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At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
USGS2008

Methods to Evaluate Influence of Onsite Septic Wastewater-Treatment Systems on Base Flow in Selected Watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia, October 2007

The influence of onsite septic wastewater-treatment systems (OWTS) on base-flow quantity needs to be understood to evaluate consumptive use of surface-water resources by OWTS. If the influence of OWTS on stream base flow can be measured and if the inflow to OWTS is known from water-use data, then water-budget approaches can be used to evaluate consumptive use. This report presents a method to evaluate the influence of OWTS on ground-water recharge and base-flow quantity. Base flow was measured in Gwinnett County, Georgia, during an extreme drought in October 2007 in 12 watersheds that have low densities of OWTS (22 to 96 per square mile) and 12 watersheds that have high densities (229 to 965 per square mile) of OWTS. Mean base-flow yield in the high-density OWTS watersheds is 90 percent greater than in the low-density OWTS watersheds. The density of OWTS is statistically significant (p-value less than 0.01) in relation to base-flow yield as well as specific conductance. Specific conductance of base flow increases with OWTS density, which may indicate influence from treated wastewater. The study results indicate considerable unexplained variation in measured base-flow yield for reasons that may include: unmeasured processes, a limited dataset, and measurement errors. Ground-water recharge from a high density of OWTS is assumed to be steady state from year to year so that the annual amount of increase in base flow from OWTS is expected to be constant. In dry years, however, OWTS contributions represent a larger percentage of natural base flow than in wet years. The approach of this study could be combined with water-use data and analyses to estimate consumptive use of OWTS.

Georgia↗
USGS2010

A method for assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios

he Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), Section 712, mandates the U.S. Department of the Interior to develop a methodology and conduct an assessment of the Nation’s ecosystems, focusing on carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and emissions of three greenhouse gases (GHGs): carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The major requirements include (1) an assessment of all ecosystems (terrestrial systems, such as forests, croplands, wetlands, grasslands/shrublands; and aquatic ecosystems, such as rivers, lakes, and estuaries); (2) an estimate of the annual potential capacities of ecosystems to increase carbon sequestration and reduce net GHG emissions in the context of mitigation strategies (including management and restoration activities); and (3) an evaluation of the effects of controlling processes, such as climate change, land-use and land-cover change, and disturbances such as wildfires. The concepts of ecosystems, carbon pools, and GHG fluxes follow conventional definitions in use by major national and international assessment or inventory efforts. In order to estimate current ecosystem carbon stocks and GHG fluxes and to understand the potential capacity and effects of mitigation strategies, the method will use two time periods for the assessment: 2001 through 2010, which establishes a current ecosystem carbon and GHG baseline and will be used to validate the models; and 2011 through 2050, which will be used to assess potential capacities based on a set of scenarios. The scenario framework will be constructed using storylines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES), along with both reference and enhanced land-use and land-cover (LULC) and land-management parameters. Additional LULC and land-management mitigation scenarios will be constructed for each storyline to increase carbon sequestration and reduce GHG fluxes in ecosystems. Input from regional experts and stakeholders will be solicited to construct these scenarios. The methods for mapping the current LULC and ecosystem disturbances will require the extensive use of both remote-sensing data and field-survey data (for example, forest inventories) to capture and characterize landscape-changing events. For potential LULC changes and ecosystem disturbances, key drivers such as socioeconomic and climate changes will be used in addition to the biophysical data. The result of these analyses will be a series of maps for each future year for each scenario. These annual maps will form the basis for estimating carbon storage and GHG emissions. For terrestrial ecosystems, carbon storage, carbon-sequestration capacities, and GHG emissions under the present conditions and future scenarios will be assessed using the LULC-change and ecosystem-disturbance estimates in map format with a spatially explicit biogeochemical ensemble modeling system that incorporates properties of management activities (such as tillage or harvesting) and properties of individual ecosystems (such as energy exchange, vegetation characteristics, hydrological cycling, and soil attributes). For aquatic ecosystems, carbon burial in sediments and fluxes of GHG are functions of the present and future potential stream flow and sediment transport and will be assessed using empirical hydrological modeling methods. Validation and uncertainty analysis methods described in the methodology will follow established guidelines to assess the quality of the assessment results. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Level II ecoregions map will be the practical instrument for developing and delivering assessment results. Consequently, the ecoregion (there are 22 modified ecoregions) will be the reporting unit of the assessment because the scenarios, assessment results, validation, and uncertainty analysis will be produced at that scale. The implementation of these methods will require collaborations among various Federal agencies, State agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the science community. Using the method described in this document, the assessment can be completed in approximately 3 to 4 years. The primary deliverables will be assessment reports containing tables, charts, and maps that will present the estimated GHG parameters annually for 2001 through 2050 by ecosystem, pool, and scenario. The results will permit the evaluation of a range of policies, mitigation options, and research topics, such as the demographic, LULC-change, or climate-change effects on carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and GHG fluxes in ecosystems.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2008

