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The Chief Joseph Hatchery Program 2013 Annual Report

The Chief Joseph Hatchery is the fourth hatchery obligated under the Grand Coulee Dam/Dry Falls project, originating in the 1940s. Leavenworth, Entiat, and Winthrop National Fish Hatcheries were built and operated as mitigation for salmon blockage at Grand Coulee Dam, but the fourth hatchery was not built, and the obligation was nearly forgotten. After the Colville Tribes successfully collaborated with the United States to resurrect the project, planning of the hatchery began in 2001 and construction was completed in 2013. The monitoring program began in 2012 and adult Chinook Salmon were brought on station for the first time in June 2013. BPA is the primary funding source for CJH, and the Mid-Columbia PUDs (Douglas, Grant and Chelan County) have entered into cost-share agreements with the tribes and BPA in order to meet some of their mitigation obligations. The CJH production level was set at 60% in 2013 in order to train staff and test hatchery facility systems during the first year of operation. Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (LNFH) provided 422 Spring Chinook broodstock in June, 2013; representing the official beginning of CJH operations. In July and August the CCT used a purse seine vessel to collect 814 summer/fall Chinook as broodstock that were a continuation and expansion of the previous Similkameen Pond program. In-hatchery survival for most life stages exceeded survival targets and, as of April 2014, the program was on track to exceed the 60% production target for its start-up year. The CJH monitoring project collected field data to determine Chinook population status, trend, and hatchery effectiveness centered on five major activities; 1) rotary screw traps (juvenile outmigration, natural-origin smolt PIT tagging) 2) beach seine (naturalorigin smolt PIT tagging) 3) lower Okanogan adult fish pilot weir (adult escapement, proportion of hatchery-origin spawners [pHOS], broodstock) 4) spawning ground surveys (redd and carcass surveys)(viable salmonid population [VSP] parameters) 5) eDNA collection (VSP parameter—distribution/spatial structure). Adult summer/fall Chinook spawning escapement in 2013 was estimated to be 8,193, with more than 6,227 natural-origin spawners, which exceeded the recent five year and long term averages. The values for pHOS (0.24) and proportion of natural influence (PNI) (0.79) in 2013 exceeded the objectives (0.67), but the five year averages fell short of the goals (0.39 and 0.62, respectively). An Annual Program Review (APR) was held in March, 2014 to share hatchery production and monitoring data, review the salmon forecast for the upcoming year, and develop action plans for the hatchery, selective harvest, and monitoring projects. Based on a strong pre-season forecast of 67,500 Upper Columbia summer/fall Chinook, the plan for 2014 is to operate the hatchery at full program levels of 2 million summer/fall Chinook and 900,000 spring Chinook. To maximize PNI, broodstock for the integrated program should Chief Joseph Hatchery Program 2013 Annual Report 3 be 100% natural-origin broodstock (NOB) and CCT should plan to harvest their full allocation with the selective harvest program removing as many adult hatchery Chinook as possible with the purse seine, the weir, and at the hatchery ladder.

