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At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Distinguishing sediment waves from slope failure deposits: Field examples, including the 'humboldt slide', and modelling results

Migrating sediment waves have been reported in a variety of marine settings, including submarine levee-fan systems, floors of fjords, and other basin or continental slope environments. Examination of such wave fields reveals nine diagnostic characteristics. When these characteristics are applied to several features previously attributed to submarine landslide deformation, they suggest that the features should most likely be reinterpreted as migrating sediment-wave fields. Sites that have been reinterpreted include the 'Humboldt slide' on the Eel River margin in northern California, the continental slope in the Gulf of Cadiz, the continental shelf off the Malaspina Glacier in the Gulf of Alaska, and the Adriatic shelf. A reassessment of all four features strongly suggests that numerous turbidity currents, separated by intervals of ambient hemipelagic sedimentation, deposited the wave fields over thousands of years. A numerical model of hyperpycnal discharge from the Eel River, for example, shows that under certain alongshore-current conditions, such events can produce turbidity currents that flow across the 'Humboldt slide', serving as the mechanism for the development of migrating sediment waves. Numerical experiments also demonstrate that where a series of turbidity currents flows across a rough seafloor (i.e. numerical steps), sediment waves can form and migrate upslope. Hemipelagic sedimentation between turbidity current events further facilitates the upslope migration of the sediment waves. Physical modelling of turbidity currents also confirms the formation and migration of seafloor bedforms. The morphologies of sediment waves generated both numerically and physically in the laboratory bear a strong resemblance to those observed in the field, including those that were previously described as submarine landslides.

Marine Geology↗
USGS2017

Assessing models of arsenic occurrence in drinking water from bedrock aquifers in New Hampshire

Three existing multivariate logistic regression models were assessed using new data to evaluate the capacity of the models to correctly predict the probability of groundwater arsenic concentrations exceeding the threshold values of 1, 5, and 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) in New Hampshire, USA. A recently released testing dataset includes arsenic concentrations from groundwater samples collected in 2004–2005 from a mix of 367 public-supply and private domestic wells. The use of this dataset to test three existing logistic regression models demonstrated enhanced overall predictive accuracy for the 5 and 10 μg/L models. Overall accuracies of 54.8, 76.3, and 86.4 percent were reported for the 1, 5, and 10 μg/L models, respectively. The state was divided by counties into northwest and southeast regions. Regional differences in accuracy were identified; models had an average accuracy of 83.1 percent for the counties in the northwest and 63.7 percent in the southeast. This is most likely due to high model specificity in the northwest and regional differences in arsenic occurrence. Though these models have limitations, they allow for arsenic hazard assessment across the region. The introduction of well-type (public or private), well depth, and casing length as explanatory variables may be appropriate measures to improve model performance. Our findings indicate that the original models generalize to the testing dataset, and should continue to serve as an important vehicle of preventative public health that may be applied to other groundwater contaminants in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire↗
USGS2002

Visualization of Flow Alternatives, Lower Missouri River

Background The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) 'Missouri River Master Water Control Manual' (Master Manual) review has resulted in consideration of many flow alternatives for managing the water in the river (COE, 2001; 1998a). The purpose of this report is to present flow-management alternative model results in a way that can be easily visualized and understood. This report was updated in October 2001 to focus on the specific flow-management alternatives presented by the COE in the 'Master Manual Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement' (RDEIS; COE, 2001). The original version (February 2000) is available by clicking here. The COE, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Missouri River states, and Missouri River basin tribes have been participating in discussions concerning water management of the Missouri River mainstem reservoir system (MRMRS), the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, and the Kansas River reservoir system since 1986. These discussions include general input to the revision of the Master Manual as well as formal consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. In 2000, the FWS issued a Biological Opinion that prescribed changes to reservoir management on the Missouri River that were believed to be necessary to preclude jeopardy to three endangered species, the pallid sturgeon, piping plover, and interior least tern (USFWS, 2000). The combined Missouri River system is large and complex, including many reservoirs, control structures, and free-flowing reaches extending over a broad region. The ability to assess future impacts of altered management scenarios necessarily involves complex, computational models that attempt to integrate physical, chemical, biological, and economic effects. Graphical visualization of the model output is intended to improve understanding of the differences among flow-management alternatives.

Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebrask↗
USGS2006

Landscape conditions predisposing grizzly bears to conflicts on private agricultural lands in the western USA

We used multiple logistic regression to model how different landscape conditions contributed to the probability of human-grizzly bear conflicts on private agricultural ranch lands. We used locations of livestock pastures, traditional livestock carcass disposal areas (boneyards), beehives, and wetland-riparian associated vegetation to model the locations of 178 reported human-grizzly bear conflicts along the Rocky Mountain East Front, Montana, USA during 1986-2001. We surveyed 61 livestock producers in the upper Teton watershed of north-central Montana, to collect spatial and temporal data on livestock pastures, boneyards, and beehives for the same period, accounting for changes in livestock and boneyard management and beehive location and protection, for each season. We used 2032 random points to represent the null hypothesis of random location relative to potential explanatory landscape features, and used Akaike's Information Criteria (AIC/AICC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistics for model selection. We used a resulting "best" model to map contours of predicted probabilities of conflict, and used this map for verification with an independent dataset of conflicts to provide additional insights regarding the nature of conflicts. The presence of riparian vegetation and distances to spring, summer, and fall sheep or cattle pastures, calving and sheep lambing areas, unmanaged boneyards, and fenced and unfenced beehives were all associated with the likelihood of human-grizzly bear conflicts. Our model suggests that collections of attractants concentrated in high quality bear habitat largely explain broad patterns of human-grizzly bear conflicts on private agricultural land in our study area. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biological Conservation↗
USGS1996

Simulation analysis of the ground-water flow system in the Portland Basin, Oregon and Washington

This report presents results derived from a numerical model of the ground-water flow system in the Portland Basin, Oregon and Washington, that was used to test and refine the conceptual understanding of the flow system, estimate the effects of past and future human-caused changes to ground-water recharge and discharge on ground-water levels and streamflow, and determine priorities for ground-water monitoring and data collection that would facilitate improvements in the utility and accuracy of the model.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1984

Effects of urbanization on three ponds in Middleton, Wisconsin

A digital hydrologic model was used to simulate the effects of future residential development on pond inflow volumes and resulting water levels of three ponds in Middleton, Wisconsin. The model computed the daily water budget and the resulting water level for each pond. The results of the model calibration are presented in the report, along with the existing watershed hydrologic conditions and runoff volumes for the 1982 study period. Data was collected during 1982 to claibrate the model; the data included pond stage, ground-water levels, precipitation and other meteorological characteristics. In addition, water-quality samples were collected at each pond to characterize the water quality. Simulation of pond levels with the 1982 rainfall and fully developed watersheds did not result in stages greater than those observed in 1982. Simulation of pond levels with rainfall having a 20-year recurrence interval (1978) and hypothetical, fully developed watersheds resulted in maximum pond stages above those observed in 1982. Peak stage of Tiedeman 's Pond would increase by 2.77 feet, Stricker 's Pond by 3.91 feet, and Esser 's Pond by 1.44 feet. Simulation of pond levels with an estimated 100-year rainfall and hyopthetical, fully developed watersheds would result in peak stage increases of 5.30, 5.32, and 1.97 feet above the peak 1982 observed stages for Tiedeman's, Stricker's, and Esser 's Ponds, respectively. (USGS)