Estimating Flow-Duration and Low-Flow Frequency Statistics for Unregulated Streams in Oregon

Flow statistical datasets, basin-characteristic datasets, and regression equations were developed to provide decision makers with surface-water information needed for activities such as water-quality regulation, water-rights adjudication, biological habitat assessment, infrastructure design, and water-supply planning and management. The flow statistics, which included annual and monthly period of record flow durations (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, and 95th percent exceedances) and annual and monthly 7-day, 10-year (7Q10) and 7-day, 2-year (7Q2) low flows, were computed at 466 streamflow-gaging stations at sites with unregulated flow conditions throughout Oregon and adjacent areas of neighboring States. Regression equations, created from the flow statistics and basin characteristics of the stations, can be used to estimate flow statistics at ungaged stream sites in Oregon. The study area was divided into 10 regression modeling regions based on ecological, topographic, geologic, hydrologic, and climatic criteria. In total, 910 annual and monthly regression equations were created to predict the 7 flow statistics in the 10 regions. Equations to predict the five flow-duration exceedance percentages and the two low-flow frequency statistics were created with Ordinary Least Squares and Generalized Least Squares regression, respectively. The standard errors of estimate of the equations created to predict the 5th and 95th percent exceedances had medians of 42.4 and 64.4 percent, respectively. The standard errors of prediction of the equations created to predict the 7Q2 and 7Q10 low-flow statistics had medians of 51.7 and 61.2 percent, respectively. Standard errors for regression equations for sites in western Oregon were smaller than those in eastern Oregon partly because of a greater density of available streamflow-gaging stations in western Oregon than eastern Oregon. High-flow regression equations (such as the 5th and 10th percent exceedances) also generally were more accurate than the low-flow regression equations (such as the 95th percent exceedance and 7Q10 low-flow statistic). The regression equations predict unregulated flow conditions in Oregon. Flow estimates need to be adjusted if they are used at ungaged sites that are regulated by reservoirs or affected by water-supply and agricultural withdrawals if actual flow conditions are of interest. The regression equations are installed in the USGS StreamStats Web-based tool (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/index.html, accessed July 16, 2008). StreamStats provides users with a set of annual and monthly flow-duration and low-flow frequency estimates for ungaged sites in Oregon in addition to the basin characteristics for the sites. Prediction intervals at the 90-percent confidence level also are automatically computed.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2016

Effects of May through July 2015 storm events on suspended sediment loads, sediment trapping efficiency, and storage capacity of John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas

The Neosho River and its primary tributary, the Cottonwood River, are the main sources of inflow to John Redmond Reservoir in east-central Kansas. Storage loss in the reservoir resulting from sedimentation has been estimated to be 765 acre-feet per year for 1964–2014. The 1964–2014 sedimentation rate was almost 90 percent larger than the projected design sedimentation rate of 404 acre-feet per year, and resulted in a loss of about 40 percent of the original (1964) conservation (multi-purpose) pool storage capacity. To help maintain storage in the reservoir, the Kansas Water Office has implemented more than two dozen stream bank erosion control projects to reduce the annual sediment load entering the reservoir and initiated a dredging project to restore nearly 2,000 acre-feet of storage near the dam to provide additional water supply to downstream water users. Storm events during May through July 2015 caused large inflows of water and sediment into the reservoir. Initially, flood waters were held back in the reservoir in order to decrease downstream flooding in Oklahoma. Later, retained reservoir flood waters were released at high rates (up to 25,400 acre-feet per day, the maximum allowed for the reservoir) for extended periods. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, computed the suspended-sediment inflows and retention in John Redmond Reservoir during May through July 2015. Computations relied upon previously published turbidity-suspended sediment relations at water-quality monitoring sites located upstream and downstream from the reservoir. During the 3-month period, approximately 872,000 tons of sediment entered the reservoir, and 57,000 tons were released through the reservoir outlet. The average monthly trapping efficiency during this period was 93 percent, and monthly averages ranged from 83 to 97 percent. During the study period, an estimated 980 acre-feet of storage was lost, over 2.4 times the design annual sedimentation rate of the reservoir. Storm inflows during the 3-month analysis period reduced reservoir storage in the conservation pool approximately 1.6 percent. This indicates that large inflows, coupled with minimal releases, can have substantial effects on reservoir storage and lifespan.