Report

Scoping of flood hazard mapping needs for Cumberland County, Maine

This report was prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Maine Water Science Center as the deliverable for scoping of flood hazard mapping needs for Cumberland County, Maine, under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Inter-Agency Agreement Number HSFE01-05-X-0018. This section of the report explains the objective of the task and the purpose of the report. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed a plan in 1997 to modernize the FEMA flood mapping program. FEMA flood maps delineate flood hazard areas in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA's plan outlined the steps necessary to update FEMA's flood maps for the nation to a seamless digital format and streamline FEMA's operations in raising public awareness of the importance of the maps and responding to requests to revise them. The modernization of flood maps involves conversion of existing information to digital format and integration of improved flood hazard data as needed. To determine flood mapping modernization needs, FEMA has established specific scoping activities to be done on a county-by-county basis for identifying and prioritizing requisite flood-mapping activities for map modernization. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with FEMA and the Maine State Planning Office Floodplain Management Program, began scoping work in 2005 for Cumberland County. Scoping activities included assembling existing data and map needs information for communities in Cumberland County, documentation of data, contacts, community meetings, and prioritized mapping needs in a final scoping report (this document), and updating the Mapping Needs Update Support System (MNUSS) Database or its successor with information gathered during the scoping process. The average age of the FEMA floodplain maps in Cumberland County, Maine is 21 years. Most of these studies were in the early to mid 1980s. However, in the ensuing 20-25 years, development has occurred in many of the watersheds, and the characteristics of the watersheds have changed with time. Therefore, many of the older studies may not depict current conditions nor accurately estimate risk in terms of flood heights. The following is the scope of work as defined in the FEMA/USGS Statement of Work: Task 1: Collect data from a variety of sources including community surveys, other Federal and State Agencies, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) State Coordinators, Community Assistance Visits (CAVs) and FEMA archives. Lists of mapping needs will be obtained from the MNUSS database, community surveys, and CAVs, if available. FEMA archives will be inventoried for effective FIRM panels, FIS reports, and other flood-hazard data or existing study data. Best available base map information, topographic data, flood-hazard data, and hydrologic and hydraulic data will be identified. Data from the Maine Floodplain Management Program database also will be utilized. Task 2: Contact communities in Cumberland County to notify them that FEMA and the State have selected them for a map update, and that a project scope will be developed with their input. Topics to be reviewed with the communities include (1) Purpose of the Flood Map Project (for example, the update needs that have prompted the map update); (2) The community's mapping needs; (3) The community's available mapping, hydrologic, hydraulic, and flooding information; (4) target schedule for completing the project; and (5) The community's engineering, planning, and geographic information system (GIS) capabilities. On the basis of the collected information from Task 1 and community contacts/meetings in Task 2, the USGS will develop a Draft Project Scope for the identified mapping needs of the communities in Cumberland County. The following items will be addressed in the Draft Project Scope: review of available information, determine if and how effective FIS data can be used in new project, and identify other data needed to

Open-File Report

Effect of urban growth on streamflow regimen of Permanente Creek, Santa Clara County, California

This report presents the results of an investigation of the effect of urban growth on the streamflow regimen of Permanente Creek in Mountain View, Santa Clara County, Calif. The data available did not permit a complete study of all hydrologic aspects, but there is conclusive evidence that the volume of storm runoff produced by rainfall on the valley floor has increased substantially as a result of urbanization. In 1945, storm runoff from the 5.12-square mile project area was insufficient to balance channel losses, and the streamflow entering the project area in the Permanente Creek channel was greater than that leaving the area. If, however, total outflow from the project area is considered to be the sum of the streamflow leaving the area plus channel seepage in the area, the ratio of total outflow to inflow was 1:18. By 1958, storm runoff from the project area was far in excess of channel losses and the ratio of total outflow to inflow was 1:70. This increase in outflow is attributed to the fact that urban development during the period 1945 to 1958 increased the extent of impervious surface in the project area from about 4 percent to 19 percent. The effect of urban growth in other basins in Santa Clara County should be investigated before any attempt is made to project the quantitative results of this study to other areas in the county.

Water Supply Paper

A crustal deformation observatory near the San Andreas Fault in central California (PB3)

This final technical report discusses several objectives and accomplishments of the first years effort of a project titled A Crustal Deformation Observatory Near the San Andreas Fault in Central California. This period saw the conclusion of the Hollister MWDM effort that has produced nearly continuous, high precision, line length measurements for the last 5 years. The establishment of an observatory similar to that used during the Hollister MWDM effort is underway near San Juan Bautista and both high precision vertical and horizontal measurements will commence in the near future. An interim measurement program was begun near Palmdale in Southern California during October 1980 and is continuing at the present time. Extensive electronic modification to the MWDM instrument has also been successfully completed during this reporting period. Each of these efforts will be discussed in more detail in the following sections of this report.

California

The international charter for space and major disasters--project manager training

Regional Project Managers for the Charter are developed through training courses, which typically last between 3 and 5 days and are held in a central location for participants. These courses have resulted in increased activations and broader use of Charter data and information by local emergency management authorities. Project Managers are nominated according to either their regional affiliation or their specific areas of expertise. A normal activation takes 2 to 3 weeks to complete, with all related expenses the responsibility of the PM's home agency.

