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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
USGS2005

Length-weight relationship and a relative condition factor equation for lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) from the St Clair River system (Michigan, USA)

Several USA state, federal, and Canadian agencies study lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the St Clair River and Lake St Clair, collectively referred to hereafter as the St Clair River (SCR) system. Previously, there has been no set standard for determining condition for SCR system lake sturgeon. Condition measures the variation from the expected weight for length as an indicator of fatness, general well-being, gonad development, etc. The aim of this project was to determine the length weight relationship of lake sturgeon caught from the SCR system, from which a relative condition factor (Kn) equation could be derived. Total length (TL, mm) and weight (W, kg) were measured for 1074 lake sturgeon (101 males and 16 females were identifiable) collected by setline and bottom trawl from the SCR system in May-September, 1997-2002. Analysis of covariance found no difference in the length-weight relationship between sampling gear or sex. Least-squares regression of log10W ?? log10TL produced the overall equation logW = 3.365logTL - 9.320. Using the exponential form of the slope and y-intercept, relative condition factor for lake sturgeon from the SCR system can be calculated as Kn - W/[(4.786 ?? 10-10)(TL3.365)]. Equations for males and females were also developed. Overall, body condition was significantly correlated with both age and girth; no significant difference in Kn by sex was found. In general, the SCR lake sturgeon population was near the upper ends of growth and condition ranges listed in the literature, comparable with those populations that are at similar latitudes. Although condition factors should be interpreted with caution, proper use of a standard equation provides a non-lethal measure of overall fish health that can be used by biologists and managers in ongoing efforts to restore lake sturgeon throughout the Great Lakes. ?? 2005 Blackwell Verlag, Berlin.

Journal of Applied Ichthyology↗
USGS2018

Geomorphic identification of physical habitat features in a large, altered river system

Altered flow regimes in streams can significantly affect ecosystems and disturb ecological processes, leading to species loss and extinction. Many river management projects use stream classification and habitat assessment approaches to design practical solutions to reverse or mitigate adverse effects of flow regime alteration on stream systems. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology to provide a primary identification of physical habitats in an 80-km long segment of the Canadian River in central Oklahoma. The methodology relied on basic geomorphic Geomorphic identification of physical habitat features in a large, altered river system erial imagery and Lidar data using Geographic Information Systems. Geostatistical tests were implemented to delineate habitat units. This approach based on high resolution data and did not require in-site inspection provided a relatively refined habitat delineation, consistent with visual observations. Future efforts will focus on validation via field surveys and coupling with hydro-sedimentary modeling to provide a tool for environmental flow decisions.

Oklahoma↗
USGS1984

Water quality in the Gillham Lake-Cossatot River system during dry and wet periods

Water samples were collected in the Cossatot River-Gillham Lake system during an extended dry period and after heavy rains to determine the spatial variations in certain water quality characteristics. Of particular interest was the influence of the reservoir discharge on the water quality of the tailwater compared with the effects of four tributaries entering the tailwater below the reservoir. The water quality of the Cossatot River below Gillman Lake at low-flow (dry periods) and during the first 3 days after heavy rainfall (wet period) was influenced more by the tributaries entering the tailwater than by the reservoir water release. We estimated, however, that the amount of particulate inorganic matter released to the tailwater from the reservoir after the initial 3-day wet period would be greater than the amounts entering the tailwater from the tributaries.

Arkansas Academy of Science Proceedings↗
USGS2010

A river system to watch: documenting the effects of saltcedar ( Tamarix spp.) biocontrol in the Virgin River valley

