detection. Our primary audience comprises resource professionals within the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program’s networks of parks, but we think that the knowledge and experience captured in this document is more broadly applicable to include other natural areas professionals. We have chosen to emphasize the technical side of invasive species early-detection because this is the arena in which most professionals need more guidance. This approach includes but is not limited to complex techniques that may seem to be just beyond the budgetary and (or) time-bound grasps of some resource professionals. Nonetheless, we have provided low-cost options.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2020

Interpretation of hydrogeologic data to support groundwater management, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, northeast Nebraska, 2019—A case demonstration of the Nebraska Geocloud

Nitrate, age tracer, and continuous groundwater-level data were interpreted in conjunction with airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey data to understand the movement of nitrate within the Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) in northeastern Nebraska. Previously published age tracer data and nitrate data indicated vertical stratification of groundwater quality. Younger groundwater sampled within shallow parts of the aquifer had higher concentrations of nitrate, with 70 percent exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter. In contrast, groundwater sampled from deeper parts of the aquifer indicated that nitrate concentrations were less than 2 milligrams per liter and that groundwater likely recharged prior to widespread use of commercial fertilizer. The hydrostratigraphic interpretation of AEM profiles indicated that shallow and deep monitoring wells were often screened within the same homogenous zone of aquifer material. In contrast, test-hole logs indicated that there often are fine-grained layers within these homogenous zones that separate the shallow and deep monitoring well screens, but these fine-grained layers are not detected by the AEM technique because of decreased resolution of the AEM technique with depth. The stratification of groundwater ages and nitrate concentrations likely was caused by groundwater-flow paths of different length, location and time of recharge, and denitrification. Within paleochannels interpreted from AEM and test-hole data, pesticides detected in groundwater generally coincide with elevated nitrate concentrations. Continuous groundwater-level data from four monitoring well nests indicated that groundwater pumping can impose or increase downward hydraulic gradients and facilitate the downward movement of nitrate into deeper parts of the High Plains aquifer. Given the density of irrigation wells within the BGMA, this effect on the hydraulic gradient is likely prevalent in other areas of the BGMA. Understanding seasonal water-level changes can allow water managers to better predict and assess the hydraulic gradient and the vulnerability of groundwater in deeper parts of the High Plains aquifer. Nitrate, age tracer, and continuous groundwater-level data within the BGMA were interpreted in conjunction with AEM data as a case demonstration of the Nebraska Geocloud. The Nebraska Geocloud was initiated to protect taxpayer investments in AEM data collection and realize maximum benefit of these data by creating a publicly available, online digital database for long-term data storage. The Lower Platte North, Lower Platte South, Papio-Missouri River, Nemaha, Lower Loup, Central Platte, Upper Elkhorn, Lower Elkhorn, Lower Niobrara, and Lewis and Clark Natural Resources Districts; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Conservation and Survey Division, Nebraska Natural Resources Commission, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources; and the U.S. Geological Survey entered a cooperative agreement to begin a program of data management and research aimed at understanding the best use of AEM for groundwater sustainability and management. Resulting case-study interpretations are provided to guide use of the Nebraska Geocloud to assess water-quality conditions and can be used by water managers and staff to address applicable water resource problems.

Nebraska↗

USGS2020

Nature’s Notebook-A tool for recording the timing of seasonal activity of plants and animals

Nature's Notebook is a customizable program used by individual observers and Federal Government partners to document patterns in phenology—the timing of seasonal activity of plants and animals over the course of the calendar year. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) established Nature's Notebook in 2009 to create a standard approach for collecting phenology data on plants and animals across the country. Currently, about half of the data are submitted by independent backyard observers at individual sites and half are submitted by groups of participants as part of a Local Phenology Program. With support from the U.S. Geological Survey, the USA-NPN collects, organizes, and shares data on phenology. This information aids decision making, scientific discovery, and the development of a broader understanding of phenology.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2016

Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, Republican River Basin in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 2002 to 2015

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. More than 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer is used for irrigation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). The Republican River Basin is 15.9 million acres (about 25,000 square miles) and is located in northeast Colorado, northern Kansas, and southwest Nebraska. The Republican River Basin overlies the High Plains aquifer for 87 percent of the basin area. Water-level declines had begun in parts of the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin by 1964. In 2002, management practices were enacted in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District in Nebraska to comply with the Republican River Compact Final Settlement. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Middle Republican Natural Resources District, completed a study of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin from 2002 to 2015 to enable the Middle Republican Natural Resources District to assess the effect of the management practices, which were specified by the Republican River Compact Final Settlement. Water-level changes determined from this study are presented in this report. Water-level changes from 2002 to 2015 in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin, by well, ranged from a rise of 9.4 feet to a decline of 43.2 feet. The area-weighted, average water-level change from 2002 to 2015 in this part of the aquifer was a decline of 4.5 feet.

