Preliminary report on examination of column capitals at the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.
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Open-File Report↗
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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
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Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Independence County, Arkansas, 1991
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Open-File Report↗
Standards for illustrations in reports of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division
No abstract available.
Open-File Report↗
Interaction between ground water and surface water in the northern Everglades and relation to water budget and mercury cycling; study methods and appendixes
The data presented in this report are products of an investigation that quantified interactions between ground water and surface water at several study sites in the northern Everglades. Goals included identifying the major geologic controls and human alterations that affect interactions between ground water and surface water, and determining how those interactions affect mercury contamination. The primary study area was the 3,815-acre Everglades Nutrient Removal (ENR), a wetland constructed in the early 1990s as a prototype Stormwater Treatment Area (STA), to determine the effectiveness in removing excess nutrients from agricultural drainage. In order to ensure that results from ENR are broadly informative, work was also conducted in Water Conservation Area-2A (WCA-2A), a 105,000-acre basin surrounded by levees. In the past 50 years, WCA-2A has experienced extensive re- engineering of water flow, alterations in the pattern of water-level fluctuations and timing of fire frequency, as well as substantial ecological changes. The most visible ecological alteration is the change in dominance over the past 30 years from a sawgrass wetland to cattail wetland in the northeastern part of WCA-2A. The drastic change in vegetation in WCA-2A resulted at least in part from inputs of excess phosphorus from agricultural drainage. Substantial data collection programs were already in progress in both ENR and WCA- 2A when the present work began. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) constructed the ENR project in 1994 to determine the effectiveness of constructed wetlands for water treatment. Measurements of surface water flow and water quality were made frequently in ENR between 1994 and 1998. Fewer ground water data were collected at ENR, and almost all of it was collected from shallow wells emplaced on perimeter levees. In contrast to the short-term nature of data collection in ENR, hydrologic and chemical data were collected over a much longer period in WCA-2A (since at least the mid- 1970s), but the number of sites and data- collection frequency is much less. Very little prior ground water data were available in WCA-2A. Given the availability of prior information, the present study emphasized the collection of ground water field data, particularly in the interior wetland areas of ENR and WCA- 2A. New wells were emplaced to permit the geologic, hydraulic, and chemical sampling that was needed to characterize interactions between surface water and ground water. In particular, lithology and hydraulic properties of the Surficial aquifer were determined, ground water flow paths and velocities were delineated, hydrologic fluxes between surface water and ground water were measured, and water budgets and surface- subsurface fluxes of mercury were determined. The purpose of this report is to compile under one cover all of the data collected in this investigation. In addition, the report contains a detailed description of the study methods and information about study sites, borehole drilling, well construction, seepage meter installation, and hydraulic and geochemical chemical sampling. Data interpretations are the subject of a companion report.
Florida↗
Near-field receiving water monitoring of a benthic community near the Palo Alto Water Quality Control Plant in South San Francisco Bay: February 1974 through December 2002
Analyses of the benthic community structure over a 28-year period show that changes in the community have occurred concurrent with reduced concentrations of metals in the sediment and in the tissues of the biosentinal clam Macoma balthica from the same area. The community has shifted from being dominated by several opportunistic species to a community where the species are more similar in abundance, a pattern that could be indicative of a more stable community that is subjected to less stress. In addition, two of the opportunistic species (Ampelisca abdita and Streblospio benedicti) that brood their young and live on the surface of the sediment in tubes have shown a continual decline in dominance coincident with the decline in metals. Heteromastus filiformis, a subsurface polychaete worm that lives in the sediment, consumes sediment and organic particles residing in the sediment, and reproduces by laying their eggs on or in the sediment has shown a concurrent increase in dominance. These changes in species dominance reflect a change in the community from one dominated by surface dwelling, brooding species to one with species with varying life history characteristics. Analysis of the reproductive activity of Macoma balthica shows increases in reproductive activity concurrent with the decline in metal concentrations in the tissue of this organism. Reproductive activity is presently stable with almost all animals reproducing during the two reproductive seasons (spring and fall) of most years. These findings are consistent with findings previously reported for the 1974 through 2000 period.
