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USGS2011

Proceedings of the Klamath Basin Science Conference, Medford, Oregon, February 1-5, 2010

This report presents the proceedings of the Klamath Basin Science Conference (February 2010). A primary purpose of the meeting was to inform and update Klamath Basin stakeholders about areas of scientific progress and accomplishment during the last 5 years. Secondary conference objectives focused on the identification of outstanding information needs and science priorities as they relate to whole watershed management, restoration ecology, and possible reintroduction of Pacific salmon associated with the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA). Information presented in plenary, technical, breakout, and poster sessions has been assembled into chapters that reflect the organization, major themes, and content of the conference. Chapter 1 reviews the major environmental issues and resource management and other stakeholder needs of the basin. Importantly, this assessment of information needs included the possibility of large-scale restoration projects in the future and lessons learned from a case study in South Florida. Other chapters (2-6) summarize information about key components of the Klamath Basin, support conceptual modeling of the aquatic ecosystem (Chapter 7), and synthesize our impressions of the most pressing science priorities for management and restoration. A wealth of information was presented at the conference and this has been captured in chapters addressing environmental setting and human development of the basin, hydrology, watershed processes, fishery resources, and potential effects from climate change. The final chapter (8) culminates in a discussion of many specific research priorities that relate to and bookend the broader management needs and restoration goals identified in Chapter 1. In many instances, the conferees emphasized long-term and process-oriented approaches to watershed science in the basin as planning moves forward.

California, Oregon↗

USGS2012

Simulated effects of dam removal on water temperatures along the Klamath River, Oregon and California, using 2010 Biological Opinion flow requirements

Computer model simulations were run to determine the effects of dam removal on water temperatures along the Klamath River, located in south-central Oregon and northern California, using flow requirements defined in the 2010 Biological Opinion of the National Marine Fisheries Service. A one-dimensional, daily averaged water temperature model (River Basin Model-10) developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, Seattle, Washington, was used in the analysis. This model had earlier been configured and calibrated for the Klamath River by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Klamath Secretarial Determination to simulate the effects of dam removal on water temperatures for current (2011) and future climate change scenarios. The analysis for this report was performed outside of the scope of the Klamath Secretarial Determination process at the request of the Bureau of Reclamation Technical Services Office, Denver, Colorado.  For this analysis, two dam scenarios were simulated: “dams in” and “dams out.” In the “dams in” scenario, existing dams in the Klamath River were kept in place. In the “dams out” scenario, the river was modeled as a natural stream, without the J.C. Boyle, Copco1, Copco2, and Iron Gate Dams, for the entire simulation period. Output from the two dam scenario simulations included daily water temperatures simulated at 29 locations for a 50-year period along the Klamath River between river mile 253 (downstream of Link River Dam) and the Pacific Ocean. Both simulations used identical flow requirements, formulated in the 2010 Biological Opinion, and identical climate conditions based on the period 1961–2009.  Simulated water temperatures from January through June at almost all locations between J.C. Boyle Reservoir and the Pacific Ocean were higher for the “dams out” scenario than for the “dams in” scenario. The simulated mean monthly water temperature increase was highest [1.7–2.2 degrees Celsius (°C)] in May downstream of Iron Gate Dam. However, from August to December, dam removal generally cooled water temperatures. During these months, water temperatures decreased 1°C or more between Copco Lake and locations 50 miles or more downstream. The greatest mean monthly temperature decrease was 4°C in October just downstream of Iron Gate Dam. Near the ocean, the effects of dam removal were small (less than 0.2°C) for most months. However, the mean November temperature near the ocean was almost 0.5°C cooler with dam removal.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2012

