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USGS2020

Gear comparison study for sampling nekton in Barataria Basin marshes

This project was funded by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) to support decisions related to investments in long-term monitoring. The LA TIG seeks to ensure long-term monitoring informs coastal restoration activities with the goal of sustaining and improving fisheries impacted by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill. The project objective was to compare nekton catch across an estuarine gradient using different sampling gear with the goal of identifying trade-offs among nekton sampling approaches. To accomplish this objective, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), The Water Institute of the Gulf (the Institute), Dynamic Solutions, LLC, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a field gear comparison study from 2018 to 2019. This work compared electrofisher and seine sampling at 12 fixed stations in Barataria Basin using data collected by LDWF. In addition, and in conjunction with LDWF monthly sampling, the same 12 fixed stations were sampled in May 2019 using a throw trap to compare nekton catch and assemblages collected with the throw trap, seine and electrofisher. LDWF has been conducting seine sampling since 1986, and seine data are used by the State of Louisiana to assess juvenile shrimp, crab and fish abundances, sizes and overall assemblages. In 2018, LDWF began conducting electrofisher sampling at 12 Barataria Basin seine stations in order to determine if the two gear types sample similar species and assemblages for potential future replacement of long-term seine sampling with electrofishing. Throw traps were included as they provide density estimates, which are ultimately the desired statistic used in modeling trophic webs, and are used in assessing habitat restoration outcomes. The project compared the nekton catch and assemblages collected using seine, electrofisher, and throw trap data from marsh edge habitats located across the estuarine gradient in Barataria Basin. Specifically, catch per unit effort (CPUE), species richness, species-specific total length (mm) distribution and nekton assemblages were compared between gear types. The first dataset was collected in May 2019 with throw trap (Appendix A), seine (LDWF data), and electrofisher (LDWF data) gear, and the second dataset (collected by LDWF) spanned 14 months of seine and electrofisher monthly sampling occurring from May 2018 through June 2019 at 12 stations in Barataria Basin. Key findings include that gear bias was not evident across the range of water quality conditions (salinity, temperature, o C, dissolved oxygen, mg L-1 , turbidity, NTU; Appendix B: scatter plots) captured during this pilot study, but differences in nekton catch per unit effort (CPUE) and assemblages were evident between gear types. However, those differences largely depended on the parameter examined. For example, the overall CPUE was highest for electrofishing, followed by seine, and then throw trap. When grass shrimp (the most abundant taxon collected) were removed from CPUE, the electrofisher and seine results were similar in CPUE. When CPUE was corrected for gear efficiency and total area sampled, the throw trap had the highest reported density of nekton sampled, followed by electrofisher and seine results. Electrofishing captured the highest number of species, which included more unique species compared to seine or throw trap catches, though all gear types captured at least one unique species. These highlight a need for caution in interpreting assemblage and density data when comparing datasets derived from different sampling methodologies. These key findings can help inform implementation and interpretation of long-term monitoring data in Louisiana as management decisions are made about coastal restoration projects to sustain and improve fisheries. There are trade-offs in selecting gear types for estuarine nekton monitoring of density, abundance, species richness, and assemblages. The table below (Table 1) summarizes some considerations when selecting gear types for long-term monitoring of estuarine nekton. In addition to biological and ecological considerations, other important considerations include cost, the labor required to conduct sampling, logistics, and potential uncertainties related to how effective each gear type is for sampling the wide variety of conditions found across Louisiana’s coastal habitats. For example, although electrofishing may capture higher CPUE, the equipment is more expensive to obtain and maintain compared to the other gear types. Most importantly, this table highlights differences in the nekton assemblages sampled by each gear type; this consideration is critical when designing the goals of a long-term monitoring program as it will inform how the data can be used and interpreted in the future. This report provides caveats, assumptions, and recommendations that can help support the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), LDWF and the LA TIG in comparing data from different gear types, and in making decisions for future monitoring. Findings from this study are limited to the range of water quality conditions occurring during these data collection events; these data and analyses could benefit from sampling across a wider range of water quality conditions, and collection of habitat structure and bottom type data which are not routinely collected but critically influence nekton. Further investigation examining how relative differences detected in key species abundances between gear types might impact ecosystem indicators and energetics in a modeled food web would provide valuable input to understand outputs of the Comprehensive Aquatic System Model for Barataria Basin, including the potential impacts of nekton monitoring decisions on food web models.

