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At least 1,423 records · Page 79Linked to original sources

Hydrological, water-quality, and ecological data for streams in Independence, Missouri, June 2005 through September 2013

Water-quality, hydrological, and ecological data collected from June 2005 through September 2013 from the Little Blue River and smaller streams within the City of Independence, Missouri, are presented in this report. These data were collected as a part of an ongoing cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the City of Independence Water Pollution Control Department to characterize the water quality and ecological condition of Independence streams. The quantities, sources of selected constituents, and processes affecting water quality and aquatic life were evaluated to determine the resulting ecological condition of streams within Independence. Data collected for this study fulfill the municipal separate sewer system permit requirements for the City of Independence and can be used to provide a baseline with which city managers can determine the effectiveness of current (2014) and future best management practices within Independence. Continuous streamflow and water-quality data, collected during base flow and stormflow, included physical and chemical properties, inorganic constituents, common organic micro-constituents, pesticides in streambed sediment and surface water, fecal indicator bacteria and microbial source tracking data, and suspended sediment. Dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, water temperature, and turbidity data were measured continuously at seven sites within Independence. Base-flow and stormflow samples were collected at eight gaged and two ungaged sites. Fecal sources samples were collected for reference for microbial source tracking, and sewage influent samples were collected as additional source samples. Dry-weather screening was done on 11 basins within Independence to identify potential contaminant sources to the streams. Benthic macroinvertebrate community surveys and habitat assessments were done on 10 stream sites and 2 comparison sites outside the city. Sampling and laboratory procedures and quality-assurance and quality-control methods used in data collection for this study are described in this report.

Missouri↗

Geochronology of Cenozoic rocks in the Bodie Hills, California and Nevada

The purpose of this report is to present geochronologic data for unaltered volcanic rocks, hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks, and mineral deposits of the Miocene Bodie Hills and Pliocene to Pleistocene Aurora volcanic fields of east-central California and west-central Nevada. Most of the data presented here were derived from samples collected between 2000–13, but some of the geochronologic data, compiled from a variety of sources, pertain to samples collected during prior investigations. New data presented here (tables 1 and 2; Appendixes 1–3) were acquired in three U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 40 Ar/ 39 Ar labs by three different geochronologists: Robert J. Fleck (Menlo Park, CA), Lawrence W. Snee (Denver, CO), and Michael A. Cosca (Denver, CO). Analytical methods and data derived from each of these labs are presented separately. The middle to late Miocene Bodie Hills volcanic field (BHVF) is a large (>700 km 2 ), long-lived (~9 million years [m.y.]), episodic eruptive complex (John and others, 2012) in the southern segment of the ancestral Cascades arc (du Bray and others, written commun., 2015) north of Mono Lake and east of Bridgeport, California (fig. 1). The field is near the west edge of the Walker Lane and the northwest edge of the Mina deflection where structures related to these shear zones may have localized magmatism. The Walker Lane (fig. 1) is a broad, northwest-striking zone of right-lateral shear that accommodates right-lateral motion between the Pacific and North America plates; the Mina deflection constitutes a 60-km-long right step in the Walker Lane (Faulds and Henry, 2008; Oldow, 1992, 2003; Stewart, 1988). The Bodie Hills volcanic field includes at least 31 volcanic rock units erupted from 21 significant volcanic eruptive centers. Four trachyandesite stratovolcanoes developed along the margins of the volcanic field and numerous silicic trachyandesite to rhyolite flow dome complexes erupted more centrally. Volcanism in the Bodie Hills volcanic field peaked at two periods, ~15.0 to 12.6 million years before present (Ma) and ~9.9 to 8.0 Ma, which were dominated by emplacement of large stratovolcanoes and large silicic trachyandesite-dacite lava domes, respectively. A final period of small-volume silicic dome emplacement began in the western part of the volcanic field at ~6 Ma and culminated at ~5.5 Ma (John and others, 2012).