Throughout riparian areas of the southwestern United States, non-native saltcedar (also known as tamarisk; Tamarix spp.) can form dense, monotypic stands and is often reported to have detrimental effects on native plants and habitat quality (Everitt 1980; Shafroth et al. 2005). Natural resource managers of these riparian areas spend considerable time and resources controlling saltcedar using a variety of techniques, including chemical (Duncan and McDaniel 1998), mechanical, and burning methods (Shafroth et al. 2005). Approximately one billion dollars are spent each year on river restoration projects nationally (Bernhardt et al. 2005), and a majority of these projects focus on invasive species control in the Southwest (Follstad Shah et al. 2007). A technique that has drawn much attention is the use of the saltcedar leaf beetle ( Diorhabda spp.), a specialist herbivore, as biological control of saltcedar (Lewis et al. 2003). Research testing was conducted with beetles housed in secure enclosures in six states in 1998 and 1999 (Dudley et al. 2001), followed by open release at some of those sites starting in 2001 (DeLoach et al. 2004). By 2005, full-scale saltcedar biocontrol was implemented in 13 states, led by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the agency that oversees biological control programs, and with the participation and support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Despite the widespread application of Diorhabda , however, only limited research has quantified the consequences (benefits and costs) on biotic communities and ecosystem services. Alterations to riparian areas caused by various non-native species control activities have the potential to affect a variety of habitat types used by wildlife (Bateman et al. 2008a); processes like water availability, fluvial deposition, and erosion; and the establishment of other non-native species (Carruthers and D'Antonio 2005, Shafroth et al. 2005, DeLoach et al. 2006). Similarly, biocontrol is expected to modify riparian ecosystems, and it is imperative to document and evaluate both the environmental benefits and the potential costs of this tamarisk management method.

Virgin River↗
USGS2006

Geochemistry of bed and suspended sediment in the Mississippi river system: Provenance versus weathering and winnowing

Stream-bed sediment for the size fraction less than 150 μm, examined in 14,000 samples collected mostly from minor tributaries to the major rivers throughout the Mississippi River drainage system, is composed of 5 mineral fractions identified by factor analysis—Al-silicate minerals, quartz, calcite and dolomite, heavy minerals, and an Fe–Mn fraction. The Al-silicate fraction parallels its distribution in the regolith, emphasizing the local sediment source as a primary control to its distribution. Quartz and the heavy-mineral fraction, and associated trace elements, exhibit a complementary distribution to that of the Al-silicate fraction, with a level of enrichment in the bed sediment that is achieved through winnowing and sorting. The carbonate fraction has a distribution suggesting its dissolution during transport. Trace elements partitioned onto the Fe–Mn, possibly amorphous oxyhydride, fraction are introduced to the streams, in part, through human activity. Except for the heavy-mineral fraction, these fractions are identified in suspended sediment from the Mississippi River itself. Although comparison of the tributary bed sediment with the riverine suspended sediment is problematic, the geochemistry of the suspended sediment seems to corroborate the interpretation of the geochemistry of the bed sediment.

Arkansas basin, Ohio basin Tennessee basin, Lower ↗
USGS2024

Spawning run estimates and phenology for an extremely small population of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Marshyhope Creek–Nanticoke River system, Chesapeake Bay

Objective Once thought to be extirpated from the Chesapeake Bay, fall spawning runs of Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus have been rediscovered in the Marshyhope Creek (MC)–Nanticoke River (NR) system of Maryland, United States. High recapture rates in past telemetry surveys suggested a small population in the two connected tributaries. This study aims to generate estimates of abundance and understand within system connectivity for spawning runs in 2020 and 2021. Methods Data from mobile side-scan sonar surveys and detections of acoustically tagged adults on stationary telemetry receivers were analyzed in an integrated model to estimate spawning season abundance and examine run timing and system connectivity for this population. An array of acoustic receivers was deployed throughout the MC–NR system to monitor the movement of tagged fish during the spawning run period from mid-August to late October. Side-scan sonar surveys were conducted weekly in September in an area of high spawner aggregation to generate count data on spawning run abundance. Result In 2020 and 2021, 32 (95% credible interval [CRI] = 23–47) and 70 (95% CRI = 49–105) Atlantic Sturgeon, respectively, used the MC–NR system. The lower estimate for 2020 coincided with an earlier end to the spawning run related to cooler September temperatures in that year. Conclusion In both years, high spawning run connectivity between MC and the upper NR was observed. Overall, run estimates supported previous hypotheses that the MC–NR system supports a very small population and that both MC and the upper NR serve as important areas for spawning activity.

