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At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
USGS2019

Consistent compensatory growth offsets poor condition in trout populations

1. Compensatory growth – when individuals in poor condition grow rapidly to “catch up” to conspecifics – may be a mechanism that allows individuals to tolerate stressful environmental conditions, both abiotic and biotic. This phenomenon has been documented fairly widely in laboratory and field experiments, but evidence for compensatory growth in the wild is scarce. 2. Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii subsp) are cold-water specialists that inhabit streams in montane ecosystems where seasonal conditions can be harsh and growth rates vary greatly among seasons. Understanding if individuals compensate for periods of reduced growth and body condition will improve understanding of the requirements of fish throughout their life-cycle and across freshwater habitats. 3. We quantified compensatory growth of juvenile cutthroat trout using extensive mark-recapture data from 11 stream populations (1,125 individuals) and two subspecies inhabiting a wide range of ecological settings in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Our objectives were to determine how growth was linked across seasons and determine if individuals behaviorally compensated for depressed body condition via emigration. 4. Fish in relatively poor condition consistently demonstrated compensatory growth in mass during subsequent seasons. In contrast, fish in relatively better condition responded with positive growth in length during the summer signaling these fish may be better suited to headwater environments; no compensatory growth in length was found during the winter. Furthermore, we found no evidence that individual condition mediated migration tendencies of fish to seek more favorable habitat. 5. Across a wide range of environmental conditions, we found consistent empirical support for compensatory growth in mass in the wild. A critical next step is to quantify how changing abiotic and biotic conditions influence the ability of stream fishes to compensate for locally or seasonally challenging conditions, thereby affecting long-term resiliency, viability, and adaptation in the face of changing environmental conditions.

Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2008

Fish assemblages of the Casiquiare River, a corridor and zoogeographical filter for dispersal between the Orinoco and Amazon basins

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether the Casiquiare River functions as a free dispersal corridor or as a partial barrier (i.e. filter) for the interchange of fish species of the Orinoco and Negro/Amazon basins using species assemblage patterns according to geographical location and environmental features. Location: The Casiquiare, Upper Orinoco and Upper Negro rivers in southern Venezuela, South America. Methods: Our study was based on an analysis of species presence/absence data and environmental information (11 habitat characteristics) collected by the authors and colleagues between the years 1984 and 1999. The data set consisted of 269 sampled sites and 452 fish species (> 50,000 specimens). A wide range of habitat types was included in the samples, and the collection sites were located at various points along the entire length of the Casiquiare main channel, at multiple sites on its tributary streams, as well as at various nearby sites outside the Casiquiare drainage, within the Upper Orinoco and Upper Rio Negro river systems. Most specimens and field data used in this analysis are archived in the Museo de Ciencias Naturales in Guanare, Venezuela. We performed canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) based on species presence/absence using two versions of the data set: one that eliminated sites having < 5 species and species occurring at < 5 sites; and another that eliminated sites having < 10 species and species occurring at < 10 sites. Cluster analysis was performed on sites based on species assemblage similarity, and a separate analysis was performed on species based on CCA loadings. Results: The CCA results for the two versions of the data set were qualitatively the same. The dominant environmental axis contrasted assemblages and sites associated with blackwater vs. clearwater conditions. Longitudinal position on the Casiquiare River was correlated (r2 = 0.33) with CCA axis-1 scores, reflecting clearwater conditions nearer to its origin (bifurcation of the Orinoco) and blackwater conditions nearer to its mouth (junction with the Rio Negro). The second CCA axis was most strongly associated with habitat size and structural complexity. Species associations derived from the unweighted pair-group average clustering method and pair-wise squared Euclidean distances calculated from species loadings on CCA axes 1 and 2 showed seven ecological groupings. Cluster analysis of species assemblages according to watershed revealed a stronger influence of local environmental conditions than of geographical proximity. Main conclusions: Fish assemblage composition is more consistently associated with local environmental conditions than with geographical position within the river drainages. Nonetheless, the results support the hypothesis that the mainstem Casiquiare represents a hydrochemical gradient between clearwaters at its origin and blackwaters at its mouth, and as such appears to function as a semi-permeable barrier (environmental filter) to dispersal and faunal exchanges between the partially vicariant fish faunas of the Upper Orinoco and Upper Negro rivers. ?? 2008 The Authors.

