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At least 1,423 records · Page 79Linked to original sources
USGS1999

Long Valley Coring Project, Inyo County, California, 1998, preliminary stratigraphy and images of recovered core

Phase III of the Long Valley Exploratory Well, the Long Valley Coring Project, obtained continuous core between the depths of 7,180 and 9,831 ft (2,188 to 2,996 meters) during the summer of 1998. This report contains a compendium of information designed to facilitate post-drilling research focussed on the study of the core. Included are a preliminary stratigraphic column compiled primarily from field observations and a general description of well lithology for the Phase III drilling interval. Also included are high-resolution digital photographs of every core box (10 feet per box) as well as scanned images of pieces of recovered core. The user can easily move from the stratigraphic column to corresponding core box photographs for any depth. From there, compressed, "unrolled" images of the individual core pieces (core scans) can be accessed. Those interested in higher-resolution core scans can go to archive CD-ROMs stored at a number of locations specified herein. All core is stored at the USGS Core Research Center in Denver, Colorado where it is available to researchers following the protocol described in this report. Preliminary examination of core provided by this report and the archive CD-ROMs should assist researchers in narrowing their choices when requesting core splits.

California↗
USGS1983

Application of total-count aeroradiometric maps to the exploration for heavy-mineral deposits in the coastal plain of Virginia, with a section on field-spectrometer-data reduction

Total-count contoured aeroradiometric maps for the Coastal Plain of Virginia were used in an effort to locate economic heavy-mineral placer deposits. The principle behind this approach is that heavy- mineral suites commonly contain radioactive minerals that, if the concentration of heavy minerals is exposed at or within inches of the surface, enable the deposit to be located by use of airborne instruments because of its radiometric contrast with the host sediment. Detailed and regional geologic maps, soil maps, land-use and land- cover maps, information on fertilizer use, and ground-spectrometer data were used to study aeroradiometric anomalies for efficient exploration. Aeroradiometric anomalies in the Coastal Plain of Virginia have three general causes. First, the most intense anomalies are associated with cultural features, such as roads made of granitic material. Second, most anomalies of high to intermediate intensity are associated with land used for agricultural purposes and evidently are caused by applications of radioactive fertilizer. Third, anomalies of intermediate to low intensity are associated with heavy-mineral deposits. Results of this study show that aeroradiometric anomalies associated with heavy-mineral accumulations in the Coastal Plain of Virginia have ground radiometric spectra in which thorium is the strongest component and uranium and potassium are lesser components. Heavy-mineral accumulations found in this study by use of the aeroradiometric data are not considered to be of economic importance, mostly because of the low percentage of economic minerals in the heavy-mineral suites and also because of other factors such as the very fine grained nature of the host sediments and competing land use.

Virginia↗
USGS1974

Explanatory text to accompany the Geologic map of the United States

The U.S. Geological Survey has published a new Geologic Map of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii) on a scale of 1:2,500,000, which was compiled between 1967 and 1971 by Philip B. King and Helen M. Beikman, with geologic cartography by Gertrude J. Edmonston. The map replaces the now outdated Geologic Map of the United States on the same scale, which was compiled by George W. Stose and Olof A. Ljungstedt and was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1932. This report is intended to supplement the new map and to provide background information to assist its user in interpreting it. It describes the historical antecedents of the map and the sources from which the map was compiled and discusses various general topics related to it. Succeeding reports will amplify the necessarily brief descriptions of the map units which appear in its legend and will deal at length with specific geological problems in the United States, insofar as they relate to representation of the features in map form.

Professional Paper↗
USGS1998

A demonstration of the instream flow incremental methodology, Shenandoah River, Virginia

Current and projected demands on the water resources of the Shenandoah River have increased concerns for the potential effect of these demands on the natural integrity of the Shenandoah River system. The Instream Flow Incremental Method (IFIM) process attempts to integrate concepts of water-supply planning, analytical hydraulic engineering models, and empirically derived habitat versus flow functions to address water-use and instream-flow issues and questions concerning life-stage specific effects on selected species and the general well being of aquatic biological populations. The demonstration project also sets the stage for the identification and compilation of the major instream-flow issues in the Shenandoah River Basin, development of the required multidisciplinary technical team to conduct more detailed studies, and development of basin specific habitat and flow requirements for fish species, species assemblages, and various water uses in the Shenandoah River Basin. This report presents the results of an IFIM demonstration project, conducted on the main stem Shenandoah River in Virginia, during 1996 and 1997, using the Physical Habitat Simulation System (PHABSIM) model. Output from PHABSIM is used to address the general flow requirements for water supply and recreation and habitat for selected life stages of several fish species. The model output is only a small part of the information necessary for effective decision making and management of river resources. The information by itself is usually insufficient for formulation of recommendations regarding instream-flow requirements. Additional information, for example, can be obtained by analysis of habitat time-series data, habitat duration data, and habitat bottlenecks. Alternative-flow analysis and habitat-duration curves are presented.

