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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS2025

Reproductive biology of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in two North American systems

Grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) are nonnative, herbivorous freshwater fish that represent an ecological threat in North American waters. However, data are limited on reproductive biology specific to wild populations in midwestern North America, despite recent concern for grass carp establishment within the Great Lakes. Basic information on reproductive traits could be useful to determine reproductive potential, inform future population modelling and provide information to aid control efforts. Our objectives were to evaluate grass carp age-at-maturity, spawning season timing, fecundity type, developmental timing and spawning strategy. Additionally, we evaluated the reliability of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) as a proxy for identifying mature grass carp and compared body condition across study areas. We sampled grass carp in portions of the Mississippi River watershed within the state of Missouri and within the Lake Erie basin. Based on gonad histological samples ( n = 274), grass carp are batch spawners with indeterminate fecundity and asynchronous ovarian developmental timing. This allows flexibility in their spawning, exemplified by a protracted spawning season in Lake Erie (April to November) in temperatures ranging from 12.3 to 27.3°C. Minimum observed age-at-maturity for females in Missouri and for both males and females in the Lake Erie population was age-3 and age-2 for males in Missouri. Accuracy of GSI as a measure of maturity during the spawning season was 89.7% and 87.5%, for females and males, respectively. Compared to Missouri, grass carp in Lake Erie had a significantly higher body condition, and females ready to spawn had significantly higher GSI values, suggesting that the grass carp in Lake Erie are healthier and more fecund relative to Missouri and, if left uncontrolled, potentially have a high probability of establishment within the Great Lakes. The results of this study will allow managers to identify the reproductive status of grass carp in the field and more accurately estimate populations and reproductive potential.

Michigan, Missouri, Ohio↗
USGS2024

Suspended sediment and trace element transport in the Big River downstream from the Old Lead Belt in southeastern Missouri, 2018–21

Lead Belt, an area of major lead mining from the 1860s until 1972 where more than 8.5 million tons of lead were mined. After active mining ceased, the effects of mining activities persisted in the Big River system because of large mine waste pile erosion, and floodplain sediment and streambank contamination along several tributaries and the main stem of the Big River. Lead-contaminated streambed and floodplain sediments extend more than 90 miles from the Old Lead Belt to the confluence of the Big River with the Meramec River. The waste piles and mine-waste contaminated streambed and floodplain sediments have been sources of high concentrations of several trace elements, primarily cadmium, lead, and zinc. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 has made several efforts to prevent further erosion of contaminated sediments into the Big River including the capping of major mine waste piles, reclaiming sediment deposits along the floodplains, and monitoring soil conditions of croplands and residential properties. A cooperative effort began in 2011 between the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 to characterize suspended sediment quantity and quality in the Big River downstream from the Old Lead Belt as reclamation activities in the drainage basin progressed. The study was completed in two phases, and each phase included continuous stage, turbidity, and water temperature monitoring at the Big River below Bonne Terre, Missouri, streamgage and sampling station. Periodic suspended sediment samples also were collected manually (discrete samples) during base flow and selected stormflow events. Continuous streamflow, turbidity, and discrete suspended sediment data were used to develop regression models to compute daily suspended sediment concentrations and loads. During both phases, the discrete stormflow event samples were also evaluated to determine particle size distribution and concentrations of select trace elements. Phase one was completed from October 2011 through September 2013, and phase two, which is the primary focus of this report, was completed from October 2018 through September 2021. Phase two also included time-integrated suspended sediment samples collected using passive samplers. Discrete samples (collected during stormflow events) and passive samples were analyzed for concentrations of barium, cadmium, lead, and zinc in two sediment size fractions (when possible) to estimate trace element loads. Suspended sediment concentrations and loads and select trace element concentration results computed during phase one were compared to those computed during phase two to identify trends in the Big River Basin during the full study period. The concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc in nearly all discrete stormflow event suspended sediment samples and passive suspended sediment samples exceeded the threshold effect concentrations and the probable effect concentrations, which are two sediment quality guidelines. Most samples also exceeded the toxic effect threshold, the level at which sediment is considered to be heavily contaminated and problematic for sediment-dwelling organisms. Bulk cadmium concentrations (median of 7.90 milligrams per kilogram [mg/kg]) exceeded the toxic effect threshold (3.0 mg/kg) in 17 discrete stormflow event samples, and bulk lead concentrations (median of 1,070 mg/kg) exceeded the toxic effect threshold (170 mg/kg) in all 18 discrete stormflow event samples. Bulk zinc concentrations (median of 500 mg/kg) exceeded the toxic effect threshold (540 mg/kg) in eight discrete stormflow event samples. Bulk concentrations of these trace elements in passive suspended sediment samples were slightly greater, with concentrations of cadmium (median of 14.0 mg/kg) and lead (median of 1,860 mg/kg) exceeding the toxic effect threshold in all 18 samples. Bulk concentrations of zinc (median of 733 mg/kg) exceeded the toxic effect threshold in 15 passive samples. Compared to phase one (water years 2012–13), phase two (water years 2019–21) concentrations of lead and cadmium in the fine fraction of discrete suspended sediment samples collected at Big River below Bonne Terre were statistically similar; concentrations of barium and zinc were statistically smaller in samples collected during phase two (water years 2018–21). Sediment quality data from passive samples and daily mean suspended sediment loads from the regression model were used to calculate annual oads of barium, cadmium, lead, and zinc at the Bonne Terre streamgage. Water year 2019 had the largest loads of barium, cadmium, lead, and zinc (58.6, 1.43, 194, and 76.5 tons, respectively). The total loads of barium, cadmium, lead, and zinc for phase two (water years 2019–21) were 149, 4.00, 520, and 213 tons, respectively. Less than 5 percent of the total lead load calculated for the study period was transported when daily mean streamflow was less than 455 cubic feet per second, which is the approximate flow at which the passive samplers were inundated and began sampling. This highlights that most of the lead load is transported during stormflow events and the effectiveness of using passive samplers for ongoing monitoring of the Big River. Annual suspended sediment loads at the Bonne Terre streamgage computed using the regression model were 113,000 tons in water year 2019, 83,400 tons in water year 2020, and 96,500 tons in water year 2021. The event-based suspended sediment loads for the eight sampled stormflow events ranged from 45.3 to 32,500 tons. Although only a portion of all stormflow events during phase two were sampled, the loads accounted for during these eight stormflow events represented approximately 30.9 percent of the total suspended sediment load calculated for the study period, confirming that a large part of suspended sediments continue to be transported in the Big River during stormflow events. Event-based loads of barium, cadmium, lead, and zinc were greatest during the stormflow events sampled in January 2020 (event 4) and March 2021 (event 8). Event-based loads calculated for event 4 for barium, cadmium, lead, and zinc were 17.1, 0.206, 27.2, and 14.5 tons, respectively. During event 8, an estimated 15.6 tons of barium, 0.239 tons of cadmium, 34.0 tons of lead, and 13.6 tons of zinc were transported in suspended sediments. The continued high concentrations of lead in suspended sediments in the Big River, despite reclamation activities, is likely because of the continual transport from streambed and stream banks of lead-enriched sediment, which remain in the system from historical mining activities.