Assessment of photographs from wildlife monitoring cameras in Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Between 2007 and 2010, National Park Service (NPS) staff at the Point Reyes National Seashore, California, collected over 300,000 photographic images of Drakes Estero from remotely operated wildlife monitoring cameras. The purpose of the systems was to obtain photographic data to help understand possible relationships between anthropogenic activities and Pacific harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina richardsi ) behavior and distribution. The value of the NPS photographs for use in assessing the frequency and impacts of seal disturbance and displacement in Drakes Estero has been debated. In September 2011, the NPS determined that the photographs did not provide meaningful information for development of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Limitations of the photographs included lack of study design, poor photographic quality, inadequate field of view, incomplete estuary coverage, camera obstructions, and weather limitations. The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) reviewed the scientific data underpinning the Drakes Bay Oyster Company DEIS in November 2011 and recommended further analysis of the NPS photographs for use in characterizing rates and consequences of seal disturbance (Marine Mammal Commission, 2011). In response to that recommendation, the NPS asked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct an independent review of the photographs and render an opinion on the utility of the remote camera data for informing the environmental impact analyses included in the DEIS. In consultation with the NPS, we selected the 2008 photographic dataset for detailed evaluation because it covers a full harbor seal breeding season (March 1 to June 30), provides two fields of view (two cameras were deployed), and represents a time period when cameras were most consistently deployed and maintained. The NPS requested that the photographs be evaluated in absence of other data or information pertaining to seal and human activity in the estuary and that we focus on the extent to which the photographs could be used in understanding the relationship between human activity (including commercial oyster production) and harbor seal disturbance and distribution in the estuary.

California↗

USGS2018

Relations between total phosphorus and orthophosphorus concentrations and rainfall, surface-water discharge, and groundwater levels in Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, Florida, 2014–16

The Seminole Tribe of Florida (the Tribe) is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a numeric phosphorus criterion for the 52,000-acre Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation (BCSIR), which is located downgradient of the Everglades Agricultural Area, and of other public and private lands, in southeastern Hendry County and northwestern Broward County in southern Florida. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Tribe, used water-quality data collected between October 2014 and September 2016 by the Tribe and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), along with data from rainfall gages, surface-water stage and discharge gages, and groundwater monitoring wells, to (1) examine the relations between local hydrology and measured total phosphorus (TP) and orthophosphorus (OP) concentrations and (2) identify explanatory variables for TP concentrations. Of particular concern were conditions when TP exceeded 10 parts per billion (ppb) (0.01 milligram per liter [mg/L]) given that the State of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians Alligator Alley Reservation (located downstream of the BCSIR) have adopted a 10-ppb maximum TP criterion for surface waters. From October 2014 to September 2016, the Tribe collected 47–52 samples at each of nine water-quality sites for analysis of TP and OP, except at one site where 28 samples were collected. For all sites sampled, concentrations of TP (as phosphorus [P]) ranged from less than 0.002 mg/L (2 ppb) to a maximum of nearly 0.50 mg/L (500 ppb), whereas concentrations of OP (as P), the reactive form of inorganic phosphorus readily absorbed by plants and (or) abiotically absorbed, ranged from less than 0.003 mg/L (3 ppb) to a maximum of 0.24 mg/L (240 ppb). The median and interquartile ranges of concentrations of TP and OP in the samples collected in 2014–16 by the Tribe were similar to the median and interquartile ranges of concentrations in samples collected by the SFWMD at nearby sites during the same period. Differences in concentrations can likely be explained by differences in sample collection methods, sampling locations, sample collection time, and the hydrology during sampling or by the number of samples collected. A major limitation of this study was the short duration of sample collection, which covers a limited range of hydrologic conditions within the BCSIR. The effect of surface-water and groundwater hydrologic conditions on TP and OP concentrations was assessed by using rainfall data and surface-water stage and discharge records. The highest TP and OP concentrations occurred during peak surface-water flows in the canals following long dry periods. Concentrations of TP and OP increased internal to the BCSIR in the western half of the BCSIR during wet periods, but increased concentrations tended to lag behind rainfall events, likely because control structures upstream of sampling sites do not release flows until the water levels in the canals reach predetermined levels. This pattern may indicate that bed sediments in the canals contain high concentrations of phosphorus that becomes resuspended during high flows or that phosphorus salts that had accumulated on dry land during dry periods are carried into the canals by runoff. The largest TP spikes usually occurred at the beginning of high-flow events, but then quickly tapered off even when flows remained high. Groundwater flows were assessed in the BCSIR by using groundwater level observations from two preexisting USGS monitoring well clusters, each characterized by a shallow well installed in the surficial aquifer system and a deeper well installed in the intermediate aquifer system. Groundwater levels were evaluated with respect to surface-water levels and discharge in the BCSIR during the period of surface-water sampling. During dry conditions water levels in canals were often higher than groundwater levels in the surficial aquifer, indicating the potential for surface water to recharge the surficial aquifer. During wetter conditions, this trend reversed, and there was potential for shallow groundwater discharge into the canals. From October 2014 to September 2016, concentrations of TP tended to decrease as surface-water inflows moved across the BCSIR from north to south. In both the western and eastern halves of the reservation, the mean concentration of TP was lower in the surface-water outflows from the BCSIR than in the inflows. The mean concentration of TP in the inflows to the western reservation was 0.04 mg/L (40 ppb), whereas the mean concentration of TP in the outflows was 0.03 mg/L (30 ppb). In the eastern reservation, the mean concentration of TP in the inflows was 0.07 mg/L (70 ppb), whereas the mean concentration of TP in the outflows was 0.04 mg/L (40 ppb). TP and OP concentrations were evaluated relative to other water-quality parameters, including turbidity, suspended solids, nitrate plus nitrite, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance, to determine if any relations existed between TP and other variables. Weak relations were indicated for turbidity and suspended solids at two sites, which indicates that there may be a relation of increased TP to mobilization of sediment.

