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USGS1967

Water resources data for Indiana, 1966

The surface-water records for the 1966 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering states. The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. The basic records for the 1966 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience and interest, there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering states.

Indiana↗
USGS1968

Water resources data for Indiana, 1967

The surface-water records for the 1967 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. The basic records for the 1967 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience and interest, there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering states.

Indiana↗
USGS2012

GEM Basic Building Taxonomy (Version 1.0)

This report documents the development of Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Basic Building Taxonomy and it also provides version 1.0 of this Taxonomy for its immediate application within GEM Physical Risk projects. Criteria for development of the GEM Building Taxonomy required that the Taxonomy be relevant to seismic performance of different construction types; be comprehensive yet simple; be collapsible; be adhering to principles that are familiar to the range of users; and ultimately be extensible to non-buildings and other hazards. The taxonomy is organized as a series of expandable tables, which contain information pertaining to various building attributes. Each attribute describes a specific characteristic that could potentially affect the seismic performance of a building. This report describes the structure and the content of the Basic Building Taxonomy, which consists of eight basic attributes, in detail. These attributes were selected after a series of interactions/discussions with all the GEM Physical Risk Global Component project teams. In addition, we also tried to gather feedback from a number of participants outside the GEM Risk Consortium group. The Basic Taxonomy attributes discussed in this report are: material; lateral load-resisting system; roof; floor; building height; date of construction; structural irregularity, and occupancy. A future Detailed Building Taxonomy will provide more details related to certain aforementioned attributes in the Basic Building Taxonomy. As well, it will also include additional attributes that are necessary for assessing building vulnerability using analytical procedures. The report also illustrates the practical use of the proposed GEM Basic Building Taxonomy by discussing example case studies, wherein the building-specific characteristics are mapped directly using GEM Taxonomic attributes and a simple taxonomic string is constructed for that building. The building taxonomy data model is highly flexible and it can be easily incorporated within the relational database architecture. Due to its ability to represent building typologies using a shorthand form, it is also possible to use this taxonomy for non-database applications. Key terms in the taxonomy are explained in an online glossary, which provides both text and graphic descriptions for the attributes and their details.

Report↗
USGS1997

Water-quality assessment of the Rio Grande Valley, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas: Summary and analysis of water-quality data for the basic-fixed-site network, 1993-95

The Rio Grande Valley study unit of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program collected monthly water- quality samples at a network of surface-water sites from April 1993 through September 1995. This basic-fixed-site network consisted of nine main-stem sites on the Rio Grande, five sites on tributaries of the Rio Grande, two sites on streams in the Rio Grande Valley study unit that are not directly tributary to the Rio Grande, and one site on a conveyance channel. During each monthly sampling, field properties were measured and samples were collected for the analysis of dissolved solids, major constituents, nutrients, selected trace elements, and suspended-sediment concentrations. During selected samplings, supplemental samples were collected for the analysis of additional trace elements, organic carbon, and/or pesticides. Spatial variations of dissolved-solids, major-constituent, and nutrient data were analyzed. The report presents summary statistics for the monthly water-quality data by sampling site and background information on the drainage basin upstream from each site. Regression equations are presented that relate dissolved-solids, major-constituent, and nutrient concentrations to streamflow, selected field properties, and time. Median instantaneous streamflow at each basic-fixed site ranged from 1.4 to 1,380 cubic feet per second. Median specific conductance at each basic-fixed site ranged from 84 to 1,680 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius, and median pH values ranged from 7.8 to 8.5. The water sampled at the basic-fixed sites generally was well oxygenated and had a median dissolved-oxygen percent of saturation range from 89 to 108. With the exception of Rio Grande above mouth of Trinchera Creek, near Lasauses, Colorado, dissolved-solids concentrations in the main stem of the Rio Grande generally increased in a downstream direction. This increase is from natural sources such as ground-water inflow and evapotranspiration and from anthropogenic sources such as irrigation- return flows, urban runoff, and wastewater-treatment plant discharges. The smallest median dissolved-solids concentration detected at a basic- fixed site was 58 milligrams per liter and the largest was 1,240 milligrams per liter. The spatial distribution of calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, chloride, and fluoride was similar to the spatial distribution of dissolved solids. The spatial distribution of potassium and bicarbonate varied slightly from that of dissolved solids. Median silica concentrations generally decreased in a downstream direction. Of all cations, calcium and sodium had the largest concentrations at most basic-fixed sites. Bicarbonate and sulfate were the anions having the largest concentrations at most sites. The largest median silica concentration was at Rito de los Frijoles in Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, where silica composed approximately 50 percent of the dissolved solids. The largest concentrations and largest median concentrations of dissolved-nutrient analytes were detected at Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, and Rio Grande at Isleta, New Mexico. The relatively large dissolved-nutrient concentrations at these sites probably were due to discharges from wastewater-treatment plants and urban runoff. The largest concentrations and largest median concentrations of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus were detected at Rio Puerco near Bernardo, New Mexico. The largest concentrations of these nutrients at this site were associated with runoff from summer thunderstorms. Dissolved-iron concentrations ranged from censored concentrations to 914 micrograms per liter. Median dissolved-iron concentrations ranged from 3 to 160 micrograms per liter.