Louisiana↗

USGS2021

System characterization report on the Gaofen-1

Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of Gaofen-1 and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence in 2020. These reports present the detail methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational information about the specific sensing system being evaluated; and provide a summary of test measurements, data retention practices, data analysis results, and conclusions. Gaofen represents a series of Chinese high-resolution Earth observation satellites. More than 12 satellites have been launched in the Gaofen series, beginning with Gaofen-1 in 2013. Satellites within the series have varying infrared, radar, and optical imaging capabilities. The primary goal for the satellite is to provide near real-time observations for climate change monitoring, geographical mapping, precision agriculture support, environmental and resource surveying, and disaster prevention. More information on Chinese satellites and sensors is available within the “2020 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Remote Sensing Satellite Compendium” and at http://www.cnsageo.com/#/detailIndex?secondIndex=2&id=3&code=8 . The Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence System Characterization team completed data analyses to characterize the geometric (interior and exterior), radiometric, and spatial performances. Results of these analyses indicate that Gaofen-1 has an interior geometric performance of −0.48 meter (m) (−0.03 pixel) northing and 0.42 m (0.03 pixel) easting offset for band 1, −0.99 m (−0.06 pixel) northing and −0.38 m (−0.02 pixel) easting offset for band 2, −0.45 m (−0.03) northing and 0.83 m (0.05 pixel) easting offset for band 3, −3.20 m (−0.20 pixel) northing and 1.44 m (0.09 pixel) easting offset for band 4 in band-to-band registration. Similarly, Gaofen-1 has an exterior geometric performance of 7.50 m (0.48 pixel) easting and 109.50 m (7.30 pixels) northing offset in comparison to the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager; a radiometric performance in the range of −0.014 to 0.149 (absolute reflective difference); and a spatial performance in the range of 1.1 to 2.0 pixels at full width at half maximum, with a modulation transfer function at a Nyquist frequency in the range of 0.040 to 0.250.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2022

System characterization report on Planet’s SuperDove

Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of Planet’s SuperDove and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational information about the specific sensing system being evaluated; and provide a summary of test measurements, data retention practices, data analysis results, and conclusions. Since 2013, Planet has launched more than 360 Dove 3U CubeSats, where U stands for 10-centimeter (cm) x 10-cm x 10-cm stowed dimensions, each weighing about 5.8 kilograms. Since 2015, all Dove satellites have had four-band imagers with about a 3-meter (m) pixel ground sample distance. Since 2016, all Doves have been launched into Sun-synchronous orbits varying from 474 to 524 kilometers, with inclinations between 97 and 98 degrees. The Dove series satellites do not have orbit maintenance capabilities; thus, their orbits decay slowly over time, contributing to shorter lifetimes of about 3 years. More information on Planet satellites and sensors is available in the “2020 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Remote Sensing Satellite Compendium” and from the manufacturer at https://www.planet.com/ . The Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence system characterization team completed data analyses to characterize the geometric (interior and exterior), radiometric, and spatial performances. Results of these analyses indicate that SuperDove has a band-to-band geometric performance in the range of −1.701 m (−0.567 pixel) to 1.173 m (0.391 pixel) in easting and −4.950 m (−1.650 pixels) to 6.051 m (2.017 pixels) in northing, an image-to-image geometric performance of −1.17 m (−0.39 pixel) to 23.45 m (7.82 pixels) in easting and −10.61 m (−3.54 pixels) to −4.43 m (−1.48 pixels) in northing offset in comparison to Sentinel-2, a radiometric performance in the range of −0.043 to 0.020 in offset and 0.812 to 1.246 in slope, and a spatial performance in the range of 3.59 to 3.70 pixels for full width at half maximum, with a modulation transfer function at a Nyquist frequency in the range of 0.005 to 0.008.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1952