General Information Product

Present investigations of radioactive raw materials by the Geological Survey and a recommended program for future work

The Geological Survey's program of investigation of radioactive raw materials is presented herewith under present investigations, plans for future investigations, plan of operation, and cost of operation. This report was prepared at the request of the Atomic Energy Commission. Present investigations are summarized to show the scope of the present Trace Elements program, grouping individual projects into related types of investigations. Plans for future investigations on an expanded scale are outlined. These should provide sufficient data and knowledge of the occurrence and availability of uranium, thorium, and related elements, to permit a more complete evaluation of domestic resources. Reconnaissance projects are designed to discover possible new sources of uranium and thorium and to select areas and materials warranting further investigation. Typical projects leading to the estimation of reserves are the investigation of the carnotite ores of the Colorado Plateau by geologic mapping, exploratory drilling, and related research, and investigation of asphaltic sandstone in Emery County, Utah. Extensive research will be undertaken to establish the principles governing the geological and geochemical relations of uranium, thorium, and associated elements as an essential guide in appraising domestic resources. Particular emphasis will be placed on phosphatic rocks and black shales which offer ultimate resources of uranium far greater than carnotite ores. All the foregoing investigations will be accompanied by chemical, gephysical, and mineralogical research and analytical work. Under plan of operation is discussed the organization of the Trace Elements Unit, space requirements for laboratory and office, the scheduling of investigations, and other related problems. The proposed scheduling of work calls for approximately 109, 173, and 203 man years in fiscal years 1948, 1949, and 1950 respectively. Definite plans have been formulated only for the next three fiscal years, by which time it is assumed the program will reach stable proportions or can be altered as experience dictates. Under cost of operation is set forth the funds available in fiscal year 1947, the status of funds transferred from Atomic Services (14-217/80920), and funds necessary in succeeding fiscal years. The estimate for fiscal year 1948 inclues a non-recurring item of $1,025,000 for establishing adequate laboratories for chemical, physical, spectrographic and mineralogic research and analytical work. The total funds required in fiscal years 1948, 1949, and 1950 to support the proposed program will be $2,440,000, $2,161,000 and $2,198,000 respectively. The Geological survey anticipates contributing from its appropriation in fiscal years 1948, 1949 and 1950 approximately $243,000, $350,000, and $400,000 respectively; the balance of the necessary funds to be contributed by the Atomic Energy Commission in fiscal years 1948, 1949, and 1950 will be approximately $2,196,900, $1,811,000, and $1,798,000 respectively.

Trace Elements Investigations

Status of Regional Gravity Project, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as of 1 January, 1979

Regional gravity data have now been obtained for approximately 33 percent of the area of the Arabian Shield, associated harrat areas, and the Red Sea coastal plain. Virtually no surveys have been done on the Phanerozoic platform around the edges of the shield, and although regional gravity coverage is available for the Eastern Province from the Arabian American Oil Company, it is confidential. Approximately 4,500 more gravity stations at 10 km spacing are needed to complete the coverage of the shield, and 5,250 are needed on the Phanerozoic platform to the north and east of the shield. The initial gravity maps compiled from the regional gravity project will be along the "geophysical strip", a band approximately 150 km wide across the shield from Al Qawayiyah to the Farasan Islands. As more data become available, additional maps will be compiled at 1:500,000 scale covering the same areas as the USGS Miscellaneous Investigations Maps 1-700-A to I-220-A. Computer software development and implementation for gravity data reduction, storage, retrieval, and display are 80 percent complete. Development and implementation of software for routine semi-quantitative and quantitative interpretation are 50 percent complete. If the Directorate General of Mineral Resources were to commit full support for the regional gravity project, phase 1 (data acquisition) and phase 2 (data reduction and publication of maps and principal facts) could be completed and phase 3 (interpretation) could be about 50 percent completed by the end of the Third Five Year Development Plan (1985).

Open-File Report

Chemical analyses of soils and other surficial materials, Alaska

Introduction: The favorable response to the reports on the geochemistry of unconsolidated surficial materials of the conterminous United States (informally called the '50-mile geochemical survey,' Shacklette and others, 1971a, 1971b, 1973, and 1974) led us, in 1975, to initiate a somewhat similar survey of Alaska. The principal objective of studies of this type is to establish estimates of the abundance of elements in soils and other surficial materials. Such information is useful in the evaluation of geochemical data for (1) mineral resources, (2) environmental appraisals, and (3) the definition of broad-scale geochemical patterns. For about six years this effort progressed slowly on a non-funded, time-available basis. During fiscal years 1982 and 1983, however, some funds were made available through the USGS Energy Lands and Alaska Mineral Surveys programs which allowed for the completion of the field-work phase of the project. The sampling plan was kept simple because, as with the 50-mile study, the acquisition of samples depended on the voluntary cooperation of field personnel (only about 40 percent of the total number of samples was obtained by the authors).

