Sample records for river valley study

  1. Refraction seismic studies in the Miami River, Whitewater River, and Mill Creek valleys, Hamilton and Butler Counties, Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Watkins, Joel S.

    1963-01-01

    Between September 17 and November 9, 1962, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Ohio Division of Water, Miami Conservancy District, and c,ty of Cincinnati, Ohio, co.,:ducted a refraction seismic study in Hamilton and Butler Counties, southwest Ohio. The area lies between Hamilton, Ohio, and the Ohio River and includes a preglacial valley now occupied by portions of the Miami River, Whitewater River, and Mill Creek. The valley is partially filled with glacial debris which yields large quantities of good-quality water. The object of the study was to determine the thickness of these glacial deposits and the shape of the preglacial valley.

  2. Habitat and Populations of the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Along the Sacramento River

    Treesearch

    F. Jordan Lang; James D. Jokerst; Gregory E. Sutter

    1989-01-01

    Prior to 1985, the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a threatened species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, was known only from northern California riparian areas along the American River and Putah Creek in the Sacramento Valley, and along several rivers in the northern San Joaquin Valley. During 1985-1987, our study extended the known range of the...

  3. Groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burton, Carmen A.; Landon, Matthew K.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    The Santa Clara River Valley (SCRV) study unit is located in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, and is bounded by the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Topatopa, and Santa Ynez Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The 460-square-mile study unit includes eight groundwater basins: Ojai Valley, Upper Ojai Valley, Ventura River Valley, Santa Clara River Valley, Pleasant Valley, Arroyo Santa Rosa Valley, Las Posas Valley, and Simi Valley (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Montrella and Belitz, 2009). The SCRV study unit has hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual rainfall ranges from 12 to 28 inches. The study unit is drained by the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, and Calleguas Creek. The primary aquifer system in the Ventura River Valley, Ojai Valley, Upper Ojai Valley, and Simi Valley basins is largely unconfined alluvium. The primary aquifer system in the remaining groundwater basins mainly consists of unconfined sands and gravels in the upper portion and partially confined marine and nonmarine deposits in the lower portion. The primary aquifer system in the SCRV study unit is defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database. Public-supply wells typically are completed in the primary aquifer system to depths of 200 to 1,100 feet below land surface (bls). The wells contain solid casing reaching from the land surface to a depth of about 60-700 feet, and are perforated below the solid casing to allow water into the well. Water quality in the primary aquifer system may differ from the water in the shallower and deeper parts of the aquifer. Land use in the study unit is approximately 40 percent (%) natural (primarily shrubs, grassland, and wetlands), 37% agricultural, and 23% urban. The primary crops are citrus, avocados, alfalfa, pasture, strawberries, and dry beans. The largest urban areas in the study unit are the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Newhall, and Santa Clarita. Currently, groundwater pumping for agricultural use accounts for the greatest amount of discharge from the aquifer system in the SCRV study unit, followed by municipal use. Recharge to the groundwater system is through stream-channel infiltration from the three main river systems and by direct infiltration of precipitation and irrigation. Recharge facilities in the Oxnard forebay play an important role in recharging the local aquifer systems.

  4. Hydrologic conditions in the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge and Planet Valley, Arizona, 2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilson, Richard P.; Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

    2002-01-01

    During a period of sustained base-flow conditions in the Bill Williams River below Alamo Dam in west central Arizona from March to July 2000, the channel of the river through Planet Valley was dry, and the water table sloped almost due west parallel to the main slope of the flood plain. Water from the river infiltrated into the channel bottom at the head of Planet Valley, moved downgradient in the subsurface, and reappeared in the channel about 0.3 mile downstream from the east boundary of the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge. A river aquifer in hydraulic connection with the Bill Williams River was mapped from a point 6.3 miles upstream from Highway 95 to the upstream end of Planet Valley. Formations that make up the river aquifer in Planet Valley are younger alluvium, older alluviums, and fanglomerate. Total thickness of the river aquifer probably is less than 200 feet in the bedrock canyons to as much as 1,035 feet in Planet Valley. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current hydrologic conditions along the Bill Williams River, which included an inventory of wells within the river aquifer of the Colorado River and in Planet Valley, and to determine the configuration of the water table. A map shows the elevation and configuration of the water table from the east end of Planet Valley to the confluence of the Bill Williams River with Lake Havasu.

  5. Ground-water flow and simulated effects of development in Paradise Valley, a basin tributary to the Humboldt River in Humboldt County, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prudic, David E.; Herman, M.E.

    1996-01-01

    A computer model was used to characterize ground-water flow in Paradise Valley, Nevada, and to evaluate probable long-term effects of five hypothetical development scenarios. One finding of the study is that concentrating pumping at the south end of Paradise Valley may increase underflow from the adjacent Humboldt River valley, and might affect flow in the river.

  6. 27 CFR 9.78 - Ohio River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ohio River Valley. 9.78... River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Ohio River Valley.” (b) Approved maps. The approved maps for determining the boundary of the Ohio River Valley...

  7. Examining the evolution of an ancient irrigation system: the Middle Gila River Canals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Tianduowa; Ertsen, Maurits

    2014-05-01

    Studying ancient irrigation systems reinforces to understand the co-evolution process between the society and water systems. In the prehistoric Southwest of America, the irrigation has been a crucial feature of human adaptation to the dry environment. The influences of social arrangements on irrigation managements, and implications of the irrigation organization in social developments are main issues that researchers have been exploring for a long time. The analysis of ceramics pattern and distribution has assisted to the reconstruction of prehistoric social networks. The existing study shows that, a few pottery fragments specially produced by the materials of the middle Gila River valley, were found in the Salt River valley; however, very few specialized ceramics of the Salt River valley occurred in the middle Gila River valley. It might indicate that there were trades or exchanges of potteries or raw materials from the middle Gila River valley to the Salt River valley. The most popular hypothesis of trading for the potteries is crop production. Based on this hypothesis, the ceramics trade was highly tied to the irrigation system change. Therefore, examining the changing relationship among the ceramics distribution along the middle Gila River, canals flow capacity, and available streamflows, can provide an insight into the evolutionary path among the social economy, irrigation and water environment. In this study, we reconstruct the flow capacity of canals along the middle Gila River valley. In combination with available streamflow from the middle Gila River, we can simulate how much water could be delivered to the main canals and lateral canals. Based on the variation and chronology of potteries distribution, we may identify that, the drama of the middle Gila River receiving insufficient flows for crop irrigation caused the development of ceramics exchange; or the rising of potteries exchange triggers the decline of irrigation in the study area.

  8. Iron and nutrient content of wind-erodible sediment in the ephemeral river valleys of Namibia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dansie, A. P.; Wiggs, G. F. S.; Thomas, D. S. G.

    2017-08-01

    Research concerning the global distribution of aeolian dust sources has principally focussed on salt/clay pan and desiccated lacustrine emission areas. In southern Africa such sources are identified as Etosha Pan in northern Namibia and Makgadikgadi Pans in northern Botswana. Dust emitting from ephemeral river valleys, however, has been largely overlooked. Rivers are known nutrient transport pathways and the flooding regimes of ephemeral river valleys frequently replenish stores of fine sediment which, on drying, can become susceptible to aeolian erosion. Such airborne sediment may be nutrient rich and thus be significant for the fertilisation of marine waters once deposited. This study investigates the dust source sediments from three ephemeral river valleys in Namibia in terms of their particle size distribution and their concentrations of bioavailable N, P and Fe. We compare the nutrient content of these sediments from the ephemeral river valleys to those collected from Etosha and Makgadikgadi Pans and consider their relative ocean fertilising potential. Our results show that the ephemeral river valleys contain fine grained sediment similar in physical character to Etosha and Makgadikgadi Pans yet they have up to 43 times greater concentrations of bioavailable iron and enriched N and P macronutrients that are each important for ocean fertilisation. The known dust-emitting river valleys of Namibia may therefore be contributing a greater fertilisation role in the adjacent marine system than previously considered, and not-yet investigated. Given this finding a re-assessment of the potential role of ephemeral river valleys in providing nutrient-rich sediment into the aeolian and marine systems in other dryland areas is necessary.

  9. Climatic and morphological controls on post-glacial lake and river valley evolution in the Weichselian belt - an example from the Wda valley, Northern Poland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramkowski, M. A.; Błaszkiewicz, M.; Piotrowski, J. A.; Brauer, A.; Gierszewski, P.; Kordowski, J.; Lamparski, P.; Lorenz, S.; Noryśkiewicz, A. M.; Ott, F.; Slowinski, M. M.; Tyszkowski, S.

    2014-12-01

    The River Wda valley is a classical example of a polygenetic valley, consisting of former lake basins joined by erosive gap sections. In its middle section, which was the subject of our research, a fragment of an abandoned Lateglacial river valley is preserved, which is unique for the Weichselian moraine belt in the Central European Lowlands. The analysis of the relationship between the lacustrine and fluvial sediments and landforms enabled the authors to report many evolutionary connections between the initial period of the river system formation and the emergence of lakes during the Weichselian Lateglacial. The surface drainage essentially determined the progress of melting of dead ice blocks buried in the glacial depressions, which finally led to lake formation there. Most of the lake basins in the study area were formed during the Bølling-Allerød period. However, one section of the subglacial channel was not exposed to the thermokarst conditions and was therefore preserved with dead ice blocks throughout the entire Lateglacial. The dead ice decay at the beginning of the Holocene, as well as the emergence of another lake, created a lower base level of erosion in the close vicinity of the abandoned valley and induced a change of the river's course. Both fluvial and lacustrine deposits and landforms distributed in the central section of the River Wda valley indicate two processes, which proceeded simultaneously: (1) emergence of fluvially joined lake basins within a glacial channel, (2) degradation of the river bed in the gap sections interfering between the lakes. The processes described for the central section of the River Wda channel indicate a very dynamic river valley development during the Weichselian Lateglacial and the early Holocene. The valley formation was tightly interwoven with the morphogenesis of the primary basins within the valley, mainly with the melting of the buried blocks of dead ice and the development of lakes. This study is a contribution to the Virtual Institute of Integrated Climate and Landscape Evolution (ICLEA) of the Helmholtz Association and the research project no. 2011/01/B/ST10/07367 Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

  10. Air flow analysis in the upper Río Negro Valley (Argentina)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cogliati, M. G.; Mazzeo, N. A.

    2006-06-01

    The so called Upper Río Negro Valley in Argentina is one of the most important fruit and vegetable production regions of the country. It comprises the lower valleys of the Limay and Neuquén rivers and the upper Negro river valley. Out of the 41,671 cultivated hectares, 84.6% are cultivated with fruit trees, especially apple, pear and stone fruit trees. Late frosts occurring when trees are sensitive to low temperatures have a significant impact on the regional production. This study presents an analysis of air flow characteristics in the Upper Río Negro Valley and its relationship with ambient air flow. To such effect, observations made when synoptic-scale weather patterns were favorable for radiative frosts (light wind and clear sky) or nocturnal temperature inversion in the lower layer were used. In the Negro river valley, both wind channeling and downward horizontal momentum transport from ambient wind were observed; in nighttime, very light wind events occurred, possibly associated with drainage winds from the nearby higher levels of the barda. In the Neuquén river valley, the prevailing effect appeared to be forced channeling, consistent with the results obtained in valleys where the synoptic scale wind crossed the axis of the valley. In the Limay river valley, the flow was observed to blow parallel to the longitudinal valley axis, possibly influenced by pressure gradient and forced channeling.

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

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Knott, J.R.; Machette, M.N.; Klinger, R.E.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Liddicoat, J.C.; Tinsley, J. C.; David, B.T.; Ebbs, V.M.

    2008-01-01

    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.

  12. Comparison of plant cover of river valley fragments by using GIS tools and multivariate analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waldon-Rudzionek, Barbara

    2017-11-01

    Selected landscape registers and results of ecological analyses of flora used in studies of transformations of anthropogenic plant cover and river valley landscapes were presented. The results were shown pursuant to a comparison of fragments of two adjacent valleys in north-western Poland.

  13. Using hydraulic heads, geochemistry and 3H to understand river bank infiltration; an example from the Ovens Valley, southeast Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Matthew; Cartwright, Ian

    2014-05-01

    Defining the relationship between the river and its river bank is important in constraining baseflow to a river and enhancing our ability in protecting water resources and riparian ecology. Hydraulic heads, geochemistry and 3H were measured in river banks along the Ovens River, southeast Australia. The Ovens River is characterised by the transition from a single channel river residing within a mountain valley to a multi-channel meandering river on broad alluvial plains in the lower catchment. The 3H concentrations of most near-river groundwater (less than 10 m from river channel) and bank water (10 - 30 m from the river channel) in the valley range between 1.93 and 2.52 TU. They are similar to those of the river, which are between 2.37 and 2.24 TU. These groundwater also have a Na/Cl ratio of 2.7 - 4.7 and are close to the river Na/Cl ratios. These similarities suggest that most river banks in the valley are recharged by the river. The hydraulic heads and EC values indicate that some of these river banks are recharged throughout the year, while others are only recharged during high flow events. Some near-river groundwater and bank water in the valley have a much lower 3H concentration, ranging from 0.97 to 1.27 TU. They also have a lower Na/Cl ratio of 1.6 - 3.1. These differences imply that some of the river banks in the valley are rarely recharged by the river. The lack of infiltration is supported by the constant head gradient toward the river and the constant EC values in these river banks. The river banks with bank infiltration are located in the first few hundred kilometres in the valley and in the middle catchment where the valley is broaden. In the first few hundred kilometres in the valley, it has a relatively flat landscape and does not allow a high regional water table to form. The river thus is always above the water table and recharges the river banks and the valley aquifers. In the broader valley, the relatively low lateral hydraulic gradient is sometimes reversed during high flow events, causing river to infiltrate the river banks. The river banks with no infiltration are in a location where the river runs in the middle of valley with a relatively steep incised bank. Thus, a strong lateral heads gradient toward the river can from in the bank, preventing river water from infiltration, even during a high flow event.

  14. Hydrogeologic framework of the Wood River Valley aquifer system, south-central Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bartolino, James R.; Adkins, Candice B.

    2012-01-01

    The Wood River Valley contains most of the population of Blaine County and the cities of Sun Valley, Ketchum, Hailey, and Bellevue. This mountain valley is underlain by the alluvial Wood River Valley aquifer system, which consists primarily of a single unconfined aquifer that underlies the entire valley, an underlying confined aquifer that is present only in the southernmost valley, and the confining unit that separates them. The entire population of the area depends on groundwater for domestic supply, either from domestic or municipal-supply wells, and rapid population growth since the 1970s has caused concern about the long-term sustainability of the groundwater resource. As part of an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey effort to characterize the groundwater resources of the Wood River Valley, this report describes the hydrogeologic framework of the Wood River Valley aquifer system. Although most of the Wood River Valley aquifer system is composed of Quaternary-age sediments and basalts of the Wood River Valley and its tributaries, older igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic rocks that underlie these Quaternary deposits also are used for water supply. It is unclear to what extent these rocks are hydraulically connected to the main part of Wood River Valley aquifer system and thus whether they constitute separate aquifers. Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in and near the study area that produce water to wells and springs are the Phi Kappa and Trail Creek Formations (Ordovician and Silurian), the Milligen Formation (Devonian), and the Sun Valley Group including the Wood River Formation (Pennsylvanian-Permian) and the Dollarhide Formation (Permian). These sedimentary rocks are intruded by granitic rocks of the Late Cretaceous Idaho batholith. Eocene Challis Volcanic Group rocks overlie all of the older rocks (except where removed by erosion). Miocene Idavada Volcanics are found in the southern part of the study area. Most of these rocks have been folded, faulted, and metamorphosed to some degree, thus rock types and their relationships vary over distance. Quaternary-age sediment and basalt compose the primary source of groundwater in the Wood River Valley aquifer system. These Quaternary deposits can be divided into three units: a coarse-grained sand and gravel unit, a fine-grained silt and clay unit, and a single basalt unit. The fine- and coarse-grained units were primarily deposited as alluvium derived from glaciation in the surrounding mountains and upper reaches of tributary canyons. The basalt unit is found in the southeastern Bellevue fan area and is composed of two flows of different ages. Most of the groundwater produced from the Wood River Valley aquifer system is from the coarse-grained deposits. The altitude of the pre-Quaternary bedrock surface in the Wood River Valley was compiled from about 1,000 well-driller reports for boreholes drilled to bedrock and about 70 Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) ambient-noise measurements. The bedrock surface generally mimics the land surface by decreasing down tributary canyons and the main valley from north to south; it ranges from more than 6,700 feet in Baker Creek to less than 4,600 feet in the central Bellevue fan. Most of the south-central portion of the Bellevue fan is underlain by an apparent topographically closed area on the bedrock surface that appears to drain to the southwest towards Stanton Crossing. Quaternary sediment thickness ranges from less than a foot on main and tributary valley margins to about 350 feet in the central Bellevue fan. Hydraulic conductivity for 81 wells in the study area was estimated from well-performance tests reported on well-driller reports. Estimated hydraulic conductivity for 79 wells completed in alluvium ranges from 1,900 feet per day (ft/d) along Warm Springs Creek to less than 1 ft/d in upper Croy Canyon. A well completed in bedrock had an estimated hydraulic conductivity value of 10 ft/d, one well completed in basalt had a value of 50 ft/d, and three wells completed in the confined system had values ranging from 32 to 52 ft/d. Subsurface outflow of groundwater from the Wood River Valley aquifer system into the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer was estimated to be 4,000 acre-feet per year. Groundwater outflow beneath Stanton Crossing to the Camas Prairie was estimated to be 300 acre-feet per year.

  15. Applying a water quality index model to assess the water quality of the major rivers in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

    PubMed

    Regmi, Ram Krishna; Mishra, Binaya Kumar; Masago, Yoshifumi; Luo, Pingping; Toyozumi-Kojima, Asako; Jalilov, Shokhrukh-Mirzo

    2017-08-01

    Human activities during recent decades have led to increased degradation of the river water environment in South Asia. This degradation has led to concerns for the populations of the major cities of Nepal, including those of the Kathmandu Valley. The deterioration of the rivers in the valley is directly linked to the prevalence of poor sanitary conditions, as well as the presence of industries that discharge their effluents into the river. This study aims to investigate the water quality aspect for the aquatic ecosystems and recreation of the major rivers in the Kathmandu Valley using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment water quality index (CCME WQI). Ten physicochemical parameters were used to determine the CCME WQI at 20 different sampling locations. Analysis of the data indicated that the water quality in rural areas ranges from excellent to good, whereas in denser settlements and core urban areas, the water quality is poor. The study results are expected to provide policy-makers with valuable information related to the use of river water by local people in the study area.

  16. Conservation genetics of the eastern yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) and bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi): River valleys are critical features for snakes at northern range limits.

    PubMed

    Somers, Christopher M; Graham, Carly F; Martino, Jessica A; Frasier, Timothy R; Lance, Stacey L; Gardiner, Laura E; Poulin, Ray G

    2017-01-01

    On the North American Great Plains, several snake species reach their northern range limit where they rely on sparsely distributed hibernacula located in major river valleys. Independent colonization histories for the river valleys and barriers to gene flow caused by the lack of suitable habitat between them may have produced genetically differentiated snake populations. To test this hypothesis, we used 10 microsatellite loci to examine the population structure of two species of conservation concern in Canada: the eastern yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) and bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in 3 major river valleys in southern Saskatchewan. Fixation indices (FST) showed that populations in river valleys were significantly differentiated for both species (racers, FST = 0.096, P = 0.001; bullsnakes FST = 0.045-0.157, P = 0.001). Bayesian assignment (STRUCTURE) and ordination (DAPC) strongly supported genetically differentiated groups in the geographically distinct river valleys. Finer-scale subdivision of populations within river valleys was not apparent based on our data, but is a topic that should be investigated further. Our findings highlight the importance of major river valleys for snakes at the northern extent of their ranges, and raise the possibility that populations in each river valley may warrant separate management strategies.

  17. 4. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    4. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PROPOSED SECTION OF DIVERSION DAM ACROSS SNAKE RIVER, SHEET 1 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  18. Middle Pleistocene infill of Hinkley Valley by Mojave River sediment and associated lake sediment: Depositional architecture and deformation by strike-slip faults

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, David; Haddon, Elizabeth; Langenheim, Victoria; Cyr, Andrew J.; Wan, Elmira; Walkup, Laura; Starratt, Scott W.

    2018-01-01

    Hinkley Valley in the Mojave Desert, near Barstow about 140 km northeast of Los Angeles and midway between Victorville Valley and the Lake Manix basin, contains a thick sedimentary sequence delivered by the Mojave River. Our study of sediment cores drilled in the valley indicates that Hinkley Valley was probably a closed playa basin with stream inflow from four directions prior to Mojave River inflow. The Mojave River deposited thick and laterally extensive clastic wedges originating from the southern valley that rapidly filled much of Hinkley Valley. Sedimentary facies representing braided stream, wetland, delta, and lacustrine depositional environments all are found in the basin fill; in some places, the sequence is greater than 74 m (245 ft) thick. The sediment is dated in part by the presence of the ~631 ka Lava Creek B ash bed low in the section, and thus represents sediment deposition after Victorville basin was overtopped by sediment and before the Manix basin began to be filled. Evidently, upstream Victorville basin filled with sediment by about 650 ka, causing the ancestral Mojave River to spill to the Harper and Hinkley basins, and later to Manix basin.Initial river sediment overran wetland deposits in many places in southern Hinkley Valley, indicating a rapidly encroaching river system. These sediments were succeeded by a widespread lake (“blue” clay) that includes the Lava Creek B ash bed. Above the lake sediment lies a thick section of interlayered stream sediment, delta and nearshore lake sediment, mudflat and/or playa sediment, and minor lake sediment. This stratigraphic architecture is found throughout the valley, and positions of lake sediment layers indicate a successive northward progression in the closed basin. A thin overlapping sequence at the north end of the valley contains evidence for a younger late Pleistocene lake episode. This late lake episode, and bracketing braided stream deposits of the Mojave River, indicate that the river avulsed through the valley, rather than continuing toward Lake Manix, during the late Pleistocene. Two dextral strike-slip fault zones, the Lockhart and the Mt. General, fold and displace the distinctive stratigraphic units, as well as surficial late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits. The sedimentary architecture and the two fault zones provide a framework for evaluating groundwater flow in Hinkley Valley.

  19. Geology and ground water in Russian River Valley areas and in Round, Laytonville, and Little Lake Valleys, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cardwell, G.T.

    1965-01-01

    This report describes the occurrence, availability, and quality of ground water in seven valley areas along the course of the Russian River in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, Calif., and in three valleys in the upper drainage reach of the Eel River in Mendocino County. Except for the westward-trending lower Russian River valley, the remaining valley areas along the Russian River (Healdsburg, Alexander, Cloverdale, Sanel, Ukiah, and Potter Valleys) lie in northwest-trending structurally controlled depressions formed in marine rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age. The principal aquifer in all the valleys is the alluvium of Recent age, which includes highly permeable channel deposits of gravel and sand. Water for domestic, irrigation, industrial, and other uses is developed by (1) direct diversion from the Russian River and its tributaries, (2) withdrawal of ground water and river water from shallow wells near the river, and (3) withdrawals of ground water from wells in alluvial deposits at varying distances from the river. Surface water in the Russian River and most tributaries is of good chemical quality. The water is a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type and contains 75,200 parts per million of dissolved solids. Ground water is also of good chemical quality throughout most of the drainage basin, but the concentration of dissolved solids (100-300 parts per million) is somewhat higher than that in the surface water. Round, Laytonville, and Little Lake Valleys are in central and northern Mendocino County in the drainage basin of the northwestward flowing Eel River. In Round Valley the alluvium of Recent age yields water of good chemical quality in large quantities. Yields are lower and the chemical quality poorer in Laytonville Valley. Ground water in Little Lake Valley is relatively undeveloped. Selected descriptions of wells, drillers' logs, chemical analyses, and hydrographs showing water-level fluctuations are included in the report. Accompanying maps show the distribution of water-bearing formations and the location of wells.

  20. 2. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT DAM, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT DAM, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PLAN, SHEET 5 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  1. 3. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    3. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PROFILE AND ALIGNMENT OF DAM ACROSS WEST CHANNEL OF SNAKE RIVER, SHEET 3 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  2. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  3. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  4. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  5. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  6. 27 CFR 9.57 - Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Green Valley of Russian River Valley. 9.57 Section 9.57 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.57 Green Valley of Russian River...

  7. Conservation genetics of the eastern yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) and bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi): River valleys are critical features for snakes at northern range limits

    PubMed Central

    Graham, Carly F.; Martino, Jessica A.; Frasier, Timothy R.; Lance, Stacey L.; Gardiner, Laura E.; Poulin, Ray G.

    2017-01-01

    On the North American Great Plains, several snake species reach their northern range limit where they rely on sparsely distributed hibernacula located in major river valleys. Independent colonization histories for the river valleys and barriers to gene flow caused by the lack of suitable habitat between them may have produced genetically differentiated snake populations. To test this hypothesis, we used 10 microsatellite loci to examine the population structure of two species of conservation concern in Canada: the eastern yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) and bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in 3 major river valleys in southern Saskatchewan. Fixation indices (FST) showed that populations in river valleys were significantly differentiated for both species (racers, FST = 0.096, P = 0.001; bullsnakes FST = 0.045–0.157, P = 0.001). Bayesian assignment (STRUCTURE) and ordination (DAPC) strongly supported genetically differentiated groups in the geographically distinct river valleys. Finer-scale subdivision of populations within river valleys was not apparent based on our data, but is a topic that should be investigated further. Our findings highlight the importance of major river valleys for snakes at the northern extent of their ranges, and raise the possibility that populations in each river valley may warrant separate management strategies. PMID:29095863

  8. Understanding the paleo environment in the Danish North Sea using 2D and 3D seismic analyses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prins, Lasse K.; Clausen, Ole R.; Andresen, Katrine J.

    2017-04-01

    This study presents the first detailed and integrated mapping of buried Quaternary valleys, river systems and iceberg scourings from the Danish North Sea region. The mapped features coincide spatially but have very different characteristics and incision levels which allow us to constrain their relative timing and differentiate their environment of formation (subglacial, proglacial and marine). The results of the study bring new critical information regarding the paleoenvironment of the North Sea Basin during the latest Quaternary deglaciation period and our analysis provide a well-tested workflow for utilizing 2D and 3D seismic data in relation to paleogeographical reconstructions. Our analysis is based on interpretation of conventional 3D seismic and high-resolution sparker data from the Southern Danish Central Graben. The project forms part of the portfolio for the 'Danish Hydrocarbon Research and Technology Centre' and aims at building a high-resolution 3D geological-geotechnical model of the shallow subsurface by using geophysical data combined with geological and geotechnical data from shallow borings. One of the objectives is to map potential geohazards for offshore installations such as buried valleys and constrain their geotechnical properties. The central North Sea is known to have been covered by glaciers several times during the Quaternary with climate changing between arctic and boreal. Marine conditions periodically prevailed and large river systems mainly from central Europe dominated during periods of subaerial exposure. Hence, many buried erosional incisions, primarily tunnel valleys but also river systems, can be observed within the upper 200-400 meters of the Quaternary succession throughout the central North Sea region. A high-resolution mapping of the infill of the tunnel valleys and river systems have however not previously been presented. Our analysis shows that within the study area at least four generations of tunnel valley formation and river system incisions can be mapped. The tunnel valleys have a strong NE-SW orientation and are typically characterized by an irregular base. The fluvial river systems which are the youngest, are smaller, typically with an anastomosing appearance. They generally have an NW-SE strike perpendicular to the older tunnel valleys. Clear sedimentary structures can be recognized on the high-resolution 2D seismic data indicating a complex history of cut and fill. In general, the study area displays a very heterogenic sedimentation pattern with varying valley types and significant lateral variations within the same valleys revealing a subtle interplay between incision and infilling. In some areas we furthermore see a distinct control of the river system morphology by deeper salt structures adding to the complexity of controlling factors for the rivers and tunnel valleys in the study area. The results of the study provide valuable information on the evolution of the Quaternary ice-sheets and drainage patterns and hence exemplify the use of seismic data for Quaternary paleo-environmental studies. With the good control on the distribution and infill of buried valleys and river systems, the study furthermore provides the first constrain to a detailed 3D model of different litho-facies based on seismic facies analysis combined with information from shallow borings.

  9. Preliminary results of hydrogeologic investigations Humboldt River Valley, Winnemucca, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cohen, Philip M.

    1964-01-01

    Most of the ground water of economic importance and nearly all the ground water closely associated with the flow o# the Humboldt River in the. 40-mile reach near Winnemucca, Nev., are in unconsolidated sedimentary deposits. These deposits range in age from Pliocene to Recent and range in character from coarse poorly sorted fanglomerate to lacustrine strata of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. The most permeable deposit consists of sand and gravel of Lake Lahontan age--the so-called medial gravel unit--which is underlain and overlain by fairly impermeable silt and clay also of Lake Lahontan age. The ultimate source of nearly all the water in the study area is precpitation within the drainage basin of the Humboldt River. Much of this water reaches the study, area as flow or underflow of the Humboldt River and as underflow from other valleys tributary to the study area. Little if any flow from the tributary streams in the study area usually reaches the Humboldt River. Most of the tributary streamflow within the study area evaporates or is transpired by vegetation, but a part percolates downward through unconsolidated deposits of the alluvial fans flanking the mountains and move downgradient as ground-water underflow toward the Humboldt River. Areas that contribute significant amounts of ground-water underflow to. the valley of the Humboldt River within the study area are (1) the valley of the Humboldt River upstream from the study area, (2) the Pole Creek-Rock Creek area, (3) Paradise Valley, and (4) Grass Valley and the northwestern slope of the Sonoma Range. The total average underflow from these areas in the period 1949-61 was about 14,000-19,000 acre-feet per year. Much of this underflow discharged into the Humboldt River within the study area and constituted a large part of the base flow of the river. Streamflow in the Humboldt River increases substantially in the early spring, principally because of runoff to the river in the reaches upstream from the study area. The resulting increase of the stage of the river causes the river to lose large amounts of water by infiltration to the ground-water reservoir in the study area. In addition, there is much recharge to the ground-water reservoir in the spring and early summer as a result of seepage losses from irrigation ditches and the downward percolation of some of the excess water applied for irrigation. The average net increase of ground water in storage in the deposits beneath and adjacent to the flood plain of the Humboldt River during the spring and early summer is about 10,000 acre-feet.

  10. Sources of phosphorus to the Carson River upstream from Lahontan Reservoir, Nevada and California, Water Years 2001-02

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alvarez, Nancy L.; Seiler, Ralph L.

    2004-01-01

    Discharge of treated municipal-sewage effluent to the Carson River in western Nevada and eastern California ceased by 1987 and resulted in a substantial decrease in phosphorus concentrations in the Carson River. Nonetheless, concentrations of total phosphorus and suspended sediment still commonly exceed beneficial-use criteria established for the Carson River by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. Potential sources of phosphorus in the study area include natural inputs from undisturbed soils, erosion of soils and streambanks, construction of low-head dams and their destruction during floods, manure production and grazing by cattle along streambanks, drainage from fields irrigated with streamwater and treated municipal-sewage effluent, ground-water seepage, and urban runoff including inputs from golf courses. In 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Carson Water Subconservancy District, began an investigation with the overall purpose of providing managers and regulators with information necessary to develop and implement total maximum daily loads for the Carson River. Two specific goals of the investigation were (1) to identify those reaches of the Carson River upstream from Lahontan Reservoir where the greatest increases in phosphorus and suspended-sediment concentrations and loading occur, and (2) to identify the most important sources of phosphorus within the reaches of the Carson River where the greatest increases in concentration and loading occur. Total-phosphorus concentrations in surface-water samples collected by USGS in the study area during water years 2001-02 ranged from <0.01 to 1.78 mg/L and dissolved-orthophosphate concentrations ranged from <0.01 to 1.81 mg/L as phosphorus. In streamflow entering Carson Valley from headwater areas in the East Fork Carson River, the majority of samples exceeding the total phosphorus water-quality standard of 0.1 mg/L occur during spring runoff (March, April, and May) when suspended-sediment concentrations are high. Downstream from Carson Valley, almost all samples exceed the water-quality standard, with the greatest concentrations observed during spring and summer months. Estimated annual total-phosphorus loads ranged from 1.33 tons at the West Fork Carson River at Woodfords to 43.41 tons at the Carson River near Carson City during water years 2001-02. Loads are greatest during spring runoff, followed by fall and winter, and least during the summer, which corresponds to the amount of streamflow in the Carson River. The estimated average annual phosphorus load entering Carson Valley was 21.9 tons; whereas, the estimated average annual phosphorus load leaving Carson Valley was 37.8 tons, for an annual gain in load across Carson Valley of 15.9 tons. Thus, about 58 percent of the total-phosphorus load leaving Carson Valley on an annual basis could be attributed to headwater reaches upstream from Carson Valley. During spring and summer (April 1-September 30) an average of 85 percent of the total-phosphorus load leaving Carson Valley could be attributed to headwater reaches. During fall and winter (October 1-March 31) only 17 percent of the phosphorus load leaving Carson Valley could be attributed to headwater reaches. The composition of the phosphorus changes during summer from particulate phosphorus entering Carson Valley to dissolved orthophosphate leaving Carson Valley. Particulate phosphorus entering Carson Valley could be settling out when water is applied to fields and be replaced by dissolved orthophosphate from other sources. Alternatively, the particulate phosphorus could be converted to dissolved orthophosphate as it travels across Carson Valley. Data collected during the study are not sufficient to distinguish between the two possibilities. Eagle Valley and Dayton-Churchill Valleys may act as sinks for phosphorus. On an annual basis, during water years 2001-02, about 90 percent of the phosphorus entering Eagle Valley left the

  11. Aquifer-test results, direction of ground-water flow, and 1984-90 annual ground-water pumpage for irrigation, lower Big Lost River Valley, Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bassick, M.D.; Jones, M.L.

    1992-01-01

    The study area (see index map of Idaho), part of the Big Lost River drainage basin, is at the northern side of the eastern Snake River Plain. The lower Big Lost River Valley extends from the confluence of Antelope Creek and the Big Lost River to about 4 mi south of Arco and encompasses about 145 mi2 (see map showing water-level contours). The study area is about 18 mi long and, at its narrowest, 4 mi wide. Arco, Butte City, and Moore, with populations of 1,016, 59, and 190, respectively, in 1990, are the only incorporated towns. The entire study area, except the extreme northwestern part, is in Butte City. The study area boundary is where alluvium and colluvium pinch out and abut against the White Knob Mountains (chiefly undifferentiated sedimentary rock with lesser amounts of volcanic rock) on the west and the Lost River Range (chiefly sedimentary rock) on the east. Gravel and sand in the valley fill compose the main aquifer. The southern boundary is approximately where Big Lost River valley fill intercalates with or abuts against basalt of the Snake River Group. Spring ground-water levels and flow in the Big Lost River depend primarily on temperature and the amount and timing of precipitation within the entire drainage basin. Periods of abundant water supply and water shortages are, therefore, related to the amount of annual precipitation. Surface reservoir capacity in the valley (Mackay Reservoir, about 20 mi northwest of Moore) is only 20 percent of the average annual flow of the Big Lost River (Crosthwaite and others, 1970, p. 3). Stored surface water is generally unavailable for carryover from years of abundant water supply to help relieve drought conditions in subsequent years. Many farmers have drilled irrigation wells to supplement surface-water supplies and to increase irrigated acreage. Average annual flow of the Big Lost River below Mackay Reservoir near Mackay (gaging station 13127000, not shown) in water years 1905, 1913-14, and 1920-90 was about 224,600 acre-ft; average annual flow of the Big Lost River near Arco (gaging station 13132500; see map showing water-level contours) in water years 1947-61, 1967-80, and 1983-90 was about 79,000 acre-ft (Harenberg and others, 1991, p. 254-255). Moore Canal and East Side Ditch divert water from the Big Lost River at the Moore Diversion, 3 mi north of Moore (see map showing water-level contours) and supply water for irrigation near the margins of the valley. When water supply is average or greater, water in the Big Lost River flows through the study area and onto the Snake River Plain, where it evaporates or infiltrates into the Snake River Plain aquifer. When water supply is below average, water in the Big Lost River commonly does not reach Arco; rather, it is diverted for irrigation in the interior of the valley, evaporates, or infiltrates to the valley-fill aquifer. This report describes the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, to collect hydrologic data needed to help address water-supply problems in the Big Lost River Valley. Work involved (1) field inventory of 81 wells, including 46 irrigation wells; (2) measurement of water levels in 154 wells in March 1991; (3) estimation of annual ground-water pumpage for irrigation from 1984 through 1990; and (4) analysis of results of an aquifer test conducted southwest of Moore. All data obtained during this study may be inspected at the U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho District office, Boise.

  12. 27 CFR 9.214 - Haw River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Haw River Valley. 9.214... River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “Haw River Valley”. For purposes of part 4 of this chapter, “Haw River Valley” and “Haw River” are terms of viticultural...

  13. Hydrogeology of the western part of the Salt River Valley area, Maricopa County, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, James G.; Pool, D.R.

    1989-01-01

    The Salt River Valley is a major population and agricultural center of more than 3,000 mi2 in central Arizona (fig. 1). The western part of the Salt River Valley area (area of this report) covers about 1,500 mi2. The Phoenix metropolitan area with a population of more than 1.6 million in 1985 (Valley National Bank, 1987) is located within the valley. The watersheds of the Salt, Verde, and Agua Fria Rivers provide the valley with a reliable but limited surface-water supply that must be augmented with ground water even in years of plentiful rainfall. Large-scale ground-water withdrawals began in the Salt River Valley in the early part of the 20th century; between 1915 and 1983, the total estimated ground-water pumpage was 81 million acre-ft (U.S. Geological Survey, 1984). Because of the low average annual rainfall and high potential evapotranspiration, the principal sources of ground-water recharge are urban runoff, excess irrigation, canal seepage and surface-water flows during years of higher-than-normal rainfall. Withdrawals greatly exceed recharge and, in some area, ground-water levels have declines as much as 350 ft (Laney and other, 1978; Ross, 1978). In the study area, ground-water declines of more than 300 ft have occurred in Deer Valley and from Luke Air Force Base north to Beardsley. As a result, a large depression of the water table has developed west of Luke Air Force Base (fig. 2). Ground-water use has decreased in recent years because precipitation and surface-water supplies have been greater than normal. Increased precipitation also caused large quantities of runoff to be released into the normally dry Salt and Gila River channels. From February 1978 to June 1980, streamflow losses of at least 90,000 acre-ft occurred between Jointhead Dam near the east boundary of the study area and Gillespie Dam several miles southwest of the west edge of the study area (Mann and Rhone, 1983). Consequently, ground-water declines in a large part of the basin have slowed, and ground-water levels in some sarea have risen significantly. In many areas along the Salt River and northeast of the confluence of the Salt and Agua Fria River, ground-water levels rose more than 25 ft between 1978 and 1984 (Reeter and Remick, 1986).

  14. Surface- and ground-water relations on the Portneuf river, and temporal changes in ground-water levels in the Portneuf Valley, Caribou and Bannock Counties, Idaho, 2001-02

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barton, Gary J.

    2004-01-01

    The State of Idaho and local water users are concerned that streamflow depletion in the Portneuf River in Caribou and Bannock Counties is linked to ground-water withdrawals for irrigated agriculture. A year-long field study during 2001 02 that focused on monitoring surface- and ground-water relations was conducted, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, to address some of the water-user concerns. The study area comprised a 10.2-mile reach of the Portneuf River downstream from the Chesterfield Reservoir in the broad Portneuf Valley (Portneuf River Valley reach) and a 20-mile reach of the Portneuf River in a narrow valley downstream from the Portneuf Valley (Pebble-Topaz reach). During the field study, the surface- and ground-water relations were dynamic. A losing river reach was delineated in the middle of the Portneuf River Valley reach, centered approximately 7.2 miles downstream from Chesterfield Reservoir. Two seepage studies conducted in the Portneuf Valley during regulated high flows showed that the length of the losing river reach increased from 2.6 to nearly 6 miles as the irrigation season progressed.Surface- and ground-water relations in the Portneuf Valley also were characterized from an analysis of specific conductance and temperature measurements. In a gaining reach, stratification of specific conductance and temperature across the channel of the Portneuf River was an indicator of ground water seeping into the river.An evolving method of using heat as a tracer to monitor surface- and ground-water relations was successfully conducted with thermistor arrays at four locations. Heat tracing monitored a gaining reach, where ground water was seeping into the river, and monitored a losing reach, where surface water was seeping down through the riverbed (also referred to as a conveyance loss), at two locations.Conveyance losses in the Portneuf River Valley reach were greatest, about 20 cubic feet per second, during the mid-summer regulated high flows. Conveyance losses in the Pebble-Topaz reach were greatest, about 283 cubic feet per second, during the spring regulated high flows and were attributed to a hydroelectric project.Comparison of water levels in 30 wells in the Portneuf Valley during September and October 1968 and 2001 indicated long-term declines since 1968; the median decline was 3.4 feet. September and October were selected for characterizing long-term ground-water-level fluctuations because declines associated with irrigation reach a maximum at the end of the irrigation season. The average annual snowpack in the study area has declined significantly; 1945 85 average annual snowpack was 16.1 inches, whereas 1986 through 2002 average annual snowpack was 11.6 inches. Water-level declines during 1998 2002 may be partially attributable to the extended dry climatic conditions. It is unclear whether the declines could be partially attributed to increases in ground-water withdrawals. Between 1968 and 1980, water rights for ground-water withdrawals nearly doubled from 23,500 to 46,000 acre-feet per year. During this period, ground-water levels were relatively constant and did not exhibit a declining trend that could be related to increased ground-water withdrawal rights. However, ground-water withdrawals are not measured in the valley; thus, the amount of water pumped is not known. Since the 1990s, there have been several years when the Chesterfield Reservoir has not completely refilled, and the water in storage behind the reservoir has been depleted by the middle of the irrigation season. In this situation, surface-water diversions for irrigation were terminated before the end of the irrigation season, and irrigators, who were relying in part on diversions from the Portneuf River, had to rely solely on ground water as an alternate supply. Smaller volumes of water in the Chesterfield Reservoir since the 1990s indicate a growing demand for ground-water supplies.