Ground water in the Gila River Basin and adjacent areas, Arizona: a summary

This report is a resume' of the principal facts collected by the Geological Survey in the period 1890-1952 about the ground-water resources of the Gila River basin and certain other areas in Arizona. Since 1939 the Geological Survey has been making ground-water investigations on a continuing basis in cooperation with the State of Arizona. Since 1940 the cooperating agency has been the State Land Department. The occurrence of ground water in fifteen areas that form a part of the Gila River drainage basin is described in this report. The areas are denoted by the name of a town or geographic feature, and are as follows: Duncan, Safford, San Simon, Upper San Pedro, Lower San Pedro, Aravaipa Creek, Upper Santa Cruz, Lower Santa Cruz, Salt River Valley, Rainbow ValleyWaterman Wash, McMullen Valley, Harquahala Plain, Gila Bend, Palomas Plain, and Wellton-Mohawk. Data also are presented for several areas not in the Gila River system, including Ranegras Plain and the Willcox and Douglas basins. A summary of the data is given following the ground-water discussion in each area. A series of maps accompany the report, including an index map and maps of the principal areas of ground-water development. The mar,z, show the geology, the location of most of the irrigation wells and irrigated lands, and, where data were available, contours of the water table, depth to the water table, and changes in its position over a period of years. Ground water occurs in the region primarily in alluvial fill consisting of gravel, sand, silt, and clay which was deposited in structural troughs between mountain ranges. Ground water stored in these alluvial basins is derived from many sources. The principal sources are infiltration from runoff along the mountain fronts and seepage from irrigation water applied to cultivated lands. Of great interest in Arizona at the present time is the rate of depletion of ground-water reserves by withdrawals from storage. Use of ground water in Arizona increased by more than 50 percent in the 6-year period 1'46-51, from 2,400,000 acre-feet in 1946 to 3,750,000 acre-feet in 1951. The areas of greatest withdrawal are in Pinal and Maricopa Counties, in the southcentral part of the State. Maps and hydrographs accompanying this report show that the water table is declining in the heavily pumped areas, indicating that ground water is being withdrawn in excess of replenishment. The rate of decline has been as much as 10 feet per year in the most intensively pumped areas, and has been greatest during the past few years. In an effort to compensate for decreased well yields resulting from the decline of the water table in some areas, many deep wells have been drilled within the past few years. The deep aquifers do not represent a new source of water; their water is a part of the common supply of the structural basins in which they lie. The aquifers tapped by these deep wells generally yield less water per foot of drawdown than the shallower aquifers. The water in the deeper aquifers is variable in quality, ranging from water too high in dissolved solids to be usable for irrigation to water lower in concentration than that in the overlying aquifers. The quality of the ground waters in most of the region is considered suitable for irrigation. In local areas, however, the ground waters are naturally unsuitable for irrigation and, in other areas, the concentration of dissolved solids has increased sufficiently to make the waters harmful to some crops. The problem of salt balance is becoming increasingly important, not only in the Salt River Valley area, but also in other parts of the Gila River Basin. A discussion of the salt-balance problem is given in Part II of this report. It should be emphasized that ground waters in each of the individual areas in the Gila River drainage system are interrelated with ground waters in adjacent areas upstream and downstream. The connection is tenuous between some areas, but in central Arizona the ground waters in the different areas are closely related. Although subsurface barriers to ground-water movement exist in places, they are not everywhere fully effective. The ground-water--surface-water interrelationship is important in some areas. Those basins occupied by perennial streams, or by streams having large influent seepage losses, have not shown large, perennial declines of water levels in wells. Effluent seepage of ground water contributes to stream flow in the lower reaches of several basins.

Arizona↗

USGS2012

A vegetation management plan for Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site: Final report for interagency agreement number F154910005

Summary: This report provides Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, a small NPS unit on the border of Montana and North Dakota, a framework and reasonable tools for future vegetation management at the site in the context of probable historic, current, and desired future vegetation.

Montana, North Dakota↗

USGS2010

USGS-NPS Servicewide Benthic Mapping Program (SBMP) workshop report

Executive Summary The National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program recently allocated funds to initiate a benthic mapping program in ocean and Great Lakes parks in alignment with the NPS Ocean Park Stewardship 2007-2008 Action Plan. Seventy-four (ocean and Great Lakes) parks, spanning more than 5,000 miles of coastline, many affected by increasing coastal storms and other natural and anthropogenic processes, make the development of a Servicewide Benthic Mapping Program (SBMP) timely. The resulting maps and associated reports will be provided to NPS managers in a consistent servicewide format to help park managers protect and manage the 3 million acres of submerged National Park System natural and cultural resources. Of the 74 ocean and Great Lakes park units, the 40 parks with submerged acreage will be the focus in the early years of the SBMP. The NPS and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) convened a workshop (June 3-5, 2008) in Lakewood, CO. The assembly of experts from the NPS and other Federal and non-Federal agencies clarified the needs and goals of the NPS SBMP and was one of the key first steps in designing the benthic mapping program. The central needs for individual parks, park networks, and regions identified by workshop participants were maps including bathymetry, bottom type, geology, and biology. This workshop, although not an exhaustive survey of data-acquisition technologies, highlighted the more promising technologies being used, existing sources of data, and the need for partnerships to leverage resources. Workshop products include recommended classification schemes and management approaches for consistent application and products similar to other long-term NPS benthic mapping efforts. As part of the SBMP, recommendations from this workshop, including application of an improved version of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), will be tested in several pilot parks. In 2008, in conjunction with the findings of this workshop, the NPS funded benthic mapping projects in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Golden Gate National Recreational Area, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Virgin Islands National Park, and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. Full design and protocols of the SBMP based on the findings of this workshop are detailed in a second document dedicated to the subject.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2012

Patterns of larval sucker emigration from the Sprague and lower Williamson Rivers of the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon, after the removal of Chiloquin Dam - 2009-10 Annual Report