Missouri↗
USGS2026

Stream sediment sources in Medicine Creek, northern Missouri and southern Iowa

This report presents the results of a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Natural Resources to quantify sediment transport source contributions in the Medicine Creek drainage basin. Understanding relative source contributions provides valuable information for selecting the conservation practices that may be most effective in reducing sediment and sediment-associated nutrient transport in the Medicine Creek drainage basin and similar areas of the Lower Grand River drainage basin. Sediment samples were collected from potential contributing areas (source samples) and from fluvial-transported samples (target samples). Source sample types included streambanks, row crop fields, and a combined pastures and forests category. Samples were analyzed for particle size and quantity of carbon, nitrogen, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, and 49 mineral elements as potential tracers. Results for the carbon stable isotope ratio of carbon-13/carbon-12 (δ 13 C) and concentrations of total carbon, total nitrogen, calcium, potassium, and copper were selected by discriminant function analysis as the best combination of multiple tracers to differentiate each source type. The discriminant function analysis poorly differentiated pastures and forests, so these source types were combined. The sources defined by the discriminant function analysis were then used in an unmixing model to apportion sources for each target sample. In the study area, transported sediment was predominantly bank sediment, with an overall average of 86.9 percent of suspended-sediment samples and depositional streambed samples attributed to bank material. Suspended-sediment samples from the mainstem of Medicine Creek were dominated by bank sediments (average of 95.8 percent), and depositional streambed samples from throughout the drainage basin had more variable source contributions with an average of 71.1 percent attributed to bank material. The relative importance of upland sources (row crop fields and the combined pastures and forests category) varied seasonally and with streamflow but was not related to land use or drainage basin size. Relative contributions from upland sources were greater in the summer through winter rather than spring and during lower streamflow, though this may be driven by the seasonality of streamflow. These results indicate management practices that reduce bank erosion could be effective strategies for managing the dominant source of sediment and sediment-associated phosphorus.