Kansas↗
USGS1979

Hydrologic and related data for water-supply planning in an intensive-study area, northeastern Wichita County, Kansas

Data are presented that result from an intensive geohydrologic study for water-supply planning in a 12-square-mile area in northeastern Wichita County, Kansas. These data include records of wells, test drilling, chemical analyses, ground-water levels, rainfall, soilmoisture, well yield, solar radiation, crop yield, and crop acreage. Data indicate that water levels in the unconsolidated aquifer are declining at an average annual rate of about 1 to 2 feet per year (1950-78). This decline is the aquifer's response to pumping by irrigation wells for watering corn, wheat, grain sorghum, and other crops.

Kansas↗
USGS1998

Characterization and evaluation of channel and hillslope erosion on the Zuni Indian Reservation, New Mexico, 1992-95

Like many areas of the southwestern United States, the Zuni Indian Reservation, New Mexico, has high rates of erosion, ranging from 95 to greater than 1,430 cubic meters per square kilometer per year. Erosion on the Zuni Indian Reservation includes channel erosion (arroyo incision and channel widening) and hillslope (sheetwash) erosion. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a 3-year (1992-95) study on channel erosion and hillslope erosion in the portion of the Rio Nutria watershed that drains entirely within the Zuni Indian Reservation. Results of the study can be used by the Zuni Tribe to develop a plan for watershed rehabilitation. Channel changes, gully growth, headcuts, and changes in dirt roads over time were examined to characterize and evaluate channel erosion in the Rio Nutria watershed. Channel cross-sectional changes included width, depth, width-to-depth ratio, area, and geometry. Relative rates of gully growth, headcuts, and changes in dirt roads over time were examined using aerial photographs. Results of resurveys conducted between 1992 and 1994 of 85 channel cross sections indicated aggradation of 72 percent of cross sections in three subbasins of the Rio Nutria watershed. Forty-eight percent of resurveyed cross sections showed an increase in cross-sectional area and erosion; nine of these are in tributaries. Some channels (43 percent) aggraded and increased in cross-sectional area. This increase in cross- sectional area is due mostly to widening. Channel widening is a more pervasive form of erosion than channel scour on the Zuni Indian Reservation. The tops of channels widened in 67 percent and the bottoms of channels widened in 44 percent of resurveyed cross sections. Narrow, deep triangular channels are more erosive than rectangular cross sections. Five land-cover types--three sites on mixed-grass pasture, two sites on sites on unchained pi?on and juniper, one site on sagebrush, one site on ponderosa pine, and two sites on chained pi?on and juniper--were each instrumented with sediment traps between 1992 and 1994 to measure hillslope erosion. Highest sediment yields were measured at chained areas and mixed- grass pasture. Annual yields from sites that were operated for more than a year were 11.7, 6.0, and 6.5 metric tons per square kilometer per year at a pi?on and juniper site, mixed-grass pasture site, and sagebrush site, respectively.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1999

Channel-pattern adjustments and geomorphic characteristics of Elkhead Creek, Colorado, 1937-97