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska↗

USGS2017

Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses of Great Meadow wetland, Acadia National Park, Maine

The U.S. Geological Survey completed hydrologic and hydraulic analyses of Cromwell Brook and the Sieur de Monts tributary in Acadia National Park, Maine, to better understand causes of flooding in complex hydrologic and hydraulic environments, like those in the Great Meadow wetland and Sieur de Monts Spring area. Regional regression equations were used to compute peak flows with from 2 to 100-year recurrence intervals at seven locations. Light detection and ranging data were adjusted for bias caused by dense vegetation in the Great Meadow wetland; and then combined with local ground surveys used to define the underwater topography and hydraulic structures in the study area. Hydraulic modeling was used to evaluate flood response in the study area to a variety of hydrologic and hydraulic scenarios. Hydraulic modeling indicates that enlarging the culvert at Park Loop Road could help mitigate flooding near the Sieur de Monts Nature Center that is caused by streamflows with large recurrence intervals; however, hydraulic modeling also indicates that the Park Loop Road culvert does not aggravate flooding near the Nature Center caused by the more frequent high intensity rainstorms. That flooding is likely associated with overland flow resulting from (1) quick runoff from the steep Dorr Mountain hitting the lower gradient Great Meadow wetland area and (2) poor drainage aggravated by beaver dams holding water in the wetland. Rapid geomorphic assessment data collected in June 2015 and again in April 2016 indicate that Cromwell Brook has evidence of aggradation, degradation, and channel widening throughout the drainage basin. Two of five reference cross sections developed for this report also indicate channel aggradation.

Maine↗

USGS2002

Mechanisms of impact and potential recovery of nearshore vertebrate predators following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill

The 1989 spill of some 42 million L of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, represents not only the largest tanker spill in United States history, but the world’s largest spill in northern waters. Acute effects have been studied extensively. However, efforts to quantify the spill’s long-term chronic effects and develop defensible restoration measures have been plagued by varying levels of scientific uncertainty. That such uncertainty exists is not unexpected. The spill occurred in Prince William Sound’s highly variable physical setting typified by its complex oceanography and fjord-like geomorphology. Additionally, uncertainty was driven by the scarcity of precise pre-spill population estimates and spotty life-history information for most species. The research reported herein in, structured in eight primary papers and 27 supporting papers (appendices), documents the state of recovery and assessments of continuing constraints to population recovery for four vertebrate predators (sea otter Enhydra lutris , harlequin duck Histrionicus histrionicus , river otter Lontra canadensis , and pigeon guillemot Cepphus columba ) whose recovery status remained uncertain some 5 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. These species are used in a collective weight of evidence approach to better understand the process of coastal community recovery. Each species is examined for the strength of information it brings in health, population, and trophic metrics to support or reject the hypothesis of continuing oil effects in the nearshore system versus the alternatives that food constraints or demographic bottlenecks limit these focal species. While data for individual species contain various levels of uncertainty, scientific confidence is developed in the following picture when examined across species, metric, and hypothesis: Within the nearshore coastal environment, sporadic releases of residual oil are occurring, and benthic species, primarily invertebrates, are being exposed in a temporally and spatially patchy manner sufficient to transport oil up through the food chain. Thus, for the two invertebrate-feeders, sea otter and harlequin duck, evidence exists over several lines of investigation to suggest that local-scale populations continue to be constrained not by food availability or natural demographic processes, but by increased levels of mortality coincident with continued exposure to residual oil. Conversely, weight of evidence suggests that only limited direct oil-related effects are being transferred through the fish trophic pathway. Sufficient evidence suggests recovery is occurring in river otter populations, while the lack of recovery in pigeon guillemot may be attributed to food limitations (both natural and indirectly related to the spill) and/or slow demographic response to initial acute mortalities. Individual lines of investigation often contained uncertainty, but the collective weight of evidence presented in this multipaper volume indicates lack of full recovery of the nearshore ecosystem from the Exxon Valdez oil spill nearly a decade following the event. Integrated, multispecies approaches can allow sufficient weight of evidence to develop despite inherent system variability or data limitations and, thus, facilitate both better societal understanding of such pollution events and development of appropriate restoration responses.