  15. Preliminary results from a study of natural slope failures triggered by the storm of November 3.5.1985, Germany Valley, West Virginia and Virginia: Chapter 4 in Landslides of eastern North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jacobson, Robert B.; Cron, Elizabeth D.; McGeehin, John P.

    1987-01-01

    During the first five days of November 1985, a low-pressure system in the Ohio River valley combined with a low-pressure system referred to as Tropical Storm Juan to produce heavy rainfall in the Potomac, James, and Rappahannock River basins. Severe flooding accompanied the rainfall; 43 lives were lost and the flood was estimated to be the most expensive natural disaster of 1985 in the United States (Scatena, 1986). The rainfall also triggered many slope failures. An especially large concentration of slope failures was associated with an area of moderate rainfall centered in the Germany Valley in Pendleton County, West Virginia (fig. 4.1A ). This report describes some preliminary results from our continuing research into the geological and meteorological controls on the distributions of slope failures in the Germany Valley area. The Germany Valley is the first major anticlinal valley in the Valley and Ridge province east of the Allegheny structural front (Diecchio, 1986). Our interest is focused on the portion from near Mouth of Seneca, West Virginia, in the Onego 7 .5-minute quadrangle, to near Mill Gap, Virginia, in the Mustoe 7.5-minute quadrangle (patterned in figs. 4.1 and 4.2). This area was a natural experiment for studying the effects of the storm because rainfall varied systematically from southwest to northeast along the valley, while bedrock lithology and structure are nearly constant. Furthermore, variation of rock types across the valley allows comparisons among lithologies at given levels of precipitation. The valley is floored by Ordovician carbonates of the Trenton, Black River, and St. Paul Groups and shales of the Martinsburg (Reedsville) Shale. The ridges are formed by sandstones of the Tuscarora and Oswego Sandstones, and the Juniata formation. The southwestern quarter of the valley is drained by Back Creek of the James River basin, and the remainder of the valley drains north and west to the North Fprk of the South Branch Potomac River.

  16. Punctuated sediment discharge during early Pliocene birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dorsey, Rebecca J.; O’Connell, Brennan; McDougall-Reid, Kristin; Homan, Mindy B.

    2018-01-01

    The Colorado River in the southwestern U.S. provides an excellent natural laboratory for studying the origins of a continent-scale river system, because deposits that formed prior to and during river initiation are well exposed in the lower river valley and nearby basinal sink. This paper presents a synthesis of regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and micropaleontology from the southern Bouse Formation and similar-age deposits in the western Salton Trough, which we use to interpret processes that controlled the birth and early evolution of the Colorado River. The southern Bouse Formation is divided into three laterally persistent members: basal carbonate, siliciclastic, and upper bioclastic members. Basal carbonate accumulated in a tide-dominated marine embayment during a rise of relative sea level between ~ 6.3 and 5.4 Ma, prior to arrival of the Colorado River. The transition to green claystone records initial rapid influx of river water and its distal clay wash load into the subtidal marine embayment at ~ 5.4–5.3 Ma. This was followed by rapid southward progradation of the Colorado River delta, establishment of the earliest through-flowing river, and deposition of river-derived turbidites in the western Salton Trough (Wind Caves paleocanyon) between ~ 5.3 and 5.1 Ma. Early delta progradation was followed by regional shut-down of river sand output between ~ 5.1 and 4.8 Ma that resulted in deposition of marine clay in the Salton Trough, retreat of the delta, and re-flooding of the lower river valley by shallow marine water that deposited the Bouse upper bioclastic member. Resumption of sediment discharge at ~ 4.8 Ma drove massive progradation of fluvial-deltaic deposits back down the river valley into the northern Gulf and Salton Trough.These results provide evidence for a discontinuous, start-stop-start history of sand output during initiation of the Colorado River that is not predicted by existing models for this system. The underlying controls on punctuated sediment discharge are assessed by comparing the depositional chronology to the record of global sea-level change. The lower Colorado River Valley and Salton Trough experienced marine transgression during a gradual fall in global sea level between ~ 6.3 and 5.5 Ma, implicating tectonic subsidence as the main driver of latest Miocene relative sea-level rise. A major fall of global sea level at 5.3 Ma outpaced subsidence and drove regional delta progradation, earliest flushing of Colorado River sand into the northern Gulf of California, and erosion of Bouse basal carbonate and siliciclastic members. The lower Colorado River valley was re-flooded by shallow marine waters during smaller changes in global sea level ~ 5.1–4.8 Ma, after the river first ran through it, which requires a mechanism to stop delivery of sand to the lower river valley. We propose that tectonically controlled subsidence along the lower Colorado River, upstream of the southern Bouse study area, temporarily trapped sediment and stopped delivery of sand to the lower river valley and northern Gulf of California for ~ 200–300 kyr. Massive progradation of the fluvial-deltaic system back down the river valley into the Salton Trough starting ~ 4.8–4.5 Ma apparently was driven by a huge increase in sediment discharge that overwhelmed the sediment-storage capacity of sub-basins along the lower river corridor and established the fully integrated river channel network.

  17. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES AND BENTHIC DIATOM ASSEMBLAGES IN CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY STREAMS (USA)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Streams and rivers in the California Central Valley Ecoregion have been substantially modified by human activities. This study examines distributional patterns of benthic diatom assemblages in relation to environmental characteristics in streams and rivers of this region. Benthic...

  18. Towards Biological Restoration of Tehran Megalopolis River Valleys- Case Study: Farahzad River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samadi, Nafishe; Oveis Torabi, Seyed; Akhani, Hossein

    2017-04-01

    Towards biological restoration of Tehran megalopolis river-valleys: case study Farahzad river 1Nafiseh Samadi, 2OveisTorabi, 3Hossein Akhani 1Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, nafiseh19@gmail.com 2 Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, weg@tna-co.com 3Department of Plant Sciences, Halophytes and C4 Research Laboratory, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran, akhani@khayam.ut.ac.ir Tehran is located in northcentral parts of Iran on the alluvium of southern Alborz Mountains. Seven rivers originated from the highlands of N Tehran run inside and around the city. Many of these river valleys have been deformed by a variety of urban utilizations such as garden, building, canal, park, autobahn etc. Tehran with more than eight million populations suffered from adverse environmental conditions such as pollution and scarcity of natural habitats for recreational activities. Ecological restoration of altered river valleys of Tehran is one of the priorities of Tehran municipality started as a pilot project in Farahzad river. Intensive disturbance, conversion into various urban utilization, illegal building construction, waste water release into the river, garbage accumulation, artificial park constructions and domination of invasive species have largely altered the river. Parts of the river located in Pardisan Nature Park was studied before its complete deformation into a modern park. The riparian vegetation consisted of Tamarix ramosissima and Salix acmophylla shrubs with large number of aquatic and palustric plants. The norther parts of the river still contain semi-natural vegetation which change into patchy and intensive degraded habitats towards its southern parts. In northern parts of valley there are old gardens of Morus alba and Juglans regia, and planted trees such as Plataneus oreientalis and Acer negundo. Salix acmophylla, Fraxinus excelsior and Celtis caucasica are native species growing on river margin or surrounding steep slopes. The rare local endemic Convolvulus gracillimus still occurs in surrounding dry slopes. Ailanthus altissima is an invasive introduced tree largely occupied disturbed habitats and slopes of the valley associated with large number of ruderals belonging to genera Amaranthus, Bassia, Chenopodium, Echinochloa, Heliotropium, Tribulus etc. Restoration plan include 1. Study of past biological and geomorphological conditions of the area based on remnants of vegetation and aerial and satellite imaginary data 2. Survey of present environmental conditions of the area including identification native and introduced plants and animals, assessing the degree of originality of existing vegetation and cultural landscapes and abiotic factors. 3. Soil reclamation and topography improvements towards cultivation and/or formation of natural vegetation.

  19. Does Israel Have a Need to Retain the Golan Heights? (The View from Israel).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-06-06

    the west side of the Jordan River .18 At the zenith of their power, their kingdom included the whole area west of the Jordan River , the Jordan Valley ...Israeli armistice demarcation lines changed from the mandatory borders in some areas east of the Jordan River and the Yarmuk Valley in Syria’s favor. The...Yarmuk Valley to the Jordan River . The Israelis gained control of the entire Golan Heights and impeded the Syrian artillery dominance of the valley to

  20. Holocene intramontane lake development: A new model in the Jáchal River Valley, Andean Precordillera, San Juan, Argentina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colombo, Ferran; Busquets, Pere; Sole de Porta, Nuria; Limarino, Carlos Oscar; Heredia, Nemesio; Rodriguez-Fernandez, Luis Roberto; Alvarez-Marron, Joaquina

    2009-10-01

    The Jáchal River Valley displays a number of significant Holocene sedimentary accumulations made up of fine-grained materials. These deposits are interpreted as the sedimentary infill of shallow temporary lakes that were generated by slow growing episodes of alluvial fans that obstructed the Jáchal River Valley. The association of fossil remains through the Holocene sedimentary sequence suggests that the accumulation of lacustrine sediments was affected by climate variations. The predominant aridity was punctuated by very few humid episodes characterised by fresh-water gastropoda and the intercalations of muddy sediments. The high proportion of charcoal particles in some samples indicates periodic forest fires. Abundant non-pollen forest remains suggest that an open zone dominated by several types of grasses underwent a dry season during part of the year. The palynomorph associations found in the Jáchal River Valley Holocene lacustrine sediments suggest that the humid conditions were less intense than those in the San Juan River Valley located more than one hundred kilometres southwards. Our study suggests that lake formation could have been controlled by climate oscillation probably related to the ENSO variation at 30° south latitude.

  1. Gypsum scarps and asymmetric fluvial valleys in evaporitic terrains. The role of river migration, landslides, karstification and lithology (Ebro River, NE Spain)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerrero, J.; Gutiérrez, F.

    2017-11-01

    Most of the Spanish fluvial systems excavated in Tertiary evaporitic gypsum formations show asymmetric valleys characterized by a stepped sequence of fluvial terraces on one valley flank and kilometric-long and > 100-m high prominent river scarp on the opposite side of the valley. Scarp undermining by the continuous preferential lateral migration of the river channel toward the valley margin leads to vertical to overhanging unstable slopes affected by a large number of slope failures that become the main geological hazard for villages located at the toe of the scarps. Detailed mapping of the gypsum scarps along the Ebro and Huerva Rivers gypsum scarps demonstrates that landslides and lateral spreading processes are predominant when claystones crop out at the base of the scarp, while rockfalls and topples become the dominant movement in those reaches where the rock mass is mainly constituted by evaporites. The dissolution of gypsum nodules, seasonal swelling and shrinking, and dispersion processes contribute to a decrease in the mechanical strength of claystones. The existence of dissolution-enlarged joints, sinkholes, and severely damaged buildings at the toe of the scarp from karstic subsidence demonstrates that the interstratal karstification of evaporites becomes a triggering factor in the instability of the rock mass. The genesis of asymmetric valleys and river gypsum scarps in the study area seem to be caused by the random migration of the river channel in the absence of lateral tilting related to tectonics or dissolution-induced subsidence. Once the scarp is developed, its preservation depends on the physicochemical properties of the substratum, the ratio between bedrock erosion and river incision rates, and climatic conditions that favour runoff erosion versus dissolution.

  2. Analysis of Streamflow Trends, Ground-Water and Surface-Water Interactions, and Water Quality in the Upper Carson River Basin, Nevada and California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maurer, Douglas K.; Paul, Angela P.; Berger, David L.; Mayers, C. Justin

    2008-01-01

    Changes in land and water use and increasing development of water resources in the Carson River basin may affect flow of the river and, in turn, affect downstream water users dependent on sustained river flows to Lahontan Reservoir. To address these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Churchill County, and the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, began a study in April 2006 to compile data on changes in land and water use, ground-water levels and pumping, streamflow, and water quality, and to make preliminary analyses of ground-water and surface-water interactions in the Carson River basin upstream of Lahontan Reservoir. The part of the basin upstream of Lahontan Reservoir is called the upper Carson River basin in this report. In 2005, irrigated agricultural land covered about 39,000 acres in Carson Valley, 3,100 acres in Dayton Valley, and 1,200 acres in Churchill Valley. Changes in land use in Carson Valley from the 1970s to 2005 included the development of about 2,700 acres of native phreatophytes, the development of 2,200 acres of irrigated land, 900 acres of land irrigated in the 1970s that appeared fallow in 2005, and the irrigation of about 2,100 acres of new agricultural land. In Dayton and Churchill Valleys, about 1,000 acres of phreatophytes and 900 acres of irrigated land were developed, about 140 acres of phreatophytes were replaced by irrigation, and about 600 acres of land irrigated in the 1970s were not irrigated in 2006. Ground-water pumping in the upper Carson River basin increases during dry years to supplement surface-water irrigation. Total annual pumping exceeded 20,000 acre-ft in the dry year of 1976, exceeded 30,000 acre-ft in the dry years from 1987 to 1992, and increased rapidly during the dry years from 1999 to 2004, and exceeded 50,000 acre-ft in 2004. As many as 67 public supply wells and 46 irrigation wells have been drilled within 0.5 mile of the Carson River. Pumping from these wells has the potential to affect streamflow of the Carson River. It is not certain, however, if all these wells are used currently. Annual streamflow of the Carson River is extremely variable, ranging from a low of about 26,000 acre-ft in 1977 to slightly more than 800,000 acre-ft in 1983 near Fort Churchill. Graphs of the cumulative annual streamflow and differences in the cumulative annual streamflow at Carson River gaging stations upstream and downstream of Carson and Dayton Valleys show an annual decrease in streamflow. The annual decrease in Carson River streamflow averaged about 47,000 acre-ft through Carson Valley, and about 11,000 acre-ft through Dayton Valley for water years 1940-2006. The decrease in streamflow through Carson and Dayton Valleys is a result of evapotranspiration on irrigated lands and losses to ground-water storage, with greater losses in Carson Valley than in Dayton Valley because of the greater area of irrigated land in Carson Valley.

  3. Ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River Basin, south-central Utah, and simulation of ground-water flow in the valley-fill in Panguitch Valley.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thiros, Susan A.; Brothers, William C.

    1993-01-01

    The ground-water hydrology of the upper Sevier River basin, primarily of the unconsolidated valley-fill aquifers, was studied from 1988 to 1989. Recharge to the valley-fill aquifers is mostly by seepage from surface-water sources. Changes in soil-moisture content am water levels were measured in Panguitch Valley both at a flood-irrigated and at a sprinkler-irrigated alfalfa field to quantify seepage from unconsumed irrigation water. Lag time between irrigation and water-level response decreased from 6 to 2 days in the flood-irrigated field as the soil-moisture content increased. Water levels measured in the sprinkler-irrigated field did not respond to irrigation. Discharge from the valley-fill aquifer to the Sevier River in Panguitch Valley is about 53,570 acre-feet per year.Water levels measured in wells from 1951 to 1989 tend to fluctuate with the quantity of precipitation falling at higher elevations. Ground-water discharge to the Sevier River in Panguitch Valley causes a general increase in the specific conductance of the river in a downstream direction.A three-layered ground-water-flow model was used to simulate the effects of changes in irrigation practices am increased ground-water withdrawals in Panguitch Valley. The establishment of initial conditions consisted of comparing simulated water levels and simulated gains and losses from the Sevier River and selected canals with values measured during the 1988 irrigation season. The model was calibrated by comparing water-level changes measured from 1961 to 1963 to simulated changes. A simulated change from flood to sprinkler irrigation resulted in a maximum decline in water level of 0.9 feet after the first year of change. Simulating additional discharge from wells resulted in drawdowns of about 20 feet after the first year of pumping.

  4. Ground-water resources of the Sevier River basin between Yuba Dam and Leamington Canyon, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bjorklund, Louis Jay; Robinson, Gerald B.

    1968-01-01

    The area investigated is a segment of the Sevier River basin, Utah, comprising about 900 square miles and including a 19-mile reach of the Sevier River between Yuba Dam and Leamington Canyon. The larger valleys in the area are southern Juab, Round, and Scipio Valleys. The smaller valleys are Mills, Little, Dog, and Tinctic Wash Valleys.The geology of parts of Scipio, Little, and Mills Valleys and parts of the surrounding highlands was mapped and studied to explain the occurrence of numerous sinkholes in the thre valleys and to show their relation to the large springs in Mills Valley. The sinkholes, which are formed in the alluvium, are alined along faults, which penetrate both the alluvium and the underlying bedrock, and they have been formed by collapse of solution cavities in the underlying bedrock. The bedrock is mostly sandy limestone beds of the upper part of the North Horn Formation and of the Flagstaff Limestone. The numerous faults traversing Scipio Valley in a north-northeasterly direction trend directly toward Molter and Blue Springs in Mills Valley. One fault, which can be traced directly between the springs, probably is the principal channelway for the ground water moving from Scipio and Little Valleys to the springs.

  5. Runoff simulation in the Ferghana Valley (Central Asia) using conceptual hydrological HBV-light model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radchenko, Iuliia; Breuer, Lutz; Forkutsa, Irina; Frede, Hans-Georg

    2013-04-01

    Glaciers and permafrost on the ranges of the Tien Shan mountain system are primary sources of water in the Ferghana Valley. The water artery of the valley is the Syr Darya River that is formed by confluence of the Naryn and Kara Darya rivers, which originate from the mountain glaciers of the Ak-Shyrak and the Ferghana ranges accordingly. The Ferghana Valley is densely populated and main activity of population is agriculture that heavily depends on irrigation especially in such arid region. The runoff reduction is projected in future due to global temperature rise and glacier shrinkage as a consequence. Therefore, it is essential to study climate change impact on water resources in the area both for ecological and economic aspects. The evaluation of comparative contribution of small upper catchments (n=24) with precipitation predominance in discharge and the large Naryn and Karadarya River basins, which are fed by glacial melt water, to the Fergana Valley water balance under current and future climatic conditions is general aim of the study. Appropriate understanding of the hydrological cycle under current climatic conditions is significant for prognosis of water resource availability in the future. Thus, conceptual hydrological HBV-light model was used for analysing of the water balance of the small upper catchments that surround the Ferghana Valley. Three trial catchments (the Kugart River basin, 1010 km²; the Kurshab River basin, 2010 km2; the Akbura River basin, 2260 km²) with relatively good temporal quality data were chosen to setup the model. Due to limitation of daily temperature data the MODAWEC weather generator, which converts monthly temperature data into daily based on correlation with rainfall, was tested and applied for the HBV-light model.

  6. Salinity in the Colorado River in the Grand Valley, western Colorado, 1994-95

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Butler, David L.; von Guerard, Paul B.

    1996-01-01

    Salinity, or the dissolved-solids concentration, is the measure of salts such as sodium chloride, calcium bicarbonate, and calcium sulfate that are dissolved in water. About one-half of the salinity in the Colorado River Basin is from natural sources (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1995), such as thermal springs in the Glenwood-Dotsero area, located about 90 miles upstream from Grand Junction (fig. 1). Effects of human activities, such as irrigation, reservoir evaporation, and transbasin diversions, have increased the levels of salinity in the Colorado River. High salinity can affect industrial and municipal water users by causing increased water-treatment costs, increased deterioration of plumbing and appliances, increased soap needs, and undesirable taste of drinking water. High salinity also can cause lower crop yields by reducing water and nutrient uptake by plants and can increase agricultural production costs because of higher leaching and drainage requirements. Agricultural losses might occur when salinity reaches about 700?850 milligrams per liter (U.S Department of the Interior, 1994). Figure 1. Irrigated area in the Grand Valley and locations of sampling sites for the 1994?95 salinity study of the Colorado River. The Colorado River is the major source of irrigation water to the Grand Valley (fig. 1) and also is one source of water for the Clifton Water District, which supplies domestic water to part of the eastern Grand Valley. During spring and early summer in 1994, the Colorado River in the Grand Valley had lower than average streamflow. There was concern by water users about the effect of this low streamflow on salinity in the river. In 1994, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District, began a study to evaluate salinity in the Colorado River. This fact sheet describes results of that study. The specific objectives of the fact sheet are to (1) compare salinity in the Colorado River among different locations from Cameo to the Colorado-Utah State line, (2) assess variations in salinity for different times of the year, and (3) describe the relation between streamflow and salinity in the river.

  7. Age, distribution, and formation of late cenozoic paleovalleys of the lower Colorado River and their relation to river aggradation and degradation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Howard, K.A.; Lundstrom, S.C.; Malmon, D.V.; Hook, S.J.

    2008-01-01

    Distinctive far-traveled fluvial sediment of the lower Colorado River fills 20 paleo-valleys now stranded by the river downstream of Grand Canyon as it crosses the Basin and Range Province. These sediments resulted from two or more aggradational epi sodes in Pliocene and Pleistocene times following initial incision during the early Pliocene. A review of the stratigraphic evidence of major swings in river elevation over the last 5 m.y. from alternating degradation and aggradation episodes establishes a framework for understanding the incision and filling of the paleovalleys. The paleo-valleys are found mostly along narrow bedrock canyon reaches of the river, where divides of bedrock or old deposits separate them from the modern river. The paleo-valleys are interpreted to have stemmed from periods of aggradation that filled and broadened the river valley, burying low uplands in the canyon reaches into which later channel positions were entrenched during subsequent degradation episodes. The aggradation-degradation cycles resulted in the stranding of incised river valleys that range in elevation from near the modern river to 350 m above it. ?? 2008 The Geological Society of America.

  8. Accounting for Consumptive Use of Lower Colorado River Water in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.; Wilson, Richard P.

    1994-01-01

    In the Colorado River valley between the east end of Lake Mead and the international boundary with Mexico (see figure), the river is the principal source of water for agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power generation, and recreational purposes. Water is stored in surface reservoirs and in the river aquifer---permeable sediments and sedimentary rocks that fill the lower Colorado River valley and adjacent tributary valleys. The hydraulic connection between the river and the river aquifer, overbank flow prior to building of the dams, and infiltration as the reservoirs filled allowed the sediments and sedimentary rocks to become saturated with water from the river. Ratios of isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water from wells indicate that most of the water in the river aquifer beneath the flood plain and in many places beneath the adjacent alluvial slopes originated from the river. The water table in the river aquifer extends from the river, beneath the flood plain, and under the alluvial slopes until it intersects bedrock. Precipitation in the surrounding mountains and inflow from tributary valleys also contribute small quantities of water to the river aquifer. Consumptive use of river water in the valley results from evapotranspiration by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain, pumpage from wells to meet domestic and municipal needs, and pumpage from the river for export to areas in California, Arizona, and Nevada outside of the river valley. Most crops are grown on the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the adjacent terraces has been cultivated. Crops were grown on about 70 percent of the total vegetated area in 1984. Phreatophytes---natural vegetation that obtains water from the river aquifer---covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped directly from the river and reservoirs. Most of the water used for domestic and municipal purposes is pumped from wells on the flood plain, on adjacent alluvial slopes, and in tributary valleys. River water also is delivered to Mexico in accordance with an international treaty.

  9. Exploring Controls on Sinuousity, Terraces and River Capture in the Upper Dajia River, Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belliveau, L. C.; Ouimet, W. B.; Chan, Y. C.; Byrne, T. B.

    2015-12-01

    Taiwan is one of the most tectonically active regions in the world and is prone to landslides due to steep topography, large earthquakes and frequent typhoons. Landslides often affect and alter the river valleys beneath them, producing knickpoints on longitudinal river profiles, segmenting valleys into mixed bedrock-alluvial rivers and affecting river incision for tens to thousands of years. This study investigates the origin and evolution of complex channel morphologies, terraces and river capture along a 20km stretch of the Upper Da-Jia River in the Heping area of Taiwan. Through GIS analysis and field studies, we explore controls on river channel sinuousity, terrace development and river capture in relation to tectonic and climatic forcing, rock erodibility and landslides. High channel sinuousity is proposed as the result of a coupling between bank erosion and landslides. We discuss three types of landslide-induced meanders and increased sinuousity: (a) depositional-push meanders, (b) failure-zone erosional meanders, and (c) complex-erosional meanders. We also investigate spatial variation in channel morphology (slope, width) and the distribution and heights of river terraces within the Upper Da-Jia watershed associated with periods of widespread valley filling from landslide activity. Examples of river capture provide further evidence of the dynamic interactions between river incision, landslides and associated changes in channel morphology and terrace development within steep rapidly uplift, eroding and evolving mountain belts.

  10. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associations of vascular plants confined to river valleys: towards understanding the river corridor plant distribution.

    PubMed

    Nobis, Agnieszka; Błaszkowski, Janusz; Zubek, Szymon

    2015-01-01

    The group of river corridor plants (RCP) includes vascular plant species which grow mainly or exclusively in the valleys of large rivers. Despite the long recognized fact that some plant species display a corridor-like distribution pattern in Central Europe, there is still no exhaustive explanation of the mechanisms generating this peculiar distribution. The main goal of this study was therefore to investigate whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and fungal root endophytes influence the RCP distribution. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) were observed in 19 out of 33 studied RCP. Dark septate endophytes (DSE) and Olpidium spp. were recorded with low abundance in 15 and 10 plant species, respectively. The spores of AMF were found only in 32% of trap cultures established from the soils collected in the river corridor habitats. In total, six widespread AMF species were identified. Because the percentage of non-mycorrhizal species in the group of RCP is significant and the sites in river corridors are characterized by low AMF species diversity, RCP can be outcompeted outside river valleys by the widespread species that are able to benefit from AM associations in more stable plant-AMF communities in non-river habitats.

  11. Bumps in river profiles: uncertainty assessment and smoothing using quantile regression techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwanghart, Wolfgang; Scherler, Dirk

    2017-12-01

    The analysis of longitudinal river profiles is an important tool for studying landscape evolution. However, characterizing river profiles based on digital elevation models (DEMs) suffers from errors and artifacts that particularly prevail along valley bottoms. The aim of this study is to characterize uncertainties that arise from the analysis of river profiles derived from different, near-globally available DEMs. We devised new algorithms - quantile carving and the CRS algorithm - that rely on quantile regression to enable hydrological correction and the uncertainty quantification of river profiles. We find that globally available DEMs commonly overestimate river elevations in steep topography. The distributions of elevation errors become increasingly wider and right skewed if adjacent hillslope gradients are steep. Our analysis indicates that the AW3D DEM has the highest precision and lowest bias for the analysis of river profiles in mountainous topography. The new 12 m resolution TanDEM-X DEM has a very low precision, most likely due to the combined effect of steep valley walls and the presence of water surfaces in valley bottoms. Compared to the conventional approaches of carving and filling, we find that our new approach is able to reduce the elevation bias and errors in longitudinal river profiles.

  12. Monitoring of heavy flooding by orbital remote sensing: The example of the Doce river valley. [Doce River Valley, Brazil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Novo, E. M. L. D.; Dossantos, A. P.

    1981-01-01

    The application of temporal LANDSAT data to study floods was verified, and the natural features responsible for this phenomenon were surveyed using the Doce river valley as a test site, because of the catastrophic (1978-1979) flood. Data from LANDSAT images and CCT's were used. Geomorphical mapping evaluated morphostructural features. Seven and nine classes of water surfaces for dry and rainy seasons were analyzed. The magnitude of the changes from preflood to postflood stage are estimated. The single Pixel program was applied to correlate the drainage basin characteristics to the grey level of LANDSAT data.

  13. Punctuated Sediment Discharge during Early Pliocene Birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from Regional Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Paleontology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dorsey, Rebecca J.; O'Connell, Brennan; McDougall, Kristin; Homan, Mindy B.

    2018-01-01

    The Colorado River in the southwestern U.S. provides an excellent natural laboratory for studying the origins of a continent-scale river system, because deposits that formed prior to and during river initiation are well exposed in the lower river valley and nearby basinal sink. This paper presents a synthesis of regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and micropaleontology from the southern Bouse Formation and similar-age deposits in the western Salton Trough, which we use to interpret processes that controlled the birth and early evolution of the Colorado River. The southern Bouse Formation is divided into three laterally persistent members: basal carbonate, siliciclastic, and upper bioclastic members. Basal carbonate accumulated in a tide-dominated marine embayment during a rise of relative sea level between 6.3 and 5.4 Ma, prior to arrival of the Colorado River. The transition to green claystone records initial rapid influx of river water and its distal clay wash load into the subtidal marine embayment at 5.4-5.3 Ma. This was followed by rapid southward progradation of the Colorado River delta, establishment of the earliest through-flowing river, and deposition of river-derived turbidites in the western Salton Trough (Wind Caves paleocanyon) between 5.3 and 5.1 Ma. Early delta progradation was followed by regional shut-down of river sand output between 5.1 and 4.8 Ma that resulted in deposition of marine clay in the Salton Trough, retreat of the delta, and re-flooding of the lower river valley by shallow marine water that deposited the Bouse upper bioclastic member. Resumption of sediment discharge at 4.8 Ma drove massive progradation of fluvial-deltaic deposits back down the river valley into the northern Gulf and Salton Trough. These results provide evidence for a discontinuous, start-stop-start history of sand output during initiation of the Colorado River that is not predicted by existing models for this system. The underlying controls on punctuated sediment discharge are assessed by comparing the depositional chronology to the record of global sea-level change. The lower Colorado River Valley and Salton Trough experienced marine transgression during a gradual fall in global sea level between 6.3 and 5.5 Ma, implicating tectonic subsidence as the main driver of latest Miocene relative sea-level rise. A major fall of global sea level at 5.3 Ma outpaced subsidence and drove regional delta progradation, earliest flushing of Colorado River sand into the northern Gulf of California, and erosion of Bouse basal carbonate and siliciclastic members. The lower Colorado River valley was re-flooded by shallow marine waters during smaller changes in global sea level 5.1-4.8 Ma, after the river first ran through it, which requires a mechanism to stop delivery of sand to the lower river valley. We propose that tectonically controlled subsidence along the lower Colorado River, upstream of the southern Bouse study area, temporarily trapped sediment and stopped delivery of sand to the lower river valley and northern Gulf of California for 200-300 kyr. Massive progradation of the fluvial-deltaic system back down the river valley into the Salton Trough starting 4.8-4.5 Ma apparently was driven by a huge increase in sediment discharge that overwhelmed the sediment-storage capacity of sub-basins along the lower river corridor and established the fully integrated river channel network. Accompanies Dorsey et al. "Punctuated sediment discharge during early Pliocene birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology". Accompanies Dorsey et al. "Punctuated sediment discharge during early Pliocene birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology". Accompanies Dorsey et al. "Punctuated sediment discharge during early Pliocene birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology".

  14. South America South of the Amazon River--A Climatological Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-08-01

    narrow river valleys. Valley floors are usually at 1,000 to 2,000 feet (305-610 meters, MSL and 1-3 NM wide. This figure shows the Rimac River east of...coast. Major rivers from is Ojos del Salado (270 06’ S, 680 30’ W). north to south include the Chicama, the Rimac , Mountain passes average 10,500 feet... Rivers meet at 10050’ S,. south to 10* S, then turns southeast to 17’ S, 73055’ W; it flows north, parallel to the eastern 63030’ W. From this point it

  15. Long-term measurements of agronomic crop irrigation in the Mississippi Delta portion of the Lower Mississippi River Valley

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    With over 4 million ha irrigated cropland, the Lower Mississippi River Valley (LMRV) is a highly productive agricultural region where irrigation practices are similar and the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) is a primary source of on-demand irrigation. Owing to agricultural exports, ...

  16. Natural curiosities of the Bug river valley near Janów Podlaski as a chance of the specialized tourism development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusznerczuk, Marta

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents the most precious natural curiosities of the Bug river valley near Janów Podlaski (between Zaczopki and Gnojno). This area is protected as the landscape park - "Podlasie Bug Water Gap". The natural abiotic elements, among others geomorphological ones significantly conditioning unrepeatable charms of the Bug river valley landscape, are regarded as marginal in many papers concerning the unique values of this valley. The presented natural curiosities are arranged in genetic and chronological order. These main relief elements of the Bug river valley are associated with different morphogenetic processes, i.e. the gap formation, the Bug river metamorphosis and gully erosion. These elements can be a chance of the development of specialised tourism, which will influence the economic mobilization of this undeveloped region.

  17. 27 CFR 9.78 - Ohio River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Valley.” (b) Approved maps. The approved maps for determining the boundary of the Ohio River Valley... boundary proceeds in a straight line westerly to the town of Dry Ridge in Grant County, Kentucky...

  18. KAWEAH RIVER VALLEY, WITH GENERALS HIGHWAY AT LEFT, MORO ROCK ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    KAWEAH RIVER VALLEY, WITH GENERALS HIGHWAY AT LEFT, MORO ROCK IN LEFT BACKGROUND. WITH PHOTO NO. 81, THIS SHOT FORMS A PANORAMA OF THE ROAD ALONG THE KAWEAH RIVER - Generals Highway, Three Rivers, Tulare County, CA

  19. Modeling the Long-term Planform Evolution of Meandering Rivers in Confined Alluvial Valleys: Etsch-Adige River, NE Italy.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zen, S.; Bogoni, M.; Zolezzi, G.; Lanzoni, S.; Scorpio, V.

    2016-12-01

    We combine the use of a morphodynamic model for river meander planform evolution with a geological dataset to investigate the influence of external confinements on the long-term evolution of a meandering river flowing in an Alpine valley. The analysis focuses on a 100 km reach of the Adige River, NE Italy, which had several sinuous/meandering sections before being extensively channelized in the 1800s. Geological surveys and historical maps revealed that many sections of the study reach impinge on the borders of the valley during its evolution. Moreover, a marked spatial heterogeneity in floodplain vertical accretion rates likely reflects preferential positions of the river channel in the floodplain. Valley confinements are represented by bedrock outcrops and by alluvial fans created by lateral tributaries, and were extracted from the geological and historical maps to build the computational domain for the meander morphodynamic model. The model predicts the long-term planform evolution of a meandering river based on a linear solution of the 2D De St Venant-Exner differential system and can manage changes in floodplain erodibility. Model applications allow to isolate the effects of valley bedrock and of alluvial fans in constraining the lateral channel migration. Modeled river channel persistence maps are compared with the available geological information. The present work allows further insights into the role of external confinements to river meander belts, which have been conducted so far mostly assuming the channel to evolve in unconfined floodplains. Future research shall incorporate model components for floodplain vertical accretion rates and for the advancement of alluvial fans occurring at the same time scale considered for meander evolution.

  20. 27 CFR 9.66 - Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Russian River Valley. 9.66 Section 9.66 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.66 Russian River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  1. 27 CFR 9.66 - Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Russian River Valley. 9.66 Section 9.66 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.66 Russian River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  2. 27 CFR 9.66 - Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Russian River Valley. 9.66 Section 9.66 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.66 Russian River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  3. 27 CFR 9.66 - Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Russian River Valley. 9.66 Section 9.66 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.66 Russian River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  4. 27 CFR 9.66 - Russian River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Russian River Valley. 9.66 Section 9.66 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.66 Russian River Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  5. Evaluation of volatile organic compounds in two Mojave Desert basins-Mojave River and Antelope Valley-in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Kern Counties, California, June-October 2002

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Densmore, Jill N.; Belitz, Kenneth; Wright, Michael T.; Dawson, Barbara J.; Johnson, Tyler D.

    2005-01-01

    The California Aquifer Susceptibility Assessment of the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program was developed to assess water quality and susceptibility of ground-water resources to contamination from surficial sources. This study focuses on the Mojave River and the Antelope Valley ground-water basins in southern California. Volatile organic compound (VOC) data were evaluated in conjunction with tritium data to determine a potential correlation with aquifer type, depth to top of perforations, and land use to VOC distribution and occurrence in the Mojave River and the Antelope Valley Basins. Detection frequencies for VOCs were compiled and compared to assess the distribution in each area. Explanatory variables were evaluated by comparing detection frequencies for VOCs and tritium and the number of compounds detected. Thirty-three wells were sampled in the Mojave River Basin (9 in the floodplain aquifer, 15 in the regional aquifer, and 9 in the sewered subset of the regional aquifer). Thirty-two wells were sampled in the Antelope Valley Basin. Quality-control samples also were collected to identify, quantify, and document bias and variability in the data. Results show that VOCs generally were detected slightly more often in the Antelope Valley Basin samples than in the Mojave River Basin samples. VOCs were detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Tritium was detected more frequently in the Mojave River Basin samples than in the Antelope Valley Basin samples, and it was detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Most of the samples collected in both basins for this study contained old water (water recharged prior to 1952). In general, in these desert basins, tritium need not be present for VOCs to be present. When VOCs were detected, young water (water recharge after 1952) was slightly more likely to be contaminated than old water. Trihalomethanes (THMs) were detected less frequently in the Mojave River Basin samples than in the Antelope Valley Basin samples. The THMs that were detected in the Mojave River Basin were detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and sewered subset. Solvents were detected more frequently in the Mojave River samples than in the Antelope Valley samples. In the Mojave River Basin samples, solvents were detected less frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) were not detected in either study area. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was detected in one sample from both the Mojave River and Antelope Valley Basins. The most frequently detected compound (detected in more than 10 percent of the wells) in the Mojave River Basin was chloroform. The two most frequently detected compounds in the Antelope Valley Basin were chloroform and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). In the Mojave River Basin, aquifer type and land use within 1,640 ft (500 m) of the well head were not statistically correlated with the number of VOCs detected, although VOCs were detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Depth to the top of the perforations was an explanatory factor for the number of VOCs detected in the Mojave River Basin; the detection frequency was greater for shallow wells than for deep wells. In the Antelope Valley Basin, neither aquifer type, depth to the top of the perforations, nor land use within 1,640 ft of the well head were explanatory factors for the number of VOCs detected. Although aquifer type and depth to top of the perforations did explain the presence of tritium in the Mojave River Basin, land use within 1,640 ft of the well head was not a statistically significant explanatory factor for the presence of tritium in this basin. Aquifer type, depth to the top of the perfora

  6. The United States Air Force and Humanitarian Airlift Operations 1947-1994

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-01-01

    Flood. Location: Republic of Bolivia. Date(s): February 13 and 28, 1971. Emergency: Heavy rain flooded the Beni and Madre de Dios River valleys of...descended on the Beni and Madre de Dios River valleys of northern Bolivia on the edge of the Amazon basin, flooding Riberalta and surrounding areas... heavy rain flooded river valleys south of Volcan de Fuego, Guatemala, threatening the towns of Singuinala and La Democracia. The Pantaleon River near

  7. Water in the Humboldt River Valley near Winnemucca, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cohen, Philip M.

    1966-01-01

    Most of the work of the interagency Humboldt River Research Project in the Winnemucca reach of the Humboldt River valley has been completed. More than a dozen State and Federal agencies and several private organizations and individuals participated in the study. The major objective of the project, which began in 1959, is to evaluate the water resources of the entire Humboldt River basin. However, because of the large size of the basin, most of the work during the first 5 years of the project was done in the Winnemucca area. The purpose of this report is to summarize briefly and simply the information regarding the water resources of the Winnemucca area-especially the quantitative aspects of the flow system-given in previous reports of the project. The Winnemucca reach of the Humboldt River valley, which is in north-central Nevada, is about 200 miles downstream from the headwaters of the Humboldt River and includes that part of the valley between the Comus and Rose Creek gaging stations. Average annual inflow to the storage area (the valley lowlands) in the Winnemucca reach in water years 1949-62 was about 250,000 acre-feet. Of this amount, about 68 percent was Humboldt River streamflow, as measured at the Comus gaging station, 23 percent was precipitation directly on the storage area, 6 percent was ground-water inflow, and about 3 percent was tributary streamflow. Average annual streamflow at the Rose Creek gaging station during the same period was about 155,000 acre-feet, or about 17,000 acre-feet less than that at the Comus gaging station. Nearly all the streamflow lost was consumed by evapotranspiration in the project area. Total average annual evapotranspiration loss during the period was about 115,000 acre-feet, or about 42 percent of the total average annual outflow. The most abundant ions in the ground and surface water in the area are commonly sodium and bicarbonate. Much of the water has a dissolved-solids content that ranges from 500 to 750 parts per million; however, locally, the dissolved-solids content of the ground water is more than 5,000 parts per million. The chemical quality of the Humboldt River, especially during periods of low flow, reflects the chemical quality of ground-water inflow from tributary areas that discharges into the river. Almost all water in the project area is moderately hard to very hard; otherwise, it is generally suitable for most uses. Increased ground-water development, the conjunctive use of ground and surface water, and increased irrigation efficiency would probably conserve much of the water presently consumed by nonbeneficial evapotranspiration. Intensive ground-water development, especially from the highly permeable medial gravel subunit, will, however, decrease the flow of the Humboldt River to the extent that some pumpage may not be offset by a corresponding decrease in natural evapotranspiration losses. Such streamflow depletions will therefore infringe upon downstream surface-water rights. The results of this study indicate that the Humboldt River and ground water in the unconsolidated deposits beneath and adjacent to the river in the Winnemucca area are closely related. Somewhat similar conditions probably exist elsewhere in the Humboldt River valley. Additional detailed studies are needed-both upstream and downstream from the Winnemucca area-to adequately define the flow system and the interrelations among the components of the system in the remainder of the valley. Before proceeding with additional detailed studies, however, a 1-year overall appraisal of the water resources of the basin should be considered. A major objective of this study would be to provide information that would help select the next subarea of the valley to be studied in detail and to decide which of the methods of study used in the Winnemucca area could be most effectively used in the future studies.

