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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS1991

Prescribed grazing as a secondary impact in a western riparian floodplain

The effect of late-autumn cattle grazing on plant biomass was examined in a western Great Plains cottonwood riparian zone prone to catastrophic flooding every 5-8 years. Following 1 year of pre-treatment data collection in 1982, five 16-ha pastures were grazed from 1982 to 1984 and compared to 5 control pastures within the South Platte River floodplain in northeastern Colorado. At a prescribed grazing level of 0.46 ha/AUM, riparian vegetation proved to be resilient to the impacts of grazing. We detected only a few significant treatment effects for above-ground biomass after succeeding growing seasons. Willows ( Salix spp.) responded negatively to grazing whereas biomass of prairie cordgrass ( Spartina pectinata Link) was greater on grazed plots. Yearly changes in above-ground biomass, especially dramatic following a severe flood in 1983, suggest that periodic, catastrophic flooding is a major perturbation to the ecosystem, and in conjunction with our results on grazing impacts, indicate that dormant-season grazing within Soil Conservation Service (SCS) guidelines is a comparatively minor impact within the floodplain. In addition, grazing impacts were probably further mitigated by a major forage supplement of cottonwood leaves which was available at the time of cattle introductions. This local forage supplement ultimately created a lighter grazing treatment than that originally prescribed.

Journal of Range Management↗
USGS2002

Rangeland health attributes and indicators for qualitative assessment

Panels of experts from the Society for Range Management and the National Research Council proposed that status of rangeland ecosystems could be ascertained by evaluating an ecological site's potential to conserve soil resources and by a series of indicators for ecosystem processes and site stability. Using these recommendations as a starting point, we developed a rapid, qualitative method for assessing a moment-in-time status of rangelands. Evaluators rate 17 indicators to assess 3 ecosystem attributes (soil and site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity) for a given location. Indicators include rills, water flow patterns, pedestals and terracettes, bare ground, gullies, wind scour and depositional areas, litter movement, soil resistance to erosion, soil surface loss or degradation, plant composition relative to infiltration, soil compaction, plant functional/structural groups, plant mortality, litter amount, annual production, invasive plants, and reproductive capability. In this paper, we detail the development and evolution of the technique and introduce a modified ecological reference worksheet that documents the expected presence and amount of each indicator on the ecological site. In addition, we review the intended applications for this technique and clarify the differences between assessment and monitoring that lead us to recommend this technique be used for moment-in-time assessments and not be used for temporal monitoring of rangeland status. Lastly, we propose a mechanism for adapting and modifying this technique to reflect improvements in understanding of ecosystem processes. We support the need for quantitative measures for monitoring rangeland health and propose some measures that we believe may address some of the 17 indicators.

Journal of Range Management↗
USGS1998

County-based estimates of nitrogen and phosphorus content of animal manure in the United States for 1982, 1987, and 1992

This data set contains county estimates of nitrogen and phosphorus content of animal wastes produced annually for the years 1982, 1987, and 1992. The estimates are based on animal populations for those years from the 1992 Census of Agriculture (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995) and methods for estimating the nutrient content of manure from the Soil Conservation Service (1992). The data set includes several components.. 1. Spatial component - generalized county boundaries in ARC/INFO format/1/, including nine INFO lookup tables containing animal counts and nutrient estimates keyed to the county polygons using county code. (The county lines were not used in the nutrient computations and are provided for displaying the data as a courtesy to the user.) The data is organized by 5-digit state/county FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) code. Another INFO table lists the county names that correspond to the FIPS codes. 2. Tabular component - Nine tab-delimited ASCII lookup tables of animal counts and nutrient estimates organized by 5-digit state/county FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) code. Another table lists the county names that correspond to the FIPS codes. The use of trade names is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Report↗
USGS1969

Compilation of hydrologic data, Green Creek, Brazos River basin, Texas, 1966

In 1950 the U. S. Soil Conservation Service began construction of floodwater-retarding structures in Texas under authorities granted by the Congress. These authorities provide, where economically feasible, that the program be applied to tributary watersheds of 240,000 acres or less. The usual practice has been to control flood runoff from approximately 50 percent of the watershed by a system of floodwater-retarding structures located on headwater subwatersheds of generally less than 10 square miles.

