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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS1994

Observation-well network for collection of ground-water level data in Massachusetts

Aquifers--water-bearing deposits of sand and gravel, glacial till, and fractured bedrock--provide an extensive and readily accessible ground-water supply in Massachusetts. Ground water affects our everyday lives, not just in terms of how much water is available, but also in terms of the position of ground-water levels in relation to land surface. Knowledge of ground-water levels is needed by Federal, State, and local agencies to help plan, manage, and protect ground-water supplies, and by private construction companies for site planning and evaluation. A primary part of the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Resources Division, is the systematic collection of ground-water, surface-water, and water-quality data. These data are needed to manage and protect the nation's water resources. The Massachusetts-Rhode Island District of the USGS, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Office of Water Resources, and county and town environmental agencies, has maintained a network of observation wells throughout the Commonwealth since the mid 1930's. The purpose of this network is to monitor seasonal and long-term changes in groundwater storage in different lithologic, topographic, and geographic settings. These data are analyzed to provide a monthly index of ground-water conditions to aid in water-resources management and planning, and to define long-term changes in water levels resulting from manmade stresses (such as pumping and construction-site drainage) and natural stresses (such as floods and droughts).

Massachusetts↗
USGS2014

Floodplains within reservoirs promote earlier spawning of white crappies Pomoxis annularis

Reservoirs impounded over floodplain rivers are unique because they may include within their upper reaches extensive shallow water stored over preexistent floodplains. Because of their relatively flat topography and riverine origin, floodplains in the upper reaches of reservoirs provide broad expanses of vegetation within a narrow range of reservoir water levels. Elsewhere in the reservoir, topography creates a band of shallow water along the contour of the reservoir where vegetation often does not grow. Thus, as water levels rise, floodplains may be the first vegetated habitats inundated within the reservoir. We hypothesized that shallow water in reservoir floodplains would attract spawning white crappies Pomoxis annularis earlier than reservoir embayments. Crappie relative abundance over five years in floodplains and embayments of four reservoirs increased as spawning season approached, peaked, and decreased as fish exited shallow water. Relative abundance peaked earlier in floodplains than embayments, and the difference was magnified with higher water levels. Early access to suitable spawning habitat promotes earlier spawning and may increase population fitness. Recognition of the importance of reservoir floodplains, an understanding of how reservoir water levels can be managed to provide timely connectivity to floodplains, and conservation of reservoir floodplains may be focal points of environmental management in reservoirs.

Environmental Biology of Fishes↗
USGS2008

A comparison of runoff quantity and quality from two small basins undergoing implementation of conventional- and low-impact-development (LID) strategies: Cross Plains, Wisconsin, water years 1999–2005