  8. Characterization and simulation of ground-water flow in the Kansas River Valley at Fort Riley, Kansas, 1990-98

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Myers, Nathan C.

    2000-01-01

    Hydrologic data and a ground-water flow model were used to characterize ground-water flow in the Kansas River alluvial aquifer at Fort Riley in northeast Kansas. The ground-water flow model was developed as a tool to project ground-water flow and potential contaminant-transport paths in the alluvial aquifer on the basis of past hydrologic conditions. The model also was used to estimate historical and hypothetical ground-water flow paths with respect to a private- and several public-supply wells. The ground-water flow model area extends from the Smoky Hill and Republican Rivers downstream to about 2.5 miles downstream from the city of Ogden. The Kansas River Valley has low relief and, except for the area within the Fort Riley Military Reservation, is used primarily for crop production. Sedimentary deposits in the Kansas River Valley, formed after the ancestral Kansas River eroded into bedrock, primarily are alluvial sediment deposited by the river during Quaternary time. The alluvial sediment consists of as much as about 75 feet of poorly sorted, coarse-to-fine sand, silt, and clay, 55 feet of which can be saturated with ground water. The alluvial aquifer is unconfined and is bounded on the sides and bottom by Permian-age shale and limestone bedrock. Hydrologic data indicate that ground water in the Kansas River Valley generally flows in a downstream direction, but flow direction can be quite variable near the Kansas River due to changes in river stage. Ground-water-level changes caused by infiltration of precipitation are difficult to detect because they are masked by larger changes caused by fluctuation in Kansas River stage. Ratios of strontium isotopes Sr87 and Sr86 in water collected from wells in the Camp Funston Area indicate that the ground water along the northern valley wall originates, in part, from upland areas north of the river valley. Water from Threemile Creek, which flows out of the uplands north of the river valley, had Sr87:Sr86 ratios similar to those in ground water from wells in the northern Camp Funston Area. In addition, comparison of observed water levels from wells CF90-06, CF97-101, and CF97-401 in the Camp Funston Area and ground-water levels simulated for these wells using floodwave-response analysis indicates that ground-water inflow from bedrock is a hydraulic stress that, in addition to the changing stage in the Kansas River, acts on the aquifer. This hydraulic stress seems to be located near the northern valley wall because the effect of this stress is greater for well CF97-101, which is the well closest to the valley wall. Ground-water flow was simulated using a modular, three-dimensional, finite-difference ground-water flow model (MODFLOW). Particle tracking, used to visualize ground-water flow paths in the alluvial aquifer, was accomplished using MODPATH. Forward-in-time particle tracking indicated that, in general, particles released near the Kansas River followed much more variable paths than particles released near the valley wall. Although particle tracking does not simulate solute transport, this increased path variability indicates that, near the river, ground-water contaminants could follow many possible paths towards the river, whereas more distant from the river, ground-water contaminants likely would follow a narrower corridor. Particle tracks in the Camp Funston Area indicate that, for the 1990-98 simulation period, contaminants from the ground-water study sites in the Camp Funston Area would be unlikely to move into the vicinity of Ogden's supply wells. Backward-in-time particle tracking indicated that the flow-path and recharge areas for model cells corresponding to Ogden's supply wells lie near the northern valley wall and extend into the northern Camp Funston Area. The flow-path and recharge areas for model cells corresponding to Morris County Rural Water District wells lie within Clarks Creek Valley and probably extend outside the model area. Three hypothetical simulations, i

  9. Debris flow occurrence and sediment persistence, Upper Colorado River Valley, CO

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Grimsley, Kyle J; Rathburn, Sara L.; Friedman, Jonathan M.; Mangano, Joseph F.

    2016-01-01

    Debris flow magnitudes and frequencies are compared across the Upper Colorado River valley to assess influences on debris flow occurrence and to evaluate valley geometry effects on sediment persistence. Dendrochronology, field mapping, and aerial photographic analysis are used to evaluate whether a 19th century earthen, water-conveyance ditch has altered the regime of debris flow occurrence in the Colorado River headwaters. Identifying any shifts in disturbance processes or changes in magnitudes and frequencies of occurrence is fundamental to establishing the historical range of variability (HRV) at the site. We found no substantial difference in frequency of debris flows cataloged at eleven sites of deposition between the east (8) and west (11) sides of the Colorado River valley over the last century, but four of the five largest debris flows originated on the west side of the valley in association with the earthen ditch, while the fifth is on a steep hillslope of hydrothermally altered rock on the east side. These results suggest that the ditch has altered the regime of debris flow activity in the Colorado River headwaters as compared to HRV by increasing the frequency of debris flows large enough to reach the Colorado River valley. Valley confinement is a dominant control on response to debris flows, influencing volumes of aggradation and persistence of debris flow deposits. Large, frequent debris flows, exceeding HRV, create persistent effects due to valley geometry and geomorphic setting conducive to sediment storage that are easily delineated by valley confinement ratios which are useful to land managers.

  10. Debris Flow Occurrence and Sediment Persistence, Upper Colorado River Valley, CO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grimsley, K. J.; Rathburn, S. L.; Friedman, J. M.; Mangano, J. F.

    2016-07-01

    Debris flow magnitudes and frequencies are compared across the Upper Colorado River valley to assess influences on debris flow occurrence and to evaluate valley geometry effects on sediment persistence. Dendrochronology, field mapping, and aerial photographic analysis are used to evaluate whether a 19th century earthen, water-conveyance ditch has altered the regime of debris flow occurrence in the Colorado River headwaters. Identifying any shifts in disturbance processes or changes in magnitudes and frequencies of occurrence is fundamental to establishing the historical range of variability (HRV) at the site. We found no substantial difference in frequency of debris flows cataloged at eleven sites of deposition between the east (8) and west (11) sides of the Colorado River valley over the last century, but four of the five largest debris flows originated on the west side of the valley in association with the earthen ditch, while the fifth is on a steep hillslope of hydrothermally altered rock on the east side. These results suggest that the ditch has altered the regime of debris flow activity in the Colorado River headwaters as compared to HRV by increasing the frequency of debris flows large enough to reach the Colorado River valley. Valley confinement is a dominant control on response to debris flows, influencing volumes of aggradation and persistence of debris flow deposits. Large, frequent debris flows, exceeding HRV, create persistent effects due to valley geometry and geomorphic setting conducive to sediment storage that are easily delineated by valley confinement ratios which are useful to land managers.

  11. Debris Flow Occurrence and Sediment Persistence, Upper Colorado River Valley, CO.

    PubMed

    Grimsley, K J; Rathburn, S L; Friedman, J M; Mangano, J F

    2016-07-01

    Debris flow magnitudes and frequencies are compared across the Upper Colorado River valley to assess influences on debris flow occurrence and to evaluate valley geometry effects on sediment persistence. Dendrochronology, field mapping, and aerial photographic analysis are used to evaluate whether a 19th century earthen, water-conveyance ditch has altered the regime of debris flow occurrence in the Colorado River headwaters. Identifying any shifts in disturbance processes or changes in magnitudes and frequencies of occurrence is fundamental to establishing the historical range of variability (HRV) at the site. We found no substantial difference in frequency of debris flows cataloged at eleven sites of deposition between the east (8) and west (11) sides of the Colorado River valley over the last century, but four of the five largest debris flows originated on the west side of the valley in association with the earthen ditch, while the fifth is on a steep hillslope of hydrothermally altered rock on the east side. These results suggest that the ditch has altered the regime of debris flow activity in the Colorado River headwaters as compared to HRV by increasing the frequency of debris flows large enough to reach the Colorado River valley. Valley confinement is a dominant control on response to debris flows, influencing volumes of aggradation and persistence of debris flow deposits. Large, frequent debris flows, exceeding HRV, create persistent effects due to valley geometry and geomorphic setting conducive to sediment storage that are easily delineated by valley confinement ratios which are useful to land managers.

  12. Stratigraphic evidence for the role of lake spillover in the inception of the lower Colorado River in southern Nevada and western Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    House, P.K.; Pearthree, P.A.; Perkins, M.E.

    2008-01-01

    Late Miocene and early Pliocene sediments exposed along the lower Colorado River near Laughlin, Nevada, contain evidence that establishment of this reach of the river after 5.6 Ma involved flooding from lake spillover through a bedrock divide between Cottonwood Valley to the north and Mohave Valley to the south. Lacustrine marls interfingered with and conformably overlying a sequence of post-5.6 Ma finegrained valley-fill deposits record an early phase of intermittent lacustrine inundation restricted to Cottonwood Valley. Limestone, mud, sand, and minor gravel of the Bouse Formation were subsequently deposited above an unconformity. At the north end of Mohave Valley, a coarse-grained, lithologically distinct fluvial conglomerate separates subaerial, locally derived fan deposits from subaqueous deposits of the Bouse Formation. We interpret this key unit as evidence for overtopping and catastrophic breaching of the paleodivide immediately before deep lacustrine inundation of both valleys. Exposures in both valleys reveal a substantial erosional unconformity that records drainage of the lake and predates the arrival of sediment of the through-going Colorado River. Subsequent river aggradation culminated in the Pliocene between 4.1 and 3.3 Ma. The stratigraphic associations and timing of this drainage transition are consistent with geochemical evidence linking lacustrine conditions to the early Colorado River, the timings of drainage integration and canyon incision on the Colorado Plateau, the arrival of Colorado River sand at its terminus in the Salton Trough, and a downstream-directed mode of river integration common in areas of crustal extension. ?? 2008 The Geological Society of America.

  13. Water storage capacity of the natural river valley - how sedge communities influence it. Case study of Upper Biebrza Basin (Poland) based on ALS and TLS data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brach, Marcin; Chormański, Jarosław

    2014-05-01

    The exact determination of water storage capacity in river valley is an important issue for hydrologists, ecologist and flood modellers. In case of natural river valley, the dense and complexity vegetation of the natural ecosystems can influence the proper identification of the water storage. Methods considered to be sufficient in other cases (urbanized, agricultural) may not produce correct results. Sedge communities in natural river valleys form characteristic tussocks, built from the species roots, other organic material and silt or mud. They are formed due to partial flooding during the inundation, so the plants can survive in hard, anaerobic conditions. They can growth even up to 0.5 meters, which is not so visible due to very dense vegetation in the valleys. These tussocks form a microtopography or a river valley. Currently, the most commonly used technology to register the terrain topography is an Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), but in the case of the tussocks and the dense vegetation it generates high errors on elevation in the areas of the sedges (Carex appropinquata). This study concerns the Upper Biebrza Valley which is located in the northeastern Poland. For purpose of our work we used Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) technology to determine microtopography of selected fields. Before measurements, the green part of the sedge was cut in selected measurements fields. It make possible to register only tussocks shape. Next, step was collection of the airborne ALS data of the valley with density of 8 points/sq m. The experimental field was divided on two sub-fields: one was cut and scanned using TLS before ALS collection, while the second after. Data collected as ALS and the TLS were then compared. The accuracy of the ALS data depends on the land cover of an area, while TLS accuracy is around 2 millimeters (when georeferenced it depends on the accuracy of reference points - in our case it was made using GPS RTK which gave us accuracy of few centimeters). The analysis shown that differences between ALS measurements and TLS on leaf free area is on average of 5 centimeters, while on areas which were not mowed it grows up to 0,5 m. Thanks to this studies we were able to determine water storage possibilities of valley while considering the tussocks shape.

  14. Terrain changes, caused by the 15-17 June 2013 heavy rainfall in the Garhwal Himalaya, India: A case study of Alaknanda and Mandakini basins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehta, Manish; Shukla, Tanuj; Bhambri, Rakesh; Gupta, Anil K.; Dobhal, D. P.

    2017-05-01

    Exceptional early high monsoon rains between 15 and 17 June 2013 combined with discharge from snowmelt water caused widespread floods in every major river of the Garhwal Himalaya. This catastrophic event triggered widespread landslides and devastation in the region, affecting the movement of the people that led to stranding of pilgrims in various pilgrimage routes. This event caused many casualties and irreparable damage to the infrastructures and property in the Garhwal Himalaya. A large volume of debris was deposited in Kedarnath town (3.9 × 106 m3), and a huge amount of debris was removed from Rambara and surrounding areas (2.6 × 108 m3). The study also found that villages like Lambaghar, Bhyundar (Alaknanda River Valley), and Rambara (Mandakini River Valley) were completely washed away, leaving no trace of earlier settlement. Govindghat and Pulna villages in the Alaknanda River Valley were also badly damaged. Approximately 0.3 × 106 and 0.72 × 106 m3 of debris was deposited, respectively. Similarly in the Mandakini Valley, Kedarnath and Sonprayag towns were also badly damaged and 3.9 × 106 and 1.4 × 106 m3 of debris was deposited in the area, respectively. Simultaneously, the moraine-dammed Chorabari Lake breached releasing 6.1 × 105 m3 of water with an average rate of 1429 m3/s (discharge of lake). The towns of Pandukeshwar in the Alaknanda Valley and Gaurikund in the Mandakini Valley were partially damaged. However, no evidence of such magnitude of destruction was reported from the Yamuna River Valley during the same period. This catastrophic event changed the landscape in many parts of Uttarakhand, making the whole region more fragile and vulnerable. A disaster of such magnitude was perhaps not witnessed by the region for at least the last 100 years.

  15. Quaternary geology and geomorphology of the lower Deschutes River Canyon, Oregon.

    Treesearch

    Jim E. O' Connor; Janet H. Curran; Robin A. Beebee; Gordon E. Grant; Andrei Sarna-Wojcicki

    2003-01-01

    The morphology of the Deschutes River canyon downstream of the Pelton-Round Butte dam complex is the product of the regional geologic history, the composition of the geologic units that compose the valley walls, and Quaternary processes and events. Geologic units within the valley walls and regional deformation patterns control overall valley morphology. Valley bottom...

  16. Chapter 5: Interdisciplinary land use along the Mogollon Rim

    Treesearch

    Malchus B. Baker; Peter F. Ffolliott

    1999-01-01

    The amount of water stored in the Salt River Project reservoirs during the middle 1950s was low and, as a consequence, apprehension arose among some residents of the Salt River Valley that a serious water shortage would soon occur. Groundwater supplies in the Valley were also being rapidly depleted, and pumping costs were steadily rising. Long-term studies at Sierra...

  17. Alaska Glaciers and Rivers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2007-01-01

    The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image on October 7, 2007, showing the Alaska Mountains of south-central Alaska already coated with snow. Purple shadows hang in the lee of the peaks, giving the snow-clad land a crumpled appearance. White gives way to brown on the right side of the image where the mountains yield to the lower-elevation Susitna River Valley. The river itself cuts a silver, winding path through deep green forests and brown wetlands and tundra. Extending from the river valley, are smaller rivers that originated in the Alaska Mountains. The source of these rivers is evident in the image. Smooth white tongues of ice extend into the river valleys, the remnants of the glaciers that carved the valleys into the land. Most of the water flowing into the Gulf of Alaska from the Susitna River comes from these mountain glaciers. Glacier melt also feeds glacier lakes, only one of which is large enough to be visible in this image. Immediately left of the Kahiltna River, the aquamarine waters of Chelatna Lake stand out starkly against the brown and white landscape.

  18. Characterization of geomorphic units in the alluvial valleys and channels of Gulf Coastal Plain rivers in Texas, with examples from the Brazos, Sabine, and Trinity Rivers, 2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coffman, David K.; Malstaff, Greg; Heitmuller, Franklin T.

    2011-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, described and characterized examples of geomorphic units within the channels and alluvial valleys of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers using a geomorphic unit classification scale that differentiates geomorphic units on the basis of their location either outside or inside the river channel. The geomorphic properties of a river system determine the distribution and type of potential habitat both within and adjacent to the channel. This report characterizes the geomorphic units contained in the river channels and alluvial valleys of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers in the context of the River Styles framework. This report is intended to help Texas Instream Flow Program practitioners, river managers, ecologists and biologists, and others interested in the geomorphology and the physical processes of the rivers of the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain (1) gain insights into how geomorphic units develop and adjust spatially and temporally, and (2) be able to recognize common geomorphic units from the examples cataloged in this report. Recent aerial imagery (high-resolution digital orthoimagery) collected in 2008 and 2009 were inspected by using geographic information system software to identify representative examples of the types of geomorphic units that occurred in the study area. Geomorphic units outside the channels of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers are called \\"valley geomorphic units\\" in this report. Valley geomorphic units for the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers described in this report are terraces, flood plains, crevasses and crevasse splays, flood-plain depressions, tie channels, tributaries, paleochannels, anabranches, distributaries, natural levees, neck cutoffs, oxbow lakes, and constructed channels. Channel geomorphic units occur in the river channel and are subject to frequent stresses associated with flowing water and sediment transport; they adjust (change) relatively quickly in response to short-term variations in flow. Channel geomorphic units described in this report are channel banks, benches and ledges, bank failures, point bars, cross-bar channels, channel bars, exposed bedrock, pools, runs, and crossovers.

  19. Estimates of average annual tributary inflow to the lower Colorado River, Hoover Dam to Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

    1987-01-01

    Estimates of tributary inflow by basin or area and by surface water or groundwater are presented in this report and itemized by subreaches in tabular form. Total estimated average annual tributary inflow to the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Mexico, excluding the measured tributaries, is 96,000 acre-ft or about 1% of the 7.5 million acre-ft/yr of Colorado River water apportioned to the States in the lower Colorado River basin. About 62% of the tributary inflow originates in Arizona, 30% in California, and 8% in Nevada. Tributary inflow is a small component in the water budget for the river. Most of the quantities of unmeasured tributary inflow were estimated in previous studies and were based on mean annual precipitation for 1931-60. Because mean annual precipitation for 1951-80 did not differ significantly from that of 1931-60, these tributary inflow estimates are assumed to be valid for use in 1984. Measured average annual runoff per unit drainage area on the Bill Williams River has remained the same. Surface water inflow from unmeasured tributaries is infrequent and is not captured in surface reservoirs in any of the States; it flows to the Colorado River gaging stations. Estimates of groundwater inflow to the Colorad River valley. Average annual runoff can be used in a water budget; although in wet years, runoff may be large enough to affect the calculation of consumptive use and to be estimated from hydrographs for the Colorado River valley are based on groundwater recharge estimates in the bordering areas, which have not significantly changed through time. In most areas adjacent to the Colorado River valley, groundwater pumpage is small and pumping has not significantly affected the quantity of groundwater discharged to the Colorado River valley. In some areas where groundwater pumpage exceeds the quantity of groundwater discharge and water levels have declined, the quantity of discharge probably has decreased and groundwater inflow to the Colorado River valley will eventually be reduced if not stopped completely. Groundwater discharged at springs below Hoover Dam is unused and flows directly to the Colorado River. (Lantz-PTT)

  20. [Epidemiology of human schistosomiasis in Mauritania. The right bank of the Senegal River as model].

    PubMed

    Ouldabdallahi, M; Ouldbezeid, M; Diop, C; Dem, E; Lassana, K

    2010-12-01

    A study was performed to determine the transmission and prevalence of human schistosomiasis in the Mauritanian side of the Senegal River basin. Parasitological investigations by Kato-Katz and urine filtration conducted on 1,259 school children indicated a mean prevalence of S. haematobium--29.0%, 25.9% and 34.3%, respectively, in the children of the lower, middle and high valley. Only the school children of the lower delta valley were infected by S. mansoni with a mean prevalence rate of 21.5%. The malacological investigations carried out in the water points of each visited village highlighted the presence of B. pfeifferi, B. senegalensis, B. globosus, B. umbilicatus, B. truncatus and B. forskalii. The last three species are announced for the first time in the Mauritanian side of the Senegal River. The laboratory snail infection experiments indicate that B. senegalensis and B. globosus are the most important intermediate hosts for S. haematobium in the Mauritanian side of the Senegal River basin. However, an incompatibility between the oasis strains of S. haematobium and the snails of the lower valley was noted. In the middle valley and high valley, the infection of the school children takes place during the rainy season, because of the creation of the temporary water points, in the lower valley; the transmission seems to be continuous.

  1. Raptor ecology of Raft River Valley, Idaho

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thurow, T.L.; White, C.M.; Howard, R.P.

    1980-09-01

    Raptor data were gathered in the 988-km/sup 2/ Raft River Valley in southcentral Idaho while conducting a tolerance study on the nesting Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) near the Department of Energy's Raft River Geothermal Site. Prior research from 1972 to 1977 on the nesting activity of the Ferruginous Hawk population provided a historical information base. These data are combined with new Ferruginous Hawk data collected between 1978 and 1980 to give a continuous 9-year breeding survey. Information on the distribution, density, and production of the other raptor species found in the study area during 1978 and 1979 is also provided.

  2. Paleogeomorphology of the early Colorado River inferred from relationships in Mohave and Cottonwood Valleys, Arizona, California and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pearthree, Philip; House, P. Kyle

    2014-01-01

    Geologic investigations of late Miocene–early Pliocene deposits in Mohave and Cottonwood valleys provide important insights into the early evolution of the lower Colorado River system. In the latest Miocene these valleys were separate depocenters; the floor of Cottonwood Valley was ∼200 m higher than the floor of Mohave Valley. When Colorado River water arrived from the north after 5.6 Ma, a shallow lake in Cottonwood Valley spilled into Mohave Valley, and the river then filled both valleys to ∼560 m above sea level (asl) and overtopped the bedrock divide at the southern end of Mohave Valley. Sediment-starved water spilling to the south gradually eroded the outlet as siliciclastic Bouse deposits filled the lake upstream. When sediment accumulation reached the elevation of the lowering outlet, continued erosion of the outlet resulted in recycling of stored lacustrine sediment into downstream basins; depth of erosion of the outlet and upstream basins was limited by the water levels in downstream basins. The water level in the southern Bouse basin was ∼300 m asl (modern elevation) at 4.8 Ma. It must have drained and been eroded to a level <150 m asl soon after that to allow for deep erosion of bedrock divides and basins upstream, leading to removal of large volumes of Bouse sediment prior to massive early Pliocene Colorado River aggradation. Abrupt lowering of regional base level due to spilling of a southern Bouse lake to the Gulf of California could have driven observed upstream river incision without uplift. Rapid uplift of the entire region immediately after 4.8 Ma would have been required to drive upstream incision if the southern Bouse was an estuary.

  3. Reconnaissance of the chemical quality of water in western Utah, Part I: Sink Valley area, drainage basins of Skull, Rush, and Government Creek Valleys, and the Dugway Valley-Old River Bed area

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Waddell, K.M.

    1967-01-01

    This report presents data collected during the first part of an investigation that was started in 1963 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey. The investigation has the purpose of providing information about the chemical quality of water in western Utah that will help interested parties to evaluate the suitability of the water for various uses in a broad area of Utah where little information of this type previously has been available. The area studied includes the Sink Valley area, the drainage basins of Skull, Rush, and Government Creek Valleys, and the Dugway Valley-Old River Bed area (fig. 1). Osamu Hattori and G. L. Hewitt started the investigation, and the author completed it and prepared the report.

  4. Geochemical evidence for seasonal controls on the transportation of Holocene loess, Matanuska Valley, southern Alaska, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Muhs, Daniel; Budahn, James R.; Skipp, Gary L.; McGeehin, John

    2016-01-01

    Loess is a widespread Quaternary deposit in Alaska and loess accretion occurs today in some regions, such as the Matanuska Valley. The source of loess in the Matanuska Valley has been debated for more than seven decades, with the Knik River and the Matanuska River, both to the east, being the leading candidates and the Susitna River, to the west, as a less favorable source. We report here new stratigraphic, mineralogic, and geochemical data that test the competing hypotheses of these river sources. Loess thickness data are consistent with previous studies that show that a source or sources lay to the east, which rules out the Susitna River as a source. Knik and Matanuska River silts can be distinguished using Sc–Th–La, LaN/YbN vs. Eu/Eu∗, Cr/Sc, and As/Sb. Matanuska Valley loess falls clearly within the range of values for these ratios found in Matanuska River silt. Dust storms from the Matanuska River are most common in autumn, when river discharge is at a minimum and silt-rich point bars are exposed, wind speed from the north is beginning to increase after a low-velocity period in summer, snow depth is still minimal, and soil temperatures are still above freezing. Thus, seasonal changes in climate and hydrology emerge as critical factors in the timing of aeolian silt transport in southern Alaska. These findings could be applicable to understanding seasonal controls on Pleistocene loess accretion in Europe, New Zealand, South America, and elsewhere in North America.

  5. Use of a three-dimensional model for the analysis of the ground-water flow system in Parker Valley, Arizona and California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tucci, Patrick

    1982-01-01

    A three-dimensional, finite-difference model was used to simulate ground-water flow conditions in Parker Valley. The study evaluated present knowledge and concepts of the ground-water system and the ability of the model to represent the system. Modeling assumptions and generalized physical parameters that were used may have transfer value in the construction and calibration of models of other basins along the lower Colorado River. The aquifer was simulated in two layers to represent the three-dimensional system. Ground-water conditions were simulated for 1940-41, the mid-1960's, and 1980. Overall model results generally compared favorably with available field information. The model results showed that for 1940-41 the Colorado River was a losing stream through out Parker Valley. Infiltration of surface water from the river was the major source of recharge. The dominant mechanism of discharge was evapotranspiration by phreatophytes. Agricultural development between 1941 and the mid-1960 's resulted in significant changes to the ground-water system. Model results for conditions in the mid-1960 's showed that the Colorado River had become a gaining stream in the northern part of the valley as a result of higher water levels. The rise in water levels was caused by infiltration of applied irrigation water. Diminished water-level gradients from the river in the rest of the valley reduced the amount of infiltration of surface water from the river. Models results for conditions in 1980 showed that ground-water level rises of several feet caused further reduction in the amount of surface-water infiltration from the river. (USGS)

  6. Evolution of collapse valleys in karst - examples from the Carpatho-Balkanides of Serbia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrović, Aleksandar S.; Ćalić, Jelena; Spalević, Aleksandra; Pantić, Marko

    2016-04-01

    Development of valleys in karst is an issue which has not been sufficiently studied in karst surface morphology. THESE valleys are long linear forms whose orthogonal projections resemble normal valleys, but most of their characteristics are strongly influenced by karst process. In largest number of relevant references, this subject is either only briefly mentioned or completely lacking. This paper presents the examples of a particular type of valley in karst formed by cave ceiling collapse close to the topographical surface. Karst of the Carpatho-Balkanides in eastern Serbia is characterized by uneven spatial distribution in several large massifs, but also in a large number of relatively small outcrops (patches and belts), which enable the development of contact karst and fluviokarst. Many morphological elements are of fluvial origin, subsequently modified by karst process. Collapse valleys occur mostly at the downstream contacts (where a seasonal watercourse leaves limestones) or in karst/limestone belts. In the first phase, which is visible on the example of the Radovanska Reka, the river course sinks to the swallets in the riverbed and forms a blind valley. After sinking, the water flows through the tunnel cave, while largest part of the valley remains above the cave. The bottom of the dry valley is dissected by deep dolines, reaching almost to the cave roof. In this part of the study, the area was scanned by a multistation Leica Nova MS 50 (resolution 20 cm @ 10 m). In the second phase, the doline bottoms reach the cave ceilings which develop holes at certain points, as it is case at the Zamna River valley. These hollows tend to enlarge with time, and the surface of the cave ceiling is reduced. The third, final phase is characterised by collapse of larger segments of cave ceilings. Only the natural bridges remain, as the remnants of former caves (e.g. in the Vratna River valley, Ravna Reka valley). These parts of valleys in karst are usually narrow, steep-sided, resembling classical gorges. A closer look to the morphogenesis of this type of valleys is discussed. Key words: valley in karst, collapse valley, karst surface relief, Carpatho-Balkanides.

  7. Fish Research Project Oregon; Aspects of Life History and Production of Juvenile Oncorhynchus Mykiss in the Grande Ronde River Basin, Northeast Oregon, 1995-1999 Summary Report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Van Dyke, Erick S.; Jonnasson, Brian C.; Carmichael, Richard W.

    2001-07-01

    Rotary screw traps, located at four sites in the Grande Ronde River basin, were used to characterize aspects of early life history exhibited by juvenile Onchorhychus mykiss during migration years 1995-99. The Lostine, Catherine Creek and upper Grande Ronde traps captured fish as they migrated out of spawning areas into valley rearing habitats. The Grande Ronde Valley trap captured fish as they left valley habitats downstream of Catherine Creek and upper Grande Ronde River rearing habitats. Dispersal downstream of spawning areas was most evident in fall and spring, but movement occurred during all seasons that the traps were fished. Seawardmore » migration occurred primarily in spring when O. mykiss smolts left overwintering area located in both spawning area and valley habitats. Migration patterns exhibited by O. mykiss suggest that Grande Ronde Valley habitats are used for overwintering and should be considered critical rearing habitat. We were unable to positively differentiate anadromous and resident forms of O. mykiss in the Grande Ronde River basin because both forms occur in our study area. The Grande Ronde Valley trap provided the best information on steelhead production in the basin because it fished below valley habitats where O. mykiss overwinter. Length frequency histograms of O. mykiss captured below upper spawning and rearing habitats showed a bimodal distribution regardless of the season of capture. Scale analyses suggested that each mode represents a different brood year. Length frequency histograms of O. mykiss captured in the Grande Ronde Valley trap were not bimodal, and primarily represented a size range consistent with other researchers' accounts of anadromous smolts.« less

  8. Fish communities of the Sacramento River Basin: Implications for conservation of native fishes in the Central Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    May, J.T.; Brown, L.R.

    2002-01-01

    The associations of resident fish communities with environmental variables and stream condition were evaluated at representative sites within the Sacramento River Basin, California between 1996 and 1998 using multivariate ordination techniques and by calculating six fish community metrics. In addition, the results of the current study were compared with recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage to provide a wider perspective of the condition of resident fish communities in the Central Valley of California as a whole. Within the Sacramento drainage, species distributions were correlated with elevational and substrate size gradients; however, the elevation of a sampling site was correlated with a suite of water-quality and habitat variables that are indicative of land use effects on physiochemical stream parameters. Four fish community metrics - percentage of native fish, percentage of intolerant fish, number of tolerant species, and percentage of fish with external anomalies - were responsive to environmental quality. Comparisons between the current study and recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage suggested that differences in water-management practices may have significant effects on native species fish community structure. Additionally, the results of the current study suggest that index of biotic integrity-type indices can be developed for the Sacramento River Basin and possibly the entire Central Valley, California. The protection of native fish communities in the Central Valley and other arid environments continues to be a conflict between human needs for water resources and the requirements of aquatic ecosystems; preservation of these ecosystems will require innovative management strategies.

  9. California GAMA Special Study: Importance of River Water Recharge to Selected Groundwater Basins

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Visser, Ate; Moran, Jean E.; Singleton, Michael J.

    River recharge represents 63%, 86% and 46% of modern groundwater in the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and San Joaquin Valley, respectively. In pre-modern groundwater, river recharge represents a lower fraction: 36%, 46%, and 24% respectively. The importance of river water recharge in the San Joaquin valley has nearly doubled and is likely the result of a total increase of recharge of 40%, caused by river water irrigation return flows. This emphasizes the importance of recharge of river water via irrigation for renewal of groundwater resources. Mountain front recharge and local precipitation contribute to recharge of desert groundwater basins in partmore » as the result of geological features focusing scarce precipitation promoting infiltration. River water recharges groundwater systems under lower temperatures and with larger water table fluctuations than local precipitation recharge. Surface storage is limited in time and volume, as evidenced by cold river recharge temperatures resulting from fast recharge, compared to the large capacity for subsurface storage. Groundwater banking of seasonal surface water flows therefore appears to be a natural and promising method for increasing the resilience of water supply systems. The distinct isotopic and noble gas signatures of river water recharge, compared to local precipitation recharge, reflecting the source and mechanism of recharge, are valuable constraints for numerical flow models.« less

  10. Quaternary geology of the Bellevue area in Blaine and Camas Counties, Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schmidt, Dwight Lyman

    1962-01-01

    The Bellevue area covers about 350 square miles of a foothill belt between the Rocky Mountains to the north and the Snake River plains to the south. Complexly deformed impure quartzites and limestones of the Mississippian Milligen and Pennsylvanian-Permian Wood River formations were intruded by large bodies of quartz diorite and granodiorite along regional structures trending northwesterly; the intrusions are part of the Cretaceous Idaho batholith. Erosional remnants of the Challis volcanics, dominantly latitic to andesitic in composition and early(?) to middle Tertiary in age, rest unconformably on the older rocks. A sequence of Pliocene Rhyolitic ash flows and basaltic lava flows unconformably overlies the Challis and older rocks and is in turn unconformably overlain by olivine basalt of late Pliocene or early Quaternary age. The main valleys of the area, partly Erosional and partly structural in origin, are underlaind by late Quaternary olivine basalt flows (Snake River basalt) and intercalated lacustrine, fluvial, proglacial sediments. The Big Wood River, the master stream of the area, flows southward through a narrow steep-sided valley in the mountainous country north of the Bellevue area and debouches into a broad alluvial valley, the Wood River Valley, in the foothill belt. The valley has the shape of an isosceles triangle with a ten mile long, east-west base consisting of a ridge of Pliocene volcanics which separates the valley from the Snake River Plains to the south. The river now flows through a narrow gap in the southwest corner of the triangle. A similar, but wider, gap around the east end of the ridge was formerly occupied by the river. The river has been shifted back and forth between these two gaps at least four times during an interval in which six late Quaternary basalt flows erupted in the Bellevue area. Two of the flows caused direct diversion of the river and another was influential in bringing about a diversion on an aggradational fan upstream from the lava dam. Just prior to the Bull Lake stage the river, flowing out the east gap, was blocked but not diverted by the youngest basalt flow in the Bellevue area. During the proglacial aggradation, the river shifted widely on its fan and spilled alternatively out both the east and west gaps. After the Bull Lake stage, the west gap had an advantageous base level relative to the lava-blocked east gap, and the river cut down in the west gap. After the second, Pinedale, proglacial aggradation in the Wood River Valley, the west gap still maintained an advantageous base level, and the river again cut down in the west outlet valley where it remains today. Periglacial deposits completely dominate the sidestream valleys of the Bellevue area. They formed under a rigorous climate during the Pinedale stage, when slope erosion accelerated by frost activated processes caused aggradation of valley floors by local detritus. Even at present the larger sidestreams are so choked with detritus that the streams have not regained control of their valley floors. Recent basalt, comparable in age to the younger flows of the Craters of the Moon National Monument, spread from a rugged, cratered vent several miles south of the Bellevue area. Using degree of weathering, erosion, and soil development as a basis of comparison, this flow provides and end point for estimating the relative ages of the six late Quaternary flows in the Bellevue area.

  11. Potentially dangerous 24-hour rainfall in the Provadiyska vally system at the end of the 20th and early 21st Centuries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vladev, Dimitar

    2018-03-01

    Extreme rainfalls are of paramount importance for the formation of river springs and, consequently, the occurrence of spills and floods. The article presents the results of a case study of the potentially dangerous 24-hour eruptions in the Provadiyska valley system from the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. Particular attention is paid to the morphometric parameters and the configuration of the river-valley supply network of the Provadiyska river. On this basis, there are defined areas in which there are favorable conditions for forming high river waves.

  12. Birds of the St. Croix River valley: Minnesota and Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faanes, Craig A.

    1981-01-01

    The St. Croix River Valley encompasses nearly 11,550 km2 in east-central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. A wide range of habitats are available for birds including upland oak, lowland deciduous, maple-basswood, lowland and upland coniferous forests, natural basin wetlands, and grasslands. Situated in the north-central region of the United States, the valley is a biological 'crossroads' for many species. Because of the mixed affinities of plant communities, the valley includes the northern and southern range limits for a number of species. Also, because the valley lies near the forest-prairie transition zone, many typical western breeding species (e.g. pintail, western meadowlark, yellow-headed blackbird) breed in proximity to typical eastern species such as tufted titmouse, eastern meadowlark, and cardinal. From 1966 to 1980, I conducted extensive surveys of avian distribution and abundance in the St. Croix River Valley. I have supplemented the results of these surveys with published and unpublished observations contributed by many ornithologists. These additional data include compilations from Christmas Bird Counts sponsored by the National Audubon Society and from the Breeding Bird Survey coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Three hundred fourteen species have been recorded in the study area; data are presented on the migration period, nesting season distribution, winter distribution, relative abundance, and habitat use of each species. Recognizing the uniqueness of the area, and its importance not only to wildlife but also to man, the U.S. Congress designated the St. Croix a National Scenic Riverway. This action provided a considerable degree of protection to lands along and directly adjacent to the river. Unfortunately, no similar legal measure exists to protect lands away from the river. With the exception of the northern quarter of the St. Croix River Valley, agricultural interests have made significant inroads into the habitat base. The continuing expansion of the nearby Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region has degraded or destroyed many woodlots, upland fields, and wetlands. In numerous instances, degradation of natural habitats has influenced the abundance and distribution of bird species. Because of these changes, both the Federal government and State Departments of Natural Resources have listed several species in various categories based on their current status. In the St. Croix River Valley, seven species are endangered, eight are threatened, and 29 are watch or priority status in either or both states. Data presented in this report are of value to land managers, land use specialists, and ornithologists, in assessing current and projected habitat alterations on the avifauna of this valley. The St. Croix River bisects a large region of western Wisconsin and east central Minnesota that exhibits a wide range of habitat types. This region supports not only birds, but many mammals, fishes, reptiles and amphibians, and several thousand species of vascular and nonvascular plants. The river itself is relatively clean through most of its course, and its natural flow is interrupted by only two small dams. Because the river lies within a 1-day drive of nearly 10 million people (Waters 1977), use of the area for recreational purposes is extremely heavy. Recreational pursuits include sunbathing, boating, and wild river kayaking in the summer, and ice fishing and cross-country skiing in the winter. The large number of unique and highly fragile habitats that exist there may never be compatible with the uses and abuses of the land that go with expanding human populations. Through the efforts of a number of citizens concerned with the quality of their environment and the foresightedness of several local, State, and Federal legislators, a portion of the upper St. Croix River Valley (hereafter termed 'the Valley') was established as a National Wild and Scenic River. Through establishment of t

  13. Fertilisation of the Southern Atlantic: Ephemeral River Valleys as a replenishing source of nutrient-enriched mineral aerosols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dansie, Andrew; Wiggs, Giles; Thomas, David

    2016-04-01

    Oceanic dust deposition provides biologically important iron and macronutrients (Phosphorus (P) and Nitrogen-based (N) compounds) that contribute to phytoplankton growth, marine productivity and oceanic atmospheric CO2 uptake. Research on dust emission sources to date has largely focused on the northern hemisphere and on ephemeral lakes and pans. Our work considers the ephemeral river valleys of the west coast of Namibia as an important yet overlooked source of ocean-fertilizing dust. Dust plumes are frequently emitted from the river valleys by strong easterly winds during the Southern Hemisphere winter, when the upwelling of the Benguela Current is at its weakest. We present field data from dust emission source areas along the main river channels near the coastal termini of the Huab, Kuiseb and Tsauchab river valleys. Collected data include erodible surface sediment, wind-blown flux, and associated meteorological data. Extensive surface sediment sampling was also undertaken throughout the combined 34,250 km2 extent of each river valley catchment with samples collected from within the main river channels, the main branches of each river system, selected tributaries, and into the upper watersheds. Geochemical data show valley sediment and wind-blown flux material have high concentrations of bioavailable Fe, P and N, exceeding that measured at the major dry lake basin dust sources in southern Africa. The contribution of fertilising deposition material is enhanced by both the spatial proximity of the source areas to the ocean and enrichment of source material by ephemeral fluvial accumulation and desiccation. Results show that geographical factors within each watershed play a key role in the nutrient composition of the emitting fluvial deposits in the river valleys. Analysis explores potential relationships between land use, geology, climate and precipitation in the upper watersheds and their influence on bioavailability of Fe, P and N compounds in wind-erodible valley sediments. MODIS data for dust plume identification and chlorophyll concentration in the southern Atlantic is utilised to investigate associations between recorded dust emission events and phytoplankton growth in the ocean surface waters.

  14. Delineating riparian zones for entire river networks using geomorphological criteria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernández, D.; Barquín, J.; Álvarez-Cabria, M.; Peñas, F. J.

    2012-03-01

    Riparian zone delineation is a central issue for riparian and river ecosystem management, however, criteria used to delineate them are still under debate. The area inundated by a 50-yr flood has been indicated as an optimal hydrological descriptor for riparian areas. This detailed hydrological information is, however, not usually available for entire river corridors, and is only available for populated areas at risk of flooding. One of the requirements for catchment planning is to establish the most appropriate location of zones to conserve or restore riparian buffer strips for whole river networks. This issue could be solved by using geomorphological criteria extracted from Digital Elevation Models. In this work we have explored the adjustment of surfaces developed under two different geomorphological criteria with respect to the flooded area covered by the 50-yr flood, in an attempt to rapidly delineate hydrologically-meaningful riparian zones for entire river networks. The first geomorphological criterion is based on the surface that intersects valley walls at a given number of bankfull depths above the channel (BFDAC), while the second is based on the surface defined by a~threshold value indicating the relative cost of moving from the stream up to the valley, accounting for slope and elevation change (path distance). As the relationship between local geomorphology and 50-yr flood has been suggested to be river-type dependant, we have performed our analyses distinguishing between three river types corresponding with three valley morphologies: open, shallow vee and deep vee valleys (in increasing degree of valley constrainment). Adjustment between the surfaces derived from geomorphological and hydrological criteria has been evaluated using two different methods: one based on exceeding areas (minimum exceeding score) and the other on the similarity among total area values. Both methods have pointed out the same surfaces when looking for those that best match with the 50-yr flood. Results have shown that the BFDAC approach obtains an adjustment slightly better than that of path distance. However, BFDAC requires bankfull depth regional regressions along the considered river network. Results have also confirmed that unconstrained valleys require lower threshold values than constrained valleys when deriving surfaces using geomorphological criteria. Moreover, this study provides: (i) guidance on the selection of the proper geomorphological criterion and associated threshold values, and (ii) an easy calibration framework to evaluate the adjustment with respect to hydrologically-meaningful surfaces.

