Geology topics

Research about Salmon River

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Salmon River.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Hydrogeology of unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers along the Salmon River, including Malone, Franklin County, New York

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, investigated the hydrogeology of the unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers along the Salmon River corridor in northern Franklin County, New York. The study area covers roughly 147 square miles and includes the village of Malone and parts of the Towns of Malone, Bellmont, Burke, Constable, Westville, Bangor, Duane, and Franklin, New York. Groundwater is the primary source for water supply within the study area. Eighty-three percent of all residents use public water supplied from two production wells that draw water from a thick, highly productive sand-and-gravel aquifer likely receiving induced infiltration from the Salmon River. Twenty-four percent of the 187 verified domestic wells in the study area outside of the production well service area boundary are screened in typically discontinuous deposits of stratified sand and sand and gravel. Seventy-six percent of the wells are completed in bedrock aquifers including the Potsdam Sandstone, metamorphic rocks, Theresa Formation, and unknown bedrock. Characterizing and understanding potential groundwater resources is critical for protecting the quality of the groundwater. The information in this report may be used to guide delineation of groundwater contributing areas, assess potential threats to aquifers from both point and nonpoint sources, respond to contamination from spills or leaks from underground storage facilities or other sources, and to support assessments for future development of municipal water supplies.

New York↗

USGS2018

Sediment transport monitoring of the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River near Stanley, Idaho, 2012–15

The Yankee Fork of the Salmon River is one of the larger watersheds in the upper Salmon River subbasin of central Idaho. Mining activities since the late 19th century, specifically placer mining and associated dredging from 1940 to 1953, have left the fluvial system in a highly altered and unnatural state. To improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat in the Yankee Fork, the Bureau of Reclamation and other stakeholders collaborated on the Dredge Tailings Restoration Project and Yankee Fork Rehabilitation Project. In conjunction with these rehabilitation efforts, the U.S. Geological Survey monitored suspended-sediment transport and discharge between 2012 and 2015 at three sites in the lower reaches of the Yankee Fork. Pseudo-hydrographs were developed for the Bonanza and Confluence sites using data from the streamgage site as a surrogate. Results showed a good fit between measured and calculated discharge with R2 values of 0.96 for the Bonanza site and 0.98 for the Confluence site. Both regressions have high hypothesis test statistics (t>23) and low probability values (p<0.0001), indicating a strong linear correlation. Suspended-sediment samples collected mostly during snowmelt runoff showed a positive correlation with stream discharge. Hysteresis in the sample results indicates a supply-limited suspended-sediment transport regime. Percent sand by weight of suspended-sediment samples identified a possible discharge threshold for sand suspension at about 400 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) at the Bonanza site and about 1,000 ft 3 /s at the Confluence and Gage sites.

Idaho↗

USGS2017

Mobilization of mercury and arsenic from a carbonate-hosted ore deposit, central Idaho, U.S.A.

The Cinnabar and Fern mine sites in central Idaho are primary source areas for elevated mercury and arsenic entering the South Fork of the Salmon River, which provides critical spawning habitat for bull trout and Chinook salmon. Mercury mineralization is hosted by carbonate rocks, which generate waters dominated by Ca2+ and HCO3 - at pH 7 to 9. A synoptic sampling was conducted on headwater tributaries to determine geologic background concentrations and quantify trace metal concentrations in stream water associated with historical mining. Geologic background concentrations in unfiltered Cinnabar Creek water were 8 - 14 ng Hg L-1 and 4.8 - 9.5 µg As L-1. Immediately downstream from the mine site, concentrations increased to 257 ng Hg L-1 and 20.6 µg As L-1. Groundwater inflow diluted these concentrations by approximately half before the confluence of Cinnabar Creek with Sugar Creek. As expected, mercury and arsenic concentrations increased downstream in Sugar Creek below the confluence with Cinnabar Creek. However, the final downstream reach on Sugar Creek showed an increase in unfiltered mercury, methylmercury, and iron concentrations relative to the upstream reach. This increase is associated with historical mining activity in a mineralized area of carbonate rock that intersects the reach.

Idaho↗

USGS2016

Predation on Chinook Salmon parr by hatchery salmonids and Fallfish in the Salmon River, New York

Naturally reproduced Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha contribute substantially to the fishery in Lake Ontario. The Salmon River, a Lake Ontario tributary in New York, produces the largest numbers of naturally spawned Chinook Salmon, with parr abundance in the river often exceeding 10 million. In the spring of each year, large numbers of hatchery salmonid yearlings—potential predators of Chinook Salmon parr—are released into the Salmon River by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. We sought to examine predation on Chinook Salmon parr in the Salmon River during May and June prior to out-migration. Over the 4 years examined (2009–2012), annual consumption of Chinook Salmon parr by hatchery-released yearling steelhead O. mykiss and Coho Salmon O. kisutch ranged from 1.5 to 3.3 million and from 0.4 to 2.1 million, respectively. In 2009, Fallfish Semotilus corporalis were estimated to consume 2.9 million Chinook Salmon parr. Predation was higher in May, when the average TL of Chinook Salmon parr was 44.5 mm, than in June. Fallfish were also important predators of naturally reproduced steelhead subyearlings, consuming an estimated 800,000 steelhead in 2009. Hatchery-released yearling salmonids consumed 13.8–15.3% of the Chinook Salmon parr that were estimated to be present in the Salmon River during 2010–2012. Earlier releases of hatchery salmonid yearlings could reduce the riverine consumption of Chinook Salmon parr by facilitating the out-migration of yearlings prior to Chinook Salmon emergence.