California, Nevada↗

Archive of Sidescan Sonar and Swath Bathymetry Data Collected During USGS Cruise 13CCT04 Offshore of Petit Bois Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi, August 2013

In August of 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical survey offshore of Petit Bois Island, Mississippi. This effort was part of the U.S. Geological Survey Gulf of Mexico Science Coordination partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program and the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazards Susceptibility Project, by mapping the shallow geologic stratigraphic framework of the Mississippi Barrier Island Complex. This geophysical survey will provide additional data necessary for scientists to define, interpret, and provide baseline bathymetry and seafloor habitat for this area, and to aid scientists in predicting future geomorphological changes of the islands with respect to climate change, storm impact, and sea-level rise. Furthermore, these data will provide information for barrier island restoration, particularly in Camille Cut, and protection for the historical Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island, Mississippi. The geophysical data were collected during one cruise ( USGS Field Activity Numbers 13CCT04 ) aboard the Research Vessel Tommy Munro offshore along the gulf side of Petit Bois Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi. Data were acquired with the following equipment: a Systems Engineering and Assessment, Ltd., SWATH plus interferometric sonar (468 kilohertz (kHz)), an EdgeTech 424 (4-24 kHz), an EdgeTech 525i chirp subbottom profiling system, and a Klein 3900 sidescan sonar system. This report serves as an archive of the processed interferometric swath bathymetry and sidescan sonar data. Geographic information system data products include an interpolated digital elevation model, an acoustic backscatter mosaic, trackline maps, and point data files. Additional files include error analysis maps, Field Activity Collection System logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata. NOTE: These data are scientific in nature and are not to be used for navigation. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Mississippi↗

Sample descriptions and geophysical logs for cored well BP-3-USGS, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Alamosa County, Colorado

The BP-3-USGS well was drilled at the southwestern corner of Great Sand Dunes National Park in the San Luis Valley, south-central Colorado, 68 feet (ft, 20.7 meters [m]) southwest of the National Park Service’s boundary-piezometer (BP) well 3. BP-3-USGS is located at latitude 37°43ʹ18.06ʺN. and longitude 105°43ʹ39.30ʺW., at an elevation of 7,549 ft (2,301 m). The well was drilled through poorly consolidated sediments to a depth of 326 ft (99.4 m) in September 2009. Water began flowing from the well after penetrating a clay-rich layer that was first intercepted at a depth of 119 ft (36.3 m). The base of this layer, at an elevation of 7,415 ft (2,260 m) above sea level, likely marks the top of a regional confined aquifer recognized throughout much of the San Luis Valley. Approximately 69 ft (21 m) of core was recovered (about 21 percent), almost exclusively from clay-rich zones. Coarser grained fractions were collected from mud extruded from the core barrel or captured from upwelling drilling fluids. Natural gamma-ray, full waveform sonic, density, neutron, resistivity, spontaneous potential, and induction logs were acquired. The well is now plugged and abandoned. This report presents lithologic descriptions from the well samples and core, along with a compilation and basic data processing of the geophysical logs. The succession of sediments in the well can be generalized into three lithologic packages: (1) mostly sand from the surface to about 77 ft (23.5 m) depth; (2) interbedded sand, silt, and clay, decreasing in overall grain size downward, from 77 to 232 ft (23.5 to 70.7 m) depth; and (3) layers of massive clay alternating with layers of fine sand to silt from 232 to 326 ft (70.7 to 99.4 m), the total depth of the well. The topmost clay layers of the deepest package have a blue tint, prompting a correlation with the “blue clay” of the San Luis Valley that is commonly considered as the top of the confined aquifer. However, a confining clay was intercepted 113 ft (34.4 m) higher than the blue clay in BP-3-USGS. Most of the geophysical logs have good correspondence to the lithologic variations in the well. Exceptions are the gamma-ray log, which is likely affected by naturally occurring radiation from abundant volcanic detritus, and one interval within the deepest lithologic package, which appears to be abnormally electrically conductive. Resistivity logs and variations in sand versus clay content within the well are consistent with electrical resistivity models derived from time-domain electromagnetic geophysical surveys for the area. In particular, the topmost blue clay corresponds to a strong electrical conductor that is prominent in the electromagnetic geophysical data throughout the park and vicinity. BP-3-USGS was sited to test hypotheses developed from geophysical studies and to answer questions about the history and evolution of Pliocene and Pleistocene Lake Alamosa, which is represented by lacustrine deposits sampled by the well. The findings reported here represent a basis from which future studies can answer these questions and address other important scientific questions in the San Luis Valley regarding geologic history and climate change, groundwater hydrology, and geophysical interpretation.