Virginia↗
USGS1972

Physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the Duwamish River Estuary, King County, Washington, 1963-67

This report describes the significant results to 1967 of a comprehensive study that began in 1963 to evaluate what changes take place in an estuary as the loads .of raw and partially treated industrial and municipal wastes are replaced by effluent from a secondary treatment plant. The study area is the Duwamish River estuary, about 18.3 river kilometers long. At mean sea level the estuary has a water-surface area of about 1 square mile and a mean width of 440 feet. At the lowest and highest recorded tides, the volume of the estuary is about 205 and 592 million cubic feet, respectively. The estuary is well stratified (salt-wedge type) at fresh-water inflows greater than 1,000 cfs (cubic feet per second), but when inflow rates are less than 1,000 cfs the lower 5.6 kilometers of the estuary grades into the partly mixed type. The crosschannel salinity distribution is uniform for a given location and depth. Salinity migration is controlled by tides and fresh-water inflow. At fresh-water inflow rates greater than 1,000 cfs, water in the upper 8.4 kilometers of the estuary is always fresh regardless of tide. At inflow rates less than 600 cfs and tide heights greater than 10 feet; some salinity has been detected 16.1 kilometers above the mouth of the estuary. Studies using a fluorescent dye show that virtually no downward mixing into the salt wedge occurs; soluble pollutants introduced at the upper end of the estuary stay in the surface layer (5-15 ft thick). On the basis of dye studies when fresh-water inflow is less than 400 cfs, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of a pollutant will remain in the estuary a minimum of 7 days. Longitudinal dispersion coefficients for the surface layer have been determined to be on the order of 100-400 square feet per second. Four water-quality stations automatically monitor DO (dissolved oxygen), water temperature, pH, and specific conductance; at one station solar radiation also is measured. DO concentration in the surface layer decreases almost linearly in a downstream direction. Minimum DO concentration in the surface layer is usually greater than 4 rag/1 (milligrams per liter). The smallest DO values are consistently recorded in the bottom layer at the station 7.7 kilometers above the mouth; monthly means of less than 3 mg/1 of DO have occurred at this point. Manual sampling shows that the DO sag in the bottom layer oscillates between 7.7 and 10.4 kilometers above the mouth of the estuary. Multiple-regression analysis shows that the surface DO content can be estimated from the fresh-water inflow and water temperature. Tidal exchange and fresh-water inflow indirectly control the bottom DO content. Information available from previous studies failed to indicate a progressive decrease in DO content during the period 1949-56, but data from the present study suggest a slight general decrease in the annual minimum DO concentrations in both the upper and lower layers. Average nitrate concentration in fresh water at station 16.2 has increased progressively since 1964, by amounts greater than those which can be attributed to the Renton Treatment Plant, 4.3 kilometers upstream from station 16.2. The BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) in both surface and bottom layers is generally less than 4 rag/1 of oxygen, but values greater than 6 rag/1 have been measured during a period of phytoplankton bloom. Phytoplankton blooms can occur during periods of minimum tidal exchange and fresh-water inflows of less than 300 cfs if solar radiation and water temperature are optimum. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds) do not control the occurrence of a bloom, because sufficient quantities of these nutrients are always present. Nutrients in the treated effluent may increase the biomass of the bloom. Trace-element studies have not defined any role that these elements may play in algal growth. The inflowing fresh water contains principally calcium and bicarbonate and has a dissolved-solids content ra

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2012

A fine-scale assessment of using barriers to conserve native stream salmonids: a case study in Akokala Creek, Glacier National Park, USA