Alaska↗

USGS2007

Nutrient, Habitat, and Basin-Characteristics Data and Relations with Fish and Invertebrate Communities in Indiana Streams, 1998-2000

An analysis of existing nutrient, habitat, basin-characteristics, and biological-community (fish and invertebrate) data assessed significant relations between nutrients and biological data. Data from 1998 through 2000 for 58 sites in the Upper Wabash River Basin, Lower Wabash River Basin, and tributaries to the Great Lakes and Ohio River Basins were analyzed. Correspondence analysis was used to assess significant relations among nutrients, habitat, basin-characteristics, and biological-community data. Canonical correspondence analysis was used to identify which environmental parameters most influenced the biological communities. When all 58 sites were assessed, six biological-community attributes, metric scores, or site scores were statistically sigificant but weak. When a subset of data was analyzed for eight headwater streams in one ecoregion to minimize the naturally occurring variability associated with the 58 sites, the strength of the relations increased and 24 attributes, metric scores, or site scores were significantly related. Fish-community composition in the 58 sites was most influenced by habitat and land use but not by nutrients. The invertebrate-community composition in the 58 sites was most influenced by habitat, land use, soils, and one nutrient (total Kjeldahl nitrogen [TKN]).

Indiana↗

USGS2015

Climate change and prairie pothole wetlands: mitigating water-level and hydroperiod effects through upland management

Prairie pothole wetlands offer crucial habitat for North America’s waterfowl populations. The wetlands also support an abundance of other species and provide ecological services valued by society. The hydrology of prairie pothole wetlands is dependent on atmospheric interactions. Therefore, changes to the region’s climate can have profound effects on wetland hydrology. The relevant literature related to climate change and upland management effects on prairie pothole wetland water levels and hydroperiods was reviewed. Climate change is widely expected to affect water levels and hydroperiods of prairie pothole wetlands, as well as the biota and ecological services that the wetlands support. In general, hydrologic model projections that incorporate future climate change scenarios forecast lower water levels in prairie pothole wetlands and longer periods spent in a dry condition, despite potential increases in precipitation. However, the extreme natural variability in climate and hydrology of prairie pothole wetlands necessitates caution when interpreting model results. Recent changes in weather patterns throughout much of the Prairie Pothole Region have been in increased precipitation that results in increased water inputs to wetlands above losses associated with warmer temperatures. However, observed precipitation increases are within the range of natural climate variability and therefore, may not persist. Identifying management techniques with the potential to affect water inputs to prairie pothole wetlands would provide increased options for managers when dealing with the uncertainties associated with a changing climate. Several grassland management techniques (for example, grazing and burning) have the potential to affect water levels and hydroperiods of prairie pothole by affecting infiltration, evapotranspiration, and snow deposition.

Prairie Pothole Region↗

USGS2020

Conceptual framework and approach for conducting a geoenvironmental assessment of undiscovered uranium resources

This report presents a novel conceptual framework and approach for conducting a geologically based environmental assessment, or geoenvironmental assessment, of undiscovered uranium resources within an area likely to contain uranium deposits. The framework is based on a source-to-receptor model that prioritizes the most likely contaminant sources, contaminant pathways, and affected environmental media for three common uranium extraction methods—open pit or underground mining with milling and in situ recovery (ISR). Data on regional geology, hydrology, and climate, as well as historical uranium mining and milling records are used to estimate the probable amounts of waste rock, tailings, wastewater, surface land disturbance, and subsurface aquifer disturbance for likely mining methods. Constituents of concern that might take the form of leachates, dust, radon, and sediments formed by chemical and physical weathering are also identified in the geoenvironmental assessment. Finally, areas where constituents of concern are likely to occur and persist in air, land, surface water, and groundwater are indicated by the potential for dispersion of dust by wind, accumulation of radon because of air stagnation, dispersion of sediments and wastewater by runoff, and infiltration of wastewater or leachates with consideration of the likely mobility of contaminants in surface water and groundwater. The geoenvironmental assessment output can be summarized in the following primary products: (1) a descriptive geoenvironmental model; (2) maps and statistics of variables that indicate the potential for constituents of concern to occur and persist in air, land, surface water, and groundwater within a tract that is geologically permissive for the occurrence of uranium; and (3) tables providing estimated or indicated quantities of waste rock, tailings, wastewater, dust, and radon emissions that could be associated with undiscovered uranium resources, if extracted, for each permissive tract. The uranium geoenvironmental assessment could help natural resource managers to prioritize and (or) identify (1) important potential contaminant pathways, (2) management practices required depending on the types of constituents that could be of concern, (3) areas for response in the event of accidental release, and (4) future directions for study. Furthermore, indicators of rock and water volumes potentially associated with an undiscovered uranium deposit may be evaluated to make quantitative comparisons of water required for uranium production or potential waste products generated during uranium extraction from areas permissive for uranium resource occurrence throughout the United States.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2022