Colorado↗

Groundwater quality data in 15 GAMA study units: results from the 2006–10 Initial sampling and the 2009–13 resampling of wells, California GAMA Priority Basin Project

The Priority Basin Project (PBP) of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). From May 2004 to March 2012, the GAMA-PBP collected samples from more than 2,300 wells in 35 study units across the State. Selected wells in each study unit were sampled again approximately 3 years after initial sampling as part of an assessment of temporal trends in water quality by the GAMA-PBP. This triennial (every 3 years) trend sampling of GAMA-PBP study units concluded in December 2013. Fifteen of the study units, initially sampled between January 2006 and June 2010 and sampled a second time between April 2009 and April 2013 to assess temporal trends, are the subject of this report. The initial sampling was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of the quality of untreated groundwater used for public water supplies in the 15 study units. In these study units, 730 wells were selected by using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the areas assessed (grid wells, also called “status wells”). Approximately 3 years after the initial sampling, 93 of the previously sampled status wells (approximately 10 percent in each study unit) were randomly selected for trend sampling (“trend wells”). The 15 study units sampled for trends were distributed among 4 hydrogeologic provinces: Central Valley, Basin and Range, Desert, and Transverse and selected Peninsular Ranges. The total number of status wells sampled, along with those sampled again for trends, varied by study unit. In the Central Valley hydrogeologic province, the numbers of status wells and trend wells in each study unit were as follows: Kern County subbasin study unit—47 status wells, 5 trend wells Central Eastside San Joaquin Basin study unit—58 status wells, 6 trend wells Middle Sacramento Valley study unit—71 status wells, 8 trend wells Northern Sacramento Valley study unit—43 status wells, 4 trend wells Madera–Chowchilla study unit—30 status wells, 4 trend wells Western San Joaquin Valley study unit—39 status wells, 4 trend wells. The Basin and Range hydrogeologic province had only one study unit: Owens and Indian Wells Valleys study unit—53 status wells, 6 trend wells. In the Desert hydrogeologic province, the numbers of wells were as follows: Coachella Valley study unit—19 status wells 4 trend wells Colorado River study unit—20 status wells, 3 trend wells Antelope Valley study unit—56 status wells, 6 trend wells Mojave study unit—52 status wells, 7 trend wells Borrego Valley, Central Desert and Low-Use Basins of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts study unit—49 status wells, 6 trend wells. In the Transverse and Selected Peninsular Ranges hydrogeologic province, the numbers of wells were as follows: Coastal Los Angeles Basin study unit—61 status wells, 8 trend wells Upper Santa Ana Watershed study unit—90 status wells, 16 trend wells Santa Clara River Valley study unit—42 status wells, 6 trend wells. The groundwater samples were analyzed for a number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds, pesticides, and pesticide degradates), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N -nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), and naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements). Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water) also were measured to help identify processes affecting groundwater quality and the sources and ages of the sampled groundwater. More than 200 constituents and water-quality indicators were investigated. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, or samples for matrix spikes) were collected at 34 percent of the trend wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the groundwater samples. On the basis of detections in laboratory and field blanks in samples from GAMA-PBP study units, including the study units presented here, some groundwater results were adjusted in this report. Differences between replicate samples were mostly within acceptable ranges, indicating acceptably low variability in analytical results. Median matrix-spike recoveries were within the acceptable range (70 to 130 percent) for 189 of the 224 compounds for which matrix spikes were analyzed (84 percent). This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers. After withdrawal, groundwater used for drinking water typically is treated, disinfected, and blended with other waters to attain acceptable water quality. The benchmarks used in this report apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to untreated groundwater. To provide some context for the results, however, concentrations of constituents measured in these groundwater samples were compared with benchmarks established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Public Health. Comparisons between data collected for this study and benchmarks for drinking-water quality are for illustrative purposes only and are not indicative of compliance or non-compliance with those benchmarks. Most constituents that were detected in groundwater samples from the trend wells were found at concentrations less than drinking-water benchmarks. Two volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene—were detected in samples from one or more wells at concentrations greater than their health-based benchmarks, and three VOCs—chloroform, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene—were detected in at least 10 percent of the trend-well samples from the initial sampling period and the later trend sampling period. No pesticides were detected at concentrations near or greater than their health-based benchmarks. Three pesticide constituents—atrazine, deethylatrazine, and simazine—were detected in more than 10 percent of the trend-well samples in both sampling periods. Perchlorate, a constituent of special interest, was detected at a concentration greater than its health-based benchmark in samples from one trend well in the initial sampling and trend sampling periods, and in an additional trend well sample only in the trend sampling period. Most detections of nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements in samples from trend wells were less than health-based benchmarks in both sampling periods. Exceptions included nitrate, fluoride, arsenic, boron, molybdenum, strontium, and uranium; these were all detected at concentrations greater than their health-based benchmarks in at least one well sample in both sampling periods. Lead and vanadium were detected above their health-based benchmarks in one sample each collected in the initial sampling period only. The isotopic ratios of oxygen and hydrogen in water and the activities of tritium and carbon-14 generally changed little between sampling periods.