Environmental managers are often faced with the task of designing strategies to accommodate development while minimizing adverse environmental impacts. Low-impact development (LID) is one such strategy that attempts to mitigate environmental degradation commonly associated with impervious surfaces. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, studied two residential basins in Cross Plains, Wis., during water years 1999–2005. A paired-basin study design was used to compare runoff quantity and quality from the two basins, one of which was developed in a conventional way and the other was developed with LID. The conventional-developed basin (herein called “conventional basin”) consisted of curb and gutter, 40-foot street widths, and a fully connected stormwater-conveyance system. The LID basin consisted of grassed swales, reduced impervious area (32-foot street widths), street inlets draining to grass swales, a detention pond, and an infiltration basin. Data collected in the LID basin represented predevelopment through near-complete build-out conditions. Smaller, more frequent precipitation events that produced stormwater discharge from the conventional basin were retained in the LID basin. Only six events with precipitation depths less than or equal to 0.4 inch produced measurable discharge from the LID basin. Of these six events, five occurred during winter months when underlying soils are commonly frozen, and one was likely a result of saturated soil from a preceding storm. In the conventional basin, the number of discharge events, using the same threshold of precipitation depth, was 180, with nearly one-half of those resulting from precipitation depths less than 0.2 inch. Precipitation events capable of producing appreciable discharge in the LID basin were typically those of high intensity or precipitation depth or those that occurred after soils were already saturated. Total annual discharge volume measured from the conventional basin ranged from 1.3 to 9.2 times that from the LID basin. Development of the LID basin did not appreciably alter the hydrologic response to precipitation characterized during predevelopment conditions. Ninety-five percent or more of precipitation in the LID basin was retained during each year of construction from predevelopment through near-complete build-out, surpassing the 90-percent benchmark established for new development by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The amount of precipitation retained in the conventional basin did not exceed 94 percent and fell below the 90-percent standard 2 of the 6 years monitored. Much of the runoff in the LID basin was retained by an infiltration basin, the largest control structure used to mitigate storm-runoff quantity and quality. The infiltration basin also was the last best-management practice (BMP) used to treat runoff before it left the LID basin as discharge. From May 25, 2002, to September 30, 2005, only 24 of 155 precipitation events exceeded the retention/ infiltrative capacity of the infiltration basin. The overall reduction in runoff volume from these few events was 51 percent. The effectiveness of the infiltration basin decreased as precipitation intensities exceeded 0.5 inch per hour. Annual loads were estimated to characterize the overall effectiveness of low-impact design practices for mitigating delivery of total solids, total suspended solids, and total phosphorus. Annual loads of these three constituents were greater in the LID basin than in the conventional basin in 2000 and 2004. Seventy percent or more of all constituent annual loads were associated with two discharge events in 2000, and a single discharge event produced 50 percent or more of constituent annual loads in 2004. Each of these discharge events was associated with considerable precipitation depths and (or) intensities, ranging from 4.89 to 6.21 inches and from 1.13 to 1.2 inches per hour, respectively. These same storms did not contribute as much of the annual load in the conventional basin. With large storms and saturated soils, the ability of low-impact design techniques to reduce runoff, and thus constituent loads, can be greatly diminished. For both the LID and conventional basins, the temperature of runoff was largely affected by ambient air temperatures. However, the temperature of discharge from the LID basin increased upon runoff cessation. This increase is likely due to solar heating of water that is temporarily stored in the detention pond and infiltration basin.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2024

Implementation of the CREED approach for environmental assessments

Environmental exposure data are a key component of chemical and ecological assessments, supporting and guiding environmental management decisions and regulations. Measures taken to protect the environment based on exposure data can have social and economic implications. Flawed information may lead to measures being taken in the wrong place or to important action not being taken. Although the advantages of harmonizing evaluation methods have been demonstrated for hazard information, no comparable approach is established for exposure data evaluation. The goal of Criteria for Reporting and Evaluating Exposure Datasets (CREED) is to improve the transparency and consistency with which exposure data are evaluated regarding usability in environmental assessments. Here, we describe the synthesis of the CREED process, and propose methods and tools to summarize and interpret the outcomes of the data usability evaluation in support of decision-making and communication. The CREED outcome includes a summary that reports any key gaps or shortcomings in the reliability (data quality) and relevance (fitness for purpose) of the data being considered. The approach has been implemented in a workbook template (provided as Supporting Information), for assessors to readily follow the workflow and create a report card for any given dataset. The report card communicates the outcome of the CREED evaluation and summarizes important dataset attributes, providing a concise reference pertaining to the dataset usability for a specified purpose and documenting data limitations that may restrict data use or increase environmental assessment uncertainty. The application of CREED is demonstrated through three case studies, which also were used during beta testing of the methodology. As experience with the CREED approach application develops, further improvements may be identified and incorporated into the framework. Such development is to be encouraged in the interest of better science and decision-making, and to make environmental monitoring and assessment more cost-effective.

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management↗
USGS2006

Ecological thresholds: The key to successful enviromental management or an important concept with no practical application?

An ecological threshold is the point at which there is an abrupt change in an ecosystem quality, property or phenomenon, or where small changes in an environmental driver produce large responses in the ecosystem. Analysis of thresholds is complicated by nonlinear dynamics and by multiple factor controls that operate at diverse spatial and temporal scales. These complexities have challenged the use and utility of threshold concepts in environmental management despite great concern about preventing dramatic state changes in valued ecosystems, the need for determining critical pollutant loads and the ubiquity of other threshold-based environmental problems. In this paper we define the scope of the thresholds concept in ecological science and discuss methods for identifying and investigating thresholds using a variety of examples from terrestrial and aquatic environments, at ecosystem, landscape and regional scales. We end with a discussion of key research needs in this area.