Chesapeake Bay, Marshyhope Creek–Nanticoke River s↗
USGS1995

The relationship of habitat characteristics to the distribution of chironomidae (Diptera) as measured by pupal exuviae collections in a large river system

Floating chironomid pupal exuviae were collected throughout the Yakima River (Washington, USA) and tributaries in 1989 and 1990. All samples were taken during the October-November low-flow season and most sites were visited once with a sampling effort of approximately 10 minutes. Sampled stream segments ranged from 3rd to 7th order and elevation ranged from 140–1200 m. The total number of taxa distinguished in 77 samples was 150 with a mean of 24 per site. Species richness was not highly correlated with stream order or elevation. An ecological gradient defined by ordinating the taxa by site data was highly correlated with site elevation (r=.93). Comparison with published attributes of chironomid genera suggested that temperature regime was a dominant environmental variable controlling chironomid distribution in this basin. However, since most measured habitat variables were associated with altitude, their effects could not be separated. Cluster analysis of taxa by site data resulted in groupings that distinguished montane from valley sites and agricultural drains from other valley sites. Differences in species composition between moderately enriched agricultural drains and less-impacted sites were minor compared with the underlying elevation gradient.

Washington↗
USGS2025

Observing northern high-latitude river systems to understand changes in a warming Arctic

Purpose of Review Streams and rivers are undergoing rapid change as the Arctic warms and thaws. We review recent observations in Arctic stream systems to identify ubiquitous changes and the most useful tools for observing change and exploring the underlying processes. Recent Findings Recent literature indicates increasingly significant trends in river hydrology and chemistry due to persistent warming in the Arctic and longer observational records for analysis. However, regional differences in the magnitude and direction of these trends persist. We also observe thresholds in ground thaw and surface–groundwater interactions that can impact river hydrology and chemistry. Summary Warming and thaw are occurring rapidly at high latitudes, resulting in increasing, yet variable responses in stream systems across regions and scales. These differences highlight the need for long-term records and an interdisciplinary approach to explain trends and predict future states. Stream systems respond to multiple landscape changes related to hydrology (changing precipitation and subsurface flow), geology (ground thaw dynamics), and ecology (vegetation change).

Current Climate Change Reports↗
USGS2008

Projecting cumulative benefits of multiple river restoration projects: an example from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system in California

Despite increasingly large investments, the potential ecological effects of river restoration programs are still small compared to the degree of human alterations to physical and ecological function. Thus, it is rarely possible to “restore” pre-disturbance conditions; rather restoration programs (even large, well-funded ones) will nearly always involve multiple small projects, each of which can make some modest change to selected ecosystem processes and habitats. At present, such projects are typically selected based on their attributes as individual projects (e.g., consistency with programmatic goals of the funders, scientific soundness, and acceptance by local communities), and ease of implementation. Projects are rarely prioritized (at least explicitly) based on how they will cumulatively affect ecosystem function over coming decades. Such projections require an understanding of the form of the restoration response curve, or at least that we assume some plausible relations and estimate cumulative effects based thereon. Drawing on our experience with the CALFED Bay-Delta Ecosystem Restoration Program in California, we consider potential cumulative system-wide benefits of a restoration activity extensively implemented in the region: isolating/filling abandoned floodplain gravel pits captured by rivers to reduce predation of outmigrating juvenile salmon by exotic warmwater species inhabiting the pits. We present a simple spreadsheet model to show how different assumptions about gravel pit bathymetry and predator behavior would affect the cumulative benefits of multiple pit-filling and isolation projects, and how these insights could help managers prioritize which pits to fill.

California↗
USGS2004

A suspended sediment budget for Pool 13 and La Grange Pool of the upper Mississippi River system