Onsite channel surveys and sediment measurements made in 1997, aerial photographs taken from 1937 through 1993, and streamflow-gaging- station record from 1954 to 1996 were used to determine the probable cause of accelerated streambed and streambank erosion in the lower reaches of Elkhead Creek, a perennial, meandering tributary of the Yampa River. Concern about the possible effects of Elkhead Reservoir, constructed in 1974, has been expressed by landowners living downstream. Evidence cited as an indication of reservoir related effects include the trapping of bedload transported sediment in the reservoir, vertical incision of the streambed, and lateral erosion causing loss of agricultural land. A large deltaic deposit composed of approximately 163 acre-ft of bedload-transported sediment formed in Elkhead Reservoir between 1974 and 1993, the contemporary bankfull stage of Elkhead Creek is several feet below the elevation of a broad terrace that previously was the flood plain, and lateral erosion at meander bends occurs at a higher rate than in previous periods at some locations. Elkhead Creek meander migration rates were used as a measure of lateral instability in the study reaches. Meander migration rates based on changes in channel centerline position were calculated for three periods from five sets of rectified aerial photographs for reaches upstream and downstream from the reservoir. The creek upstream from Elkhead Reservoir was unaffected by impoundment and was used as the control reach. Mean meander migration rates in the downstream study reach were 1.2 ft/yr from 1938 to 1953, 2.5 ft/yr from 1954 to 1970, and 4.8 ft/yr from 1978 to 1993, compared to rates of 0.5 ft/yr, 1.6 ft/yr, and 6.6 ft/yr for the same periods in the upstream study reach. Sediment and channel-geometry measurements and estimated hydraulic conditions at eight cross sections indicate that most of the sediment sizes represented in the streambed are mobile at frequently occurring streamflows; those streamflows are less than or equal to the bankfull discharge of approximately 1,800 to 2,200 cubic feet per second. Discharge data from 1954 through 1996 recorded at a site upstream from the reservoir were examined to determine the effect of hydrology on meander migration rates. The discharge data were assumed to be representative of the total streamflow and flood hydrology of both the upstream and downstream reaches because Elkhead Reservoir normally has a full pool. Mean annual streamflow increased 122 percent, and the mean annual flood increased 130 percent from the pre-regulation period (1954 to 1970) to the post-regulation period (1978 to 1993), a possible explanation for much of the increase observed in meander migration rate in both the upstream and downstream reaches in the period after reservoir construction. Channel instability, quantified by meander migration rates, has increased throughout Elkhead Creek since 1977. The most probable cause is a combination of external factors affecting the 2 Channel-Pattern Adjustments and Geomorphic Characteristics of Elkhead Creek, Colorado, 1937-97 entire watershed, such as changes in annual runoff and flood magnitude and sedimentation in Elkhead Reservoir. Local land-use practices, such as intentional meander cutoff and riparian vegetation removal, also can decrease channel stability, but these factors were not addressed in this study.

Colorado↗
USGS1974

Flood characteristics of Oklahoma streams techniques for calculating magnitude and frequency of floods in Oklahoma, with compilations of flood data through 1971

The 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year recurrence interval floods are related to basin and climatic parameters for natural streams in Oklahoma by multiple regression techniques through the mathematical model, Q x =aA b S c P d , where Q x is peak discharge for recurrence interval x, A is contributing drainage area, S is main channel slope, P is mean annual precipitation, and a, b, c, and d are regression constants and coefficients. One equation for each recurrence interval applies statewide for all natural streams of less than 2,500 mil (6,500 km 2 ), except where manmade works, such as dams, flood-detention structures, levees, channelization, and urban development, appreciably affect flood runoff. The equations can be used to estimate flood frequency of a stream at an ungaged site if drainage area size, main channel slope, and mean annual precipitation are known. At or near gaged sites, a weighted average of the regression results and the gaging station data is recommended. Individual relations of flood magnitude to contributing drainage area are given for all or parts of the main stems of the Arkansas, Salt Fork Arkansas, Cimarron, North Canadian, Canadian, Washita, North Fork Red, and Red Rivers. Parts of some of these streams, and all of the Neosho and Verdigris Rivers are not included because the effects of. major regulation from large reservoirs cannot be evaluated within the scope of the report. Graphical relations of maximum floods of record for eastern and western Oklahoma provide a guide to maximum probable floods. A random sampling of the seasonal occurrence of floods indicated about two-thirds of all annual floods in Oklahoma occur during. April through July. Less than one-half of one percent of annual floods occur in December. A compilation of flood records at all gaging sites in Oklahoma and some selected sites in adjacent States is given in an appendix. Basin and climatic parameters and log-Pearson Type III frequency data and statistics are given for most station records. A second appendix gives a reprint of the U.S. Water Resources Council Bulletin 15 which describes procedures for fitting a log-Pearson Type III distribution to gaging station data.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2012

Flow-adjusted trends in dissolved selenium load and concentration in the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers near Grand Junction, Colorado, water years 1986--2008

