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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Geology and mineral resources of the North-Central Idaho Sagebrush Focal Area: Chapter C in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming

Summary The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed to withdraw approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands from mineral entry (subject to valid existing rights) from 12 million acres of lands defined as Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming (for further discussion on the lands involved see Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089–A). The purpose of the proposed action is to protect the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) and its habitat from potential adverse effects of locatable mineral exploration and mining. The U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project was initiated in November 2015 and supported by the Bureau of Land Management to (1) assess locatable mineral-resource potential and (2) to describe leasable and salable mineral resources for the seven SFAs and Nevada additions. This chapter summarizes the current status of locatable, leasable, and salable mineral commodities and assesses the potential of locatable minerals in the North-Central Idaho SFA, which extends from east-central to south-central Idaho. The geologically complex area is composed of many different rock units that locally contain potential mineral resources.

Idaho↗
USGS2016

Geology and mineral resources of the North-Central Montana Sagebrush Focal Area: Chapter D in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming

Summary The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed to withdraw approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands from mineral entry (subject to valid existing rights) from 12 million acres of lands defined as Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming (for further discussion on the lands involved see Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089–A). The purpose of the proposed action is to protect the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) and its habitat from potential adverse effects of locatable mineral exploration and mining. The U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project was initiated in November 2015 and supported by the Bureau of Land Management to (1) assess locatable mineral-resource potential and (2) to describe leasable and salable mineral resources for the seven SFAs and Nevada additions. This chapter summarizes the current status of locatable, leasable, and salable mineral commodities and assesses the potential of locatable minerals in the North-Central Montana SFA. The proposed withdrawal area that is evaluated in this report is located in north-central Montana, and includes parts of Fergus, Petroleum, Phillips, and Valley Counties.

Montana↗
USGS2025

Beavers in the Tualatin River Basin, northwestern Oregon

Growing interest in beaver-assisted restoration in the Tualatin River Basin of northwestern Oregon motivated a series of studies by the U.S. Geological Survey to assess the capacity of the stream network to support beaver dams and to evaluate the effects of beaver dams and ponds on urban streams. This multichapter volume describes the data collection from 2016–17 and the findings of these studies, which were done in partnership with Clean Water Services. Chapter A documents the locations of beaver dams in the Tualatin River Basin and how many beaver dams the stream network could support with existing and improved riparian vegetation. Beaver dam capacity was estimated by modifying existing tools to account for the low gradient of many streams in the Tualatin River Basin. Chapter B describes the effects of beaver dams and ponds on hydrologic and hydraulic responses of storm flows. Hydrologic and hydraulic responses for two urban stream reaches were compared with and without beaver dams and ponds and for a range of streamflow conditions using two-dimensional hydraulic models. Chapter C characterizes the effects of beaver dams and ponds on the transport and deposition of suspended sediment. Continuous turbidity, discrete suspended-sediment samples, and streamflow measurements collected during storms and base-flow periods were used to assess: (1) suspended-sediment loads upstream and downstream from two beaver-affected reaches, and (2) seasonal and longitudinal turbidity patterns. Chapter D describes the effects of beaver dams and ponds on longitudinal, spatial, and seasonal water-quality patterns. Continuous and synoptic water-quality data were collected along urban stream reaches, and net ecosystem production was calculated for two beaver-affected reaches. The findings of these studies illustrate that the effects of beaver dams and ponds on hydrology, hydraulics, suspended-sediment transport and deposition, and water quality are dependent on the characteristics of a stream reach (for example, channel gradient, groundwater exchange, and riparian vegetation) and the characteristics of beaver dams and ponds along that reach. This information can be used to consider the implications of beaver-assisted restoration in the Tualatin River Basin and the effects of beaver dams and ponds in urban streams.

Oregon↗
USGS2026

Opportunities and challenges in using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers for monitoring cyanotoxins in freshwater and estuarine environments

Cyanobacterial toxins (cyanotoxins) represent a substantial threat to drinking water supplies and safe recreational uses of freshwater resources in watersheds worldwide. Monitoring cyanotoxins can be difficult because toxin events are variable in both space and time, are not always persistent, can be moved easily by wind and currents, and may be degraded biotically or abiotically. Thus, monitoring programs that collect discrete samples on a monthly or even bimonthly interval can miss key events and underestimate cyanotoxin risk or if they capture a high-concentration event, can give a false impression that cyanotoxins are a widespread health hazard. The use of Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers helps address this issue by providing a time-weighted average estimate of dissolved cyanotoxin occurrence and relative concentrations. SPATT samplers have been used as a complement to traditional monitoring programs and can help elucidate cyanotoxin dynamics. SPATT samplers have been used by six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Centers (New York, California, Oregon, Upper Midwest, New Jersey, and Lower Mississippi-Gulf) to monitor various cyanotoxins in waterbodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, estuaries, and drinking-water intakes. Despite their use across the USGS, there is little guidance available to ensure consistent approaches and data quality across the Bureau. This report summarizes best practices for SPATT deployment and analysis, synthesizes data and describes lessons learned from USGS studies, identifies priority knowledge gaps, and offers considerations for future targeted experiments to help improve data collection and interpretation.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