Texas↗
USGS1993

Introduction: Geomorphic studies of the storm and flood of November 3-5, 1985, in the upper Potomac and Cheat River basins

The heavy rains of November 3-5, 1985, produced record floods and extensive landsliding in the Potomac and Cheat River basins in West Virginia and Virginia (pl. 1). Although rainfall intensity was moderate, the storm covered a very large area and produced record floods for basins in the size range of 1000-10,000 km 2 . In addition, thousands of landslides were triggered on slopes underlain by shale bedrock. The total social cost of the storm amounted to 70 lives lost and an estimated $1.3 billion in damage to homes, businesses, roads, and productive land in West Virginia and Virginia (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 1985a, b). These extreme costs were incurred despite the fact that the affected area is sparsely populated. To understand the origins and geomorphic effects of the 1985 storm, studies were undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Maryland, West Virginia University, Cornell University, University of Virginia, The Johns Hopkins University, and Carleton College. Personnel were also consulted from the National Weather Service, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Soil Conservation Service, and Interstate Commission on the Potomac River basin. This cooperative effort serves to document the effects of the storm as an example of an extreme geomorphic event in the central Appalachian Mountains. The following chapters comprise observations and preliminary analyses for some of the observed phenomena. Subsequent publications by the contributors to this volume will expand the scope of this research.

Virginia, West Virginia↗
USGS2009

RESIS-II: An Updated Version of the Original Reservoir Sedimentation Survey Information System (RESIS) Database

The Reservoir Sedimentation Survey Information System (RESIS) database, originally compiled by the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) in collaboration with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, is the most comprehensive compilation of data from reservoir sedimentation surveys throughout the conterminous United States (U.S.). The database is a cumulative historical archive that includes data from as early as 1755 and as late as 1993. The 1,823 reservoirs included in the database range in size from farm ponds to the largest U.S. reservoirs (such as Lake Mead). Results from 6,617 bathymetric surveys are available in the database. This Data Series provides an improved version of the original RESIS database, termed RESIS-II, and a report describing RESIS-II. The RESIS-II relational database is stored in Microsoft Access and includes more precise location coordinates for most of the reservoirs than the original database but excludes information on reservoir ownership. RESIS-II is anticipated to be a template for further improvements in the database.

Data Series↗
USGS1974

Hydrologic Unit Map -- 1974, State of Michigan

This map and accompanying table show Hydrologic Units that are basically hydrographic in nature. The Cataloging Units shown will supplant the Cataloging Units previously used by the U.S. Geological Survey in its Catalog of Information on Water Data (1966-72). The previous U.S. Geological Survey Catalog-Indexing System was by map number and letter, such as 49 M. The boundaries shown have been adapted from "The Catalog of Information on Water Data" (1972), "Water Resources Regions and Subregions for the National Assessment of Water and Related Land Resources" by the U.S. Water Resources Council (1970), " River Basins of the United States" by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (1963, 1970), "River Basin Maps Showing Hydrologic Stations" by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources, Subcommittee on Hydrology (1961), and States planning maps.

Michigan↗
USGS1976

Hydrologic Unit Map - 1974, state of Montana

This map and accompanying table show Hydrologic Units that are basically hydrographic in nature. The Cataloging Units shown will supplant the Cataloging Units previously used by the U.S. Geological Survey in its Catalog of Informaiton on Water Data (1966-72). The previous U.S. Geological Survey Catalog-Indexing System was by map number and letter, such as 49M. The boundaries as shown have been adapted from "The Catalog of Information on Water Data" (1972), "Water Resources Regions and Subregions for the National Assessment of Water and Related Land Resources" by the U.S. Water Reseources Council (1970), "River Basins of the United States" by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service ((1963, 1970), "River Basin Maps Showing Hydrologic Stations" by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources, Subcommittee on Hydrology (1961), and State planning maps.

Montana↗
USGS1978

Hydrologic Unit Map-1978, state of South Dakota

This map and accompanying table show Hydrologic Unites that are basically hydrographic in nature. The Cataloging Unites shown supplant the Cataloging Units previously depicted n the 1974 State Hydrologic Unit Map. The boundaries as shown have been adapted from the 1974 State Hydrologic Unit Map, "The Catalog of Information on Water Data" (1972), "Water Resources Regions and Subregions for the National Assessment of Water and Related Land Resources" by the U.S. Water Resources Council (1970), "River Basin of the United States" by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (1963, 1970), "River Basin Maps Showing Hydrologic Stations" by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources, Subcommittee on Hydrology (1961), and State planning maps. The Political Subdivision has been adopted from "Counties and County Equivalents of the States if the United States" presented in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 6-2, issued by the National Bureau of Standards (1973) in which each county or county equivalent is identified by a 2-character State code and a 3-character county code. The Regions, Subregions and Accounting Units are aggregates of the Cataloging Unites. The Regions and Sub regions are currently (1978) used by the U.S> Water Resources Council for comprehensive planning, including the National Assessment, and as a standard geographical framework for more detailed water and related land-resources planning. The Accounting Units are those currently (1978) in use by the U.S. Geological Survey for managing the National Water Data Network. This map was revised to include a boundary realinement between Cataloging Units 10140103 and 10160009.

