Geology topics

Russell K. Livingston

Publications and source records attributed to Russell K. Livingston.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2004

Third U.S. Geological Survey Wildland Fire-Science Workshop : Denver, Colorado, November 12-15, 2002

Executive Summary -- The historically significant wildland fire events that occurred in the United States during 2000 and 2002, together with the associated recognition of the need for a different national policy of forest management, has led to an increased awareness of the need for cooperative effort among all Federal agencies in planning for and managing the risks and consequences of wildland fire. The expertise and capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are significant resources in this regard, and the agency is becoming increasingly involved in fire-science activities in support of the various land-management agencies that are dealing directly with this issue. The First USGS Wildland Fire Workshop was held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1997 and helped to establish the direction of USGS in sharing its expertise with the fire-management agencies. The Second USGS Wildland Fire Workshop was held in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 2000 and brought together all the agencies involved in the management of wildland fires in order to determine their needs, to demonstrate USGS capabilities to meet those needs, and to establish methods for the USGS to distribute data and tools useful in fire management. It enhanced the relationships developed during the 1997 workshop and helped to define USGS' role in the fire-management community. The Third USGS Wildland Fire-Science Workshop, held in Denver, Colorado, November 12?15, 2002, was an opportunity for exchange of information on recent progress in the area of fire science and to determine the gaps in fire-science research that could be addressed by the USGS. In addition to more than 90 USGS scientists engaged in fire-related research and managers of organizational units involved in some aspect of wildland fire activities, the workshop was attended by about 30 representatives of 11 other Federal agencies. There also were a number of attendees affiliated with several universities, private companies, and State and local agencies. The 4-day meeting consisted of a pre-workshop field trip to the Hayman Fire area, several keynote presentations, five panel discussions, presentation and 'breakout' discussion of four 'white paper' topics, and a poster session with more than 30 presentations.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2002

Second U.S. Geological Survey Wildland Fire Workshop: Los Alamos, New Mexico, October 31-November 3, 2000

In the past decade, fire-management policies have shifted to embrace the reduction of long-term building of excessive fuel levels in the Nation's forests and rangelands. In 1995, the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior issued the Federal Wildland-Fire Policy Statement (Appendix A) identifying the critical role that fire can play in the management of forests and rangelands. As a result of revised policy, Federal agencies have increased the acres treated to reduce fire risk through "prescribed" fires and thinning techniques from 500,000 acres in 1995 to more than 2.4 million acres in 2001.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1995

U.S. Geological Survey activities in New Mexico 1995

The report provides an overview of the USGS in New Mexico, including activities of the Water Resources, Geologic, and National Mapping Divisions. Some USGS projects address hydrologic and geologic hazards, such as flood discharges, landslides, and land subsidence. Recent environmental assessments include participation in the Kirtland Air Force Base Installation Restoration Program, erosion on the Zuni Reservation, and ground-water contamination in eastern Bernalillo County. Water availability studies have focused on ground-water depletion in the Albuquerque Basin, recharge in the Roswell Basin, and the water resources of Taos County. Irrigation drainage in the San Juan River area and trace metals in a reach of the Rio Grande have been investigated. The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program has two study units partly located in New Mexico. Energy and mineral resource assess- ments include gas resources in the San Juan Basin and environmental impacts of mining in the Mimbres Resource Area. The USGS is studying the extent of suitable habitat for Mexican Spotted Owls. Also discussed are cartographic/thematic products and Geographical Information Systems; surface-water, ground-water, and water-quality data-collection net- works; and reports published from 1993 to 1995.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1988