California↗
Near-field receiving water monitoring of a benthic community near the Palo Alto Water Quality Control Plant in south San Francisco Bay: February 1974 through December 2003
Analyses of the benthic community structure of a mudflat in South San Francisco Bay over a 29-year period show that changes in the community have occurred concurrent with reduced concentrations of metals in the sediment and in the tissues of the biosentinal clam Macoma balthica from the same area. The community has shifted from being dominated by several opportunistic species to a community where the species are more similar in abundance, a pattern that could be indicative of a more stable community that is subjected to less stress. In addition, two of the opportunistic species (Ampelisca abdita and Streblospio benedicti) that brood their young and live on the surface of the sediment in tubes have shown a continual decline in dominance coincident with the decline in metals. Heteromastus filiformis, a subsurface polychaete worm that lives in the sediment, consumes sediment and organic particles residing in the sediment, and reproduces by laying their eggs on or in the sediment has shown a concurrent increase in dominance. These changes in species dominance reflect a change in the community from one dominated by surface dwelling, brooding species to one with species with varying life history characteristics. Analysis of the reproductive activity of Macoma balthica shows increases in reproductive activity concurrent with the decline in metal concentrations in the tissue of this organism. Reproductive activity is presently stable with almost all animals reproducing during the two reproductive seasons (spring and fall) of most years. These findings are consistent with findings previously reported for the 1974 through 2002 period.
California↗
Environmental settings of selected streams sampled for mercury in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2002-06
From 2002 through 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program conducted studies investigating mercury biogeochemistry and food-web bioaccumulation in eight streams from three distinct geographic areas of the United States. These streams varied greatly in environmental characteristics, including land-cover, hydrologic, climatic, and chemical characteristics. They ranged from a clear-water, high-gradient, low-percentage wetland stream in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, to an urban stream near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a low-gradient, blackwater stream draining the Okefenokee and Pinhook Swamps along the Georgia-Florida border. This report summarizes the environmental settings of these eight streams.
Florida, Oregon, Wisconsin↗
Log ASCII Standard (LAS) Files for Geophysical (Gamma Ray) Wireline Well Logs and Their Application to Geologic Cross Section C-C' Through the Central Appalachian Basin
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) regional geologic cross section C-C' (Ryder and others, 2008) displays key stratigraphic intervals in the central Appalachian basin. For this cross section, strata were correlated by using descriptions of well cuttings and gamma ray well log traces. This report summarizes the procedures used to convert gamma ray curves on paper well logs to the digital Log ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) Standard (LAS) format using the third-party software application Neuralog. The procedures could be used with other geophysical wireline logs also. The creation of digital LAS files from paper well logs by using Neuralog is very helpful, especially when dealing with older logs with limited or nonexistent digital data. The LAS files from the gamma ray logs of 11 wells used to construct cross section C-C' are included in this report. They may be downloaded from the index page as a single ZIP file.