Biologists are often faced with the difficult decision in managing native salmonids of where and when to install barriers as a conservation action to prevent upstream invasion of nonnative fishes. However, fine-scale approaches to assess long-term persistence of populations within streams and watersheds chosen for isolation management are often lacking. We employed a spatially-explicit approach to evaluate stream habitat conditions, relative abundance, and genetic diversity of native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) within the Akokala Creek watershed in Glacier National Park- a population threatened by introgressive hybridization with nonnative rainbow trout (O. mykiss) from nearby sources. The systematic survey of 24 stream reaches showed broad overlap in fish population and suitable habitat characteristics among reaches and no natural barriers to fish migration were found. Analysis of population structure using 16 microsatellite loci showed modest amounts of genetic diversity among reaches, and that fish from Long Bow Creek were the only moderately distinct genetic group. We then used this information to assess the potential impacts of three barrier placement scenarios on long-term population persistence and genetic diversity. The two barrier placement scenarios in headwater areas generally failed to meet general persistence criteria for minimum population size (2,500 individuals, Ne = 500), maintenance of long-term genetic diversity (He), and no population subdivision. Conversely, placing a barrier near the stream mouth and selectively passing non-hybridized, migratory spawners entering Akokala Creek met all persistence criteria and may offer the best option to conserve native trout populations and life history diversity. Systematic, fine-scale stream habitat, fish distribution, and genetic assessments in streams chosen for barrier installation are needed in conjunction with broader scale assessments to understand the potential impacts of using barriers for conservation of native salmonid populations threatened by nonnative fish invasions.

Open Fish Science Journal↗
USGS2020

Characterization of the genetic structure of four sucker species in the Klamath River. Final Report

Four species of suckers (family Catostomidae) inhabit the Klamath River Basin of Oregon and California: Lost River suckers (LRS; Deltistes luxatus), shortnose suckers (SNS; Chasmistes brevirostris), Klamath largescale suckers (KLS; Catostomus snyderi), and Klamath smallscale suckers (KSS; Catostomus rimiculus). All but Klamath smallscale suckers are endemic and restricted to the Klamath River Basin where they occur sympatrically in large lakes and reservoirs, including the Lost River and Klamath Lake subbasins (Figure 1; USFWS 2012). Population declines, primarily due to loss or degradation of spawning, rearing, and adult habitat, have resulted in Lost River and shortnose suckers being listed as endangered throughout their entire range under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (USFWS 1988). Continued population declines coupled with failed adult recruitment prompted the USFWS to initiate an assisted rearing program in 2015 as a part of their recovery strategy (Childress et al. 2019). The program was designed to maintain as much genetic diversity as possible while improving recruitment by averting high early life stage mortality (Day et al. 2017). However, while assisted rearing efforts are targeted towards endangered LRS and SNS, species differentiation of larval and juvenile suckers is problematic in the Klamath River Basin. This, in turn, complicates the management of these species as well as the population modeling used to evaluate recovery efforts. Maintaining as much as possible of the genetic resources, or “evolutionary legacy” of a species is a goal common to conservation and endangered species recovery strategies. Inappropriate assumptions regarding species’ evolutionary lineages, and genetic characteristics may lead to the mismanagement of an endangered species through a failure to recognize and appropriately manage species boundaries and genetic population structure. Despite a considerable amount of research, the partitioning of genetic diversity within and among the four species of suckers in the Klamath River Basin remains unclear. Previously developed genetic markers are effective at differentiating some species, but fail to effectively differentiate all four species of suckers in the basin (Tranah et al. 2001; Wagman 2003; Tranah and May 2006; Hoy and Ostberg 2015; Dowling et al. 2016). Peer-reviewed publications describing the morphological characteristics of (Markle et al. 2005) and genetic relationships among (Dowling et al. 2016; Tranah and May 2006) Klamath River Basin suckers have not resolved uncertainties regarding the systematic relationships among the four currently recognized taxa. Specifically, genetic and morphological data generally support LRS and KSS as being distinct entities, but genetic evidence does not support a distinction between KLS and SNS. All three publications above refer to unpublished information regarding ecological differences between KLS and SNS as evidence to support the existence of two entities. However, the authors also acknowledge that overlap in morphological characters (Markle et al. 2005) and a lack of genetic differentiation (Dowling et al. 2016; Tranah and May 2006) between KLS and SNS raises the question of their specific identity. This is particularly problematic in the Lost River subbasin, where overlap in morphological characters between KLS and SNS is greatest. In our opinion, the basis of the strong genetic similarity between KLS and SNS has not been resolved. Morphological characters mostly support the existence of two distinct species, while genetic characters do not (i.e., genetic divergence between KLS and SNS is less than divergence among populations of each species; (Smith et al. 2015). Some have suggested that introgressive hybridization may have resulted in a lack of genetic differentiation between KLS and SNS and a breakdown of monophyletic species (Dowling et al. 2016; Tranah and May 2006), and that this hybridization may be an important process in

California, Oregon↗
USGS2004

Generalized estimates from streamflow data of annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge rates for drainage basins in New Hampshire