Ecosystems↗
USGS1979

Hydrocarbon geochemical analyses of Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf sediments: an environmental assessment

Concentration levels of hydrocarbon in 122 composite mid-Atlantic shelf surface sediment samples have been examined during the second year (1976-1977) of the Bureau of Land Management environmental assessment program. The objective of this study was to establish baseline concentrations and provide data for the "natural variability" curve for the mid-Atlantic region. Concentration levels ( μ g/g) have been determined for the total lipids recovered by liquid column chromatography, and hexane-soluble fraction (aliphatics) benzene fraction (aromatics) as resolved by gas chromatography for each composite sediment sample. Several geochemical parameter values were also determined among which were: 1) n-alkane odd-even ratio; 2) isoprenoid alkane/ n-alkane ratio; 3) pristine/phytane ratio; 4) pristane/n-C 17 ratio; and 5) phytane/n-C 18 ratio. Summary analyses of the concentrations and geochemical 18 parameters are included in this report. Surface sediments examined from the mid-Atlantic shelf contained very low concentrations of resolved aliphatic hydrocarbons, less than 5.0 μ g/gm sediment, and very low concentrations of resolved aromatic hydrocarbons, usually less than 1.0 μ g/gm sediment. Mass spectral analyses of selected hexane eluates confirmed the presence of a series of normal aliphatic alkanes ranging from to n-C 16 to n-C 31 as well as the isoprenoids pristane and phytane. A series of three hydrocarbon peaks in the n-C 20 to n-C 21 range were tentatively identified as n-C 25 unsaturated, branched homologs, The aromatic fractions contained a number of polynuclear aromatics including phenanthrenes, methylphenanthrenes, fluoranthene and pyrcne, benzofluoranthene, and alkyl benzenes. Data accumulated in the second year of the program, coupled with data from the first year's investigations (Miller et al., 1977), have provided the basis for establishing a preliminary natural. "variability curve" for the hydrocarbon concentration levels and distribution in these selected mid-Atlantic shelf samples. This curve shows the seasonal variability noted in both the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in these samples.

Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf↗
USGS2021

Hydrologic and ecological investigations in the School Branch watershed, Hendricks County, Indiana—Water years 2016–2018

School Branch in Hendricks County in central Indiana, is a small stream with a variety of agricultural and suburban land uses that drains into the Eagle Creek Reservoir, a major source of drinking water for Indianapolis, Indiana. The School Branch watershed has become the focus of a collaborative partnership of Federal, State, and local agencies; a university research center; and agricultural producers to understand the effects of land use and management practices on water quality and water quantity in the watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, contributed to the School Branch partnership with the operation of three streamgages (03353415 School Branch at Maloney Road near Brownsburg, Indiana; 03353420 School Branch at County Road 750 North at Brownsburg, Indiana; and 03353430 School Branch at Noble Drive at Brownsburg, Indiana) and the operation of a continuous water-quality gage (also known as a supergage) at County Road 750 North that measured dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, nitrate, and orthophosphate. Additional efforts included the use of passive samplers to identify wastewater indicators; assessment of fish and macroinvertebrate communities and stream habitat to identify ecological impairment; sampling for nutrients and sediment to estimate loads; and using major ions, stable isotopes and nested groundwater monitoring wells at County Road 750 North to determine hydrologic connectivity between the groundwater and surface water. The objectives of this study were to collect surface and groundwater data to analyze the hydrology and water quality within the watershed. Total nitrogen yields were highest at the upstream site, Maloney Road, and indicated a mixture of nitrogen sources in the watershed. Differences found in total nitrogen loading patterns throughout the watershed may be linked to differences in hydrology and land-use management from site to site. The groundwater and surface water were shown to be highly connected, and except for some low-flow periods, the water was flowing from groundwater to the stream for most of the study period. Fish and macroinvertebrate communities show improvement from upstream to downstream, with increases in diversity, richness, and species sensitive to poor water quality and habitat. These increases were most likely due to improved habitat quality at the downstream station.