Florida↗

USGS1993

Integrated mineral-resource and mineral-environmental assessments of public lands: Applications for land management and resource planning

Mineral-deposit geology is an important control on natural contamination from unmined mineral deposits, and on the environmental effects of mining and mineral processing. The U. S. Geological Survey, Office of Mineral Resources (USGS/OMR) is now integrating geology-based environmental assessments into its mineral resource assessments of public and other lands. This report presents prototype mineralenvironmental assessments of the State of Colorado and the San Juan National Forest. The following pages will show examples of how geologic information can be used to help predict and prevent adverse environmental effects of mineralresource development.

Colorado↗

USGS2019

Potentiometric surface of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2016

A potentiometric surface map for spring 2016 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer using selected available groundwater-altitude data from wells and surface-water-altitude data from streamgages. Most of the wells were measured annually or one time after installation, but some wells were measured more than one time or continually; streamgages are typically operated continuously. Personnel from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Geological Survey, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois State Water Survey, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management District, U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) routinely collect groundwater data from wells screened in the MRVA aquifer. The USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers routinely collect data on river stage and discharge for the rivers overlying the MRVA aquifer. The potentiometric surface map for 2016 was created using existing data as part of the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program to support investigations that characterize the MRVA aquifer. Sufficient groundwater-altitude data were available to create a potentiometric-surface map for spring 2016 for about 81 percent of the aquifer area. The potentiometric contours ranged from 10 to 340 feet. The regional direction of groundwater flow in the MRVA aquifer was generally towards the south-southwest, except in areas of groundwater-altitude depressions, where groundwater flows into the depressions, and near rivers, where groundwater flow generally parallels the flow in the rivers. There are large depressions in the potentiometric surface of the MRVA aquifer in the lower half of the Cache region and in most of the Grand Prairie and Delta regions.

Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississip↗

USGS2020

Altitude of the potentiometric surface in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018

A potentiometric-surface map for spring 2018 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer using available groundwater-altitude data from 1,126 wells completed in the MRVA aquifer and from the altitude of the top of the water surface in area rivers from 66 streamgages. Personnel from Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Geological Survey, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois State Water Survey, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management District, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) routinely collect groundwater-level data from wells screened in the MRVA aquifer. The USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers routinely collect data on river stage and streamflow for the rivers overlying the MRVA aquifer area. The potentiometric-surface map for 2018 was created utilizing existing groundwater and surface-water altitudes to support investigations to characterize the MRVA aquifer as part of the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program. Sufficient data were available to map the potentiometric surface of the MRVA aquifer for spring 2018 for about 87 percent of the aquifer area. The potentiometric contours ranged from 10 to 340 feet above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. The regional direction of groundwater flow was generally to the south-southwest, except in areas of groundwater-altitude depressions, where groundwater flowed into the depression, and near rivers, where flow can be from aquifer to the river or from the river into the aquifer. There are large depressions in the potentiometric-surface map in the lower one-half of the Cache region and in most of the Grand Prairie and Delta regions.

Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer↗

USGS2009

The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER): A water-budget modeling approach for managing water-supply resources in non-karst areas of Kentucky (phase I) — Data processing and model structure documentstion

The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) was developed in cooperation with the Kentucky Division of Water to provide a consistent and defensible method of estimating streamflow and water availability in ungaged basins. WATER is process oriented; it is based on the TOPMODEL code and incorporates historical water-use data together with physiographic data that quantitatively describe topography and soil-water storage. The result is a user-friendly decision tool that can estimate water availability in non-karst areas of Kentucky without additional data or processing. The model runs on a daily time step, and critical source data include a historical record of daily temperature and precipitation, digital elevation models (DEMs), the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), and historical records of water discharges and withdrawals. The model was calibrated and statistically evaluated for 12 basins by comparing the estimated discharge to that observed at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations. When statistically evaluated over a 2,119-day time period, the discharge estimates showed a bias of -0.29 to 0.42, a root mean square error of 1.66 to 5.06, a correlation of 0.54 to 0.85, and a Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency of 0.26 to 0.72. The parameter and input modifications that most significantly improved the accuracy and precision of streamflow-discharge estimates were the addition of Next Generation radar (NEXRAD) precipitation data, a rooting depth of 30 centimeters, and a TOPMODEL scaling parameter (m) derived directly from SSURGO data that was multiplied by an adjustment factor of 0.10. No site-specific optimization was used.

Kentucky↗

USGS2021

Evaluation and application of the Purge Analyzer Tool (PAT) to determine in-well flow and purge criteria for sampling monitoring wells at the Stringfellow Superfund site in Jurupa Valley, California, in 2017

The U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are developing analytical tools to assess the representativeness of groundwater samples from fractured-rock aquifers. As part of this effort, monitoring wells from the Stringfellow Superfund site in Jurupa Valley in Riverside County, California, approximately 50 miles east of Los Angeles, were field tested to collect information to assist in the evaluation and application of in-well flow as computed by the analytical model called the Purge Analyzer Tool, which computes in-well groundwater travel times for simple piston transport of inflowing groundwater from open intervals of a monitoring well to the pump intake and can provide insight into optimal purging parameters (duration, rate, and pump position) needed for the collection of representative groundwater samples. Field testing of wells included hydraulic, chemistry, and dye tracer analysis to investigate travel times in wells under pumping conditions. The Purge Analyzer Tool was able to replicate dye velocities (travel times) for one of three wells that had appreciable inflow from the aquifer but not the other two wells, which are screened in low-permeability sediments and rock, where flow was dominated by borehole storage. A set of criteria was established to help assess the ability to collect representative groundwater chemistry from monitoring wells; criteria included understanding the height of the static well water column and relative exchange rate between the aquifer and the well.

California↗

USGS2021

Discharge data collection and analysis and implications for surface-water/groundwater interactions in the lower Las Vegas Wash, Clark County, Nevada, 2016–18

The lower Las Vegas Wash represents the terminal surface drainage for the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. In 1997, high concentrations of perchlorate were found in seeps contributing to discharge in this area and traced to an industrial byproduct from manufacturing operations in the mid-1900s at the nearby Basic Magnesium, Incorporated, plant. The discovery prompted a water-resources investigation by the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to develop an understanding of the nearby groundwater flow system and the dynamics associated with surface-water flow in the Wash. In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey was tasked with evaluating surface-water discharge in the lower Las Vegas Wash near locations where perchlorate concentrations from the groundwater system had been detected. Results of this study will assist NDEP with identifying areas of groundwater and surface-water interaction and help guide future cleanup and monitoring efforts. Streamflow discharge is evaluated along a 4-mile section of the lower Las Vegas Wash (referred to as the Wash) and used to describe surface-water and groundwater interactions between the Wash channel and bank sediments. Continuous discharge data were collected during a 2-year period (2016–18) at 5 gaging stations along the Wash. Additionally, multiple discrete measurements between gaging stations were collected during 4 synoptic sampling events between 2016 and 2018. A diurnal discharge pattern, controlled by upstream treated wastewater releases, provided high- and low-discharge markers that are used to compute downstream time-lags of peak and minimum flows. Computed time-lags are used to establish travel times between measurement sites, and difference in upstream and time-lagged downstream hydrographs are used to compute increases (gain) or decreases (loss) in discharge between gaging stations or between gaging stations and discrete measurements. Tributary surface-water inflows to the lower Las Vegas Wash from wastewater discharge, remediation efforts, and periodic flooding from rainfall runoff are included in computing differences in discharge. Differences between discharge data from delineated reaches are used to define locations of daily, monthly, and yearly streamflow gains from or losses to adjacent bank sediments. Construction of additional channel-stabilization weirs have occurred since the completion of this study and the associated change to streamflow dynamics may limit study results to the period analyzed; however, methods and processes described in this report can be used in future evaluations.

