Geology topics

Donald Martin

Publications and source records attributed to Donald Martin.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Public supply water delivery analysis and estimation for the conterminous United States

Public supply water withdrawals represent 14% of all withdrawals in the conterminous United States (CONUS), supplying approximately 87% of the population with fresh water. Deliveries for public water supply are crucial for associating water use amounts with populations because they often differ from total withdrawals due to wholesales, transfers, losses, and other factors. Understanding these differences helps identify the drivers for each type of delivery. The goal of this study was to compile all available public water supply delivery data for the CONUS and develop a data-driven model to estimate deliveries for all water service areas within the CONUS. Annual deliveries were estimated between 2010 and 2020, encompassing total water deliveries; combined commercial, industrial, and institutional deliveries (CII); and domestic deliveries. Data were compiled for 2,744 water service areas to produce the most comprehensive public water supply delivery data set for the CONUS to date. Three ensemble modeling approaches were developed to estimate total, CII, and domestic per capita (DPC) deliveries using a gradient boosted regression tree modeling approach. Estimates of daily domestic and CII per capita deliveries were generated from these models for approximately 18,800 water service areas, covering most public water systems in the CONUS. Domestic delivery was found to be lowest in the midwestern region and higher in the southern and southwest regions of the United States. Results indicate that climate and land use can be associated with regional differences in DPC delivery. Population metrics and land use were identified as significant contributors to CII delivery estimates.

conterminous United States↗

USGS2025

Estimating irrigation consumptive use for the conterminous United States: Coupling satellite-sourced estimates of actual evapotranspiration with a national hydrologic model

Irrigation consumptive use is crucial information for water resource management and this information is generally not available for most regional and national assessments. From 2000 to 2020, daily estimates of consumptive use were produced for the conterminous U.S. at the 12-digit hydrologic unit code watershed level. Using the Simplified Surface Energy Balance model within the OpenET tool on Google Earth Engine, actual evapotranspiration estimates were derived from Landsat land surface temperature data. These estimates were mapped to the National Hydrologic Model (NHM) spatial units for irrigated areas defined by the Landsat Irrigation Dataset (LANID). The NHM allows for simultaneous estimation of consumptive use and effective precipitation. Results were compared to the 2015 USGS water use report, revealing annual maximum difference in consumptive use of 37 cm, with an average absolute difference of 13 cm and a bias of 2.7 %. Comparisons to field resolution irrigation withdrawals reported by growers in 4 major irrigation regions across the nation were made using efficiencies reported in the literature. These comparisons resulted in root mean square errors that ranged between 10 and 18 cm per year and biases of −18.2 to 15.8 %. Significant differences in these different reported estimates represent challenges in accurate data availability and inconsistent methods and definitions used in assessments. Annual consumptive use in the U.S. can vary by 37 % due to droughts, particularly in regions more heavily dependent on precipitation. Significant increases in consumptive use were noted over the 20-year period in western states, especially the Colorado River basin from 2010 to 2020, exacerbating water supply declines.

conterminous United States↗

USGS2024

Next generation public supply water withdrawal estimation for the conterminous United States using machine learning and operational frameworks

Estimation of human water withdrawals is more important now than ever due to uncertain water supplies, population growth, and climate change. Fourteen percent of the total water withdrawal in the United States is used for public supply, typically including deliveries to domestic, commercial, and occasionally including industrial, irrigation, and thermoelectric water withdrawal. Stewards of water resources in the USA require estimates of water withdrawals to manage and plan for future demands and sustainable water supplies. This study compiled the most comprehensive conterminous United States water withdrawal data set to date and developed a machine learning framework for estimating public supply withdrawals and associated uncertainty for the period 2000–2020. The modeling approach provides service area resolution estimates to allow for annual and monthly water withdrawal estimation while incorporating a complex array of driving factors that include hydroclimatic, demographic, socioeconomic, geographic, and land use factors. Model results reveal highly variable and lognormally distributed per-capita water withdrawal, spanning from 30 to 650 gallons per capita per day (GPCD), across community, regional, and national scales, with pronounced seasonal variations. Analysis of estimated withdrawal trends indicates that the national annual average withdrawal experienced a decline at a rate of 0.58 GPCD/year during the period from 2000 to 2020. Model interpretation reveals a complex interplay between public supply withdrawal and key predictors, including population size, warm-season precipitation, counts of large buildings and houses, and areas of urban and commercial land use. The developed models can forecast future public supply driven by various climate, demographic, and socioeconomic scenarios.

conterminous United States↗