Indiana↗
USGS2022

The researcher's lament: Why do they ignore my science?

The researcher's lament is shared by many environmental and conservation scientists who complain about the little support they receive for their research proposals during the review and selection process. Understandably, any hopes of having their anticipated scientific findings applied toward the formulation of environmental management decisions or natural resource policy action are shattered. They attribute this lack of endorsement to shortcomings and limitations among decision makers and proposal selection officials when, in many cases, the rejection of project proposals is often a function of a handful of self-inflicted failures by applied scientists who anchor themselves stubbornly to doomed approaches. Familiar deficiencies in their research proposals perpetuate the disconnect between the enterprise of science and real-world resource management challenges. Researchers themselves can affect conditions that turn up the appetite for their scientific endeavors as a more meaningful component of the decision-making process, namely, to stage and deliver science that is more readily "actionable." Perhaps it is time for them to consider a course correction to improve the viability of their actionable science proposals. A few basic steps may help rejigger the science planning process in this direction and, consequently, help avoid the researcher's lament. The likelihood of gaining support during the proposal review and award adjudication process, and securing practical application of scientific products, increases when the products are (1) the result of active engagement of researchers with decision makers; (2) better connected to social and political priorities; (3) clearly designed to inform specific management decisions; and (4) tailored to fit the needs of targeted end users. These considerations and activities exist beyond the comfort zone of many environmental or conservation scientists. Yet, those who adopt them will spend less time lamenting rejection and become more influential in the production of actionable knowledge.

Ecosphere↗
USGS2007

Environmental Assessment of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Indiana, October and November 2005

An environmental assessment of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville in Jennings County, Indiana, was completed during October and November 2005. As part of the Department of Defense Earth Science Program, the U.S. Geological Survey collected information about environmental conditions at the 825-acre former State of Indiana mental health facility prior to its conversion by the Indiana National Guard into an urban training center. The assessment was designed to investigate the type and extent of potential contamination associated with historical activities in selected areas of the facility. Samples of surface water, ground water, surface soil, and buried sediment were collected for the assessment in seven geographic study areas. Surface-water samples were collected from flowing and pooled surface water, as well as seeps and springs where ground water discharged at the land surface. Ground-water samples were collected from temporary wells installed in boreholes drilled to bedrock. Surface-soil samples were collected near sites of possible contamination. Buried-sediment samples were taken from core material collected near the top of bedrock at depths of 6.4 to 26 feet. For the assessment, 59 environmental, 22 quality-assurance, and 46 laboratory-blank samples were analyzed for as many as 65 volatile organic compounds, 62 semivolatile organic compounds, 20 trace elements, 10 inorganic cations and anions, 3 nutrients, and 4 water-quality characteristics. Concentrations of constituents detected in these samples were compared with regulatory standards (the Indiana Surface-Water-Quality Standards and Indiana Ground-Water-Quality Standards) and guidance criteria from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management's Risk Integrated System of Closures for contaminated soil and ground water. Standards or criteria were exceeded by 17 constituent concentrations in 11 environmental samples from 5 of the 7 geographic study areas. Standards or criteria were exceeded for 10 constituents: ammonia, arsenic, benzo(a)pyrene, beryllium, chloride, chloroform, copper, lead, sulfate, and zinc.

Indiana↗
USGS2020

Making ‘chemical cocktails’ – Evolution of urban geochemical processes across the periodic table of elements