Nevada↗

USGS2023

Assessment of conservation management practices on water quality and observed trends in the Plum Creek Basin, 2010–20

The U.S. Geological Survey and University of Wisconsin–Green Bay collected hydrologic and water-quality data to assess the effectiveness of agricultural conservation management practice (CMP) implementation at mainstem Plum Creek and west Plum Creek in northeastern Wisconsin. These two subbasins cover 88 percent of the Plum Creek Basin (Hydrologic Unit Code 12), which is a subbasin of the lower Fox River Basin. A published total maximum daily load report for the lower Fox River Basin rated Plum Creek as one of the greatest contributors of total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP) draining into the lower Fox River. To reduce TSS and TP exports from Plum Creek, additional cropland conservation practices and watercourse protections were applied between 2012 and 2020. To detect water-quality trends, data were collected during 2010 to 2020 at mainstem Plum Creek and 2013 to 2020 at west Plum Creek. The project used two methods to evaluate CMP effectiveness. The first method focused on evaluating water-quality changes between initial and post-CMP implementation periods during rain- or snowmelt-induced runoff events (hereafter referred to as “events”). In this approach random-forest models were developed to account for environmental factors which influence water quality. Model residuals from the two time periods were compared to determine the significance of water-quality changes associated with CMP implementation for mainstem and west Plum Creek Basins. The second method used a Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season time-series approach to examine changes in water quality during the entire study period in mainstem Plum Creek. Results from both methods indicated there were minimal water-quality changes in TSS concentrations and flow-normalized delivery during runoff events during the 10-year period from 2010 to 2020; however, TP concentrations during low streamflow (less than 3 cubic feet per second [ft 3 /s]) may have decreased. The lack of observed improvement may be attributable to any of the following: variability in weather and hydrologic conditions, insufficient post-treatment data, additional cropland being converted to corn production, above average rainfall, streambank degradation, acute and legacy sources of phosphorus from farm fields, excessive/vulnerable manure applications and spills, and point-source discharges.

Wisconsin↗

USGS2000

Sensitivity of ground water to contamination in Lawrence County, South Dakota

Ground-water supplies in Lawrence County, South Dakota, can be contaminated by agricultural, urban, suburban, commercial, and industrial land uses. To address this issue, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Lawrence County and the City of Spearfish mapped the sensitivity of ground water to contamination in Lawrence County. Sensitivity of ground water to contamination was determined by delineating hydrogeologic settings with common hydrogeologic characteristics as described in the DRASTIC method, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Water Well Association. Within the framework of 11 hydrogeologic settings, sensitivity to contamination was ranked for six intrinsic hydrogeologic characteristics: (1) aquifer media, (2) unsaturated media (3) hydraulic conductivity, (4) recharge rate, (5) depth to water, and (6) land-surface slope. The rating conventions of DRASTIC were modified to provide a relative ranking of hydrogeologic characteristics without assignment of a combined numerical score. Soil characteristics were not included as a map layer because detailed digital data were not available; however, the general distribution of two soil characteristics were shown. A total of 956 polygons were delineated and assigned a sensitivity-unit code that represented unique groups of sensitivity rank for the six intrinsic hydrogeologic characteristics. The polygons were created by overlaying and intersecting maps that describe the geology, precipitation, land-surface elevation, and depth to water using a geographic information system. Thirty drainage areas upstream from potential streamflow-loss zones were delineated to describe an additional mechanism of transport of potential contamination. The sensitivity of ground water to contamination was presented on a 1:100,000-scale map with code and label explanations. Limitations of the sensitivity map are described to facilitate appropriate use of the map as a screening tool to compare sensitivity to contamination.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1995

Vulnerability of the uppermost ground water to contamination in the greater Denver area, Colorado