California↗

Groundwater geochemical and selected volatile organic compound data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June and September 2014

Previous investigations indicate that concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are substantial in groundwater beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. The U.S. Geological Survey has continued to monitor groundwater geochemistry to ensure that conditions remain favorable for contaminant biodegradation at the site. This report presents groundwater geochemical and selected CVOC data collected at Operable Unit 1 by the U.S. Geological Survey during June 23–25 and September 4, 2014, in support of long-term monitoring for natural attenuation. Groundwater samples were collected from 13 wells and 9 piezometers, as well as from 10 shallow groundwater passive-diffusion sampling sites in the nearby marsh. Samples from all wells and piezometers were analyzed for oxidation-reduction (redox) sensitive constituents and dissolved gases. Samples from all piezometers and four wells also were analyzed for CVOCs, as were all samples from the passive-diffusion sampling sites. In 2014, concentrations of redox-sensitive constituents measured at all wells and piezometers were consistent with those measured in previous years, with dissolved oxygen concentrations all less than 1 milligram per liter; little to no detectable nitrate; abundant dissolved manganese, iron, and methane; and commonly detected sulfide. In the upper aquifer of the northern plantation in 2014, CVOC concentrations at all piezometers were similar to those measured in previous years, and concentrations of the reductive dechlorination byproducts ethane and ethene were slightly lower or the same as concentrations measured in 2013. In the upper aquifer of the southern plantation, CVOC concentrations measured in piezometers during 2014 continued to be variable as in previous years, often high, and reductive dechlorination byproducts were detected in one of the three wells and in all but two piezometers. Beneath the marsh adjacent to the southern plantation, chloroethene concentrations measured in 2014 continued to vary spatially and temporally, and were high. Trends for total CVOC concentration continued to increase at the historically most contaminated passive‑diffusion sampler sites (S-4, S-4B, and S-5). For the intermediate aquifer in 2014, concentrations of reductive dechlorination byproducts ethane and ethene and CVOCs were consistent with those measured in previous years.

