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At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
USGS1978

Water resources data for Washington, water year 1977, Vol. 2 - Eastern Washington

Water resources data for the 1977 water year for Washington consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water-quality of ground water. This report, in two volumes, contains discharge records for 258 gaging stations; stage only records for 4 gaging stations; stage and contents for 44 lakes and reservoirs; water quality for 162 gaging stations, 7 lakes, 50 wells and 71 miscellaneous sites; and water levels for 173 observation wells. Also included are 146 crest-stage partial-record stations and 19 low-flow partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not involved in the systematic data collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Washington.

Washington↗
USGS1975

Water resources data for Washington, water year 1974; Part 2, Water quality records

Water resources data for the 1974 water year for Washington include records of data for the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground water. Water-quality data on chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water were collected from designated sampling sites at predetermined intervals such as once daily, weekly, monthly or less frequently, and at some sites data were recorded on punched paper tape at 15-, 30-, or 60 minute intervals. Records are given for 157 sampling stations of which 149 are continuous record stations and 8 are miscellaneous sites. Records of chemical analyses also are given for 19 ground-water sites. Locations of the continuous-record sampling stations are shown in figure 1. A few pertinent stations (not included above) in bordering States are also included. The records were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of L. B. Laird, district chief. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Washington.

Washington↗
USGS2022

High-resolution marine seismic imaging of the Seattle fault zone: Near surface insights into fault zone geometry, Quaternary deformation, and long-term evolution

The Seattle fault zone (SFZ) is a north‐directed thrust fault system that underlies the greater Seattle metropolitan area. Evidence of past land level changes, landslides, liquefaction, and a local tsunami indicate that this 70‐km‐long fault system can host up to M 7–7.5 earthquakes. Both the geometry and earthquake recurrence of the SFZ are debated and surveys of the shallow subsurface have not yet been incorporated into deeper crustal‐scale structural interpretations, especially where the SFZ cuts across marine portions of the Puget Lowland. Here we use a new high‐resolution marine seismic reflection dataset to image fault‐related deformation in Quaternary sediments and Tertiary bedrock throughout Puget Sound and Lake Washington. We use this perspective of shallow geology as a link between existing crustal‐scale geophysical insights into fault geometry at depth and paleoseismological observations of faulting at the surface and propose a refined structural model for the SFZ. We interpret that our new seismic reflection data in the Rich Passage area of Puget Sound images evidence of an inactive, south‐dipping strand of the SFZ, which is overprinted by Quaternary folding and slip along north‐dipping backthrusts within the hanging wall of a blind, south‐dipping fault located 6 km farther north. To explain these results, we propose that the SFZ is a normal sequence fault propagation fold that has stepped northward through time, and we show the plausibility of this model through trishear forward modeling. Growth strata and faulting imaged in Quaternary sediments in Lake Washington and Rich Passage are consistent with the spatial distribution of folding and backthrusting that occurred during an M 7–7.5 earthquake in A.D. 900–930, corroborating existing evidence that the SFZ has been active throughout the Quaternary.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗
USGS2020

Diverse cataclysmic floods from Pleistocene glacial Lake Missoula

In late Wisconsin time, the Purcell Trench lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet dammed the Clark Fork of the Columbia River in western Montana, creating glacial Lake Missoula. During part of this epoch, the Okanogan lobe also dammed the Columbia River downstream, creating glacial Lake Columbia in northeast Washington. Repeated failure of the Purcell Trench ice dam released glacial Lake Missoula, causing dozens of catastrophic floods in eastern Washington that can be distinguished by the geologic record they left behind. These floods removed tens of meters of pale loess from dark basalt substrate, forming scars along flowpaths visible from space. Different positions of the Okanogan lobe are required for modeled Missoula floods to inundate the diverse channels that show field evidence for flooding, as shown by accurate dam-break flood modeling using a roughly 185 m digital terrain model of existing topography (with control points dynamically varied using automatic mesh refinement). The maximum extent of the Okanogan lobe, which blocked inundation of the upper Grand Coulee and the Columbia River valley, is required to flood all channels in the Telford scablands and to produce highest flood stages in Pasco Basin. Alternatively, the Columbia River valley must have been open and the upper Grand Coulee blocked to nearly match evidence for high water on Pangborn bar near Wenatchee, Washington, and to flood Quincy Basin from the west. Finally, if the Columbia River valley and upper Grand Coulee were both open, Quincy Basin would have flooded from the northeast. In all these scenarios, the discrepancy between modeled flood stages and field evidence for maximum flood stages increases in all channels downstream, from Spokane to Umatilla Basin. The pattern of discrepancies indicates that bulking of floods by loess increased flow volume across the scablands, but this alone does not explain low modeled flow stages along the Columbia River valley near Wenatchee. This latter discrepancy between modeled flood stages and field data requires either additional bulking of flow by sediment along the Columbia reach downstream of glacial Lake Columbia, or coincident dam failures of glacial Lake Columbia and glacial Lake Missoula.