Iowa, Missouri↗
USGS1989

Water-quality data for selected wells and drains in the Oakes study area, south-central North Dakota, December 1986 through September 1987

Operation of the Garrison Diversion Unit in North Dakota will divert water from the Missouri River near Lake Audubon into the upper James River basin (fig. 1). The diverted water will augment flows in the James River sufficiently to permit expanded irrigation and to provide additional water supplies for municipal and industrial use. The proposed Garrison Diversion Unit development and associated expanded irrigation has caused environmental concerns regarding potential mobilization, transport, and concentration of potentially toxic trace elements. In order to address'these concerns, a study of trace elements was made cooperatively by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey during 1986-88. The traceelement study area consists of approximately 130,000 acres and includes the Turtle Lake, Lincoln Valley, Harvey, New Rockford, LaMoure, and Oakes areas. As part of this study, Severson and others (1988) reported on the baseline geochemistry of soils, with special emphasis on selenium, for an irrigation test area of about 15 square miles near Oakes, N.Dak. This report presents the water-quality data collected during December 1986 through September 1987 from selected wells and drain sites in the Oakes study area.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2023

Effects of climate change on the hydrologic and hydraulic response of the Caulks Creek basin, Wildwood, Missouri

The city of Wildwood, Missouri, has identified fluvial erosion along Caulks Creek as a management priority due to potential effects to infrastructure and property. The upper and middle reaches of Caulks Creek flow intermittently (only immediately after precipitation), whereas the lower reach flows perennially. This study examines the effects of climate change and added storage on the hydrologic and hydraulic response of the Caulks Creek Basin to design storms. The study uses hydrologic (Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System – HEC-HMS) and hydraulic (Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System – HEC-RAS) models furnished by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). HEC-HMS simulations were used to quantify the peak, volume, and timing of the flow response to a suite of design storms under both normal and wet antecedent conditions and for both the existing storage structures and new storage in the basin. The suite of design storms included all combinations of the following: (a) storm durations: 6-hour and 24-hour, (b) annual exceedance probabilities: 0.5, 0.2, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, and 0.01, (c) climate conditions: current, 30-year, and 80-year predictions of future climate from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Climate Data Processing Tool. Additionally, for a selection of scenarios, results from the HEC-HMS simulations were used as boundary conditions for two-dimensional (2D) HEC-RAS simulations aimed at understanding how the distribution of velocity, shear stress, and stream power throughout the stream may be affected by projected changes in climate.

Missouri↗
USGS2013

Fate of geothermal mercury from Yellowstone National Park in the Madison and Missouri Rivers, USA

Mercury is a worldwide contaminant derived from natural and anthropogenic sources. River systems play a key role in the transport and fate of Hg because they drain widespread areas affected by aerial Hg deposition, transport Hg away from point sources, and are sites of Hg biogeochemical cycling and bioaccumulation. The Madison and Missouri Rivers provide a natural laboratory for studying the fate and transport of Hg contributed by geothermal discharge in Yellowstone National Park and from the atmosphere for a large drainage basin in Montana and Wyoming, United States of America (USA). Assessing Hg in these rivers also is important because they support fishery-based recreation and irrigated agriculture. During 2002 to 2006, Hg concentrations were measured in water, sediment, and fish from the main stem, 7 tributaries, and 6 lakes. Using these data, the geothermal Hg load to the Madison River and overall fate of Hg along 378 km of the Missouri River system were assessed. Geothermal Hg was the primary source of elevated total Hg concentrations in unfiltered water (6.2–31.2 ng/L), sediment (148–1100 ng/g), and brown and rainbow trout (0.12– 1.23 µg total Hg/g wet weight skinless filet) upstream from Hebgen Lake (the uppermost impoundment). Approximately 7.0 kg/y of geothermal Hg was discharged from the park via the Madison River, and an estimated 87% of that load was lost to sedimentation in and volatilization from Hebgen Lake. Consequently, Hg concentrations in water, sediment, and fish from main-stem sites downstream from Hebgen Lake were not elevated and were comparable to concentrations reported for other areas affected solely by atmospheric Hg deposition. Some Hg was sequestered in sediment in the downstream lakes. Bioaccumulation of Hg in fish along the river system was strongly correlated (r 2 =0.76–0.86) with unfiltered total and methyl Hg concentrations in water and total Hg in sediment.

Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2005

Assessment, water-quality trends, and options for remediation of acidic drainage from abandoned coal mines near Huntsville, Missouri, 2003-2004

Water from abandoned underground coal mines acidifies receiving streams in the Sugar Creek Basin and Mitchell Mine Basin near Huntsville, Missouri. A 4.35-kilometer (2.7-mile) reach of Sugar Creek has been classified as impaired based on Missouri's Water Quality Standards because of small pH values [< (less than) 6.5]. Samples collected from Sugar Creek from July 2003 to June 2004 did not have pH values outside of the specified range of 6.5 to 9.0. However, large concentrations of iron [416 to 2,320 mg/L (milligrams per liter)], manganese (8.36 to 33.5 mg/L), aluminum (0.870 to 428 mg/L), and sulfate (2,990 to 13,700 mg/L) in acidic mine drainage (AMD) from two mine springs as well as small and diffuse seeps were observed to have an effect on water quality in Sugar Creek. Metal and sulfate loads increased and pH decreased immediately downstream from Sugar Creek's confluence with the Calfee Slope and Huntsville Gob drainages that discharge AMD into Sugar Creek. Similar effects were observed in the Mitchell Mine drainage that receives AMD from a large mine spring. Comparisons of water-quality samples from this study and two previous studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1987-1988 and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2000-2002 indicate that AMD generation in the Sugar Creek Basin and Mitchell Mine Basin is declining, but the data are insufficient to quantify any trends or time frame. AMD samples from the largest mine spring in the Calfee Slope subbasin indicated a modest but significant increase in median pH from 4.8 to 5.2 using the Wilcoxan rank-sum test (p <0.05) and a decrease in median specific conductance from 5,000 to 3,540 ?S/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius) during a 17-year period. AMD samples from the largest mine spring in the Mitchell Mine Basin indicated an increase in median pH values from 5.6 to 6.0 and a decrease in median specific conductance from 3,050 to 2,450 ?S/cm during the same period. Remediation of AMD at or near the sites of the three largest mine springs is geochemically feasible based on alkalinity addition rates and increased pH determined by cubitainer experiments and geochemical mixing experiments using the computer model PHREEQCI. Alkalinity values for seven cubitainer experiments conducted to simulate anoxic treatment options exceeded the targeted value for alkalinity [90 mg/L as calcium carbonate (CaCO3)] specified in Missouri's Total Maximum Daily Load program by 18 percent or more, but maximum pH values were between 6.2 and 6.3, which is less than the targeted pH value of 6.5. Treatment of AMD by mixing with stream water or sewage effluent can further increase pH as indicated by geochemical modeling, but will not totally achieve water-quality goals because of limited discharges. A combination of treatments including settling ponds, oxic or anoxic limestone drains, and possibly successive alkalinity producing systems to remediate AMD will likely be required in the Sugar Creek Basin and Mitchell Mine Basin to consistently meet Missouri's Water Quality Standards.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1955

Geology of the northern Black Hills bentonite mining district

Extensive deposits of bentonite are present in the Cretaceous sedimentary rock strata cropping out on the northern flank of the Black Hills. These deposits have been the subject of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the program of the Department of the Interior for appraisal of natural resources of the Missouri River Basin. This report contains information concerning the geology of the bentonite deposits of the Northern Black Hills district. An attempt is made to explain some of the relations that exist between the physical properties and the mineralogical characteristics of the bentonite. Consideration is given to the occurrence of bentonite deposits and different types of sedimentary rocks and to depositional and post-depositional conditions which these rocks reveal. Evidence for sources of ancestral materials and conditions of alteration are discussed.