Colorado, New Mexico, Texas↗
USGS1978

Water-quality data for landfills, Hillsborough County, Florida, January 1974-October 1977

Periodic water-quality data were collected at four landfills in Hillsborough County from January 1974 through October 1977. Water samples were analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorous species, cations, trace metals, chloride, specific conductance, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, and coliforms. Select ground-water samples were analyzed for herbicide and pesticide. Results of chemical and bacteriological analysis form four landfills are presented as basic data. Geologic logs and well descriptions are presented for wells drilled at the landfills after January 1974.

Florida↗
USGS2015

The U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Collections Management System (GCMS)—A master catalog and collections management plan for U.S. Geological Survey geologic samples and sample collections

**Updated guidance is available in USGS Instructional Memorandum CSS 2019-01 .** Abstract The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is widely recognized in the earth science community as possessing extensive collections of earth materials collected by research personnel over the course of its history. In 2006, a Geologic Collections Inventory was conducted within the USGS Geology Discipline to determine the extent and nature of its sample collections, and in 2008, a working group was convened by the USGS National Geologic and Geophysical Data Preservation Program to examine ways in which these collections could be coordinated, cataloged, and made available to researchers both inside and outside the USGS. The charge to this working group was to evaluate the proposition of creating a Geologic Collections Management System (GCMS), a centralized database that would (1) identify all existing USGS geologic collections, regardless of size, (2) create a virtual link among the collections, and (3) provide a way for scientists and other researchers to obtain access to the samples and data in which they are interested. Additionally, the group was instructed to develop criteria for evaluating current collections and to establish an operating plan and set of standard practices for handling, identifying, and managing future sample collections. Policies and procedures promoted by the GCMS would be based on extant best practices established by the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution. The resulting report—USGS Circular 1410, “The U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Collections Management System (GCMS): A Master Catalog and Collections Management Plan for U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Samples and Sample Collections”—has been developed for sample repositories to be a guide to establishing common practices in the collection, retention, and disposal of geologic research materials throughout the USGS. While constructing this report, the GCMS’s potential customers and their needs were considered. Two critical definitions have been clarified: a repository is a facility for the long-term management of geologic collections, and a collection is a set of specimens that have been brought together on the basis of some common characteristic. Required sample metadata for newly collected samples, as well as for older collections, were also stipulated and are listed and explained in this report. Several basic policies are also recommended by the GCMS in order to standardize operations among the physical repositories where collections are currently housed. The GCMS Collection Management Plan provides a set of protocols and templates for the management of scientific collections, including access, storage, transfer, and disposal of physical geologic samples and data. This plan is flexible to allow each repository to adapt the practices best suited to its collections. The general consideration for implementation of the GCMS is that all active USGS geologic sample repositories will form the core of GCMS and that participating science centers will develop procedures based on proposed GCMS methodologies. The GCMS is a collective resource for the entire USGS community and the users who discover the geologic materials kept in these repositories and seek to access them.