Open-File Report

National Park Service Vegetation Inventory Program, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VIP is managed by the NPS Biological Resources Management Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Vegetation Characterization Program lends a cooperative role in the NPS VIP. The USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, NatureServe, and NPS Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA) have completed vegetation classification and mapping of CUVA. Mappers, ecologists, and botanists collaborated to identify and describe vegetation types within the National Vegetation Classification Standard (NVCS) and to determine how best to map them by using aerial imagery. The team collected data from 221 vegetation plots within CUVA to develop detailed descriptions of vegetation types. Data from 50 verification sites were also collected to test both the key to vegetation types and the application of vegetation types to a sample set of map polygons. Furthermore, data from 647 accuracy assessment (AA) sites were collected (of which 643 were used to test accuracy of the vegetation map layer). These data sets led to the identification of 45 vegetation types at the association level in the NVCS at CUVA. A total of 44 map classes were developed to map the vegetation and general land cover of CUVA, including the following: 29 map classes represent natural/semi-natural vegetation types in the NVCS, 12 map classes represent cultural vegetation (agricultural and developed) in the NVCS, and 3 map classes represent non-vegetation features (open-water bodies). Features were interpreted from viewing color-infrared digital aerial imagery dated October 2010 (during peak leaf-phenology change of trees) via digital onscreen three-dimensional stereoscopic workflow systems in geographic information systems (GIS). The interpreted data were digitally and spatially referenced, thus making the spatial database layers usable in GIS. Polygon units were mapped to either a 0.5 ha or 0.25 ha minimum mapping unit, depending on vegetation type. A geodatabase containing various feature-class layers and tables shows the locations of vegetation types and general land cover (vegetation map), vegetation plot samples, verification sites, AA sites, project boundary extent, and aerial photographic centers. The feature-class layer and relate tables for the CUVA vegetation map provides 4,640 polygons of detailed attribute data covering 13,288.4 ha, with an average polygon size of 2.9 ha. Summary reports generated from the vegetation map layer show map classes representing natural/semi-natural types in the NVCS apply to 4,151 polygons (89.4% of polygons) and cover 11,225.0 ha (84.5%) of the map extent. Of these polygons, the map layer shows CUVA to be 74.4% forest (9,888.8 ha), 2.5% shrubland (329.7 ha), and 7.6% herbaceous vegetation cover (1,006.5 ha). Map classes representing cultural types in the NVCS apply to 435 polygons (9.4% of polygons) and cover 1,825.7 ha (13.7%) of the map extent. Map classes representing non-NVCS units (open water) apply to 54 polygons (1.2% of polygons) and cover 237.7 ha (1.8%) of the map extent. A thematic AA study was conducted of map classes representing natural/semi-natural types in the NVCS. Results present an overall accuracy of 80.7% (kappa index of 79.5%) based on data from 643 of the 647 AA sites. Most individual map-class themes exceed the NPS VIP standard of 80% with a 90% confidence interval. The CUVA vegetation mapping project delivers many geospatial and vegetation data products in hardcopy and/or digital formats. These products consist of an in-depth project report discussing methods and results, which include descriptions and a dichotomous key to vegetation types, map classification and map-class descriptions, and a contingency table showing AA results. The suite of products also includes a database of vegetation plots, verification sites, and AA sites; digital pictures of field sites; field data sheets; aerial photographic imagery; hardcopy and digital maps; and a geodatabase of vegetation types and land cover (map layer), fieldwork locations (vegetation plots, verification sites, and AA sites), aerial photographic index, project boundary, and metadata. All geospatial products are projected in Universal Transverse Mercator, Zone 17, by using the North American Datum of 1983. Information on the NPS VIP and completed park mapping projects are located on the Internet at <http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/inventory/veg> and <http://www.usgs.gov/core_science_systems/csas/vip/index.html>.

Natural Resource Technical Report

Trends in surface-water quality at selected National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) stations, in Michigan