Wisconsin↗
USGS2008

A-priori rupture models for Northern California Type-A faults

This appendix describes how a-priori rupture models were developed for the northern California Type-A faults. As described in the main body of this report, and in Appendix G, “a-priori” models represent an initial estimate of the rate of single and multi-segment surface ruptures on each fault. Whether or not a given model is moment balanced (i.e., satisfies section slip-rate data) depends on assumptions made regarding the average slip on each segment in each rupture (which in turn depends on the chosen magnitude-area relationship). Therefore, for a given set of assumptions, or branch on the logic tree, the methodology of the present Working Group (WGCEP-2007) is to find a final model that is as close as possible to the a-priori model, in the least squares sense, but that also satisfies slip rate and perhaps other data. This is analogous the WGCEP- 2002 approach of effectively voting on the relative rate of each possible rupture, and then finding the closest moment-balance model (under a more limiting set of assumptions than adopted by the present WGCEP, as described in detail in Appendix G). The 2002 Working Group Report (WCCEP, 2003, referred to here as WGCEP-2002), created segmented earthquake rupture forecast models for all faults in the region, including some that had been designated as Type B faults in the NSHMP, 1996, and one that had not previously been considered. The 2002 National Seismic Hazard Maps used the values from WGCEP-2002 for all the faults in the region, essentially treating all the listed faults as Type A faults. As discussed in Appendix A, the current WGCEP found that there are a number of faults with little or no data on slip-per-event, or dates of previous earthquakes. As a result, the WGCEP recommends that faults with minimal available earthquake recurrence data: the Greenville, Mount Diablo, San Gregorio, Monte Vista-Shannon and Concord-Green Valley be modeled as Type B faults to be consistent with similarly poorly-known faults statewide. As a result, the modified segmented models discussed here only concern the San Andreas, Hayward-Rodgers Creek, and Calaveras faults.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2004

Long-Term Oceanographic Observations in Western Massachusetts Bay Offshore of Boston, Massachusetts: Data Report for 1989-2002

This data report presents long-term oceanographic observations made in western Massachusetts Bay at two locations: (1) 42 deg 22.6' N., 70 deg 47.0' W. (Site A, 33 m water depth) from December 1989 through December 2002 (figure 1), and (2) 42 deg 9.8' N., 70 deg 38.4' W. (Site B, 21 m water depth) from October 1997 through December 2002. Site A is approximately 1 km south of the new ocean outfall that began discharging treated sewage effluent from the Boston metropolitan area into Massachusetts Bay on September 6, 2000. These long-term oceanographic observations have been collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and with logistical support from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG - http://www.uscg.mil). This report presents time series data through December 2002, updating a similar report that presented data through December 2000 (Butman and others, 2002). In addition, the Statistics and Mean Flow sections include some new plots and tables and the format of the report has been streamlined by combining yearly figures into single .pdfs. Figure 1 (PDF format) The long-term measurements are planned to continue at least through 2005. The long-term oceanographic observations at Sites A and B are part of a USGS study designed to understand the transport and long-term fate of sediments and associated contaminants in the Massachusetts bays. (See http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/bostonharbor/ and Butman and Bothner, 1997.) The long-term observations document seasonal and inter-annual changes in currents, hydrography, and suspended-matter concentration in western Massachusetts Bay, and the importance of infrequent catastrophic events, such as major storms or hurricanes, in sediment resuspension and transport. They also provide observations for testing numerical models of circulation. This data report presents a description of the field program and instrumentation, an overview of the data through summary plots and statistics, and the data in NetCDF and ASCII format for the period December 1989 through December 2002 for Site A and October 1997 through December 2002 for Site B. The objective of this report is to make the data available in digital form and to provide summary plots and statistics to facilitate browsing of the long-term data set.