Urbanization contributes to the formation of novel elemental combinations and signatures in terrestrial and aquatic watersheds, also known as ‘chemical cocktails.’ The composition of chemical cocktails evolves across space and time due to: (1) elevated concentrations from anthropogenic sources, (2) accelerated weathering and corrosion of the built environment, (3) increased drainage density and intensification of urban water conveyance systems, and (4) enhanced rates of geochemical transformations due to changes in temperature, ionic strength, pH, and redox potentials. Characterizing chemical cocktails and underlying geochemical processes is necessary for: (1) tracking pollution sources using complex chemical mixtures instead of individual elements or compounds; (2) developing new strategies for co-managing groups of contaminants; (3) identifying proxies for predicting transport of chemical mixtures using continuous sensor data; and (4) determining whether interactive effects of chemical cocktails produce ecosystem-scale impacts greater than the sum of individual chemical stressors. First, we discuss some unique urban geochemical processes which form chemical cocktails, such as urban soil formation, human-accelerated weathering, urban acidification-alkalinization, and Freshwater Salinization Syndrome. Second, we review and synthesize global patterns in concentrations of major ions, carbon and nutrients, and trace elements in urban streams across different world regions and make comparisons with reference conditions. In addition to our global analysis, we highlight examples from watersheds in the Baltimore-Washington DC area, USA, which show increased transport of major ions, trace metals, and nutrients across streams draining a well-defined land-use gradient. Urbanization increased the concentrations of multiple major and trace elements in streams draining human-dominated watersheds compared to reference conditions. Chemical cocktails of major and trace elements were formed over diurnal cycles coinciding with changes in streamflow, dissolved oxygen, pH, and other variables measured by high-frequency sensors. Some chemical cocktails of major and trace elements were also significantly related to specific conductance (p < 0.05), which can be measured by sensors. Concentrations of major and trace elements increased, peaked, or decreased longitudinally along streams as watershed urbanization increased, which is consistent with distinct shifts in chemical mixtures upstream and downstream of other major cities in the world. Our global analysis of urban streams shows that concentrations of multiple elements along the periodic table significantly increase when compared with reference conditions. Furthermore, similar biogeochemical patterns and processes can be grouped among distinct mixtures of elements of major ions, dissolved organic matter, nutrients, and trace elements as chemical cocktails. Chemical cocktails form in urban waters over diurnal cycles, decades, and throughout drainage basins. We conclude our global review and synthesis by proposing strategies for monitoring and managing chemical cocktails using source control, ecosystem restoration, and green infrastructure. We discuss future research directions applying the watershed chemical cocktail approach to diagnose and manage environmental problems. Ultimately, a chemical cocktail approach targeting sources, transport, and transformations of different and distinct elemental combinations is beneficial to more holistically monitor and manage the emerging impacts of chemical mixtures in the world's fresh waters.

Applied Geochemistry↗
USGS2025

Derivation and characterization of environmental hazard concentrations for chemical prioritization: A case study in the Great Lakes tributaries

Ongoing anthropogenic activities and analytical advancements yield continuously expanding lists of environmental contaminants. This represents a challenge to environmental managers, who must prioritize chemicals for management actions (e.g., restriction, regulation, remediation) but are often hindered by resource limitations. To help facilitate prioritization efforts, this study presents several strategies for deriving environmental hazard concentrations using publicly accessible data and open-source computational tools. Using a Great Lakes tributaries aquatic monitoring dataset as a case study, environmental hazard concentrations were obtained or derived for 334 organic chemicals. These concentrations were based on (1) current water quality guidelines; (2) apical screening values; (3) apical and (4) nonapical effect concentrations from the ECOTOXicology Knowledgebase; (5) in vitro effect concentrations from the ToxCast database; (6) cytotoxic burst concentrations collated from the Comptox Dashboard; (7) “estimated screening values” derived from modeled or estimated data and available from various regulatory and nonregulatory agencies; (8) pharmaceutical potency estimates from the MaPPFAST database; and (9) quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR)–derived acute toxicity estimates. Environmental fate data included aquatic half-lives and bioconcentration factors collated from the Comptox Dashboard or estimated using QSARs. To identify patterns that could be used for characterization, availability of ecotoxicological concentrations and environmental fate data were evaluated. Furthermore, exceedances of hazard concentrations were evaluated and compared across diverse ecotoxicological data types. Altogether, by providing detailed methodology and practical examples generated with real monitoring data, this study demonstrated that these hazard concentration derivation strategies can be efficiently and effectively used with large, complex datasets and identified critical considerations for future prioritization efforts.