Circular↗
USGS2006

Mapping ground water in three dimensions: An analysis of airborne geophysical surveys of the Upper San Pedro River Basin, Cochise County, southeastern Arizona

This report summarizes the results of two airborne geophysical surveys conducted in the upper San Pedro Valley of southeastern Arizona in 1997 and 1999. The combined surveys cover about 1,000 square kilometers and extend from the Huachuca Mountains on the west to the Mule Mountains and Tombstone Hills on the east and from north of the Babocomari River to near the Mexican border on the south. The surveys included the acquisition of high-resolution magnetic data, which were used to map depth to the crystalline basement rocks underlying the sediments filling the basin. The magnetic inversion results show a complex basement morphology, with sediment thickness in the center of the valley ranging from ~237 meters beneath the city of Sierra Vista to ~1,500 meters beneath Huachuca City and the Palominas area near the Mexican border. The surveys also included acquisition of 60-channel time-domain electromagnetic (EM) data. Extensive quality analyses of these data, including inversion to conductivity vs. depth (conductivity-depth-transform or CDT) profiles and comparisons with electrical well logs, show that the electrical conductor mapped represents the subsurface water-bearing sediments throughout most of the basin. In a few places (notably the mouth of Huachuca Canyon), the reported water table lies above where the electrical conductor places it. These exceptions appear to be due to a combination of outdated water-table information, significant horizontal displacement between the wells and the CDT profiles, and a subtle calibration issue with the CDT algorithm apparent only in areas of highly resistive (very dry) overburden. These occasional disparities appear in less than 5 percent of the surveyed area. Observations show, however, that wells drilled in the thick unsaturated zone along the Huachuca Mountain front eventually intersect water, at which point the water rapidly rises high into the unsaturated zone within the wellbore. This rising of water in a wellbore implies some sort of confinement below the thick unsaturated zone, a confinement that is not identified in the available literature. Occasional disparities notwithstanding, maps of the electrical conductor derived from the airborne EM system provide a synoptic view of the presence of water underlying the upper San Pedro Valley, including its three-dimensional distribution. The EM data even show faults previously only inferred from geologic mapping. The magnetic and electromagnetic data together appear to show the thickness of the sediments, the water in the saturated sediments down to a maximum of about 400 meters depth, and even places where the main ground-water body is not in direct contact with the San Pedro River. However, the geophysical data cannot reveal anything directly about hydraulic conductivity or ground-water flow. Estimating these characteristics requires new hydraulic modeling based in part on this report. One concern to reviewers of this report is the effect that clays may have on the electrical conductor mapped with the airborne geophysical system. Although the water in the basin is unusually conductive, averaging 338 microsiemens per centimeter, reasoning cited below suggests that the contribution of clays to the overall conductivity would be relatively small. Basic principles of sedimentary geology suggest that silts and clays should dominate the center of the basin, while sands and gravels would tend to dominate the margins. Although clay content may increase the amplitude of the observed electrical conductors somewhat, it will not affect the depths to the conductor derived from depth inversions. Further, fine-grained sediments generally have higher porosity and tend to lie toward a basin center, a fact in general agreement with the observed geophysical data.

Arizona↗
USGS2010

Physiological response of wild dugongs ( Dugong dugon ) to out-of-water sampling for health assessment

The dugong ( Dugong dugon ) is a vulnerable marine mammal with large populations living in urban Queensland waters. A mark-recapture program for wild dugongs has been ongoing in southern Queensland since 2001. This program has involved capture and in-water sampling of more than 700 dugongs where animals have been held at the water surface for 5 min to be gene-tagged, measured, and biopsied. In 2008, this program expanded to examine more comprehensively body condition, reproductive status, and the health of wild dugongs in Moreton Bay. Using Sea World's research vessel, captured dugongs were lifted onto a boat and sampled out-of-water to obtain accurate body weights and morphometrics, collect blood and urine samples for baseline health parameters and hormone profiles, and ultrasound females for pregnancy status. In all, 30 dugongs, including two pregnant females, were sampled over 10 d and restrained on deck for up to 55 min each while biological data were collected. Each of the dugongs had their basic temperature-heart rate-respiration (THR) monitored throughout their period of handling, following protocols developed for the West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus ). This paper reports on the physiological response of captured dugongs during this out-of-water operation as indicated by their vital signs and the suitability of the manatee monitoring protocols to this related sirenian species. A recommendation is made that the range of vital signs of these wild dugongs be used as benchmark criteria of normal parameters for other studies that intend to sample dugongs out-of-water.