To demonstrate the value of long-term, water-quality monitoring, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), initiated a study to evaluate potential trends in water-quality constituents for selected National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) stations in Michigan. The goal of this study is to assist the MDEQ in evaluating the effectiveness of water-pollution control efforts and the identification of water-quality concerns. The study included a total of nine NASQAN stations in Michigan. Approximately 28 constituents were analyzed for trend tests. Station selection was based on data availability, land-use characteristics, and station priority for the MDEQ Water Chemistry Monitoring Project. Trend analyses were completed using the uncensored Seasonal Kendall Test in the computer program Estimate Trend (ESTREND), a software program for the detection of trends in water-quality data. The parameters chosen for the trend test had (1) at least a 5-year period of record (2) about 5 percent of the observations censored at a single reporting limit, and (3) 40 percent of the values within the beginning one-fifth and ending one-fifth of the selected period. In this study, a negative trend indicates a decrease in concentration of a particular constituent, which generally means an improvement in water quality; whereas a positive trend means an increase in concentration and possible degradation of water quality. The results of the study show an overall improvement in water quality at the Clinton River at Mount Clemens, Manistee River at Manistee, and Pigeon River near Caseville. The detected trend for these stations show decreases in concentrations of various constituents such as nitrogen compounds, conductance, sulfate, fecal coliform bacteria, and fecal streptococci bacteria. The negative trend may indicate an overall improvement in agricultural practices, municipal and industrial wastewater-treatment processes, and effective regulations. Phosphorus data for most of the study stations could not be analyzed because of the data limitations for trend tests. The only station with a significant negative trend in total phosphorus concentration is the Clinton River at Mount Clemens. However, scatter-plot analyses of phosphorus data indicate decreasing concentrations with time for most of the study stations. Positive trends in concentration of nitrogen compounds were detected at the Kalamazoo River near Saugatuck and Muskegon River near Bridgeton. Positive trends in both fecal coliform and total fecal coliform were detected at the Tahquamenon River near Paradise. Various different point and nonpoint sources could produce such positive trends, but most commonly the increase in concentrations of nitrogen compounds and fecal coliform bacteria are associated with agricultural practices and sewage-plant discharges. The constituent with the most numerous and geographically widespread significant trend is pH. The pH levels increased at six out of nine stations on all the major rivers in Michigan, with no negative trend at any station. The cause of pH increase is difficult to determine, as it could be related to a combination of anthropogenic activities and natural processes occurring simultaneously in the environment. Trends in concentration of major ions, such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, sulfate, fluoride, chloride, and potassium, were detected at eight out of nine stations. A negative trend was detected only in sulfate and fluoride concentrations; a positive trend was detected only in calcium concentration. The major ions with the most widespread significant trends are sodium and chloride; three positive and two negative trends were detected for sodium, and three negative and two positive trends were detected for chloride. The negative trends in chloride concentrations outnumbered the positive trends. This result indicates a slight improvement in surface-water quality because chloride as a point source in natural water comes from deicing salt, sewage effluents, industrial wastes, and oil fields. For other major ions, such as magnesium and potassium, both positive and negative trends were detected. These changes in trends indicate changes in surface-water quality caused by a variety of point and non-point sources throughout Michigan, as well as natural changes in the environment.

Michigan

Hydrogeology, karst, and groundwater availability of Monroe County, West Virginia