This report presents regression equations to estimate generalized annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge rates in drainage basins in New Hampshire. The ultimate source of water for a ground-water withdrawal is aquifer recharge from a combination of precipitation on the aquifer, ground-water flow from upland basin areas, and infiltration from streambeds to the aquifer. An assessment of ground-water availability in a basin requires that recharge rates be estimated under `normal' conditions and under assumed drought conditions. Recharge equations were developed by analyzing streamflow, basin characteristics, and precipitation at 55 unregulated continuous record stream-gaging stations in New Hampshire and in adjacent states. In the initial step, streamflow records were analyzed to estimate a series of annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge components of streamflow in each drainage basin evaluated in this study. Regression equations were then developed relating the series of annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge values to the corresponding series of annual and seasonal precipitation values as determined at the centroid of each drainage basin. This resulted in one equation for each of the 55 basins for each of the four seasonal periods and the annual period, or a total of 275 regression equations. Average annual and seasonal precipitation data for 1961-90 were then used to compute a set of normalized ground-water-recharge values that reflected the long-term average annual and seasonal variations (normalized) and mean recharge characteristics of each drainage basin. Ordinary-least-squares regression was applied in the process of selecting 10 out of 93 possible basin and climatic characteristics for further testing in the development of the equations for computing the generalized estimate of annual and seasonal ground-water recharge based on the set of normalized recharge values. Generalized-least-squares regression was used for the final parameter estimation and error evaluation. The following basin and climatic characteristics were found to be statistically significant predictors for at least one of the dependent variables: average annual, summer, and spring precipitation as determined at U.S. Geological Survey stream-gaging stations; average annual basin-centroid precipitation; average mean annual basin temperature; average minimum winter basin temperature; percent coniferous forest in a basin; percent mixed coniferous and deciduous forest in a basin; average fall basin-centroid precipitation; and average annual snowcover. These 10 basin and climatic characteristics were selected because they were statistically significant based on several statistical parameters that evaluated which combination of characteristics contributed the most to the predictive accuracy of the regression-equation models. A geographic information system is required to measure the values of the predictor variables for the equations developed in the study. The average annual normalized ground-water recharge was 21.0 in. This value was determined by generalized-least-squares (GLS) regression analysis for all of the basins used in the normalized ground-water recharge analysis for precipitation from 1961-90. The average winter (January 1-March 15) ground-water recharge was 4.3 in., average spring (March 16-May 31) ground-water recharge was 9.0 in., average summer (June 1-October 31) ground-water recharge was 4.0 in., and average fall (November 1-December 31) ground-water recharge was 3.6 in. Normalized ground-water recharge ranged annually from 12.3 to 31.8 in., for winter from 2.30 to 7.82 in., for spring from 5.16 to 13.7 in., for summer from 1.45 to 10.2 in., and for fall from 2.21 to 6.06 in.

New Hampshire↗
USGS1997

Level II scour analysis for Bridge 108 (STJOUS00020108) on U.S. Highway 2, crossing the Moose River, St. Johnsbury, Vermont

This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure STJOUS00020108 on U.S. Highway 2 crossing the Moose River, St. Johnsbury, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland/White Mountain sections of the New England physiographic province in north-east Vermont. The 117-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture on the upstream right bank, forest on the upstream left bank, shrub and brush on the downstream left bank, and forest on the downstream right bank. In the study area, the Moose River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.008 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 96 ft and an average channel depth of 6 ft. The predominant channel bed material is cobble with a median grain size (D 50 ) of 94.1 mm (0.309 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 14, 1995, indicated that the reach was stable. The U.S. Highway 2 crossing of the Moose River is a 103-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of three spans with a maximum 57-foot concrete T-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 28, 1995). The bridge is supported by two piers, and vertical, concrete abutments with no wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 10 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is 0 degrees. The scour protection measures at the site were type-2 stone fill (less than 36 inches diameter) at the upstream and downstream channel banks. There is also type-3 stone fill (less than 48 inches diameter) at both the upstream and downstream ends of the left and right abutments. Additional details describing conditions at the site are included in the Level II Summary and Appendices D and E. Scour depths and rock rip-rap sizes were computed using the general guidelines described in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (Richardson and others, 1995). Total scour at a highway crossing is comprised of three components: 1) long-term streambed degradation; 2) contraction scour (due to accelerated flow caused by a reduction in flow area at a bridge) and; 3) local scour (caused by accelerated flow around piers and abutments). Total scour is the sum of the three components. Equations are available to compute depths for contraction and local scour and a summary of the results of these computations follows. Contraction scour for all modelled flows ranged from 0.0 to 0.4 ft. The worst-case contraction scour occurred at the 500-year discharge. Abutment scour ranged from 9.3 to 12.2 ft. The worst-case abutment scour occurred at the left abutment 500-year discharge. Pier scour ranged from 8.3 to 15.7 for both piers. The worst case pier scour occurred at the left pier, for the 100-year discharge analysis. Additional in formation on scour depths and depths to armoring are included in the section titled “Scour Results”. Scoured-streambed elevations, based on the calculated scour depths, are presented in tables 1 and 2. A cross- section of the scour computed at the bridge is presented in figure 8. Scour depths were calculated assuming an infinite depth of erosive material and a homogeneous particle-size distribution. It is generally accepted that the Froehlich equation (abutment scour) gives “excessively conservative estimates of scour depths” (Richardson and others, 1995, p. 47). Usually, computed scour depths are evaluated in combination with other information including (but not limited to) historical performance during flood events, the geomorphic stability assessment, existing scour protection measures, and the results of the hydraulic analyses. Therefore, scour depths adopted by VTAOT may differ from the computed values documented herein.