Open-File Report↗
Comprehensive summary of beach renourishment and offshore sand removal impacts for Florida
This report is temporarily unavailable pending review. <!-- An essential first step in the scope of environmental impacts for a sediment mining project is a formulation of specific purpose, precise needs, and estimated impacts. For each individual project, scope must be described, acceptable alternatives must be determined, critical environmental issues must be identified, and mitigation measures must be resolved. Appropriate Federal and State regulations will often require evidence that sand placement is a reasonable alternative to shoreline protection. If so, material to be extracted from the borrow site must be characterized. Candidates must identify the extent of the potential area for sand resources, complete with screening criteria, and site-specific information must be obtained. Alternatives must be identified, compared, and contrasted. And, importantly, the most cost-effective and environmentally sound approach must be determined for the project to move forward. Florida's beaches and coastlines once provided natural protection against storm damage, while simultaneously supporting aquatic ecosystems and both commercial and recreational fisheries. However, beach erosion associated with regional construction and development of the coastline has reduced the effectiveness of natural storm protection. Coastal beaches are, in geological terms, ever-shifting and evolving through natural processes of erosion and replenishment. With permanent structures in place, such as seawalls, jetties, and revetments, natural shoreline is compartmentalized, dynamics are interrupted, and sediment is no longer replenished. Coastal erosion is often a problem where the natural sediment source is deficient. Many of Florida's beaches are now in need of beach replenishment to reduce the high level of damage caused by coastal flooding. Strategic placement of beach fill is a logical means for improving the stability of a shoreline where such a project is economically and environmentally feasible. Sand placement effectively extends the shoreline and provides protection for coastal developments. Beach nourishment or restoration must, however, be thought of as a continual effort and not a one-time fix. Therefore, a combination of sand placement with other erosion mitigation measures can be an effective way to stabilize a shoreline and extend the life of the beach nourishment. Fill material can be obtained from an offshore borrow site, and its characteristics must match the native material in terms of grain size and structure. Environmental concerns for such an effort include potential for decreased water quality during dredging operations, and disturbance of coastal habitat while removing or depositing dredged material. An in-depth scientific evaluation of deposit sites and potential borrow sites must be executed. Mitigation and monitoring efforts will also be critical for a successful low-impact beach management project. The potential exists for unwanted consequences to develop during dredging operations, all of which must be considered and reduced. -->
Florida↗
Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water years 2008−2011
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The purpose of this report is to provide information about the chemical and physical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes during water years 2008–2011. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the period October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008 is called "water year 2008." Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are presented in this report for water years from 2008–2011. Data collected include measurements of in-lake water quality and lake stage. Time series of Secchi depths, surface total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations collected during non-frozen periods are included for all lakes. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, area of the lake’s watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are available via the "USGS Annual Water Data Report" Web site: http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/ .
Wisconsin↗
Juvenile sucker cohort tracking data summary and assessment of monitoring program, 2015
Populations of federally endangered Lost River ( Deltistes luxatus ) and shortnose suckers ( Chasmistes brevirostris ) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, are experiencing long-term declines in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because adult mortality, which is relatively low, is not being balanced by recruitment of young adult suckers into known adult spawning aggregations. Previous sampling for juvenile suckers indicated that most juvenile sucker mortality in Upper Klamath Lake likely occurs within the first year of life. The importance of juvenile sucker mortality to the dynamics of Clear Lake Reservoir populations is less clear, and factors other than juvenile mortality (such as access to spawning habitat) play a substantial role. For example, production of age-0 juvenile suckers, as determined by fin ray annuli and fin development, has not been detected since 2013 in Clear Lake Reservoir, whereas it is detected annually in Upper Klamath Lake. We initiated a long-term juvenile