Journal of Biogeography↗
USGS2008

Water-quality data at amphibian research sites in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, 2005-2007

Data on the chemical composition of water were collected at least once from 47 amphibian research sites in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, from 2005 through 2007. One hundred twenty-five water samples were collected from vernal pools and streams and analyzed as part of long-term monitoring projects of the U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative in the Northeast Region. Field measurements of water temperature, specific conductance, and pH were made. Laboratory analyses of the water samples included acid-neutralizing capacity, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (ammonium plus organic nitrogen), nitrite plus nitrate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations. Field and laboratory analytical results of water samples and quality-assurance data are presented.

Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.↗
USGS1978

Tin and related elements in sediments and beach sands from Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey

Sixty samples of sediments from stream beds, outwash plains, and beaches were collected in Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey by Fred L. Klinger, U.S. Bureau of Mines, as part of the field work undertaken by the National Geographic-Smithsonian Pyrotechnological Expedition of 1968. Facilities for the analysis of the samples for tin and other metals were not immediately available, but in 1973 arrangements were made for analyses to be made on a time-permitting basis in the U.S. Geological Survey. The original purpose in collecting the samples was to determine whether tin was present in amounts indicative of sources for tin ores used in antiquity for the manufacture of bronze. The results of the analyses not only permitted an evaluation of the potential for tin in the localities sampled, but also afforded chemical and mineralogical data that were interpretable in the context of regional potential for other elements of current industrial use. These include gold, base metals, ferro-alloy metals, beryllium, rare earths, and barium. The original 60 samples of sand were sieved to make three size fraction (>0.707 mm, <O.707->O.177 mm, and <0.177 mm) for spectrographic and chemical analysis. Splits of these fractions were used for replicate analyses to permit evaluation of the precision of the analytical procedures. Further splitting of the <0.707->0.177 mm sand gave fractions from each sample that were separated in bromoform. Concentrates from the heavy-liquid separations were divided magnetically into six parts from most magnetic to least magnetic. These concentrates were analyzed spectrographically. The precision of the spectrographic analyses is well within the limits of precision expected from semiquantitative procedures. Such precision allows semiquantitative spectrographic procedures to be used with confidence as a valuable tool for reconnaissance investigations in which multi-element analyses are necessary. The analyses of the various fractions of sediments and sediment concentrates indicate the sample media in which an element was most likely to occur. Tin exhibited no preferential concentration into any particular medium. However, many elements with which tin is associated, and other elements of industrial use, do concentrate into one or more of the sample media. This indication of a preferred medium permits interpretation of the analyses as to the best sample medium for a particular element in the environment of western Asia. Cassiterite and/or tin were detected in many samples from Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, but in most of the samples the tin was present in normal crustal abundance. Sixteen samples, including seven from Afghanistan, eight from Iran, and one from Turkey contain unusually large amounts of tin. The most notable areas of anomalous tin are near Mirzaka, Qala-i-Asad, and Shah Agha in Afghanistan; near Meshed, Shir Kuh, Natanz, Nodus, and Talmesi in Iran; and on the shore of the Balck Sea just west of Trabzon in Turkey. Even in these localities the tin appears to be a minor element associated with other ores. The most common association of tin is with copper at known mineralized areas. This relation may have historical significance in the context of the development of bronze. The results of the analyses provided geochemical data on the distribution of other elements of industrial use and clearly identified nine of the ten known mineral deposits represented by the samples. The known metallization at the reported deposits may be only a part of more complex groups of metals. In Afghanistan an array of anomalous elements at the known gold placers around Mirzaka and along the Anguri River signals the presence of complex ore deposits. These elements are silver, arsenic, gold, bismuth, cadmium, copper, mercury, indium, molybdenum, lead, antimony, tin, thallium, tungsten, and zinc. They may indicate a Carlin-type gold deposit in which the wall-rocks are enriched in micron-sized particles of gold. Other localities in Afghanistan signalled by the results of the analyses to be anomalous and to merit further geochemical exploration are: (1) a reach of the Panjshir River for beryllium, lead, zinc, chromium and nickel; (2) the area near Bamian for beryllium; (3) the Siakhak village area for gold and copper; (4) around Qala-i-Asad and Shah Agha for lead, zinc, gold, and tungsten. Some attention to the distribution of monazite around Siakhak, Shahjui, Qala-i-Asad, and Shah Agha is justified to determine if this ore mineral for the rare earths and thorium is enriched over its normally expectable trace as an accessory mineral in granitic rocks, pelitic schists, and gneisses. In Iran, the pluton of granodiorite porphyry near Sar Cheshmeh, an area where a huge porphyry copper deposit was being investigated by the Geological Survey of Iran when the present samples were collected in 1968, shows as a strong geochemical anomaly for copper and molybdenum. The granitic area near Meshed is geochemically enriched persistently in beryllium, tin, and barium, and locally in gold, lanthanum, niobium, yttrium, and other elements. This area deserves a thorough regional geochemical survey for beryl and nonberyl sources of beryllium, for fluorite, and for the ores of niobium, tin, barium, the rare earths, and thorium. Other localities in Iran that merit geochemical exploration on the basis of these data are: ;1) the areas between Tabas and Deyhuk, east of Naiband, and south of Naiband for barium and zinc; (2) a locality about midway between Kerman and Sirdjan for barium, lanthanum, strontium, and zinc; (4) the Meskani copper mine area for mercury, lead, and nickel as well as copper; (5) the Talmesi copper mine area for such other elements as barium, cobalt, mercury, strontium, and zinc; (6) a small pluton of granodiorite north of Natanz for tungsten and base metals; (7) the vicinity of Zendjan for auriferous polymetallic sufide deposits; (8) gold in the gorge 15 km east of Miyaneh; and (9) the area near Nodus for gold, base metals, molybdenum, and niobium, and possibly uranium. The Harsit River basin in Turkey appears to be a suitable target for geochemical exploration for gold and low-temperature hydrothermal deposits of base metals, barium, and mercury.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1994