Executive Summary In 2009 and 2010, drift samples were collected from six sites on the lower Sprague and Williamson Rivers to assess drift patterns of larval Lost River suckers ( Deltistes luxatus ) (LRS) and shortnose suckers ( Chasmistes brevirostris ) (SNS). The objective of this study was to characterize the drift timing, relative abundance, and growth stage frequencies of larval suckers emigrating from the Sprague River watershed. These data were used to evaluate changes in spawning distribution of LRS and SNS in the Sprague River after the 2008 removal of Chiloquin Dam. Drift samples were collected at four sites on the Sprague River and one site each on the Williamson and Sycan Rivers. Data presented in this report is a continuation of a research project that began in 2004. Larval drift parameters measured in 2009 and 2010 were similar to those measured from 2004 to 2008. Most larvae and eggs were collected at the two drift sites downstream of the former Chiloquin Dam (river kilometer 0.7 on the Sprague River and river kilometer 7.4 on the Williamson River). Mean and peak sample densities increased with proximity to Upper Klamath Lake. Peak larval densities continued to be collected between 1 and 3 hours after sunset at Chiloquin, which is the drift site nearest a known spawning area. Catch distribution of larvae and eggs in the lower Sprague and Williamson Rivers suggests that most SNS and LRS spawning continues to occur downstream of the site of the former Chiloquin Dam. The sizes and growth stages indicate that larval emigration from spawning areas resulting from drift occurs within a few days after swim-up. Larval suckers appear to move downstream quickly until they reach suitable rearing habitat.

Oregon↗

USGS2024

Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) best practices for remote sensing system evaluation and reporting

Executive Summary The Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) partnership consists of six agencies representing the U.S. Government’s commitment to promoting the use of high-quality remotely sensed data to meet scientific and other Federal needs. These agencies are large consumers of remotely sensed data and bring extensive experience in the assessment and use of these data. The six agencies are as follows: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, and National Reconnaissance Office. JACIE was formed in 2001 to assess the quality of data from the nascent commercial high-resolution satellite industry. Since then, JACIE has expanded its purview to include data at various resolutions, including commercial and civil. The processes and techniques used by the JACIE agencies to assess data quality have been compiled within this report to share them across the agencies and with others who want to assess remotely sensed imagery data or understand how data are assessed and reported by JACIE.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2018

An individual-based model for predicting dynamics of a newly established Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) population—Final report

Project Summary The Mexican wolf recovery team proposed to establish other populations of Mexican wolves ( Canis lupus baileyi ) in the Southwest (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1982). We were tasked to conduct an extensive simulation modeling exercise to determine release strategies (in conjunction with management actions) that best predict establishment of a new Mexican wolf population. Our objectives were to determine optimal release and management strategies for population establishment and growth. This is a retrospective analysis utilizing data from 1998 to 2014, and during this period, we divided management strategies into two phases; (1) 1998–2008, where nuisance wolves (i.e., wolves that exhibit nuisance behavior or depredate livestock) were managed primarily through lethal removals and removals to captivity, and (2) 2009–2014, when lethal removals ceased and diversionary feeding was provided to denning packs to dissuade wolves from conflict with humans. Management strategies from the second phase are being used for management of the current Mexican wolf population, and demographic rates derived from alternate population modeling in Vortex incorporating post-2008 wolf data are being used to guide future recovery efforts. Therefore, demographic rates estimated from our retrospective analysis will differ (i.e., due to our unique approach to the analyses and the demographic rates being derived from a different dataset), and are intended solely to address the objectives of this report, and are not intended as basis for the development of management recommendations for the current Mexican wolf population. Using individual-based models, we tested dozens of scenarios and derived an optimal release strategy that had the highest probability of establishing a new population and which maximized subsequent post-release growth, and in this report, we present these model results. Findings from this research will improve our understanding of release strategies that yield growing populations, advance our understanding of the demands of reintroducing large carnivores, and provide insight into beneficial strategies that could aid other species reintroduction programs.