Montana, Washington↗
USGS2002

Watershed models for decision support in the Yakima River basin, Washington

A Decision Support System (DSS) is being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation as part of a long-term project, the Watershed and River Systems Management Program. The goal of the program is to apply the DSS to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects in the western United States. The DSS was applied to the Reclamation's Yakima Project in the Yakima River Basin in eastern Washington. An important component of the DSS is the physical hydrology modeling. For the application to the Yakima River Basin, the physical hydrology component consisted of constructing four watershed models using the U.S. Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System within the Modular Modeling System. The implementation of these models is described. To facilitate calibration of the models, mean annual streamflow also was estimated for ungaged subbasins. The models were calibrated for water years 1950-94 and tested for water years 1995-98. The integration of the models in the DSS for real-time water-management operations using an interface termed the Object User Interface is also described. The models were incorporated in the DSS for use in long-term to short-term planning and have been used in a real-time operational mode since water year 1999.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

Urban seismic experiments investigate Seattle fault and basin

In the past decade, Earth scientists have recognized the seismic hazards that crustal faults and sedimentary basins pose to Seattle, Washington (Figure 1). In 1998, the US. Geological Survey and its collaborators initiated a series of urban seismic studies of the upper crust to better map seismogenic structures and sedimentary basins in the Puget Lowland. These studies are called the Seismic Hazard Investigations of Puget Sound (SHIPS). In March 1998, we conducted our first SHIPS study, an investigation of the upper crustal structure of the Puget Lowland, using marine airgun sources and land recorders [ Fisher et al. , 1999].The study was nicknamed Wet SHIPS. In September 1999, we obtained a seismic refraction line to study the upper crustal structure in the Seattle area in a land-based study nicknamed Dry SHIPS [ Brocher et al. , 2000] (Figure 1). In March 2000, we recorded the demolition of the Seattle Kingdome sports stadium using a dense array of seismic recorders for a detailed site response study; this study was nicknamed Kingdome SHIPS (Figure 1).

Washington↗
USGS2006

Capitol Lake, Washington, 2004 data summary

At the request of the Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE), the US Geological Survey (USGS) collected bathymetry data in Capital Lake, Olympia, Wash., on September 21, 2004. The data are to be used to calculate sediment infilling rates within the lake as well as for developing the bottom boundary conditions for numerical models of water quality, sediment transport, and morphological change. In addition, the USGS collected sediment samples in Capitol Lake in February, 2005, to help characterize bottom sediment for numerical model calculations and substrate assessment.

Washington↗
USGS2017

Risk assessment for the reintroduction of anadromous salmonids upstream of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams, Northeastern Washington

The Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT; Spokane, Colville, Kootenai, Coeur d’Alene, and Kalispel Tribes) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife want to reintroduce anadromous salmonids to their historical range to restore ecosystem function and lost cultural and spiritual relationships in the upper Columbia River, northeastern Washington. The UCUT contracted with the U.S. Geological Survey to assess risks to resident taxa (existing fish populations in the reintroduction area upstream of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams) and reintroduced salmon associated with reintroduction. We developed a risk assessment framework for reintroduction of anadromous salmonids upstream of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams. To accomplish this goal, we applied strategies identified in previous risk assessment frameworks for reintroduction. The risk assessment is an initial step towards an anadromous reintroduction strategy. An initial list of potential donor sources for reintroduction species was developed from previous published sources for Chinook Salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) donors in the Transboundary Reach of the Columbia River, British Columbia; an ecological risk assessment of upper Columbia River hatchery programs on non-target taxa of concern; and a review of existing hatchery programs During two workshops, we further identified and ranked potential donor sources of anadromous Redband Trout (steelhead; O. mykiss ), Chinook Salmon, Sockeye Salmon ( O. nerka ), and Coho Salmon ( O. kisutch ). We also identified resident fish populations of interest and their primary habitat, location, status, and pathogen concerns to determine the potential risks of reintroduction. Species were deemed of interest based on resource management and potential interactions (that is, genetics, competition, and predation) with introduced species. We developed tables of potential donors by species and characterized potential sources (hatchery and natural origins), populations (individual runs), broodstock management and history, and potential constraints (that is, Endangered Species Act [ESA] listing, Evolutionarily Significant Unit concerns, pathogens, and availability). During the workshops, a group of regional fisheries and topic experts subjectively ranked the relative risks of pathogens, genetic effects, predation, and competition to resident fish and reintroduced salmonids. We assessed the pathogen risk of each potential donor for introducing new pathogens and the increased burden to existing pathogens for resident species upstream of the dams. We considered genetic risks to resident and downstream conspecifics and ecological impacts, including competition for food and space, predator-prey interactions, and ecosystem benefits/impacts. Each reintroduced species donor source was ranked based on abundance/viability (demographic risk to source and feasibility of collection), ancestral/genetic similarity (evolutionary similarity to historical populations), local adaptation (geographic proximity/similarity of source conditions to reintroduction conditions), and life history compatibility (including migration; spawn timing; and relative usage of reservoir, main-stem, or tributary habitats) with environmental conditions in the reintroduction area. We synthesized this information by species for all potential donors, in which an overall score and ranking system was established for decision support in donor selection for reintroduction into the upper Columbia River. We also provided information outside the ranking process by: Identifying predator-prey interactions and competition for food and space among species, Developing a decision support framework for donor selection, and Providing decision support for reintroduction strategies.

Washington↗
USGS1957

Feasibility of recharging basalt aquifers in the Walla Walla area, Washington

This report presents the results of a study made as a part of the cooperative investigation of the ground-water resources of Washington being made by the U. S. Geological Survey and the State Department of Conservation, Division of Water Resources. It describes the factors affecting the feasibility of artificially recharging the basalt aquifers in the Walla Walla area with water injected through wells. The study resulted from a request to the Department of Conservation from the city of Walla Wall, but its results will be of interest in areas of similar aquifers throughout the State. The city of Walla Walla has been considering for several years the possibility of recharging basalt aquifers by introducing water into wells tapping those aquifers. The water-supply system of the city is easily adaptable to such a recharge program. During at least a part of the year water from Mill Creek is available for recharge. Also, one of the wells (city well 3) is only a few feet from the pipeline carrying Mill Creek water to the city's reservoir, so that installation of the required piping and metering equipment would be simple and inexpensive. Although recharging operations and experiments have been conducted for many years in the United States and abroad, almost all have dealt with sand and gravel aquifers. At a very few places basalt aquifers have been recharged through wells, but so far as is known no controlled tests or experiments have been made to determine the effectiveness of the process and the limitations or controlling factors, in recharging basalt aquifers. The immediate object of this report is to assemble all pertinent data and to present it in such form that it can be used effectively by officials concerned in making decisions as to the feasibility of a program of groundwater recharge using city well 3 at Walla Walla as an injection well.

Washington↗
USGS1978

Postglacial volcanic deposits at Mount Baker, Washington, and potential hazards from future eruptions

Eruptions and other geologic events at Mount Baker during the last 10,000 years have repeatedly affected adjacent areas, especially the valleys that head on the south and east sides of the volcano. Small volumes of tephra were erupted at least four times during the past 10,000 years. Future eruptions like these could cause as much as 35 centimeters of tephra to be deposited at sites 17 kilometers from the volcano, 15 centimeters of tephra to be deposited 29 kilometers from the volcano, and 5 centimeters, 44 kilometers from the volcano. Lava flows were erupted at least twice during the last 10,000 years and moved down two valleys. Future lava flows will not directly endanger people because lava typically moves so slowly that escape is possible. Hot pyroclastic flows evidently occurred during only one period and were confined to the Boulder Creek valley. Such flows can move at speeds of as much as 150 kilometers per hour and can bury valley floors under tens of meters of hot rock debris for at least 15 kilometers from the volcano. large mudflows, most of which contain hydrothermally altered rock debris, originated at Mount Baker at least eight times during the last 10,000 years. The largest mudflow reached 29 kilometers or more down the valley of the Middle Fork Nooksack River, west of the volcano, about 6,000 years ago. Extensive masses of hydrothermally altered rock that are potentially unstable exist today near the summit of the volcano, especially in the Sherman Crater - Sherman Peak area. Avalanches of this material could be triggered by steam explosions, earthquakes, or eruptions, or may occur because of slow-acting forces of processes that gradually decrease stability. large avalanches could move downslope at high speed and could grade downvalley into mudflows. Floods caused by rapid melting of snow and ice by lava or by hot rock debris could affect valley floors many tens of kilometers from the volcano and could have especially severe effects if they were to occur at a time of flooding resulting from rapid snowmelt or heavy rains.