Calculation of a water budget and delineation of contributing sources to drainflows in the western San Joaquin Valley, California

Geohydrologic data and a ground-water flow model were used to calculate a water budget and evaluate the contribution of regional groundwater flow to on-farm drainflow in a part of the western San Joaquin Valley, California. Regional ground-water flow is affected by the distribution of unconsolidated coarse- and fine-grained sediment. Predominantly coarse-grained sediment in the upslope areas results in a water table greater than 3 meters below land surface, but the low-lying areas are underlain by predominantly fine-grained sediments and have a water table within 3 meters of land surface. The vertical component of flow is downward in the upslope areas, but can be upward at some locations in the low-lying areas. Results of model simulations indicate that about 18.5x10 6 cubic meters per year of drainflow originates as recharge within the fields that overlay the drainage systems (89 percent), and 2.3x10 6 cubic meters per year of drainflow is lateral-flowing ground water and upward-moving deep percolation originating as recharge within fields upslope of the drainage systems (11 percent). The drainage systems that intercept this upslope recharge overlay predominantly coarse-grained sediment associated with old stream channels. This ground water can move upward from depths greater than 29 meters below land surface and distances as great as 3.6 kilometers, requiring from 10 to more than 90 years to reach the drainage systems.

California↗
USGS1972

Recent activity of glaciers of Mount Rainier, Washington

Knowing the ages of trees growing on recent moraines at Mount Rainier, Wash., permits the moraines to be dated. Moraines which are ridges of boulders, gravel, sand, and dust deposited at the margins of a glacier, mark former limits of a receding glacier. Knowing past glacial activity aids our understanding of past climatic variations. The report documents the ages of moraines deposited by eight glaciers. Aerial photographs and planimetric maps show areas where detailed field studies were made below seven glaciers. Moraines, past ice positions, and sample areas are plotted on the photographs and maps, along with trails, roads, streams, and landforms, to permit critical areas to be identified in the future. Ground photographs are included so that sample sites and easily accessible moraines can be found along trails. Tables present data about trees sampled in areas near the glaciers of Mount Rainier, Wash. The data in the tables show there are modern moraines of different age around the mountain; some valleys contain only one modern moraiine; others contain as many as nine. The evidence indicates a sequence of modern glacial advances terminating at about the following A.D. dates: 1525, 1550, 1625-60, 1715, 1730-65, 1820-60, 1875, and 1910. Nisqually River valley near Nisqually Glacier contains one moraine formed before A.D. 1842; Tahoma Creek valley near South Tahoma Glacier contains three moraines formed before A.D. 1528; 1843, and 1864; South Puyallup River valley near Tahoma Glacier, six moraines A.D. 1544, 1761, 1841, 1851, 1863, 1898; Puyallup Glacier, one moraine, A.D. 1846; Carbon Glacier, four moraines, 1519, 1763, 1847, 1876; Winthrop Glacier, four moraines, 1655, 1716, 1760, amid 1822; Emmons Glacier, nine moraines, 1596, 1613, 1661, 1738, 1825, 1850, 1865, 1870, 1901; and Ohanapecosh Glacier, three moraines, 1741, 1846, and 1878. Abandoned melt-water and flood channels were identified within moraine complexes below three glaciers, and their time of abandonment was dated. Outwash in three areas was deposited by melt-water of Tahoma Glacier before A.D. 1862, 1873, and 1910, respectively. Flood channels or melt-water channels on either side of Carbon River near Carbon Glacier dated from about 1901 to 1907. Melt-water channels of three different ages cut through Emmons Glacier moraines were dated as being abandoned before 1865, 1871, and 1917, respectively. Although the evidence at Mount Rainier indicates a sequence of glacial advance and retreat and of melt-water flow through different channels at different times, their climatic and hydrologic significance is not yet known.