Black Hills↗
USGS2007

Nutrient and Suspended-Sediment Trends in the Missouri River Basin, 1993-2003

Trends in streamflow and concentration of total nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate, ammonia, total phosphorus, orthophosphorus, and suspended sediment were determined for the period from 1993 to 2003 at selected stream sites in the Missouri River Basin. Flow-adjusted trends in concentration (the trends that would have occurred in the absence of natural changes in streamflow) and non-flow-adjusted trends in concentration (the overall trends resulting from natural and human factors) were determined. In the analysis of flow-adjusted trends, the removal of streamflow as a variable affecting concentration allowed trends caused by other factors such as implementation of best management practices to be identified. In the analysis of non-flow-adjusted trends, the inclusion of any and all factors affecting concentration allowed trends affecting aquatic ecosystems and the status of streams relative to water-quality standards to be identified. Relations between the flow-adjusted and non-flow-adjusted trends and changes in streamflow, nutrient sources, ground-water inputs, and implementation of management practices also were examined to determine the major factors affecting the trends. From 1993 to 2003, widespread downward trends in streamflow indicated that drought conditions from about 2000 to 2003 led to decreasing streamflow throughout much of the Missouri River Basin. Flow-adjusted trends in nitrite plus nitrate and ammonia concentrations were split nearly equally between nonsignificant and downward; at about one-half of the sites, management practices likely were contributing to measurable decreases in concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate and ammonia. Management practices had less of an effect on concentrations of total nitrogen; downward flow-adjusted trends in total nitrogen concentrations occurred at only 2 of 19 sites. The pattern of non-flow-adjusted trends in nitrite plus nitrate concentrations was similar to the pattern of flow-adjusted trends; non-flow-adjusted trends were split nearly equally between nonsignificant and downward. A substantial source of nitrite plus nitrate to these streams likely was ground water; because of the time required for ground water to travel to streams, there may have been a lag time between the implementation of some pollution-control strategies and improvement in stream quality, contributing to the nonsignificant trends in nitrite plus nitrate. There were more sites with downward non-flow-adjusted trends than flow-adjusted trends in both ammonia and total nitrogen concentrations, possibly a result of decreased surface runoff from nonpoint sources associated with the downward trends in streamflow. No strong relations between any of the nitrogen trends and changes in nutrient sources or landscape characteristics were identified. Although there were very few upward trends in nitrogen from 1993 to 2003, there were upward flow-adjusted trends in total phosphorus concentrations at nearly one-half of the sites. At these sites, not only were pollution-control strategies not contributing to measurable decreases in total phosphorus concentrations, there was likely an increase in phosphorus loading on the land surface. There were fewer upward non-flow-adjusted than flow-adjusted trends in total phosphorus concentrations; at the majority of sites, overall total phosphorus concentrations did not change significantly during this period. The preponderance of upward flow-adjusted trends and nonsignificant non-flow-adjusted trends indicates that in some areas of the Missouri River Basin, overall concentrations of total phosphorus would have been higher without the decrease in streamflow and the associated decrease in surface runoff during the study period. During the study period, phosphorus loads from fertilizer generally increased at over one-half of the sites in the basin. Upward flow-adjusted trends were related to increasing fertilizer use in the upstream drainage area, particularly in the 10 percent

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2015

Bedrock geologic map of the Spring Valley, West Plains, and parts of the Piedmont and Poplar Bluff 30'x60' quadrangles, Missouri, including the upper Current River and Eleven Point River drainage basins

This map covers the drainage basins of the upper Current River and the Eleven Point River in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province of southeastern Missouri. The two surface drainage basins are contiguous in their headwaters regions, but are separated in their lower reaches by the lower Black River basin in the southeast corner of the map area. Numerous dye-trace studies demonstrate that in the contiguous headwaters areas, groundwater flows from the Eleven Point River basin into the Current River basin. Much of the groundwater discharge of the Eleven Point River basin emanates from Big Spring, located on the Current River. This geologic map and cross sections were produced to help fulfill a need to understand the geologic framework of the region in which this subsurface flow occurs. The map includes all of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a national park created by an Act of Congress in 1964 to protect 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in south-central Missouri. Located within the park are numerous large springs, including Big Spring, the largest spring in Missouri and one of the ten largest springs in the world. Also within the map area is Greer Spring, which is the main source of the Eleven Point River. Greer Spring is the largest spring on National Forest land in the United States. During flood, flow from Greer Spring is almost as large, volumetrically, as that from Big Spring. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 established a 44-mile section of the Eleven Point River as the Eleven Point National Scenic River, which is entirely within the boundaries of this map. Potentially economic mineral resources are present in the subsurface in the map area. Exploration drill-hole data indicate that anomalously high concentrations of base-metal sulfides locally occur within the Cambrian Bonneterre Formation. The geologic setting of these anomalous concentrations is similar to that found in the Viburnum Trend, part of the largest lead-mining district in the world. The southernmost part of the Viburnum Trend extends into the northern part of the map area and is exploited by the Sweetwater Mine. Undeveloped and potentially economic occurrences of base metals are known also beneath Blair Creek, a tributary to the Current River in the north-central part of the map area.