The suspended sediment budget for Pool 13 of the Mississippi River and La Grange Pool of the Illinois River was examined over a 3-yr period (October 1995 through September 1997). Pool 13 output was between 3.07 and 3.64 million t (metric tons) of suspended sediment annually during the study period. Loads to Pool 13 were dominated by those delivered by the Mississippi River (76%, 74%, and 66% in the 1995, 1996, and 1997 water years, respectively). Pool 13 exhibited sediment export (output greater than input) in 1995, a balance in 1996, and marked sediment trapping (output less than input) in 1997. Within the three study years, Pool 13 received its highest water and sediment loads during spring (March through May) and this period was marked by sediment export. Suspended sediment loads were trapped during the remainder of the year. La Grange Pool output was between 3.71 and 5.04 million t of suspended sediment annually during the 1995-97 water years. The Illinois River accounted for less than 50% of the suspended sediment load to the pool (19%, 25%, and 45% in the 1995, 1996, and 1997 water years, respectively. La Grange Pool exhibited considerable sediment trapping in 1995 whereas the 1996 and 1997 water years were much closer to a balance wherein output was within 5% of input. Generally, La Grange Pool received its largest water and sediment loads during the late spring—early summer period (April through June), but in 1997 the late winter loads predominated. In all years, La Grange Pool trapped the sediments during these high discharge, high loading periods and exported suspended sediments for the remainder of the year. The distinct differences in the manner in which these pools process suspended sediment loads may be related to the considerable differences between the morphometry of these pools.

Illinois, Iowa↗
USGS2008

Reconstructing late Pliocene to middle Pleistocene Death Valley lakes and river systems as a test of pupfish (Cyprinodontidae) dispersal hypotheses

During glacial (pluvial) climatic periods, Death Valley is hypothesized to have episodically been the terminus for the Amargosa, Owens, and Mojave Rivers. Geological and biological studies have tended to support this hypothesis and a hydrological link that included the Colorado River, allowing dispersal of pupfish throughout southeastern California and western Nevada. Recent mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) studies show a common pupfish (Cyprinodontidae) ancestry in this region with divergence beginning 3-2 Ma. We present tephrochronologic and paleomagnetic data in the context of testing the paleohydrologic connections with respect to the common collection point of the Amargosa, Owens, and Mojave Rivers in Death during successive time periods: (1) the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene (3-2 Ma), (2) early to middle Pleistocene (1.2-0.5 Ma), and (3) middle to late Pleistocene (<0.70.03 Ma; paleolakes Manly and Mojave). Using the 3.35 Ma Zabriskie Wash tuff and 3.28 Ma Nomlaki Tuff Member of the Tuscan and Tehama Formations, which are prominent marker beds in the region, we conclude that at 3-2 Ma, a narrow lake occupied the ancient Furnace Creek Basin and that Death Valley was not hydrologically connected with the Amargosa or Mojave Rivers. A paucity of data for Panamint Valley does not allow us to evaluate an Owens River connection to Death Valley ca. 3-2 Ma. Studies by others have shown that Death Valley was not hydrologically linked to the Amargosa, Owens, or Mojave Rivers from 1.2 to 0.5 Ma. We found no evidence that Lake Manly flooded back up the Mojave River to pluvial Lake Mojave between 0.18 and 0.12 Ma, although surface water flowed from the Amargosa and Owens Rivers to Death Valley at this time. There is also no evidence for a connection of the Owens, Amargosa, or Mojave Rivers to the Colorado River in the last 3-2 m.y. Therefore, the hypothesis that pupfish dispersed or were isolated in basins throughout southeastern California and western Nevada by such a connection is not supported. Beyond the biologically predicted time frame, however, sparse and disputed data suggest that a fluvial system connected Panamint (Owens River), Death, and Amargosa Valleys, which could account for the dispersal and isolation before 3 Ma. ?? 2008 The Geological Society of America.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2012

Isotope geochemistry and fluxes of carbon and organic matter in tropical small mountainous river systems and adjacent coastal waters of the Caribbean