Washington↗

Data from the 2011 International Piping Plover Census

This report provides results from the 2011 International Census of Piping Plovers ( Charadrius melodus ). Distribution and abundance data for wintering and breeding Piping Plovers are summarized in tabular format. An appendix provides census data for every site surveyed in every state, province, and island. The 2011 winter census resulted in the observation of 3,973 Piping Plovers. Expanded coverage outside of the United States led to the discovery of more than 1,000 Piping Plovers wintering in the Bahamas. The breeding census detected 2,771 birds in Atlantic Canada and the Plains, Prairies, and Great Lakes regions of the United States and Canada. Combining the census count with the U.S. Atlantic “window census” provides a total minimum estimate of 5,723 breeding birds for the species.

Data Series↗

Installation of a groundwater monitoring-well network on the east side of the Uncompahgre River in the Lower Gunnison River Basin, Colorado, 2012

The east side of the Uncompahgre River Basin has been a known contributor of dissolved selenium to recipient streams. Discharge of groundwater containing dissolved selenium contributes to surface-water selenium concentrations and loads; however, the groundwater system on the east side of the Uncompahgre River Basin is not well characterized. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Bureau of Reclamation, has established a groundwater-monitoring network on the east side of the Uncompahgre River Basin. Ten monitoring wells were installed during October and November 2012. This report presents location data, lithologic logs, well-construction diagrams, and well-development information. Understanding the groundwater system will provide managers with an additional metric for evaluating the effectiveness of salinity and selenium control projects.

Colorado↗

Archive of digital chirp subbottom profile data collected during USGS Cruise 13CCT04 offshore of Petit Bois Island, Mississippi, August 2013

From August 13-23, 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted geophysical surveys to investigate the geologic controls on barrier island framework and long-term sediment transport offshore of Petit Bois Island, Mississippi. This investigation is part of a broader USGS study on Coastal Change and Transport (CCT). These surveys were funded through the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) with partial funding provided by the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital chirp subbottom data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Gained-showing a relative increase in signal amplitude-digital images of the seismic profiles are provided.

Mississippi↗

Hydrogeologic data and water-quality data from a thick unsaturated zone at a proposed wastewater-treatment facility site, Yucca Valley, San Bernardino County, California, 2008-11

The Hi-Desert Water District, in the community of Yucca Valley, California, is considering constructing a wastewater-treatment facility and using the reclaimed water to recharge the aquifer system through surface spreading. The Hi-Desert Water District is concerned with possible effects of this recharge on water quality in the underlying groundwater system; therefore, an unsaturated-zone monitoring site was constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to characterize the unsaturated zone, monitor a pilot-scale recharge test, and, ultimately, to monitor the flow of reclaimed water to the water table once the treatment facility is constructed. In June and July 2008, a borehole (YVUZ-5) was drilled by the USGS through the unsaturated zone in the vicinity of the proposed wastewater-treatment facility site by using an overburden drilling method. In addition to a variety of unsaturated-zone instrumentation, an observation well screened near the water table was installed in the borehole. The drilling procedures, lithologic and geophysical data, construction details, physical properties of unsaturated alluvial deposits, and instrumentation installed in YVUZ-5 are described in this report. Core material was analyzed for bulk-density, porosity, effective porosity, volumetric water content, residual water content, saturation, effective saturation, matric-potential, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Concentrations of soluble anions, including bromide, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and orthophosphate, in unsaturated-zone sediment and dissolved in unsaturated-zone water were determined by analyzing water extracted from drill-cutting material. A 0.1-acre pilot-scale infiltration pond was constructed in the vicinity of YVUZ-5. Water was applied to the pond over a period of about 8 months and allowed to infiltrate into the underlying unsaturated zone. Data were collected on chemical and isotopic composition of the groundwater, unsaturated-zone water, and infiltration pond water before, during, and after infiltration of water from the constructed pond. Selected drill cuttings and core samples collected during drilling were analyzed for the presence or absence of denitrifying and nitrate-reducing bacteria. Water levels in the observation well ranged from about 367 to 370 feet below land surface during the period of the study. Measured saturated hydraulic conductivity of core material ranged from 2.1 to 11.0 feet per day. Average vertical infiltration rates in the pilot-scale infiltration pond ranged from 0.7 to 2.4 feet per day. Both denitrifying and nitrate-reducing bacteria were present in drill cutting material in most probable numbers ranging from below detection limits to 2,400,000 for denitrifying and to 93,000 for nitrate-reducing bacteria.