Use of dissolved oxygen modeling results in the management of river quality

In 1973, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study of the Willamette River, Oregon, to determine the major causes of dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion, and whether advanced treatment of municipal wastewaters was needed to achieve the DO standards. The study showed that rates of carbonaceous decay were low (kr = 0.03-0.06/day) and that point-source loadings of carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) accounted for less than one-third of the satisfied oxygen demand. Nitrification of industrially discharged ammonia was the dominant cause of DO depletion. The study led to the calibration and verification of a steady-state DO model which was used to examine selected scenarios of BOD loading, ammonia loading, and flow augmentation. In 1976, the modeling projections for the Willamette River were presented to resource managers. A review in 1981 indicated that the State of Oregon had instituted an effluent standard on the major discharger of ammonia, rescinded an order for all municipal wastewaters to receive advanced secondary treatment by 1980, and more fully acknowledged the need for flow augmentation during summer to attain the DO standards.

Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation↗
USGS2001

2000 Multibeam sonar survey of Crater Lake, Oregon - Data, GIS, images, and movies

In the summer of 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project in cooperation with the National Park Service, and the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire used a state-of-the-art multibeam sonar system to collect high-resolution bathymetry and calibrated, co-registered acoustic backscatter to support both biological and geological research in the Crater Lake area. This interactive CD-ROM contains the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data, along with an ESRI ArcExplorer project (and software), images, and movies.

Oregon↗
USGS2003

Water-quality and algal conditions in the Clackamas River basin, Oregon, and their relations to land and water management

In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey sampled the Clackamas River, its major tributaries, and reservoirs to characterize basic water quality (nutrients, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and conductance), water quantity (water sources within the basin), and algal conditions (biomass and species composition). Sampling locations reflected the dominant land uses in the basin (forest management, agriculture, and urban development) as well as the influence of hydroelectric projects, to examine how these human influences might be affecting water quality and algal conditions. Nuisance algal growths, with accompanying negative effects on water quality, were observed at several locations in the basin during this study. Algal biomass in the lower Clackamas River reached a maximum of 300 mg/m2 chlorophyll a, producing nuisance algal conditions, including fouled stream channels and daily fluctuations in pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations to levels that did not meet water-quality standards. Algal biomass was highest at sites immediately downstream from the hydroelectric project's reservoirs and/or powerhouses. Nuisance algal conditions also were observed in some of the tributaries, including the North Fork of the Clackamas River, Clear Creek, Rock Creek, and Sieben Creek. High amounts of drifting algae increased turbidity levels in the Clackamas River during June, which coincided with a general increase in the concentration of disinfection by-products found in treated Clackamas River water used for drinking, presumably due to the greater amounts of organic matter in the river. The highest nutrient concentrations were found in the four lowermost tributaries (Deep, Richardson, Rock, and Sieben Creeks), where most of the agriculture and urban development is concentrated. Of these, the greatest load of nutrients came from Deep Creek, which had both high nutrient concentrations and relatively high streamflow. Streams draining forestland in the upper basin (upper Clackamas River and Oak Grove Fork) had the highest concentrations of phosphorus (and lowest concentrations of nitrogen), and streams draining forestland in the middle basin (Clear Creek, Eagle Creek, and the North Fork of the Clackamas River) had relatively high concentrations of nitrogen (and low concentrations of phosphorus). In contrast, relatively low concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorus were found at the two reference streams, reflecting their pristine condition. Relatively high phosphorus levels in the upper basin are probably due to the erosion of naturally occurring phosphorus deposits in this area. Likely sources of nitrogen (mostly nitrate) in the forested watersheds include nitrogen-fixing plants, atmospheric deposition, timber harvesting, and applications of urea fertilizers.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2019

Post-fire rockfall and debris-flow hazard zonation in the Eagle Creek Fire burn area, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon: a tool for emergency managers and first responders

The Eagle Creek Fire engulfed 48,832 acres (196 km2) within the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon beginning September 2nd and was 100% contained by November 30th, 2017. The Columbia River Gorge area is steep and heavily forested characterized by cliffs and flanking talus slopes, receiving > 100 inches (> 254 cm) of precipitation annually. The Columbia River Gorge is a critical lifeline for Oregon and Washington, including interstate highway 84 (I-84) and state route 14 (SR-14), commercial train lines, freight traffic, major pipelines, shipping corridor, 1,000s of permanent residents, tourists and motorists, and major hydroelectric dams. Before the Eagle Creek Fire, there was significant landslide and debris-flow hazard. More than 80 landslides have been recorded in the Gorge during the last ~100 years, with 58 of these recorded in the exceptionally wet and stormy winters of 1996 and 1997. Several of these landslides damaged property and temporarily closed I-84, train and ship traffic. There is some uncertainty on the degree to which the fire will enhance debris-flow susceptibility, because the climate, terrain and geology is different from the regions where most post-fire debris-flow research has been conducted. A large portion of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, including popular hiking trails, remain closed 18 months after the fire, with the Historic Columbia River Highway opened 14 months after the fire. In the aftermath of the Eagle Creek Fire, emergency managers and first responders identified a critical need for a post-fire landslide response plan and hazard map. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) participated in the creation of the plan including making a landslide hazard map specific to their outlook, which includes swift decision making during emergencies such as landslide or flood events. This paper presents a perspective of post-fire debris flow-hazard response and assessment from the Eagle Creek burn area in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.