Great Lakes region↗
USGS1999

Preliminary survey for entomopathogenic fungi associated with Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in southern New York and New England, USA

Free-living larval, nymphal, and adult Ixodes scapularis Say were collected from scattered locales in southern New England and New York to determine infection rates with entomopathogenic fungi. Infection rates of larvae, nymphs, males, and females were 0% (571), 0% (272), 0% (57), and 4.3% (47), respectively. Two entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from field-collected I. scapularis females from Fire Island, NY. Isolates were identified as Verticillium lecanii (Zimmermann) Viegas and Verticillium sp. (a member of the Verticillium lecanii species complex). Ixodes scapularis Say is the principal vector of Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner ( Burgdorfer et al. 1982 , Johnson et al. 1984 ), the etiologic agent of Lyme disease in the northeastern and upper-midwestern United States. Control of I. scapularis is based on chemical treatment ( Mather et al. 1987b ; Schulze et al. 1987 , 1991 ), environmental management ( Wilson et al. 1988 , Schulze et al. 1995 ), and habitat modification ( Wilson 1986 ). These methods have shown variable success, and some potentially have negative environmental effects ( Wilson and Deblinger 1993 , Ginsberg 1994 ). Studies concerning natural predators, parasitoids, and pathogens of I. scapularis are rare. The use of ground-dwelling birds as tick predators has had only limited success ( Duffy et al. 1992 ). Nymphal I. scapularis are often infected with the parasitic wasp Ixodiphagus hookeri (Howard) ( Mather et al. 1987a , Hu et al. 1993 , Stafford et al. 1996 , Hu and Hyland 1997 ), but this wasp does not effectively control I. scapularis populations ( Stafford et al. 1996 ). The entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and S. glaseri (Steiner) are pathogenic only to engorged female I. scapularis, and thus have limited applicability ( Zhioua et al. 1995 ). In contrast, the entomogenous fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin is highly pathogenic to all stages of I. scapularis, unfed as well as engorged, and thus has considerable potential as a microbial control agent ( Zhioua et al. 1997 ). European studies have suggested that entomopathogenic fungi might serve as natural controls of of Ixodes ricinus L. populations ( Samsinakova et al. 1974 , Eilenberg et al. 1991 , Kalsbeek et al. 1995 ). In the current study, we describe the isolation of entomopathogenic fungi from field-collected I. scapularis.