Monroe County is in southeastern West Virginia, encompassing an area of 474 square miles. The area consists of karst and siliciclastic aquifers of Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, and Mississippian age and is in parts of two physiographic provinces: the Valley and Ridge Province to the east of Peters Mountain, and the Appalachian Plateau Province to the west of Peters Mountain. This study was developed in response to inquiries from the Monroe County Commission requesting assessment of the water resources of the county to better understand the quantity of the county’s groundwater resources, for both current [2023] and future demand, and to provide information to support protection and management of the county’s valuable groundwater resources. Various products were developed for this study that provide knowledge with respect to water availability and contamination susceptibility of the karst aquifers within the county. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geologists conducted extensive geologic mapping in support of the project, producing (1) a countywide bedrock geologic map, (2) a countywide hydrogeologic map, and (3) a light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived countywide digital elevation model and associated sinkhole map. A significant part of this work was to map in detail the Greenbrier Group at the formation level, which prior to this study had only partially been completed. The report also includes (4) a description of the lithologic units identified as part of the geologic mapping process. U.S. Geological Survey hydrologists completed several additional products for the hydrology part of the effort, including development of (1) a countywide potentiometric surface (water-table) map, (2) a countywide base-flow stream assessment, (3) countywide water-budget estimates, (4) well log surveys for 15 wells to better understand subsurface controls on groundwater flow within the study area, (5) two groundwater tracer tests to better refine the groundwater divide from the northern and southern parts of the karst aquifer in Monroe County; and finally, based on all available data collected for the study including the potentiometric surface map, geologic map, current [2023] and legacy fluorometric groundwater tracer tests, and base-flow stream assessments, (6) groundwater-basin delineations were reassessed for principal groundwater basins within the Greenbrier aquifer. In Monroe County, four principal hydrogeologic settings produce large yields of water for residential, agricultural, and other uses. The most relied upon water-bearing zone with respect to current [2023] public water supply is from springs along Peters Mountain. These springs are derived from intervals of fractured sandstone and resultant alluvial deposits. Groundwater flows downslope through these permeable alluvial deposits and discharges at the contact with less permeable strata, such as the Reedsville Shale. The second most relied upon water-bearing zone in Monroe County is within the karstic Greenbrier Group aquifer, in which the basal Hillsdale Limestone overlies the less permeable Maccrady Shale. This geologic contact between the Hillsdale Limestone and Maccrady Shale is not only targeted as a source of water for agricultural supply but also is targeted as a source of water for residential supply. The third most relied upon water-bearing zone is composed of shallow perched aquifers within the Greenbrier Group. The discontinuous nature of these perched aquifers makes mapping their extent impossible, but they are related to permeable geologic strata, such as karstified limestones with solutionally enhanced permeability that overlies less permeable shale or chert bedrock. During geologic mapping of the county, several of these perched aquifers were documented in the Pickaway, Union, and Alderson Limestones. A fourth zone consists of springs from Ordovician carbonates at the base of Peters Mountain, which are influenced by sinking streams as well as upwelling along faults. In terms of water quantity, the most sustainable springs are those having deeper-sourced flows. Public supplies are a principal source of water used for residential and commercial supply in the region, accounting for 0.49 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of fresh-water withdrawals (0.14 Mgal/d of groundwater and 0.35 Mgal/d of surface water) for residential and commercial use and serving 6,645 individuals (49.2 percent of the population). An estimated 6,861 people, (50.8 percent of the population) primarily rely on private wells or other unregulated sources, such as springs, and withdraw 0.55 Mgal/d of groundwater for their residential use. Public water supply in the region is primarily (71.4 percent) derived from springs and augmented by stream withdrawals (backup sources mainly during low-flow periods), with the remaining portion (28.6 percent) derived from groundwater withdrawals from wells. For rural residents, however, 100 percent of their withdrawals are derived from groundwater (wells or springs).

West Virginia

Geology and ground-water conditions in southern Nassau and southeastern Queens Counties, Long Island, N.Y.

Test drilling, electrical logging, and water sampling of 'outpost' and other wells have revealed the existence of a deep confined body of salt water in the Magothy(?) formation beneath southwestern Nassau and southeastern Queens Counties, Long Island, N.Y. In connection with a test-drilling program, cooperatively sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nassau County Department of Public Works, and the New York State Water Resources Commission (formerly Water Power and Control Commission), 13 wells ranging in depth from about 130 to 800 feet were drilled during 1952 and 1953 and screened at various depths in the Magothy(?) formation and Jameco gravel. On the basis of the preliminary geologic, hydrologic, and chemical data from these wells, a detailed investigation of ground-water conditions from the water table to the bedrock was begun in a 200-square-mile area in southern Nassau and southeastern Queens Counties. The Inain purposes of the investigation were to delineate the bodies of fresh and salty ground water in the project area, to relate their occurrence and movement to geologic and hydrologic conditions, to estimate the rate of encroachment, if any, of the salty water, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing network of outpost wells as detectors of salt-water encroachment. About a million people in the report area, residing mainly in southern Nassau County, are completely dependent on ground water as a source of supply. Fortunately, precipitation averages about 44 inches per year, of which approximately half is estimated to percolate into the ground-water reservoir. The ground water is contained in and moves through eight differentiated geologic units composed of unconsolidated gravel, sand, and clay, of Late Cretaceous, Pleistocene, and Recent age, having a maximum total thickness of about 1,700 feet. The underlying metamorphic and igneous crystalline basement rocks are of Precambrian age and are not water bearing. The water-yielding units from the surface down are (1) the upper Pleistocene deposits, (2) the principal artesian aquifer, composed of the Jameco gravel and Magothy(?) formation, and (3) the Lloyd sand member of the Raritar formation. The confining units are the '20-foot' clay, the Gardiners clay, and the clay member of the Raritan formation. The upper Pleistocene deposits contain an extensive unconfined body of fresh water. Fresh water under artesian conditions is contained in the principal artesian aquifer and the Lloyd sand member. The piezometric surface of the principal artesian aquifer is similar in shape to the south-ward-sloping water table; it ranges in altitude from about sea level to 55 feet above. The chemical quality of the fresh ground water in most of the area in all aquifers is good to excellent, and concentrations of dissolved solids and of chloride generally are below 100 ppm (parts per million) and 10 ppm, respectively. Analyses of water samples from selected wells show no progressive increase in concentration of chloride in most of the area. The data on quality of water have been used to delineate one major and several minor bodies of salty ground water. The wedgeshaped main confined salt-water body, in which the concentration of chloride reaches about 17,000 ppm, is in the Magothy(?) formation and Jameco gravel in extreme southwestern Nassau County and southeastern Queens County. The base of the salt-water wedge is about at the top of the clay member of the Raritan formation. Beneath the barrier beach in south-central and southeastern Nassau County a shallow extension of the main confined salt-water body contains as much as 4,000 ppm of chloride and is separated from the lower main salt-water body by fresh ground water. Shallow, thin bodies of unconfined salty ground water are common in the upper Pleistocene and Recent deposits adjacent to salty surface water in tidal creeks, bays, and the Atlantic