Missouri↗
USGS1986

Techniques for estimating flood-peak discharges from urban basins in Missouri

Techniques are defined for estimating the magnitude and frequency of future flood peak discharges of rainfall-induced runoff from small urban basins in Missouri. These techniques were developed from an initial analysis of flood records of 96 gaged sites in Missouri and adjacent states. Final regression equations are based on a balanced, representative sampling of 37 gaged sites in Missouri. This sample included 9 statewide urban study sites, 18 urban sites in St. Louis County, and 10 predominantly rural sites statewide. Short-term records were extended on the basis of long-term climatic records and use of a rainfall-runoff model. Linear least-squares regression analyses were used with log-transformed variables to relate flood magnitudes of selected recurrence intervals (dependent variables) to selected drainage basin indexes (independent variables). For gaged urban study sites within the State, the flood peak estimates are from the frequency curves defined from the synthesized long-term discharge records. Flood frequency estimates are made for ungaged sites by using regression equations that require determination of the drainage basin size and either the percentage of impervious area or a basin development factor. Alternative sets of equations are given for the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-yr recurrence interval floods. The average standard errors of estimate range from about 33% for the 2-yr flood to 26% for the 100-yr flood. The techniques for estimation are applicable to flood flows that are not significantly affected by storage caused by manmade activities. Flood peak discharge estimating equations are considered applicable for sites on basins draining approximately 0.25 to 40 sq mi. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2014

Methods for estimating annual exceedance-probability discharges and largest recorded floods for unregulated streams in rural Missouri

Regression analysis techniques were used to develop a set of equations for rural ungaged stream sites for estimating discharges with 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities, which are equivalent to annual flood-frequency recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years, respectively. Basin and climatic characteristics were computed using geographic information software and digital geospatial data. A total of 35 characteristics were computed for use in preliminary statewide and regional regression analyses. Annual exceedance-probability discharge estimates were computed for 278 streamgages by using the expected moments algorithm to fit a log-Pearson Type III distribution to the logarithms of annual peak discharges for each streamgage using annual peak-discharge data from water year 1844 to 2012. Low-outlier and historic information were incorporated into the annual exceedance-probability analyses, and a generalized multiple Grubbs-Beck test was used to detect potentially influential low floods. Annual peak flows less than a minimum recordable discharge at a streamgage were incorporated into the at-site station analyses. An updated regional skew coefficient was determined for the State of Missouri using Bayesian weighted least-squares/generalized least squares regression analyses. At-site skew estimates for 108 long-term streamgages with 30 or more years of record and the 35 basin characteristics defined for this study were used to estimate the regional variability in skew. However, a constant generalized-skew value of -0.30 and a mean square error of 0.14 were determined in this study. Previous flood studies indicated that the distinct physical features of the three physiographic provinces have a pronounced effect on the magnitude of flood peaks. Trends in the magnitudes of the residuals from preliminary statewide regression analyses from previous studies confirmed that regional analyses in this study were similar and related to three primary physiographic provinces. The final regional regression analyses resulted in three sets of equations. For Regions 1 and 2, the basin characteristics of drainage area and basin shape factor were statistically significant. For Region 3, because of the small amount of data from streamgages, only drainage area was statistically significant. Average standard errors of prediction ranged from 28.7 to 38.4 percent for flood region 1, 24.1 to 43.5 percent for flood region 2, and 25.8 to 30.5 percent for region 3. The regional regression equations are only applicable to stream sites in Missouri with flows not significantly affected by regulation, channelization, backwater, diversion, or urbanization. Basins with about 5 percent or less impervious area were considered to be rural. Applicability of the equations are limited to the basin characteristic values that range from 0.11 to 8,212.38 square miles (mi 2 ) and basin shape from 2.25 to 26.59 for Region 1, 0.17 to 4,008.92 mi 2 and basin shape 2.04 to 26.89 for Region 2, and 2.12 to 2,177.58 mi 2 for Region 3. Annual peak data from streamgages were used to qualitatively assess the largest floods recorded at streamgages in Missouri since the 1915 water year. Based on existing streamgage data, the 1983 flood event was the largest flood event on record since 1915. The next five largest flood events, in descending order, took place in 1993, 1973, 2008, 1994 and 1915. Since 1915, five of six of the largest floods on record occurred from 1973 to 2012.

Missouri↗
USGS1981

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado: fiscal year 1981

The report provides an overview of water-resources data collection and hydrologic investigations in Colorado from October 1, 1980, to September 30, 1981. Most of the work is carried out in cooperation with 51 Federal, State, and local agencies. Data are being collected at 503 surface-water gaging stations, 161 surface-water quality stations, and 1,151 observation wells. Sixty-seven hydrologic investigations are underway and are described in the report by a map showing the location of the study area and a statement of the purpose, objective, approach, progress, and plans. Twelve of the investigations are statewide, 6 are regional, 9 are in the Missouri River basin, 8 in the Arkansas River basin, 6 in the Rio Grande basin, and 5 are multistate. Listed in the report are references to 9 data reports and 27 interpretive reports released or published in fiscal year 1980 as a result of water-resources investigations in Colorado. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