Recent studies have shown that small mountainous rivers (SMRs) may act as sources of aged and/or refractory carbon (C) to the coastal ocean, which may increase organic C burial at sea and subsidize coastal food webs and heterotrophy. However, the characteristics and spatial and temporal variability of C and organic matter (OM) exported from tropical SMR systems remain poorly constrained. To address this, the abundance and isotopic character (δ13C and Δ14C) of the three major C pools were measured in two Puerto Rico SMRs with catchments dominated by different land uses (agricultural vs. non-agricultural recovering forest). The abundance and character of C pools in associated estuaries and adjacent coastal waters were also examined. Riverine dissolved and particulate organic C (DOC and POC, respectively) concentrations were highly variable with respect to land use and sampling month, while dissolved inorganic C (DIC) was significantly higher at all times in the agricultural catchment. In both systems, riverine DOC and POC ranged from modern to highly aged (2,340 years before present), while DIC was always modern. The agricultural river and irrigation canals contained very old DOC (1,184 and 2,340 years before present, respectively), which is consistent with findings in temperate SMRs and indicates that these tropical SMRs provide a source of aged DOC to the ocean. During months of high river discharge, OM in estuarine and coastal waters had C isotope signatures reflective of direct terrestrial input, indicating that relatively unaltered OM is transported to the coastal ocean at these times. This is also consistent with findings in temperate SMRs and indicates that C transported to the coastal ocean by SMRs may differ from that of larger rivers because it is exported from smaller catchments that have steeper terrains and fewer land-use types.

Puerto Rico↗
USGS2024

Rare habitats, rare species, and invasive predators highlight management complexities in the Colorado River system

Long-term drought caused Lake Powell, a reservoir on the Colorado River (USA), to decline to its lowest elevation in >50 years during 2022–2023, allowing warm water to pass through intakes of Glen Canyon Dam and facilitating invasion by non-native Smallmouth Bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ). Establishment of bass downstream of the dam could threaten persistence of several native fishes, including two federally listed species. Subsequent detection of larval Smallmouth Bass in a spring-fed slough (river mile -12 slough) connected to the river in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) increased urgency to stem further invasion. The National Park Service is evaluating proposed actions to limit effects from non-native predators on native species in the Colorado River, including potentially channelizing the slough. This locally rare, spring-fed waterbody provides habitat for other species, including Western Tiger Salamanders ( Ambystoma mavortium subsp.) of uncertain origin. We found salamanders from the slough had two distinct mitochondrial DNA haplotypes identical to sequences from nearby Arizona Tiger Salamander ( A. m. nebulosum ) populations, confirming they are the native genotype. We detected Red-spotted Toads ( Anaxyrus punctatus ) and Woodhouse’s Toads ( A. woodhousii ) from three other sites in Glen Canyon NRA and 34 sites in adjacent, downstream Grand Canyon National Park (spanning ∼464 km of river) with environmental DNA and traditional surveys. However, we did not detect salamanders elsewhere, matching prior information that salamanders are rare in the Colorado River corridor below Glen Canyon Dam. Based on this information, we discuss management options for the local population of Arizona Tiger Salamanders.

BioRxiv↗
USGS1986

River-quality assessment of the Truckee and Carson River system, California and Nevada: Hydrologic characteristics

A study of the Truckee and Carson Rivers was begun in October 1978 to assess the cause and effect relations between human and natural actions, and the quality of water at different times and places along the rivers. This report deals with the compilation of basic hydrologic data and the presentation of some of the new data collected during the study. Topographic, flow, and chemical data, data from recent time-of-travel studies, and new data on river mileages and drainage areas that were determined using new , high-resolution maps, are included. The report is a guide to locating maps, aerial photographs, computer files, and reports that relate to the rivers and their basins. It describes methods for compiling and expressing hydrologic information for ease of reading and understanding by the many users of water-related data. Text, tabular data, and colored plates with detailed maps and hydrographs are extensively cross referenced.

California, Nevada↗
USGS2021

The species–area relationship for a highly fragmented temperate river system

Despite the importance of species–area relationships (SARs) to conservation, SARs in human‐fragmented rivers have received little attention. Our aim was to test for the presence and strength of SARs for littoral fish assemblages of an extensively dammed river in south‐central Ontario, Canada, and to examine long‐running hypotheses for the drivers of SARs. Twenty‐six navigational dams with locks built between 1837 and 1913 occur along the 160 km length of the Trent River examined in this study. We evaluated the relationship between richness and fragment area, and then used linear models to test whether the area per se, habitat diversity, or other hypotheses were best supported by the data. A power–function relationship with area explained 46% of the variation in fish species richness, and the slope ( z = 0.4) was high compared with SARs reported from other ecosystems, indicating that species accumulated rapidly with an increase in fragment area. Multi‐predictor models suggested that area was significantly related to richness, but that vegetation cover diversity had a stronger relative effect. The slope of our SAR may indicate that there is a high degree of isolation between populations in different fragments, even though the lock system reportedly allows some passage of organisms. Our findings also suggest that mitigating against local extinction due to small population sizes (i.e., area effects), and enhancing aquatic vegetation cover may be viable strategies for promoting species diversity in the study river. Studies of SARs in fragmented rivers may offer additional benefits to supporting restoration planning where efforts are being made to increase species diversity.