Vermont↗
USGS1997

Level II scour analysis for Bridge 23 (CRAFTH00390023) on Town Highway 39, crossing the Black River, Craftsbury, Vermont

This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure CRAFTH00390023 on town highway 39 crossing the Black River, Craftsbury, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). A Level I assessment is included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I assessment provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from VTAOT files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is provided in Appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland physiographic province of North-central Vermont in the town of Craftsbury. The 30.9-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin with some pasture grassland on the valley bottom. In the vicinity of the study site, the banks have very little woody vegetation coverage except for the downstream left bank, which has some trees and brush coverage. In the study area, the Black River has an meandering channel with a slope of approximately 0.0004 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 62 ft and an average channel depth of 3 ft. The predominant channel bed materials are sand and gravel with a median grain size (D 50 ) of 0.73 mm (0.0024 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 6, 1995, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. The town highway 39 crossing of the Black River is a 65-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of three spans with a maximum span of 38-feet (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, August 24, 1994). The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments and two stone piers with concrete caps. The channel is skewed approximately 10 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is 10 degrees in the opposite direction. The scour protection measures at the site were type-1 stone fill (less than 12 inches diameter) on the upstream left and right roadway embankments and between the right pier and right abutment wall. Type-2 (less than 36 inches diameter) stone fill was evident on the upstream left bank, downstream right bank, between the left pier and left abutment wall, and streamward of the right pier. Additional details describing conditions at the site are included in the Level II Summary and Appendices D and E. Scour depths and rock rip-rap sizes were computed using the general guidelines described in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (Richardson and others, 1995). Total scour at a highway crossing is comprised of three components: 1) long-term aggradation or degradation; 2) contraction scour (due to reduction in flow area caused by a bridge) and; 3) local scour (caused by accelerated flow around piers and abutments). Total scour is the sum of the three components. Equations are available to compute scour depths for contraction and local scour and a summary of the results follows. Contraction scour for all modelled flows ranged from 20.1 to 25.2 and the worst-case contraction scour occurred at the 500-year discharge. Although this bridge has two piers, the flow through the spans between each abutment and pier is assumed to be negligible. Hence, abutment scour was computed assuming the forces contributing to scour actually occur on the main-span sides of each pier in this case. Abutment scour ranged from 8.8 to 10.6 and the worst-case abutment scour occurred at the 500-year discharge. Scour depths and depths to armoring are summarized on p. 14 in the section titled “Scour Results”. Scour elevations, based on the calculated depths are presented in tables 1 and 2. A graph of the scour elevations is presented in figure 8. Scour depths were calculated assuming an infinite depth of erosive material and a homogeneous particle-size distribution. It is generally accepted that the Froehlich equation (abutment scour) gives “excessively conservative estimates of scour depths” (Richardson and others, 1995, p. 47). Usually, computed scour depths are evaluated in combination with other information including (but not limited to) historical performance during flood events, the geomorphic stability assessment, existing scour protection measures, and the results of the hydraulic analyses. Therefore, scour depths adopted by VTAOT may differ from the computed values documented herein.