Data Series↗
USGS2018

Descriptive models for epithermal gold-silver deposits

Epithermal gold-silver deposits are vein, stockwork, disseminated, and replacement deposits that are mined primarily for their gold and silver contents; some deposits also contain substantial resources of lead, zinc, copper, and (or) mercury. These deposits form in the uppermost parts of the crust, at depths less than about 1,500 meters below the water table, and at temperatures below about 300 °C. Most epithermal gold-silver deposits are genetically related to hydrothermal systems associated with subaerial volcanism and intrusion of calc-alkaline magmas along convergent plate margins. These deposits formed throughout most of geologic time, although most known deposits are Cenozoic, which reflects preferential preservation of these shallowly formed deposits in tectonically unstable regions. Epithermal gold-silver deposits range in size from tens of thousands to greater than 1 billion metric tons of ore and have gold contents of 0.1 to greater than 30 grams per metric ton and silver contents of less than 1 to several thousand grams per metric ton. Historically, these deposits have been an important source of gold and silver and are estimated to contain about 8 percent of global gold. The wide range of tonnage-grade characteristics makes epithermal gold-silver deposits an attractive target for small and large exploration and mining companies. This report constitutes a new descriptive model for epithermal gold-silver deposits. It summarizes characteristics of known deposits, including their geological, geophysical, geochemical, and geoenvironmental aspects. Models concerning the genesis of epithermal gold-silver deposits are discussed. The application of descriptive and genetic aspects of the model to mineral exploration and resource assessment of undiscovered deposits is described. Finally, areas where additional research is needed to better understand the genesis of these deposits are identified. An extensive summary table outlining the characteristics of about 100 epithermal gold-silver deposits is included as an appendix; this summary table includes most of the world’s largest epithermal gold-silver deposits, and many smaller, well-studied deposits.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2026

A three-dimensional geologic framework model of the northern Great Plains region of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, USA

This report presents a new three-dimensional geologic framework model (GFM) of the northern Great Plains region, encompassing parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The model provides a regionally consistent, geographic information system (GIS)-ready representation of Phanerozoic sedimentary strata, major fault systems, and Precambrian basement geometry across two sedimentary basins and adjacent uplifts. More than 300,000 geologic and geophysical data inputs were synthesized to model 41 stratigraphic horizons and 47 faults, yielding an internally coherent, sealed-volume interpretation of the subsurface. The modeling workflow developed for this study demonstrates an efficient and scalable approach for constructing basin-to regional-scale GFMs in geologically complex and data-variable settings. Although model fidelity varies with data density and quality, the resulting geometry is broadly consistent with 1:500,000-scale geologic mapping and highlights areas where additional geologic study is most needed. The three-dimensional GFM provides a foundational framework to support groundwater, energy, and mineral resource assessments, and offers a transferable methodology for potential future U.S. Geological Survey efforts to build large-area subsurface models in underexplored regions of the United States.

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming↗
USGS2014

Phytoplankton primary production in the world's estuarine-coastal ecosystems

Estuaries are biogeochemical hot spots because they receive large inputs of nutrients and organic carbon from land and oceans to support high rates of metabolism and primary production. We synthesize published rates of annual phytoplankton primary production (APPP) in marine ecosystems influenced by connectivity to land – estuaries, bays, lagoons, fjords and inland seas. Review of the scientific literature produced a compilation of 1148 values of APPP derived from monthly incubation assays to measure carbon assimilation or oxygen production. The median value of median APPP measurements in 131 ecosystems is 185 and the mean is 252 g C m −2 yr −1 , but the range is large: from −105 (net pelagic production in the Scheldt Estuary) to 1890 g C m −2 yr −1 (net phytoplankton production in Tamagawa Estuary). APPP varies up to 10-fold within ecosystems and 5-fold from year to year (but we only found eight APPP series longer than a decade so our knowledge of decadal-scale variability is limited). We use studies of individual places to build a conceptual model that integrates the mechanisms generating this large variability: nutrient supply, light limitation by turbidity, grazing by consumers, and physical processes (river inflow, ocean exchange, and inputs of heat, light and wind energy). We consider method as another source of variability because the compilation includes values derived from widely differing protocols. A simulation model shows that different methods reported in the literature can yield up to 3-fold variability depending on incubation protocols and methods for integrating measured rates over time and depth. Although attempts have been made to upscale measures of estuarine-coastal APPP, the empirical record is inadequate for yielding reliable global estimates. The record is deficient in three ways. First, it is highly biased by the large number of measurements made in northern Europe (particularly the Baltic region) and North America. Of the 1148 reported values of APPP, 958 come from sites between 30 and 60° N; we found only 36 for sites south of 20° N. Second, of the 131 ecosystems where APPP has been reported, 37% are based on measurements at only one location during 1 year. The accuracy of these values is unknown but probably low, given the large interannual and spatial variability within ecosystems. Finally, global assessments are confounded by measurements that are not intercomparable because they were made with different methods. Phytoplankton primary production along the continental margins is tightly linked to variability of water quality, biogeochemical processes including ocean–atmosphere CO 2 exchange, and production at higher trophic levels including species we harvest as food. The empirical record has deficiencies that preclude reliable global assessment of this key Earth system process. We face two grand challenges to resolve these deficiencies: (1) organize and fund an international effort to use a common method and measure APPP regularly across a network of coastal sites that are globally representative and sustained over time, and (2) integrate data into a unifying model to explain the wide range of variability across ecosystems and to project responses of APPP to regional manifestations of global change as it continues to unfold.