Professional Paper↗
USGS1990

Road guide to volcanic deposits of Mount St. Helens and vicinity, Washington

Mount St. Helens, the most recently active and most intensively studied Cascades volcano, is in southwestern Washington. The volcano is a superb outdoor laboratory for studying volcanic processes, deposits of observed events, and deposits whose origins are inferred by classic geologic techniques, including analogy to recent deposits. During the past 4,500 years, Mount St. Helens has been more active and more explosive than any other volcano in the conterminous United States. Mount St. Helens became active in mid-March 1980, and eruptive activity began on March 27. Since the climactic eruption of May 18, 1980, the volcano has continued to be active at least until 1988. The 1890 activity of Mount St. Helens is summarized in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Papers 1249 and 1250. This road guide is a tour of Mount St. Helens volcano and vicinity, with emphasis on the effects and deposits of the 1980 eruption. The road log starts from the U.S. Geological Survey's David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington. The guide is organized around two primary routes. LEG I is on paved and gravel roads from Vancouver to areas east of Mount St. Helens, including Windy Ridge Overlook near Spirit Lake. This is possibly the most scenic route described in the guide, including a transect of the devastated zone of May 18, 1980, Spirit Lake, and numerous vistas of the volcano. LEG II leads to areas west of the volcano from Vancouver via U.S. Interstate Highway 5, then on a paved ... road along the Toutle River. Highlights include the spectacular effects of mudflows and a view of the huge debris-avalanche deposit that was formed on May 18, 1980.

Bulletin↗
USGS1979

Water resources data for Washington, water year 1978; Volume 1. Western Washington

Water resources data for the 1978 water year for Washington consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report in two volumes contains records for water discharge at 248 gaging stations; stage only at 4 gaging stations; stage and contents at 44 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 117 gaging stations (including 6 lakes and reservoirs) and 215 wells; and water levels at 166 observation wells. Also included are data for 96 crest-stage, and 89 water-quality partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data together with the data in Volume 2 represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Washington.

Washington↗
USGS1980

Water resources data for Washington, water year 1979, Vol. 1 - Western Washington

Water resources data for the 1979 water year for Washington consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-wells. This report, in two volumes, contains records for water discharge at 237 gaging stations; stage only at 5 gaging stations; stage and contents at 43 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 135 gaging stations (including 6 lakes and reservoirs) and 100 wells; and water levels at 164 observation wells. Also included are data for 88 crest-stage and 89 water-quality partial-record stations. Locations of sites in this volume are on figures 4, 5, 6, and 22. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the national Water Data system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Washington.

Washington↗
USGS1980

Water resources data for Washington, water year 1979: Vol. 2 - Eastern Washington

Water resources data for the 1979 water year for Washington consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report, in two volumes, contains records for water discharge at 237 gaging stations; stage only at 5 gaging stations; stage and contents at 43 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 135 gaging stations (including 6 lakes and reservoirs) and 100 wells; and water levels at 164 observation wells. Also included are data for 88 crest-stage and 89 water-quality partial-record stations. Locations of sites in this volume are on figures 4, 5, and 19. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the national Water Data system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Washington.

Washington↗
USGS1981

Water resources data for Washington, water year 1980: Vol. 1 - Western Washington

Water-resources data for the 1980 water year for Washington consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-wells. This report, in two volumes, contains records for water discharge at 233 gaging stations; stage only at 5 gaging stations; stage and contents at 41 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 39 gaging stations (including 6 lakes and reservoirs) and 100 wells; and water levels at 164 observation wells. Also included are data for 14 crest-stage and 89 water-quality partial-record stations. Locations of sites in this volume are on figures 4, 5, 6, and 22. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the national Water Data system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Washington.

Washington↗