Ontario↗
USGS2020

Coarse sediment dynamics in a large glaciated river system: Holocene history and storage dynamics dictate contemporary climate sensitivity

The gravel-bedded White River drains a 1279 km 2 basin in Washington State, with lowlands sculpted by continental glaciation and headwaters on an actively glaciated stratovolcano. Chronic aggradation along an alluvial fan near the river’s mouth has progressively reduced flood conveyance. In order to better understand how forecasted climate change may influence coarse sediment delivery and aggradation rates in this lowland depositional setting, we assessed the contemporary delivery and routing of coarse sediment through the watershed; this assessment was based on a rich set of topographic, sedimentologic, and hydrologic data from the past century, with a focus on repeat high-resolution topographic surveys from the past decade. We found that most of the lower river’s contemporary bed-load flux originates from persistent erosion of alluvial deposits in the lower watershed. This erosion is a response to a drop in local base level caused by a major avulsion across the fan in 1906 and then augmented by subsequent dredging. The 1906 avulsion and modern disequilibrium valley profiles reflect landscape conditioning by continental glaciation and a massive mid-Holocene lahar. In the proglacial headwaters, infrequent large sediment pulses have accomplished most of the observed coarse sediment export, with exported material blanketing downstream valley floors; during typical floods, transported bed material is largely sourced from erosion of these valley floor deposits. Throughout the watershed, we observe decadal-scale coarse sediment dynamics strongly related to the filling or emptying of valley-scale sediment storage over 10 2 −10 4 yr time scales, often in response to major disturbances that either emplace large deposits or influence their redistribution. Paraglacial responses in large watersheds are suggested to be inherently complicated and punctuated as a result of internal landform interactions and stochastic/threshold-dependent events. We argue, in combination, that Holocene disturbance, storage dynamics, and human flow modification make coarse sediment fluxes in the lower White River relatively insensitive to decadal climate variability. Results highlight the degree to which river sensitivity to contemporary disturbance, climatic or otherwise, may be contingent on local and idiosyncratic watershed histories, underscoring the need to unpack those histories while demonstrating the utility of watershed-scale high-resolution topography toward that end.

Washington↗
USGS1994

Critical and supercritical flows in two unstable, mountain rivers, Toutle river system, Washington

Critical and supercritical flows are generally considered to be rare occurrences in natural river channels. This paper presents data and results pertaining to the existence of measured critical and supercritical flows at gaging stations on the North Fork Toutle River (NFT) and Toutle River main stem (TR). The data set includes 930 discharge measurements made by the staff of the U.S. Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, between 1980 and 1989.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2001

Modeling Klamath River system operations for quantity and quality

Alternative water management scenarios for a portion of the mainstem Klamath River from Keno, Oregon, to Seiad Valley, California, were evaluated using computer models of water quantity (MODSIM) and quality (HEC-5Q). These models were used to explore the potential for changing system operations to improve summer/fall water quality conditions to benefit declining anadromous fish populations such as steelhead, coho, and fall chinook salmon. By comparing and contrasting several model simulation results, some operational strategies that could improve water quality were determined. Most of the alternatives evaluated decreased water temperature less than 2°C. For some alternatives, dissolved oxygen could be changed as much as 5 mg/L, but was often reduced, rather than increased (or improved). Resource managers need to be made aware that implementation of any strategy to enhance water quality conditions in the Klamath River could produce desirable beneficial results that are both spatially and temporally limited. In addition, undesirable water quality conditions, i.e., higher water temperature or lower dissolved oxygen concentration at other upstream or downstream locations, may also result.

California, Oregon↗