As a result of elevated selenium concentrations, many western Colorado rivers and streams are on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2010 Colorado 303(d) list, including the main stem of the Colorado River from the Gunnison River confluence to the Utah border. Selenium is a trace metal that bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains and can cause reproductive failure, deformities, and other adverse impacts in birds and fish, including several threatened and endangered fish species. Salinity in the upper Colorado River has been the focus of source-control efforts for many years. Although salinity loads and concentrations have been previously characterized at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations at the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colo., and at the Colorado River near the Colorado-Utah State line, trends in selenium load and concentration at these two stations have not been studied. The USGS, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado River Water Conservation District, evaluated dissolved selenium (herein referred to as "selenium") load and concentration trends at these two sites to inform decision makers on the status and trends of selenium. This report presents results of the evaluation of trends in selenium load and concentration for two USGS streamflow-gaging stations: the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colo. ("Gunnison River site"), USGS site 09152500, and the Colorado River near Colorado-Utah State line ("Colorado River site"), USGS site 09163500. Flow-adjusted selenium loads were estimated for the beginning water year (WY) of the study, 1986, and the ending WY of the study, 2008. The difference between flow-adjusted selenium loads for WY 1986 and WY 2008 was selected as the method of analysis because flow adjustment removes the natural variations in load caused by changes in mean-daily streamflow, emphasizing human-caused changes in selenium load and concentration. Overall changes in human-caused effects in selenium loads and concentrations during the period of study are of primary interest to the cooperators. Selenium loads for each of the 2 water years were calculated by using normalized mean-daily streamflow, measured selenium concentration, standard linear regression techniques, and data previously collected at the two study sites. Mean-daily streamflow was normalized for each site by averaging the daily streamflow for each day of the year over the 23-year period of record. Thus, for the beginning and ending water years, estimations could be made of loads that would have occurred without the effect of year-to-year streamflow variation. The loads thus calculated are illustrative of the change in loads between water years 1986 and 2008, and are not the actual loads that occurred in those 2 water years. The estimated 50th and 85th percentile selenium concentrations associated with the selenium loads were also calculated for WY 1986 and WY 2008 at each site. Time-trends in selenium concentration at the two sites were charted by using regression techniques for partial residuals for the entire study period (WY 1986 through WY 2008). Annual selenium load for the Gunnison River site was estimated to be 23,196 pounds for WY 1986 and 16,560 pounds for WY 2008, a 28.6 percent decrease. Lower and upper 95-percent confidence levels for WY 1986 annual load were 22,360 and 24,032 pounds. Lower and upper 95-percent confidence levels for WY 2008 annual load were 15,724 and 17,396 pounds. Estimated 50th percentile daily selenium concentrations decreased from 6.41 to 4.57 micrograms/liter from WY 1986 to WY 2008, whereas estimated 85th percentile daily selenium concentrations decreased from 7.21 to 5.13 micrograms/liter from WY 1986 to WY 2008. Annual selenium load for the Colorado River site was estimated to be 56,587 pounds for WY 1986 and 34,344 pounds for WY 2008, a 39.3 percent decrease. Lower and upper 95-percent confidence levels for WY 1986 annual load were 53,785 and 59,390 pounds. Lower and upper 95-percent confidence levels for WY 2008 annual load were 31,542 and 37,147 pounds. Estimated 50th percentile daily selenium concentrations decreased from 6.44 to 3.86 micrograms/liter from WY 1986 to WY 2008, whereas estimated 85th percentile daily selenium concentrations decreased from 7.94 to 4.72 micrograms/liter from WY 1986 to WY 2008.

Colorado↗
USGS2010

Encounters of aircraft with volcanic ash clouds: A compilation of known incidents, 1953-2009