South Dakota↗
USGS1974

Hydrologic unit map:1974, State of Utah

This map and accompanying table show Hydrologic Units that are basically hydrographic in nature. The Cataloging Units shown will supplant the Cataloging Units previously used by the U.S. Geological Survey in its Catalog of Information on Water Data (1966-72). The previous U.S. Geological Survey Catalog-Indexing System was by map number and letter, such as 49M. the boundaries as shown have been adapted from “the Catalog of Information on Water Data” (1972), “Water Resources Regions and Subregions for the National Assessment of Water and Related Land Resources” by the U.S. Water Resources Council (1970), “River Basins of the United States” by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (1963, 1970), “River Basin Maps Showing Hydrologic Stations” by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resourres, Subcommittee on hydrology (1961), and State planning maps.

Utah↗
USGS1978

Channel migration of the White River in the eastern Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado

The White River is the largest stream in the southeastern part of the Uinta Basin in Utah and Colorado. This map shows the changes that have occurred in the location of the main channel of the river from 1936 to 1974. The map indicated that certain reaches of the river are subject to different rates of channel migration. Also shown is the boundary of the flood plain, which is mapped at the point of abrupt break in slope. This map documents the position of the river channel prior to any withdrawals of water or alteration of the flow characteristics of the white river that may occur in order to meet water requirements principally associated with the proposed oil-shale industry or other development in the area. The channel locations were determined from aerial photographs taken at four different time periods for the following Federal agencies: In 1936, U.S. Soil Conservation Services; 1953, U.S. Corps of Engineers; 1965, U.S. Geological Survey; and in 1974, U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The 1936 delineation, which is actually based upon photographs that were taken in 1936 and 1937, was made by projection of the original photographs on a base map that was prepared from 1:24,000 scale topographic maps. The 1953, 1965, and 1974 delineations were produced from stereographic models. The 1965 delineation was compiled from photographs that were taken during 1962-65. The delineation is labeled as 1965 for simplicity, however, because the photographs for 1965 cover about 60 percent of the study read of the river, and because no changed were discernable in those areas of repetitive photographic coverage.

Colorado, Utah↗
USGS2015

Sediment transport and capacity change in three reservoirs, Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1900-2012

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted numerous sediment transport studies in the Susquehanna River and in particular in three reservoirs in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin to determine sediment transport rates over the past century and to document changes in storage capacity. The Susquehanna River is the largest tributary to Chesapeake Bay and transports about one-half of the total freshwater input and substantial amounts of sediment and nutrients to the bay. The transported loads are affected by deposition in reservoirs (Lake Clarke, Lake Aldred, and Conowingo Reservoir) behind three hydropower dams. The geometry and texture of the deposited sediments in each reservoir upstream from the three dams has been a subject of research in recent decades. Particle size deposition and sediment scouring processes are part of the reservoir dynamics. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment was established for Chesapeake Bay to attain water-quality standards. Six states and the District of Columbia agreed to reduce loads to the bay and to meet load allocation goals for the TMDL. The USGS has been estimating annual sediment loads at the Susquehanna River at Marietta, Pennsylvania (above Lake Clarke), and Susquehanna River at Conowingo, Maryland (below Conowingo Reservoir), since the mid-1980s to predict the mass balance of sediment transport through the reservoir system. Using streamflow and sediment data from the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (upstream from the reservoirs), from 1900 to 1981, sediment loads were greatest in the early to mid-1900s when land disturbance activities from coal production and agriculture were at their peak. Sediment loads declined in the 1950s with the introduction of agricultural soil conservation practices. Loads were dominated by climatic factors in the 1960s (drought) and 1970s (very wet) and have been declining since the 1980s through 2012. The USGS developed a regression equation to predict the sediment scour load for daily mean streamflows greater than 300,000 cubic feet per second for the Lower Susquehanna River reservoirs. A compilation of data from various sources produced a range in total sediment transported through the reservoir system and allowed for apportioning to source (watershed or scour) for various streamflows. In 2011, Conowingo Reservoir was estimated to be about 92 percent of sediment storage capacity. Since construction of Conowingo Dam in 1929 through 2012, approximately 470 million tons of sediment was transported down the Susquehanna River into the reservoir system, approximately 290 million tons were trapped, and approximately 180 million tons were transported to Chesapeake Bay. Spatial and estimated total sand deposition in Conowingo Reservoir based on historical sediment cores indicated continued migration of sand downgradient toward the dam and the winnowing of silts and clays near the dam due to scour.