Biogeosciences↗
USGS1996

Circulation and effluent dilution modeling in Massachusetts Bay : model implementation, verification and results

A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was developed as part of a cooperative U.S. Geological Survey/Massachusetts Water Resources Authority program to study contaminated sediment accumulation and transport in Massachusetts Bay. This report details the development of the model and assesses how well the model represents observed currents and water properties in the bay. It also summarizes circulation and comparative effluent dilution simulations from existing and future Boston sewage outfalls over a three-year period from October 1, 1989 to December 31, 1992. The ECOM-si model, a semi-implicit version of the Blumberg and Mellor (1987) Estuarine, Coastal and Ocean Model, is shown to reproduce many of the important hydrodynamical features of Massachusetts Bay: the seasonal evolution of the pycnocline, the mean flow pattern, and the strength of sub-tidal current fluctuations. Throughout the simulation period, during both vertically well-mixed and stratified conditions, the seasonal statistics of observed currents are well-represented by the model. The model is therefore appropriate for studying the average dilution of sewage effluent and other continuously discharged substances over seasonal time scales. The ability of the model to reproduce individual flow events varies with season and location within the bay. Flow events during unstratified conditions in western Massachusetts Bay are particularly well-represented, indicating that the model is appropriate for studying processes such as the transport of suspended material from the future outfall site due to winter storms. Individual flow events during stratified conditions and in the offshore Stellwagen Bank region, however, are less well-represented due to small length scales (caused by upwelling and river discharge events) coupled with insufficient data to specify open boundary forcing from the Gulf of Maine. Thus while the model might be used to answer issues such as the frequency with which Gulf of Maine river plumes visit the new outfall site, attempting to predict whether a particular plume would visit the outfall site could be problematic. Comparative simulations of effluent discharged from the existing and future Boston outfalls show that the region of relatively high effluent concentrations (1 part effluent to 200 parts sea water) is significantly smaller with the future outfall and is limited to Western Massachusetts Bay during both unstratified and stratified seasons. The region of even higher concentration (1 part effluent to 50 parts sea water) that covers much of Boston Harbor with the existing outfall is non-existent in the future outfall simulation. Additional simulations of chlorination plant failure predict that the offshore location of the future outfall will lead to dramatically lower levels of pathogens at area beaches.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1978

Postulated model of uranium occurrence in the central mining area, Marysvale District, west-central Utah

Uranium in the central mining area of Marysvale, Utah occurs in hydrothermal veins cutting granitic and volcanic rocks in the eastern source area of the Mount Belknap Volcanics. A preliminary model for the origin of the veins envisages deposition in near-surface fractures above an unexposed pluton that may host a porphyry-type ore deposit. This model is based on the work in progress by the U.S. Geological Survey, and embodies all presently available data from field mapping, literature study, fluid inclusion studies, and diverse geochemical and isotopic studies. Recent advances in uranium geochemistry have been particularly helpful. The work is not yet complete so this model should be considered as a progress report suggesting possible targets for exploration and testing; such testing would in turn lead to refinements in the model and to a clearer understanding of vein-type uranium deposits in general.