California↗

Digital surfaces and thicknesses of selected hydrogeologic units of the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina

Digital surfaces and thicknesses of selected hydrogeologic units of the Floridan aquifer system were developed to define an updated hydrogeologic framework as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program. The dataset contains structural surfaces depicting the top and base of the aquifer system, its major and minor hydrogeologic units and zones, geophysical marker horizons, and the altitude of the 10,000-milligram-per-liter total dissolved solids boundary that defines the approximate fresh and saline parts of the aquifer system. The thicknesses of selected major and minor units or zones were determined by interpolating points of known thickness or from raster surface subtraction of the structural surfaces. Additional data contained include clipping polygons; regional polygon features that represent geologic or hydrogeologic aspects of the aquifers and the minor units or zones; data points used in the interpolation; and polygon and line features that represent faults, boundaries, and other features in the aquifer system.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina↗

Surface geophysics and porewater evaluation at the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2013

In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is participating in an ongoing study to aid in the identification of subsurface heterogeneities that may act as preferential pathways for contaminant transport in and around the Lower Darby Creek Area (LDCA) Superfund Site, Philadelphia Pa. Lower Darby Creek, which flows into the Delaware River, borders the western part of the former landfill site. In 2013, the USGS conducted surface geophysics measurements and stream porewater sampling to provide additional data for EPA’s site characterization. This report contains data collected from field measurements of direct current (DC) resistivity, frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) surveys, and stream porewater specific conductance (SC).

Pennsylvania↗

Total cylindrospermopsins, microcystins/nodularins, and saxitoxins data for the 2007 United States Environmental Protection Agency National Lake Assessment

Phytoplankton communities in freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs may be dominated by cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) under certain environmental conditions. Cyanobacteria may cause a range of water-quality impairments, including the potential for toxin production. Cyanobacteria toxins (cyanotoxins) may adversely impact human and ecological health. Microcystins are considered to be one of the most commonly found classes of cyanotoxins in freshwater ecosystems, and as such were selected as a recreational indicator of water quality for the 2007 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Lakes Assessment. However, much less is known about the occurrence of other classes of cyanotoxins in fresh surface water such as anatoxins, cylindrospermopsins, nodularins, and saxitoxins. The 2007 National Lakes Assessment followed a probabilistic study design and was directed by the EPA, in partnership with States, Tribes, and other federal agencies of the United States, to provide an assessment of water quality in the Nation’s lakes, ponds, and reservoirs based on trophic status, and ecological and recreational indicators. Integrated photic zone samples were collected by the EPA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), States, and Tribes in target water bodies, generally at their deepest point, and analyzed for microcystins by the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS assisted with this survey by providing technical expertise and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis of microcystins for all survey samples as an indicator for recreational water quality. A small subset of samples ( n =27) was analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) by the USGS. Additionally, through partnership with the EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), USGS analyzed all frozen samples by ELISA for two other classes of cyanotoxins, cylindrospermopsins and saxitoxins. Total cylindrospermopsins, microcystins, and saxitoxins were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a total of 1,331 samples from 1,161 lakes. Samples from this study had detection frequencies of 4.0, 32 (unweighted), and 7.6 percent, mean concentrations (detections only) of 0.56, 3.0, and 0.061 micrograms/L (μg/L), and maximum concentrations of 4.4, 230, and 0.38 μg/L for cylindrospermopsins, microcystins, and saxitoxins by ELISA, respectively in visit 1 and visit 2 samples. Microcystin ELISA results were categorized based on World Health Organization recreational surface-water guidelines for the relative probability of adverse health impacts because of microcystin exposure. The dataset described in this report is the first ever national reconnaissance of cyanotoxins in the United States. At least one microcystin congener was detected by LC/MS/MS in 52 percent of the 27 samples analyzed at a concentration greater than the LC/MS/MS minimum reporting level (MRL) of 0.010 μg/L and included detections for microcystin-LA, microcystin-LR, microcystin-LY, microcystin-RR, and microcystin-YR. Anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin, and nodularin-R were detected in 15 percent, 7 percent, and 4 percent of samples, respectively, at concentrations above 0.010 μg/L. Deoxycylindrospermopsin, domoic acid, lyngbyatoxin-a, microcystin-LF, microcystin-LW, and okadaic acid were not detected in the LC/MS/MS subset.