Determining transit losses for water deliveries by use of stream-aquifer models

Hydrologic modeling of stream-aquifer interaction commonly has been used to quantify transit losses associated with water deliveries, such as those from reservoir storage. This technique requires estimation of model parameters that include stage-discharge relations, channel-storage coefficient, aquifer transmissivity, and aquifer-storage coefficient. Because data to reliably estimate or calibrate these parameters often may be lacking, it is beneficial to know how parameter errors will affect the determination of transit losses. In addition, transit loss varies considerably depending on the duration of the recovery period (time allowed for water to leave channel and bank storage) used in the calculation of hydrograph volume. Sensitivity analysis indicates that recovery period typically is more important to the determination of total transit loss than are errors in the estimated values of channel and aquifer characteristics.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1985

Quantification of transit losses, and its effects on surface-water resources, Arkansas River basin, Colorado

Colorado Water Law enables downstream water users to use natural river channels to convey water from upstream storage reservoirs to downstream canals, provided an equitable charge is made for transit loss. Charging a variable transit-loss rate for delivery of winter water stored in Pueblo Reservoir has resulted in better management of the basin's surface-water resources. Not only are more accurate volumes of stored water delivered to each irrigator, but use of the natural channel for conveyance of these waters now has minimal effect on users of direct-flow water rights. A better understanding of specific sources of transit loss also has allowed water users to manage the timing and rate of their reservoir releases to optimize beneficial use of their stored water.

Colorado↗

USGS1978

Transit losses and traveltimes of reservoir releases along the Arkansas River from Pueblo Reservoir to John Martin Reservoir, southeastern Colorado

The need for accurate information regarding the transit losses and traveltimes associated with releases from Pueblo Reservoir has been stimulated by construction of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Fryingpan-Arkansas Project and a proposed winter-water storage program in Pueblo Reservoir. To meet this need, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, studied the Arkansas River from Pueblo Reservoir to John Martin Reservoir, a distance of 142 river miles. The volumes of reservoir releases are decreased or delayed during tran-sit by bank storage, channel storage, and evaporation. Results from a com-puter model, calibrated by a controlled-test release from Pueblo Reservoir, indicate transit losses are greatest for small releases of short duration that are made during periods of low antecedent streamflow. For equivalent releases, transit losses during the winter are about 7 percent less than losses during the summer. Based on available streamflow records, the traveltime of reservoir releases in the study reach ranges from about 1.67 hours per mile at the downstream end of the study reach when antecedent streamflow is 10 cubic feet per second, to about 0.146 hour per mile at the upstream end of the study reach when antecedent streamflow is 3,000 cubic feet per second. Consequently, the traveltime of a release increases as antecedent streamflow diminishes. Management practices that may be used to benefit water users in the study area include selection of the optimum time, rate, and duration of a reservoir release to minimize the transit losses, determination of an accurate traveltime, and diversion at several incremental rates.

Colorado↗

USGS1973

Transit losses and travel times for reservoir releases, upper Arkansas River Basin, Colorado

Factors influencing reservoir releases were analyzed for the upper reach of the Arkansas River in Colorado. The time of travel of releases from Twin Lakes Reservoir to Colorado Canal, a distance of 175 miles, ranges from 29 to 69 hours depending on the antecedent flow of the Arkansas River. Travel time of releases from Turquoise Lake is 42 hours more and travel time of releases from Clear Creek Reservoir is 12 hours less than for the Twin Lakes Reservoir to Colorado Canal reach. At the Colorado Canal, the streamflow hydrographs resulting from upstream reservoir releases are modified by channel and bank storage, inadvertent diversions, and evapotranspiration. During an average reservoir release of about 450 cubic feet per second for about 12 days, the released water arriving at the Colorado Canal is reduced by about 7 percent due to bank storage, by about 8 percent due to inadvertent diversions, and by about 1 percent due to evaporation. All release water in channel storage arrives at the Colorado Canal headgate during the release recession soon enough to be diverted and does not cause a loss. Transpiration losses due to bank storage are assumed to be negligible. This total average transportation Loss of 16 percent can vary from about 6 to 28 percent due to the antecedent river conditions, the amount and duration of the reservoir release, and the time of year the release occurs.

Colorado↗