Information about vulnerability of ground water to contamination is needed to facilitate ground-water management. Vulnerability of ground water refers to the intrinsic characteristics that determine the sensitivity of the water to being adversely affected by an imposed contaminant load. Within the greater Denver area, vulnerability of the uppermost ground water to contamination from the surface was assessed by considering the intrinsic characteristics included in a method developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Water Well Association, the DRASTIC method. The seven geohydrologic characteristics considered are: (1) Aquifer media, (2) hydraulic conductivity, (3) unsaturated media, (4) depth to water, (5) recharge, (6) soil media, and (7) land-surface slope. Recharge from precipitation generally is less than 2 inches per year; no effort was made to quantify the variation of recharge throughout the study area. Data for geology, depth to water, soils, and elevation were obtained and processed to produce maps of the other six characteristics. Spatial and attribute data for these maps were stored and processed by geographic-information-system software to produce a map showing vulnerability of the uppermost ground water to contamination from the surface. This report describes the assessment of each geohydrologic characteristic and the 157 vulnerability response units that were delineated within the greater Denver area. These response units are unique with respect to the geohydrologic characteristics considered. The uppermost ground water within each of the vulnerability response units are described in a series of tables, which include qualitative and selected quantitative data and the vulnerability rating assigned for each of the seven geohydrologic characteristics.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1999

Aquatic macroinvertebrates collected at Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant, Portage and Trumbull Counties, Ohio, 1998

The results of a survey of macroinvertebrate communities in the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant, were used as an indicator of disturbance in streams flowing through or near the training areas at the Plant. The data were interpreted using the Invertebrate Community Index (ICI), a multiple-metric index developed by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and based on the structural and functional characteristics of the macroinvertebrate community. Quantitative samples of the macroinvertebrate were collected for ICI determination from three streams South Fork Eagle Creek, Sand Creek, and Hinkley Creek flowing through the study area. These samples were collected using Hester-Dendy type artificial substrate samplers, which were placed in the streams during a 6-week sampling period, June 2 through July 15, 1998. A qualitative- dipnet sample from the natural substrates also was collected at each station on July 15, 1998, the last day of the sampling period. The macroinvertebrate communities at all three stations met the criterion designated for warmwater habitat aquatic life use, and communities at two of the three stations exceeded the criterion. The ICI scores were 42 at South Fork Eagle Creek, 50 at Sand Creek, and 48 at Hinkley Creek. The density of macroinvertebrates at South Fork Eagle Creek was 1,245 per square foot and represented 38 distinct taxa. The density at Sand Creek was 246 per square foot and represented 29 distinct taxa. The density at Hinkley Creek was 864 per square foot and represented 36 distinct taxa. Qualitative samples were also collected at 21 other sites using a D-framed dipnet. The qualitative sites encompassed three main environments: stream, pond, and swamp-wetland. All available habitat types in each environment were sampled until no new taxa were evident during coarse examination. The highest number of taxa were collected from the streams. The total number of taxa collected in streams ranged from 25 to 76; the mean was 60 and median 64. The total taxa collected from ponds ranged from 32 to 60; the mean was 42 and median 41. The total taxa collected from swamp-wetland areas ranged from 6 to 30; the mean was 20 and median 23. The results are listed in phylogenetic order in this report and establish baseline data for future studies.

Ohio↗

USGS2022

A comparison of eDNA and visual survey methods for detection of longnose darter Percina nasuta in Missouri

The longnose darter Percina nasuta is a rare and cryptic fish that recently disappeared from much of its historic range. We developed and used an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay for longnose darter paired with visual surveys to better determine the species’ range and compare detection probability between sampling approaches in an occupancy modeling framework. We detected longnose darter eDNA further upstream in the mainstem St. Francis River than previously reported and in a tributary for the first time. Our multi-scale occupancy approach compared models where detection was constant against a model that allowed detection to vary by survey method. The constant model received the most support indicating survey method was not a strong predictor and detection was estimated at 0.70 (0.45–0.86; 95% CI) across both methods. Our study produced effective longnose darter eDNA primers and demonstrated the application of eDNA for sampling small-bodied, cryptic fish. We detected longnose darter eDNA 27 km upstream of their known range and determined that snorkel surveys are the most efficient sampling method if water clarity allows. We recommend target sample sizes to achieve various detection goals for both sample methods and our results inform future design of distributional and monitoring efforts.

Missouri↗

USGS1999

Tadpoles: the Biology of Anuran Larvae

The recent alarming declines in amphibian populations worldwide and the suitability of amphibians for use in answering research questions in disciplines as diverse as molecular systematics, animal behavior, ecology, and evolutionary biology have focused enormous attention on tadpoles. Yet despite this growing interest, relatively little is known about these fascinating creatures. n this invaluable reference, leading experts on tadpole biology relate what we currently know about tadpoles and what we might learn from them in the future. Tadpoles provides detailed summaries of tadpole morphology, development, behavior, ecology, and environmental physiology; explores the evolutionary consequences of the tadpole stage; synthesizes available information on their biodiversity, and presents a standardized terminology and an exhaustive literature review of tadpole biology.