Data Series↗

Archive of digital Boomer seismic reflection data collected during USGS Cruises 94CCT01 and 95CCT01, eastern Texas and western Louisiana, 1994 and 1995

In June of 1994 and August and September of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, conducted geophysical surveys of the Sabine and Calcasieu Lake areas and the Gulf of Mexico offshore eastern Texas and western Louisiana. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, observers' logbooks, GIS information, and formal FGDC metadata. In addition, a filtered and gained GIF image of each seismic profile is provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and others, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Examples of SU processing scripts and in-house (USGS) software for viewing SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided. Processed profile images, trackline maps, navigation files, and formal metadata may be viewed with a web browser. Scanned handwritten logbooks and Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs may be viewed with Adobe Reader.

Data Series↗

Post-Nor'Ida coastal oblique aerial photographs collected from Ocean City, Maryland, to Hatteras, North Carolina, December 4, 2009

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts baseline and storm response photography missions to document and understand the changes in vulnerability of the Nation's coasts to extreme storms. The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida intensified to become a nor'easter (herein referred to as Nor'Ida). On December 4, 2009, the USGS conducted an oblique aerial photographic survey from Ocean City, Maryland, to Hatteras, North Carolina, aboard a U.S. Coast Guard HH60 helicopter at an altitude of 500 feet (ft) and approximately 1,200 ft offshore. This mission was flown to collect post-Nor'Ida data for assessing incremental changes since the last surveys, flown in 2008 and 2009, and the data can be used in the assessment of future coastal change. The images provided in this report are Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) images. Exiftool was used to add the following to the header of each photo: time of collection, Global Positioning System (GPS) latitude, GPS longitude, keywords, credit, artist (photographer), caption, copyright, and contact information. The photograph locations are an estimate of the position of the aircraft and do not indicate the location of any feature in the images. These photographs document the configuration of the barrier islands and other coastal features at the time of the survey. Table 1 provides detailed information about the GPS location, name, date, and time each of the 2,381 photographs was taken along with links to each photograph. The photography is organized into segments, also referred to as contact sheets. Each segment represents approximately 5 minutes of flight time. In addition to the photographs, a Google Earth Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file is provided and can be used to view the images by clicking on the marker and then clicking on either the thumbnail or the link above the thumbnail. The KML files were created using the photographic navigation files.

Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia↗

Geospatial compilation and digital map of centerpivot irrigated areas in the mid-Atlantic region, United States