Washington↗
USGS2002

Dissolved cadmium, zinc, and lead loads from ground-water seepage into the South Fork Coeur d'Alene River system, northern Idaho, 1999

The valley of the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River and some of its tributaries have been heavily impacted by the dispersion of metal-enriched materials from the Coeur d’Alene mining district since 1884. The valley floor, including the unconsolidated valley-fill/flood-plain aquifers, is a major holding area for mine tailings. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, characterized groundwater and surface-water relations for parts of the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River Basin and quantified the loading of dissolved metals into the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River system from groundwater seepage. This information can be used to determine the effects of dissolved metal from ground-water seepage on the river system and to evaluate the necessity and feasibility of remediation along gaining reaches. This study defines a field approach that can be repeated during and after the implementation of remediation solutions to measure the effectiveness of these efforts in reducing loading to streams. The study area includes three reaches along the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River valley in the Coeur d’Alene mining district in central Shoshone County, northern Idaho: a 3.3-mile reach of Canyon Creek at Woodland Park, a 4.8-mile reach of the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Osburn, and a 6.5-mile reach of the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Kellogg and Smelterville. Seepage studies were conducted during July 27–29; September 17–19; and October 15–17, 1999. Each seepage study was conducted over a 3-day period, during which each station was measured on a daily basis for streamflow, and waterquality samples were collected. The consecutiveday approach allowed for an evaluation of variability in streamflow gains and losses and metal loading that resulted from changing hydrologic conditions. During the July, September, and October seepage studies, ground-water seepage was the predominant source for gains in dissolved cadmium and zinc loads in the three study reaches, whereas tributary inflow loads were a minor source. The overall average net gain in dissolved zinc load from ground-water seepage into the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Kellogg and Smelterville was about 730 pounds per day, compared with the net gains in Canyon Creek at Woodland Park and the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Osburn, which were roughly similar at 150 and 218 pounds per day, respectively. The net gain in dissolved cadmium load from ground-water seepage into the three river reaches was about two orders of magnitude less than the gain in dissolved zinc. On the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River study reaches near Osburn and near Kellogg and Smelterville, no pattern associated with an increase or decrease in dissolved lead load along gaining or losing subreaches was recognizable. Canyon Creek at Woodland Park was the only study reach where ground-water seepage contributed appreciably to the dissolved lead load; the average net gain was 1.5 pounds per day. The average dissolved lead loads leaving South Fork Coeur d’Alene River study reaches (corrected for tributary inflow along the study reaches) near Osburn and near Kellogg and Smelterville were 1.4 and 0.8 pounds per day less, respectively, than the loads entering the study reaches. The decrease in dissolved lead could be the result of lead adsorbing onto organic and inorganic sediment surfaces and (or) coprecipitating with iron and manganese oxides. These forms of lead likely will be resuspended into the water column at high flows.