Vermont↗
USGS1996

Elk response to the La Mesa fire and current status in the Jemez Mountains

Faunal remains in local archeological sites and historic information suggest that elk populations in the Jemez Mountains were low from ca. 1200 A.D. through ca. 1900 A.D., when they were extirpated from this region. Elk were reintroduced to the Jemez country in 1948 and 1964- 1965, and their population apparently grew exponentially, reaching 1000 animals in the 1970's and about 7000 by 1991. Elk populations in Bandelier National Monument and adjoining areas increased rapidly after the 1977 La Mesa Fire. Winter use by elk in the La Mesa Fire area, centered on Bandelier, grew from about 100 animals in .1978 to around 1500 elk by 1992. The dramatic increase in the Bandelier elk herd (an annual growth rate of 21.3% and a 3.6 year population doubling time) was due in part to the creation of about 6000 hectares of grassy winter range in and around the park by the La Mesa Fire. Some of this local population increase reflects concentration of elk into this favorable wintering habitat from surrounding portions of the Jemez Mountains. Existing data are inadequate to determine whether elk populations are still growing rapidly in the Jemez Mountains. While annual aerial surveys since 1990 in Bandelier reveal no clear population trend, a variety of observations demonstrate increasing elk use of lower elevation areas. Negative resource impacts from today's high elk populations are beginning to be widely noted across the Jemez Mountains, especially in high-use portions of the Bandelier National Monument area. Affected resources range from plant communities to soils and even archeological sites. Given the large uncertainties associated with the current data on elk populations, care should be taken to avoid further population increases until the resource impacts of this new phenomenon (large numbers of elk) can be identified, desirable population levels identified (based to a significant degree upon ecological information and resource carrying capacities, as well as social considerations), and appropriate cooperative management strategies implemented.

General Technical Report↗
USGS1956

Ground water in Wisconsin

The purpose of this report is to describe in general the occurrence, source, movement, and use of ground water in Wisconsin in order that present problems of ground-water development may be understood and to point out the need for study and evaluation of the potential ground water available. Areas with specific problems are described as are other areas that are used as examples. For the sake of brevity complete reports of studies completed or under way are not included, but the general results of such studies are the basis for the report.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2006

Preliminary surficial geologic map of a Calico Mountains piedmont and part of Coyote Lake, Mojave desert, San Bernardino County, California

This 1:24,000 scale detailed surficial geologic map and digital database of a Calico Mountains piedmont and part of Coyote Lake in south-central California depicts surficial deposits and generalized bedrock units. The mapping is part of a USGS project to investigate the spatial distribution of deposits linked to changes in climate, to provide framework geology for land use management (http://deserts.wr.usgs.gov), to understand the Quaternary tectonic history of the Mojave Desert, and to provide additional information on the history of Lake Manix, of which Coyote Lake is a sub-basin. Mapping is displayed on parts of four USGS 7.5 minute series topographic maps. The map area lies in the central Mojave Desert of California, northeast of Barstow, Calif. and south of Fort Irwin, Calif. and covers 258 sq.km. (99.5 sq.mi.). Geologic deposits in the area consist of Paleozoic metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic plutonic rocks, Miocene volcanic rocks, Pliocene-Pleistocene basin fill, and Quaternary surficial deposits. McCulloh (1960, 1965) conducted bedrock mapping and a generalized version of his maps are compiled into this map. McCulloh's maps contain many bedrock structures within the Calico Mountains that are not shown on the present map. This study resulted in several new findings, including the discovery of previously unrecognized faults, one of which is the Tin Can Alley fault. The north-striking Tin Can Alley fault is part of the Paradise fault zone (Miller and others, 2005), a potentially important feature for studying neo-tectonic strain in the Mojave Desert. Additionally, many Anodonta shells were collected in Coyote Lake lacustrine sediments for radiocarbon dating. Preliminary results support some of Meek's (1999) conclusions on the timing of Mojave River inflow into the Coyote Basin. The database includes information on geologic deposits, samples, and geochronology. The database is distributed in three parts: spatial map-based data, documentation, and printable map graphics of the database. Spatial data are distributed as an ArcInfo personal geodatabase, or as tabular data in the form of Microsoft Access Database (MDB) or dBase Format (DBF) file formats. Documentation includes this file, which provides a discussion of the surficial geology and describes the format and content of the map data, and Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata for the spatial map information. Map graphics files are distributed as Postscript and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files, and are appropriate for representing a view of the spatial database at the mapped scale.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

Spatially pooled depth-dependent reservoir storage, elevation, and water-quality data for selected reservoirs in Texas, January 1965-January 2010