Book↗

USGS1997

Conservation of Mexican wetlands: role of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act

Mexico's wetlands support a tremendous biological diversity and provide significant natural resource benefits to local communities. Because they are also critical stopover and wintering grounds for much of North America's waterfowl and other migratory birds, Mexico has become an important participant in continental efforts to conserve these resources through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Funding from the Act has supported partnerships in a number of Mexico's priority wetlands to conduct data analyses and dissemination, mapping, environmental education, wetland restoration, development of sustainable economic alternatives for local people, and reserve planning and management. These partnerships, with the close involvement of Mexico's Federal Government authority, the Instituto Nacional de Ecologia, have advanced conservation in a uniquely Mexican model that differs from that employed in the United States and Canada.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗

USGS2012

User’s guide and metada for the PICES Nonindigenous Species Information System

Introduction Welcome to the PICES Nonindigenous Species Information System, a Microsoft Access database that displays the biogeographic distributions, invasion status, vectors, and key life history attributes of the approximately 740 reported nonindigenous species (NIS) in the estuarine and near-coastal habitats of the North Pacific and Hawaii. This database was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey under the auspices of Working Group 21 (Invasive Species) of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PCIES). The PICES database contains the data used to generate the “Atlas of Nonindigenous Marine and Estuarine Species in the North Pacific” (Lee and Reusser, 2012; herein referred to as the “Atlas”). The User’s Guide provides instructions on how to use the PICES database as well as metadata for the database and the Atlas. We note that for most users, the Atlas provides a simpler approach to accessing key information on NIS in the PICES countries than the database, though the database does provide additional information on species and sources as well as allowing users to extract information on specific taxa and/or locations (see Section 4). The PICES database also includes species reported from the PICES Rapid Assessment Surveys (RAS). PICES sponsored four rapid assessment surveys with the objective of quickly characterizing the native, non-native, and cryptogenic species present in different locations. Surveys were sponsored in Dalian, China in 2008, Jeju, Korea in 2009, Newport, Oregon, USA in 2010, and Peter the Great Bay, near Vladivostok and Nakhodka, Russia in 2011 ( http://www.pices.int/publications/pices_press/volume19/v19_n1/pp_30-31_Kobe-WS_f.pdf , http://www.pices.int/publications/pices_press/volume20/v20_n1/pp_26-29_RAS-2011.pdf ). The PICES database contains the RAS species that were made available in time for inclusion. Thus, the database does not capture all the species found in these surveys. In addition, much of the information on the RAS species was provided by the experts conducting the survey, and their distributions, environmental requirements, and life history attributes were not evaluated to the same level of detail by the PICES authors as the North Pacific NIS. In lieu of the more extensive review as conduced with the Atlas species, the information on the RAS species needs to be considered preliminary. Additionally, it is important to use the “Map All Distributions” option (see Section 3.6.6) when mapping their distribution or conducting a query. The general reference for the RAS surveys in the PICES database is “PICES Working Group 21, YEAR SURVEY”. The overall goal of both the database and Atlas was to simplify and standardize the dissemination of distributional, habitat, and life history characteristics of near-coastal and estuarine nonindigenous species. This database provides a means of querying these data and displaying the information in a consistent format. The specific classes of information the database captures include: Regional and global ranges of native and nonindigenous near-coastal and estuarine species at different hierarchical spatial scales. Habitat and physiological requirements of near-coastal and estuarine species. Life history characteristics of near-coastal and estuarine species. Invasion history and vectors for nonindigenous species. This standardized and synthesized data in the database and the Atlas provide the basic information needed to address a number of managerial and scientific needs. Thus, users will be able to: Create a baseline on the extent of invasion by region in order to assess new invasions. Use existing geographical patterns of invasion to gain some insights into potential new invaders. Use existing geographical patters of invasion to gain some insights into mechanisms affecting relative invasibility of different areas. Use life history attributes and environmental requirements of the reported nonindigenous species to evaluate traits of invaders. Understand the potential spread of invaders based on their habitat and environmental requirements. Understand importance of different vectors of introduction of nonindigenous species by region. The data in the Atlas of Nonindigenous Marine and Estuarine Species in the North Pacific (Lee and Reusser, 2012) are up-to-date as of June 2012. Updates to the PICES database were made in September 2012.

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