sucker monitoring program in 2015 designed to track cohorts through seasons and among years in both Upper Klamath Lake and Clear Lake Reservoir. Specifically, our goals are to track annual variability in age-0 sucker production, juvenile sucker survival, growth, and condition. In this first year of the monitoring program, we assessed assumptions that sampled fish were representative of populations of suckers in each lake. The size, age, and species composition of suckers were similar between randomly determined sites and fixed sites in each lake. We captured a wide size and age range of suckers using similar gear, indicating our gear did not exclude older and larger fish. We identified improvements that could be made in the monitoring program including increasing the number of randomly determined sample sites in both lakes, evaluation of gear-size selectivity, and validation of aging methods for juvenile Lost River and shortnose suckers. Differing age composition of juvenile suckers between lakes in our 2015 catches and as reported in previous studies indicate that juvenile suckers are produced in relatively larger numbers each year in Upper Klamath Lake than in Clear Lake Reservoir. Most (96.6 percent) of suckers captured in Upper Klamath Lake in 2015 were age-0, whereas age-0 or age-1 suckers were not captured in Clear Lake Reservoir. Despite ample effort, age-0 suckers have not been captured in Clear Lake Reservoir since 2013. Estimated ages of suckers captured in 2015 in Clear Lake Reservoir ranged from 2 to 6 years. Low flow during spawning seasons in the only known spawning tributary to Clear Lake Reservoir (Willow Creek) appears to explain the lack of age-0 sucker production in recent years. Juvenile sucker mortality is relatively higher in Upper Klamath Lake than in Clear Lake Reservoir. We compared data collected in 2015 to previously published catch rates to produce an index of annual juvenile sucker survival for these species. We calculated indices of annual apparent survival of juvenile sucker ages 0–5 years old in Clear Lake Reservoir to be between 0.37 (±0.86 standard error [SE]) and 0.44 (±0.84 SE). This is the first time indices of annual apparent survival for Lost River and shortnose suckers have been calculated. This estimate has the limitation of being non-species specific because not all individuals were identified to species in previous years, and suckers that were identified included both taxa. In contrast, catch rates decreased by 89 percent for juvenile Lost River suckers and decreased 50 percent for juvenile shortnose suckers in Upper Klamath Lake between August and September 2015. Very low catch rates of age-1 and older suckers in Upper Klamath Lake indicate that annual juvenile sucker survival rates are near zero. Condition of suckers was assessed in 2015 based on age-0 sucker growth rates in Upper Klamath Lake and the prevalence of externally observable afflictions on suckers from both lakes. Age-0 Lost River suckers grew an average (± standard deviation [SD]) of 0.72 (±0.01) millimeters [mm] standard length [SL] per day, and age-0 shortnose suckers grew an average of 0.57 (±0.04) mm SL per day in 2015. This growth rate was similar to growth rates reported for these species in Upper Klamath Lake in previous years. Opercular deformities, skin hemorrhages, black-spot causing parasites, and Lernaea spp. parasitism were the most common afflictions observed on suckers. Observed afflictions were primarily on suckers from Upper Klamath Lake, with the exception of Lernaea spp., which occurred more frequently on suckers from Clear Lake Reservoir. Opercular deformities and black-spot causing parasites were each observed on 5 percent of age-0 suckers from Upper Klamath Lake. Petechial hemorrhaging of the skin was observed on 43 percent of age-0 Lost River suckers, 38 percent of age-0 suckers of undetermined taxa, and only 24 percent of age-0 shortnose suckers from Upper Klamath Lake. Petechial hemorrhaging of the skin was only observed on a single shortnose sucker from Clear Lake Reservoir. Within Upper Klamath Lake, the prevalence of these hemorrhages was exactly twice as high as was reported in 2014.
Oregon↗
Community for Data Integration 2018 annual report
The Community for Data Integration (CDI) is a community of practice whose purpose is to build the U.S. Geological Survey knowledge base in data integration. This annual report describes the various presentations, activities, and outcomes of the CDI monthly forums, working groups, trainings, and other CDI-sponsored events in fiscal year 2018. The report also describes the objectives of the 10 CDI-funded projects for the year. The CDI had a topical theme for fiscal year 2018—Risk assessment and hazards vulnerability in support of integrated predictive science capacity. This report describes how the community coordinated its activities around this theme.
Open-File Report↗
Water-supply investigation at Chinle, Navajo Indian Reservation, Arizona
In late January 1948 the Geological Survey was requested to investigate the possibilities of obtaining additional water supplies at four sites on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Each site was given a priority, and the site at Chinle was designated as second of the four in importance. Field work was to be completed and reports submitted by the Navajo Service by April 9, 1948.