Idaho↗
USGS1987

Water-quality data-collection activities in Colorado and Ohio; Phase II, Evaluation of 1984 field and laboratory quality-assurance practices

Serious questions have been raised by Congress about the usefulness of water-quality data for addressing issues of regional and national scope and, especially, for characterizing the current quality of the Nation's streams and ground water. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey has undertaken a pilot study in Colorado and Ohio to (1) determine the characteristics of current (1984) water-quality data-collection activities of Federal, regional, State, and local agencies, and academic institutions; and (2) determine how well the data from these activities, collected for various purposes and using different procedures, can be used to improve our ability to answer major broad-scope questions, such as: A. What are (or were) natural or near-natural water-quality conditions? B. What are existing water-quality conditions? C. How has water quality changed, and how do the changes relate to human activities? Colorado and Ohio were chosen for the pilot study largely because they represent regions with different types of waterquality concerns and programs. The study has been divided into three phases, the objectives of which are: Phase I--Inventory water-quality data-collection programs, including costs, and identify those programs that met a set of broad criteria for producing data that are potentially appropriate for water-quality assessments of regional and national scope. Phase II--Evaluate the quality assurance of field and laboratory procedures used in producing the data from programs that met the broad criteria of Phase I. Phase III--Compile the qualifying data and evaluate the adequacy of this data base for addressing selected water-quality questions of regional and national scope. Water-quality data are collected by a large number of organizations for diverse purposes ranging from meeting statutory requirements to research on water chemistry. Combining these individual data bases is an appealing and potentially cost-effective way to attempt to develop a data base adequate for regional or national water-quality assessments. However, to combine data from diverse sources, field and laboratory procedures used to produce the data need to be equivalent and need to meet specific qualityassurance standards. It is these factors that are the focus of Phase II, which is described in this report. In the first phase of this study, an inventory was made of all public organizations and academic institutions that undertook water-quality data-collection activities in Colorado and Ohio in 1984. Water-quality programs identified in Phase I were tested against a set of broad screening criteria. A total of 44 waterquality programs in Colorado and 29 programs in Ohio passed the Phase-I screen and were examined in Phase II. These programs accounted for an estimated 165,000 analyses in Colorado and 76,300 analyses in Ohio for 20 selected constituents and properties. Although qualifying programs included both surface- and ground-water sampling, they emphasized surface waters and produced few groundwater analyses (3,660 for Colorado and 470 for Ohio). For Phase II, information about field and laboratory qualityassurance practices was provided by each organization and its supporting laboratories through questionnaires. This information was evaluated against a set of specific criteria for field and laboratory practices. The criteria were developed from guidelines published by public agencies and professional organizations such as the American Public Health Association, the U.Sc, Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Each of the eight criteria that comprise the Phase-II screen fall into one of two major categories--field practices or laboratory practices.

Colorado, Ohio↗
USGS2024

Beyond the wedge: Impact of tidal streams on salinization of groundwater in a coastal aquifer stressed by pumping and sea-level rise

Saltwater intrusion (SWI) is a well-studied phenomenon that threatens the freshwater supplies of coastal communities around the world. The development and advancement of numerical models has led to improved assessment of the risk of salinization. However, these studies often fail to include the impact of surface waters as potential sources of aquifer salinity and how they may impact SWI. Based on field-collected data, we developed a regional, variable-density groundwater model using SEAWAT for east Dover, Delaware. In this location, major users of groundwater from the surficial aquifer are the City of Dover and irrigation for agriculture. Our model includes salinized marshland and tidal streams, along with irrigation and municipal pumping wells. Model scenarios were run for 100 years and included changes in pumping rates and sea-level rise (SLR). We examined how these drivers of SWI affect the extent and location of salinization in the surficial aquifer by evaluating differences in chloride concentration near surface waters and the subsurface freshwater-saltwater interface. We found the presence of the marsh inverts the typical freshwater-saltwater wedge interface and that the edge of the interface did not migrate farther inland. Additionally, we found that tidal streams are the dominant pathways of SWI at our site with salinization from streams being exacerbated by SLR. Our results also show that spatial distribution of pumping affects both the magnitude and extent of salinization, with an increase in concentrated pumping leading to more intensive salinization than a more widely distributed increase of the same total pumping volume.