Arizona, New Mexico↗

USGS2007

Mountain Lions of the Flagstaff Uplands: 2003-2006 Progress Report

Executive Summary Stakeholders in management of mountain lions in the Flagstaff Uplands of northern Arizona have expressed increasing concern about both potential impacts of humans on lions and potential risks posed by lions to humans. A series of human-mountain lion encounters during 2000-2001 on Mt. Elden, immediately adjacent to Flagstaff, and similar incidents during 2004 near Tucson brought increased attention to management of human safety in mountain lion range. These human-centered concerns, together with long-standing questions about how the human infrastructure centered on Flagstaff might be affecting lion movements led us to initiate a mountain lion study in 2003 which we plan to continue through 2009. Our study focuses on movements and other behaviors of mountain lions, with the goal of providing information that can be used to increase human safety, decrease human impacts, and, overall, provide insight into the ecology of lions in this region. To serve this goal, we have focused on collecting data that will be the basis of explanatory models that can provide spatially-explicit predictions of mountain lion activity, specify the effects of human facilities, such as highways and urban areas, and provide insight into when, where, and how often different kinds of lions kill different kinds of prey. During 2003-2006, we captured six female and five male mountain lions in the Flagstaff Uplands, 10 of which we fitted with collars that collected up to six high-precision GPS fixes per day, transmitted daily to our offices via Argos satellites. This timely delivery of data allowed us to visit kill sites and other foci of localized activity to collect detailed information on lion behavior. By June 2006 we had obtained 9357 GPS locations and visited 394 sites, at which we documented 218 kills, 165 of which were by five females and 53 by five males. These data were the basis for preliminary analyses presented in this report. All lions during all seasons exhibited a strong selection for rough terrain and forest or woodland cover. Females differed from males by selecting more strongly for intermediate, rather than extreme, levels of terrain roughness, by selecting more strongly for chaparral vegetation and related rocky areas during winter, and by not selecting as strongly for areas near water sources. Overall, lions collared during this study strongly avoided flat open areas in private ownership. Male but not female lions exhibited pronounced selection for National Park Service jurisdictions. Both males and females year-round avoided residential areas and a zone outward to about 1-3 km and, when within this zone, moved more slowly and with less change in direction compared to when farther away. Collared lions have so far rarely crossed paved highways of any description - orders of magnitude less often than expected by chance. We observed only 3 crossings of an interstate highway, all on I17 and none on I40. Elk comprised the majority (52%) of kills by lions in our study, followed by mule deer (46%), and small mammals (15%). Adults comprised most of the mule deer kills (68%) and mesocarnivores, primarily coyotes (n = 21), comprised 73% of smaller prey. Calf and short-yearling elk comprised the largest single category of kills (29%). In addition to kills, we documented seven instances of scavenging, involving four different lions. Females differed from males by killing more mule deer and virtually all of the mesocarnivores, and by killing fewer elk of all ages. Intervals between kills averaged between 144 hrs (young females) to 221 hours (adult females), whereas average time spent on a kill ranged from 19 hrs (adult males) to 40 hrs (young males). Carcass mass had a strong effect on likelihood that a lion would bury or relocate a kill, the percentage of edibles consumed, and overall time spent feeding. Time spent feeding and likelihoods of carcass burial and relocation all peaked at intermediate carcass masses, suggesting an optimal mass in the range of 50-150 kg, likely dictated as much by handling efficiencies and competition from other scavengers as by a lion's shear ability to kill prey. Adult male lions exhibited a life strategy distinctly different from all other sex-age classes that entailed moving more rapidly over larger areas, and spending less time on kills in which they invested less energy handling, but from which they consumed tissue at a higher sustained rate.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2010

The MW 7.0 Haiti Earthquake of January 12, 2010: USGS/EERI Advance Reconnaissance Team Report

Executive Summary A field reconnaissance in Haiti by a five-member team with expertise in seismology and earthquake engineering has revealed a number of factors that led to catastrophic losses of life and property during the January 12, 2010, Mw 7.0 earthquake. The field study was conducted from January 26 to February 3, 2010, and included investigations in Port-au-Prince and the heavily damaged communities to the west, including Leogane, Grand Goave, Petite Goave, and Oliver. Seismology Despite recent seismic quiescence, Haiti has suffered similar devastating earthquakes in the historical past (1701, 1751, 1770 and 1860). Despite this knowledge of historical seismicity, Haiti had no seismograph stations during the main earthquake, so it is impossible to estimate accurately the intensity of ground motions. Nonetheless, the wide range of buildings damaged by the January 12, 2010, earthquake suggests that the ground motions contained seismic energy over a wide range of frequencies. Another earthquake of similar magnitude could strike at any time on the eastern end of the Enriquillo Fault, directly to the south of Port-au-Prince. Reconstruction must take this hazard into account. The four portable seismographs installed by the team recorded a series of small aftershocks. As expected, the ground motions recorded at a hard-rock site contained a greater proportion of high frequencies than the motions recorded at a soil site. Two of the stations continue to monitor seismic activity. A thorough field investigation of the mapped Enriquillo Fault south of the city of Leogane failed to find any evidence of surface faulting. This led the team to conclude that the earthquake was unlikely to have produced any surface rupture in the study area. Geotechnical Aspects Soil liquefaction, landslides and rockslides in cut slopes, and road embankment failures contributed to extensive damage in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere. A lack of detailed knowledge of the physical conditions of the soils (for example, lithology, stiffness, density, and thickness) made it difficult for us to quantitatively assess the role of ground-motion amplification in the widespread damage. Buildings The Haitian Ministry of Statistics and Informatics reported that one-story buildings represent 73 percent of the building inventory. Most ordinary, one-story houses have roofs made of sheet metal (82 percent), whereas most multistory houses and apartments have roofs made of concrete (71 percent). Walls made of concrete/block/stone predominate both in ordinary houses and apartments. It appears that the widespread damage to residences and commercial and government buildings was attributable to a great extent to the lack of earthquake-resistant design. In many cases, the structural types, member dimensions, and detailing practices were inadequate to resist strong ground motions. These vulnerabilities may have been exacerbated by poor construction practices. Reinforced concrete frames with concrete block masonry infill appeared to perform particularly poorly. Structures with light (timber or sheet metal) roofs performed better compared to structures with concrete roofs and slabs. The seismic performance of some buildings was adequate, and some of the damaged buildings appeared to have had low deformation demands. These observations suggest that structures designed and constructed with adequate stiffness and reinforcing details would have resisted the earthquake without being damaged severely. A damage survey of 107 buildings in downtown Port-au-Prince indicated that 28 percent had collapsed and another 33 percent were damaged enough to require repairs. A similar survey of 52 buildings in Leogane found that 62 percent had collapsed and another 31 percent required repairs. Bridges There was no evidence of bridge collapses attributable to the earthquake. Most bridges in Port-au-Prince are simple box culverts consisting of box girders 2.0 to 2.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2024