Information about reported encounters of aircraft with volcanic ash clouds from 1953 through 2009 has been compiled to document the nature and scope of risks to aviation from volcanic activity. The information, gleaned from a variety of published and other sources, is presented in database and spreadsheet formats; the compilation will be updated as additional encounters occur and as new data and corrections come to light. The effects observed by flight crews and extent of aircraft damage vary greatly among incidents, and each incident in the compilation is rated according to a severity index. Of the 129 reported incidents, 94 incidents are confirmed ash encounters, with 79 of those having various degrees of airframe or engine damage; 20 are low-severity events that involve suspected ash or gas clouds; and 15 have data that are insufficient to assess severity. Twenty-six of the damaging encounters involved significant to very severe damage to engines and (or) airframes, including nine encounters with engine shutdown during flight. The average annual rate of damaging encounters since 1976, when reporting picked up, has been approximately 2 per year. Most of the damaging encounters occurred within 24 hours of the onset of ash production or at distances less than 1,000 kilometers from the source volcanoes. The compilation covers only events of relatively short duration for which aircraft were checked for damage soon thereafter; documenting instances of long-term repeated exposure to ash (or sulfate aerosols) will require further investigation. Of 38 source volcanoes, 8 have caused 5 or more encounters, of which the majority were damaging: Augustine (United States), Chaiten (Chile), Mount St. Helens (United States), Pacaya (Guatemala), Pinatubo (Philippines), Redoubt (United States), Sakura-jima (Japan), and Soufriere Hills (Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, United Kingdom). Aircraft have been damaged by eruptions ranging from small, recurring episodes to very large, infrequent events. Moderate-size (Volcanic Explosivity Index 3) eruptions are responsible for nearly half of the damaging encounters. Vigilance is required during the early phases of eruptive activity when data about ash emission may be the most limited and warning capabilities the most strained, yet the risk the greatest. The risk-mitigation strategy for minimizing damaging encounters continues to rely on the combination of real-time volcano monitoring and rapid eruption reporting, detection and tracking of ash clouds in the atmosphere using satellite-based sensors, dispersion modeling to forecast expected ash-cloud movement, and global dissemination of specialized warning messages. To obtain the entire Data Series 545 report, download the text file and appendixes 1-4, which are available as separate files. Click on the links at right. Please Send Updates We hope that publication of this compilation will encourage more reporting of encounters by the aviation industry and civil aviation authorities. We actively seek corrections and additions to the information presented here. Persons who have corrections or additional data pertaining to incidents already in the database or who have data about previously unreported incidents are urged to contact the authors.

Data Series↗
USGS2021

Spatial variation in population dynamics of northern Great Plains piping plovers

Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by between-patch movements of individuals (emigration and immigration). To conserve and manage a species that has a metapopulation structure, defined by local populations that are distributed among patches of suitable habitat, we need to understand each of these vital rates. For the federally listed northern Great Plains Charadrius melodus (Ord, 1824) (piping plover), managers assumed a metapopulation structure consisting of four breeding groups with low, balanced dispersal, which resulted in low extinction risk in a simulation-based viability study. The degree to which the northern Great Plains piping plover breeding population functions as a metapopulation depends on the rate of movement amongst breeding areas. Sources of variation in survival, dispersal probabilities, and dispersal distances were examined for hatch-year and adult piping plovers breeding in the northern Great Plains from 2014 to 2019 focusing on four management units (U.S. Alkali Wetlands, Lake Sakakawea, Garrison Reach of the Missouri River, and Lake Oahe). Additionally, renesting probabilities, renest reproductive success, and reproductive output were investigated from 2014 to 2016 in each of these areas to understand within-patch productivity. This report includes two major sections: (1) a presentation that includes the context, results, and implications of the study, followed by a detailed text methodology, and (2) an appendix that provides synthesized estimates of piping plover vital rates from throughout their range. River and alkali wetland habitats seem to be of higher quality than reservoir habitats, although alkali wetland habitats have lower annual survival, lower reproductive output, and lower fidelity probabilities than riverine habitats. Habitat availability drove dispersal probabilities and dispersal distances for hatch-year and adult piping plovers. Renesting propensity and renest reproductive success were generally low, suggesting that renesting is an uncommon and unproductive strategy to replace most lost reproductive attempts. Estimates indicated high connectivity between the U.S. Alkali Wetlands and the northern river units (Lake Sakakawea, Garrison Reach, Lake Oahe) of the Missouri River, suggesting that the assumed metapopulation structure and population viability may need to be reassessed.