Delaware↗
USGS2002

Field tests of diffusion samplers for inorganic constituents in wells and at a ground-water discharge zone

Field tests were performed on two types of diffusion samplers to collect representative samples of inorganic constituents from ground water in wells and at an arsenic-contaminated ground-water-discharge zone beneath a stream. Nylon-screen samplers and dialysis samplers were tested for the collection of arsenic, calcium, chloride, iron, manganese, sulfate, and dissolved oxygen. The investigations were conducted at the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant (NIROP), Fridley, Minnesota, and at the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (NAS Fort Worth JRB), Texas. Data indicate that, in general, nylon-screen and dialysis diffusion samplers are capable of obtaining concentrations of inorganic solutes in ground water that correspond to concentrations obtained by low-flow sampling. Diffusion samplers offer a potentially time-saving approach to well sampling. Particular care must be taken, however, when sampling for iron and other metals, because of the potential for iron precipitation by oxygenation and when dealing with chemically stratified sampling intervals. Simple nylon-screen jar samplers buried beneath creekbed sediment appear to be effective tools for locating discharge zones of arsenic contaminated ground water. Although the LDPE samplers have proven to be inexpensive and simple to use in wells, they are limited by their inability to provide a representative sample of ionic solutes. The success of nylon-screen samplers in sediment studies suggests that these simple samplers may be useful for collecting water samples for inorganic constituents in wells. Results using dialysis bags deployed in wells suggest that these types of samplers have the potential to provide a representative sample of both VOCs and ionic solutes from ground water (Kaplan and others, 1991; Theodore A. Ehlke, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2001). The purpose of this report is to provide results of field tests investigating the potential to use diffusion samplers to collect representative samples of inorganic constituents from ground water in wells and at an arsenic-contaminated ground-water-discharge zone beneath a stream. The investigations were performed at NIROP, Fridley, Minn. (fig. 1) and at NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas (fig. 2). Two types of samplers were tested. One type was a nylon-screen sampler, which consisted of a 30-mL jar filled with deionized water, with its opening covered by a nylon screen. The second type was a dialysis sampler that consisted of a tube of dialysis membrane filled with deionized water. The nylon-screen samplers were deployed in wells at NIROP Fridley and NAS Fort Worth JRB and beneath the ground-water/surface water interface of a stream at NAS Fort Worth JRB. The dialysis samplers were deployed only in wells at NAS Fort Worth JRB.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2005

Hydrology, geomorphology, and flood profiles of Lemon Creek, Juneau, Alaska

Lemon Creek near Juneau, Alaska has a history of extensive gravel mining, which straightened and deepened the stream channel in the lower reaches of the study area. Gravel mining and channel excavation began in the 1940s and continued through the mid-1980s. Time sequential aerial photos and field investigations indicate that the channel morphology is reverting to pre-disturbance conditions through aggradation of sediment and re-establishment of braided channels, which may result in decreased channel conveyance and increased flooding potential. Time sequential surveys of selected channel cross sections were conducted in an attempt to determine rates of channel aggradation/degradation throughout three reaches of the study area. In order to assess flooding potential in the lower reaches of the study area the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System model was used to estimate the water-surface elevations for the 2-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year floods. A regionally based regression equation was used to estimate the magnitude of floods for the selected recurrence intervals. Forty-two cross sections were surveyed to define the hydraulic characteristics along a 1.7-mile reach of the stream. High-water marks from a peak flow of 1,820 cubic feet per second, or about a 5-year flood, were surveyed and used to calibrate the model throughout the study area. The stream channel at a bridge in the lower reach could not be simulated without violating assumptions of the model. A model without the lower bridge indicates flood potential is limited to a small area.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1999

Modelling removal mechanisms of Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd in acidic groundwater during the neutralization by ambient surface and ground waters

Removal of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd during neutralization of acid rock drainage is examined using model simulations of field conditions and laboratory experiments involving mixing of natural drainage and surface waters or groundwaters. The simulations consider sorption onto hydrous Fe and Al oxides and particulate organic carbon, mineral precipitation, and organic and inorganic solution complexation of metals for two physical systems where newly formed oxides and particulate organic matter are either transported or retained along the chemical pathway. The calculations indicate that metal removal is a strong function of the physical system. Relative to direct discharge of ARD into streams, lower metal removals are observed where ARD enters streamwaters during the latter stages of neutralization by ambient groundwater after most of the Fe has precipitated and been retained in the soils. The mixing experiments, which represent the field simulations, also demonstrated the importance of dissolved metal to particle Fe ratios in controlling dissolved metal removal along the chemical pathway. Finally, model calculations indicate that hydrous Fe oxides and particulate organic carbon are more important than hydrous Al oxides in removing metals and that both inorganic and organic complexation must be considered when modeling metal removal from aquatic systems that are impacted by sulfide oxidation.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2012