Arizona↗
Water levels in observation wells in Nebraska during 1956
The Objective of the observation-well program in Nebraska is to provide an evaluation of the status of the ground-water supplies. Many uses tor water-level data are known but not all potential uses can be foreseen. Among the important uses are the following: (1) To indicate the status of ground water in storage or in transit and the availability or supplies. (2) To show the trend of ground-water supplies and the outlook tor the future. (3) To estimate or forecast the base flow of streams. (4) To indicate areas in which the water level is approaching too close to the land surface (water-logging) or is receding toward economic limits of lift or toward impairment by water of poor quality. (5) To provide long-term evidence for evaluating the effectiveness of land-management and water-conservation programs in relation to water conservation actually effected, and for use in basin or "watershed" studies. (6) To provide long-term continuous records to serve as a framework to which short-term records collected during intensive investigation may be related. The water level in an observation well functions as a gage to indicate the position or the water table. The water table is defined as the upper surface of the zone of saturation except where that surface is formed by overlying impermeable materials. The water table is also the boundary between the zone of saturation and the zone of aeration. It is not a level surface but is a sloping surface that has many irregularities, and it often conforms in a general way to the land surface. The irregularities are caused by several factors. In places where the recharge to the ground-water reservoir is exceptionally large, the water table may rise to form a mound from which the water slowly spreads. Depressions or troughs in the water table indicate places where the ground water is discharging, u along streams that are below the normal level it the water table, or indicate places where water is being withdrawn by wells or vegetation. The several factors that influence the water table vary in fact and amount from time to time because of changes in weather and the water requirements or vegetation and man; thus, the water table is nearly always rising or falling. The fluctuations or the water table are shown by the changes in water levels in wells. Thus, the rate and amount of the fluctuation of the water table can be ascertained by observing the water levels in wells, and the magnitude or the several factors effecting the position of the water table can be interpreted by analyzing the water-level data. Water-level measurements are given, in this report, in feet below the land surface at the well site. Water levels that are above land surface are preceded by a plus (+) sign in the tables, whereas those below land surface have no sign but are understood to be minus (-). The words "land-surface datum" are abbreviated "lsd'' in some places in tables of this report. The altitude above mean sea level (msl) of the land surface at many of the well sites has been determined and is included in the tables or this report. Twenty-eight observation wells in Nebraska are equipped with recording gages. Each recording gage produces a continuous graph of water-level fluctuations in the well. Only the lowest water level on the last day of record in each month, as recorded by the gage, is given in this report; the complete record is on file in the office of the U.S. Geological Survey in Lincoln, Nebr.
Nebraska↗
Status of flood-plain mapping, greater Pittsburgh region, Pennsylvania, 1972
Flood plains that have a history of inundation or have a reasonable probability of being flooded, of course, need adequate attention in land-use planning, management, and development programs. Flood-plain maps and flood-plain-information reports are means of identifying these critical areas for special consideration.
Pennsylvania↗
Mapping the lateral boundaries of a cooling basaltic lava lake, Kilauea Iki, Hawaii
Two types of electromagnetic (EM) profiling techniques were used to delineate the surface projection of the edges of the still-molten basaltic lava lens that exists in Kilauea Iki Crater, Hawaii. These studies were made as part of an intensive geophysical program aimed at defining the overall configuration of the liquid core and the attendant hydrothermal fluids. The results of the profiling studies were presented orally at the Annual Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union held in San Francisco, Calif., December 6, 1976. This report summarizes in more detail the techniques, results, and some conclusions related to the EM profiling studies. The complete results of an intensive VLF study made by L. A. Anderson (U.S. Geol. Survey, oral communication, 1976) will be presented in a separate report. Only a few of these results are discussed here.
Hawaii↗
Discharge characteristics of triangular-notch thin-plate weirs
The triangular-notch, thin-plate weir is a convenient, inexpensive, and relatively precise flow-measuring instrument. It is frequently used to measure the flow of water in laboratories and in small, natural streams. The purpose of this report is to present a comprehensive analysis of the discharge characteristics of triangular-notch weirs. Previously-published data are analyzed in the light of the effective-head concept, and a new discharge formula is proposed. Coefficients are recommended, and requirements for precise measurements are described. Limits of applicability are discussed. The report includes an extensive review of the literature of triangular-notch weirs.
Open-File Report↗
Drainage areas of streams at selected locations in Kentucky
Drainage areas are presented for most sites where streamflow data have been collected in Kentucky, as well as other selected locations throughout the State. Areas were planimetered on Geological Survey topographic quadrangle maps, and balanced to known areas taken from Smithsonian geographical tables for areas of quadrangles of the earth's surface. Stream sites are listed in downstream order starting at the headwaters. At sites where streamflow data have been collected, U.S. Geological Survey eight-digit numbers are shown. All sites are identified by reference to the topographic quadrangle, county, latitude, longitude, and in some cases a nearby town or landmark. All intervening areas in Kentucky along the Ohio River have been computed and are available in the District office even though some are not included in this report. An alphabetical index by stream name is provided.
Kentucky↗