New York↗

USGS2015

Summer diel diet and feeding periodicity of four species of cyprinids in the Salmon River, New York

The diel diet composition and feeding periodicity of Luxilus cornutus (common shiner), Exoglossum maxillingua (cutlip minnow), Semotilus corporalis (fallfish), and Notropis hudsonius (spottail shiner) were examined in the Salmon River, New York over a 24 h period during the summer. Chironomids were the major prey of common shiner (60.6%) and cutlip minnow (54.7%), whereas terrestrial invertebrates (30.0%) and amphipods (38.4%) were the primary food of fallfish and spottail shiner, respectively. Diet overlap was high between common shiner and cutlip minnow (Morisita's index = 0.88) and moderate between fallfish and common shiner (0.54) and fallfish and cutlip minnow (0.50). Diel temperal variation in diet composition was greatest (0.64) for spottail shiner. Three species exhibited diel variation in food consumption. Fallfish had a distinct feeding peak, whereas peak food consumption of common shiner and cutlip minnow occurred over a more extended period. Spottail shiner did not have a distinct feeding peak but food consumption was highest from 2400 to 0800 h. Each of the four species exhibited some degree of variation in their diel feeding ecology in regards to either diet composition or food consumption.

New York↗

USGS2010

Migratory salmonid redd habitat characteristics in the Salmon River, New York

Non-native migratory salmonids ascend tributaries to spawn in all the Great Lakes. In Lake Ontario, these species include Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), coho salmon ( O. kisutch ), steelhead ( O. mykiss ), and brown trout ( Salmo trutta ). Although successful natural reproduction has been documented for many of these species, little research has been conducted on their spawning habitat. We examined the spawning habitat of these four species in the Salmon River, New York. Differences in fish size among the species were significantly correlated with spawning site selection. In the Salmon River, the larger species spawned in deeper areas with larger size substrate and made the largest redds. Discriminant function analysis correctly classified redds by species 64–100% of the time. The size of substrate materials below Lighthouse Hill Dam is within the preferred ranges for spawning for these four species indicating that river armoring has not negatively impacted salmonid production. Intra-specific and inter-specific competition for spawning sites may influence redd site selection for smaller salmonids and could be an impediment for Atlantic salmon ( S. salar ) restoration.

New York↗

USGS2009

Predation by fallfish ( Semotilus corporalis ) on Pacific salmon eggs in the Salmon River, New York

Fallfish ( Semotilus corporalis ) are the largest native cyprinid in the northeastern United States and are the most abundant native species in the Salmon River, New York. The Salmon River is a high-quality spawning and nursery river for Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) migrating from Lake Ontario. Because of the large number of Pacific salmon spawning in the river in the fall extensive redd superimposition occurs resulting in salmonid eggs being available on the substrate. We examined the fall diet of 647 fallfish in 2007 and 2008 to determine the extent of predation on Pacific salmon eggs. The contribution of eggs in the diet significantly increased once fallfish attained a size of 100 mm total length. The largest size category of fallfish examined (≥150 mm) had the highest proportion (86.1%) of salmon eggs in their diet. The contribution of Zooplankton and chironomids in the diet of fallfish decreased with fish size. Except for the two largest groups of fallfish examined (i.e., 100–149 mm and ≥150 mm) diet overlap among size groups was low. The high contribution in the diet during the fall and high caloric value of Pacific salmon eggs could increase growth and survival of this species in the Salmon River.

New York↗

USGS1998

Surface-water/ground-water relations in the Lemhi River Basin, east-central Idaho

This report summarizes work carried out in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation to provide hydrologic information to help Federal, State, and local agencies meet the goals of the Lemhi River Model Watershed Project. The primary goal of the project is to maintain, enhance, and restore anadromous and resident fish habitat in the Lemhi River, while maintaining a balance between resource protection and established water uses. The main objectives of the study were to carry out seepage measurements to determine seasonal distributed gains and losses in the Lemhi River and to estimate annual ground-water underflow from the basin to the Salmon River. In 1997, seepage measurements were made during and after the irrigation season along a 60-mile reach of the Lemhi River between Leadore and Salmon. Except for one 4-mile reach that lost 1.3 cubic feet per second per mile, the river gained from ground water in early August when ground-water levels were high. Highest flows in the Lemhi River in early August were about 400 cubic feet per second. In October, when ground-water levels were low, river losses to ground water were about 1 to 16 cubic feet per second per mile. In October, highest flows in the Lemhi River were about 500 cubic feet per second, near the river's mouth. Annual ground-water underflow from the Lemhi River Basin to the Salmon River was estimated by using a simplified water budget and by using Darcy's equation. The water-budget method contained large uncertainties associated with estimating precipitation and evapotranspiration. Results of both methods indicate that the quantity of ground water leaving the basin as underflow is small, probably less than 2 percent of the basin's total annual water yield.

Idaho↗

USGS1989

Water temperature data analysis and simulation for the Salmon River, Oswego County, New York, Summer, 1986

Research into the temperature effects of operation of the Salmon River Reservoir system of the Niagara Mohawk Power Company was conducted as part of a multi-agency effort to characterize the influences on riverine habitat of power plant operation. Several reports are being prepared to address various parts of the work that has been accomplished. Appendix 1 contains a list of those reports and the reporting entities. The goals of this portion of the research were to determine the magnitude of temperature effects due to power plant operation, and develop methods to predict water temperature in the river under both steady and unsteady flow conditions that are induced by the project operation.

New York↗