Queensland↗
USGS2015

Design, analysis, and interpretation of field quality-control data for water-sampling projects

The process of obtaining and analyzing water samples from the environment includes a number of steps that can affect the reported result. The equipment used to collect and filter samples, the bottles used for specific subsamples, any added preservatives, sample storage in the field, and shipment to the laboratory have the potential to affect how accurately samples represent the environment from which they were collected. During the early 1990s, the U.S. Geological Survey implemented policies to include the routine collection of quality-control samples in order to evaluate these effects and to ensure that water-quality data were adequately representing environmental conditions. Since that time, the U.S. Geological Survey Office of Water Quality has provided training in how to design effective field quality-control sampling programs and how to evaluate the resultant quality-control data. This report documents that training material and provides a reference for methods used to analyze quality-control data. Quality-control data are those generated from the collection and analysis of quality-control samples, and are used to estimate the magnitude of errors in the process of obtaining environmental data. “Bias” and “variability” are the terms used in this report for the two types of errors in environmental data that are quantified by the data from quality-control samples. Bias is the systematic error inherent in a method or measurement system. Variability is the random error that occurs in independent measurements. The types of field quality-control samples discussed in this report include blanks, spikes, and replicates. Blanks are samples prepared with water that is intended to be free of measurable constituents that will be analyzed by the laboratory; blanks are used to estimate bias caused by contamination. Spiked samples are modified by addition of specific analytes; spikes are used to determine the performance of analytical methods and to estimate the potential bias due to matrix interference or analyte degradation. Replicate samples are two or more samples that are considered to be essentially identical in composition. Replicates are used to evaluate variability in analytical results. Various sub-types of these quality-control samples are defined and discussed in this report, and guidance is provided for incorporating the proper samples into the design for a project. The concept of inference space is introduced to help determine where and when quality-control samples should be collected as well as which environmental samples are related to a set of quality-control samples. The recommended basic quality-control design incorporates project-specific considerations, such as the objectives and scale of the study, and hydrologic and chemical conditions within the study area. The report provides extensive information about statistical methods used to analyze quality-control data in order to estimate potential bias and variability in environmental data. These methods include construction of confidence intervals on various statistical measures, such as the mean, percentiles and percentages, and standard deviation. The methods are used to compare quality-control results with the larger set of environmental data in order to determine whether the effects of bias and variability might interfere with interpretation of these data. Examples from published reports are presented to illustrate how the methods are applied, how bias and variability are reported, and how the interpretation of environmental data can be qualified based on the quality-control analysis.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS2011

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center-fiscal year 2010 annual report

The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) facility focused on providing science and imagery to better understand our Earth. The work of the Center is shaped by the earth sciences, the missions of our stakeholders, and implemented through strong program and project management, and application of state-of-the-art information technologies. Fundamentally, EROS contributes to the understanding of a changing Earth through 'research to operations' activities that include developing, implementing, and operating remote-sensing-based terrestrial monitoring capabilities needed to address interdisciplinary science and applications objectives at all levels-both nationally and internationally. The Center's programs and projects continually strive to meet, and where possible exceed, the changing needs of the USGS, the Department of the Interior, our Nation, and international constituents. The Center's multidisciplinary staff uses their unique expertise in remote sensing science and technologies to conduct basic and applied research, data acquisition, systems engineering, information access and management, and archive preservation to address the Nation's most critical needs. Of particular note is the role of EROS as the primary provider of Landsat data, the longest comprehensive global land Earth observation record ever collected. This report is intended to provide an overview of the scientific and engineering achievements and illustrate the range and scope of the activities and accomplishments at EROS throughout fiscal year (FY) 2010. Additional information concerning the scientific, engineering, and operational achievements can be obtained from the scientific papers and other documents published by EROS staff or by visiting our web site at http://eros.usgs.gov. We welcome comments and follow-up questions on any aspect of this Annual Report and invite any of our customers or partners to contact us at their convenience. To communicate with us, or for more information about EROS, contact: Communications and Outreach, USGS EROS Center, 47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198, jsnelson@usgs.gov, http://eros.usgs.gov/.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Hydrologic Drought Decision Support System (HyDroDSS)