A new tool to assess groundwater resources in the Mississippi embayment

What is the Mississippi Embayment? The Mississippi embayment study area encompasses approximately 78,000 square miles in eight States and includes large parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and smaller areas of Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri (fig. 1). The Mississippi embayment is essentially a basin that slopes toward the Gulf of Mexico and is filled with sediments of alternating sand, silt, and clay layers. There are two principal aquifers in the embayment-the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (alluvial aquifer) and the middle Claiborne aquifer (fig. 1). The shallow alluvial aquifer is the primary source of groundwater for irrigation in the largely agricultural region, while the deeper middle Claiborne aquifer is a primary source of drinking water for many of the 5.2 million people living in the embayment. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting large-scale multidisciplinary regional studies of groundwater availability for the Nation. Studies comprise individual assessments of regional groundwater-flow systems that encompass varied terrains and document a comprehensive regional and national perspective of groundwater resources. Collectively, these studies are the foundation for the national assessment of groundwater availability and are conducted in cooperation with other Federal, State, local governments, and the private sector. Numerical groundwater-flow models are used in these studies to document effects of human activities and climate variability on groundwater levels, changes in aquifer storage, and flow between groundwater and surface-water bodies. As part of the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS), a numerical model was constructed of 13 layers over 78,000 square miles representing multiple aquifers and confining units for the period of 1870 to 2007. The model is a tool that was used to assess and better understand groundwater resources.

Mississippi↗
USGS2024

Don’t move a mussel: The role of key environmental drivers and management scale in assessing spatial variation in dreissenid spread risk in the Missouri River Basin

The spread of non-native freshwater mussels in North America is a growing threat that has already resulted in substantial ecological and economic damage to infested areas. A primary vector by which invasive mussels spread is watercraft that are transported over land from an infested waterbody to an uninfested waterbody. Management efforts such as watercraft inspection and detection programs that attempt to intercept infected watercraft can help limit this type of spread, but optimizing the effectiveness of these programs under limited resources is complicated. Studies have looked at developing watercraft inspection and decontamination program strategies that focus on policy-specific objectives such as maximizing the number of infested watercraft interceptions. However, there is limited work that has considered the heterogeneous impact of protection efforts across different regions and waterbodies. Knowledge about this heterogeneity can highlight regions that would benefit the most from protection as well as regions that would require less effort to protect, e.g., areas with naturally unsuitable water quality for dreissenids. To this end, we construct a composite relative risk index (CRR) for watersheds within the Missouri River Basin, a region in the United States on the front line of dreissenid spread. The CRR uses a model that mirrors an expected value model but uses relative indexing as a proxy for the model components. The CRR incorporates a wide array of data sets to account for the direct and indirect damages from a potential infestation along with the risk of an infestation occurring. Our results suggest that the relative priority of a specific watershed—measured through CRR—can depend on whether we consider the entire Missouri River Basin or just the watersheds in the same state. This also indicates substantial state-level heterogeneity in the CRR. Another contribution is that the CRR index includes user-specified weights for certain parameters so that a user can adjust the relative importance of various factors to match their specific context. An accompanying web tool allows users to view the CRR results and adjust multiple parameters to see the resulting impacts on the CCR for watersheds in the Missouri River Basin.

Missouri River Basin↗
USGS2022

The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data

Nutrient pollution causing harmful algal blooms and eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic systems. Throughout North America, agricultural activities are the largest source of excess nutrients entering these systems. Agricultural intensification has also been a driver in the historical removal of depressional wetlands, contributing to increased hydrological connectivity across watersheds, and moving more nutrient runoff into terminal waterbodies such as the Laurentian Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico. The Prairie Pothole Region of North America (PPR) supports grassland, cropland, wetland, and riverine systems that connect to the Missouri, Mississippi, and Red River Basins. There is a need to synthesize scientific understanding to guide more targeted conservation efforts and better understand knowledge gaps. We reviewed 200 empirical studies and synthesized results from across a minimum of 9 and maximum of 43 wetland basins (depending on the variable data available). We found an average wetland removal rate of nitrate and phosphate of 53% and 68%, respectively. Literature also showed sedimentation rates to be twice as high in wetland basins situated within croplands compared to grasslands. Our synthesis enhances understanding of nutrient processing in wetlands of the PPR and highlights the need for more empirical field-based studies throughout the region.

Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dako↗
USGS2011

Project plan-Surficial geologic mapping and hydrogeologic framework studies in the Greater Platte River Basins (Central Great Plains) in support of ecosystem and climate change research

The Greater Platte River Basin area spans a central part of the Midcontinent and Great Plains from the Rocky Mountains on the west to the Missouri River on the east, and is defined to include drainage areas of the Platte, Niobrara, and Republican Rivers, the Rainwater Basin, and other adjoining areas overlying the northern High Plains aquifer. The Greater Platte River Basin contains abundant surficial deposits that were sensitive to, or are reflective of, the climate under which they formed: deposits from multiple glaciations in the mountain headwaters of the North and South Platte Rivers and from continental ice sheets in eastern Nebraska; fluvial terraces (ranging from Tertiary to Holocene in age) along the rivers and streams; vast areas of eolian sand in the Nebraska Sand Hills and other dune fields (recording multiple episodes of dune activity); thick sequences of windblown silt (loess); and sediment deposited in numerous lakes and wetlands. In addition, the Greater Platte River Basin overlies and contributes surface water to the High Plains aquifer, a nationally important groundwater system that underlies parts of eight states and sustains one of the major agricultural areas of the United States. The area also provides critical nesting habitat for birds such as plovers and terns, and roosting habitat for cranes and other migratory birds that travel through the Central Flyway of North America. This broad area, containing fragile ecosystems that could be further threatened by changes in climate and land use, has been identified by the USGS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a region where intensive collaborative research could lead to a better understanding of climate change and what might be done to adapt to or mitigate its adverse effects to ecosystems and to humans. The need for robust data on the geologic framework of ecosystems in the Greater Platte River Basin has been acknowledged in proceedings from the 2008 Climate Change Workshop and in draft reports by researchers developing a multidisciplinary science plan for the Greater Platte River Basin.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

Comparison of Hydrologic and Water-Quality Characteristics of Two Native Tallgrass Prairie Streams with Agricultural Streams in Missouri and Kansas

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, to analyze and compare hydrologic and water-quality characteristics of tallgrass prairie and agricultural basins located within the historical distribution of tallgrass prairie in Missouri and Kansas. Streamflow and water-quality data from two remnant, tallgrass prairie basins (East Drywood Creek at Prairie State Park, Missouri, and Kings Creek near Manhattan, Kansas) were compared to similar data from agricultural basins in Missouri and Kansas. Prairie streams, especially Kings Creek in eastern Kansas, received a higher percentage of base flow and a lower percentage of direct runoff than similar-sized agricultural streams in the region. A larger contribution of direct runoff from the agricultural streams made them much flashier than prairie streams. During 22 years of record, the Kings Creek base-flow component averaged 66 percent of total flow, but base flow was only 16 to 26 percent of flows at agricultural sites of various record periods. The large base-flow component likely is the result of greater infiltration of precipitation in prairie soils and the resulting greater contribution of groundwater to streamflow. The 1- and 3-day annual maximum flows were significantly greater at three agricultural sites than at Kings Creek. The effects of flashier agricultural streams on native aquatic biota are unknown, but may be an important factor in the sustainability of some native aquatic species. There were no significant differences in the distribution of dissolved-oxygen concentrations at prairie and agricultural sites, and some samples from most sites fell below the 5 milligrams per liter Missouri and Kansas standard for the protection of aquatic life. More than 10 percent of samples from the East Drywood Creek prairie stream were less than this standard. These data indicate low dissolved-oxygen concentrations during summer low-flow periods may be a natural phenomenon for small prairie streams in the Osage Plains. Nutrient concentrations including total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate, and total phosphorus were significantly less in base-flow and runoff samples from prairie streams than from agricultural streams. The total nitrogen concentration at all sites other than one of two prairie sampling sites were, on occasion, above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended criterion for total nitrogen for the prevention of nutrient enrichment, and typically were above this recommended criterion in runoff samples at all sites. Nitrate and total phosphorus concentrations in samples from the prairie streams generally were below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended nutrient criteria in base-flow and runoff samples, whereas samples from agricultural sites generally were below the criteria in base-flow samples and generally above in runoff samples. The lower concentrations of nutrient species in prairie streams is likely because prairies are not fertilized like agricultural basins and prairie basins are able to retain nutrients better than agricultural basins. This retention is enhanced by increased infiltration of precipitation into the prairie soils, decreased surface runoff, and likely less erosion than in agricultural basins. Streamflow in the small native prairie streams had more days of zero flow and lower streamflow yields than similar-sized agricultural streams. The prairie streams were at zero flow about 50 percent of the time, and the agricultural streams were at zero flow 25 to 35 percent of the time. Characteristics of the prairie basins that could account for the greater periods of zero flow and lower yields when compared to agricultural streams include greater infiltration, greater interception and evapotranspiration, shallower soils, and possible greater seepage losses in the prairie basins. Another difference between the prairie and agricultural strea

Scientific Investigations Report↗