Puerto Rico’s state of the climate 2014-2021

The climate of Puerto Rico is influenced by the changing global climate. The following chapters present the current knowledge of the geophysical and chemical drivers and signals of global climate change as they affect the climate of Puerto Rico and influence the climate-dependent services, risks, and vulnerabilities that govern human well-being. These include sustainable economic development, delivery of ecosystem services, the conservation of natural and cultural resources, resiliency in built and natural systems, and food security. The chapters draw on global expertise of land, atmosphere, and ocean geophysical interactions associated with increasing greenhouse gases that drive global warming and on local scientific expertise, data, observations, and modeled projections. They present the global warming scenario (section 1), the contribution of Puerto Rico to global climate change as GHG emissions and aerosols (section 2), the context of natural climate variability (section 3), observed and projected trends in temperature (section 4), rainfall (section 5), sea level rise (section 6), ocean acidification and sea surface warming (section 7), and the expected implications of warming climate on tropical cyclones affecting Puerto Rico (section 8).

Puerto Rico↗

USGS2006

Geologic map of the Utukok River quadrangle, Alaska

This map is a product of the USGS Digital Geologic Maps of Northern Alaska project, which captures in digital format quadrangles across the entire width of northern Alaska. Sources include geologic maps previously published in hardcopy format and recent updates and revisions based on field mapping by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and Division of Oil and Gas, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Individual quadrangles are digitized at either 1:125,000 or 1:250,000 depending on the resolution of source maps. The project objective is to produce a set of digital geologic maps with uniform stratigraphic nomenclature and structural annotation, and publish those maps electronically.

Alaska↗

USGS2007

Methods for estimating magnitude and frequency of peak flows for natural streams in Utah

Estimates of the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflows is critical for the safe and cost-effective design of hydraulic structures and stream crossings, and accurate delineation of flood plains. Engineers, planners, resource managers, and scientists need accurate estimates of peak-flow return frequencies for locations on streams with and without streamflow-gaging stations. The 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year recurrence-interval flows were estimated for 344 unregulated U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Utah and nearby in bordering states. These data along with 23 basin and climatic characteristics computed for each station were used to develop regional peak-flow frequency and magnitude regression equations for 7 geohydrologic regions of Utah. These regression equations can be used to estimate the magnitude and frequency of peak flows for natural streams in Utah within the presented range of predictor variables. Uncertainty, presented as the average standard error of prediction, was computed for each developed equation. Equations developed using data from more than 35 gaging stations had standard errors of prediction that ranged from 35 to 108 percent, and errors for equations developed using data from less than 35 gaging stations ranged from 50 to 357 percent.

Utah↗

USGS2025

Stock composition of cryptic Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) in the Restigouche River and estuary, Canada

The Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) is an important species in eastern North America due to its conservation status and cultural significance. Local Mi'gmaw fishers have reported an increase in sturgeon sightings over the last decade in the Restigouche River and estuary. Mi’gmaw Knowledge, oral history, and archaeological finds attest to their historical presence in the region; however, the river is not a documented habitat for Atlantic sturgeon in Western literature. Based on community interest and concern, the Gespe’gewa’gi Institute of Natural Understanding co-developed a Two-Eyed Seeing collaboration to learn more about these sturgeon. Here, we investigate their genetic origin via microsatellite analyses and hypothesized that they would originate from the closest spawning habitat, the St. Lawrence River. We found that, overall, the largest contributor to our Atlantic sturgeon sampled from the Restigouche River system was the St. Lawrence River (85.7% of samples), followed by the Wolastoq (3.6%), then a mixture of the St. Lawrence, the Wolastoq, the Kennebec, and/or the Hudson River populations (10.7%). Improving our understanding of the distribution of Atlantic sturgeon through microsatellite analyses and leveraging range-wide genetic baselines directly assesses the genetic origin of unknown stock compositions and can support the future co-management of the species.

Restigouche River and estuary↗