Oregon↗
USGS2005

The role of topography on catchment‐scale water residence time

The age, or residence time, of water is a fundamental descriptor of catchment hydrology, revealing information about the storage, flow pathways, and source of water in a single integrated measure. While there has been tremendous recent interest in residence time estimation to characterize watersheds, there are relatively few studies that have quantified residence time at the watershed scale, and fewer still that have extended those results beyond single catchments to larger landscape scales. We examined topographic controls on residence time for seven catchments (0.085–62.4 km 2 ) that represent diverse geologic and geomorphic conditions in the western Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Our primary objective was to determine the dominant physical controls on catchment‐scale water residence time and specifically test the hypothesis that residence time is related to the size of the basin. Residence times were estimated by simple convolution models that described the transfer of precipitation isotopic composition to the stream network. We found that base flow mean residence times for exponential distributions ranged from 0.8 to 3.3 years. Mean residence time showed no correlation to basin area (r 2 < 0.01) but instead was correlated (r 2 = 0.91) to catchment terrain indices representing the flow path distance and flow path gradient to the stream network. These results illustrate that landscape organization (i.e., topography) rather than basin area controls catchment‐scale transport. Results from this study may provide a framework for describing scale‐invariant transport across climatic and geologic conditions, whereby the internal form and structure of the basin defines the first‐order control on base flow residence time.

Water Resources Research↗
USGS2017

Developing flood-inundation maps for Johnson Creek, Portland, Oregon

Digital flood-inundation maps were created for a 12.9‑mile reach of Johnson Creek by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The flood-inundation maps depict estimates of water depth and areal extent of flooding from the mouth of Johnson Creek to just upstream of Southeast 174th Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Each flood-inundation map is based on a specific water level and associated streamflow at the USGS streamgage, Johnson Creek at Sycamore, Oregon (14211500), which is located near the upstream boundary of the maps. The maps produced by the USGS, and the forecasted flood hydrographs produced by National Weather Service River Forecast Center can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapper Web site ( http://wimcloud.usgs.gov/apps/FIM/FloodInundationMapper.html ) . Water-surface elevations were computed for Johnson Creek using a combined one-dimensional and two‑dimensional unsteady hydraulic flow model. The model was calibrated using data collected from the flood of December 2015 (including the calculated streamflows at two USGS streamgages on Johnson Creek) and validated with data from the flood of January 2009. Results were typically within 0.6 foot (ft) of recorded or measured water-surface elevations from the December 2015 flood, and within 0.8 ft from the January 2009 flood. Output from the hydraulic model was used to create eight flood inundation maps ranging in stage from 9 to 16 ft. Boundary condition hydrographs were identical in shape to those from the December 2015 flood event, but were scaled up or down to produce the amount of streamflow corresponding to a specific water-surface elevation at the Sycamore streamgage (14211500). Sensitivity analyses using other hydrograph shapes, and a version of the model in which the peak flow is maintained for an extended period of time, showed minimal variation, except for overbank areas near the Foster Floodplain Natural Area. Simulated water-surface profiles were combined with light detection and ranging (lidar) data collected in 2014 to delineate water-surface extents for each of the eight modeled stages. The availability of flood-inundation maps in conjunction with real-time data from the USGS streamgages along Johnson Creek and forecasted hydrographs from the National Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center will provide residents of the watershed and emergency management personnel with valuable information that may aid in flood response, including potential evacuations, road closures, and mitigation efforts. In addition, these maps may be used for post-flood recovery efforts.

Oregon↗
USGS1992

Ages of rocks in southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon as indicated by paleontological and isotopic dates

This report presents a compilation of 1,019 paleontologic dates and 301 isotopic dates of rocks in southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon. The study area extends from Portland, Oregon (latitude 45°30' N.) to Bellevue, Washington (latitude 47°35' N.) and from the east flank of the Cascade Range (longitude 121°20' W.) to the coastline (longitude approximately 124°00' W.). The data are presented in two tables and come from previous summaries of isotopic ages, open-file reports, published papers and maps, and theses. Parke D. Snavely, Jr. of the U.S. Geological Survey and Weldon W. Rau of the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources (WDGER) generously allowed us access to files and records of more than 40 years of micropaleontological research in western Washington and Oregon. We also present unpublished data from our research since 1971 in northwestern Oregon. This compilation was undertaken for the southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon project of the U.S. Geological Survey Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Program.

Oregon, Washington↗
USGS1999

Oregon

No abstract available.

Oregon↗