New York

Pacific summary report 2: A revision of Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities in the Pacific (Southern California) and their onshore impacts: A summary report, May 1980

The Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is an established hydrocarbon-producing region. Oil and gas have been produced from the Santa Barbara Channel (both State and Federal acreage) since 1896. Almost 77,000 barrels of oil are produced from the California Federal OCS each day as of December 1981, and leases on State tidelands produce about 40,000 barrels of oil per day. This highly developed area is, of course, but a small part of the Pacific OCS, which also includes Northern California, Washington, and Oregon. The petroleum industry has expressed interest in exploring frontier areas, and as frontier acreage is offered in future lease sales, exploration, development, and production may move out into deeper water. The technology is currently being developed and tested to allow deepwater exploration. To date, offshore drilling operations have resulted in the delineation of 11 offshore oil and gas fields and 2 gas fields in the Southern California OCS. A recent discovery off Point Arguello, California, may lead to delineation of a new field. Reserve estimates have been made for the known fields in the region. Remaining recoverable reserves are estimated at 787 million barrels of oil and over 1.7 trillion cubic feet of gas as of December 31, 1980. Estimates of undiscovered recoverable resources in the offshore Santa Maria Basin and Southern California OCS are over 3.5 billion barrels of oil and in excess of 5 trillion cubic feet of gas. To date, there have been seven oil and gas lease sales in the Pacific OCS Region. An average of one lease sale per year is scheduled through 1985. Industry interest indicates that the Santa Barbara Channel's potential has not yet been fully explored, and some basins to the south, as well as in the Santa Maria Basin, are now gaining considerable interest. Future exploratory activity in the San Pedro Bay and the Santa Maria Basin is likely to increase. Exploration, development, and production in the Pacific OCS Region are increasing at a moderate pace. Pipelines continue to be the preferred mode of transporting Pacific OCS hydrocarbons to shore. The State and the Federal Governments have expressed a commitment to the use of pipelines where possible and economically feasible. Tankers traveling in the Pacific and entering California ports carry, for the most part, imported oil. The region is active in OCS transportation planning; the Bureau of Land Management works through the Pacific States Regional Technical Working Group Committee. Onshore, the Petroleum Transportation Committee (formerly the Joint Government/Industry Pipeline Working Group) is evaluating a number of transportation scenarios. The nearshore and onshore petroleum processing facilities in the Pacific Region service onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration, development, and production, as well as the international oil market. Many of the onshore facilities have been in operation for years, supporting California's extensive onshore and offshore production. Several new facilities have been proposed, are currently under construction, or have recently opened. Shell Oil opened a crude oil distribution facility near Long Beach in December 1980. Operations began at Union Oil's Mandalay Beach separation and treatment plant in December 1981. The Pacific Offshore Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of the Pacific Lighting Corporation, is planning to build a gas treatment plant at Las Flores Canyon; completion of this project is scheduled for July 1983. It is expected that these new facilities, in addition to the established plants, will be able to accommodate any new OCS production in the near term from previously leased areas.