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Texas Tech University, constructed a dataset of selected reservoir storage (daily and instantaneous values), reservoir elevation (daily and instantaneous values), and water-quality data from 59 reservoirs throughout Texas. The period of record for the data is as large as January 1965-January 2010. Data were acquired from existing databases, spreadsheets, delimited text files, and hard-copy reports. The goal was to obtain as much data as possible; therefore, no data acquisition restrictions specifying a particular time window were used. Primary data sources include the USGS National Water Information System, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Surface Water-Quality Management Information System, and the Texas Water Development Board monthly Texas Water Condition Reports. Additional water-quality data for six reservoirs were obtained from USGS Texas Annual Water Data Reports. Data were combined from the multiple sources to create as complete a set of properties and constituents as the disparate databases allowed. By devising a unique per-reservoir short name to represent all sites on a reservoir regardless of their source, all sampling sites at a reservoir were spatially pooled by reservoir and temporally combined by date. Reservoir selection was based on various criteria including the availability of water-quality properties and constituents that might affect the trophic status of the reservoir and could also be important for understanding possible effects of climate change in the future. Other considerations in the selection of reservoirs included the general reservoir-specific period of record, the availability of concurrent reservoir storage or elevation data to match with water-quality data, and the availability of sample depth measurements. Additional separate selection criteria included historic information pertaining to blooms of golden algae. Physical properties and constituents were water temperature, reservoir storage, reservoir elevation, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, unfiltered salinity, unfiltered total nitrogen, filtered total nitrogen, unfiltered nitrate plus nitrite, unfiltered phosphorus, filtered phosphorus, unfiltered carbon, carbon in suspended sediment, total hardness, unfiltered noncarbonate hardness, filtered noncarbonate hardness, unfiltered calcium, filtered calcium, unfiltered magnesium, filtered magnesium, unfiltered sodium, filtered sodium, unfiltered potassium, filtered potassium, filtered chloride, filtered sulfate, unfiltered fluoride, and filtered fluoride. When possible, USGS and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality water-quality properties and constituents were matched using the database parameter codes for individual physical properties and constituents, descriptions of each physical property or constituent, and their reporting units. This report presents a collection of delimited text files of source-aggregated, spatially pooled, depth-dependent, instantaneous water-quality data as well as instantaneous, daily, and monthly storage and elevation reservoir data.

Texas↗
USGS1996

Nutrients in the Nation's Waters--Too Much of a Good Thing?

Historical data on nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from about 12,000 ground-water and more than 22,000 stream samples have been compiled and related to possible sources. This existing information was collected by many agencies for a variety of purposes. Therefore, though it can be used to determine where concentrations differ, the exact percentages should not be taken as those for the Nation as a whole. Major findings include: (1) nutrient concentrations in water generally are related to land use in the area overlying ground-water aquifers or upstream from surface-water locations, (2) regional differences are related to differences in soil-drainage properties and agricultural practices, (3) nitrate concentrations in about 12 percent of domestic-supply wells in agricultural areas exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking-water standard (10 mg/L), and (4) nitrate concentrations in surface water rarely exceed the drinking-water standard. This information has helped identify locations across the Nation where ground water and streams are most likely to be vulnerable to nutrient contamination. Programs to manage and protect water resources can therefore be targeted to the most critical areas, providing the greatest protection for the least cost.

Circular↗
USGS2021

Bayesian updating of seismic ground failure estimates via causal graphical models and satellite imagery

Earthquake-induced secondary ground failure hazards, such as liquefaction and landslides, result in catastrophic building and infrastructure damage as well as human fatalities. To facilitate emergency responses and mitigate losses, the U.S. Geological Survey provides a rapid hazard estimation system for earthquake-triggered landslides and liquefaction using geospatial susceptibility proxies and ShakeMap ground motion estimates. However, the resolution and accuracy of these models are often limited by coarse-granularity and large uncertainties of available geospatial features provided at a regional scale. Recently, with the advancement of remote sensing technologies, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are captured and analyzed to obtain a rapid estimate of earthquake-induced correlation changes between pre- and post-event images. These correlation changes indicate ground failures and building damage t, showing the potential to provide supplementary information for rapid hazard and loss estimation. However, the exact causes of changes in satellite images are not directly ascertained by the DPM alone. For example, changes could be due to building damage, landslides, liquefaction, noise or any combination thereof. More importantly, the occurrence and intensity of landslides, liquefaction, and building damages are spatially correlated, which makes it yet more challenging to distinguish the sources of any such changes. In this study, we develop a generalized causal graph-based Bayesian Network that models the physical interdependencies between geospatial features, seismic ground failures and building damage, as well as DPMs. Geospatial features provide physical insights for estimating ground failure occurrence while DPMs contain event-specific surface change observations. This physics-informed causal graph incorporate these variables with complex physical relationships in one holistic Bayesian updating scheme to effectively fuse information from both geospatial models and remote sensing data. This framework is scalable and flexible enough to deal with highly complex multi-hazard combinations. We then develop a stochastic variational inference algorithm to jointly update the intractable posterior probabilities of unobserved landslides, liquefaction, and building damage at different locations efficiently. In addition, a local graphical model pruning algorithm is presented to reduce the computational cost of large-scale seismic ground failure estimation. We apply this framework to September 2018 Hokkaido Iburi-Tobu, Japan (M6.6) earthquake and January 2020 Southwest Puerto Rico (M6.4) earthquake to evaluate the performance of our algorithm