Journal of Medical Entomology↗
USGS2016

Effects of water-supply reservoirs on streamflow in Massachusetts

State and local water-resource managers need modeling tools to help them manage and protect water-supply resources for both human consumption and ecological needs. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, has developed a decision-support tool to estimate the effects of reservoirs on natural streamflow. The Massachusetts Reservoir Simulation Tool is a model that simulates the daily water balance of a reservoir. The reservoir simulation tool provides estimates of daily outflows from reservoirs and compares the frequency, duration, and magnitude of the volume of outflows from reservoirs with estimates of the unaltered streamflow that would occur if no dam were present. This tool will help environmental managers understand the complex interactions and tradeoffs between water withdrawals, reservoir operational practices, and reservoir outflows needed for aquatic habitats. A sensitivity analysis of the daily water balance equation was performed to identify physical and operational features of reservoirs that could have the greatest effect on reservoir outflows. For the purpose of this report, uncontrolled releases of water (spills or spillage) over the reservoir spillway were considered to be a proxy for reservoir outflows directly below the dam. The ratio of average withdrawals to the average inflows had the largest effect on spillage patterns, with the highest withdrawals leading to the lowest spillage. The size of the surface area relative to the drainage area of the reservoir also had an effect on spillage; reservoirs with large surface areas have high evaporation rates during the summer, which can contribute to frequent and long periods without spillage, even in the absence of water withdrawals. Other reservoir characteristics, such as variability of inflows, groundwater interactions, and seasonal demand patterns, had low to moderate effects on the frequency, duration, and magnitude of spillage. The reservoir simulation tool was used to simulate 35 single- and multiple-reservoir systems in Massachusetts over a 44-year period (water years 1961 to 2004) under two water-use scenarios. The no-pumping scenario assumes no water withdrawal pumping, and the pumping scenario incorporates average annual pumping rates from 2000 to 2004. By comparing the results of the two scenarios, the total streamflow alteration can be parsed into the portion of streamflow alteration caused by the presence of a reservoir and the additional streamflow alteration caused by the level of water use of the system. For each reservoir system, the following metrics were computed to characterize the frequency, duration, and magnitude of reservoir outflow volumes compared with unaltered streamflow conditions: (1) the median number of days per year in which the reservoir did not spill, (2) the median duration of the longest consecutive period of no-spill days per year, and (3) the lowest annual flow duration exceedance probability at which the outflows are significantly different from estimated unaltered streamflow at the 95-percent confidence level. Most reservoirs in the study do not spill during the summer months even under no-pumping conditions. The median number of days during which there was no spillage was less than 365 for all reservoirs in the study, indicating that, even under reported pumping conditions, the reservoirs refill to full volume and spill at least once during nondrought years, typically in the spring. Thirteen multiple-reservoir systems consisting of two or three hydrologically connected reservoirs were included in the study. Because operating rules used to manage multiple-reservoir systems are not available, these systems were simulated under two pumping scenarios, one in which water transfers between reservoirs are minimal and one in which reservoirs continually transferred water to intermediate or terminal reservoirs. These two scenarios provided upper and lower estimates of spillage under average pumping conditions from 2000 to 2004. For sites with insufficient data to simulate daily water balances, a proxy method to estimate the three spillage metrics was developed. A series of 4,000 Monte Carlo simulations of the reservoir water balance were run. In each simulation, streamflow, physical reservoir characteristics, and daily climate inputs were randomly varied. Tobit regression equations that quantify the relation between streamflow alteration and physical and operational characteristics of reservoirs were developed from the results of the Monte Carlo simulations and can be used to estimate each of the three spillage metrics using only the withdrawal ratio and the ratio of the surface area to the drainage area, which are available statewide for all reservoirs. A graphical user-interface for the Massachusetts Reservoir Simulation Tool was developed in a Microsoft Access environment. The simulation tool contains information for 70 reservoirs in Massachusetts and allows for simulation of additional scenarios than the ones considered in this report, including controlled releases, dam seepage and leakage, demand management plans, and alternative water withdrawal and transfer rules.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2021

Enhancing Great Lakes coastal ecosystems research by initiating engagement between scientists and decision-makers

A disconnect between scientific research and environmental management communities can be a detriment to both. In the case of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems, which are inherently complex and subject to uncertain effects of future climatic, environmental, and anthropogenic drivers, greater collaboration could be beneficial to their sustainability. We capture the challenges and opportunities identified by a scientist/decision-maker co-production workshop focused on the future environmental quality of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. We explain our path through the stakeholder workshop process, our challenges in translating meeting outcomes into actionable items, and lessons learned to bridge gaps between scientists and decision-makers. Additionally, we determine topics and directions identified by decision-makers that can be modeled with existing technologies and others that require further research. These topics may be incorporated into future research efforts and could serve as a shortlist of research priorities that were identified by decision-makers working with coastal wetland issues. Based on lessons learned during and after the workshop, we provide suggestions for bridging the gap between researchers and decision-makers, including sustained engagement between these groups and improved interaction through the beginning, duration, and end of research and/or management efforts.

Great Lakes↗
USGS2007

Proceedings for a workshop on deposit modeling, mineral resource assessment, and their role in sustainable development

The world's use of nonfuel mineral resources continues to increase to support a growing population and increasing standards of living. The ability to meet this increasing demand is affected especially by concerns about possible environmental degradation associated with minerals production and by competing land uses. What information does the world need to support global minerals development in a sustainable way? Informed planning and decisions concerning sustainability and future mineral resource supply require a long–term perspective and an integrated approach to resource, land use, economic, and environmental management worldwide. Such perspective and approach require unbiased information on the global distribution of identified and especially undiscovered resources, the economic and political factors influencing their development, and the potential environmental consequences of their exploitation. The U.S. Geological Survey and the former Deposit Modeling Program of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sponsored a workshop on "Deposit Modeling, Mineral Resource Assessment, and Their Role in Sustainable Development" at the 31st International Geological Congress (IGC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 18–19, 2000. The purpose of the workshop was to review the state-of-the-art in mineral deposit modeling and resource assessment and to examine the role of global assessments of nonfuel mineral resources in sustainable development. The workshop addressed questions such as the following: Which of the available mineral deposit models and assessment methods are best suited for predicting the locations, deposit types, and amounts of undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources remaining in the world? What is the availability of global geologic, mineral deposit, and mineral exploration information? How can mineral resource assessments be used to address economic and environmental issues? Presentations included overviews of assessment methods applied in previous national and other small-scale assessments of large regions and of the resulting assessment products and their uses. Twenty-seven people from Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, Peru, Slovenia, South Africa, United States, and Venezuela participated in the 2-day post-Congress workshop. The attendees represented academia, government, environmental organizations, and the mining industry.