Utah↗
USGS2007

Remote sensing sensors and applications in environmental resources mapping and modeling

The history of remote sensing and development of different sensors for environmental and natural resources mapping and data acquisition is reviewed and reported. Application examples in urban studies, hydrological modeling such as land-cover and floodplain mapping, fractional vegetation cover and impervious surface area mapping, surface energy flux and micro-topography correlation studies is discussed. The review also discusses the use of remotely sensed-based rainfall and potential evapotranspiration for estimating crop water requirement satisfaction index and hence provides early warning information for growers. The review is not an exhaustive application of the remote sensing techniques rather a summary of some important applications in environmental studies and modeling.

Sensors↗
USGS2013

Simulation of salinity intrusion along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts using climate-change scenarios

Potential changes in climate could alter interactions between environmental and societal systems and adversely affect the availability of water resources in many coastal communities. Changes in streamflow patterns in conjunction with sea-level rise may change the salinity-intrusion dynamics of coastal rivers. Several municipal water-supply intakes are located along the Georgia and South Carolina coast that are proximal to the present day saltwater-freshwater interface of tidal rivers. Increases in the extent of salinity intrusion resulting from climate change could threaten the availability of freshwater supplies in the vicinity of these intakes. To effectively manage these supplies, water-resource managers need estimates of potential changes in the frequency, duration, and magnitude of salinity intrusion near their water-supply intakes that may occur as a result of climate change. This study examines potential effects of climate change, including altered streamflow and sea-level rise, on the dynamics of saltwater intrusion near municipal water-supply intakes in two coastal areas. One area consists of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIW) and the Waccamaw River near Myrtle Beach along the Grand Strand of the South Carolina Coast, and the second area is on or near the lower Savannah River near Savannah, Georgia. The study evaluated how future sea-level rise and a reduction in streamflows can potentially affect salinity intrusion and threaten municipal water supplies and the biodiversity of freshwater tidal marshes in these two areas. Salinity intrusion occurs as a result of the interaction between three principal forces—streamflow, mean coastal water levels, and tidal range. To analyze and simulate salinity dynamics at critical coastal gaging stations near four municipal water-supply intakes, various data-mining techniques, including artificial neural network (ANN) models, were used to evaluate hourly streamflow, salinity, and coastal water-level data collected over a period exceeding 10 years. The ANN models were trained (calibrated) to learn the specific interactions that cause salinity intrusions, and resulting models were able to accurately simulate historical salinity dynamics in both study areas. Changes in sea level and streamflow quantity and timing can be simulated by the salinity intrusion models to evaluate various climate-change scenarios. The salinity intrusion models for the study areas are deployed in a decision support system to facilitate the use of the models for management decisions by coastal water-resource managers. The report describes the use of the salinity-intrusion models decision support system to evaluate salinity-intrusion dynamics for various climate-change scenarios, including incremental increases in sea level in combination with incremental decreases in streamflow. Operation of municipal water-treatment plants is problematic when the specific-conductance values for source water are greater than 1,000 to 2,000 microsiemens per centimeter (µS/cm). High specific-conductance values contribute to taste problems that require treatment. Data from a gage downstream from a municipal water intake indicate specific conductance exceeded 1,000 µS/cm about 5.4 percent of the time over the 14-year period from August 1995 to August 2008. Simulations of specific conductance at this gaging station that incorporates sea-level rises resulted in a doubling of the exceedances to 11.0 percent for a 1-foot increase and 17.6 percent for a 2-foot increase. The frequency of intrusion of water with specific conductance values of 1,000 µS/cm was less sensitive to incremental reductions in streamflow than to incremental increases in sea level. Simulations of conditions associated with a 10-percent reduction in streamflow, in combination with a 1-foot rise in sea level, increased the percentage of time specific conductance exceeded 1,000 µS/cm at this site from 11.0 to 13.3 percent, and a 20-percent reduction in streamflow increased the percentage of time to 16.6 percent. Precipitation and temperature data from a global circulation model were used, after scale adjustments, as input to a watershed model of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin, which flows into the Waccamaw River and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway study area in South Carolina. The simulated streamflow for historical conditions and projected climate change in the future was used as input for the ANN model in decision support system. Results of simulations incorporating climate-change projections for alterations in streamflow indicate an increase in the frequency of salinity-intrusion events and a shift in the seasonal occurrence of the intrusion events from the summer to the fall.