Distribution, abundance, and breeding activities of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2022 annual report

California↗

USGS1958

Physical properties of salt, anhydrite and gypsum : preliminary report

This summary is the result of a search of the available literature. Emphasis is placed on the mechanical and calorimetric properties of salt; the measurements of elastic, thermal, magnetic, and mass properties of salt are merely tabulated. Under hydrostatic pressure < 1,000 kg/cm2 at room temperature, salt deforms plastically to strains > 100 percent at a nearly constant stress difference of about 300 kg/cm2. Similarily, under temperatures > 400?C at one atmosphere, salt deforms plastically to strains > 100 percent under stress differences of about 100 kg/cm2. Entha1pies were calculated for various temperatures to 2,000? C from the low temperature and high temperature heat capacities and the heats of solution of the following minerals: salt (or halite), NaCl; anhydrite, CaS04; quartz, Si02; and calcite, CaC03. Three combinations of these minerals were assumed to represent three possible natural salt beds, and the heats required to raise the temperature of each to 1,500?C and to 2,000?C were calculated. For a half and half mixture of salt and anhydrite, 1,300 cal/gm were required to raise the temperature to 2,000?C. For an evaporite containing 60 percent salt and about equal amounts of anhydrite, calcite, and quartz, 1,100 cal/gm are required to raise the temperature to 2,OOO?C. Most of the measurements of the elastic moduli were made on single crystals of salt, anhydrite, and gypsum. For the most part, the measurements of density, magnetic susceptibility, and other properties were made on natural salt samples.

Trace Elements Memorandum↗

USGS2017

Model-based scenario planning to inform climate change adaptation in the Northern Great Plains—Final report

Public Summary We worked with managers in two focal areas to plan for the uncertain future by integrating quantitative climate change scenarios and simulation modeling into scenario planning exercises. In our central North Dakota focal area, centered on Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, managers are concerned about how changes in flood severity and growing conditions for native and invasive plants may affect archaeological resources and cultural landscapes associated with the Knife and Missouri Rivers. Climate projections and hydrological modeling based on those projections indicate plausible changes in spring and summer soil moisture ranging from a 7 percent decrease to a 13 percent increase and maximum winter snowpack (important for spring flooding) changes ranging from a 13 percent decrease to a 47 percent increase. Facilitated discussions among managers and scientists exploring the implications of these different climate scenarios for resource management revealed potential conflicts between protecting archeological sites and fostering riparian cottonwood forests. The discussions also indicated the need to prioritize archeological sites for excavation or protection and culturally important plant species for intensive management attention. In our southwestern South Dakota focal area, centered on Badlands National Park, managers are concerned about how changing climate will affect vegetation production, wildlife populations, and erosion of fossils, archeological artifacts, and roads. Climate scenarios explored by managers and scientists in this focal area ranged from a 13 percent decrease to a 33 percent increase in spring precipitation, which is critical to plant growth in the northern Great Plains region, and a slight decrease to a near doubling of intense rain events. Facilitated discussions in this focal area concluded that greater effort should be put into preparing for emergency protection, excavation, and preservation of exposed fossils or artifacts and revealed substantial opportunities for different agencies to learn from each other and cooperate on common management goals. Follow up quantitative simulation modeling of grassland dynamics helped quantify the degree of change expected in vegetation production under the wide range of climate scenarios and suggested that (a) low grazing rates could be adversely affecting vegetation composition in the national park and (b) understanding of the management practices needed to maintain desired vegetation conditions is incomplete.

Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyo↗

USGS2017

Grand challenges for integrated USGS science — A workshop report

Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long history of advancing the traditional Earth science disciplines and identifying opportunities to integrate USGS science across disciplines to address complex societal problems. The USGS science strategy for 2007–2017 laid out key challenges in disciplinary and interdisciplinary arenas, culminating in a call for increased focus on a number of crosscutting science directions. Ten years on, to further the goal of integrated science and at the request of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), a workshop with three dozen invited scientists spanning different disciplines and career stages in the Bureau convened on February 7–10, 2017, at the USGS John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis in Fort Collins, Colorado. The workshop focused on identifying “grand challenges” for integrated USGS science. Individual participants identified nearly 70 potential grand challenges before the workshop and through workshop discussions. After discussion, four overarching grand challenges emerged: Natural resource security, Societal risk from existing and emerging threats, Smart infrastructure development, and Anticipatory science for changing landscapes. Participants also identified a “comprehensive science challenge” that highlights the development of integrative science, data, models, and tools—all interacting in a modular framework—that can be used to address these and other future grand challenges: Earth Monitoring, Analyses, and Projections (EarthMAP) EarthMAP is our long-term vision for an integrated scientific framework that spans traditional scientific boundaries and disciplines, and integrates the full portfolio of USGS science: research, monitoring, assessment, analysis, and information delivery. The Department of Interior, and the Nation in general, have a vast array of information needs. The USGS meets these needs by having a broadly trained and agile scientific workforce. Encouraging and supporting cross-discipline engagement would position the USGS to tackle complex and multifaceted scientific and societal challenges in the 21st Century.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2016

Evaluation of Caspian tern ( Hydroprogne caspia ) and snowy plover ( Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus ) nesting on modified islands at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California—2015 Annual Report

Executive Summary In order to address the 2008/10 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion for operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) have developed and begun implementation of Caspian tern ( Hydroprogne caspia ) management plans. This implementation includes relocating nesting Caspian terns out of the Columbia River estuary and the mid-Columbia River region to reduce predation on salmonids listed under the Endangered Species Act. USACE and Reclamation developed Caspian tern nesting habitat at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (DENWR), California prior to the 2015 nesting season. Further, to reduce or eliminate potential conflicts between nesting Caspian terns and threatened western snowy plovers ( Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus), nesting habitat for snowy plovers also was developed. Seven recently constructed islands within two managed ponds (Ponds A16 and SF2) of DENWR were modified to provide habitat attractive to nesting Caspian terns (5 islands), and snowy plovers (2 islands). These seven islands were a subset of 46 islands recently constructed in Ponds A16 and SF2 to provide waterbird nesting habitat as part of the South Bay Salt Pond (SBSP) Restoration Project. We used social attraction methods (decoys and electronic call systems) to attract Caspian terns and snowy plovers to these seven modified islands, and conducted surveys between March and September 2015 to evaluate nest numbers, nest density, and productivity. Results from the 2015 nesting season indicate that island modifications and social attraction measures were successful in establishing Caspian tern breeding colonies at Ponds A16 and SF2 of DENWR. Caspian terns nested on three of the five islands modified for Caspian terns (1 island in Pond A16 and 2 islands in Pond SF2). Caspian terns initiated at least 224 nests, fledged at least 174 chicks, and exhibited a breeding success rate of 0.78 fledged chicks/breeding pair. These results are promising considering it was the first year of the study and there was no prior history of Caspian terns nesting at Ponds A16 and SF2. In contrast, snowy plovers did not attempt to nest on any island in Ponds A16 and SF2. These results demonstrate the potential of social attraction measures to help establish tern nesting colonies in San Francisco Bay. Social attraction measures similar to those used in this study, but targeting other species such as Forster’s terns and American avocets, may help to establish waterbird breeding colonies at wetlands enhanced as part of the SBSP Restoration Project.