  15. Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 25. Summary of Results and Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Geochemistry, Red River Valley, Taos County, New Mexico, 2001-2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nordstrom, D. Kirk

    2008-01-01

    Active and inactive mine sites are challenging to remediate because of their complexity and scale. Regulations meant to achieve environmental restoration at mine sites are equally challenging to apply for the same reasons. The goal of environmental restoration should be to restore contaminated mine sites, as closely as possible, to pre-mining conditions. Metalliferous mine sites in the Western United States are commonly located in hydrothermally altered and mineralized terrain in which pre-mining concentrations of metals were already anomalously high. Typically, those pre-mining concentrations were not measured, but sometimes they can be reconstructed using scientific inference. Molycorp?s Questa molybdenum mine in the Red River Valley, northern New Mexico, is located near the margin of the Questa caldera in a highly mineralized region. The State of New Mexico requires that ground-water quality standards be met on closure unless it can be shown that potential contaminant concentrations were higher than the standards before mining. No ground water at the mine site had been chemically analyzed before mining. The aim of this investigation, in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), is to infer the pre-mining ground-water quality by an examination of the geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical controls on ground-water quality in a nearby, or proximal, analog site in the Straight Creek drainage basin. Twenty-seven reports contain details of investigations on the geological, hydrological, and geochemical characteristics of the Red River Valley that are summarized in this report. These studies include mapping of surface mineralogy by Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometry (AVIRIS); compilations of historical surface- and ground- water quality data; synoptic/tracer studies with mass loading and temporal water-quality trends of the Red River; reaction-transport modeling of the Red River; environmental geology of the Red River Valley; lake-sediment chemistry; geomorphology and its effect on ground-water flow; geophysical studies on depth to ground-water table and depth to bedrock; bedrock fractures and their potential influence on ground-water flow; leaching studies of scars and waste-rock piles; mineralogy and mineral chemistry and their effect on ground-water quality; debris-flow hazards; hydrology and water balance for the Red River Valley; ground-water geochemistry of selected wells undisturbed by mining in the Red River Valley; and quality assurance and quality control of water analyses. Studies aimed specifically at the Straight Creek natural-analog site include electrical surveys; high-resolution seismic survey; age-dating with tritium/helium; water budget; ground-water hydrology and geochemistry; and comparison of mineralogy and lithology to that of the mine site. The highly mineralized and hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks of the Red River Valley contain several percent pyrite in the quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) alteration zone, which weather naturally to acid-sulfate surface and ground waters that discharge to the Red River. Weathering of waste-rock piles containing pyrite also contributes acid water that eventually discharges into the Red River. These acid discharges are neutralized by circumneutral-pH, carbonate-buffered surface and ground waters of the Red River. The buffering capacity of the Red River, however, decreases from the town of Red River to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gaging station near Questa. During short, but intense, storm events, the buffering capacity is exceeded and the river becomes acid from the rapid flushing of acidic materials from natural scar areas. The lithology, mineralogy, elevation, and hydrology of the Straight Creek proximal analog site were found to closely approximate those of the mine site with the exception of the mine site?s Sulphur Gulch catchment. Sulphur Gulch contains three subcatchments?upper Sulphur Gulch, Blind Gulch, and Spring Gulc

  16. The Politics of Place: Official, Intermediate and Community Discourses in Depopulated Rural Areas of Central Spain. The Case of the Riaza River Valley (Segovia, Spain)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paniagua, Angel

    2009-01-01

    This paper provides theoretical and methodological arguments to study the politics of space in small marginal and depopulated areas of Spain. The case for research is the Riaza river valley in the province of Segovia. Usually the analysis of rural space (and the geographical space in general) provides opposing presentations: vertical, between…

  17. Fishes in paleochannels of the Lower Mississippi River alluvial valley: A national treasure

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miranda, Leandro E.

    2016-01-01

    Fluvial geomorphology of the alluvial valley of the Lower Mississippi River reveals a fascinating history. A prominent occupant of the valley was the Ohio River, estimated to have flowed 25,000 years ago over western Tennessee and Mississippi to join the Mississippi River north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 750–800 km south of the present confluence. Over time, shifts in the Mississippi and Ohio rivers toward their contemporary positions have left a legacy of abandoned paleochannels supportive of unique fish assemblages. Relative to channels abandoned in the last 500 years, paleochannels exhibit harsher environmental conditions characteristic of hypereutrophic lakes and support tolerant fish assemblages. Considering their ecological, geological, and historical importance, coupled with their primordial scenery, the hundreds of paleochannels in the valley represent a national treasure. Altogether, these waterscapes are endangered by human activities and would benefit from the conservation attention afforded to our national parks and wildlife refuges.

  18. High-precision U-Pb geochronology in the Minnesota River Valley subprovince and its bearing on the Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic evolution of the southern Superior Province

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schmitz, M.D.; Bowring, S.A.; Southwick, D.L.; Boerboom, Terrence; Wirth, K.R.

    2006-01-01

    High-precision U-Pb ages have been obtained for high-grade gneisses, late-kinematic to postkinematic granitic plutons, and a crosscutting mafic dike of the Archean Minnesota River Valley tectonic subprovince, at the southern ramparts of the Superior craton of North America. The antiquity of the Minnesota River Valley terranes is confirmed by a high-precision U-Pb zircon age of 3422 ?? 2 Ma for a tonalitic phase of the Morton Gneiss. Voluminous, late-kinematic monzogranites of the Benson (Ortonville granite) and Morton (Sacred Heart granite) blocks yield identical crystallization ages of 2603 ?? 1 Ma, illustrating the synchrony and rapidity of deep crustal melting and plutonism throughout the Minnesota River Valley terranes. Postkinematic, 2591 ?? 2 Ma syenogranites and aplitic dikes in both blocks effectively constrain the final penetrative deformation of the Minnesota River Valley subprovince. Monazite growth from 2609 to 2595 Ma in granulitic paragneisses of the Benson and Montevideo blocks is interpreted to record prograde to peak granulite facies metamorphic conditions associated with crustal thickening and magmatism. Neoarchean metamorphism and plutonism are interpreted to record the timing of collisional accretion and terminal suturing of the Mesoarchean continental Minnesota River Valley terranes to the southern margin of the Superior Province, along the western Great Lakes tectonic zone. Subsequent Paleoproterozoic rifting of this margin is recorded by voluminous basaltic dike intrusion, expressed in the Minnesota River Valley by major WNW-trending tholeiitic diabase dikes dated at 2067 ?? 1 Ma, only slightly younger than the structurally and geochemically similar 2077 ?? 4 Ma Fort Frances (Kenora-Kabetogama) dike swarm of northern Minnesota and adjoining Canada. ?? 2006 Geological Society of America.

  19. Infill of tunnel valleys associated with landward-flowing ice sheets: The missing Middle Pleistocene record of the NW European rivers?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moreau, Julien; Huuse, Mads

    2014-01-01

    The southern termination of the Middle and Late Pleistocene Scandinavian ice sheets was repeatedly located in the southern North Sea (sNS) and adjacent, north-sloping land areas. Giant meltwater-excavated valleys (tunnel valleys) formed at the southern termination of the ice sheets and contain a hitherto enigmatic succession of northward prograding clinoforms, comprising 1000s km3 of sediment. This study analyses 3D seismic data, covering the entire sNS, and demonstrates for the first time that the formation of these tunnel valleys was separate from their infill. The infill constitutes the postglacial record of the NW European river deltas, which had so far been considered missing.

  20. Community Survey Results for Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge: Completion Report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sexton, Natalie R.; Stewart, Susan C.; Koontz, Lynne

    2008-01-01

    This report provides a summary of results for the survey of residents of communities adjacent to Rappahannock River Valley NWR conducted from the spring through the summer in 2006. This research was commissioned by the Northeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in support of the Rappahannock River Valley NWR CCP and conducted by the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch (PASA) of the U.S. Geological Survey/Fort Collins Science Center.

  1. The Bear River's history and diversion: Constraints, unsolved problems, and implications for the Lake Bonneville record: Chapter 2

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pederson, Joel L.; Janecke, Susanne U.; Reheis, Marith; Kaufmann, Darrell S.; Oaks, R. Q.

    2016-01-01

    The shifting course of the Bear River has influenced the hydrologic balance of the Bonneville basin through time, including the magnitude of Lake Bonneville. This was first recognized by G.K. Gilbert and addressed in the early work of Robert Bright, who focused on the southeastern Idaho region of Gem Valley and Oneida Narrows. In this chapter, we summarize and evaluate existing knowledge from this region, present updated and new chronostratigraphic evidence for the Bear River's drainage history, and discuss implications for the Bonneville record as well as future research needs.The Bear River in Plio-Pleistocene time joined the Snake River to the north by following the present-day Portneuf or Blackfoot drainages, with it likely joining the Portneuf River by middle Pleistocene time. An episode of volcanism in the Blackfoot-Gem Valley volcanic field, sparsely dated to ~ 100–50 ka, diverted the Bear River southward from where the Alexander shield volcano obstructed the river's path into Gem Valley. Previous chronostratigraphic and isotopic work on the Main Canyon Formation in southern Gem Valley indicates internal-basin sedimentation during the Quaternary, with a possible brief incursion of the Bear River ~ 140 ka. New evidence confirms that the Bear River's final diversion at 60–50 ka led to its integration into the Bonneville basin by spillover at a paleo-divide above present-day Oneida Narrows. This drove rapid incision before the rise of Lake Bonneville into the canyon and southern Gem Valley.Bear River diversion at 60–50 ka coincides with the end of the Cutler Dam lake cycle, at the onset of marine isotope stage 3. The Bear River subsequently contributed to the rise of Lake Bonneville, the highest pluvial lake known in the basin, culminating in the Bonneville flood. Key research questions include the prior path of the upper Bear River, dating and understanding the complex geologic relations within the Gem Valley-Blackfoot volcanic field, resolving evidence for possible earlier incursions of Bear River water into the Bonneville basin, and interpreting the sedimentology of the Main Canyon Formation.

  2. 78 FR 20941 - Proposed Flood Hazard Determinations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-08

    ... panels of experts in hydrology, hydraulics, and other pertinent sciences established to review... Scarborough Street, Richland, MS 38218. Pearl River Valley Water Supply Pearl River Valley Water Supply...

  3. Proposed work plan for the study of hydrologic effects of ground-water development in the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robson, S.G.

    1985-01-01

    Large-scale development of groundwater resources in the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, could adversely affect other water rights in the valley or in the Arkansas River Basin. Such infringement on senior water rights could severely limit development of additional water supplies in the valley. A work plan is presented for a study that is intended to define the hydrologic system in the valley better, and to determine the extent that the quantity and chemical quality of both surface and groundwater in the valley might be affected by proposed development. (USGS)

  4. Two distinct phylogenetic clades of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus overlap within the Columbia River basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garver, K.A.; Troyer, R.M.; Kurath, G.

    2003-01-01

    Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), an aquatic rhabdovirus, causes a highly lethal disease of salmonid fish in North America. To evaluate the genetic diversity of IHNV from throughout the Columbia River basin, excluding the Hagerman Valley, Idaho, the sequences of a 303 nt region of the glycoprotein gene (mid-G) of 120 virus isolates were determined. Sequence comparisons revealed 30 different sequence types, with a maximum nucleotide diversity of 7.3% (22 mismatches) and an intrapopulational nucleotide diversity of 0.018. This indicates that the genetic diversity of IHNV within the Columbia River basin is 3-fold higher than in Alaska, but 2-fold lower than in the Hagerman Valley, Idaho. Phylogenetic analyses separated the Columbia River basin IHNV isolates into 2 major clades, designated U and M. The 2 clades geographically overlapped within the lower Columbia River basin and in the lower Snake River and tributaries, while the upper Columbia River basin had only U clade and the upper Snake River basin had only M clade virus types. These results suggest that there are co-circulating lineages of IHNV present within specific areas of the Columbia River basin. The epidemiological significance of these findings provided insight into viral traffic patterns exhibited by IHNV in the Columbia River basin, with specific relevance to how the Columbia River basin IHNV types were related to those in the Hagerman Valley. These analyses indicate that there have likely been 2 historical events in which Hagerman Valley IHNV types were introduced and became established in the lower Columbia River basin. However, the data also clearly indicates that the Hagerman Valley is not a continuous source of waterborne virus infecting salmonid stocks downstream.

  5. Investigating the Maya Polity at Lower Barton Creek Cayo, Belize

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kollias, George Van, III

    The objectives of this research are to determine the importance of Lower Barton Creek in both time and space, with relation to other settlements along the Belize River Valley. Material evidence recovered from field excavations and spatial information developed from Lidar data were employed in determining the socio-political nature and importance of this settlement, so as to orient its existence within the context of ancient socio-political dynamics in the Belize River Valley. Before the investigations detailed in this thesis no archaeological research had been conducted in the area, the site of Lower Barton Creek itself was only recently identified via the 2013 West-Central Belize LiDAR Survey (WCBLS 2013). Previously, the southern extent of the Barton Creek area represented a major break in our knowledge not only of the Barton Creek area, but the southern extent of the Belize River Valley. Conducting research at Lower Barton Creek has led to the determination of the polity's temporal existence and allowed for a greater and more complex understanding of the Belize River Valley's interaction with regions abutting the Belize River Valley proper.

  6. Beaver ponds' impact on fluvial processes (Beskid Niski Mts., SE Poland).

    PubMed

    Giriat, Dorota; Gorczyca, Elżbieta; Sobucki, Mateusz

    2016-02-15

    Beaver (Castor sp.) can change the riverine environment through dam-building and other activities. The European beaver (Castor fiber) was extirpated in Poland by the nineteenth century, but populations are again present as a result of reintroductions that began in 1974. The goal of this paper is to assess the impact of beaver activity on montane fluvial system development by identifying and analysing changes in channel and valley morphology following expansion of beaver into a 7.5 km-long headwater reach of the upper Wisłoka River in southeast Poland. We document the distribution of beaver in the reach, the change in river profile, sedimentation type and storage in beaver ponds, and assess how beaver dams and ponds have altered channel and valley bottom morphology. The upper Wisłoka River fluvial system underwent a series of anthropogenic disturbances during the last few centuries. The rapid spread of C. fiber in the upper Wisłoka River valley was promoted by the valley's morphology, including a low-gradient channel and silty-sand deposits in the valley bottom. At the time of our survey (2011), beaver ponds occupied 17% of the length of the study reach channel. Two types of beaver dams were noted: in-channel dams and valley-wide dams. The primary effect of dams, investigated in an intensively studied 300-m long subreach (Radocyna Pond), was a change in the longitudinal profile from smooth to stepped, a local reduction of the water surface slope, and an increase in the variability of both the thalweg profile and surface water depths. We estimate the current rate of sedimentation in beaver ponds to be about 14 cm per year. A three-stage scheme of fluvial processes in the longitudinal and transverse profile of the river channel is proposed. C. fiber reintroduction may be considered as another important stage of the upper Wisłoka fluvial system development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Flooding in Clark and Lincoln Counties, Nevada, December 2004 and January 2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryan, Roslyn

    2006-01-01

    Introduction: A regional storm passed through the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, on December 28-29, 2004, producing up to 2 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. Due to the intense, sustained rainfall, streamflow along Las Vegas Wash was near the record discharges of July 8, 1999. Additional rainfall in December and in January, combined with an early warming trend, resulted in record flooding along Meadow Valley Wash, Muddy River, and Virgin River, January 10-11, 2005 (figs. 1 and 2). On January 7, this warming trend resulted in about a 15?F (degree Fahrenheit) increase over the previous week (fig. 2). This temperature spike, along with further precipitation, caused much of the snow pack in the surrounding mountain ranges to melt and run off into the valleys. These two factors led to the major flood events in Clark and Lincoln Counties during December 2004 and January 2005. Total flood and storm damage for Lincoln County was estimated at $9.4 million and $4.5 million for Clark County (Manning, 2005). Clark County generally is drained by the Las Vegas and Meadow Valley Washes, and the Muddy and Virgin River systems. Las Vegas Valley is drained by Duck Creek, Tropicana Wash (not in fig. 1), Flamingo Wash, Las Vegas Wash, and several smaller tributaries (fig. 1). Water in these drainages generally flows eastward through Las Vegas to Las Vegas Wash and on toward Lake Mead, an impoundment of the Colorado River. The Virgin River originates in southern Utah, flows past Littlefield, AZ, through Mesquite, NV, and into the Overton Arm of Lake Mead. Meadow Valley Wash flows from Ursine, NV, through Caliente, NV, continues southeast through Moapa Valley, and into the Muddy River at Glendale, NV. The Muddy River flows southeast through Moapa Valley into the Overton Arm of Lake Mead (Kane and Wilson, 2000).

  8. Quaternary Sedimentary and Geomorphic History of River Valleys in the Lake Titicaca Basin, Peru and Bolivia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rigsby, C. A.; Farabaugh, R. L.; Baker, P. A.

    2002-12-01

    Lacustrine sediments have become important archives of paleoclimatic history in the tropical Andes of South America. The history of lake level of Lake Titicaca (LT) has played a central role in these reconstructions. Here we report on our ongoing studies of the late Quaternary sedimentary and geomorphic histories of two of the major tributaries to LT (the Rios Ramis and Ilave) and on our earlier studies of LT's only outlet (the Rio Desaguadero). The strata and fluvial terraces in these valleys record large-scale aggradation and downcutting events that are apparently correlative with both climate changes in the LT basin and local complex response mechanisms (changes in sediment source, topographic variability, etc.). Both the Ramis and Ilave valleys have 5 terrace tracts, ranging from less than 1 m to approximately 53 m above the river level and occurring as both paired and unpaired tracts and as cut-fill, fill-, and strath terraces. The Rio Desaguadero valley has 4, locally paired, cut-fill and fill terrace tracts that range in height from approximately 2 m to 40 m above river level. In all three valleys, the terraces are underlain by meandering- and braided-river sands and gravels and by lacustrine muds. Radiocarbon dates from the Ilave and Desaguadero valleys suggest that strata in these valleys aggraded during periods of high or rising levels of LT, high or increasing sedimentation rates in the Rio Ilave delta, high (but variable) regional precipitation, and lacustrine sedimentation in the upstream-most reaches of the Rio Desaguadero valley. These same strata were downcut during periods of low or falling levels of LT, low or rapidly decreasing sedimentation rates in the Rio Ilave delta, and lower regional precipitation and runoff. In all three valleys, aggradational periods are punctuated by equilibrium periods of soil formation, downcutting events are episodic, and the most recent events are aggradation and subsequent downcutting of a low, young fill-terrace. Radiocarbon dates from the Ramis valley (in progress) will allow us to compare the timing of fluvial events in all three valleys with the timing of climatic events recorded in LT and elsewhere on the Peruvian and Bolivian Altiplano and to better understand the climatic effects on both fluvial landscapes and regional cultural evolution.

  9. Salinity Trends in the Upper Colorado River Basin Upstream From the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, Colorado, 1986-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leib, Kenneth J.; Bauch, Nancy J.

    2008-01-01

    In 1974, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act was passed into law. This law was enacted to address concerns regarding the salinity content of the Colorado River. The law authorized various construction projects in selected areas or 'units' of the Colorado River Basin intended to reduce the salinity load in the Colorado River. One such area was the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit in western Colorado. The U. S. Geological Survey has done extensive studies and research in the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit that provide information to aid the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in determining where salinity-control work may provide the best results, and to what extent salinity-control work was effective in reducing salinity concentrations and loads in the Colorado River. Previous studies have indicated that salinity concentrations and loads have been decreasing downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, and that the decreases are likely the result of salinity control work in these areas. Several of these reports; however, also document decreasing salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. This finding was important because only a small amount of salinity-control work was being done in areas upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit at the time the findings were reported (late 1990?s). As a result of those previous findings, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate salinity trends in selected areas bracketing the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit and regions upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. The results of the study indicate that salinity loads were decreasing upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit from 1986 through 2003, but the rates of decrease have slowed during the last 10 years. The average rate of decrease in salinity load upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit was 10,700 tons/year. This accounts for approximately 27 percent of the decrease observed downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Salinity loads were decreasing at the fastest rate (6,950 tons/year) in Region 4, which drains an area between the Colorado River at Cameo, Colorado (station CAMEO) and Colorado River above Glenwood Springs, Colorado (station GLEN) streamflow-gaging stations. Trends in salinity concentration and streamflow were tested at station CAMEO to determine if salinity concentration, streamflow, or both are controlling salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Trend tests of individual ion concentrations were included as potential indicators of what sources (based on mineral composition) may be controlling trends in the upper Colorado. No significant trend was detected for streamflow from 1986 to 2003 at station CAMEO; however, a significant downward trend was detected for salinity concentration. The trend slope indicates that salinity concentration is decreasing at a median rate of about 3.54 milligrams per liter per year. Five major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride) were tested for trends. The results indicate that processes within source areas with rock and soil types (or other unidentified sources) bearing calcium, sodium, and sulfate had the largest effect on the downward trend in salinity load upstream from station CAMEO. Downward trends in salinity load resulting from ground-water sources and/or land-use change were thought to be possible reasons for the observed decreases in salinity loads; however, the cause or causes of the decreasing salinity loads are not fully understood. A reduction in the amount of ground-water percolation from Region 4 (resulting from work done through Federal irrigation system improvement programs as well as privately funded irrigation system improvements) has helped reduce annual salinity load from Region 4 by approxima

  10. 7. Photocopy of map of the Agua Fria Valley and ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    7. Photocopy of map of the Agua Fria Valley and lands to be irrigated by the Agua Fria Water and Land Company. Photographer Mark Durben, 1987 Source: 'Map of the Agua Fria Valley and the Western Portion of the Salt River Valley Showing the System of Reservoirs and Canals of the Agua Fria Water and Land Company and the Land to be Irrigated Thereby 160,000 Acres of New Land to be Reclaimed in the Maricopa County, Arizona Territory,' (Brochure) Union Photo Engraving Company, c. 1895, Salt River Project Research Archives, Tempe, Arizona. - Waddell Dam, On Agua Fria River, 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, Phoenix, Maricopa County, AZ

  11. Shoals and valley plugs in the Hatchie River watershed

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Diehl, Timothy H.

    2000-01-01

    Agricultural land use and gully erosion have historically contributed more sediment to the streams of the Hatchie River watershed than those streams can carry. In 1970, the main sedimentation problem in the watershed occurred in the tributary flood plains. This problem motivated channelization projects (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1970). By the mid-1980's, concern had shifted to sedimentation in the Hatchie River itself where channelized tributaries were understood to contribute much of the sediment. The Soil Conservation Service [Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) since 1996] estimated that 640,000 tons of bedload (sand) accumulates in the Hatchie River each year and identified roughly the eastern two-thirds of the watershed, where loess is thin or absent, as the main source of sand (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1986a). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the West Tennessee River Basin Authority (WTRBA), conducted a study of sediment accumulation in the Hatchie River and its tributaries. This report identifies the types of tributaries and evaluates sediment, shoal formation, and valley-plug problems. The results presented here may contribute to a better understanding of similar problems in West Tennessee and the rest of the southeastern coastal plain. This information also will help the WTRBA manage sedimentation and erosion problems in the Hatchie River watershed.The source of the Mississippi section of the Hatchie River is in the sand hills southwest of Corinth, Mississippi (fig. 1). This section of the Hatchie River flows northward in an artificial drainage canal, gathering water from tributary streams that also are channelized. The drainage canal ends 2 miles south of the Tennessee State line. The Tennessee section of the Hatchie River winds north and west in a meandering natural channel to the Mississippi River. Although most of the Hatchie River tributaries are also drainage canals, the river's main stem has kept most of its natural character. The Hatchie River flows through a wide valley bottom occupied mostly by riverine wetland. Historically, the valley bottom has supported hardwood forests. Since publication of the first Hatchie River report (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1970), the channel of the river has become shallower, and flooding has increased (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1986b). These wetter conditions inhibit growth of hardwoods and lead to premature hardwood mortality. The NRCS has predicted that despite efforts to control erosion in the uplands, most of the valley-bottom forest will die. '...swamping may be so prevalent as to change most of the Hatchie River Basin flood plain into a marsh condition, with the only remnants of the present bottomland hardwood timber remaining. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1986b) Loss of channel depth has been concentrated in short reaches near tributary mouths. At the mouths of Richland, Porters, Clover, and Muddy Creeks, navigation has become difficult for recreational users (Johnny Carlin, West Tennessee River Basin Authority, oral commun., 1998).As the low-gradient alluvial system of the Hatchie River accumulates sediment, another common outcome has been the formation of valley plugs, areas where 'channels are filled with sediment, and all the additional bedload brought downstream is then spread out over the flood plain until a new channel has been formed' (Happ, 1975). Valley plugs typically form where the slope of a sand-laden tributary decreases downstream, or where the tributary joins its parent stream (Happ and others, 1940; Diehl, 1994, 1997; Smith and Diehl, 2000).

  12. Utilization potential evaluation of plant resources in the dry-hot valley of Jinsha River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xi, Rong; Xu, Naizhong; Liu, Shengxiang; Ren, Tingyan

    2017-08-01

    Plant resources in the dry-hot valley of Jinsha River are endemic to a class of district. The article adopts the analytic hierarchy process method to evaluate the exploitation and utilization potential of plant resources of thirty typical plant resources on the basis of their characteristics in the dry-hot valley of Jinsha River, which provide scientific evidence for quantitative evaluation of regional plant resources, and we also suggest pathways offering protection and development.

  13. Recycling of Pleistocene valley fills dominates 125 ka of sediment flux, upper Indus River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Munack, Henry; Blöthe, Jan Henrik; Fülöp, Réka-Hajnalka; Codilean, Alexandru T.; Fink, David; Korup, Oliver

    2016-04-01

    Rivers draining the semiarid Transhimalayan Ranges along the western Tibetan Plateau margin underwent alternating phases of massive valley infill and incision in Pleistocene times. The imprints of these cut-and-fill cycles on long-term sediment fluxes have remained largely elusive. We investigate the timing and geomorphic consequences of headward incision of the Zanskar River, which taps the vast More Plains valley fill that currently impedes drainage of the endorheic high-altitude basins of Tso Kar and Tso Moriri. In situ 10Be exposure dating and topographic analyses indicate that a phase of valley infill gave way to net dissection of the >250-m thick sedimentary stacks ˜125 ka ago, i.e. during the last interglacial (MIS 5e). Rivers eroded >14.7 km3 of sediment from the Zanskar headwaters since then, fashioning specific sediment yields that surpass 10Be-derived denudation rates from neighbouring catchments by factors of two to ten. We conclude that recycling of Pleistocene valley fills has provided Transhimalayan headwater rivers with more sediment than bedrock denudation, at least since the beginning of the last glacial cycle. This protracted liberation of sediment stored in thick valley fills could bias rate estimates of current sediment loads and long-term bedrock denudation.

  14. Using a novel flood prediction model and GIS automation to measure the valley and channel morphology of large river networks

    EPA Science Inventory

    Traditional methods for measuring river valley and channel morphology require intensive ground-based surveys which are often expensive, time consuming, and logistically difficult to implement. The number of surveys required to assess the hydrogeomorphic structure of large river n...

  15. Questa Baseline and Pre-Mining Ground-Water Quality Investigation. 17. Geomorphology of the Red River Valley, Taos County, New Mexico, and Influence on Ground-Water Flow in the Shallow Alluvial Aquifer

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vincent, Kirk R.

    2008-01-01

    In April 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) began a cooperative study to infer the pre-mining ground-water chemistry at the Molycorp molybdenum mine site in the Red River Valley of north-central New Mexico. This report is one in a series of reports that can be used to determine pre-mining ground-water conditions at the mine site. Molycorp?s Questa molybdenum mine in the Red River Valley, northern New Mexico, is located near the margin of the Questa caldera in a highly mineralized region. The bedrock of the Taos Range surrounding the Red River is composed of Proterozoic rocks of various types, which are intruded and overlain by Oligocene volcanic rocks associated with the Questa caldera. Locally, these rocks were altered by hydrothermal activity. The alteration zones that contain sulfide minerals are particularly important because they constitute the commercial ore bodies of the region and, where exposed to weathering, form sites of rapid erosion referred to as alteration scars. Over the past thousand years, if not over the entire Holocene, erosion rates were spatially variable. Forested hillslopes eroded at about 0.04 millimeter per year, whereas alteration scars eroded at about 2.7 millimeters per year. The erosion rate of the alteration scars is unusually rapid for naturally occurring sites that have not been disturbed by humans. Watersheds containing large alteration scars delivered more sediment to the Red River Valley than the Red River could remove. Consequently, large debris fans, as much as 80 meters thick, developed within the valley. The geomorphology of the Red River Valley has had several large influences on the hydrology of the shallow alluvial aquifer, and those influences were in effect before the onset of mining within the watershed. Several reaches where alluvial ground water emerges to become Red River streamflow were observed by a tracer dilution study conducted in 2001. The aquifer narrows where erosion-resistant bedrock, which tends to form vertical cliffs, restricts the width of the valley bottom. Although the presence of a shallow bedrock sill, overlain by shallow alluvium, is a plausible cause of ground-water emergence, this cause was not demonstrated in the study area. The water-table gradient can locally decrease in the downstream direction because of changes in the hydraulic properties of the alluvium, and this may be a contributing cause of ground-water emergence. However, at one site (near Cabin Springs), ground-water emergence could not be explained by spatial changes in geometric or hydraulic properties of the aquifer. Furthermore, the available evidence demonstrates that ground water flowing through bedrock fractures or colluvium entered the north side of the alluvial aquifer, and is the cause of ground-water emergence. At that location the alluvial aquifer was already flowing full, causing the excess water to emerge into the stream. An indirect consequence of altered rock in the tributary watersheds is the rapid erosion rate of alteration scars combined with the hydraulic properties of sediments shed from those scars. Where alteration scars are large the debris fans at the mouths of the tributary watersheds substantially encroach into the Red River Valley. At such locations debris-fan materials dominate the width and thickness of the alluvium in the valley and reduce the rate of flow of ground water within the Red River alluvial aquifer. Most sites of groundwater emergence are located immediately upstream from or along the margins of debris fans. A substantial fraction of the ground water approaching a debris fan can emerge to become streamflow. This last observation has three implications. First, very little water can flow the entire length of the study area entirely within the alluvial aquifer because the ground water repeatedly contacts debris-fan sediments over that length. Second, it follows that emerging water containing

  16. Building sustainable communities using sense of place indicators in three Hudson River Valley, NY, tourism destinations: An application of the limits of acceptable change process

    Treesearch

    Laura E. Sullivan; Rudy M. Schuster; Diane M. Kuehn; Cheryl S. Doble; Duarte Morais

    2010-01-01

    This study explores whether measures of residents' sense of place can act as indicators in the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) process to facilitate tourism planning and management. Data on community attributes valued by residents and the associated values and meanings were collected through focus groups with 27 residents in three Hudson River Valley, New York,...

  17. Paleodrainages of the Eastern Sahara - The radar rivers revisited (SIR-A/B implications for a mid-tertiary Trans-African drainage system)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccauley, J. F.; Breed, C. S.; Schaber, G. G.; Mchugh, W. P.; Haynes, C. C.

    1986-01-01

    The images obtained by the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR)-A and -B systems over the southwestern Egypt and northwestern Sudan were coregistered with the Landsat images and the existing maps to aid in extrapolations of the buried paleodrainages ('radar rivers'), first discovered by SIR-A. Field observations explain the radar responses of three types of radar rivers, RR-1 (broad, aggraded valleys filled with alluvium), RR-2 (braided channels inset in the RR-1 valleys), and RR-3 (narrow, long, bedrock-incised channels). A generalized model of the radar rivers, based on field studies and regional geologic relations, shows inferred changes in river regimen since the large valleys were established during the later Paleogene-early Neogene. It is suggested that a former Trans-African master stream system may have flowed from headwaters in the Red Sea Hills southwestward across North Africa, discharging into the Atlantic at the Paleo-Niger delta, prior to the Neogene domal uplifts and building of volcanic edifices across the paths of these ancient watercourses.

  18. The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems responding to climatic events that enhance hydrologic transport acress the landscape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKnight, D. M.; Lyons, W. B.; Fountain, A. G.; Gooseff, M. N.; Doran, P. T.; Wall, D. H.; Virginia, R. A.; Priscu, J. C.; Adams, B.; Vesbach-Takacs, C.; Barrett, J. E.; Howkins, A.

    2014-12-01

    The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica is comprised of alpine and terminal glaciers, large expanses of patterned ground, and permanently ice-covered lakes in the valley floors, which are linked by glacial meltwater streams that flow during the austral summer. These valleys were first explored by Robert Scott and his party in 1903. In 1968 the New Zealand Antarctic Program began a gauging network on the Onyx River, a 32 km river in Wright Valley which is the longest river in Antarctica. As part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological research project our research group has monitored meteorological conditions, glacial mass balance, lake level and streamflow in the adjacent Taylor Valley. The extent of liquid water throughout the landscape is strongly controlled by summer climate, and the availability of liquid water in turn is a limitation to the microscopic life that is present in the diverse habitats in the valleys. We have studied the responses of soil, lake, stream and cryoconite ecosystems through a sustained cooling period that has been driven by atmospheric changes associated with the ozone hole. In the past decade, this cooling period appears to have ceased and summer conditions have become more variable. Three warm sunny summers have occurred since 2001/02. These conditions have created weeks long "flood events" in the valleys, causing wet areas to emerge in the soils, thermokarsting in some stream channels and increases in lake level. These flood events can be considered as pulse events that drive an increase in ecosystem connectivity, changing rates of biogeochemical processes and the distribution of biota. Collectively the ecosystems of the McMurdo Dry Valleys are highly responsive to dynamic climatic influences associated with the ozone hole and global warming.

  19. Large scale reactive transport of nitrate across the surface water divide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kortunov, E.; Lu, C.; Amos, R.; Grathwohl, P.

    2016-12-01

    Groundwater pollution caused by agricultural and atmospheric inputs is a pressing issue in environmental management worldwide. Various researchers have studied different aspects of nitrate contamination since the substantial increase of the agriculture pollution in the second half of the 20th century. This study addresses large scale reactive solute transport in a typical Germany hilly landscapes in a transect crossing 2 valleys: River Neckar and Ammer. The numerical model was constructed compromising a 2-D cross-section accounting for typical fractured mudstones and unconsolidated sediments. Flow modelling showed that the groundwater divide significantly deviates from the surface water divide providing conditions for inter-valley flow and transport. Reactive transport modelling of redox-sensitive solutes (e.g. agriculture nitrate and natural sulfate, DOC, ammonium) with MIN3P was used to elucidate source of nitrate in aquifers and rivers. Since both floodplains, in the Ammer and Neckar valley contain Holocene sediments relatively high in organic carbon, agricultural nitrate is reduced therein and does not reach the groundwater. However, nitrate applied in the hillslopes underlain by fractured oxidized mudrock is transported to the high yield sand and gravel aquifer in the Neckar valley. Therefore, the model predicts that nitrate in the Neckar valley comes, to a large extent, from the neighboring Ammer valley. Moreover, nitrate observed in the rivers and drains in the Ammer valley is very likely geogenic since frequent peat layers there release ammonium which is oxidized as it enters the surface water. Such findings are relevant for land and water quality management.

  20. ACHP | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation News

    Science.gov Websites

    Preserve America Community Blackstone River Valley Towns and Cities Designated Newest Preserve America Understanding Blackstone River Valley Presents 24 Preserve America Community Applications to the ACHP Laura Bush

  1. Are Streams in the Southwestern Ozarks Underfit? Applying Dury's model to the Illinois River Watershed in Arkansas.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, S. L.; Davis, R. K.; Dixon, J. C.; Cothren, J. D.

    2008-12-01

    George H. Dury (1964) proposed eight theoretical combinations of stream pattern and valley pattern that represent underfit streams; claiming underfit is a climate induced condition caused by a significant decrease in channel forming discharge. One combination was defined by the Osage River in the northeastern Ozark Plateaus of Missouri. Osage underfit streams fail to meander within a meandering valley. The mean channel meander wavelength and channel width of the stream is much less than the valley resulting in valley-stream ratios of up to 40:1 in contrast to his expected values of approximately 11:1. Dury's model is generally applied to the entire Ozarks including the Illinois River watershed without field data support. The Illinois River is located on the western flank of the Ozark Plateaus physiographic region on the Springfield Plateau which has different lithology than the Salem Plateau where the Osage River is located. To test the assumption that streams in the Illinois River watershed are underfit a combination of field, map, and GIS data were collected. Geomorphic surveys of ten reaches along eight first order streams were completed. The average stream widths of the ten reaches were compared to valley widths measured from USGS 1:24000 Quadrangle maps. The valley to stream ratios ranged from 1 to 15. Forested watersheds exhibited the highest width ratios, ranging from 12 to 15, while ratios in urban and agricultural watersheds were less than 2. This finding is consistent with observed changes in stream morphology caused by anthropogenic influences. To extrapolate to the larger watershed thirteen valley and stream widths along the Illinois River and two higher order tributaries, Osage Creek and Clear Creek, were measured from USGS maps. These ratios ranged from 2.8 to 5.7. Additionally, stream and valley wavelengths are being analyzed in a GIS using the USGS medium resolution hydrology data set and a LiDAR derived 8 m DEM for the watershed. These data suggest it is invalid to apply the Osage underfit model to this watershed. These findings are being validated with additional stream and valley width measurements in the field along the first order streams, Osage Creek, Clear Creek, and the Illinois River.

  2. Geologic evolution of the lower Connecticut River valley: Influence of bedrock geology, glacial deposits, and sea level

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stone, Janet R.; Lewis, Ralph S.

    2016-01-01

    This fieldtrip illustrates the character of the lower Connecticut River bedrock valley, in particular its depth, and the lithology and structure of bedrock units it crosses. It examines the character and distribution of the glaciodeltaic terraces that partially fill the valley and discusses the depth of postglacial incision into them.

  3. Riparian valley oak (Quercus lobata) forest restoration on the middle Sacramento River, California

    Treesearch

    F. Thomas Griggs; Gregory H. Golet

    2002-01-01

    In 1989 The Nature Conservancy initiated a riparian horticultural restoration program on the floodplain of the middle Sacramento River, California. At nearly all restoration sites Valley oak (Quercus lobata Nee) comprised a major component of the planting design. Valley oaks are a keystone tree species of lowland floodplain habitats in California...