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS1969

Water resources data for Arizona, 1969: Part 2. Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1969 water year for the quality of surface waters in Arizona are presented in this report. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. The Geological Survey published the annual series of water-supply papers, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States, " from 1941 through 1965, which contained the chemical-quality, temperature, and suspended-sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in part 9 of the water-supply paper series. (See table 4.) These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records for surface water obtained by the Geological Survey have been published in a series of annual releases on a State boundary basis. These reports are primarily for local and immediate use, and their distribution is limited. The records also will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

Arizona↗
USGS1970

Water resources data for Arizona, 1970: Part 2. Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1970 water year for the quality of surface waters in Arizona are presented in this report. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. The Geological Survey published the annual series of water-supply papers, ''Quality of Surface Waters of the United States,'' from 1941 through 1965, which contained the chemical-quality, temperature, and suspended-sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in part 9 of the water-supply paper series. (See table 4.) These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records for surface water obtained by the Geological Survey have been published in a series of annual releases on a State boundary basis. These reports are primarily for local and immediate use, and their distribution is limited. The records also will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

Arizona↗
USGS2012

Simulation of daily streamflows at gaged and ungaged locations within the Cedar River Basin, Iowa, using a Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, conducted a study to examine techniques for estimation of daily streamflows using hydrological models and statistical methods. This report focuses on the use of a hydrologic model, the U.S. Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System, to estimate daily streamflows at gaged and ungaged locations. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System is a modular, physically based, distributed-parameter modeling system developed to evaluate the impacts of various combinations of precipitation, climate, and land use on surface-water runoff and general basin hydrology. The Cedar River Basin was selected to construct a Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model that simulates the period from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2010. The calibration period was from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2004, and the validation periods were from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2010 and January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010. A Geographic Information System tool was used to delineate the Cedar River Basin and subbasins for the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model and to derive parameters based on the physical geographical features. Calibration of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model was completed using a U.S. Geological Survey calibration software tool. The main objective of the calibration was to match the daily streamflow simulated by the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model with streamflow measured at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gages. The Cedar River Basin daily streamflow model performed with a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency ranged from 0.82 to 0.33 during the calibration period, and a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency ranged from 0.77 to -0.04 during the validation period. The Cedar River Basin model is meeting the criteria of greater than 0.50 Nash-Sutcliffe and is a good fit for streamflow conditions for the calibration period at all but one location, Austin, Minnesota. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model accurately simulated streamflow at four of six uncalibrated sites within the basin. Overall, there was good agreement between simulated and measured seasonal and annual volumes throughout the basin for calibration and validation sites. The calibration period ranged from 0.2 to 20.8 percent difference, and the validation period ranged from 0.0 to 19.5 percent difference across all seasons and total annual runoff. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model tended to underestimate lower streamflows compared to the observed streamflow values. This is an indication that the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling model needs more detailed groundwater and storage information to properly model the low-flow conditions in the Cedar River Basin.

Iowa↗
USGS1978

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey in Wyoming, fiscal year 1978

This report contains lists of streamflow and reservoir stations, peak-flow partial-record stations, chemical-quality stations, sediment stations, and observation wells where water levels are measured in Wyoming. The locations of the basic-data sites are shown on maps. Thirty-two water-resources appraisal projects in Wyoming are also described, including many that are related to the development of energy resources. The general locations of the projects are shown on maps. The report serves as an annual progress report to cooperators and the public.

Wyoming↗
USGS2016

Estimating spatially and temporally varying recharge and runoff from precipitation and urban irrigation in the Los Angeles Basin, California

A daily precipitation-runoff model, referred to as the Los Angeles Basin watershed model (LABWM), was used to estimate recharge and runoff for a 5,047 square kilometer study area that included the greater Los Angeles area and all surface-water drainages potentially contributing recharge to a 1,450 square kilometer groundwater-study area underlying the greater Los Angeles area, referred to as the Los Angeles groundwater-study area. The recharge estimates for the Los Angeles groundwater-study area included spatially distributed recharge in response to the infiltration of precipitation, runoff, and urban irrigation, as well as mountain-front recharge from surface-water drainages bordering the groundwater-study area. The recharge and runoff estimates incorporated a new method for estimating urban irrigation, consisting of residential and commercial landscape watering, based on land use and the percentage of pervious land area. The LABWM used a 201.17-meter gridded discretization of the study area to represent spatially distributed climate and watershed characteristics affecting the surface and shallow sub-surface hydrology for the Los Angeles groundwater study area. Climate data from a local network of 201 monitoring sites and published maps of 30-year-average monthly precipitation and maximum and minimum air temperature were used to develop the climate inputs for the LABWM. Published maps of land use, land cover, soils, vegetation, and surficial geology were used to represent the physical characteristics of the LABWM area. The LABWM was calibrated to available streamflow records at six streamflow-gaging stations. Model results for a 100-year target-simulation period, from water years 1915 through 2014, were used to quantify and evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of water-budget components, including evapotranspiration (ET), recharge, and runoff. The largest outflow of water from the LABWM was ET; the 100-year average ET rate of 362 millimeters per year (mm/yr) accounted for 66 percent of the combined water inflow of 551 mm/yr, including 488 mm/yr from precipitation and 63 mm/yr from urban irrigation. The simulated ET rate varied from a minimum of 0 mm/yr for impervious areas to high values of more than 1,000 mm/yr for many areas, including the south-facing slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains, stream channels underlain by permeable soils and thick root zones, and pervious locations receiving inflows both from urban irrigation and surface water. Runoff was the next largest outflow, averaging 145 mm/yr for the 100-year period, or 26 percent of the combined precipitation and urban-irrigation inflow. Recharge averaged 45 mm/yr, or about 8 percent of the combined inflow from precipitation and urban irrigation. Simulation results indicated that recharge in response to urban irrigation was an important component of spatially distributed recharge, contributing an average of 56 percent of the total recharge to the eight LABWM subdomains containing the Los Angeles groundwater study area. The 100‑year average recharge rate for the eight subdomains was 41 mm/yr, or 8,473 hectare-meters per year (ha-m/yr), with urban irrigation included in the simulation compared to a recharge rate of 18 mm/yr, or 3,741 ha-m/yr, with urban irrigation excluded. In contrast to recharge, the effect of urban irrigation on runoff was slight; runoff was 72,667 ha-m/yr with urban irrigation included compared to 72,618 ha-m/yr with urban irrigation excluded, an increase of only 48 ha-m/yr (about 0.1 percent). Simulation results also indicated that potential recharge from hilly drainages outside of, but bordering and tributary to, the lower-lying area of the Los Angeles groundwater study area, in this study referred to as mountain-front recharge, could provide an important contribution to the total recharge for the groundwater basins. The time-averaged recharge rate was similar to the combined direct and mountain-front recharge components estimated in a previous study and used as input for a calibrated groundwater model. The annual (water year) recharge estimates simulated in this study, however, indicated much greater year-to-year variability, which was dependent on year-to-year variability in the magnitude and distribution of daily precipitation, compared to the previous estimates.

California↗
USGS2019

Regression models for estimating sediment and nutrient concentrations and loads at the Iroquois River near Foresman, Indiana, March 2015 through July 2018

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Iroquois River Conservancy District, deployed continuous water-quality monitors and began collecting representative discrete water-quality samples at the Iroquois River near Foresman, Indiana, streamflow-gaging station (U.S. Geological Survey station 05524500). By relating continuously monitored water-quality data and discrete water-quality samples collected from April 2015 through July 2018, regression models that estimate concentrations of suspended sediment, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were developed. Developed regression models indicated a strong correlation between turbidity and streamflow with suspended-sediment concentration (adjusted coefficient of determination equals 0.84, predicted residual error sum of squares equals 0.493), nitrate plus nitrite and streamflow with total nitrogen (adjusted coefficient of determination equals 0.99, predicted residual error sum of squares equals 0.0202), and specific conductance and turbidity with total phosphorus (adjusted coefficient of determination equals 0.84, predicted residual error sum of squares equals 0.0935). Daily loads of suspended sediment, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were computed as the product of daily mean regression model concentrations and daily mean streamflow. During periods when regression model concentrations could not be computed, rloadest models, the R programming language version of the LOADEST FORTRAN program, were used to compute daily loads of each constituent. For 2016 and 2017, the estimated annual suspended-sediment loads were 25,000 and 32,100 tons; estimated total nitrogen loads were 4,260 and 5,780 tons; and estimated total phosphorus loads were 104 and 128 tons, respectively.

Indiana↗
USGS1979

Low-flow characteristics of streams in the Lake Superior Basin, Wisconsin

Low-flow characteristics of streams in the Lake Superior basin include estimates of low-flow frequency and flow duration at 9 gaging stations, low-flow frequency at 16 low-flow partial-record stations and 38 miscellaneous sites; and a list of base-flow discharge measurement is available. The equations were determined from multiple-regression analyses that relate low-flow characteristics. The standard error of estimate is provided for each method of estimating the annual minimum 7-day mean flow below which the flow will fall on the average of once in 2 years and once in 10 years. Standard error provides the user with the expected degree of accuracy for each method. (Woodard-USGS)

Wisconsin↗