California↗

USGS2024

Distribution, Abundance, and Breeding Activities of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020 Annual Report

Executive Summary Surveys for the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ( Empidonax traillii extimus ) were done at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP or “Base”), California, between May 4 and July 31, 2020. All of MCBCP’s historically occupied riparian habitat (core survey area) was surveyed for flycatchers in 2020. Additionally, one-fifth of the unoccupied riparian habitat (non-core survey area) was surveyed for flycatchers. Thirteen transient Willow Flycatchers of unknown subspecies were observed on four of the seven drainages surveyed in 2020. No Willow Flycatchers were detected at Fallbrook Creek, Pilgrim Creek, or San Mateo Creek. Transients occurred in a range of habitat types, including mixed willow ( Salix spp.) riparian, riparian scrub, willow-sycamore ( Platanus racemosa ) or willow-cottonwood ( Populus fremontii ) dominated riparian vegetation, and upland scrub. Exotic vegetation, primarily poison hemlock ( Conium maculatum ), was present in most flycatcher locations. The resident population of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers on MCBCP declined 33 percent from three individuals in 2019 to two individuals in 2020. In 2020, the resident Southwestern Willow Flycatcher population on Base consisted of one male and one female. No single males or non-territorial floaters were observed in 2020. Overall, one territory was established consisting of one monogamous pair. Resident flycatchers were restricted to the Santa Margarita River, and distribution was limited to the Pueblitos breeding area. All resident flycatchers were located in mixed willow riparian habitat. Nesting was initiated in late May and continued into early August. Three nesting attempts were documented, of which 33 percent (1/3) were successful. Predation and substrate failure accounted for the two nest failures. Two fledglings were produced, yielding a seasonal productivity of two young/pair. No instances of Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater ) parasitism were observed. Flycatchers placed nests in two plant species: native sandbar willow ( Salix exigua ) and exotic poison hemlock. One hundred percent of resident birds that were present at MCBCP in 2020 were banded in previous years; no unbanded birds were detected. Of the three uniquely banded adult flycatchers present during the 2019 breeding season, 100 percent (1/1) of males and 50 percent (1/2) of females returned to MCBCP in 2020, and both banded flycatchers returned to the same breeding area they occupied in 2019. None of the seven nestlings banded in 2019 returned to MCBCP in 2020, and none were detected off Base. Six nestlings from two nests were banded in 2020; only two survived to fledging. From 2000 to 2020, overall adult survival of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers on MCBCP was 60 percent, while first-year survival was 20 percent. A conspecific attraction study initiated on Base in 2018 and repeated annually through 2020 found that 100 percent of breeding flycatchers detected in 2020 settled close to automated playback units.

California↗

USGS2020

Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year-class formation, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2018 monitoring report

Executive Summary Populations of federally endangered Lost River ( Deltistes luxatus ) and shortnose suckers ( Chasmistes brevirostris ) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter Clear Lake), California, are experiencing long-term decreases in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing not only because of adult mortality, which is relatively low, but also because they are not being balanced by recruitment of young adult suckers into known adult spawning aggregations. Long-term monitoring of juvenile sucker populations is conducted to (1) determine if there are annual and species-specific differences in production, survival, and growth; (2) better understand when juvenile sucker mortality is greatest, and (3) help identify potential causes of high juvenile sucker mortality, particularly in Upper Klamath Lake. The U.S. Geological Survey monitoring program, which began in 2015, tracks cohorts through summer months and among years in Upper Klamath and Clear Lakes. Data on juvenile suckers captured in trap nets are used to provide information on annual variability in age-0 sucker apparent production, juvenile sucker apparent survival, apparent growth, species composition, and health. Juvenile sucker year-class strength and apparent survival were low in 2018 in Upper Klamath Lake. Most juvenile sucker mortality occurs within the first year of life. The Upper Klamath Lake year-class strength indices for Lost River and shortnose suckers in 2018 were the lowest they had been since the start of monitoring in 2015. The annual catch rates of shortnose sucker remained consistently low, whereas Lost River sucker catch rates varied. The capture of only four age-1 and older suckers from Upper Klamath Lake during the 2018 sampling season indicated low annual survival of the 2017 cohort. Annual production indices of juvenile suckers in Clear Lake are highly variable and potentially affected by seasonal connections to spawning habitat in Willow Creek. A total of seven age-0 shortnose or Klamath largescale suckers ( Catostomus snyderi ) were captured from Clear Lake in 2018, which was a relatively wet year, indicating that a small cohort was formed or that there was a delay in the recruitment of age-0 suckers. The 2018 sampling continued to detect recruitment of juveniles from the 2015 cohort to the lake. Given the dysconnectivity between Willow Creek and Clear Lake during the 2015 spawning season, the continued recruitment of young fish of this cohort to the lake may be attributed to reproduction by resident suckers in Willow Creek. Suckers younger than age-3 in Clear Lake could be identified as either shortnose or Klamath largescale suckers. A stream resident life history, if it were occurring, is consistent with these fish being Klamath largescale suckers. Survival of all distinguishable taxa of juvenile suckers is much higher in Clear Lake than in Upper Klamath Lake, with non-trivial numbers of suckers surviving to join spawning aggregations.

California, Oregon↗