  4. Investigations into the Early History of Naturally Produced Spring Chinook Salmon in the Grand Ronde Basin : Fish Research Project Oregon : Annual Progress Report Project Period September 1, 1996 to August 31, 1997.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johasson, Brian C.; Tranquilli, J. Vincent; Keefe, MaryLouise

    1998-10-28

    We have documented two general life history strategies utilized by juvenile spring chinook salmon in the Grande Ronde River basin: (1) juveniles migrate downstream out of summer rearing areas in the fall, overwinter in river valley habitats, and begin their seaward migration in the spring, and (2) juveniles remain in summer rearing areas through the winter and begin seaward migration in the spring. In migration year 96-97, the patterns evident from migrant trap data were similar for the three Grande Ronde River populations studied, with 42% of the Lostine River migrants and 76% of the Catherine Creek migrants leaving uppermore » rearing areas in the fall. Contrary to past years, the majority (98%) of upper Grande Ronde River migrants moved out in the fall. Total trap catch for the upper Grande Ronde River was exceedingly low (29 salmon), indicating that patterns seen this year may be equivocal. As in previous years, approximately 99% of chinook salmon juveniles moved past our trap at the lower end of the Grande Ronde River valley in the spring, reiterating that juvenile chinook salmon overwinter within the Grande Ronde valley section of the river. PIT-tagged fish were recaptured at Grande Ronde River traps and mainstem dams. Recapture data showed that fish that overwintered in valley habitats left as smolts and arrived at Lower Granite Dam earlier than fish that overwintered in upstream rearing areas. Fish from Catherine Creek that overwintered in valley habitats were recaptured at the dams at a higher rate than fish that overwintered upstream. In this first year of data for the Lostine River, fish tagged during the fall migration were detected at a similar rate to fish that overwintered upstream. Abundance estimates for migration year 96-97 were 70 for the upper Grande Ronde River, 4,316 for the Catherine Creek, and 4,323 for the Lostine River populations. Although present in most habitats, juvenile spring chinook salmon were found in the greatest abundance in pool habitats, particularly alcove and backwater pools. These results were consistent for both summer and winter surveys.« less

  5. Quaternary landscape evolution of tectonically active intermontane basins: the case of the Middle Aterno River Valley (Abruzzo, Central Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falcucci, Emanuela; Gori, Stefano; Della Seta, Marta; Fubelli, Giandomenico; Fredi, Paola

    2014-05-01

    The Middle Aterno River Valley is characterised by different Quaternary tectonic depressions localised along the present course of the Aterno River (Central Apennine) .This valley includes the L'Aquila and Paganica-Castelnuovo-San Demetrio tectonic basins, to the North, the Middle Aterno Valley and the Subequana tectonic basin, to the South. The aim of this contribution is to improve the knowledge about the Quaternary geomorphological and tectonic evolution of this portion of the Apennine chain. A synchronous lacustrine depositional phase is recognized in all these basins and attributed to the Early Pleistocene by Falcucci et al. (2012). At that time, this sector of the chain showed four distinct closed basins, hydrologically separated from each other and from the Sulmona depression. This depression, actually a tectonic basin too, was localized South of the Middle Aterno River Valley and it was drained by an endorheic hydrographic network. The formation of these basins was due to the activity of different fault systems, namely the Upper Aterno River Valley-Paganica system and San Pio delle Camere fault, to the North, and the Middle Aterno River Valley-Subequana Valley fault system to the South. These tectonic structures were responsible for the origin of local depocentres inside the depressions which hosted the lacustrine basins. Ongoing surveys in the uppermost sectors of the Middle Aterno River Valley revealed the presence of sub-horizontal erosional surfaces that are carved onto the carbonate bedrock and suspended several hundreds of metres over the present thalweg. Gently dipping slope breccias referred to the Early Pleistocene rest on these surfaces, thus suggesting the presence of an ancient low-gradient landscape adjusting to the local base level.. Subsequently, this ancient low relief landscape underwent a strong erosional phase during the Middle Pleistocene. This erosional phase is testified by the occurrence of valley entrenchment and of coeval fluvial deposition within the Middle Aterno River Valley. These fluvial deposits are deeply embedded into the lacustrine sequence, thus suggesting the happening of a hydrographic connection among the originally separated tectonic depressions. This was probably due to the headward erosion by streams draining the Sulmona depression that progressively captured the hydrological networks of the Subequana basin, the Middle Aterno Valley, the L'Aquila and Paganica-Castelnuovo-San Demetrio basins to the North. Stream piracy was probably helped by an increase of the regional uplift rate, occurred between the Lower and the Middle Pleistocene. To reconstruct the paleo-landscape that characterised the early stages of these basins formation we sampled the remnants of the Quaternary erosinal/depositional surfaces and reconstructed the ancient topographic surfaces using the Topo to Raster tool of ArcGIS 10.0 package. Finally we have cross-checked the geological and geomorphological data with the model of the Middle Aterno River paleo-drainage basin obtained through the GIS based method. References Falcucci E., Scardia G., Nomade S., Gori S., Giaccio B., Guillou H., Fredi P. (2012). Geomorphological and Quaternary tectonic evolution of the Subequana basin and the Middle Aterno Valley (central Apennines).16th Joint Geomorphological Meeting Morphoevolution of Tectonically Active Belts Rome, July 1-5, 2012

  6. Potential impacts of damming the Juba Valley, western Somalia: Insights from geomorphology and alluvial history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Martin

    2014-05-01

    In 1988 plans were well advanced to dam the Juba River in western Somalia. The aims of the Baardheere Dam Project were to generate hydroelectric power for the capital Mogadishu, and to provide water for irrigation in the Juba Valley. A reconnaissance survey on foot along 500 km of the river upstream of the proposed dam site at Baardheere and detailed geomorphic mapping from air photos provided a basis for reconstructing the late Quaternary alluvial history of the river and for assessing the potential impact of the proposed dam. The Juba River rises in the Ethiopian Highlands and is the only river in Somalia that flows to the sea. Its history reflects climatic events in Ethiopia, where the Rift Valley lakes were very low during the LGM (21±2 ka), and high for about 5, 000 years before and after then. Cave deposits in Somalia indicate wetter conditions at 13, 10, 7.5 and 1.5 ka. Alluvial terraces in the Juba Valley range in age from late Pleistocene to late Holocene but only attain a few metres above the present floodplain. This is because the dry tributary valleys contain limestone caves and fissures that divert any high flows from the parent river underground, a process not known when the project was first approved. The oldest preserved terrace was cemented by calcrete by 40 ka. Alluvial gravels were deposited at the outlet of dry tributary valleys during times of episodic high-energy flow between 26 ka and 28 ka. Finely laminated shelly sands accumulated at 10 ka to form the 5 m terrace. The 2 m terrace was laid down 3.2 ka ago as a slackwater deposit. The lack of high-level alluvial terraces raises doubts over plans to dam the river, since rapid leakage would occur from side valleys and the reservoir would not attain the height needed to generate hydroelectric power. It would submerge all existing arable land along the river. Finally, the presence in the late Holocene alluvium of the sub-fossil gastropods Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi, which are the two main vectors of schistosomiasis in northeast Africa, suggests that this parasitic disease could become endemic across the valley. Any future plans to manage the Juba River need to take proper account of alluvial history and geomorphic processes.

  7. Detailed study of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the Salton Sea area, California, 1988-90

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Setmire, J.G.; Schroeder, R.A.; Densmore, J.N.; Goodbred, S.O.; Audet, D.J.; Radke, W.R.

    1993-01-01

    Results of a detailed study by the National Irrigation Water-Quality Program (NIWQP), U.S. Department of the Interior, indicate that factors controlling contaminant concentrations in subsurface irrigation drainwater in the Imperial Valley are soil characteristics, hydrology, and agricultural practices. Higher contaminant concentrations commonly were associated with clayey soils, which retard the movement of irrigation water and thus increase the degree of evaporative concentration. Regression of hydrogen- and oxygen-isotope ratios in samples collected from sumps yields a linear drainwater evaporation line that extrapolates through the isotopic composition of Colorado River water, thus demonstrating that Colorado River water is the sole source of subsurface drainwater in the Imperial Valley. Ratios of selenium to chloride indicate that selenium present in subsurface drainwater throughout the Imperial Valley originates from the Colorado River. The selenium load discharged to the Salton Sea from the Alamo River, the largest contributor, is about 6.5 tons/yr. Biological sampling and analysis showed that drainwater contaminants, including selenium, boron, and DDE, are accumulating in tissues of migratory and resident birds that use food sources in the Imperial Valley and the Salton Sea. Selenium concentration in fish-eating birds, shorebirds, and the endangered Yuma clapper rail were at levels that could affect reproduction. Boron concentrations in migratory waterfowl and resident shorebirds were at levels that potentially could cause reduced growth in young. As a result of DDE contamination of food sources, waterfowl and fish-eating birds in the Imperial Valley may be experiencing reproductive impairment.

  8. Occurrence and distribution of pesticides and volatile organic compounds in ground water and surface water in Central Arizona Basins, 1996-98, and their relation to land use

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gellenbeck, Dorinda J.; Anning, David W.

    2002-01-01

    Samples of ground water and surface water from the Sierra Vista subbasin, the Upper Santa Cruz Basin, and the West Salt River Valley were collected and analyzed to determine the occurrence and distribution of pesticides and volatile organic compounds in central Arizona. The study was done during 1996-98 within the Central Arizona Basins study unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment program. This study included 121 wells and 4 surface-water sites in the 3 basins and the analyses of samples from 4 sites along the Santa Cruz River that were part of a separate study. Samples were collected from 121 wells and 3 surface-water sites for pesticide analyses, and samples were collected from 109 wells and 3 surface-water sites for volatile organic compound analyses. Certain pesticides detected in ground water and surface water can be related specifically to agricultural or urban uses; others can be related to multiple land uses. Effects from historical agriculture are made evident by detections of DDE in ground-water and surface-water samples collected in the West Salt River Valley and detections of atrazine and deethylatrazine in the ground water in the Upper Santa Cruz Basin. Effects from present agriculture are evident in the seasonal variability in concentrations of pre-emergent pesticides in surface-water samples from the West Salt River Valley. Several detections of DDE and dieldrin in surface water were higher than established water-quality limits. Effects of urban land use are made evident by detections of volatile organic compounds in ground water and surface water from the West Salt River Valley. Detections of volatile organic compounds in surface water from the Santa Cruz River near Nogales, Arizona, also are indications of the effects of urban land use. One detection of tetrachloroethene in ground water was higher than established water-quality limits. Water reuse is an important conservation technique in the Southwest; however, the reuse of water provides a transport mechanism for pesticides and volatile organic compounds to reach areas that are not normally affected by manmade compounds from specific land-use activities. The most complex mixture of pesticides and volatile organic compounds is in the West Salt River Valley and is the result of water-management practices and the combination of land uses in this basin throughout history.

  9. Water resources of Lincoln County, Wyoming

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eddy-Miller, C. A.; Plafcan, Maria; Clark, M.L.

    1996-01-01

    Streamflow and ground-water quantity and quality data were collected and analyzed, 1993 through 1995, and historical data were compiled to summarize the water resources of Lincoln County.Deposits of Quaternary age, in the valleys of the Bear River and Salt River, had the most well development of any geologic unit in the county.The most productive alluvial aquifers were located in the Bear River Valley and Star Valley with pumping wells discharging up to 2,000 gallons perminute. The ground-water connection between the Overthrust Belt and the Green River Basin is restricted as a result of the folding and faulting that occurred during middle Mesozoic and early Cenozoic time. Total water use in Lincoln County during 1993 was estimated to be 405,000 million gallons. Surface water was the source for 98 percent of the water used in the county. Hydroelectric power generation and irrigation used the largest amounts of water. Dissolved-solids concentrations varied greatly for water samples collected from 35 geologic units inventoried. Dissolved-solids concentrations in all water samples from the LaneyMember of the Green River Formation were greater than the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level of 500 milligrams per liter established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Statistical analysis of data collected from wells in the Star Valley monitoring study indicated there was no significant difference between data collected during different seasons, and no correlation between the nitrate concentrations and depth to ground water.

  10. A tracer test to determine a hydraulic connection between the Lauchert and Danube karst catchments (Swabian Alb, Germany)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knöll, Paul; Scheytt, Traugott

    2018-03-01

    A dye tracer experiment was conducted between the rivers Lauchert and Danube near Sigmaringen (Swabian Alb, southern Germany). After a flood event in the River Lauchert, it was suspected that flood water infiltrated into the karst system and drained towards springs in the Danube Valley. A potential connection of the two rivers is provided by the margin of a tectonic graben crossing the valleys. The aim of the tracer experiment was to gain insight into the dominant groundwater flow direction as well as to study a possible preferential connection between the Lauchert surface catchment area and springs in the Danube Valley. After introducing sodium-fluorescein into the unsaturated zone, six springs in the Danube Valley and the River Lauchert itself were observed. Tracer breakthrough at three springs showed that these springs are fed by groundwater originating in the Lauchert surface catchment. Adjacent springs were not affected by the experiment, indicating a rather sharp divide between separate spring catchments. Analyses of tracer breakthrough curves suggest that springs with a tracer occurrence are fed by the same conduit system. It was possible to show that spring catchments in Sigmaringen reach significantly into the Lauchert surface catchment. As a consequence, a drinking-water supplier has changed its supply strategy. The results also help to explain significant differences between flood damage in the central and lower courses of the River Lauchert.

  11. Geology of the Knife River area, North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Benson, William Edward

    1953-01-01

    The Knife River area, consisting of six 15-minute quadrangles, includes the lower half of the Knife River valley in west-central North Dakota. The area, in the center of the Williston Basin, is underlain by the Tongue River member of the Fort Union formation (Paleocene) and the Golden Valley formation (Eocene). The Tongue River includes beds equivalent to the Sentinel Butte shale; the Golden Valley formation, which receives its first detailed description in this report, consists of two members, a lower member of gray to white sandy kaolin clay and an upper member of cross-bedded micaceous sandstone. Pro-Tongue River rocks that crop out in southwestern North Dakota include the Ludlow member of the Fort Union formation, the Cannonball marine formation (Paleocene) and the Hell Creek, Fox Hills, and Pierre formations, all upper Cretaceous. Post-Golden Valley rocks include the White River formation (Oligocene) and gravels on an old planation surface that may be Miocene or Pliocent. Surficial deposits include glacial and fluvial deposits of Pleistocene age and alluvium, dune sand, residual silica, and landslide blocks of Recent age. Three ages of glacial deposits can be differentiated, largely on the basis of three fills, separated by unconformities, in the Knife River valley. All three are of Wisconsin age and probably represent the Iowan, Tazewell, and Mankato substages. Deposits of the Cary substage have not been identified either in the Knife River area or elsewhere in southern North Dakota. Iowan glacial deposits form the outermost drift border in North Dakota. Southwest of this border are a few scattered granite boulders that are residual from the erosion of either the White River formation or a pre-Wisconsin till. The Tazewell drift border cannot be followed in southern North Dakota. The Mankato drift border can be traced in a general way from the South Dakota State line northwest across the Missouri River and through the middle of the Knife River area. The major land forms of southwestern North Dakota are: (1) high buttes that stand above (2) a gravel-capped planation surface and (3) a gently-rolling upland; below the upland surface are (4) remnants of a broad valley stage of erosion into which (5) modern valleys have been cut. The broad valley profiles of many streams continue east across the Missouri River trench and are part of a former drainage system that flowed into Hudson Bay. Crossing the divides are (6) large trenches, formed when the former northeast-flowing streams were dammed by the glacier and diverted to the southeast. The largest diversion valley is occupied by the Missouri River; another diversion system, now largely abandoned, extends from the Killdeer Mountains southwest to the mouth of Porcupine Creek in Sioux County. By analogy with South Dakota, most of the large diversion valleys are thought to have been cut in Illinoian time. Numerous diversion valleys of Illinoian to late Wisconsin age cut across the divides. Other Pleistocene land forms include ground and moraines, kames, and terraces. Land forms of Recent age include dunes, alluvial terraces, floodplains, and several types of landslide blocks. One type of landslide, called rockslide slump, has not previously been described. Drainage is well adjusted to the structure, most of the streams flowing down the axes of small synclines. The bedrock formations have been gently folded into small domes and synclines that interrupt a gentle northward regional dip into the Williston Basin. Three episodes of deformation affected southwestern North Dakota in Tertiary time: (1) intra-Paleocene, involving warping and minor faulting; (2) post-Eocene, involving uplift and tilting; (2) Oligocene, involving uplift and gentle folding. Mineral resources include ceramic clay, sand and gravel and lignite coal. The Knife River area is the largest lignite-producing district in the United States.

  12. Extraction of Martian valley networks from digital topography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.; Collier, M. L.

    2004-01-01

    We have developed a novel method for delineating valley networks on Mars. The valleys are inferred from digital topography by an autonomous computer algorithm as drainage networks, instead of being manually mapped from images. Individual drainage basins are precisely defined and reconstructed to restore flow continuity disrupted by craters. Drainage networks are extracted from their underlying basins using the contributing area threshold method. We demonstrate that such drainage networks coincide with mapped valley networks verifying that valley networks are indeed drainage systems. Our procedure is capable of delineating and analyzing valley networks with unparalleled speed and consistency. We have applied this method to 28 Noachian locations on Mars exhibiting prominent valley networks. All extracted networks have a planar morphology similar to that of terrestrial river networks. They are characterized by a drainage density of approx.0.1/km, low in comparison to the drainage density of terrestrial river networks. Slopes of "streams" in Martian valley networks decrease downstream at a slower rate than slopes of streams in terrestrial river networks. This analysis, based on a sizable data set of valley networks, reveals that although valley networks have some features pointing to their origin by precipitation-fed runoff erosion, their quantitative characteristics suggest that precipitation intensity and/or longevity of past pluvial climate were inadequate to develop mature drainage basins on Mars.

  13. Ground-water hydrology of the San Pitch River drainage basin, Sanpete County, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robinson, Gerald B.

    1971-01-01

    The San Pitch River drainage basin in central Utah comprises an area of about 850 square miles; however, the investigation was concerned primarily with the Sanpete and Arapien Valleys, which comprise about 250 square miles and contain the principal ground-water reservoirs in the basin. Sanpete Valley is about 40 miles long and has a maximum width of 13 miles, and Arapien Valley is about 8 miles long and 1 mile wide. The valleys are bordered by mountains and plateaus that range in altitude from 5,200 to 11,000 feet above mean sea level.The average annual precipitation on the valleys is about 12 inches, but precipitation on the surrounding mountains reaches a maximum of about 40 inches per year. Most of the precipitation on the mountains falls as snow, and runoff from snowmelt during the spring and summer is conveyed to the valleys by numerous tributaries of the San Pitch River. Seepage from the tributary channels and underflow beneath the channels are the major sources of recharge to the ground-water reservoir in the valleys.Unconsolidated valley fill constitutes the main ground-water reservoir in Sanpete and Arapien Valleys. The fill, which consists mostly of coalescing alluvial fans and flood deposits of the San Pitch River, ranges in particle size from clay to boulders. Where they are well sorted, these deposits yield large quantities of water to wells.Numerous springs discharge from consolidated rocks in the mountains adjacent to the valleys and along the west margin of Sanpete Valley, which is marked by the Sevier fault. The Green River Formation of Tertiary age and several other consolidated formations yield small to large quantities of water to wells in many parts of Sanpete Valley. Most water in the bedrock underlying the valley is under artesian pressure, and some of this water discharges upward into the overlying valley fill.The water in the valley fill in Sanpete Valley moves toward the center of the valley and thence downstream. The depth to water along parts of the sides of the valley is more than 100 feet, but in much of the central part of the valley, the water level is at or above the land surface. The valley fill pinches out in the southern part of the valley, and most of the ground water moves to the surface, where it discharges into the San Pitch River or is consumed by evapotranspiration.Ground water is discharged principally by wells, springs, and evapotranspiration. The discharge from wells varies considerably from year to year because most of the water is used for irrigation, and the wells are used only as necessary to supplement the available surface-water supply. Thus, in 1965, a year of above-normal precipitation, the discharge from wells was 12,000 acre-feet, whereas in 1966, a year of below-normal precipitation, the wells discharged 21,000 acre-feet. The discharge from springs during 1966 was estimated to be 36,000 acre-feet, and an additional 113,000 acre-feet of water was discharged by phreatophytes.Water levels in the valleys, for the most part, fluctuate in direct response to variations in precipitation, and the discharge from wells has had little long-term effect on water levels. Approximately 3 million acre-feet of water available to wells is stored in the upper 200 feet of saturated valley fill.The ground water in most parts of the valleys is fresh and suitable for public supply and irrigation. The Green River and Crazy Hollow Formations may, in some places, yield slightly or moderately saline water.

  14. Stratigraphy of the Mississippi-Alabama shelf and the Mobile River incised-valley system

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kindinger, Jack G.; Balson, Peter S.; Flocks, James G.; Dalrymple, Robert W.; Boyd, Ron; Zaitlin, Brian A.

    1994-01-01

    The Holocene incised-valley fill (estuarine facies) underlying Mobile Buy fit well into the conceptual facies model of a microtidal wave-dominated estuary. The model does not fit as well, however, with the rapidly transgressed shelf portion of the incised valley. The down dip section does not contain a clearly identifiable (from seismic profiles) estuarine facies; the valley fill is primarily fluvial and is overlain by marine shoals. In the Mobile River incised valley, the distal portion of the valley was rapidly drowned, allowing the thin estuarine facies to be reworked. The proximal portion was drowned more slowly, leaving the estuarine facies intact. Thus, the single incised valley contains two very different types of fill.

  15. New Insights Into Valley Formation and Preservation: Geophysical Imaging of the Offshore Trinity River Paleovalley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Speed, C. M.; Swartz, J. M.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Goff, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Trinity River paleovalley is an offshore stratigraphic structure located on the inner continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico offshore Galveston, Texas. Its formation is linked to the paleo-Trinity system as it existed across the continental shelf during the last glacial period. Newly acquired high-resolution geophysical data have imaged more complexity to the valley morphology and shelf stratigraphy than was previously captured. Significantly, the paleo-Trinity River valley appears to change in the degree of confinement and relief relative to the surrounding strata. Proximal to the modern shoreline, the interpreted time-transgressive erosive surface formed by the paleo-river system is broad and rugose with no single valley, but just 5 km farther offshore the system appears to become confined to a 10 km wide valley structure before again becoming unconfined once again 30 km offshore. Fluvial stratigraphy in this region has a similar degree of complexity in morphology and preservation. A dense geophysical survey of several hundred km is planned for Fall 2017, which will provide unprecedented imaging of the paleovalley morphology and associated stratigraphy. Our analysis leverages robust chirp processing techniques that allow for imaging of strata on the decimeter scale. We will integrate our geophysical results with a wide array of both newly collected and previously published sediment cores. This approach will allow us to address several key questions regarding incised valley formation and preservation on glacial-interglacial timescales including: to what extent do paleo-rivers remain confined within a single broad valley structure, what is the fluvial systems response to transgression, and what stratigraphy is created and preserved at the transition from fluvial to estuarine environments? Our work illustrates that traditional models of incised valley formation and subsequent infilling potentially fail to capture the full breadth of dynamics of past river systems.

  16. Feasibility of ground-water features of the alternate plan for the Mountain Home project, Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nace, Raymond L.; West, S.W.; Mowder, R.W.

    1957-01-01

    An early plan of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation proposed to irrigate 183,000 acres on the arid Snake River Plain south of Boise, Idaho (Mountain Home project) with Boise River water. That water would have been replaced to the Boise Valley with water imported from the Payette River. An alternate plan, proposed in 1953, would divert water from the Boise River to the plain; part of the water would be replaced by pumping ground water in the Boise valley and by importing water from the Snake River. Pumping of ground water in the Boise Valley also would help to drain waterlogged land. The present report evaluates the feasibility of the alternate plan in relation to geology and the occurrence and quality of ground water. The mean annual temperature at Boise is 50.8 ? F and there is an average of 172 days between killing frosts. The annual evaporation rate from open-water surfaces in the area is about 33 inches. Runoff in the Boise River is chiefly from precipitation on mountain slopes at altitudes above 3,000 feet, east of Boise Diversion Dam. The surface-water supply of the Boise Valley is more Than ample for the valley, owing to large upstream storage and regulatory dams and reservoirs. The valley also contains a large volume of ground water in storage, and the perennial rate of recharge is large. The computed consumptive depletion of surface water in the valley is nearly 600,000 acre-feet a year. Apparent depletion, computed from adjusted runoff at Notus, is 1,070,000 acre-feet. The difference of 470,000 acre-feet represents ground-water underflow and ungaged surface outflow from the area east of Notus. After the beginning of irrigation, around the turn of the century, the water table in the Boise Valley rose steadily; the amount of rise at some places was as much as 140 feet. Shallow perched zones of saturation were created locally. More than 100,000 acres of Boise Valley land now is waterlogged or threatened with waterlogging, despite the presence of more than 325 miles of surface drains. Successful operation of the alternate plan would depend, not only on providing adequate water to replace that exported from the Boise Valley, but also on satisfactory drainage of waterlogged land. That is, water management in the valley would have to couple economical pumping of irrigation water with effective drainage by pumping. The average of recorded yearly diversions from the Boise River is 1,280,000 acre-feet of live water (natural flow in a stream) and 201,000 acre-feet cf recycled water. Gross diversions of record in some recent single years of ample water supply reportedly exceeded 1,800,000 acre-feet. Ground water, on the other hand is used on a relatively small scale, yearly pumpage being only about 150,000 acre-feet. The feasibility of exporting 600,000 acre-feet of Boise River water would depend on the availability of replacement water in the Boise Valley and on the availability of the required surface water in the South Fork of the Boise River at the proposed point of diversion to the Mountain Home project. In 6 of the 20 years, 1931-50, recorded diversions of live and return water from th2 Boise River exceeded the live flow at the Boise Diversion Dam by 3,865 to 107,640 acre-feet. Moreover, although the average residual discharge in the river post Notus was 701,000 acre-feet, in most years some river reaches above Notus were dry at times, owing to diversion of all water from the river. Much of the flow past Notus is surface waste and effluent ground water, which averages about 422,000 acre-feet a year. The total of potential yearly ground water recharge in the Boise Valley, derived from precipitation, incoming underflow, and infiltration of irrigation water, is about 554,000 acre-feet in the feasible exchange-pumping area and areas tributary thereto. Identified and estimated consumptive depletion of ground water in the valley is about 230,000 acre-feet a year, but not all that depletion is within the exchange are

  17. SRTM Perspective View with Landsat Overlay: Santa Paula, and Santa Clara River Valley, California

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2000-12-14

    Rectangular fields of the agriculturally rich Santa Clara River Valley are visible in this perspective view generated by using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and an enhanced Landsat image.

  18. River Valley pluton, Ontario - A late-Archean/early-Proterozoic anorthositic intrusion in the Grenville Province

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ashwal, Lewis D.; Wooden, Joseph L.

    1989-01-01

    This paper presents Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic data indicating a late-Archean/early-Proterozoic age for the River Valley anorthositic pluton of the southwestern Grenville Province of Sudbury, Ontario. Pb-Pb isotopic data on 10 whole-rock samples ranging in composition from anorthosite to gabbro yield an age of 2560 + or - 155 Ma. The River Valley pluton is thus the oldest anorthositic intrusive yet recognized within the Grenville Province. The Sm-Nd isotopic system records an age of 2377 + or - 68 Ma. High Pb-208/Pb-204 of deformed samples relative to igneous-textured rocks implies Th introduction and/or U loss during metamorphism in the River Valley area. Rb-Sr data from igneous-textured and deformed samples and from mineral separates give an age of 2185 + or - 105 Ma, indicating substantial disturbance of the Rb-Sr isotopic system.

  19. Understory vegetation as an indicator for floodplain forest restoration in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, U.S.A

    Treesearch

    Diane De Steven; Stephen P. Faulkner; Bobby D. Keeland; Michael J. Baldwin; John W. McCoy; Steven C. Hughes

    2015-01-01

    In the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MAV), complete alteration of river-floodplain hydrology allowed for widespread conversion of forested bottomlands to intensive agriculture, resulting in nearly 80% forest loss. Governmental programs have attempted to restore forest habitat and functions within this altered landscape by the methods of tree planting (...

  20. This Glorious Mud Pile (Rocky River Valley). Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cabbage, Mary Ellen

    This student text focuses on the social and geological history of a river basin. In addition to background information, the text includes student worksheets for 12 field trip stops in Ohio's Rocky River Valley. Material is designed to support a full-day field trip during which students work in small groups. Also included are a geological…

  1. A subsynoptic-scale kinetic energy study of the Red River Valley tornado outbreak (AVE-SESAME 1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jedlovec, G. J.; Fuelberg, H. E.

    1981-01-01

    The subsynoptis-scale kinetic energy balance during the Red River Valley tornado outbreak is presented in order to diagnose storm environment interactions. Area-time averaged energetics indicate that horizontal flux convergence provides the major energy source to the region, while cross contour flow provides the greatest sink. Maximum energy variability is found in the upper levels in association with jet stream activity. Area averaged energetics at individual observation times show that the energy balance near times of maximum storm activity differs considerably from that of the remaining periods. The local kinetic energy balance over Oklahoma during the formation of a limited jet streak receives special attention. Cross contour production of energy is the dominant local source for jet development. Intense convection producing the Red River Valley tornadoes may have contributed to this local development by modifying the surrounding environment.

  2. The Devdorak ice-rock avalanche and consequent debris flow from the slope of Mt. Kazbek (Caucasus, Georgia) in 2014

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chernomorets, Sergey; Savernyuk, Elena; Petrakov, Dmitry; Dokukin, Mikhail; Gotsiridze, George; Gavardashvili, Givi; Drobyshev, Valery; Tutubalina, Olga; Zaporozhchenko, Eduard; Kamenev, Nikolay; Kamenev, Vladimir; Kääb, Andreas; Kargel, Jeffrey; Huggel, Christian

    2016-04-01

    We have studied catastrophic glacial events of 2014 in the Kazbek-Dzhimaray massif, Caucasus Mts., Georgia. The first event is a so called "Kazbek blockage" of the Georgian Military Road, on 17 May 2014, which formed as a result of an ice-rock avalanche onto the Devdorak Glacier, and is similar to blockages which occurred in the same location in the 18th-19th century. The second event is a consequent debris flow on 20 August 2014. In May, June 2014 and September 2015 we conducted three field investigations of the disaster zone, which includes Devdorak Glacier, Amilishka and Kabakhi river valleys, the Terek River valley near the Kabakhi River mouth, and a temporary lake.We analyzed field research data, interpreted SPOT 6, Landsat-8 OLI, Terra ASTER, and Pleiades satellite imagery, as well as post-disaster helicopter imagery. To assess dynamic features of the ice-rock flow on 17 May 2014, we measured valley crossections with Bushnell laser ranger. In 2015 we have marked a 180-m baseline for ground stereosurvey and made a stereopair of the Devdorak glacier terminus from a distance of 700 m. The 17 May 2014 ice-rock avalanche initiated at 4500 m. a.s.l. It collapsed onto the tongue of the Devdorak Glacier which reaches down to 2300 m a.s.l. Downstream of the tongue, the avalanche transformed into an ice-rock "avalanche flow" which blocked the Terek River valley. The traffic on Military Georgian Road (part of E117 highway) which connects Russia with Georgia was stopped. 7 people were killed in their vehicles. The total length of the ice-rock avalanche and the subsequent flow was over 10 km. A temporary lake formed in the Terek river valley, reaching 300 m in length, and over 10 m in depth. For several hours, the lake was threatening another debris flow downstream the Terek river valley. According to field estimates at the Devdorak glacier tongue and in Amilishka, Kabakhi and Terek river valleys, the volume of the transported ice-rock avalanche mass, which deposited in the middle and lower course of the valley below 3000 m a.s.l. was about 2 million cubic metres, while the ice content in the deposits reached 25-30%. It is planned to assess the volume of the trigger mass in the initiation zone later. The flow went along the valley with characteristic superelevations and run-ups, as it moved from one valley side to the other. We identified six superelevaions in fresh deposits, with differences of up to 45 m in flow height on the left and right valley banks. Instrumental measurements of superelevations and subsequent calculations yield the flow velocities of over 200 km/hour. These results lead to a reassessment of similar events which occurred in this valley in 18-19th centuries. Previously the trigger of these events was supposed to be the ice accumulation during surges of Devdorak glacier with subsequent temporary damming of the Amilishka River valley. The analysis of the 2014 event demonstrates that a similar trigger was possible in the past: an ice-rock avalanche onto Devdorak glacier tongue from significantly higher locations. Following the field data analysis, we issued a warning through mass media on 12 August 2014, forecasting a high risk of a new glacial disaster in this site and a new blockage of the Terek River valley and of Military Georgian Road. This forecast came true on 20 August 2014: a glacial debris flow reached the Terek River valley, and partially buried the Dariali hydropower station (under construction), the customs and border control buildings. Three people have been killed. We studied the deposits of this debris flow and morphology of the gully. The deposits entrained by the flow were previously deposited by the ice-rock avalanche of 17 May 2014. The debris flow started after shower rains. The debris flow-gully has a box-like crossection. At the confluence of Amilishka and Chach rivers it reached 30-32 m in width, and eroded the deposits of 17 May 2014 by 7 m. The channel slope at this location was about 7 degrees. Remnant ice in the transit zone has nearly melted by September 2015; however, the ice remains in the deposits near the glacier tongue and in the ice-rock avalanche deposits on the tongue. We have registered the advance of one of the termini of Devdorak Glacier. It moved forward by about 200 m from summer 2014 to September 2015, and became significantly higher. This part of the glacier was overloaded by the ice-rock avalanche deposits which provoked its advance, and should be closely monitored as it can raise the debris flow activity further. The hazard of new ice-rock avalanches and debris flows in the Devdorak gorge remains high. We have developed recommendation on the installation of an early warning system, continuation of glacier hazard monitoring, and suggestions on the construction of a road tunnel to mitigate the risk and avoid casualties in the future.

  3. Impact of a large flood on mountain river habitats, channel morphology, and valley infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hajdukiewicz, Hanna; Wyżga, Bartłomiej; Mikuś, Paweł; Zawiejska, Joanna; Radecki-Pawlik, Artur

    2016-11-01

    The Biała River, Polish Carpathians, was considerably modified by channelization and channel incision in the twentieth century. To restore the Biała, establishing an erodible corridor was proposed in two river sections located in its mountain and foothill course. In these sections, longer, unmanaged channel reaches alternate with short, channelized reaches; and channel narrowing and incision increases in the downstream direction. In June 2010 an 80-year flood occurred on the river; and this study aims at determining its effects on physical habitat conditions for river biota, channel morphology, and valley-floor infrastructure. Surveys of 10 pairs of closely located, unmanaged and channelized cross sections, performed in 2009 and in the late summer 2010, allowed us to assess the flood-induced changes to physical habitat conditions. A comparison of channel planforms determined before (2009) and after (2012) the flood provided information on the degree of channel widening as well as changes in the width of particular elements of the river's active zone in eight stretches of the Biała. The impact of the flood on valley-floor infrastructure was confronted with the degree of river widening in unmanaged and channelized river reaches. Before the flood, unmanaged cross sections were typified by finer bed material and greater lateral variability in depth-averaged and near-bed flow velocity than channelized cross sections. The flood tended to equalize habitat conditions in both types of river cross sections, obliterating differences (in particular physical habitat parameters) between channelized and unmanaged channel reaches. River widening mostly reflected an increase in the area of channel bars, whereas the widening of low-flow channels was less pronounced. A comparison of channel planform from 2009 and 2012 indicated that intense channel incision typical of downstream sections limited river widening by the flood. Active channel width increased by half in the unmanaged cross sections and by one-third in the channelized cross sections. However, damage to the valley-floor infrastructure was practically limited to the channelized river reaches with reinforced channel banks. This indicates incompetent management of riparian areas rather than the degree of river widening as a principal reason for the economic losses during the flood.

  4. Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) and geodatabase for the Lower Missouri River Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chojnacki, Kimberly A.; Struckhoff, Matthew A.; Jacobson, Robert B.

    2012-01-01

    The Land Capacity Potential Index (LCPI) is a coarse-scale index intended to delineate broad land-capability classes in the Lower Missouri River valley bottom from the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota to the mouth of the Missouri River near St. Louis, Missouri (river miles 811–0). The LCPI provides a systematic index of wetness potential and soil moisture-retention potential of the valley-bottom lands by combining the interactions among water-surface elevations, land-surface elevations, and the inherent moisture-retention capability of soils. A nine-class wetness index was generated by intersecting a digital elevation model for the valley bottom with sloping water-surface elevation planes derived from eight modeled discharges. The flow-recurrence index was then intersected with eight soil-drainage classes assigned to soils units in the digital Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database (Soil Survey Staff, 2010) to create a 72-class index of potential flow-recurrence and moisture-retention capability of Missouri River valley-bottom lands. The LCPI integrates the fundamental abiotic factors that determine long-term suitability of land for various uses, particularly those relating to vegetative communities and their associated values. Therefore, the LCPI provides a mechanism allowing planners, land managers, landowners, and other stakeholders to assess land-use capability based on the physical properties of the land, in order to guide future land-management decisions. This report documents data compilation for the LCPI in a revised and expanded, 72-class version for the Lower Missouri River valley bottom, and inclusion of additional soil attributes to allow users flexibility in exploring land capabilities.

  5. Impact of climate and parent material on chemical weathering in Loess-derived soils of the Mississippi River valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Muhs, D.R.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Been, J.; McGeehin, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    Peoria Loess-derived soils on uplands east of the Mississippi River valley were studied from Louisiana to Iowa, along a south-to-north gradient of decreasing precipitation and temperature. Major element analyses of deep loess in Mississippi and Illinois show that the composition of the parent material is similar in the northern and southern parts of the valley. We hypothesized that in the warmer, wetter parts of the transect, mineral weathering should be greater than in the cooler, drier parts of the transect. Profile average values of CaO/TiO2, MgO/ TiO2, K2O/TiO2, and Na2O/TiO2, Sr/Zr, Ba/Zr, and Rb/Zr represent proxies for depletion of loess minerals such as calcite, dolomite, hornblende, mica, and plagioclase. All ratios show increases from south to north, supporting the hypothesis of greater chemical weathering in the southern part of the valley. An unexpected result is that profile average values of Al2O3/TiO2 and Fe2O3/TiO2 (proxies for the relative abundance of clay minerals) show increases from south to north. This finding, while contrary to the evidence of greater chemical weathering in the southern part of the transect, is consistent with an earlier study which showed higher clay contents in Bt horizons of loess-derived soils in the northern part of the transect. We hypothesize that soils in the northern part of the valley received fine-grained loess from sources to the west of the Mississippi River valley either late in the last glacial period, during the Holocene or both. In contrast, soils in the southern part of the valley were unaffected by such additions.

  6. INFLUENCE OF SNOWFALL ON BLOOD LEAD LEVELS OF FREE-FLYING BALD EAGLES (HALIAEETUS LEUCOCEPHALUS) IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY.

    PubMed

    Lindblom, Ronald A; Reichart, Letitia M; Mandernack, Brett A; Solensky, Matthew; Schoenebeck, Casey W; Redig, Patrick T

    2017-10-01

    Lead poisoning of scavenging raptors occurs primarily via consumption of game animal carcasses containing lead, which peaks during fall firearm hunting seasons. We hypothesized that snowfall would mitigate exposure by concealing carcasses. We categorized blood lead level (BLL) for a subsample of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from the Upper Mississippi River Valley and described BLL with respect to age, sex, and snowfall. We captured Bald Eagles overwintering in the Upper Mississippi River Valley (n=55) between December 1999 and January 2002. Individual BLL ranged from nondetectable to 335 μg/dL, with 73% of the samples testing positive for acute exposure to lead. Eagle BLL did not significantly differ between age or sex, but levels were higher immediately following the hunting season, and they were lower when the previous month's snowfall was greater than 11 cm. This study suggests a window of time between the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) hunting season and the onset of snow when the population experienced peak exposure to lead. Combining these findings with existing research, we offer a narrative of the annual lead exposure cycle of Upper Mississippi River Valley Bald Eagles. These temporal associations are necessary considerations for accurate collection and interpretation of BLL.

  7. National Hydroelectric Power Resources Study: Regional Assessment: Volume XXII: Western Systems Coordinating Council, (WSCC). Volume 22

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-09-01

    respectively; the Klamath Mountains of Oregon and California; the Basin and Ranges of Nevada, the Teton Range of Wyoming; the Uinta Mountains of Utah...approximately 292,000 square miles, includes all of the Columbia River system in the United States and all other river basins in Idaho, Oregon, and...Central Valley and the Los Angeles Basin of California. The western valleys of the Pacific Northwest, the Denver-Cheyenne area along the Rockies’ eastern

  8. Impacts of river management on low energy rivers in Normandy (France) over 3000 years, first results of a geomorphological and geoarchaeological approach.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beauchamp, Axel; Lespez, Laurent; Le Gaillard, Ludovic; Bernard, Vincent; Delahaye, Daniel

    2014-05-01

    The European Water Framework Directive (WFD), issued in 2000 has the objective of improving the quality of water and aquatic environments. In France, the application of this law requires the dismantling and razing of structures built across waterways (mill valve, mill dam…) which no longer have any use today. The first archaeological results in Normandy show evidence of river management since the Iron Age (800 BC.). They also show that during the last 4000 years, floodplains have been affected by a significant vertical aggradation resulting from soil erosion in the catchment related to the development of agro- pastoral activities. However, these results say nothing about consequences of the proliferation of mill dams for hydrosedimentary flow for low energy rivers and their role in the development of sedimentary stocks in valley beds. The aim of this work is to measure the impact of the implementation of major hydraulic structures (mill inlet, mill dam, millrace, mill valve, drainage ditches...) on the rivers functioning in the past millennia to (1) propose a long term modeling Human/Ecosystem interaction for Lower-Normandy river systems and (2) to anticipate the geomorphological consequences related to dam-removal policy. This research is based on study sites located in the valley bed, most of them have been investigated by archaeologists and have revealed old hydraulic structures. Today, five sites have been identified in varied archaeological and hydromorphological contexts. Trenching was carried out upstream and downstream of hydraulic structures to uncover the Holocene sedimentary infilling of the valley floor. First results from the antique and medieval sites Montaigu-la-Brisette (Manche, FRANCE ) and Colomby (Manche, FRANCE ) show the influence of river management on the evolution of sedimentation in valley bed.

  9. The Brahmaputra River: a stratigraphic analysis of Holocene avulsion and fluvial valley reoccupation history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartzog, T. R.; Goodbred, S. L.

    2011-12-01

    The Brahmaputra River, one of the world's largest braided streams, is a major component of commerce, agriculture, and transportation in India and Bangladesh. Hence any significant change in course, morphology, or behavior would be likely to influence the regional culture and economy that relies on this major river system. The history of such changes is recorded in the stratigraphy deposited by the Brahmaputra River during the Holocene. Here we present stratigraphic analysis of sediment samples from the boring of 41 tube wells over a 120 km transect in the upper Bengal Basin of northern Bangladesh. The transect crosses both the modern fluvial valley and an abandoned fluvial valley about 60 km downstream of a major avulsion node. Although the modern Brahmaputra does not transport gravel, gravel strata are common below 20 m with fluvial sand deposits dominating most of the stratigraphy. Furthermore, the stratigraphy preserves very few floodplain mud strata below the modern floodplain mud cap. These preliminary findings will be assessed to determine their importance in defining past channel migration, avulsion frequency, and the reoccupation of abandoned fluvial valleys. Understanding the avulsion and valley reoccupation history of the Brahmaputra River is important to assess the risk involved with developing agriculture, business, and infrastructure on the banks of modern and abandoned channels. Based on the correlation of stratigraphy and digital surface elevation data, we hypothesize that the towns of Jamalpur and Sherpur in northern Bangladesh were once major ports on the Brahmaputra River even though they now lie on the banks of small underfit stream channels. If Jamalpur and Sherpur represent the outer extent of the Brahmaputra River braid-belt before the last major avulsion, these cities and any communities developed in the abandoned braid-belt assume a high risk of devastation if the next major avulsion reoccupies this fluvial valley. It is important to scrutinize the entire Holocene stratigraphic record of Brahmaputra River avulsion and valley reoccupation to provide evidence for the assessment of risk involved with future occurrences. Thomas R. Hartzog, Steven L. Goodbred, Jr., Jennifer L. Pickering, Haley E. Briel, Dhiman R. Mondal, Zobayer Mahmud, Saddam Hossain

  10. California's Central Valley Groundwater Study: A Powerful New Tool to Assess Water Resources in California's Central Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Faunt, Claudia C.; Hanson, Randall T.; Belitz, Kenneth; Rogers, Laurel

    2009-01-01

    Competition for water resources is growing throughout California, particularly in the Central Valley. Since 1980, the Central Valley's population has nearly doubled to 3.8 million people. It is expected to increase to 6 million by 2020. Statewide population growth, anticipated reductions in Colorado River water deliveries, drought, and the ecological crisis in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have created an intense demand for water. Tools and information can be used to help manage the Central Valley aquifer system, an important State and national resource.