California

Climate adaptation Science Centers—Annual report for 2018

2018 marked the 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center! With the passage of the fiscal year 2018 budget on March 23, 2018, our program name was changed from the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC). The eight regional Department of the Interior (DOI) Climate Science Centers were renamed Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs). The name changes more clearly align the national and regional centers and emphasize their focus on meeting natural resource adaptation needs. Although the program has a new name, our mission has not changed. We are still hard at work delivering science to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people adapt to a changing climate. During the past 10 years, the NCASC and the eight regional CASCs funded over 425 science projects and built a network of research partners, resource management stakeholders, interdisciplinary staff, fellows, and early career researchers. In celebration of our work and accomplishments over the last 10 years, the NCASC began a monthly web post series on “10 Things You May Not Know” about topics our science has focused on, including drought, glaciers, and wildfire. Additionally, CASCs that had completed their initial hosting agreement with the USGS underwent a formal review and recompetition process. New hosting agreements were awarded to the Southwest and North Central CASCs in 2018. Read the 2018 annual report to learn more about the CASCs' great science, partnerships, capacity building, and more from 2018.

Open-File Report

U.S. Geological Survey Science Support Strategy for Biscayne National Park and Surrounding Areas in Southeastern Florida

The U.S. Geological Survey conducts a wide range of research in and around the Biscayne National Park region of southern Florida. This research encompasses the biologic, ecologic, meteorologic, geologic, and hydrologic components of the system, including water-quality analyses, ground-water modeling, hydrogeologic-data collection, ecologic-habitat evaluations, wetlands characterizations, biogeochemistry of ecosystems, and paleo-ecologic analyses. Relevant information is provided herein for researchers and managers interested in the Biscayne Bay area and about current U.S. Geological Survey efforts that address important resource protection and management issues. Specifically, managers and scientists are provided with information on current and recently completed U.S. Geological Survey projects and a sample listing of potential U.S. Geological Survey research projects addressing relevant issues that face the study area.

Open-File Report

Summary of water resources of Salt Lake County, Utah

This report is a summary of a comprehensive report on the present water resources of Salt Lake County, Utah, and the potential for additional development The average total annual withdrawals from surface and underground sources during 1964-68 were about 580,000 acre-feet for all uses that deplete the supply, except that used for maintenance of waterfowl-management areas. The withdrawals projected for the year 2020 are 1,200,000 acre-feet. The maximum annual firm supply that can be derived from the sources now available is about 700,000 acre-feet, of which about 200,000 acre-feet would be derived from subsurface sources. Achievement of this annual yield would require nearly complete regulation of streamflow that now is practically unregulated, larger drawdowns of ground-water levels than have been experienced, and overall management of surface and subsurface sources as parts of a single resource.

Utah

Integrating disparate lidar datasets for a regional storm tide inundation analysis of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was one of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history. Due to the sheer size of the affected areas, an unprecedented regional analysis at very high resolution and accuracy was needed to properly quantify and understand the effects of the hurricane and the storm tide. Many disparate sources of lidar data were acquired and processed for varying environmental reasons by pre- and post-Katrina projects. The datasets were in several formats and projections and were processed to varying phases of completion, and as a result the task of producing a seamless digital elevation dataset required a high level of coordination, research, and revision. To create a seamless digital elevation dataset, many technical issues had to be resolved before producing the desired 1/9-arc-second (3meter) grid needed as the map base for projecting the Katrina peak storm tide throughout the affected coastal region. This report presents the methodology that was developed to construct seamless digital elevation datasets from multipurpose, multi-use, and disparate lidar datasets, and describes an easily accessible Web application for viewing the maximum storm tide caused by Hurricane Katrina in southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Journal of Coastal Research

Digital surfaces and hydrogeologic data for the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and in parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina

A digital dataset for the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and in parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina was developed from selected reports published as part of the Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the 1980s. These reports contain maps and data depicting the extent and elevation of both time-stratigraphic and hydrogeologic units of which the aquifer system is composed, as well as data on hydrology, meteorology, and aquifer properties. The three primary reports used for this dataset compilation were USGS Professional Paper 1403-B (Miller, 1986), Professional Paper 1403-C (Bush and Johnston, 1988), and USGS Open-File Report 88-86 (Miller, 1988). Paper maps from Professional Papers 1403-B and 1403-C were scanned and georeferenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27) using the Lambert Conformal Conic projection (standard parallels 33 and 45 degrees, central longitude -96 degrees, central latitude 39 degrees). Once georeferenced, tracing of pertinent line features contained in each image (for example, contours and faults) was facilitated by specialized software using algorithms that automated much of the process. Resulting digital line features were then processed using standard geographic information system (GIS) software to remove artifacts from the digitization process and to verify and update attribute tables. The digitization process for polygonal features (for example, outcrop areas and unit extents) was completed by hand using GIS software.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina