Search USGS⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Rivers”

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

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

Archive of digital boomer and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS Cruises 01RCE05 and 02RCE01 in the Lower Atchafalaya River, Mississippi River Delta, and offshore southeastern Louisiana, October 23-30, 2001, and August 18-19, 2002

In October of 2001 and August of 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted geophysical surveys of the Lower Atchafalaya River, the Mississippi River Delta, Barataria Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico south of East Timbalier Island, Louisiana. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital marine seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, observers' logbooks, GIS information, and formal FGDC metadata. In addition, a filtered and gained GIF image of each seismic profile is provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and othes, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Examples of SU processing scripts and in-house (USGS) software for viewing SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided. Processed profile images, trackline maps, navigation files, and formal metadata may be viewed with a web browser. Scanned handwritten logbooks and Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs may be viewed with Adobe Reader.

Louisiana↗

Pesticides in surface water in the Bighorn River and North Platte River basins, Wyoming, 2006

In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, sampled five surface-water sites in Wyoming-three in the Bighorn River Basin (BRB) and two in the North Platte River Basin (NPRB) (fig. 1). The purpose of the sampling was to describe the occurrence of pesticides in these basins during three different times of the year. This fact sheet presents the results of the sampling.

Wyoming↗

Assessment of coal resources and reserves in the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert assessment area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming

The assessment of the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert area covers approximately 2,300 square miles in the eastern portion of the Greater Green River Basin in south-central Wyoming. Coal-bearing formations are present throughout the Eocene, Paleocene, and Cretaceous strata in the assessment area. Paleogene-age coal beds are present in the Eocene Wasatch Formation and Paleocene Fort Union Formation. Cretaceous-age coal beds are present in the Lance, Almond, and Allen Ridge Formations. Utilizing over 4,000 data points, 55 individual coal beds were identified in the assessment area. Coal resources were calculated using geologic models generated from these data points, using criteria for minimum thickness and areal extent. The geologic modeling criteria indicated that 33 of the 55 individual coal beds had sufficient thickness and areal extent to be economically significant. Calculated original coal resources within the assessment area were approximately 73.2 billion short tons (BST). After excluding coal resources lost due to land use and technical restrictions, recoverable coal resources were approximately 19.37 BST, including 2.14 BST of coal resources that could be extracted using surface mining methods and 17.23 BST of coal resources that could be extracted using underground mining methods. Due to mining costs and projected low potential sales value of the coal resources, only approximately 167 million short tons (MST) can be classified as reserves, which is less than 1 percent of the recoverable coal resources

Wyoming↗

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in upper Paleozoic reservoirs of the Wind River Basin, Bighorn Basin, and Powder River Basin Provinces, 2024

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 47 million barrels of oil and 876 billion cubic feet of gas in upper Paleozoic reservoirs of the Wind River Basin, Bighorn Basin, and Powder River Basin Provinces.

Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming↗

Presumptive Sources of Fecal Contamination in Four Tributaries to the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia, 2004

Several methods were used to determine the sources of fecal contamination in water samples collected during September and October 2004 from four tributaries to the New River Gorge National River -- Arbuckle Creek, Dunloup Creek, Keeney Creek, and Wolf Creek. All four tributaries historically have had elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria. The source-tracking methods used yielded various results, possibly because one or more methods failed. Sourcing methods used in this study included the detection of several human-specific and animal-specific biological or molecular markers, and library-dependent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis that attempted to associate Escherichia coli bacteria obtained from water samples with animal sources by matching DNA-fragment banding patterns. Evaluation of the results of quality-control analysis indicated that pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis was unable to identify known-source bacteria isolates. Increasing the size of the known-source library did not improve the results for quality-control samples. A number of emerging methods, using markers in Enterococcus, human urine, Bacteroidetes, and host mitochondrial DNA, demonstrated some potential in associating fecal contamination with human or animal sources in a limited analysis of quality-control samples. All four of the human-specific markers were detected in water samples from Keeney Creek, a watershed with no centralized municipal wastewater-treatment facilities, thus indicating human sources of fecal contamination. The human-specific Bacteroidetes and host mitochondrial DNA markers were detected in water samples from Dunloup Creek, Wolf Creek, and to a lesser degree Arbuckle Creek. Results of analysis for wastewater compounds indicate that the September 27 sample from Arbuckle Creek contained numerous human tracer compounds likely from sewage. Dog, horse, chicken, and pig host mitochondrial DNA were detected in some of the water samples with the exception of the October 5 sample from Dunloup Creek. Cow, white-tailed deer, and Canada goose DNA were not detected in any of the samples collected from the four tributaries, despite the presence of these animals in the watersheds. Future studies with more rigorous quality-control analyses are needed to investigate the potential applicability and use of these emerging methods. Because many of the detections for the various methods could vary over time and with flow conditions, repeated sampling during both base flow and storm events would be necessary to more definitively determine the sources of fecal contamination for each watershed.

Open-File Report↗

Reproductive physiology of Missouri River gravid pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon during the 2005 and 2006 spawning seasons: Chapter C in Factors affecting the reproduction, recruitment, habitat, and population dynamics of pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon in the Missouri River

In a natural, unaltered river, the location and timing of sturgeon spawning will be dictated by the prevailing environmental conditions to which the sturgeon have adapted. A goal of the Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Program (CSRP; see chap. A) at the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center is to identify where, when, and under what conditions shovelnose sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus platorynchus ) and pallid sturgeon ( S. albus ) spawn in the altered Missouri River so that those conditions necessary for spawning success can be defined. One approach to achieving this goal is to exploit what is known about fish reproductive physiology to develop and apply a suite of diagnostic indicators of readiness to spawn. In 2005 and 2006, gravid shovelnose sturgeon and a limited number of pallid sturgeon were fitted with transmitters and tracked on their spawning migration. A suite of physiological indicators of reproductive state such as reproductive hormones and oocyte development were measured. These same measurements were made on tissues collected from additional fish, presumably migrating to spawn, that were not tagged or tracked. The data presented here indicating the sturgeons’ readiness to spawn are to be evaluated together with their behavior and the environmental conditions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) Sturgeon Response to Flow Modification (SRFM; see chap. A) study, initiated in 2006, provides additional opportunities to experimentally evaluate the sturgeon reproductive response indicators relative to changes in flow. In this chapter, we report progress made on identifying and developing the physiological indicators and summarize 2 years’ worth of indicator data collected thus far.

Missouri River, Yellowstone River↗

Mercury and water-quality data from Rink Creek, Salmon River, and Good River, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, November 2009-October 2011

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNPP), Alaska, like many pristine high latitude areas, is exposed to atmospherically deposited contaminants such as mercury (Hg). Although the harmful effects of Hg are well established, information on this contaminant in southeast Alaska is scarce. Here, we assess the level of this contaminant in several aquatic components (water, sediments, and biological tissue) in three adjacent, small streams in GBNPP that drain contrasting landscapes but receive similar atmospheric inputs: Rink Creek, Salmon River, and Good River. Twenty water samples were collected from 2009 to 2011 and processed and analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury (filtered and particulate), and dissolved organic carbon quantity and quality. Ancillary stream water parameters (discharge, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and temperature) were measured at the time of sampling. Major cations, anions, and nutrients were measured four times. In addition, total mercury was analyzed in streambed sediment in 2010 and in juvenile coho salmon and several taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates in the early summer of 2010 and 2011.

Alaska↗

Geomorphic mapping to support river restoration on the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011

Historic land use, dam construction, water storage, and flow diversions in the Trinity River watershed have resulted in downstream geomorphic change, loss of salmonid habitat, and declines in salmonid populations. The USGS in cooperation with the Trinity River Restoration Program, a multi-agency partnership tasked with implementing federally mandated restoration, completed a geomorphic change assessment to inform the planning process for future restoration work. This report documents an ARCMAP geodatabase (v.10.0) containing geomorphic features digitized from a series of rectified orthophotographs ( http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7TT4P04 ). Upland, riparian, and channel features were digitized from six available base images (1980, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2009, and 2011). This report describes the structure of the geodatabase and the methods used to delineate individual geomorphic features.

California↗

Groundwater quality in the Yuba River and Bear River Watersheds, Sierra Nevada, California

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Program’s Priority Basin Project assesses the quality of groundwater resources used for drinking water supply and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. In the Yuba River and Bear River Watersheds of the Sierra Nevada, many rural households rely on private wells for their drinking water supplies.

California↗

Selected hydrologic data, Yampa River basin and parts of the White River basin, northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming

Selected hydrologic data are presented from four energy-related projects conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Yampa River basin and parts of the White River basin in northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming. Water-quality data during 1974 and 1975 and parts of 1976 for 129 ground-water sites and 119 surface-water sites are tabulated. For most samples, major cations, anions, and trace metals were analyzed. For the same time period, field measurements of specific conductance, temperature, and pH were made on 252 springs and wells. These samplings sites, as well as the locations of 20 climatological stations, 18 snow-course sites, and 43 surface-water gaging stations, are shown on maps. Geologic units that contain coal deposits or supply much of the water used for stock and domestic purposes in the area also are shown on a map. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Report of the annual yield of the Arkansas River basin for the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas--Oklahoma 1977 water year

The computed annual yields for subbasins in the Arkansas River basin as defined in the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma, 1972, are presented in this report. The area bounded by the Compact is shown in figure 1. This report was prepared by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Arkansas Division of Soil and Water Resources. Streamflow data were furnished by the Arkansas and Oklahoma Districts of the Water Resources Division, Geological Survey, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District. The Tulsa District also provided data from the Webbers Falls, Tenkiller Ferry, Robert S. Kerr, and Wister Reservoirs.

Arkansas, Oklahoma↗

Elutriation study of Willamette River bottom material and Willamette-Columbia River water

Bottom material from the Willamette River was collected and mixed with Willamette and Columbia River waters on May 17, 1977. The elutriate, as well as each sample, was analyzed for selected nutrients, metals, and pesticides. Results show that the average dissolved ammonia, manganese, and zinc concentrations would require dilution by receiving water to achieve aquatic-life criteria levels.

Open-File Report↗

Field data describing the movement and storage of sediment in the East Fork River, Wyoming; Part I, River hydraulics and sediment transport, 1979

Bed-material gradation and water-surface slope were determined for a 3.3-kilometer reach of East Fork River, Wyo. During peak snowmelt runoff, frequent measurements of water discharge and sediment-transport rate provided data describing the inflow and outflow of water and sediment. In spring 1979, bankfull stage was exceeded on 8 days. Maximum discharge was about 32 cubic meters per second, which has a recurrence interval of about 2 years. The median particle size of bed material is 1.28 millimeters; the 35 and 65 percentiles are represented by diameters of 0.50 and 2.88 millimeters, respectively. The average water-surface slope in the reach is 0.0007 and varies little with river stage. Bedload-transport rates ranged from a little less than 0.001 to a little more than 0.1 kilograms per meter of channel width per second. Median bedload grain size, with several exceptions, ranged from 0.4 to 1.5 millimeters. Gravel-size particles generally constituted 10 to 40% of the bedload. Suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 6 to 95 milligrams per liter. Suspended sediment smaller than sand constited about half the measured suspended sediment, ranging from 17 to 81%. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Report of the annual yield of the Arkansas River basin for the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma, 1979 water-year

The computed annual yields for subbasins in the Arkansas River basin as defined in the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma, 1972, are presented in this report. The area bounded by the Compact is shown in figure 1. This report was prepared by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Arkansas Division of Soil and Water Resources. Streamflow data were furnished by the Arkansas and Oklahoma Districts of the Water Resources Division, Geological Survey, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District. The Tulsa District also provided data from the Webbers Falls, Tenkiller Ferry, Robert S. Kerr, and Wister Reservoirs.

Arkansas, Oklahoma↗

Ground-water resources of the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin in parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia — Subarea 4 of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River basins

The study area is underlain by Coastal Plain sediments of pre-Cretaceous to Quaternary age consisting of alternating units of sand, clay, sandstone, dolomite, and limestone that gradually thicken and dip gently to the southeast. The Upper Floridan aquifer is composed of an off lapping sequence of clastic and carbonate sediments consisting of the Clinchfield Sand, the Ocala, Suwannee, and Tampa Limestones, and the Marianna Formation. The Intermediate system consists of the Intracoastal, Chipola, and Jackson Bluff Formations, is limited in areal extent to the southern part of the basin in Florida, and constitutes an aquifer of low yield. The aquifer-stream-reservoir (flow) system is defined by surface water in hydraulic connection with aquifers and semi-confining units. Simulation of the flow system by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s MODular Finite-Element model (MODFE) of two-dimensional ground-water flow indicated that ground-water availability in Alabama is affected most by changes to lateral and vertical boundary conditions to the Upper Floridan aquifer that might occur in that state, and is affected minimally by changes to ground- and surface-water levels in Georgia. Incomplete hydrologic information precludes definitive assessment of ground- water-resource potential, overpumpage, and potential for additional development; however, simulated-increased pumpage at more than 3 times the October 1986 rates caused drying of the Upper Floridan aquifer in parts of Miller and Lee Counties, Ga. Evaluation of ground-water-development potential in the virtually untapped Intermediate system has questionable reliability due to the lack of data. Increased hypothetical pumpage over October 1986 rates for the Upper Floridan aquifer, located almost entirely in Georgia, indicated reduction in ground-water discharge to streams that reduced flow in the Apalachicola River and to the Bay, especially during droughts. Water budgets prepared from simulation results indicate that discharge to streams and recharge by horizontal and vertical flow are principal hydro-logic mechanisms for moving water into, out of, or through aquifers. The Intermediate system contributes less than 2 percent of the total simulated ground-water discharge to streams; thus, it does not represent an important source of water for the Apalachicola River and Bay.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia↗

Data on ground-water levels and ground-water/surface-water relations in the Great Miami River and Little Miami River valleys, southwestern Ohio

Hydrogeologic data were collected in September, October, and November 1993 to define the ground-water levels and the ground-water/surface-water relations in the vicinity of Dayton, Ohio. In this report, water levels are listed for 678 wells completed in sand and gravel. Data from 101 streamflow measurements made at selected sites along the Great Miami, Stillwater, Mad, and Little Miami Rivers and their tributaries during 2-day gain-loss study also are listed. Surface-water altitudes were determined at 11 stream-gaging stations and 39 other streamflow measurement sites. Discharge data for measurements made at 30 storm-sewer outfalls are given. Streamflow and discharge data obtained during the study were used to calculate the gain or loss of streamflow along 16 selected reaches of the Great Miami, Stillwater, Mad, and Little Miami Rivers. Streambed-conductivity data obtained by use of seepage meters at nine different sites also are given.

Open-File Report↗

Streamflow gains and losses in the Snake River and ground-water budgets for the Snake River plain, Idaho and eastern Oregon

Streamflow gains and losses in the Snake River demonstrate ground-water and surface-water relations and are used to develop ground-water budgets for the Snake River plain. Budgets indicate the storage in the eastern plain increased by 24 million acre-feet from 1880 to 1952 and, in the western plain, increased by about 3 million acre-feet from 1930 to 1972. Ground-water storage throughout the plain has declined in recent years, owing to climatic variations and changing irrigation practices.

Professional Paper↗

Occurrence of isoxaflutole, acetamide, and triazine herbicides and their degradation products in 10 Iowa rivers draining to the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, 2004

During 2004, a study to document the occurrence of herbicides and herbicide degradation products was conducted for 10 major Iowa rivers draining to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Seventy-five water-quality samples were collected to measure isoxaflutole, acetamide, and triazine herbicides and their herbicide degradation products. An analytical method to measure isoxaflutole and its degradation products, diketonitrile and benzoic acid, was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas, using vacuum manifold solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and is described in this report. Isoxaflutole, a low application rate preemergence herbicide for control of annual broadleaf weeds, is used extensively in Iowa. Findings from the study documented in this report indicate that isoxaflutole was designed to degrade quickly to diketonitrile, which appears to be more stable, and then to benzoic acid. Of the 75 samples collected to measure isoxaflutole, there were four detections of isoxaflutole, 53 detections of diketonitrile, and 41 detections of benzoic acid. Also, results of acetamide and triazine water-quality samples correlate with past studies, which indicate that herbicide degradation products are detected more frequently and often at higher concentrations in surface water than their parent compounds. In addition to analysis of isoxaflutole and its degradation products, samples were analyzed by the USGS National Water-Quality Laboratory schedule 2001 for about 52 pesticides and their degradation products.

Iowa↗