  11. Potential impact of lava flows on regional water supplies: case study of central Oregon Cascades volcanism and the Willamette Valley, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deligne, Natalia; Cashman, Katharine; Grant, Gordon; Jefferson, Anne

    2013-04-01

    Lava flows are often considered to be natural hazards with localized bimodal impact - they completely destroy everything in their path, but apart from the occasional forest fire, cause little or no damage outside their immediate footprint. However, in certain settings, lava flows can have surprising far reaching impacts with the potential to cause serious problems in distant urban areas. Here we present results from a study of the interaction between lava flows and surface water in the central Oregon Cascades, USA, where we find that lava flows in the High Cascades have the potential to cause considerable water shortages in Eugene, Oregon (Oregon's second largest metropolitan area) and the greater Willamette Valley (home to ~70% of Oregon's population). The High Cascades host a groundwater dominated hydrological regime with water residence times on the order of years. Due to the steady output of groundwater, rivers sourced in the High Cascades are a critical water resource for Oregon, particularly in August and September when it has not rained for several months. One such river, the McKenzie River, is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene, Oregon, and prior to the installation of dams in the 1960s accounted for ~40% of late summer river flow in the Willamette River in Portland, 445 river km downstream of the source of the McKenzie River. The McKenzie River has been dammed at least twice by lava flows during the Holocene; depending the time of year that these eruptions occurred, we project that available water would have decreased by 20% in present-day Eugene, Oregon, for days to weeks at a time. Given the importance of the McKenzie River and its location on the margin of an active volcanic area, we expect that future volcanic eruptions could likewise impact water supplies in Eugene and the greater Willamette Valley. As such, the urban center of Eugene, Oregon, and also the greater Willamette Valley, is vulnerable to the most benign of volcanic hazards, lava flows, located over 100 km away.

  12. Landform Evolution of the Zanskar Valley, Ladakh Himalaya.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chahal, P.; Kumar, A.; Sharma, P.; Sundriyal, Y.; Srivastava, P.

    2017-12-01

    Zanskar River flow from south-west to north-east, perpendicularly through Higher Himalayan crystalline sequences, Tethyan sedimentary sequences, and Indus Molasses; and finally merge with the Indus River at Nimu. Geologically, the Indus valley is bounded by Ladakh Batholith in the north and highly folded and thrusted Zanskar mountain ranges in the south. Sedimentary sequences of Zanskar ranges are largely of continental origin, which were uplifted and deformed via several north verging thrusts, where Zanskar counter thrust, Choksti and Indus-Bazgo thrusts are important thrust zone, and there is atleast 36 km of crustal shortening in the Zanskar section which continued from middle Miocene to the late Pleistocene. This shortening is accommodated mainly by north or north-east directed Zanskar backthrusts. Two major tributaries of Zanskar: Tsrapchu and Doda, flow in the headwaters, along the strike of South Tibetan Detachment System (STDs), an east-west trending regional fault. The present study incorporate field sedimentology, geomorphology and chronology of landform associated with Zanskar valley. In the upper Zanskar, alluvial fan, valley fill and strath terraces configured the major landforms with paleo-lake deposits­­­ in the area between the fans. The lower catchment, at the confluence of Zanskar and Indus rivers, exhibit mainly valley fill terraces and strath terraces. Chronology suggests diachronous aggradation in the upper and lower Zanskar catchments. In the upper Zanskar large scale valley aggradation took place with simultaneously fan progradation and flooding events from 45-15 ka. Luminescence chronology of the lower Zanskar indicates aggradation from 145-55 ka and 18-12 ka. The two aggradation basins are separated by a deep V-shaped gorge which is approximately 60 km long. The longitudinal profile of the Zanskar River shows several local convexities marking knick point zone, which suggests tectonically controlled topography.

  13. Morphodynamics of the Kulsi River Basin in the northern front of Shillong Plateau: Exhibiting episodic inundation and channel migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imsong, Watinaro; Choudhury, Swapnamita; Phukan, Sarat; Duarah, Bhagawat Pran

    2018-02-01

    The present study is undertaken in the Kulsi River valley, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River that drains through the tectonically active Shillong Plateau in northeast India. Based on the fluvial geomorphic parameters and Landsat satellite images, it has been observed that the Kulsi River migrated 0.7-2 km westward in its middle course in the past 30 years. Geomorphic parameters such as longitudinal profile analysis, stream length gradient index ( SL), ratio of valley floor width to valley height ( Vf), steepness index (ks) indicate that the upstream segment of the Kulsi River is tectonically more active than the downstream segment which is ascribed to the tectonic activities along the Guwahati Fault. ^{14}C ages obtained from the submerged tree trunks of the Chandubi Lake, which is located in the central part of the Kulsi River catchment suggests inundation (high lake levels) during 160 ± 50 AD, 970 ± 50 AD, 1190 ± 80 AD and 1520 ± 30 AD, respectively. These periods broadly coincide with the late Holocene strengthened Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM), Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the early part of the Little Ice Age (LIA). The debris which clogged the course of the river in the vicinity of the Chandubi Lake is attributed to tectonically induced increase in sediment supply during high magnitude flooding events.

  14. Hydrogeomorphic and hydraulic habitats of the Niobrara River, Nebraska-with special emphasis on the Niobrara National Scenic River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alexander, Jason S.; Zelt, Ronald B.; Schaepe, Nathan J.

    2010-01-01

    The Niobrara River is an ecologically and economically important resource in Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources' recent designation of the hydraulically connected surface- and groundwater resources of the Niobrara River Basin as ?fully appropriated? has emphasized the importance of understanding linkages between the physical and ecological dynamics of the Niobrara River so it can be sustainably managed. In cooperation with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated the hydrogeomorphic and hydraulic attributes of the Niobrara River in northern Nebraska. This report presents the results of an analysis of hydrogeomorphic segments and hydraulic microhabitats of the Niobrara River and its valley for the approximately 330-mile reach from Dunlap Diversion Dam to its confluence with the Missouri River. Two spatial scales were used to examine and quantify the hydrogeomorphic segments and hydraulic microhabitats of the Niobrara River: a basin scale and a reach scale. At the basin scale, digital spatial data and hydrologic data were analyzed to (1) test for differences between 36 previously determined longitudinal hydrogeomorphic segments; (2) quantitatively describe the hydrogeomorphic characteristics of the river and its valley; and (3) evaluate differences in hydraulic microhabitat over a range of flow regimes among three fluvial geomorphic provinces. The statistical analysis of hydrogeomorphic segments resulted in reclassification rates of 3 to 28 percent of the segments for the four descriptive geomorphic elements. The reassignment of classes by discriminant analysis resulted in a reduction from 36 to 25 total hydrogeomorphic segments because several adjoining segments shared the same ultimate class assignments. Virtually all of the segment mergers were in the Canyons and Restricted Bottoms (CRB) fluvial geomorphic province. The most frequent classes among hydrogeomorphic segments, and the dominant classes per unit length of river, are: a width-restricted valley confinement condition, sinuous-planview pattern, irregular channel width, and an alternate bar configuration. The Niobrara River in the study area flows through a diversity of fluvial geomorphic settings in its traverse across northern Nebraska. In the Meandering Bottoms (MB) fluvial geomorphic province, river discharge magnitudes are low, and the valley exerts little control on the channel-planview pattern. Within the CRB province, the river flows over a diversity of geologic formations, and the valley and river narrow and expand in approximate synchronicity. In the Braided Bottoms (BB) fluvial geomorphic province, the river primarily flows over Cretaceous Pierre Shale, the valley and channel are persistently wide, and the channel slope is generally uniform. The existence of vegetated islands and consequent multithread channel environments, indicated by a higher braided index, mostly coincided with reaches having gentler slopes and less unit stream power. Longitudinal hydrology curves indicate that the flow of the Niobrara River likely is dominated by groundwater as far downstream as Norden. Unit stream power values in the study area vary between 0 and almost 2 pounds per foot per second. Within the MB province, unit stream power steadily increases as the Niobrara gains discharge from groundwater inflow, and the channel slope steepens. The combination of steep slopes, a constrained channel width, and persistent flow within the CRB province results in unit stream power values that are between three and five times greater than those in less confined segments with comparable or greater discharges. With the exception of hydrogeomorphic segment 3, which is affected by Spencer Dam, unit stream power values in the BB province are generally uniform. Channel sinuosity values in the study area varied generally between 1 and 2.5, but with locally higher values measured in the MB province and at the entrenched bedrock me

  15. Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heisig, Paul M.

    2012-01-01

    The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system along a 32-mile reach of the Susquehanna River valley and adjacent areas was evaluated in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York. The surficial geology, inferred ice-marginal positions, and distribution of stratified-drift aquifers were mapped from existing data. Ice-marginal positions, which represent pauses in the retreat of glacial ice from the region, favored the accumulation of coarse-grained deposits whereas more steady or rapid ice retreat between these positions favored deposition of fine-grained lacustrine deposits with limited coarse-grained deposits at depth. Unconfined aquifers with thick saturated coarse-grained deposits are the most favorable settings for water-resource development, and three several-mile-long sections of valley were identified (mostly in Broome County) as potentially favorable: (1) the southernmost valley section, which extends from the New York–Pennsylvania border to about 1 mile north of South Windsor, (2) the valley section that rounds the west side of the umlaufberg (an isolated bedrock hill within a valley) north of Windsor, and (3) the east–west valley section at the Broome County–Chenango County border from Nineveh to East of Bettsburg (including the lower reach of the Cornell Brook valley). Fine-grained lacustrine deposits form extensive confining units between the unconfined areas, and the water-resource potential of confined aquifers is largely untested. Recharge, or replenishment, of these aquifers is dependent not only on infiltration of precipitation directly on unconfined aquifers, but perhaps more so from precipitation that falls in adjacent upland areas. Surface runoff and shallow groundwater from the valley walls flow downslope and recharge valley aquifers. Tributary streams that drain upland areas lose flow as they enter main valleys on permeable alluvial fans. This infiltrating water also recharges valley aquifers. Current (2012) use of water resources in the area is primarily through domestic wells, most of which are completed in fractured bedrock in upland areas. A few villages in the Susquehanna River valley have supply wells that draw water from beneath alluvial fans and near the Susquehanna River, which is a large potential source of water from induced infiltration.

  16. 78 FR 28806 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-16

    ... out comparative studies on salmonid ecology across all Central Valley habitats (streams, rivers and... California's salmon stocks. Studies authorized under Permit 17299 will follow three directions: (1) Telemetry studies to assess river habitat use, behavior, and survival, (2) predator impacts on salmon, and (3...

  17. 77 FR 46770 - Notice of Availability of the Injury Assessment Plan for the Upper Columbia River Site, Washington

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-06

    ..., Upper Columbia River/Lake Roosevelt, c/o Bureau of Land Management, 1103 N. Fancher Road, Spokane Valley... the following locations: Bureau of Land Management, 1103 N. Fancher Road, Spokane Valley, WA 99212...

  18. Estimation of salt loads for the Dolores River in the Paradox Valley, Colorado, 1980–2015

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mast, M. Alisa

    2017-07-13

    Regression models that relate total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations to specific conductance were used to estimate salt loads for two sites on the Dolores River in the Paradox Valley in western Colorado. The salt-load estimates will be used by the Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate salt loading to the river coming from the Paradox Valley and the effect of the Paradox Valley Unit (PVU), a project designed to reduce the salinity of the Colorado River. A second-order polynomial provided the best fit of the discrete data for both sites on the river. The largest bias occurred in samples with elevated sulfate concentrations (greater than 500 milligrams per liter), which were associated with short-duration runoff events in late summer and fall. Comparison of regression models from a period of time before operation began at the PVU and three periods after operation began suggests the relation between TDS and specific conductance has not changed over time. Net salt gain through the Paradox Valley was estimated as the TDS load at the downstream site minus the load at the upstream site. The mean annual salt gain was 137,900 tons per year prior to operation of the PVU (1980–1993) and 43,300 tons per year after the PVU began operation (1997–2015). The difference in annual salt gain in the river between the pre-PVU and post-PVU periods was 94,600 tons per year, which represents a nearly 70 percent reduction in salt loading to the river.

  19. Groundwater quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley groundwater basins, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kulongoski, Justin T.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    The Monterey-Salinas study unit is nearly 1,000 square miles and consists of the Santa Cruz Purisima Formation Highlands, Felton Area, Scotts Valley, Soquel Valley, West Santa Cruz Terrace, Salinas Valley, Pajaro Valley, and Carmel Valley groundwater basins (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Kulongski and Belitz, 2011). These basins were grouped into four study areas based primarily on geography. Groundwater basins in the north were grouped into the Santa Cruz study area, and those to the south were grouped into the Monterey Bay, the Salinas Valley, and the Paso Robles study areas (Kulongoski and others, 2007). The study unit has warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual rainfall ranges from 31 inches in Santa Cruz in the north to 13 inches in Paso Robles in the south. The study areas are drained by several rivers and their principal tributaries: the Salinas, Pajaro, and Carmel Rivers, and San Lorenzo Creek. The Salinas Valley is a large intermontane valley that extends southeastward from Monterey Bay to Paso Robles. It has been filled, up to a thickness of 2,000 feet, with Tertiary and Quaternary marine and terrestrial sediments that overlie granitic basement. The Miocene-age Monterey Formation and Pliocene- to Pleistocene-age Paso Robles Formation, and Pleistocene to Holocene-age alluvium contain freshwater used for supply. The primary aquifers in the study unit are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells are typically drilled to depths of 200 to 650 feet, consist of solid casing from the land surface to depths of about 175 to 500 feet, and are perforated below the solid casing. Water quality in the primary aquifers may differ from that in the shallower and deeper parts of the aquifer system. Groundwater movement is generally from the southern part of the Salinas Valley north towards the Monterey Bay. Land use in the study unit is about 44 percent (%) natural (mostly grassland and forests), 43% agricultural, and 13% urban. The primary agricultural uses are row crops, pasture, hay, and vineyards. The largest urban areas are the cities of Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Monterey, Salinas, King City, and Paso Robles. Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily from stream-channel infiltration from the major rivers and their tributaries, and from infiltration of water from precipitation and irrigation. The primary sources of discharge are water pumped for irrigation and municipal supply, evaporation, and discharge to streams.

  20. GREEN RIVER AIR QUALITY MODEL DEVELOPMENT: METEOROGICAL AND TRACER DATA-FIELD STUDY IN BRUSH VALLEY, COLORADO, JULY-AUGUST, 1982

    EPA Science Inventory

    Special meteorological and atmospheric tracer studies were conducted during a three-week period in July and August of 1982 in the Brush Creek Valley of northwestern Colorado. The experiments were conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) as p...

  1. Water resources of the Humboldt River Valley near Winnemucca, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cohen, Philip M.

    1965-01-01

    This report, resulting from studies made by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the interagency Humboldt River Research Project, describes the qualitative and quantitative relations among the components of the hydrologic system in the Winnemucca Reach of the Humboldt River valley. The area studied includes the segment of the Humboldt River valley between the Comus and Rose Creek gaging stations. It is almost entirely in Humboldt County in north-central Nevada, and is about 200 miles downstream from the headwaters of the Humboldt River. Agriculture is the major economic activity in the area. Inasmuch as the valley lowlands receive an average of about 8 inches of precipitation per year and because the rate of evaporation from free-water surfaces is about six times the average annual precipitation, all crops in the area (largely forage crops) are irrigated. About 85 percent of the cultivated land is irrigated with Humboldt River water; the remainder is irrigated from about 20 irrigation wells. The consolidated rocks of the uplifted fault-block mountains are largely barriers to the movement of ground water and form ground-water and surface-water divides. Unconsolidated deposits of late Tertiary and Quaternary age underlie the valley lowlands to a maximum depth of about 5,000 feet. These deposits are in hydraulic continuity with the Humboldt River and store and transmit most of the economically recoverable ground water. Included in the valley fill is a highly permeable sand and gravel deposit having a maximum thickness of about 90-100 feet; it underlies the flood plain and bordering terraces throughout most of the project area. This deposit is almost completely saturated and contains about 500,000 acre-feet of ground water in storage. The Humboldt River is the source of 90-95 percent of the surface-water inflow to the area. In water years 1949-62 the average annual streamflow at the Comus gaging station at the upstream margin of the area was 172,100 acre-feet; outflow at the Rose Creek gaging station averaged about 155,400 acre-feet. Accordingly, the measured loss of Humboldt River streamflow averaged nearly 17,000 acre-feet per year. Most of this water was transpired by phreatophytes and crops, evaporated from free-water surfaces, and evaporated from bare soil. Inasmuch as practically no tributary streamflow normally discharges into the river in the Winnemucca reach and because pumpage is virtually negligible during the nonirrigation season, gains and losses of streamflow during most of the year reflect the close interrelation of the Humboldt River and the groundwater reservoir. An estimated average of about 14,000 acre-feet per year of ground-water underflow moves toward the Humboldt River from tributary areas. Much of this water discharges into the Humboldt River; hovever, some evaporates or is transpired before reaching the river. More than 65 percent of the average annual flow of the river horn-ally occurs in April, May, and June owing to the spring runoff. The stage of the river generally rises rapidly during these months causing water to move from the river to the ground-water reservoir. Furthermore, the period of high streamflow normally coincides with the irrigation season, and much of the excess irrigation water diverted from the river percolates downward to the zone of saturation. The net measured loss of streamflow in April-June, which averaged about 24,000 acre-feet in water years 1949-62, was about 7,000 acre-feet more than the average annual loss. The estimated net average annual increase of ground water in storage during these months in this period was on the order of 10,000 acre-feet. Following the spring runoff and the irrigation season, normally in July, some of the ground water stored in the flood-plain deposits during the spring runoff begins to discharge into the river. In addition, ground-water inflow from tributary areas again begins to discharge into the river. Experiments utilizin

  2. Landscape evolution in south-central Minnesota and the role of geomorphic history on modern erosional processes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gran, K.B.; Belmont, P.; Day, S.S.; Finnegan, N.; Jennings, C.; Lauer, J.W.; Wilcock, P.R.

    2011-01-01

    The Minnesota River Valley was carved during catastrophic drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz at the end of the late Pleistocene. The ensuing base-level drop on tributaries created knickpoints that excavated deep valleys as they migrated upstream. A sediment budget compiled in one of these tributaries, the Le Sueur River, shows that these deep valleys are now the primary source of sediment to the Minnesota River. To compare modern sediment loads with pre-European settlement erosion rates, we analyzed incision history using fluvial terrace ages to constrain a valley incision model. Results indicate that even thoughthe dominant sediment sources are derived from natural sources (bluffs, ravines, and streambanks), erosion rates have increased substantially, due in part to pervasive changes in watershed hydrology.

  3. Quaternary Geochronology, Paleontology, and Archaeology of the Upper San Pedro River Valley, Sonora, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaines, E. P.

    2013-12-01

    This poster presents the results of multi-disciplinary investigations of the preservation and extent of Quaternary fossil-bearing strata in the San Pedro River Valley in Sonora, Mexico. Geologic deposits in the portions of the San Pedro Valley in southern Arizona contain one of the best late Cenozoic fossil records known in North America and the best record of early humans and extinct mammals on the continent. The basin in the U.S. is one of the type locations for the Blancan Land Mammal Age. Hemiphilian and Irvingtonian fossils are common. Rancholabrean remains are widespread. Strata in the valley adjacent to the international border with Mexico have yielded the densest concentration of archaeological mammoth-kill sites known in the western hemisphere. Despite more than 60 years of research in the U.S., however, and the fact that over one third of the San Pedro River lies south of the international boundary, little has been known about the late Cenozoic geology of the valley in Mexico. The study reported here utilized extensive field survey, archaeological documentation, paleontological excavations, stratigraphic mapping and alluvial geochronology to determine the nature and extent of Quaternary fossil-bearing deposits in the portions of the San Pedro Valley in Sonora, Mexico. The results demonstrate that the Plio-Pleistocene fossil -bearing formations known from the valley in Arizona extend into the uppermost reaches of the valley in Mexico. Several new fossil sites were discovered that yielded the remains of Camelids, Equus, Mammuthus, and other Proboscidean species. Late Pleistocene archaeological remains were found on the surface of the surrounding uplands. AMS radiocarbon dating demonstrates the widespread preservation of middle- to late- Holocene deposits. However, the late Pleistocene deposits that contain the archaeological mammoth-kill sites in Arizona are absent in the valley in Mexico, and are now known to be restricted to relatively small portions of the valley immediately north of the international border.

  4. Spatial and seasonal variability of base flow in the Verde Valley, central Arizona, 2007 and 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garner, Bradley D.; Bills, Donald J.

    2012-01-01

    Synoptic base-flow surveys were conducted on streams in the Verde Valley, central Arizona, in June 2007 and February 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Verde River Basin Partnership, the Town of Clarkdale, and Yavapai County. These surveys, also known as seepage runs, measured streamflow under base-flow conditions at many locations over a short period of time. Surveys were conducted on a segment of the Verde River that flows through the Verde Valley, between USGS streamflow-gaging stations 09504000 and 09506000, a distance of 51 river miles. Data from the surveys were used to investigate the dominant controls on Verde River base flow, spatial variability in gaining and losing reaches, and the effects that human alterations have on base flow in the surface-water system. The most prominent human alterations in the Verde Valley are dozens of surface-water diversions from streams, including gravity-fed ditch diversions along the Verde River.Base flow that entered the Verde River from the tributary streams of Oak Creek, Beaver Creek, and West Clear Creek was found to be a major source of base flow in the Verde River. Groundwater discharge directly into the Verde River near these three confluences also was an important contributor of base flow to the Verde River, particularly near the confluence with Beaver Creek. An examination of individual reaches of the Verde River in the Verde Valley found three reaches (largely unaffected by ditch diversions) exhibiting a similar pattern: a small net groundwater discharge in February 2011 (12 cubic feet per second or less) and a small net streamflow loss in June 2007 (11 cubic feet per second or less). Two reaches heavily affected by ditch diversions were difficult to interpret because of the large number of confounding human factors. Possible lower and upper bounds of net groundwater flux were calculated for all reaches, including those heavily affected by ditches.

  5. Assessment of fluvial geomorphological change in the confluence of Chindwin and Ayeyarwady Rivers in Myanmar using remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piman, T.; Vasconcelos, V. V.; Apirumanekul, C.; Krittasudthacheewa, C.

    2017-12-01

    Bank erosion along the braided stretches of Ayeyarwady and Chindwin Rivers has been one of the main concerns at Sagaing region, in Myanmar, because it threatens villages, infrastructure and farmland, while the consequent sedimentation hampers boat transportation. This study assesses the changes on these two river channels and its sandbanks, in their confluence area. A special focus is given to infer the risk of villages to bank erosion. Landsat images from 1973, 1989, and annual series from 1998 to 2015 were used to evaluate frequency and rates of erosion, deposition and vegetation restabilization. Maps showed where the channels maintained stable and which areas faced bank erosion more frequently. From 1973 to 2015, 30% of the river valley in the studied area faced bank erosion. Although the summed area of the river channel remained relatively stable throughout the period, the rates of bank erosion vs. bank restabilization were higher after 2004. Most of the village area in the in the river valley within the bluffs (89% - 71km2) have not faced bank erosion since 1973, while 8.9% (7 km2) are in vulnerable areas that faced erosion before 2012, and bank erosion destroyed 1.3% (1 km2) of the villages from 2012 to 2015. The average rate of village land loss from bank erosion within the river valley from 1973 to 2012 was 0.18 km2/year, but increased to 0.33km2/year during 2012-2015. The villages located just downstream from the confluence of Chindwin and Ayeyarwady River faced higher problems with bank erosion. Approximately half of the village area (51.5% - 87km2) adjacent to the bluffs (outside the river valley) were facing stable land since 1973 (lowest risk), while 5.8% (10 km2) were facing stable river channel (low risk) and 42.7% (73 km2) were facing areas of unstable river channel (possible risk). As for the biggest urban sites, Monywa and Pakokku face areas of unstable river channel, while Sagaing and Myingyan are safer, facing areas of stable land. A detailed assessment of remote sensing images also showed how Chindwin channel widened progressively due to bank erosion in the direction of Su Lay Kon and Ah Myning villages, in Monywa district. The rapid changes in river geomorphology calls for public's attention on alternative ways to live with these dynamic but important rivers.

  6. Processed 1938 aerial photography for selected areas of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Norman, Laura M.; Gishey, Michael; Gass, Leila; Yanites, Brian; Pfeifer, Edwin; Simms, Ron; Ahlbrandt, Ray

    2006-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a study of the Lower Colorado River to derive temporal-change characteristics from the predam period to the present. In this report, we present summary information on accomplishments under a USGS task for the Department of the Interior's Landscapes in the West project. We discuss our preliminary results in compiling a digital database of geospatial information on the Lower Colorado River and acquisition of data products, and present a geospatial digital dataset of 1938 aerial photography of the river valley. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)'s, Resources Management Office in Boulder City, Nev., provided historical aerial photographs of the river valley from the Hoover Dam to the United States-Mexican border, with some exclusions. USGS authors scanned and mosaicked the photographs, registered the photo mosaics, and created metadata describing each mosaic series, all 15 of which are presented here.

  7. Streamflow trends in the Spokane River and tributaries, Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie, Idaho and Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hortness, Jon E.; Covert, John J.

    2005-01-01

    A clear understanding of the aquifer and river dynamics within the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie is essential in making proper management decisions concerning ground-water and surface-water appropriations. Management of the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie aquifer is complicated because of interstate, multi-jurisdictional responsibilities, and by the interaction between ground water and surface water. Kendall?s tau trend analyses were completed on monthly mean (July through December) and annual 7-day low streamflow data for the period 1968?2002 from gaging stations located within the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie. The analyses detected trends of decreasing monthly mean streamflow at the following gaging stations: Spokane River near Post Falls, Idaho (August and September); Spokane River at Spokane, Washington (September); and Little Spokane River at Dartford, Washington (September and October); and decreasing annual 7-day low streamflows at the following gaging stations: Spokane River near Post Falls, Idaho and Spokane River at Spokane, Washington. Limited analyses of lake-level, precipitation, tributary inflow, temperature, and water-use data provided little insight as to the reason for the decreasing trends in streamflow. A net gain in streamflow occurs between the gaging stations Spokane River near Post Falls, Idaho and Spokane River at Spokane, Washington. Significant streamflow losses occur between the gaging stations Spokane River near Post Falls, Idaho and Spokane River at Greenacres, Washington; most, if not all, of the gains occur downstream from the Greenacres gaging station. Trends of decreasing net streamflow gains in the Spokane River between the near Post Falls and at Spokane gaging stations were detected for the months of September, October, and November.

  8. Synthetic river valleys: Creating prescribed topography for form-process inquiry and river rehabilitation design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, R. A.; Pasternack, G. B.; Wallender, W. W.

    2014-06-01

    The synthesis of artificial landforms is complementary to geomorphic analysis because it affords a reflection on both the characteristics and intrinsic formative processes of real world conditions. Moreover, the applied terminus of geomorphic theory is commonly manifested in the engineering and rehabilitation of riverine landforms where the goal is to create specific processes associated with specific morphology. To date, the synthesis of river topography has been explored outside of geomorphology through artistic renderings, computer science applications, and river rehabilitation design; while within geomorphology it has been explored using morphodynamic modeling, such as one-dimensional simulation of river reach profiles, two-dimensional simulation of river networks, and three-dimensional simulation of subreach scale river morphology. To date, no approach allows geomorphologists, engineers, or river rehabilitation practitioners to create landforms of prescribed conditions. In this paper a method for creating topography of synthetic river valleys is introduced that utilizes a theoretical framework that draws from fluvial geomorphology, computer science, and geometric modeling. Such a method would be valuable to geomorphologists in understanding form-process linkages as well as to engineers and river rehabilitation practitioners in developing design surfaces that can be rapidly iterated. The method introduced herein relies on the discretization of river valley topography into geometric elements associated with overlapping and orthogonal two-dimensional planes such as the planform, profile, and cross section that are represented by mathematical functions, termed geometric element equations. Topographic surfaces can be parameterized independently or dependently using a geomorphic covariance structure between the spatial series of geometric element equations. To illustrate the approach and overall model flexibility examples are provided that are associated with mountain, lowland, and hybrid synthetic river valleys. To conclude, recommended advances such as multithread channels are discussed along with potential applications.

  9. Response of the St. Joseph River to lake level changes during the last 12,000 years in the Lake Michigan basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kincare, K.A.

    2007-01-01

    The water level of the Lake Michigan basin is currently 177 m above sea level. Around 9,800 14C years B.P., the lake level in the Lake Michigan basin had dropped to its lowest level in prehistory, about 70 m above sea level. This low level (Lake Chippewa) had profound effects on the rivers flowing directly into the basin. Recent studies of the St. Joseph River indicate that the extreme low lake level rejuvenated the river, causing massive incision of up to 43 m in a valley no more than 1.6 km wide. The incision is seen 25 km upstream of the present shoreline. As lake level rose from the Chippewa low, the St. Joseph River lost competence and its estuary migrated back upstream. Floodplain and channel sediments partially refilled the recently excavated valley leaving a distinctly non-classical morphology of steep sides with a broad, flat bottom. The valley walls of the lower St. Joseph River are 12-18 m tall and borings reveal up to 30 m of infill sediment below the modern floodplain. About 3 ?? 108 m3 of sediment was removed from the St. Joseph River valley during the Chippewa phase lowstand, a massive volume, some of which likely resides in a lowstand delta approximately 30 km off-shore in Lake Michigan. The active floodplain below Niles, Michigan, is inset into an upper terrace and delta graded to the Calumet level (189 m) of Lake Chicago. In the lower portion of the terrace stratigraphy a 1.5-2.0 m thick section of clast-supported gravel marks the entry of the main St. Joseph River drainage above South Bend, Indiana, into the Lake Michigan basin. This gravel layer represents the consolidation of drainage that probably occurred during final melting out of ice-marginal kettle chains allowing stream piracy to proceed between Niles and South Bend. It is unlikely that the St. Joseph River is palimpsest upon a bedrock valley. The landform it cuts across is a glaciofluvial-deltaic feature rather than a classic unsorted moraine that would drape over pre-glacial topography. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

  10. Effects of ground-water withdrawals on flow in the Sauk River Valley Aquifer and on streamflow in the Cold Spring area, Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindgren, R.J.

    2001-01-01

    The simulated contributing areas for selected watersupply wells in the Cold Spring area generally extend to and possibly beyond the model boundaries to the north and to the southeast. The contributing areas for the Gold'n Plump Poultry Processing Plant supply wells extend: (1) to the Sauk River, (2) to the north to and possibly beyond to the northern model boundary, and (3) to the southeast to and possibly beyond the southeastern model boundary. The primary effects of projected increased ground-water withdrawals of 0.23 cubic feet per second (7.5 percent increase) were to: (1) decrease outflow from the Sauk River Valley aquifer through constant-head boundaries and (2) decrease leakage from the valley unit of the Sauk River Valley aquifer to the streams. No appreciable differences were discernible between the simulated steady-state contributing areas to wells with 1998 pumpage and those with the projected pumpage.

  11. Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the lower-Colorado River valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Radtke, D.B.; Kepner, W.G.; Effertz, R.J.

    1988-01-01

    The Lower Colorado River Valley Irrigation Drainage Project area included the Colorado River and its environs from Davis Dam to just above Imperial Dam. Water, bottom sediment, and biota were sampled at selected locations within the study area and analyzed for selected inorganic and synthetic organic constituents that are likely to be present at toxic concentrations. With the exceptions of selenium and DDE, this study found sampling locations to be relatively free of large concentrations of toxic constituents that could be a threat to humans, fish, and wildlife. Selenium was the only inorganic constituent to exceed any existing standard, criterion, or guideline for protection of fish and wildlife resources. Concentrations of DDE in double-crested cormorants, however, exceeded the criterion of 1.0 microgram per gram established by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering for DDT and its metabolites for protection of wildlife. Dissolved-selenium concentrations in water from the lower Colorado River appear to be derived from sources above Davis Dam. At this time, therefore , agricultural practices in the lower Colorado River valley do not appear to exacerbate selenium concentrations. This fact, however, does not mean that the aquatic organisms and their predators are not in jeopardy. Continued selenium loading to the lower Colorado environment could severely affect important components of the ecosystem. (Author 's abstract)

  12. Lithology, hydrologic characteristics, and water quality of the Arkansas River Valley alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of Van Buren, Arkansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kresse, Timothy M.; Westerman, Drew A.; Hart, Rheannon M.

    2015-01-01

    The hydrologic and geochemical data gathered for this study provide a qualitative assessment of the potential of the Arkansas River Valley alluvial aquifer as a source of public water supply in the Van Buren area. Results indicate minimal influx of water from the Arkansas River, and recharge to the aquifer appears to be dominantly by infiltration of precipitation through overlying alluvium. If vertical wells are used as a source of public water supply, then several wells will have to be used in combination at relatively low pumping rates and placed in areas with a greater percent sand. Use of a horizontal well configuration near the river to increase production may depend on infiltration of river water to supplement water removed from storage, especially where areas of lower permeability sediments might be encountered within the surrounding alluvium. If a poor hydraulic connection exists between the river and the alluvium, as indicated by this study, then production will depend on ample precipitation and recharge throughout the year and groundwater storage sufficient to prevent declining water levels where pumping rates exceed recharge.

  13. Depth to water, 1991, in the Rathdrum Prairie, Idaho; Spokane River valley, Washington; Moscow-Lewiston-Grangeville area, Idaho; and selected intermontane valleys, east-central Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berenbrock, Charles E.; Bassick, M.D.; Rogers, T.L.; Garcia, S.P.

    1995-01-01

    This map report illustrates digitally generated depth-to-water zones for the Rathdrum Prairie in Idaho; part of the Spokane River Valley in eastern Washington; and the intermontane valleys of the upper Big Wood, Big Lost, Pahsimeroi, Little Lost, and Lemhi Rivers and Birch Creek in Idaho. Depth to water is 400 to 500 feet below land surface in the northern part of Rathdrum Prairie, 100 to 200 feet below land surface at the Idaho-Washington State line, and 0 to 250 feet below land surface in the Spokane area. Depth to water in the intermontane valleys in east-central Idaho is least (usually less than 50 feet) near streams and increases toward valley margins where mountain-front alluvial fans have formed. Depths to water shown in the Moscow-Lewiston-Grangeville area in Idaho are limited to point data at individual wells because most of the water levels measured were not representative of levels in the uppermost aquifer but of levels in deeper aquifers.

  14. Influence of Tectonics on the Channel Pattern of Alaknanda River in Srinagar Valley (Garhwal Himalaya)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Datt, Devi

    2017-04-01

    This paper describes the results of a continuing investigation of tectonic influence on channel pattern and morphology of Alaknanda River in Lesser Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. Extensive field investigations using conventional methods supported by topographical sheets and remote sensing data (LISS IV), were undertaken.The results are classified into three sections :- tectonics, channel pattern and impact of tectonics on channel pattern. The channel length is divided into 8 meanders sets of 3 segments from Supana to Kirtinagar. Thereafter, a litho-tectonic map of the Srinagar valley was prepared. The style of active tectonics on deformation and characterization of fluvial landscape was investigated on typical strike-slip transverse faults near the zone of North Almora Thrust (NAT). NAT is a major tectonic unit of the Lesser Himalaya which passes through the northern margin from NW to SE direction.. The structural and lithological controls on the Alaknanda River system in Srinagar valley are reflected on distinct drainage patterns, abrupt change in flow direction, incised meandering, offset river channels, straight river lines, palaeo-channels, multi levels of terraces, knick points and pools in longitudinal profile. The results of the study show that the sinuosity index of the river is 1.35. Transverse faulting is very common along the NAT. An earlier generation of linear tectonic features were displaced by the latter phase of deformation. Significant deviations were observed in river channel at deformation junctions. Moreover, all 8 sets of meanders are strongly influenced by tectonic features. The meandering course is, thereby, correlated with tectonic features. It is shown that the river channel is strongly influenced by the tectonic features in the study area. Key Words: Tectonic, Meander, Channel pattern, deformation, Knick point.

  15. Transboundary water resources management and livelihoods: interactions in the Senegal river

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruckmann, Laurent; Beltrando, Gérard

    2016-04-01

    In Sub-Saharan Africa, 90 % of wetlands provide ecosystem services to societies, especially for agriculture and fishing. However, tropical rivers are increasingly regulated to provide hydroelectricity and irrigated agriculture. Modifications of flows create new hydrological conditions that affect floodplains ecology and peoples' livelihoods. In the Senegal river valley, large dams were built during the 1980's to secure water resources after a decade of water scarcity in the 1970's: Manantali in the upper basin with a reservoir of 12km3 and Diama close to estuary to avoid saltwater intrusion during dry season. Senegal river water resources are known under the supervision of Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS), which defines water allocation between different goals (electricity, irrigation, traditional activities). This study, based on the concept of socio-hydrology, analyses socio-ecological changes following thirty years of dam management. The work enlightens adaptation mechanisms of livelihoods from people living along the river floodplain and feedback on water ressources. The study uses a mixed method approach, combining hydrological analyses, literature review and data collection from surveys on stakeholders and key informants level in the middle Senegal valley. Our results suggest that in all the Senegal river valley, socio-ecological changes are driven by new hydrological conditions. If dam management benefit for peoples with electrification and development of an irrigated agriculture, it has also emphasized the floodplain degradation. Flooded area has decline and are more irregular, causing an erosion of floodplain supporting services (traditional activities as fishing, grazing and flood-recession agriculture). These conditions reduce peoples' livelihood possibilities and irrigation is the only regular activity. As a feedback, irrigated agriculture increases withdrawals in the river and, recently, in aquifers posing a new uncertainty on water resource.

  16. Washington School-to-Work Evaluation. Volume II: Case Study Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owens, Thomas R.

    School-to-work programs (STW) at 10 sites throughout Washington (Bethel, Camas, Central Valley, Columbia River, Goldendale, Grand Coulee Dam, Issaquah, Metlow Valley, Sumner, and Wenatchee) were examined through the following activities: reviewing background documents, interviewing key educators, observing academic and technical classes,…

  17. Notes on the geology of Green River Valley between Green River, Wyoming, and Green River, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reeside, J.B.

    1925-01-01

    During July, August, and part of September, 1922, I had the privilege of accompanying a party sent out jointly by the Utah Power & Light Co. and the United States Geological Survey to gather such data as were still needed to complete a study of the power resources of Green River between Green River, Wyo., and Green River, Utah. The chief deficiency to be supplied was a continuous topographic map of the valley in sufficient detail to permit calculation of the storage capacity of any reservoir site that might be used, the stream gradient, and similar features. Maps on a satisfactory scale of a number of isolated stretches of the river had already been made by public or private agencies, and it was necessary to verify them and connect them on a uniform datum. Inasmuch as it was deemed unlikely that a dam higher than 300 feet would be constructed anywhere on the part of the river to be examined, a plane 300 feet above the water surface was made the upper limit of mapping. Over such parts of the valley as had been mapped already the progress of the party was naturally very rapid, and even where no mapping had previously been done, the 300-foot limit set upon the work and the usual narrowness of the valley combined to reduce the extent of the area to be mapped, so that the speed maintained was relatively high. Under this condition of rapid movement it was seldom possible to make more than the most cursory examination of the rocks, though occasionally circumstances permitted more or less detailed observation. The notes here recorded are therefore mostly of a rather generalized character, but as they pertain in part to localities that are difficult of access and not often visited by geologists, and that are at the same time classic in the history of American geology, I venture to to record them for whatever value they may have to other geologists.

  18. Mapping Ecosystem Services in the Jordan Valley, Jordan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luz, Ana; Marques, Ana; Ribeiro, Inês; Alho, Maria; Catarina Afonso, Ana; Almeida, Erika; Branquinho, Cristina; Talozi, Samer; Pinho, Pedro

    2016-04-01

    In the last decade researchers started using ecosystem services as a new framework to understand the relationships between environment and society. Habitat quality and water quality are related with ecosystem services regulation and maintenance, or even provision. According to the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) both habitat quality and water quality are associated with lifecycle maintenance, habitat and gene pool protection, and water conditions, among others. As there is increased pressure on habitats and rivers especially for agricultural development, mapping and evaluating habitat and water quality has important implications for resource management and conservation, as well as for rural development. Here, we model and map habitat and water quality in the Jordan Valley, Jordan. In this study, we aim to identify and analyse ecosystem services both through 1) habitat quality and 2) water quality modelling using InVest, an integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs. The data used in this study mainly includes the LULC, Jordan River watershed and main threats and pollutants in the study area, such as agriculture, industry, fish farms and urbanization. Results suggest a higher pressure on natural habitats in the Northern region of the Jordan Valley, where industry is dominant. Agriculture is present along the Jordan Valley and limits the few natural forested areas. Further, water pollution is mainly concentrated in disposal sites due to the low flow of the Jordan River. Our results can help to identify areas where natural resources and water resource management is most needed in the Jordan Valley. Acknowledgements: Transbasin FP7 project

  19. Valley aggradation in the San Gabriel Mountains, California: climate change versus catastrophic landslide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scherler, D.; Lamb, M. P.; Rhodes, E. J.; Avouac, J. P.