Changes in permeability caused by transient stresses: field observations, experiments, and mechanisms

Oscillations in stress, such as those created by earthquakes, can increase permeability and fluid mobility in geologic media. In natural systems, strain amplitudes as small as 10&ndash;6 can increase discharge in streams and springs, change the water level in wells, and enhance production from petroleum reservoirs. Enhanced permeability typically recovers to prestimulated values over a period of months to years. Mechanisms that can change permeability at such small stresses include unblocking pores, either by breaking up permeability-limiting colloidal deposits or by mobilizing droplets and bubbles trapped in pores by capillary forces. The recovery time over which permeability returns to the prestimulated value is governed by the time to reblock pores, or for geochemical processes to seal pores. Monitoring permeability in geothermal systems where there is abundant seismicity, and the response of flow to local and regional earthquakes, would help test some of the proposed mechanisms and identify controls on permeability and its evolution.

Reviews of Geophysics↗
USGS1985

Map showing the distribution of selected mineral assemblages in nonmagnetic heavy-mineral concentrates from stream sediments from the Vasquez Peak Wilderness Study Area, and the Williams Fork and St. Louis Peak Roadless Areas, Clear Creek, Grand, and Summit counties, Colorado

The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted field studies from 1979 through 1983 to assess the mineral resource potential of the Vasquez Peak Wilderness Study Area (acreage: 16,000), the Williams Fork Roadless Area (acreage: 74,820), and the St. Louis Peak Roadless Area (acreage: 12,800). Included were geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and investigation of known prospects and mines by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

Colorado↗
USGS2014

Description of landscape features, summary of existing hydrologic data, and identification of data gaps for the Osage Nation, northeastern Oklahoma, 1890-2012