To evaluate water availability within the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the University of Delaware Agricultural Extension, created a dataset that maps the number of acres under center-pivot irrigation in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain study area. For this study, the extent of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain falls within areas of the States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. The irrigation dataset maps about 271,900 acres operated primarily under center-pivot irrigation in 57 counties. Manual digitizing was performed against aerial imagery in a process where operators used observable center-pivot irrigation signatures—such as irrigation arms, concentric wheel paths through cropped areas, and differential colors—to identify and map irrigated areas. The aerial imagery used for digitizing came from a variety of sources and seasons. The imagery contained a variety of spatial resolutions and included online imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Imagery Program, Microsoft Bing Maps, and the Google Maps mapping service. The dates of the source images ranged from 2010 to 2012 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture imagery, whereas maps from the other mapping services were from 2013. Most of the irrigation in the study area is on the Delmarva Peninsula, where about 75 percent of the total acreage was delineated and where corn and soy bean are the main crops. The methods used to develop this dataset focused primarily on identifying center-pivot irrigation systems. In some instances (such as in in Suffolk County, New York), irrigated rectangular fields were observed through the aerial imagery, and these were included within the dataset. Other irrigation methods included subsurface drip and flood irrigation, which are commonly used on vegetable crops such as peppers and tomatoes and forage crops such as alfalfa in parts the western United States. Some fruit and nursery stock crops also use subsurface drip and flood irrigation. Drip irrigation is especially apparent in New Jersey where large plantings of truck crops are common. Subsurface drip and flood irrigation methods were not accounted for in this dataset. The U.S. Geological Survey collected these data to enhance the understanding of irrigation water demand and associated groundwater withdrawals for the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain. The digitized acreage totals were compared with the irrigation estimates provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture farm and ranch irrigation survey, which is the most comprehensive source of information on irrigation water use within the agricultural industry. This survey collects information on a wide range of topics, including the amount of water used, total acres irrigated, crop specific data, and even energy costs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture samples data for both entire States and individual counties.

Data Series↗

Hydrologic data from wells at or in the vicinity of the San Juan coal mine, San Juan County, New Mexico

In 2010, in cooperation with the Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) of the State of New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a 4-year assessment of hydrologic conditions at the San Juan coal mine (SJCM), located about 14 miles west-northwest of the city of Farmington, San Juan County, New Mexico. The mine produces coal for power generation at the adjacent San Juan Generating Station (SJGS) and stores coal-combustion byproducts from the SJGS in mined-out surface-mining pits. The purpose of the hydrologic assessment is to identify groundwater flow paths away from SJCM coal-combustion-byproduct storage sites that might allow metals that may be leached from coal-combustion byproducts to eventually reach wells or streams after regional dewatering ceases and groundwater recovers to predevelopment levels. The hydrologic assessment, undertaken between 2010 and 2013, included compilation of existing data. The purpose of this report is to present data that were acquired and compiled by the USGS for the SJCM hydrologic assessment.

New Mexico↗

Digital representation of oil and natural gas well pad scars in southwest Wyoming: 2012 update

The recent proliferation of oil and natural gas energy development in the Greater Green River Basin of southwest Wyoming has accentuated the need to understand wildlife responses to this development. The location and extent of surface disturbance that is created by oil and natural gas well pad scars are key pieces of information used to assess the effects of energy infrastructure on wildlife populations and habitat. A digital database of oil and natural gas pad scars had previously been generated from 1-meter (m) National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery (NAIP) acquired in 2009 for a 7.7-million hectare (ha) (19,026,700 acres) region of southwest Wyoming. Scars included the pad area where wellheads, pumps, and storage facilities reside and the surrounding area that was scraped and denuded of vegetation during the establishment of the pad. Scars containing tanks, compressors, the storage of oil and gas related equipment, and produced-water ponds were also collected on occasion. This report updates the digital database for the five counties of southwest Wyoming (Carbon, Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, Uinta) within the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) study area and for a limited portion of Fremont, Natrona, and Albany Counties using 2012 1-m NAIP imagery and 2012 oil and natural gas well permit information. This report adds pad scars created since 2009, and updates attributes of all pad scars using the 2012 well permit information. These attributes include the origination year of the pad scar, the number of active and inactive wells on or near each pad scar in 2012, and the overall status of the pad scar (active or inactive). The new 2012 database contains 17,404 pad scars of which 15,532 are attributed as oil and natural gas well pads. Digital data are stored as shapefiles projected to the Universal Transverse Mercator (zones 12 and 13) coordinate system. These data are available from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds934.

Wyoming↗