    2014-12-01

    The San Gabriel Mountains (SGM) in Southern California, rate amongst the most rapidly uplifting and eroding mountains in the United States. Their steep slopes and sensitivity to wildfires, flash floods, landslides, and debris flows account for imminent hazards to nearby urban areas that might be accentuated by climatic and other environmental changes. Previous studies suggested that river terraces along the North Fork of the San Gabriel River, record temporal variations in sediment supply and river transport capacity that are representative for the SGM and related to climatic changes during the Quaternary. Based on field observations, digital topographic analysis, and dating of Quaternary deposits, we suggest that valley aggradation in the North Fork San Gabriel Canyon was spatially confined and a consequence of the sudden supply of unconsolidated material to upstream reaches by one of the largest known landslides in the SGM. New 10Be-derived surface exposure ages from the landslide deposits, previously assumed to be early to middle Pleistocene in age, indicate at least three Holocene events at ~8-9 ka, ~4-5 ka, and ~0.5-1 ka. The oldest landslide predates the valley aggradation period, which is constrained by existing 14C ages and new luminescence ages to ~7-8 ka. The spatial distribution, morphology, and sedimentology of the river terraces are consistent with deposition from far-travelling debris flows that originated within the landslide deposits. Valley aggradation in the North Fork San Gabriel Canyon therefore resulted from locally enhanced sediment supply that temporarily overwhelmed river capacity but the lack of similar deposits in other parts of the SGM argues against a regional climatic signal. So far, there exists no evidence that in the San Gabriel Mountains, climatic changes can cause sustained increases in hillslope sediment supply that lead to river aggradation and terrace formation.

  20. Accounting System for Water Use by Vegetation in the Lower Colorado River Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

    1992-01-01

    The Colorado River is the principal source of water in the valley of the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and the international boundary with Mexico (fig. 1). Agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power genera-tion, and recreation are the primary uses of river water in the valley. Most of the consumptive use of water from the river occurs downstream from Davis Dam, where water is diverted to irrigate crops along the river or is exported to interior regions of California and Arizona. Most of the agricultural areas are on the alluvium of the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the alluvial terraces has been cultivated. River water is consumed mainly by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain. Crops were grown on 70.3 percent of the vegetated area classified by using 1984 digital image satellite data. Phreatophytes, natural vege-tation that obtain water from the alluvial aquifer, covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped from the river. In some areas, water is pumped from wells completed in the alluvial aquifer, which is hydraulically connected to the river.

  1. The analysis of changes in oxbow lakes characteristics using remote sensing data. A case study from Biebrza River in Poland.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slapinska, Malgorzata; Chormanski, Jaroslaw

    2014-05-01

    Biebrza River Valley is located in North-Eastern part of Poland. Biebrza is a river of intermediate size with almost natural character. River has numerous of oxbow lakes. Biebrza River Valley consists of three Basins: Upper, Middle and Lower, which are characterized by different geomorphological structure. Biebrza River Valley is an area of significant ecological importance, especially because it is one of the biggest wetlands in Europe. It consists of almost undisturbed floodplain marshes and fens. Biebrza river is also characterised by low contamination level and small human influence. Because of those characteristics Biebrza River can be treated as a reference area for other floodplains and fen ecosystems in Europe. Since oxbow lakes are the least known part of the river valleys there is a need for more research on them. The objective of this study is the characterisation of the oxbow lake water quality and indirectly oxbow lake state using remote sensing method. For achieving the objective two remote sensing datasets has been analysed: IKONOS and hyperspectral camera AISA. The utility of both data sources was compared and time variability of oxbow lakes was defined. The first part of the remote sensing analysis of oxbow lakes was held with the usage of the satellite images from IKONOS satellite from 20.07.2008 (images were taken from Biebrza National Park resources). All analysis were made in ArcGIS 10.0 and ENVI 5.0. The second part of the image analysis was conducted with the data gained from airborne hyperspectral camera AISA Eagle in August 2013. The oxbow lakes have been described on: state of the habitat, transparency, state of overgrowing, connectivity with the river, maximum area and maximum length. The general method of describing oxbow lakes is visual habitat state, related with natural succession. Three main habitat states of oxbow lakes were designated: privileged (described as 'good'), eutrophic and disappearing. The results confirm the fact that most of the oxbow lakes are habitats which are disappearing or proceeding to disappearance. It also shows the potential of remote sensing data for monitoring this type of water bodies. The fact that first data was collected in 2008 and second in 2013 enabled detection of changes in oxbow lakes during these 5 years.

  2. 27 CFR 9.165 - Applegate Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... within Jackson and Josephine Counties, and entirely within the existing Rogue Valley viticultural area. The boundaries are as follows: (1) Beginning at the confluence of the Applegate River with the Rogue... until it joins the northern boundary of the Rogue River National Forest; (7) Then easterly along the...

  3. Paper birch: Sentinels of climate change in the Niobrara River Valley, Nebraska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stroh, Esther D.

    2011-01-01

    The Niobrara River Valley in the northern Great Plains supports scattered stands of paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh), a species more typical of boreal forests. These birch stands are considered to be relictual populations that have persisted since the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. Localized summer microclimates have likely facilitated the persistence of birch populations in a region otherwise unsuitable for the species. Dieback of canopy-sized birch has been observed throughout the valley in recent years, although no onset dates are documented. Changes in spring weather patterns may be causing rootlet injury so that trees die in spite of the still-cool summer microclimates. Current weather patterns, combined with little evidence of recruitment of young birch and great geographic distances from potential immigrant sources, make the future persistence of birch in the Niobrara River Valley stands uncertain.

  4. Origin, Extent, and Thickness of Quaternary Geologic Units in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Connor, Jim E.; Sarna-Wojcicki, Andrei M.; Wozniak, Karl C.; Polette, Danial J.; Fleck, Robert J.

    2001-01-01

    Stratigraphic and chronologic information collected for Quaternary deposits in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, provides a revised stratigraphic framework that serves as a basis for a 1:250,000-scale map, as well as for thickness estimates of widespread Quaternary geologic units. We have mapped 11 separate Quaternary units that are differentiated on the basis of stratigraphic, topographic, pedogenic, and hydrogeologic properties. In summation, these units reflect four distinct episodes in the Quaternary geologic development of the Willamette Valley: 1) Fluvial sands and gravels that underlie terraces flanking lowland margins and tributary valleys were probably deposited between 2.5 and 0.5 million years ago. They are the oldest widespread surficial Quaternary deposits in the valley. Their present positions and preservation are undoubtedly due to postdepositional tectonic deformation - either by direct tectonic uplift of valley margins, or by regional tectonic controls on local base level. 2) Tertiary and Quaternary excavation or tectonic lowering of the Willamette Valley accommodated as much as 500 m (meters) of lacustrine and fluvial fill. Beneath the lowland floor, much of the upper 10 to 50 m of fill is Quaternary sand and gravel deposited by braided channel systems in subhorizontal sheets 2 to 10 m thick. These deposits grade to gravel fans 40 to 100 m thick where major Cascade Range rivers enter the valley and are traced farther upstream as much thinner valley trains of coarse gravel. The sand and gravel deposits have ages that range from greater than 420,000 to about 12,000 years old. A widely distributed layer of sand and gravel deposited at about 12 ka (kiloannum, thousands of years before the present) is looser and probably more permeable than older sand and gravel. Stratigraphic exposures and drillers' logs indicate that this late Pleistocene unit is mostly between 5 and 20 m thick where it has not been subsequently eroded by the Willamette River and its major tributaries. 3) Between 15,000 and 12,700 years ago, dozens of floods from Glacial Lake Missoula flowed up the Willamette Valley from the Columbia River, depositing up to 35 m of gravel, sand, silt, and clay. 4) Subsequent to 12,000 years ago, Willamette River sediment and flow regimes changed significantly: the Pleistocene braided river systems that had formed vast plains of sand and gravel evolved to incised and meandering rivers that are constructing today's fine-grained floodplains and gravelly channel deposits. Sub-surface channel facies of this unit are loose and unconsolidated and are highly permeable zones of substantial groundwater flow that is likely to be well connected to surface flow in the Willamette River and major tributaries. Stratigraphic exposures and drillers' logs indicate that this unit is mostly between 5 and 15 m thick.

  5. Makran Mountain Range, Indus River Valley, Pakistan, India

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1984-01-01

    The enormous geologic pressures exerted by continental drift can be very well illustrated by the long northward curving parallel folded mountain ridges and valleys of the coastal Makran Range of Pakistan (27.0N, 66.0E). As a result of the collision of the northward bound Indian sub-continent into the Asian Continent, the east/west parallel range has been bent in a great northward arc and forming the Indus River valley at the interface of the collision.

  6. Effects of past and future groundwater development on the hydrologic system of Verde Valley, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garner, Bradley D.; Pool, D.R.

    2013-01-01

    Communities in central Arizona’s Verde Valley must manage limited water supplies in the face of rapidly growing populations. Developing groundwater resources to meet human needs has raised questions about the effects of groundwater withdrawals by pumping on the area’s rivers and streams, particularly the Verde River. U.S. Geological Survey hydrologists used a regional groundwater flow model to simulate the effects of groundwater pumping on streamflow in the Verde River. The study found that streamflow in the Verde River between 1910 and 2005 had been reduced as the result of streamflow depletion by groundwater pumping, also known as capture. Additionally, using three hypothetical scenarios for a period from 2005 to 2110, the study’s findings suggest that streamflow reductions will continue and may increase in the future.

  7. Alluvium-Buttressed Landslides: Conceptual Model and Examples from California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, P. L.; Cotton, W. R., Sr.; Shires, P. O.

    2016-12-01

    Large, deep-seated landslides typically occur in hillside settings without any natural buttressing, and many of these landslides have relatively low factors of safety (FS), the ratio of driving to resisting forces. However, where deep-seated landslides failed millennia ago into valleys that subsequently experienced alluvial aggradation, a natural buttress of alluvium may be deposited over the landslide toe, increasing the FS of these landslides. The eustatic model for alluvial buttressing of Quaternary landslides involves failure of slopes during sea level low stand at or near the late Pleistocene last glacial maximum (LGM, approximately 20 ka). Following LGM, mean sea level rose by over 120m to its present elevation. This rise in base level resulted in deposition of alluvial sediment in coastal valleys that had been v-shaped and downcutting prior to and during LGM. These valleys now have broad, low gradient floors formed by alluvial sediment, and the thick alluvial strata filling these valleys cover the toes of late Pleistocene landslides. In this study, three examples of large, deep-seated Pleistocene landslides that are buttressed by alluvium are presented. The McCracken Hill Landslide in Orange County and the Potrero Canyon Landslide Complex in Monterey County are located approximately 1.5 and 6 km, respectively, from the modern Pacific shore and closely fit the eustatic model of alluvial buttressing. At Knights Valley, in the upper Russian River watershed of eastern Sonoma County, a deep-seated alluvium-buttressed landslide is located approximately 65 km from the modern shore (measured along the Russian River and its tributary stream). The alluvium in Knights Valley may have ponded due to late Quaternary tectonic uplift of hills west of the valley. Streams that cross these hills are incised into bedrock downstream from Knights Valley and approaching the Russian River. Thus, the Knights Valley example (of an alluvium-buttressed landslide) demonstrates a rare exception to the broadly applicable eustatic model.

  8. Flood-Inundation Maps for the Meramec River at Valley Park and at Fenton, Missouri, 2017

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-01-01

    Two sets of digital flood-inundation map libraries that spanned a combined 16.7-mile reach of the Meramec River that extends upstream from Valley Park, Missouri, to downstream from Fenton, Mo., were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in coo...

  9. Lead-rich sediments, Coeur d'Alene River Valley, Idaho: area, volume, tonnage, and lead content

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bookstrom, Arthur A.; Box, Stephen E.; Campbell, Julie K.; Foster, Kathryn I.; Jackson, Berne L.

    2001-01-01

    In north Idaho, downstream from the Coeur d?Alene (CdA) silver-lead-zinc mining district, lead-rich sediments, containing at least 1,000 ppm of lead, cover approximately 61 km2 (or 73 percent) of the 84-km2 floor of the CdA River valley, from the confluence of its North and South Forks to the top of its delta-front slope, in CdA Lake. Concentrations of lead (Pb) in surface sediments range from 15 to about 38,500 ppm, and average 3,370 ppm, which is 112 times the mean background concentration (30 ppm) of Pb in uncontaminated sediments of the CdA and St. Joe River valleys. Most of the highest concentrations of Pb are in sediments within or near the river channel, or near the base of the stratigraphic section of Pb-rich sediments. Ranges of Pb concentration in Pb-rich sediments gradually decrease with increasing distance from the river and its distributaries. Ranges of thickness of Pb-rich sediments generally decrease abruptly with increasing distance from the river, from about 3 + 3 m in the river channel to about 1 + 1m on upland riverbanks, levees and sand splays, to about 0.3 + 0.3 m in back-levee marshes and lateral lakes. Thickness of Pb-rich dredge spoils (removed from the river and deposited on Cataldo-Mission Flats) is mostly in the range 4 + 4 m, thinning away from an outfall zone north and west of the river, near the formerly dredged channel reach near Cataldo Landing. We attribute lateral variation in ranges of thickness and Pb content of Pb-rich sediments to the dynamic balance between decreasing floodwater flow velocity with increasing distance from the river and the quantity, size, density, and Pb content of particles mobilized, transported, and deposited. We present alternative median- and mean-based estimates of the volume of Pbrich sediments, their wet and dry tonnage, and their tonnage of contained Pb. We calculate separate pairs of estimates for 23 Estimation Units, each of which corresponds to a major depositional environment, divided into down-valley segments. We favor median-based estimates of the thickness and thickness-interval weighted-average Pb concentration, because uncommonly thick and Pb-rich sections may excessively influence mean estimates. Nevertheless, data from partial sections of Pb-rich sediments are included in most estimates, and these tend to reduce both median- and mean-based estimates. Median-based estimates indicate a volume of 32 M m3 of Pb-rich sediments in the CdA River valley, with a dry tonnage of 47 + 4 M t, containing 250 + 75 kt of Pb (considering analytical uncertainties only). An equivalent tonnage of dry CdA River valley sediments of the pre-mining era, with the mean background concentration of 30 ppm of Pb, would contain about 1.4 kt of Pb. Thus, the amount of Pb added to CdA River valley sediments deposited since the onset of mining is estimated as 249 + 75 kt of Pb, or about 99.5 percent of the estimated Pb contained. Of an estimated 850 + 10 kt of Pb lost to streams as a result of mining-related activities, an estimated total of 739 + 319 kt of Pb has been deposited in sediments of the South Fork drainage basin, the CdA River valley, and the bottom of CdA Lake (combined). Based on mid-range values from a set of preferred estimates with uncertainty ranges up to + 50 percent, roughly 24 percent of the 850 + 10 kt of mining-derived Pb lost to streams has been added to sediments of the South Fork drainage basin, 29 percent to sediments of the CdA River valley floor, and 34 percent to sediments on the bottom of CdA Lake. This amounts to roughly 87 percent of the Pb lost to streams, not including Pb contained in sediments of the North Fork drainage basin and the Spokane River valley, the tonnages of which have not yet estimated.

  10. Ground-water conditions and geologic reconnaissance of the Upper Sevier River basin, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carpenter, Carl H.; Robinson, Gerald B.; Bjorklund, Louis Jay

    1967-01-01

    The upper Sevier River basin is in south-central Utah and includes an area of about 2,400 .square miles of high plateaus and valleys. It comprises the entire Sevier River drainage basin above Kingston, including the East Fork Sevier River and its tributaries. The basin was investigated to determine general ground-water conditions, the interrelation of ground water and surface water, the effects of increasing the pumping of ground water, and the amount of ground water in storage.The basin includes four main valleys - Panguitch Valley, Circle Valley, East Fork Valley, and Grass Valley - which are drained by the Sevier River, the East Fork Sevier River, and Otter Creek. The plateaus surrounding the valleys consist of sedimentary and igneous rocks that range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The valley fill, which is predominantly alluvial gravel, sand, silt, and clay, has a maximum thickness of more than 800 feet.The four main valleys constitute separate ground-water basins. East Fork Valley basin is divided into Emery Valley, Johns Valley, and Antimony subbasins, and Grass Valley basin is divided into Koosharem and Angle subbasins. Ground water occurs under both artesian and water-table conditions in all the basins and subbasins except Johns Valley, Emery Valley, and Angle subbasins, where water is only under water-table conditions. The water is under artesian pressure in beds of gravel and sand confined by overlying beds of silt and clay in the downstream parts of Panguitch Valley basin, Circle Valley basin, and Antimony subbasin, and in most of Koosharem subbasin. Along the sides and upstream ends of these basins, water is usually under water-table conditions.About 1 million acre-feet of ground water that is readily available to wells is stored in the gravel and sand of the upper 200 feet of saturated valley fill. About 570,000 acre-feet is stored in Panguitch Valley basin, about 210,000 in Circle Valley basin, about 6,000 in Emery Valley subbasin, about 90,000 in Johns Valley subbasin, about 36,000 in Antimony subbasin, about 90,000 in Koosharem subbasin, and about 60,000 in Angle subbasin. Additional water, although it is not readily available to wells, is stored in beds of silt and clay. Some ground water also is available in the bedrock underlying and surrounding the basins, although the bedrock formations generally are poor aquifers.The principal source of recharge to the valley fill in the upper Sevier River basin is infiltration from streams, canals, and irrigated fields. Some ground water also miles into the valley till from the bedrock surrounding the basins.The basin contains about 300 wells, most of which are less than 4 inches in diameter, are less than 250 feet deep, and are used for domestic purposes and stock watering. More than half the wells are flowing wells in Koosharem subbasin.Approximately 82,000 acre-feet of ground water was discharged in 1962 from the valley till. Springs discharged about 33,000 acre-feet, wells about 3,000, and drains about 3,000; and evapotranspiration from phreatophyte areas about 43,000 acre-feet. Springs in bedrock discharged an additional 75,000 acre-feet. Most of the water discharged by springs, wells, and drains was used for irrigation.The ground water in the basin generally is of good chemical quality. The water is excellent for irrigation and stock but is not as desirable for most domestic and industrial uses because of its hardness. The dissolved-solids content of the ground water generally increases slightly from the upstream end of the individual ground-water basins to. the downstream end owing mostly to repeated use of the water for irrigation. Surface water and ground water in the upper Sevier River basin are inter- connected, and the base flows of streams are affected by changes in ground- water levels. Increased pumping of ground water would result in (1) an increase in the recharge to the aquifers from surface-water sources or (2) a decrease in the discharge from streams, springs, flowing wells, and areas of phreatophytes or (3) a combination of these.About 43,000 acre-feet of ground water is now discharged annually by evapotranspiration from phreatophyte areas, and perhaps one-third of this loss, or about 14,000 acre-feet, could be salvaged by eliminating wet areas and phreatophytes. The areas where water could be salvaged are at the downstream ends of Panguitch Valley basin, Circle Valley basin, and Antimony subbasin. Most of the 14,000 acre-feet 'of water could be pumped from large-diameter wells or developed by properly designed drains without greatly affecting stream- flow and with only moderate effect on 'spring discharge. If the wells were properly located, the pumping would lower water levels and dry up wet areas where phreatophytes grow. Conjunctive use of ground water and surface water would facilitate the more efficient use of all water resources in the basin

  11. 76 FR 17341 - Idaho Roadless Rule

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-29

    ... comment and/or met with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort...) included an eligibility study for Big Creek. The Agency's Record of Decision found Big Creek in-eligible... suitability study for the Secesh River, including Lake Creek. The Record of Decision found the Secesh River...

  12. Postglacial volcanic deposits at Glacier Peak, Washington, and potential hazards from future eruptions; a preliminary report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beget, J.E.

    1982-01-01

    Eruptions and other geologic events at Glacier Peak volcano in northern Washington have repeatedly affected areas near the volcano as well as areas far downwind and downstream. This report describes the evidence of this activity preserved in deposits on the west and east flanks of the volcano. On the west side of Glacier Peak the oldest postglacial deposit is a large, clayey mudflow which traveled at least 35 km down the White Chuck River valley sometime after 14,000 years ago. Subsequent large explosive eruptions produced lahars and at least 10 pyroclastic-flow deposits, including a semiwelded vitric tuff in the White Chuck River valley. These deposits, known collectively as the White Chuck assemblage, form a valley fill which is locally preserved as far as 100 km downstream from the volcano in the Stillaguamish River valley. At least some of the assemblage is about 11,670-11,500 radiocarbon years old. A small clayey lahar, containing reworked blocks of the vitric tuff, subsequently traveled at least 15 km down the White Chuck River. This lahar is overlain by lake sediments containing charred wood which is about 5,500 years old. A 150-m-thick assemblage of pyroclastic-flow deposits and lahars, called the Kennedy Creek assemblage, is in part about 5,500-5,100 radiocarbon years old. Lithic lahars from this assemblage extend at least 100 km downstream in the Skagit River drainage. The younger lahar assemblages, each containing at least three lahars and reaching at least 18 km downstream from Glacier Peak in the White Chuck River valley, are about 2,800 and 1,800 years old, respectively. These are postdated by a lahar containing abundant oxyhornblende dacite, which extends at least 30 km to the Sauk River. A still younger lahar assemblage that contains at least five lahars, and that also extends at least 30 km to the Sauk River, is older than a mature forest growing on its surface. At least one lahar and a flood deposit form a low terrace at the confluence of the White Chuck and Sauk Rivers, and were deposited before 300 years ago, but more recently than about 1,800 years ago. Several small outburst floods, including one in 1975, have affected Kennedy and Baekos Creek and the upper White Chuck River in the last hundred years. East of Glacier Peak the oldest postglacial deposits consist of ash-cloud deposits that underlie tephra erupted by Glacier Peak between 12,750 and 11,250 radiocarbon years ago. Although pyroclastic-flow deposits correlative with the ash-cloud deposits have not been recognized, late Pleistocene pumiceous lahars extend at least 50 km downstream in the Suiattle River valley. A younger clayey mudflow extends at least 6 km down Dusty Creek. This lahar is overlain by deposits of lithic pyroclastic flows and lahars that form the Dusty assemblage. This assemblage is at least 300 m thick in the upper valleys of Dusty and Chocolate Creeks, and contains more than 10 km3 of lithic debris. Lahars derived from the Dusty assemblage extend at least 100 km down the Skagit River valley from Glacier Peak. This assemblage is younger than tephra layer 0 from Mount Mazama, and older than tephra layer Yn from Mount St. Helens, and thus was formed between about 7,000 and 3,400 years ago. The Dusty assemblage may have been formed at the same time as the Kennedy Creek assemblage. A 100-m-thick assemblage of pyroclastic flows and lahars preserved in the Chocolate Creek valley is about 1,800 radiocarbon years old. A clayey lahar in the upper Chocolate Creek valley extended at least 2 km downvalley after 1,800 years ago, but before pyroclastic flows and lahars were deposited in upper Chocolate Creek 1,100 radiocarbon years ago. Several clayey lahars in the Dusty Creek valley east of Glacier Peak are also about 1,100 years old. A lahar in the valley of Dusty Creek, which contains rare prismatically jointed blocks of vesiculated dacite, and a white ash that is locally as much as 50 cm thick may be the products of small

  13. Effects of fluvial processes in different order river valleys on redistribution and storage of particle-bound radioactive caesium-137 in area of significant Chernobyl fallout and impact on linked rivers with lower contamination levels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belyaev, Vladimir; Golosov, Valentin; Shamshurina, Evgeniya; Ivanov, Maxim; Ivanova, Nadezhda; Bezukhov, Dmitry; Onda, Yuichi; Wakiyama, Yoshifumi; Evrard, Olivier

    2015-04-01

    Detailed investigations of the post-fallout fate of radionuclide contamination represent an important task in terms of environmental quality assessment. In addition, particle-bound radionuclides such as the most widespread anthropogenic isotope caesium-137 can be used as tracers for quantitative assessment of different sediment redistribution processes. In landscapes of humid plains with agriculture-dominated land use the post-fallout redistribution of caesium-137 is primarily associated with fluvial activity of various scales in cascade systems starting from soil erosion on cultivated hillslopes through gully and small dry valley network into different order perennial streams and rivers. Our investigations in the so-called Plavsk hotspot (area of very high Chernobyl caesium-137 contamination within the Plava River basin, Tula Region, Central European Russia) has been continuing for more than 15 years by now, while the time passed since the Chernobyl disaster and associated radioactive fallout (1986) is almost 29 years. Detailed information on the fluvial sediment and associated caesium-137 redistribution has been obtained for case study sites of different size from individual cultivated slopes and small catchments of different size (2-180 km2) to the entire Plava River basin scale (1856 km2). It has been shown that most of the contaminated sediment over the time passed since the fallout has remained stored within the small dry valleys of the 1-4 Hortonian order and local reservoirs (>70%), while only about 5% reached the 5-6 order valleys (main tributaries of the Plava River) and storage of the Plava floodplain itself represents as low as 0.3% of the basin-scale total sediment production from eroded cultivated hillslopes. Nevertheless, it has been shown that contaminated sediment yield from the Plava River basin exerts significant influence on less polluted downstream-linked river system. Recent progress of the investigations involved sampling of 7 detailed depth-incremental floodplain sediment sections along the Upa River valley, which is the receiving river for the Plava and is characterized by generally much lower caesium-137 contamination within other parts of its basin. One of the sampled sections was located several kilometers upstream from the Plava River mouth and the other 6 - at different distances downstream starting from about 2 km to about 40 km. In this case we can assume the Plava River mouth to be the point-source of sediment-associated radioactive contamination additional to the initial fallout. It has been found that while at the nearest point downstream the floodplain sediment contamination by caesium-137 is about 2 order of magnitude higher, than upstream, it decreases quickly along the Upa River valley two about 3 times higher than upstream at the most remote downstream point. Importantly, the decrease is not represented by gradual and uniform curve. In contrast, it is interrupted by local increase caused by smaller tributary from relatively high contamination area. It is believed that the obtained information on decadal-scale sediment and associated post-fallout caesium-137 redistribution through the fluvial network, patterns of sinks and rate of contamination propagation into the less polluted downstream-linked river basin can be used for testing and improving the predictive models being developed for applications in other contaminated areas such as river basins around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, providing that differences in landscape settings, hydrological regime and land use patterns are taken into account.

  14. Relationships between recent channel adjustments, present morphological state and river corridor vegetation in the Fortore River (southern Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosskopf, Carmen Maria; Scorpio, Vittoria; Calabrese, Valentina; Frate, Ludovico; Loy, Anna; Stanisci, Angela

    2017-04-01

    The Fortore River, as many other rivers in Italy, has experienced huge channel adjustments during the last 60 years that were mainly caused by anthropic interventions, especially in-channel mining and the closure of the Occhito dam in 1966. Such changes deeply modified extension and morphological characteristics of the river corridor and, consequently, also its ecological features. The present study aims to better understand the relationships between channel adjustments and river corridor vegetation changes and those between morphological features and environmental quality of the present-day river corridor. The study has been carried out by means of a multi-temporal GIS analysis of topographic maps and aerial photographs integrated with topographic, geomorphological and ecological field surveys. Results highlight that channel adjustments occurred through two distinct phases. Most of the channel changes occurred from the 1950s until the end of the 1990s (phase 1) and led to an overall channel narrowing (from 81 to 96%) and channel bed lowering (1-4 m). These changes were accompanied by pattern shifts from multithread to single-thread configurations. The reaches located downstream of the Occhito dam were affected by more intense modifications, especially channel narrowing, with respect to upstream reaches. From 2000 to 2016 (phase 2), a trend inversion occurred. Downstream reaches remained essentially stable, while upstream reaches were affected even by some channel widening and bed aggradation and slight increase of the extension of floodplain areas giving more space to the potential development of the riparian vegetation. The evolution and the present geomorphological conditions of the river corridor are also reflected by the state of the riparian vegetation. Upstream reaches are characterized by a higher richness in riparian vegetation types and vegetation cover with respect to downstream reaches. Best conditions occur especially in the upper Fortore valley. In the downstream reaches, riparian vegetation only consists of narrow bands of trees squeezed between the river channel and the cultivated areas. Consequently, the ecological functionality of the river corridor is highest in the upper valley and decreases gradually downstream. Anyway, along the Fortore River, several habitats and species of European interest (Habitats Directive 92/43/ECC) have been found, such as EC habitats 92A0, 3260, 3270, 3280 and the European otter. However, the conservation status of these habitats and species is critical particularly in the medium-lower valley where a buffer zone between the river channel and the cultivated land should be restored for enhancing the natural recovery of the channel system and allowing the local retreat of river banks during flood events. On overall, the present-day geomorphic-ecological characteristics of the Fortore River corridor show that the reaches located in the medium-upper valley, upstream of the dam, present a good morphological quality, a high richness in vegetation and elevated recovery potentials. Instead, the reaches located in the lower valley, downstream of the dam, are characterized by overall bad morphological and ecological conditions and scarce to nil recovery potentials.

  15. Impacts of reforestation upon sediment load and water outflow in the Lower Yazoo River Watershed, Mississippi

    Treesearch

    Ying Ouyang; Theodor D. Leininger; Matt Moran

    2013-01-01

    Among the world’s largest coastal and river basins, the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMRAV)is one of the most disturbed by human activities. This study ascertained the impacts of reforestation on water outflow attenuation (i.e., water flow out of the watershed outlet) and sediment load reduction in the Lower Yazoo River Watershed (LYRW) within the LMRAV...

  16. Geochemical processes in the Onyx River, Wright Valley, Antarctica: Major ions, nutrients, trace metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, William J.; Stage, Brian R.; Preston, Adam; Wagers, Shannon; Shacat, Joseph; Newell, Silvia

    2005-02-01

    We present data on major ions, nutrients and trace metals in an Antarctic stream. The Onyx River is located in Wright Valley (77-32 S; 161-34 E), one of a group of ancient river and glacier-carved landforms that comprise the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The river is more than 30 km long and is the largest of the glacial meltwater streams that characterize this relatively ice-free region near the Ross Sea. The complete absence of rainfall in the region and the usually small contributions of glacially derived tributaries to the main channel make this a comparatively simple system for geochemical investigation. Moreover, the lack of human impacts, past or present, provides an increasingly rare window onto a pristine aquatic system. For all major ions and silica, we observe increasing concentrations with distance from Lake Brownworth down to the recording weir near Lake Vanda. Chemical weathering rates are unexpectedly high and may be related to the rapid dissolution of ancient carbonate deposits and to the severe physical weathering associated with the harsh Antarctic winter. Of the nutrients, nitrate and dissolved reactive phosphate appear to have quite different sources. Nitrate is enriched in waters near the Lower Wright Glacier and may ultimately be derived from stratospheric sources; while phosphate is likely to be the product of chemical weathering of valley rocks and soils. We confirm the work of earlier investigations regarding the importance of the Boulder Pavement as a nutrient sink. Dissolved Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Cd are present at nanomolar levels and, in all cases, the concentrations of these metals are lower than in average world river water. We hypothesize that metal uptake and exchange with particulate phases along the course of the river may serve as a buffer for the dissolved load. Concurrent study of these three solute classes points out significant differences in the mechanisms and sites of their removal from the Onyx River.

  17. Selected hydrologic data for Cedar Valley, Iron County, southwestern Utah, 1930-2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Howells, James H.; Mason, James L.; Slaugh, Bradley A.

    2001-01-01

    This report presents hydrologic data collected by the U. S. Geological Survey from 1930 to 2001 with emphasis on data collected from 1997 to 2001 as part of a study of ground-water resources in Cedar Valley, Iron County, southwestern Utah (fig. 1). Data collected prior to this study are also presented to show long-term trends. Data were collected during this study in cooperation with the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District; Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources; Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality; Cedar City; and Enoch City; as part of a study to better understand the ground-water resources of Cedar Valley and to assess possible effects of increased ground-water withdrawal on water quality. Quality of ground water in Cedar Valley is variable and water suppliers need to know if additional water resources can be developed without drawing water of lower quality into public-supply wells.Cedar Valley is in central Iron County at the transitional boundary between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau physiographic provinces described by Hunt (1974) and covers about 570 mi2. Additional data from wells west of Cedar Valley and to the south in the vicinity of Kanarraville in the Virgin River drainage (Colorado River Basin) adjacent to the study area are included. Cedar Valley is bounded on the east by the Markagunt Plateau and Red Hills, on the southwest by the Harmony Mountains, on the west by a complex of low hills, and on the north by the Black Mountains. Altitudes in the study area range from about 5,300 ft in Mud Spring Canyon to about 10,400 ft at Blowhard Mountain to the east.

  18. 27 CFR 9.111 - Kanawha River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Kanawha River Valley. 9.111 Section 9.111 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU...) Addison, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1960; (2) Gallipolis, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1958; (3) Apple Grove, Ohio—W. Va...

  19. 27 CFR 9.111 - Kanawha River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Kanawha River Valley. 9.111 Section 9.111 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU...) Addison, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1960; (2) Gallipolis, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1958; (3) Apple Grove, Ohio—W. Va...

  20. 27 CFR 9.111 - Kanawha River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Kanawha River Valley. 9.111 Section 9.111 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU...) Addison, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1960; (2) Gallipolis, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1958; (3) Apple Grove, Ohio—W. Va...

  1. 27 CFR 9.111 - Kanawha River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Kanawha River Valley. 9.111 Section 9.111 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU...) Addison, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1960; (2) Gallipolis, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1958; (3) Apple Grove, Ohio—W. Va...

  2. 27 CFR 9.111 - Kanawha River Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Kanawha River Valley. 9.111 Section 9.111 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU...) Addison, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1960; (2) Gallipolis, Ohio—W. Va., dated 1958; (3) Apple Grove, Ohio—W. Va...

  3. Expected irrigation reductions using multiple-inlet rice irrigation under rainfall conditions in the lower Mississippi River Valley.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A model was developed to compare irrigation applications made using single-inlet and multiple-inlet rice flood distribution practices commonly used in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. The model was used to determine potential irrigation reductions under a wide range of natural rainfall amounts an...

  4. Historical trajectories and restoration strategies for the Mississippi River alluvial valley

    Treesearch

    Brice B. Hanberry; John M. Kabrick; Hong S. He; Brian J. Palik

    2012-01-01

    Unlike upland forests in the eastern United States, little research is available about the composition and structure of bottomland forests before Euro-American settlement. To provide a historical reference encompassing spatial variation for the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, we quantified forest types, species distributions, densities, and stocking of...

  5. 75 FR 7286 - Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Caroline, Essex, King George, Lancaster...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R5-R-2009-N203; BAC-4311-K9-S3] Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Caroline, Essex, King George, Lancaster, Middlesex, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties, VA AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of...

  6. Fluvial terraces of the Little River Valley, Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina

    Treesearch

    Bradley Suther; David Leigh; George Brook

    2011-01-01

    An optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon chronology is presented for fluvial terraces of the Little River, a tributary to the Cape Fear River that drains 880 km2 of the Sandhills Province of the upper Coastal Plain of North Carolina. This study differs from previous work in the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain in that numerical age estimates are...

  7. Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 3. Historical ground-water quality for the Red River Valley, New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    LoVetere, Sara H.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Maest, Ann S.; Naus, Cheryl A.

    2003-01-01

    Historical ground-water quality data for 100 wells in the Red River Valley between the U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station (08265000), near Questa, and Placer Creek east of the town of Red River, New Mexico, were compiled and reviewed. The tabulation included 608 water-quality records from 23 sources entered into an electronic database. Groundwater quality data were first collected at the Red River wastewater-treatment facility in 1982. Most analyses, however, were obtained between 1994 and 2002, even though the first wells were developed in 1962. The data were evaluated by considering (a) temporal consistency, (b) quality of sampling methods, (c) charge imbalance, and (d) replicate analyses. Analyses that qualified on the basis of these criteria were modeled to obtain saturation indices for gypsum, calcite, fluorite, gibbsite, manganite, and rhodocrosite. Plots created from the data illustrate that water chemistry in the Red River Valley is predominantly controlled by calcite dissolution, congruent gypsum dissolution, and pyrite oxidation.

  8. Residence Times in Central Valley Aquifers Recharged by Dammed Rivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loustale, M.; Paukert Vankeuren, A. N.; Visser, A.

    2017-12-01

    Groundwater is a vital resource for California, providing between 30-60% of the state's water supply. Recent emphasis on groundwater sustainability has induced a push to characterize recharge rates and residence times for high priority aquifers, including most aquifers in California's Central Valley. Flows in almost all rivers from the western Sierra to the Central Valley are controlled by dams, altering natural flow patterns and recharge to local aquifers. In eastern Sacramento, unconfined and confined shallow aquifers (depth <300 feet) are recharged by a losing reach of the Lower American River, despite the presence of levees with slurry cut-off walls.1 Flow in the Lower American River is controlled through the operation of the Folsom and Nimbus Dams, with a minimum flow of 500 cfs. Water table elevation in wells in close proximity to the river are compared to river stage to determine the effect of river stage on groundwater recharge rates. Additionally, Tritium-3Helium dates and stable isotopes (∂18O and ∂2H) have been measured in monitoring wells 200- 2400 ft lateral distance from the river, and depths of 25 -225 feet BGS. Variation in groundwater age in the vertical and horizontal directions are used to determine groundwater flow path and velocity. These data are then used to calculate residence time of groundwater in the unconfined and confined aquifer systems for the Central Valley in eastern Sacramento. Applying groundwater age tracers can benefit future compliance metrics of the California Sustainable Groundwater Resources Act (SGMA), by quantifying river seepage rates and impacts of groundwater management on surface water resources. 1Moran et al., UCRL-TR-203258, 2004.

  9. Synthetic River Valleys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, R.; Pasternack, G. B.

    2011-12-01

    The description of fluvial form has evolved from anecdotal descriptions to artistic renderings to 2D plots of cross section or longitudinal profiles and more recently 3D digital models. Synthetic river valleys, artificial 3D topographic models of river topography, have a plethora of potential applications in fluvial geomorphology, and the earth sciences in general, as well as in computer science and ecology. Synthetic river channels have existed implicitly since approximately the 1970s and can be simulated from a variety of approaches spanning the artistic and numerical. An objective method of synthesizing 3D stream topography based on reach scale attributes would be valuable for sizing 3D flumes in the physical and numerical realms, as initial input topography for morphodynamic models, stream restoration design, historical reconstruction, and mechanistic testing of interactions of channel geometric elements. Quite simply - simulation of synthetic channel geometry of prescribed conditions can allow systematic evaluation of the dominant relationships between river flow and geometry. A new model, the control curve method, is presented that uses hierarchically scaled parametric curves in over-lapping 2D planes to create synthetic river valleys. The approach is able to simulate 3D stream geometry from paired 2D descriptions and can allow experimental insight into form-process relationships in addition to visualizing past measurements of channel form that are limited to two dimension descriptions. Results are presented that illustrate the models ability to simulate fluvial topography representative of real world rivers as well as how channel geometric elements can be adjusted. The testing of synthetic river valleys would open up a wealth of knowledge as to why some 3D attributes of river channels are more prevalent than others as well as bridging the gap between the 2D descriptions that have dominated fluvial geomorphology the past century and modern, more complete, 3D treatments.

  10. Hydrogeology of the West Branch Delaware River basin, Delaware County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reynolds, Richard J.

    2013-01-01

    In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, began a study of the hydrogeology of the West Branch Delaware River (Cannonsville Reservoir) watershed. There has been recent interest by energy companies in developing the natural gas reserves that are trapped within the Marcellus Shale, which is part of the Hamilton Group of Devonian age that underlies all the West Branch Delaware River Basin. Knowing the extent and thickness of stratified-drift (sand and gravel) aquifers within this basin can help State and Federal regulatory agencies evaluate any effects on these aquifers that gas-well drilling might produce. This report describes the hydrogeology of the 455-square-mile basin in the southwestern Catskill Mountain region of southeastern New York and includes a detailed surficial geologic map of the basin. Analysis of surficial geologic data indicates that the most widespread surficial geologic unit within the basin is till, which is present as deposits of ablation till in major stream valleys and as thick deposits of lodgment till that fill upland basins. Till and colluvium (remobilized till) cover about 89 percent of the West Branch Delaware River Basin, whereas stratified drift (outwash and ice-contact deposits) and alluvium account for 8.9 percent. The Cannonsville Reservoir occupies about 1.9 percent of the basin area. Large areas of outwash and ice-contact deposits occupy the West Branch Delaware River valley along its entire length. These deposits form a stratified-drift aquifer that ranges in thickness from 40 to 50 feet (ft) in the upper West Branch Delaware River valley, from 70 to 140 ft in the middle West Branch Delaware River valley, and from 60 to 70 ft in the lower West Branch Delaware River valley. The gas-bearing Marcellus Shale underlies the entire West Branch Delaware River Basin and ranges in thickness from 600 to 650 ft along the northern divide of the basin to 750 ft thick along the southern divide. The depth to the top of the Marcellus Shale ranges from 3,240 ft along the northern basin divide to 4,150 ft along the southern basin divide. Yields of wells completed in the aquifer are as high as 500 gallons per minute (gal/min). Springs from fractured sandstone bedrock are an important source of domestic and small municipal water supplies in the West Branch Delaware River Basin and elsewhere in Delaware County. The average yield of 178 springs in Delaware County is 8.5 gal/min with a median yield of 3 gal/min. An analysis of two low-flow statistics indicates that groundwater contributions from fractured bedrock compose a significant part of the base flow of the West Branch Delaware River and its tributaries.