The Osage Nation of northeastern Oklahoma, conterminous with Osage County, is characterized by gently rolling uplands and incised stream valleys that have downcut into underlying sedimentary rock units of Pennsylvanian through Permian age. Cattle ranching and petroleum and natural-gas extraction are the principal land uses in this rural area. Freshwater resources in the Osage Nation include water flowing in the Arkansas River and several smaller streams, water stored in several lakes, and groundwater contained in unconsolidated alluvial aquifers and bedrock aquifers. The Vamoosa-Ada aquifer is the primary source of fresh groundwater in this area. Fresh groundwater is underlain by saline groundwater in aquifers underlying the Osage Nation. Because of the potential for future population increases, demands for water from neighboring areas such as the Tulsa metropolitan area, and expansion of petroleum and natural-gas extraction on water resources of this area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Osage Nation, summarized existing hydrologic data and identified data gaps to provide information for planning of future development of water resources in the Osage Nation. Streamflows in the Osage Nation are substantially affected by precipitation. During the relatively wet periods from the 1970s to 2000, the annual streamflows in the Osage Nation increased by as much as a factor of 2 relative to preceding decades, with subsequent decreases in streamflow of as much as 50 percent being recorded during intermittent drier years of the early 2000s. This report summarizes hydrologic data from 3 surface-water sites and 91 wells distributed across the Osage Nation. Data collected at those sites indicate that surface water in the Osage Nation generally has sufficient dissolved oxygen for survival of both coldwater and warmwater aquatic biota. Total dissolved solids concentration exceeded the secondary drinking-water standard of 500 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in up to 75 percent of the surface-water samples, indicating limited availability of potable water at some sites. Some surface-water samples collected in the Osage Nation contained dissolved chloride concentrations exceeding the secondary drinking-water standard of 250 mg/L, with greater chloride concentrations in selected basins appearing to be associated with greater densities of petroleum well locations. Several lakes sampled in the Osage Nation from 2011–12 contained sufficient chlorophyll-a concentrations to be ranked as mesotrophic to eutrophic, indicating impairment by nutrients. Relatively large dissolved phosphorus concentrations in many surface-water samples, compared to water-quality standards, indicate that eutrophication can occur in local streams and lakes. The amount of fresh groundwater stored in alluvial aquifers and the Vamoosa-Ada bedrock aquifer is adequate for domestic and other purposes in the Osage Nation at the current rate of usage. In areas where these aquifers are absent, groundwater must be pumped from minor bedrock aquifers that produce smaller volumes of water. About 30 and 60 percent of 32 and 54 water samples collected from the alluvial and Vamoosa-Ada aquifers, respectively, contained total dissolved solids concentrations larger than the secondary drinking-water standard of 500 mg/L. Local factors, such as natural seepage of brines or leakage from petroleum and natural-gas extraction activities, may cause substantial variations in dissolved chloride concentration in groundwater in the Osage Nation. Total phosphorus concentrations measured in groundwater samples were similar to dissolved phosphorus concentrations measured in the base flow of several streams. Total fresh surface-water withdrawals (use) and fresh groundwater withdrawals in the Osage Nation were estimated to have increased from 0.75 to 16.19 million gallons per day and from 0.13 to 2.39 million gallons per day, respectively, over the period from 1890 through 2010. Estimated saline-groundwater reinjection volumes at the heavily developed Burbank Oil Field in the Osage Nation from 1950 through 2012 were many times larger than the total amounts of freshwater withdrawn in this area, with estimated increases in saline-groundwater reinjection in the 2000s probably being related to increased petroleum extraction. Estimates of freshwater resources in local streams, lakes, and freshwater aquifers and of net annual precipitation indicate that less than 1 percent of freshwater resources and net annual precipitation currently is being withdrawn annually in the Osage Nation. In addition to freshwater resources, the Osage Nation may be underlain by 45,000,000 million gallons of brines, a small portion of which are withdrawn and reinjected during petroleum and natural-gas extraction. Ongoing development of desalinization technology may lead to the ability to expand use of these saline waters in the future. Several additional studies could improve understanding of the hydrologic resources of the Osage Nation. Development of computer models (simulations) of groundwater and surface-water flow for this area could enable testing of scenarios of localized and widespread effects of future climate variations and water-use changes on streamflows, lake-water levels, and groundwater levels in the Osage Nation. Installation of additional long-term streamflow and water-quality sampling stations, some with continuous water-quality monitors, could expand and improve understanding of surface-water quality. Periodic measurement of groundwater levels and sampling of water from a network of wells could provide better information about trends of groundwater quantity and quality with time. Measurement of water withdrawals at selected sites could enable more accurate estimates of water use. Lastly, better understanding of aquifer properties and spatial distribution of saline groundwater provided by geophysical surveys could improve understanding of fresh and saline groundwater resources underlying the Osage Nation.

Oklahoma↗
USGS1979

Depositional environments of the uranium-bearing Cutler Formations, Lisbon Valley, Utah

The Cutler Formation in Lisbon Valley, San Juan County, Utah, is composed predominantly of fluvial arkosic sandstones, siltstones, shales, and mudstones that were deposited by meandering streams that flowed across a flood plain and tidal flat close to sea level. Two types of channel deposits are recognized from their sedimentary structures: meandering and distributary. The flood plain was occasionally transgressed by a shallow sea from the west, resulting in the deposition of several thin limestones and marine sandstones. The marine sandstones were deposited as longshore bars. Wind transported sand along the shoreline of the shallow sea, forming a coastal dune field. Marine sandstones and eolian sandstones are more common in the upper Cutler in the southern part of the area, whereas in the central and northern part of the area the formation is predominantly fluvial. Crossbed orientation indicates that Cutler streams flowed S. 67? W. on the the average, whereas marine currents moved sediment S. 36? E. and N. 24? W., and wind transported sand S. 800 E. The uranium in the Cutler is found in the central and northern part of the area, in the upper part of the formation, in small fluvial sandstone bodies that were deposited predominantly in a distributary environment. No uranium is known in the marine or eolian sandstones. Petrographically, the uranium-bearing sandstones are identical to other Cutler fluvial sandstones except that they contain less calcite and more clay and are slightly coarser grained. Ore formation has modified the host sandstones very little.

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