The hydrologic drought decision support system (HyDroDSS) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Rhode Island Water Resources Board (RIWRB) for use in the analysis of hydrologic variables that may indicate the risk for streamflows to be below user-defined flow targets at a designated site of interest, which is defined herein as data-collection site on a stream that may be adversely affected by pumping. Hydrologic drought is defined for this study as a period of lower than normal streamflows caused by precipitation deficits and (or) water withdrawals. The HyDroDSS is designed to provide water managers with risk-based information for balancing water-supply needs and aquatic-habitat protection goals to mitigate potential effects of hydrologic drought. This report describes the theory and methods for retrospective streamflow-depletion analysis, rank correlation analysis, and drought-projection analysis. All three methods are designed to inform decisions made by drought steering committees and decisionmakers on the basis of quantitative risk assessment. All three methods use estimates of unaltered streamflow, which is the measured or modeled flow without major withdrawals or discharges, to approximate a natural low-flow regime. Retrospective streamflow-depletion analysis can be used by water-resource managers to evaluate relations between withdrawal plans and the potential effects of withdrawal plans on streams at one or more sites of interest in an area. Retrospective streamflow-depletion analysis indicates the historical risk of being below user-defined flow targets if different pumping plans were implemented for the period of record. Retrospective streamflow-depletion analysis also indicates the risk for creating hydrologic drought conditions caused by use of a pumping plan. Retrospective streamflow-depletion analysis is done by calculating the net streamflow depletions from withdrawals and discharges and applying these depletions to a simulated record of unaltered streamflow. Rank correlation analysis in the HyDroDSS indicates the persistence of hydrologic measurements from month to month for the prediction of developing hydrologic drought conditions and quantitatively indicates which hydrologic variables may be used to indicate the onset of hydrologic drought conditions. Rank correlation analysis also indicates the potential use of each variable for estimating the monthly minimum unaltered flow at a site of interest for use in the drought-projection analysis. Rank correlation analysis in the HyDroDSS is done by calculating Spearman’s rho for paired samples and the 95-percent confidence limits of this rho value. Rank correlation analysis can be done by using precipitation, groundwater levels, measured streamflows, and estimated unaltered streamflows. Serial correlation analysis, which indicates relations between current and future values, can be done for a single site. Cross correlation analysis, which indicates relations among current values at one site and current and future values at a second site, also can be done. Drought-projection analysis in the HyDroDSS indicates the risk for being in a hydrologic drought condition during the current month and the five following months with and without pumping. Drought-projection analysis also indicates the potential effectiveness of water-conservation methods for mitigating the effect of withdrawals in the coming months on the basis of the amount of depletion caused by different pumping plans and on the risk of unaltered flows being below streamflow targets. Drought-projection analysis in the HyDroDSS is done with Monte Carlo methods by using the position analysis method. In this method the initial value of estimated unaltered streamflows is calculated by correlation to a measured hydrologic variable (monthly precipitation, groundwater levels, or streamflows from an index station identified with the rank correlation analysis). Then a pseudorandom number generator is used to create 251 six-month-long flow traces by using a bootstrap method. Serial correlation of the estimated unaltered monthly minimum streamflows determined from the rank correlation analysis is preserved within each flow trace. The sample of unaltered streamflows indicates the risk of being below flow targets in the coming months under simulated natural conditions (without historic withdrawals). The streamflow-depletion algorithms are then used to estimate risks of flow being below targets if selected pumping plans are used. This report also describes the implementation of the HyDroDSS. The HyDroDSS was developed as a Microsoft Access® database application to facilitate storage, handling, and use of hydrologic datasets with a simple graphical user interface. The program is implemented in the database by using the Visual Basic for Applications® (VBA) programming language. Program source code for the analytical techniques is provided in the HyDroDSS and in electronic text files accompanying this report. Program source code for the graphical user interface and for data-handling code, which is specific to Microsoft Access® and the HyDroDSS, is provided in the database. An installation package with a run-time version of the software is available with this report for potential users who do not have a compatible copy of Microsoft Access®. Administrative rights are needed to install this version of the HyDroDSS. A case study, to demonstrate the use of HyDroDSS and interpretation of results for a site of interest, is detailed for the USGS streamgage on the Hunt River (station 01117000) near East Greenwich in central Rhode Island. The Hunt River streamgage was used because it has a long record of streamflow and is in a well-studied basin with a substantial amount of hydrologic and water-use data including groundwater pumping for municipal water supply.