South Carolina↗
USGS2007

Review of Selected Documents Related to Flooding at City of Salisbury Facilities on the Yadkin River Upstream from High Rock Dam, North Carolina, September 2007

This report documents a review of the hydraulic and sediment-transport models developed by the City of Salisbury, Alcoa Power Generating, Inc., and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to address issues of flooding and sedimentation in the vicinity of Salisbury's water-supply intake 19.4 miles upstream from High Rock Dam. The objective of the review was to determine if the modeling results submitted by Salisbury clearly demonstrate that the presence of High Rock Dam has led to an increase in water levels at Salisbury facilities or, conversely, if the documents of Alcoa Power Generating, Inc., demonstrate that High Rock Dam has not had an effect on water levels at Salisbury facilities. No new data were collected as a part of the review, and the models developed by involved parties were not tested during the review. Some historical discharge-measurement notes and previously published reports were checked as part of the review. The one-dimensional hydraulic modeling results submitted by Alcoa Power Generating, Inc., did not assess the effects of changes in bathymetry on changes in flood levels at Salisbury's facilities because pre-impoundment conditions were not simulated. Hydraulic modeling performed by consultants for the City of Salisbury seems to indicate that both the presence of the dam in the absence of any post-impoundment sedimentation and changes in bathymetry between pre-impoundment and 1997 conditions have resulted in increased water levels relative to pre-impoundment conditions at Salisbury facilities on the Yadkin River for a fairly wide range of flows. The degree to which the dam and the changes in bathymetry have affected flood levels at the Salisbury facilities relative to pre-impoundment conditions is open to discussion because of uncertainty in topographic/bathymetric data and the absence of calibration and sensitivity testing of the hydraulic models. None of the three hydraulic models appears to have been calibrated to or tested against measurements, and no sensitivity testing was reported. Sediment-transport modeling results submitted by the City of Salisbury were calibrated, well documented, and provide a good understanding of the expected growth of the sediment delta in the upper end of High Rock Lake. Simulations made using this model seem to have demonstrated that the presence of the dam and the growth of the delta have resulted in increases in water-surface elevations at Salisbury's facilities over a range of flows and that these increases are expected to increase through time if current conditions remain unchanged.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Planning and design of studies for river-quality assessment in the Truckee and Carson River basins, California and Nevada

The objectives of the Geological Survey 's river-quality assessment in the Truckee and Carson River basins in California and Nevada are to identify the significant resource management problems; to develop techniques to assess the problems; and to effectively communicate results to responsible managers. Six major elements of the assessment to be completed by October 1981 are (1) a detailing of the legal, institutional, and structural development of water resources in the basins and the current problems and conflicts; (2) a compilation and synthesis of the physical hydrology of the basins; (3) development of a special workshop approach to involve local management in the direction and results of the study; (4) development of a comprehensive streamflow model emcompassing both basins to provide a quantitative hydrologic framework for water-quality analysis; (5) development of a water-quality transport model for selected constituents and characteristics on selected reaches of the Truckee River; and (6) a detailed examination of selected fish habitats for specified reaches of the Truckee River. Progress will be periodically reported in reports, maps, computer data files, mathematical models, a bibliography, and public presentations. In building a basic framework to develop techniques, the basins were viewed as a single hydrologic unit because of interconnecting diversion structures. The framework comprises 13 hydrographic subunits to facilitate modeling and sampling. Several significant issues beyond the scope of the assessment were considered as supplementary proposals; water-quality loadings in Truckee and Carson Rivers, urban runoff in Reno and management alternatives, and a model of limnological processes in Lahontan Reservoir. (USGS)

California, Nevada↗