Conference Paper↗
USGS1997

Level II scour analysis for Bridge 5 (WOLCTH00150005) on Town Highway 15, crossing the Wild Branch Lamoille River, Wolcott, Vermont

This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure WOLCTH00150005 on Town Highway 15 crossing the Wild Branch Lamoille River, Wolcott, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. During the August 1995 and July 1997 flood events, the left roadway was overtopped. Although there was loss of stone fill along the right abutment, the structure withstood both events. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in north- central Vermont. The 38.3-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge, while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. In the study area, the Wild Branch Lamoille River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.006 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 98 ft and an average bank height of 5 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to bedrock with a median grain size (D 50 ) of 89.1 mm (0.292 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 17, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 15 crossing of the Wild Branch Lamoille River is a 46-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 43-foot prestressed concrete box-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, October 13, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 42 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 10 degrees to the opening while the opening- skew-to-roadway is zero degrees. A scour hole 2.0 ft deeper than the mean thalweg depth was observed near the bridge along the left side of the channel during the Level I assessment. Scour countermeasures at the site consists of type-1 stone fill (less than 12 inches diameter) along the upstream left bank and along the left and right downstream banks, type-2 stone fill (less than 36 inches diameter) along the downstream left and right wingwalls, type-3 stone fill (less than 48 inches diameter) along the upstream left wingwall and the right abutment, and type-4 stone fill (less than 60 inches diameter) along the upstream right wingwall and the left abutment. Additional details describing conditions at the site are included in the Level II Summary and Appendices D and E. Scour depths and recommended rock rip-rap sizes were computed using the general guidelines described in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (Richardson and others, 1995) for the 100- and 500-year discharges. In addition, the incipient roadway-overtopping discharge was determined and analyzed as another potential worst-case scour scenario. Total scour at a highway crossing is comprised of three components: 1) long-term streambed degradation; 2) contraction scour (due to accelerated flow caused by a reduction in flow area at a bridge) and; 3) local scour (caused by accelerated flow around piers and abutments). Total scour is the sum of the three components. Equations are available to compute depths for contraction and local scour and a summary of the results of these computations follows. Contraction scour for all modelled flows was zero ft. Left abutment scour ranged from 7.9 to 23.3 ft. The worst-case left abutment scour occurred at the 500-year discharge. Right abutment scour ranged from 21.5 to 22.8 ft. The worst-case right abutment scour occurred at the incipient roadway-overtopping discharge. Additional in formation on scour depths and depths to armoring are included in the section titled “Scour Results”. Scoured-streambed elevations, based on the calculated scour depths, are presented in tables 1 and 2. A cross- section of the scour computed at the bridge is presented in figure 8. Scour depths were calculated assuming an infinite depth of erosive material and a homogeneous particle-size distribution. It is generally accepted that the Froehlich equation (abutment scour) gives “excessively conservative estimates of scour depths” (Richardson and others, 1995, p. 47). Usually, computed scour depths are evaluated in combination with other information including (but not limited to) historical performance during flood events, the geomorphic stability assessment, existing scour protection measures, and the results of the hydraulic analyses. Therefore, scour depths adopted by VTAOT may differ from the computed values documented herein.

Vermont↗
USGS2002

Can non-breeding be a cost of breeding dispersal?

Breeding habitat selection and dispersal are crucial processes that affect many components of fitness. Breeding dispersal entails costs, one of which has been neglected: dispersing animals may miss breeding opportunities because breeding dispersal requires finding a new nesting site and mate, two time- and energy-consuming activities. Dispersers are expected to be prone to non-breeding. We used the kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) to test whether breeding dispersal influences breeding probability. Breeding probability was associated with dispersal, in that both were negatively influenced by private information (previous individual reproductive success) and public information (average reproductive success of conspecifics) about patch quality. Furthermore, the probability of skipping breeding was 1.7 times higher in birds that settled in a new patch relative to those that remained on the same patch. Finally, non-breeders that resumed breeding were 4.4 times more likely to disperse than birds that bred in successive years. Although private information may influence breeding probability directly, the link between breeding probability and public information may be indirect, through the influence of public information on breeding dispersal, non-breeding thus being a cost of dispersal. These results support the hypothesis that dispersal may result in not being able to breed. More generally, non-breeding (which can be interpreted as an extreme form of breeding failure) may reveal costs of various previous activities. Because monitoring the non-breeding portion of a population is difficult, non-breeders have been neglected in many studies of reproduction trade-offs.

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology↗