Rhode Island↗
USGS1969

Quantitative comparison of some aesthetic factors among rivers

It is difficult to evaluate the factors contributing to aesthetic or nonmonetary aspects of a landscape. In contrast, aspects which lend themselves to cost-benefit comparisons are now treated in a routine way. As a result, nonmonetary values are described either in emotion-loaded words or else are mentioned and thence forgotten. The present report is a preliminary attempt to quantify some elements of aesthetic appeal while eliminating, insofar as possible, value judgments or personal preferences. If methods of recording such factors can be developed, the results promise to be a useful, new kind of basic data needed in many planning and decision-making circumstances. Such data would be especially useful when choices must be made among alternative courses of action. Such data would tend to provide a more prominent consideration of the nonmonetary aspects of a landscape. Assignment of quantitative estimates to aesthetic factors leads not so much to ratios of value as to relative rank positions. In fact, value itself tends to carry a connotation of preference, whereas ranking can more easily be used for categorization without attribution of preference and thus it tends to a void the introduction at too early a stage of differences in preference. Because the Federal Power Commission has been studying an application for a permit to construct one or more additional hydropower dams in the vicinity of Hells Canyon of the Snake River, the localities studied for the present discussion are in that region of Idaho. Hopefully, the data collected will provide some useful information on factors related to nonmonetary values in the region. The present discussion has been kept free of the preference judgments of the writer, and throughout the discussions observations are treated as facts.

Idaho↗
USGS1977

Catalog of earthquakes in the Santa Monica Mountains area for the period February 21, 1973 to December 31, 1973

The Seismological Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology(CALTECH) has reported instrumentally recorded earthquakes throughout southern California since 1932. Allen and others (1965) analyzed results from the Caltech seismograph network, and related earthquake data for the period from 1934 to 1963 to the regional geologic structures in southern California. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred near Point Mugu, California, approximately 15 km southeast of Oxnard, on February 21, 1973. Within 20 hours of the main shock the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena(CALTECH) began operation of temporary portable seismograph stations to study the aftershock sequence of the earthquake (Ellsworth and others, 1973). The temporary network of stations was replaced by an enlarged, permanent seismograph network beginning in June 1973. This catalog contains the fundamental parameters for earthquakes located within and adjacent to the seismograph network operated in the western Santa Monica Mountain region by the National Center for Earthquake Research (NCER), U. S. Geological Survey, during the period from February 21, 1973 to December 31, 1973 covering the main shock and aftershocks of the Pt. Mugu earthquake. The basic data contained in this catalog provides a foundation for further study of active tectonic processes in the western Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent areas.

California↗
USGS1983

Platte River Forum for the Future: workshop model documentation

The Platte River Forum for the Future (PRFF) is an effort by the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission (NNRC) to bring together representatives of interests and agencies concerned with management of the Platte River and, assisted by various computer technologies, to reach some degree of agreement on the “best uses” of the remaining waters of the Platte. Simulation modeling is being used in this effort as a focal point for developing a common understanding of the behavior of the Platte River system, synthesizing existing information, identifying additional needed information, and analyzing the potential consequences of various management alternatives. The NNRC initiated the project in August 1982 by convening a workshop for interested parties in Grand Island, Nebraska. This workshop was devoted to construction of a preliminary simulation model describing the Platte River system. A group of facilitators/modelers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) assisted participants in translating their understanding of the Platte River into the framework of the model. In October 1982, FWS personnel began a process of training several people from Nebraska in the use of the model. At that time, minor revisions and corrections were made in the model and various development scenarios were prepared for discussion with participants at a second workshop, which was held in early November 1982. The purpose of this report is to document the status of the PRFF simulation model as of the end of the November 1982 meeting. We emphasize that the intent is not to describe a final product. Except for minor revisions and correction of obvious errors, the model described herein is that which existed at the end of the August workshop. The model contains the foundation for a comprehensive aid to decisionmakers, but at this time it is preliminary in nature, needing refinement and verification before it can be truly useful in analyzing management alternatives. The purpose of this report is to provide a solid foundation for that important future work. The report is divided into three basic parts. The first is a brief overview of the various components of the model and how they fit together. It is intended for those who are not particularly interested in the details of model formulation. The second is a detailed discussion of the logic, assumptions, equations, and data used in constructing the model. This detailed description is also referenced to specific sections of the third part, which is a set of appendices containing listings of the computer code as it presently exists.