Circular↗
USGS1998

Integrated Natural Resource Science Program, San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and its watershed have been a focus of intense human activity and environmental impact since 1848 when gold was discovered in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. As the estuary and its watershed continue to be changed by human activities, resource managers, environmental regulators, elected officials, and the public seek credible, unbiased scientific information about the factors related to observed changes in order to restore impaired species, habitats and ecological functions.

California↗
USGS2004

Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge: A survey of visitor experiences: Report to respondents

In the fall of 2000, researchers from the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Program (PASA) of the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) met with the staff of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (CPNWR) to discuss the issues related to social, economic, and human dimensions of natural resource management as it related to the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) planning process. As a result of the meeting a research study was designed to better understand how visitors are affected by environmental management decisions and provide information to assist the refuge managers in making decisions regarding public use and recreational management related to the goals of the proposed CCP. More specifically, information was collected to document the type and frequency of visitor use; assess the importance of recreational activities; and to determine visitor attitudes about recreation management decisions within the refuge. To this end, we designed a study to assess the effects of the no-action and alternative management plans for the Refuge visitors&rsquo; perceptions and likely visitation patterns. In fall of 2002 a questionnaire was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the CCP planning team and mailed to 1090 people who visited the refuge between June 2001 and June 2002. We used standard research methods in designing and administering the questionnaire. Six hundred and eightyfive (685) completed questionnaires (74%) were considered usable. We developed the questionnaire (OMB Control Number 1040-00) to answer the following questions: What are the important differences in visitors&rsquo; attitudes and perception regarding recreation and visitor use at CPNWR? What are the factors that explain the differences in visitor attitudes and perception regarding recreation and visitor use at CPNWR? What are the regional economic impacts of visitor spending? In general the respondents indicated support for current management practices of CPNWR. We found that people came to the Refuge to experience a connection with the resource and the environment. More than half of the respondents said that viewing the desert scenery, seeking wilderness solitude and viewing wildlife were the most important reasons for making the visit to the refuge.

Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge↗
USGS2025

The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Rhode Island’s economy

Introduction High-resolution elevation data are critical to applications of landscape modeling and planning, both of which have a significant effect on Rhode Island’s economy. In these and other enterprises, program managers, while aiming to strike a balance between accuracy and cost, strive to obtain the best available elevation data to help them address a range of issues. Programs focused on climate change, environmental management, transportation design and asset management, aviation navigation and safety, riverine ecosystem management, wildlife habitat characterization and management, shellfish aquaculture, and the management and mapping of forests, parks and recreation areas, soils, wetlands, and impervious surfaces are also among the critical applications that meet the State’s management needs and depend on light detection and ranging (lidar) data that provide a highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth’s surface and aboveground features. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, U.S. territorial, and local agencies to acquire consistent lidar coverage at quality level 2 or better to meet the many needs of the Nation and Rhode Island. The status of available and in-progress 3DEP baseline lidar data in Rhode Island is shown in figure 1. 3DEP baseline lidar data include quality level 2 or better, 1-meter or better digital elevation models, and lidar point clouds, and must meet the Lidar Base Specification version 1.2 ( https://www.usgs.gov/3dep/lidarspec ) or newer requirements. The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment identified user requirements and conservatively estimated that availability of lidar data would result in at least $178,560 in new benefits annually to the State. The top 10 Rhode Island business uses for 3D elevation data, which are based on the estimated annual conservative benefits of 3DEP, are shown in table 2.

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