Maryland, Pennsylvania↗
USGS1952

Photogeologic maps of the Verdure 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8 quadrangles, Utah and Colorado

Base maps compiled by Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. These maps are compilations of photogeology and surface geology, Colorado Plateau area, United States. They are also known as: Trace Elements Memorandum Report 399 (Verdure 1) Trace Elements Memorandum Report 406 (Verdure 2) Trace Elements Memorandum Report 438 (Verdure 4) Trace Elements Memorandum Report 405 (Verdure 6) Trace Elements Memorandum Report 395 (Verdure 7) Trace Elements Memorandum Report 403 (Verdure 8)

Colorado, Utah↗
USGS1953

Seepage investigations of Noyes Canal, Menard County, Texas

At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, and the Menard Irrigation Company, a seepage investigation was made on Noyes Canal (Menard Irrigation Company Canal) in Menard County, Texas, from the headgates of the canal to where the canal empties back into the San Saba River.

Texas↗
USGS1957

Progress report of hydrology and sedimentation in Bixler Run, Corey Creek, and Elk Run watersheds, Pennsylvania

This report describes the results of an investigation in progress and presents some tentative findings from a study of hydrology and sedimentation of three small watersheds where soil conservation practices are being applied. The study was begun in April 1954, to determine precipitation, runoff, probable sources and yields of sediment, and channel changes in two small watersheds in Pennsylvania. This report covers the period April 1954, to September 30, 1955 with the exception of the aggradation-degradation range data which covers the period October 1954 to November 1956. The internal or time control method of calibration is being used for the Bixler Run watershed study, and an external control is being used in the Corey Creek study. Precipitation on Bixler Run watershed was 47.33 inches for the 1955 water year. Total runoff was 14.08 inches and the suspended sediment yield was 1,143.3 tons or 76 tons per square mile of drainage area. Precipitation on Corey Creek watershed for the same period totaled 35.81 inches. The total runoff was 8.37 inches and the suspended-sediment yield was 713.0 tons or 58.2 tons per square mile of drainage area. The precipitation on Elk Run, external control watershed for the Corey Creek study was 34.54 inches. The runoff was 10.10 inches and the suspended sediment yield was 709.9 tons or 69.5 tons per square mile. Results from the study of channel changes by means of sediment aggradation-degradation ranges showed fill in all three watersheds. Bixler Run showed an average channel fill of 1.3 square feet per stream cross section. Corey Creek and Elk Run watersheds showed average fills of 2.9 and 4.1 square feet per cross section respectively. Most of the sediments comprising this fill were in the particle size range of gravel and coarser material. The water in all three watersheds was low in dissolved solids during the period of investigation, varying from 72 to 127 ppm in Bixler Run, from 58 to 130 ppm in Corey Creek, and from 58 to 117 ppm in Elk Run. These waters are essentially of the secondary alkaline type with calcium and magnesium bicarbonate being the main dissolved constituents.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1971

Geohydrologic sections, Cache Valley, Utah and Idaho

This report was prepared as a part of a study of the ground-water resources of Cache Valley, Utah and Idaho. The study by the U.S. Geo- logical Survey was made during 1967-70 in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service cooperated by providing services; and counties, cities, irrigation districts, and some local organizations and businesses in both Utah and Idaho cooperated financially through the Utah Department of Natural Resources. In addition to this report, results of the study are presented in a basic-data release (McGreevy and Bjorklund, 1970) and in an interpretive report in preparation. Geologic and hydrologic data are combined and presented on a series of cross sections. Geologic contacts and faults or fault zones are based on indicated well logs, on the geologic map in the interpretive report (in preparation) , and on gravity data by Peterson and Oriel (1970).

Idaho, Utah↗
USGS1976

Records of wells, water-level measurements, and drillers' logs, Red River Valley, Louisiana

This report is a compilation of hydrogeologic data collected through June 1975 as part of the Red River Waterways project in Louisiana. The study was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Alexandria, La. Included are records of 332 wells and test holes, water levels in 324 wells, and drillers ' logs of 316 wells and test holes. Most of the data were collected between July 1968 and June 1975. Well locations are shown. All altitudes given in the tables are referenced to mean sea level. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