Nebraska↗
USGS1998

Data Quality Objectives and Criteria for Basic Information, Acceptable Uncertainty, and Quality-Assurance and Quality-Control Documentation

The Federal Highway Administration and State transportation agencies have the responsibility of determining and minimizing the effects of highway runoff on water quality; therefore, they have been conducting an extensive program of water-quality monitoring and research during the last 25 years. The objectives and monitoring goals of highway runoff studies have been diverse, because the highway community must address many different questions about the characteristics and impacts of highway runoff. The Federal Highway Administration must establish that available data and procedures that are used to assess and predict pollutant loadings and impacts from highway stormwater runoff are valid, current, and technically supportable. This report examines criteria for evaluating water-quality data and resultant interpretations. The criteria used to determine if data are valid (useful for intended purposes), current, and technically supportable are derived from published materials from the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality, the U.S. Geological Survey and from technical experts throughout the U.S. Geological Survey. Water-quality data that are documented to be meaningful, representative, complete, precise, accurate, comparable, and admissible as legal evidence will meet the scientific, engineering, and regulatory needs of highway agencies. Documentation of basic information, such as compatible monitoring objectives and program design features; metadata (when, where, and how data were collected as well as who collected and analyzed the data); ancillary information (explanatory variables and study-site characteristics); and legal requirements are needed to evaluate data. Documentation of sufficient quality-assurance and quality-control information to establish the quality and uncertainty in the data and interpretations also are needed to determine the comparability and utility of data sets for intended uses. The fact that a program's data may not meet screening criteria for a national synthesis does not mean that the data are not useful for meeting that program's objectives or that they could not be used for water-quality studies with different objectives.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2010

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center-Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report

The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) facility focused on providing science and imagery to better understand our Earth. As part of the USGS Geography Discipline, EROS contributes to the Land Remote Sensing (LRS) Program, the Geographic Analysis and Monitoring (GAM) Program, and the National Geospatial Program (NGP), as well as our Federal partners and cooperators. The work of the Center is shaped by the Earth sciences, the missions of our stakeholders, and implemented through strong program and project management and application of state-of-the-art information technologies. Fundamentally, EROS contributes to the understanding of a changing Earth through 'research to operations' activities that include developing, implementing, and operating remote sensing based terrestrial monitoring capabilities needed to address interdisciplinary science and applications objectives at all levels-both nationally and internationally. The Center's programs and projects continually strive to meet and/or exceed the changing needs of the USGS, the Department of the Interior, our Nation, and international constituents. The Center's multidisciplinary staff uses their unique expertise in remote sensing science and technologies to conduct basic and applied research, data acquisition, systems engineering, information access and management, and archive preservation to address the Nation's most critical needs. Of particular note is the role of EROS as the primary provider of Landsat data, the longest comprehensive global land Earth observation record ever collected. This report is intended to provide an overview of the scientific and engineering achievements and illustrate the range and scope of the activities and accomplishments at EROS throughout fiscal year (FY) 2009. Additional information concerning the scientific, engineering, and operational achievements can be obtained from the scientific papers and other documents published by EROS staff. We welcome comments and follow-up questions on any aspect of this Annual Report and invite any of our customers or partners to contact us at their convenience. To communicate with us, or for more information about EROS, contact: Communications and Outreach, USGS EROS Center, 47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198, jsnelson@usgs.gov, http://eros.usgs.gov/.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2012

Preliminary catalog of the sedimentary basins of the United States

One hundred forty-four sedimentary basins (or groups of basins) in the United States (both onshore and offshore) are identified, located, and briefly described as part of a Geographic Information System (GIS) data base in support of the Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration National Assessment Project (Brennan and others, 2010). This catalog of basins is designed to provide a check list and basic geologic framework for compiling more detailed geologic and reservoir engineering data for this project and other future investigations.

Open-File Report↗