  11. Thermal impact of a small alas-valley river in a continuous permafrost area - insights and issues raised from a field monitoring Site in Syrdakh (Central Yakutia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grenier, Christophe; Nicolas, Roux; Fedorov, Alexander; Konstantinov, Pavel; Séjourné, Antoine; Costard, François; Marlin, Christelle; Khristoforov, Ivan; Saintenoy, Albane

    2017-04-01

    Lakes are probably the most prominent surface water bodies in continuous permafrost areas. As a consequence, they are also the most studied features in these regions (e.g. Fedorov et al. 2014). They are indeed of great interest, not only for local populations that use the water resource they represent both in winter and summer, but also from a climatic point of view as they can be a specific source of green-house gases due to the relatively warmer environment they create, especially associated with their taliks (thawed zone surrounded by permafrost located beneath large enough lakes). From a hydrogeological perspective, such taliks can form complex groundwater networks, thus possibly connecting sub-permafrost groundwater with surface water in the present context of climate change. On the other hand, rivers, another important feature of permafrost landscapes providing similar challenges, have drawn less attention so that only a few studies focus on river interactions with permafrost (e.g. Costard et al. 2014, Grenier et al. 2013). However, the processes of heat transfer at stake between river and permafrost strongly differ from lake systems for several reasons. The geometries differ, the river water flow and thermal regimes and interactions with the lateral slopes (valley) are specific. Of particular importance is the fact that the water, in the case of rivers, is in motion leading to specific heat exchange phenomena between water and soil. (Roux et al., accepted) addressed this issue recently by means of an experimental study in a cold room and associated numerical simulations. The present study focuses on a real river-permafrost system with its full natural complexity. A small alas-valley in the vicinity of Yakutsk (Central Yakutia, Siberia) was chosen. Monitoring was started in October 2012 to study the thermal and hydrological interactions between a river and its underground in this continuous permafrost environment. Thermal sensors were installed inside the river, in the atmosphere and into boreholes in the permafrost, at different locations and various distances from the river and the upstream lake. Hydrological information was collected as well (e.g. water temperature, electrical conductivity, pH and isotopic profiles; river flow rates). Soil properties were studied in pits (e.g. thermal conductivity, soil humidity and temperature measurements). More recently GPR studies were conducted along river profiles complementing the dataset. This new study site is introduced and the major results are presented as well as the main issues raised and future perspectives.

  12. Extreme river response to climate-induced aggradation in a forested, montane basin, Carbon River, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyeler, J. D.; Rossi, R. K.; Kennard, P. M.; Beason, S. R.

    2013-12-01

    Climate change is drastically affecting the alpine landscape of Mount Rainier, encouraging glacial retreat, changes in snowpack thickness and longevity, and sediment delivery to downstream fluvial systems, leading to an extremely transport limited system and aggradation of the river valleys. River aggradation encourages devastating interactions between the pro-glacial braided fluvial systems and streamside floodplain ecosystems, in most places occupied by old-growth conifer forests. Current aggradation rates of the channels, bordered by late seral stage riparian forests, inhibit floodplain development, leading to an inverted relationship between perched river channels and lower-elevation adjacent floodplains. This disequilibrium creates a steeper gradient laterally towards the floodplains, rather than downstream; promoting flooding of streamside forest, removal and burial of vegetation with coarse alluvium, incision of avulsion channels, tree mortality, wood recruitment to channels, and ultimately widening the alluviated valley towards the glacially carved hillslopes. Aggradation and loss of streamside old-growth forest poses a significant problem to park infrastructure (e.g. roads, trails, and campgrounds) due to flood damage with as frequent as a two-year event. Other park rivers, the White River and Tahoma Creek, characterize two end-member cases. Despite an extremely perched channel, the White River is relatively stable; experiencing small avulsions while the old-growth streamside forest has remained mostly intact. These relatively small avulsions however severely impact park infrastructure, causing extensive flood damage and closure of the heavily trafficked state highway. Conversely debris flows on Tahoma Creek destroyed the streamside forest and migration across the valley is uninhibited. Mature streamside forests tend to oppose avulsions, sieving wood at the channel margins, promoting sediment deposition and deflection of erosive flows. Our study seeks to understand the Carbon River avulsion vulnerability, relative to White River and Tahoma Creek, and whether recent avulsions are a harbinger of a threshold loss of riparian forest leading to unfettered future river channel shifting. To this end, we are analyzing historic aerial imagery, multiple LiDAR datasets, and the flood record as well as field mapping channels to identify historically active, inactive, and abandoned avulsions through time and in relation to susceptibility of forest mortality and infrastructure destruction by mainstem avulsions of the Carbon River and widening of the river valley. Our work contributes to the understanding of river avulsions and landscape response to climate change via channel migration due to interactions between sediment aggradation, flood events, and interactions with streamside forests.

  13. Hydrogeologic framework and groundwater/surface-water interactions of the Chehalis River basin, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gendaszek, Andrew S.

    2011-01-01

    The Chehalis River has the largest drainage basin of any river entirely contained within the State of Washington with a watershed of approximately 2,700 mi2 and has correspondingly diverse geology and land use. Demands for water resources have prompted the local citizens and governments of the Chehalis River basin to coordinate with Federal, State and Tribal agencies through the Chehalis Basin Partnership to develop a long-term watershed management plan. The recognition of the interdependence of groundwater and surface-water resources of the Chehalis River basin became the impetus for this study, the purpose of which is to describe the hydrogeologic framework and groundwater/surface-water interactions of the Chehalis River basin. Surficial geologic maps and 372 drillers' lithostratigraphic logs were used to generalize the basin-wide hydrogeologic framework. Five hydrogeologic units that include aquifers within unconsolidated glacial and alluvial sediments separated by discontinuous confining units were identified. These five units are bounded by a low permeability unit comprised of Tertiary bedrock. A water table map, and generalized groundwater-flow directions in the surficial aquifers, were delineated from water levels measured in wells between July and September 2009. Groundwater generally follows landsurface-topography from the uplands to the alluvial valley of the Chehalis River. Groundwater gradients are highest in tributary valleys such as the Newaukum River valley (approximately 23 cubic feet per mile), relatively flat in the central Chehalis River valley (approximately 6 cubic feet per mile), and become tidally influenced near the outlet of the Chehalis River to Grays Harbor. The dynamic interaction between groundwater and surface-water was observed through the synoptic streamflow measurements, termed a seepage run, made during August 2010, and monitoring of water levels in wells during the 2010 Water Year. The seepage run revealed an overall gain of 56.8 ± 23.7 cubic feet per second over 32.8 river miles (1.7 cubic feet per second per mile), and alternating gains and losses of streamflow ranging from -48.3 to 30.9 cubic feet per second per mile, which became more pronounced on the Chehalis River downstream of Grand Mound. However, most gains and losses were within measurement error. Groundwater levels measured in wells in unconsolidated sediments fluctuated with changes in stream stage, often within several hours. These fluctuations were set by precipitation events in the upper Chehalis River basin and tides of the Pacific Ocean in the lower Chehalis River basin.±

  14. 27 CFR 9.90 - Willamette Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) “Roseburg,” Location Diagram NL 10-2, 1958 (revised 1970). (c) Boundaries. The Willamette Valley... valleys of Little River, Mosby Creek, Sharps Creek and Lost Creek to the intersection of R1W/R1E and State...

  15. Results of a prototype surface water network design for pesticides developed for the San Joaquin River Basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.

    1997-01-01

    A nested surface water monitoring network was designed and tested to measure variability in pesticide concentrations in the San Joaquin River and selected tributaries during the irrigation season. The network design an d sampling frequency necessary for determining the variability and distribution in pesticide concentrations were tested in a prototype study. The San Joaquin River Basin, California, was sampled from April to August 1992, a period during the irrigation season where there was no rainfall. Orestimba Creek, which drains a part of the western San Joaquin Valley, was sampled three times per week for 6 weeks, followed by a once per week sampling for 6 weeks, and the three times per week sampling for 6 weeks. A site on the San Joaquin River near the mouth of the basin, and an irrigation drain of the eastern San Joaquin Valley, were sampled weekly during the entire sampling period. Pesticides were most often detected in samples collected from Orestimba Creek. This suggests that the western valley was the principal source of pesticides to the San Joaquin River during the irrigation season. Irrigation drainage water was the source of pesticides to Orestimba Creek. Pesticide concentrations of Orestimba Creek showed greater temporal variability when sampled three times per week than when sampled once a week, due to variations in field management and irrigation. The implication for the San Joaquin River basin (an irrigation-dominated agricultural setting) is that frequent sampling of tributary sites is necessary to describe the variability in pesticides transported to the San Joaquin River.

  16. One year of tracer dispersion measurements over Washington, D.C.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Draxler, Roland R.

    Two perfluorocarbon tracers were released for 6 h from several locations about 20 km outside of Washington, D.C. at 36-h intervals for over 1 year. Continuous air samples were collected at 8-h intervals at one urban and two suburban sites, and at monthly intervals at 93 sites all over the region. Over 50 % of the 8-h samples showed no tracer concentration. However, about 20% of the samples had significant amounts of tracer, so that about 600 values under a variety of meteorological conditions are available for analysis. Although the Potomac River is only 100 m below the surrounding terrain, the tracer releases from within the river valley indicated that the tracer flow was channeled along the river valley. For tracer released away from the river valley, the tracer tended to pass aloft and not mix down into the river valley. Sequential concentration measurements frequently showed high values for extended periods after the tracer release terminated, decreasing exponentially with a half life of about 3 h. This suggests that the finite tracer plume may have a rather long upwind trailing edge toward the release point. The average rate of change in the vertical dispersion during summer and winter was found to be proportional to the 0.6 power of distance.

  17. The flood of 2011 in the lower Chao Phraya valley, Thailand: Study of a long-duration flood through satellite images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liew, Soo Chin; Gupta, Avijit; Chia, Aik Song; Ang, Wu Chye

    2016-06-01

    The paper illustrates application of satellite images for studying the anatomy of a long-duration, extensive, and slow flood on the Chao Phraya River in 2011 that inundated Bangkok in its lower reach. The spread of floods in the valley was mapped with MODIS, month by month, from July 2011 to February 2012. A subsampled WorldView-2 mosaic was used to observe part of the valley in detail. The flood in Bangkok was studied with four higher-resolution images from Spot 4, WorldView-2, and GeoEye-1 satellites. We suspect that the floodwaters jumped the banks of the Chao Phraya south of Chai Nat, and then travelled overland and along river channels. The overland passage made it difficult to protect settlements. We also studied sedimentation from the images of this shallow overland flow across the country, which was complicated by the presence of preexisting embankments, other anthropogenic structures, and smaller stream channels. This is a descriptive study but it highlights the nature of flooding that is likely to be repeated in this low flat valley from high rainfall. The pattern of flooding was similar to that of a previous large flood in 1996 recorded in a SPOT 2 image. These floods impact Bangkok periodically, a city of about 10 million people, which started on a levee in a low flat delta, then expanded into backswamps, and is marked with local depressions from groundwater extraction. These slow extensive floods can be mapped from satellite images and properly recorded as an early step in analysis of large floods. Mapping of such floods on ground is logistically impossible. Slow, extensive, and long-lasting floods affect lower valleys and deltas of a number of major rivers, impacting agricultural fields and large populations. These floods are especially disastrous for cities located on low deltas. We submit that basic exercises on satellite images provide valuable introductory information for understanding geomorphology of such floods, and also for structuring plans for flood amelioration. Satellite images at very high resolutions, also used in this study, provide complimentary data to mapping and ground observation. Basin environments that are inundated by large shallow extensive floods are not unusual. In future, climate change is expected to raise the frequency of floods in lower parts of a number of river valleys and deltas, so that for such an environment slow extensive floods may become common and need to be studied. In that sense this is a template for studying large slow floods, arguably more frequent in future.

  18. Characteristics of a Recent and Prehistoric Landslides in the Pine River Valley, BC: a Mapping Effort

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heijenk, R.; Geertsema, M.; Miller, B.; de Jong, S. M.

    2015-12-01

    Spreads and other low gradient landslides are common in glacial lake sediments in north eastern British Columbia. Both pre and post glacial lake sediments, largely derived from shale bedrock are susceptible to low-gradient landslides. Bank erosion by rivers and streams and high pore pressures, have contributed to the landslides. We used LiDAR for mapping the extent of the glaciolacustrine sediments and map and characterise landslides in the Pine River valley, near Chetwynd, British Columbia. We included metrics such as travel angle, length, area, and elevation to distinguish rotational and translational landslides. We mapped 45 landslides in the Pine River valley distinguishing between rotational and translational landslides. The rotational landslides commonly have a smaller area and smaller travel length than translational landslides. Most rotational slides involved overlying alluvial fans, while most translational slides involved terraces.

  19. Topographic growth around the Orange River valley, southern Africa: A Cenozoic record of crustal deformation and climatic change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dauteuil, Olivier; Bessin, Paul; Guillocheau, François

    2015-03-01

    We reconstruct the history of topographic growth in southern Africa on both sides of the Orange River valley from an integrated analysis of erosion surfaces, crustal deformation and climate change. First, we propose an inventory of erosion surfaces observed in the study area and classify them according to their most likely formative process, i.e. chemical weathering or mechanical erosion. Among the various land units observed we define a new class of landform: the pedivalley, which corresponds to a wide valley with a flat erosional floor. In the Orange River valley, we mapped three low-relief erosion surfaces, each bevelling a variety of lithologies. The oldest and most elevated is (1) a stripped etchplain evolving laterally into (2) a stepped pediplain bearing residual inselbergs; (3) a younger pediplain later formed in response to a more recent event of crustal deformation. These are all Cenozoic landforms: the etchplain is associated with a late Palaeocene to middle Eocene weathering event, and the two pediplains are older than the middle Miocene alluvial terraces of the Orange River. Landscape evolution was first driven by slow uplift (10 m/Ma), followed by a second interval of uplift involving a cumulative magnitude of at least 200 m. This event shaped the transition between the two pediplains and modified the drainage pattern. A final phase of uplift (magnitude: 60 m) occurred after the Middle Miocene and drove the incision of the lower terraces of the Orange River. Climate exerted a major control over the denudation process, and involved very humid conditions responsible for lateritic weathering, followed by more arid conditions, which promoted the formation of pedivalleys. Collectively, these produce pediplains.

  20. The diatraea complex (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Colombia’s Cauca River Valley: identity, distribution, and parasitoids

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The sugarcane stem borers Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) and D. indigenella Dyar & Heinrich are common pests of sugarcane crops in Colombia’s Cauca river valley (CRV). In 2012, however, D. tabernella Dyar was recorded for the first time in northern CRV and just one year later D. busckella Dyar & H...

  1. Seedling Quality Standards for Bottomland Hardwood Afforestation in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley: Preliminary Results

    Treesearch

    Douglass F. Jacobs; Emile S. Gardiner; K. Francis Salifu; Ronald P. Overton; George Hernandez; M. Elizabeth Corbin; Kevyn E. Wightman; Marcus F. Selig

    2005-01-01

    Afforestation of bottomland hardwood species has increased in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMRAV) in recent years. Rising demand for hardwood nursery stock and poor performance of some planted seedlings has created concern regarding the quality of seedlings currently available for afforestation in the LMRAV. Furthermore, no definitive guidelines for...

  2. Using destination image to predict visitors' intention to revisit three Hudson River Valley, New York, communities

    Treesearch

    Rudy M. Schuster; Laura Sullivan; Duarte Morais; Diane Kuehn

    2009-01-01

    This analysis explores the differences in Affective and Cognitive Destination Image among three Hudson River Valley (New York) tourism communities. Multiple regressions were used with six dimensions of visitors' images to predict future intention to revisit. Two of the three regression models were significant. The only significantly contributing independent...

  3. Ground-water quality in east-central Idaho valleys

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parliman, D.J.

    1982-01-01

    From May through November 1978, water quality, geologic, and hydrologic data were collected for 108 wells in the Lemhi, Pahsimeroi, Salman River (Stanley to Salmon), Big Lost River, and Little Lost River valleys in east-central Idaho. Data were assembled to define, on a reconnaissance level, water-quality conditions in major aquifers and to develop an understanding of factors that affected conditions in 1978 and could affect future ground-water quality. Water-quality characteristics determined include specific conductance, pH, water temperature, major dissolved cations, major dissolved anions, and coliform bacteria. Concentrations of hardness, nitrite plus nitrate, coliform bacteria, dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, fluoride , iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium or bicarbonate exceed public drinking water regulation limits or were anomalously high in some water samples. Highly mineralized ground water probably is due to the natural composition of the aquifers and not to surface contamination. Concentrations of coliform bacteria that exceed public drinking water limits and anomalously high dissolved nitrite-plus-nitrite concentrations are from 15- to 20-year old irrigation wells in heavily irrigated or more densely populated areas of the valleys. Ground-water quality and quantity in most of the study area are sufficient to meet current (1978) population and economic demands. Ground water in all valleys is characterized by significant concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate plus carbonate ions. Variations in the general trend of ground-water composition (especially in the Lemhi Valley) probably are most directly related to variability in aquifer lithology and proximity of sampling site to source of recharge. (USGS)

  4. Owyhee River intracanyon lava flows: does the river give a dam?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ely, Lisa L.; Brossy, Cooper C.; House, P. Kyle; Safran, Elizabeth B.; O'Connor, Jim E.; Champion, Duane E.; Fenton, Cassandra R.; Bondre, Ninad R.; Orem, Caitlin A.; Grant, Gordon E.; Henry, Christopher D.; Turrin, Brent D.

    2013-01-01

    Rivers carved into uplifted plateaus are commonly disrupted by discrete events from the surrounding landscape, such as lava flows or large mass movements. These disruptions are independent of slope, basin area, or channel discharge, and can dominate aspects of valley morphology and channel behavior for many kilometers. We document and assess the effects of one type of disruptive event, lava dams, on river valley morphology and incision rates at a variety of time scales, using examples from the Owyhee River in southeastern Oregon. Six sets of basaltic lava flows entered and dammed the river canyon during two periods in the late Cenozoic ca. 2 Ma–780 ka and 250–70 ka. The dams are strongly asymmetric, with steep, blunt escarpments facing up valley and long, low slopes down valley. None of the dams shows evidence of catastrophic failure; all blocked the river and diverted water over or around the dam crest. The net effect of the dams was therefore to inhibit rather than promote incision. Once incision resumed, most of the intracanyon flows were incised relatively rapidly and therefore did not exert a lasting impact on the river valley profile over time scales >106 yr. The net long-term incision rate from the time of the oldest documented lava dam, the Bogus Rim lava dam (≤1.7 Ma), to present was 0.18 mm/yr, but incision rates through or around individual lava dams were up to an order of magnitude greater. At least three lava dams (Bogus Rim, Saddle Butte, and West Crater) show evidence that incision initiated only after the impounded lakes filled completely with sediment and there was gravel transport across the dams. The most recent lava dam, formed by the West Crater lava flow around 70 ka, persisted for at least 25 k.y. before incision began, and the dam was largely removed within another 35 k.y. The time scale over which the lava dams inhibit incision is therefore directly affected by both the volume of lava forming the dam and the time required for sediment to fill the blocked valley. Variations in this primary process of incision through the lava dams could be influenced by additional independent factors such as regional uplift, drainage integration, or climate that affect the relative base level, discharge, and sediment yield within the watershed. By redirecting the river, tributaries, and subsequent lava flows to different parts of the canyon, lava dams create a distinct valley morphology of flat, broad basalt shelves capping steep cliffs of Tertiary sediment. This stratigraphy is conducive to landsliding and extends the effects of intracanyon lava flows on channel geomorphology beyond the lifetime of the dams.

  5. Sublacustrine river valley in the shelf zone of the Black Sea parallel to the Bulgarian coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preisinger, A.; Aslanian, S.; Beigelbeck, R.; Heinitz, W.-D.

    2009-04-01

    The considered sublacustrine river valley is situated in the shelf zone of the Black Sea. It runs in parallel to the Bulgarian coast, was formed in the time period of the Younger Dryas (Preisinger et al., 2005), and features an inclination of about 0.5 m/km. An about 200 km long sediment wall separates the approximately 10 km broad river valley from the outside shelf zone. This wall was generated during the Older Dryas until the beginning of the Younger Dryas. Its shape was formed by transportation of water and sediment from the Strait of Kerch by a circulating rim current in the Black Sea and water as well as sediment flow of the Danube in direction to the Bosporus. New investigations of the sediments of this river valley were performed by utilizing a Sediment Echo Sounder (SES 2000). This Echo Sounder is a parametric sub-bottom profiler enabling a high resolution sub-bottom analyses. It is capable of penetrating sea beds up to more than 50 m of water depth. The received echo data are real-time processed. The signal amplitudes are valuated in context to a logarithmic scale and graphically visualized by means of a colorized echogram utilizing false colours ranging from red for a high to blue representing a low signal (W.-D. Heinitz et al., 1998). The highest signal (red) is given by the acoustic impedance of the boundary between sea water and river sediment. The echograms of the river valley depict spatially isolated (red) high-signal peaks, which are periodically repeated in vertical direction between the sediment surface and the bottom of the valley. The number of these high-signal parts increase with an increasing valley depth. Studying of the distribution of these peaks allows to draw conclusions regarding the content and composition of the sediment. This prediction of the sediment composition obtained by means of the SES 2000 was successfully verified by analyzing a gravity core taken near Nos Maslen (at 44 m water depth) with a particular focus on the water content. The first 36 cm of the core exhibited the highest water content of 40%. A similar result was found by utilizing quantitative analyses on the basis of framboidal greigites (Fe3S4) in sulfat-reducing bacteria, which show a minimum in this part. The results achieved by our SES-based sediment analysis method enable an insight into the evolution of the sublacustrine river valley. For example, they revealed that the sediment layers are asymmetrically deposited regarding the vertical centre of the river's cross section. This effect can be attributed to Baer-Babinet's law, which is, in this particular case, a direct consequence of the Coriolis forces acting on the counterclockwise flowing rim current near the coast line of the Bulgarian Black Sea (Einstein, 1926). Another important result of our analysis is the localization of different periods which took place since the entrance of water from the Marmara Sea over the Bosporus 9.300 years ago. They are identified by different water and greigites contents and last 352 ± 16 years. References: Preisinger, A., Aslanian, S., Heinitz, W.-D., 2005. The formation of a sublacustrine river valley in the Bulgarian shelf zone of the Black Sea. EGU-Meeting, Vienna, April 2005. Heinitz, W.-D., Ewert, J., Wunderlich, J., 1998. DSP-gestützte Signalverarbeitung im Sediment-Echolot-System SES-96, 9. Symposium Maritime Elektronik, Tagungsband, Rostock 1998. Einstein, A., 1926. Die Ursache der Mäanderbildung der Flussläufe und des sogenannten Baerschen Gesetzes. Die Naturwissenschaften, Volume 2, p.223-224.

  6. Field Surveys, IOC Valleys. Volume II, Part II. Biological Resources Survey, Pine and Wah Wah Valleys, Utah.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-08-01

    Colorado Plateau, and the Uinta Mountains. The Great Basin , which is the largest division, is divided into nine sections. Pine and Wah Wah * valleys lie...unconfirmed reports of sightings from Uinta Basin in 1972 and 1975, from New Green River in 1976, and from Rich and Emery counties in 1977 and 1978. The...Fish and Wildlife Service, Boise, Idaho, Personal communication, 3 April. Graham, E. H., 1937, Botanical studies in the Uinta Basin of Utah and Colorado

  7. 77 FR 41048 - Safety Zone; Hudson Valley Triathlon, Ulster Landing, Hudson River, NY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-12

    ... Hudson Valley Triathlon swim event. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect swimmers.... Regulatory History and Information The Hudson Valley Triathlon swim is an annual recurring event that has a... Valley Triathlon swim event will occur on July 15, 2012. On May 22, 2012, the sponsor of the event...

  8. Selenium concentrations in the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius): Relationship with flows in the upper Colorado River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Osmundson, B.C.; May, T.W.; Osmundson, D.B.

    2000-01-01

    A Department of the Interior (DOI) irrigation drainwater study of the Uncompahgre Project area and the Grand Valley in western Colorado revealed high selenium concentrations in water, sediment, and biota samples. The lower Gunnison River and the Colorado River in the study area are designated critical habitat for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Because of the endangered status of these fish, sacrificing individuals for tissue residue analysis has been avoided; consequently, little information existed regarding selenium tissue residues. In 1994, muscle plugs were collected from a total of 39 Colorado pikeminnow captured at various Colorado River sites in the Grand Valley for selenium residue analysis. The muscle plugs collected from 16 Colorado pikeminnow captured at Walter Walker State Wildlife Area (WWSWA) contained a mean selenium concentration of 17 ??g/g dry weight, which was over twice the recommended toxic threshold guideline concentration of 8 ??g/g dry weight in muscle tissue for freshwater fish. Because of elevated selenium concentrations in muscle plugs in 1994, a total of 52 muscle plugs were taken during 1995 from Colorado pikeminnow staging at WWSWA. Eleven of these plugs were from fish previously sampled in 1994. Selenium concentrations in 9 of the 11 recaptured fish were significantly lower in 1995 than in 1994. Reduced selenium in fish may in part be attributed to higher instream flows in 1995 and lower water selenium concentrations in the Colorado River in the Grand Valley. In 1996, muscle plugs were taken from 35 Colorado squawfish captured at WWSWA, and no difference in mean selenium concentrations were detected from those sampled in 1995. Colorado River flows during 1996 were intermediate to those measured in 1994 and 1995.

  9. Selenium concentrations in the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius): relationship with flows in the upper Colorado River.

    PubMed

    Osmundson, B C; May, T W; Osmundson, D B

    2000-05-01

    A Department of the Interior (DOI) irrigation drainwater study of the Uncompahgre Project area and the Grand Valley in western Colorado revealed high selenium concentrations in water, sediment, and biota samples. The lower Gunnison River and the Colorado River in the study area are designated critical habitat for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Because of the endangered status of these fish, sacrificing individuals for tissue residue analysis has been avoided; consequently, little information existed regarding selenium tissue residues. In 1994, muscle plugs were collected from a total of 39 Colorado pikeminnow captured at various Colorado River sites in the Grand Valley for selenium residue analysis. The muscle plugs collected from 16 Colorado pikeminnow captured at Walter Walker State Wildlife Area (WWSWA) contained a mean selenium concentration of 17 microg/g dry weight, which was over twice the recommended toxic threshold guideline concentration of 8 microg/g dry weight in muscle tissue for freshwater fish. Because of elevated selenium concentrations in muscle plugs in 1994, a total of 52 muscle plugs were taken during 1995 from Colorado pikeminnow staging at WWSWA. Eleven of these plugs were from fish previously sampled in 1994. Selenium concentrations in 9 of the 11 recaptured fish were significantly lower in 1995 than in 1994. Reduced selenium in fish may in part be attributed to higher instream flows in 1995 and lower water selenium concentrations in the Colorado River in the Grand Valley. In 1996, muscle plugs were taken from 35 Colorado squawfish captured at WWSWA, and no difference in mean selenium concentrations were detected from those sampled in 1995. Colorado River flows during 1996 were intermediate to those measured in 1994 and 1995.

  10. A preliminary evaluation of regional ground-water flow in south-central Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    La Sala, A. M.; Doty, G.C.; Pearson, F.J.

    1973-01-01

    The characteristics of regional ground-water flow were investigated in a 4,500-square-mile region of south-central Washington, centered on the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Hanford Reservation. The investigation is part of the Commission's feasibility study on storing high-level radioactive waste in chambers mined in basaltic rocks at a. depth of about 3,000 feet or more below the surface. Ground-water flow., on a regional scale, occurs principally in the basalt and-in interbedded sediments of the Columbia River Group, and is controlled by topography, the structure of the basalt, and the large streams--the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers. The ground water beneath the main part of the Hanford Reservation, south and west of the Columbia River, inures southeastward from recharge areas in the uplands, including Cold Creek and Dry Creek valleys, and ultimately discharges to the Columbia River south of the reservation: East and southeast of the Columbia River, ground water flows generally southwestward and discharges to the River. The Yakima River valley contains a distinct flow system in which movement is toward the Yakima River from the topographic divides. A large southward-flowing ground-water system beneath the southern flank of the Horse Heaven Hills discharges to the Columbia River in the westward-trending reach downstream from Wallula Gap.

  11. [Analysis of trend of Oncomelania snail status in Yangtze River valley of Anhui Province, 1998-2009].

    PubMed

    He, Jia-Chang; Wang, Jia-Sheng; Lu, Jin-You; Li, Ting-Ting; Gao, Feng-Hu; Zhou, Ping; Zhu, Chuan-Ming; He, Long-Zhu; Yu, Bei-Bei; Zhang, Shi-Qing

    2011-04-01

    To understand the trend of Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution in Yangtze River valley of Anhui Province so as to provide an evidence for making out schistosomiasis prevention and control strategies in the future. The snail data from 1998 to 2009 of the Yangtze River valley in Anhui Province were collected including the snail area, newly occurred and re-occurred snail areas, densities of snails and infected snails, etc., and the trend and influence factors were analyzed. With several fluctuations, the snail area showed a trend of declining in general after the devastating summer flooding in 1998. From 1998 to 2009, 3 peaks of newly occurred snail areas appeared in 1998, 2004 and 2006 and 2 peaks of reoccurred snail areas appeared in 1998 and 2004. The densities of living snails and infected snails were more severe in banks of the Yangtze River than in islets of the Yangtze River. During 12 years, 1 peak of living snail density appeared in 2003, and 3 peaks of infected snail density appeared in 1999, 2003-2004 and 2006 in the islets of the Yangtze River. The densities of living snails and infected snails in banks of the Yangtze both appeared 1 peak in 1998. The distribution of snails in the Yangtze River valley is related to nature, society and financial circumstances, and it is hard to completely perform the snail control in a short-term. Therefore, at the same time of strengthening snail control, we should also strengthen infectious source control.

  12. North Fork Snoqualmie River Basin Wildlife Study.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-03-01

    purposes other than travel. In Olympic National Park , marked mountain goats have been ob- served to descend several thousand feet to a valley floor for...Howard Hanson Reservoir near the mouth of the Green River. The reservoir’s pool was full. These gillnets were the "experimental type " and included...river below the proposed damsite. A secondary purpose was to allow comparisons of the amount and type of habitat in different river sections. We used the

  13. An intimate understanding of place: Charles Sauriol and Toronto’s Don River Valley, 1927-1989.

    PubMed

    Bonnell, Jennifer

    2011-01-01

    Every summer from 1927 to 1968, Toronto conservationist Charles Sauriol and his family moved from their city home to a rustic cottage just a few kilometres away, within the urban wilderness of Toronto’s Don River Valley. In his years as a cottager, Sauriol saw the valley change from a picturesque setting of rural farms and woodlands to an increasingly threatened corridor of urban green space. His intimate familiarity with the valley led to a lifelong quest to protect it. This paper explores the history of conservation in the Don River Valley through Sauriol’s experiences. Changes in the approaches to protecting urban nature, I argue, are reflected in Sauriol’s personal experience – the strategies he employed, the language he used, and the losses he suffered as a result of urban planning policies. Over the course of Sauriol’s career as a conservationist, from the 1940s to the 1990s, the river increasingly became a symbol of urban health – specifically, the health of the relationship between urban residents and the natural environment upon which they depend. Drawing from a rich range of sources, including diary entries, published memoirs, and unpublished manuscripts and correspondence, this paper reflects upon the ways that biography can inform histories of place and better our understanding of individual responses to changing landscapes.

  14. Seismic refraction survey in the Great Miami River Valley and vicinity, Montgomery, Warren, and Butler Counties, Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Watkins, Joel S.; Spieker, Andrew M.

    1964-01-01

    As part of a continuing program to define the thickness and extent of water-bearing sand and gravel deposits in southwestern Ohio, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Ohio Division of Water and The Miami Conservancy District, completed a seismic refraction survey of the Great Miami River valley and adjacent areas between Dayton and Hamilton, Ohio, in the fall of 1963. A similar survey of the adjoining lower Great Miami River and Whitewater River valleys was completed in 1962 (Watkins, 1963; Spieker and Watkins, unpublished data).The area of the survey includes known or inferred portions of an interglacial drainage system which is deeply entrenched into bedrock. Ohio was covered by glaciers at least three times during the Pleistocene epoch. As each glacier melted, rock fragments absorbed by the glacier were transported and deposited in these buried valleys by torrents of meltwater. The total thickness of glacial drift is over 300 feet in some places. Much of the glacial material is highly permeable and saturated with large quantities of water of good quality. The underlying bedrock is virtually impermeable and yields only meager quantities of water. The cities of Dayton, Middletown, Hamilton, and many industries in the Miami River valley rely on wells in the glacial deposits as their principal source of water. The purpose of the present survey is to define the thickness and extent of these important water-bearing formations. Such information will make possible a more accurate evaluation of the area's water resources than has previously have been possible.

  15. Groundwater infiltration from alluvial aquifer into karstic aquifer - case study of recharge from river I\\vska to Ižica karstic springs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meglič, P.; Brenčič, M.

    2012-04-01

    River I\\vska and Ižica karstic springs are situated in the central part of Slovenia (approximately 20 km south from city Ljubljana) on southern edge of Barje, a tectonic depression field with mostly Holocene and Pleistocene lacustrine and rivers' sediments. Barje is surrounded with hills, which on the southern part consists mostly of Triassic dolomite and Jurassic limestone as well as the basement of Barje in this area. Recharge area of I\\vska River and Ižica karstic springs is covering around 102 km2 of the southern hilly edge of Barje. I\\vska River is a torrent with springs on Blo\\vska planota and flows towards Barje to the north. River formed deep narrow valley that slightly opens at the beginning of I\\vski Vintgar, where flows on a shallow gravel river bed deposited on karstic aquifer. The valley opens on Ljubljansko Barje at village I\\vska vas. Ižica karstic springs are situated on the contact of karst aquifer and Barje intergranular aquifer east of I\\vska valley. After a big flood event on 18th of September 2010 I\\vska River disappeared in the karstic fissures on the river bottom, near bridge in I\\vska village. One day later infiltration point moved 1070 meters upstream. This extreme event caused around 40% higher base flow discharge of Ižica River and total disappearance of I\\vska River for a few days. The analyzed discharge data in the year 2010 of the I\\vska and Ižica River, gave a new understanding of the discharge of I\\vska River and groundwater flow in the area. Before this extreme event discharge of the I\\vska River was measured at different profiles in the channel and reduction of discharge was observed along the course indicating that I\\vska recharges Ižica springs. Analyses presented were performed in the frame of INCOME project and are aimed to improve understanding of hydrogeological conditions in the catchment area of Barje aquifer which is exploited for the public water supply of Ljubljana.

  16. Selected well and ground-water chemistry data for the Boise River Valley, southwestern Idaho, 1990-95

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parliman, D.J.; Boyle, Linda; Nicholls, Sabrina

    1996-01-01

    Water samples were collected from 903 wells in the Boise River Valley, Idaho, from January 1990 through December 1995. Selected well information and analyses of 1,357 water samples are presented. Analyses include physical properties ad concentrations of nutrients, bacteria, major ions, selected trace elements, radon-222, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides.

  17. Nursery stock quality as an indicator of bottomland hardwood forest restoration success in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley

    Treesearch

    Douglass F. Jacobs; Rosa C. Goodman; Emile S. Gardiner; K Frances Salifu; Ronald P. Overton; George Hernandez

    2012-01-01

    Seedling morphological quality standards are lacking for bottomland hardwood restoration plantings in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, USA, which may contribute toward variable restoration success. We measured initial seedling morphology (shoot height, root collar diameter, number of first order lateral roots, fresh mass, and root volume), second year field...

  18. West Harlem Walk (Hudson River Valley Greenway) beneath Henry Hudson ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    West Harlem Walk (Hudson River Valley Greenway) beneath Henry Hudson Parkway (HHP) Viaduct at West 155th Street vicinity, with Palisades, George Washington Bridge, and Little Red Lighthouse (visible to left of bridge tower) in background, looking northeast. - Henry Hudson Parkway, Extending 11.2 miles from West 72nd Street to Bronx-Westchester border, New York County, NY

  19. 77 FR 47493 - DMH Trust fbo Martha M. Head-Acquisition of Control Exemption-Red River Valley & Western Railroad...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-08

    ... Martha M. Head--Acquisition of Control Exemption-- Red River Valley & Western Railroad and Rutland Line, Inc. DMH Trust fbo Martha M. Head (the Trust), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption...\\ both Class III rail carriers. \\1\\ RLI is a wholly owned subsidiary of RRVW. According to the Trust...

  20. ENDOMETRIOSIS IN A COHORT OF WOMEN LIVING IN THE KANAWHA RIVER VALLEY IN WEST VIRGINIA: BLOOD LEVELS OF NON-DIOXIN-LIKE PCBs AND RELATIONSHIP WITH BMI AND AGE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Industrial activities, specifically from petroleum and chemical manufacturing facilities, in the Kanawha River Valley (KRV) of West Virginia have resulted in releases of dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs). I Most of the dioxin found in this region has resulted from the produ...

  1. Update of the Accounting Surface Along the Lower Colorado River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiele, Stephen M.; Leake, Stanley A.; Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.; McGuire, Emmet H.

    2008-01-01

    The accounting-surface method was developed in the 1990s by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, to identify wells outside the flood plain of the lower Colorado River that yield water that will be replaced by water from the river. This method was needed to identify which wells require an entitlement for diversion of water from the Colorado River and need to be included in accounting for consumptive use of Colorado River water as outlined in the Consolidated Decree of the United States Supreme Court in Arizona v. California. The method is based on the concept of a river aquifer and an accounting surface within the river aquifer. The study area includes the valley adjacent to the lower Colorado River and parts of some adjacent valleys in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah and extends from the east end of Lake Mead south to the southerly international boundary with Mexico. Contours for the original accounting surface were hand drawn based on the shape of the aquifer, water-surface elevations in the Colorado River and drainage ditches, and hydrologic judgment. This report documents an update of the original accounting surface based on updated water-surface elevations in the Colorado River and drainage ditches and the use of simple, physically based ground-water flow models to calculate the accounting surface in four areas adjacent to the free-flowing river.

  2. Spatial relations between floodplain environments and land use - land cover of a large lowland tropical river valley: Pánuco basin, México.

    PubMed

    Hudson, Paul F; Colditz, René R; Aguilar-Robledo, Miguel

    2006-09-01

    Large lowland river valleys include a variety of floodplain environments that represent opportunities and constraints for human activities. This study integrates extensive field observations and geomorphic data with analysis of satellite remote sensing data to examine spatial relations between land use/land cover (LULC) and floodplain environments in the lower Pánuco basin of eastern Mexico. The floodplain of the lower Pánuco basin was delineated by combining a digital elevation model with a satellite image of a large flood event. The LULC was classified by combining a hybrid classification strategy with image stratification, applied to 15-m-resolution ASTER data. A geomorphic classification of floodplain environments was performed using a dry-stage image (ASTER data) and a 1993 Landsat image acquired during a large flood event. Accuracy assessment was based on aerial photographs (1:38,000), global positioning satellite ground-truthing, and a Landsat 7ETM(+) image from 2000, which resulted in an overall accuracy of 82.9% and a KHAT of 79.8% for the LULC classification. The geomorphic classification yielded 83.5% overall accuracy, whereas the KHAT was 81.5%. LULC analysis was performed for the entire floodplain and individually within four valley segments. The analysis indicates that the study area is primarily utilized for grazing and farming. Agriculture is primarily associated with coarse-grained (sandy/silty) natural levee and point bar units close to the river channel, whereas cattle grazing occurs in distal and lower-lying reaches dominated by cohesive fine-grained (clayey) deposits, such as backswamps. In the Pánuco valley, wetlands and lakes occur within backswamp environments, whereas in the Moctezuma segments, wetlands and lakes are associated with relict channels. This study reveals considerable variation in LULC related to spatial differences in floodplain environments and illustrates the importance of considering older anthropogenic influences on the landscape. The research design should be applicable for other large lowland coastal plain river valleys where agriculture is a major component of the floodplain landscape.

  3. Polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure in the Mid-Ohio River Valley, 1991-2012.

    PubMed

    Herrick, Robert L; Buckholz, Jeanette; Biro, Frank M; Calafat, Antonia M; Ye, Xiaoyun; Xie, Changchun; Pinney, Susan M

    2017-09-01

    Industrial discharges of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to the Ohio River, contaminating water systems near Parkersburg, WV, were previously associated with nearby residents' serum PFOA concentrations above US general population medians. Ohio River PFOA concentrations downstream are elevated, suggesting Mid-Ohio River Valley residents are exposed through drinking water. Quantify PFOA and 10 other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Mid-Ohio River Valley resident sera collected between 1991 and 2013 and determine whether the Ohio River and Ohio River Aquifer are exposure sources. We measured eleven PFAS in 1608 sera from 931 participants. Serum PFOA concentration and water source associations were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. We estimated between-sample serum PFOA using one-compartment pharmacokinetics for participants with multiple samples. In serum samples collected as early as 1991, PFOA (median = 7.6 ng/mL) was detected in 99.9% of sera; 47% had concentrations greater than US population 95th percentiles. Five other PFAS were detected in greater than 82% of samples; median other PFAS concentrations were similar to the US general population. Serum PFOA was significantly associated with water source, sampling year, age at sampling, tap water consumption, pregnancy, gravidity and breastfeeding. Serum PFOA was 40-60% lower with granular activated carbon (GAC) use. Repeated measurements and pharmacokinetics suggest serum PFOA peaked 2000-2006 for participants using water without GAC treatment; where GAC was used, serum PFOA concentrations decreased from 1991 to 2012. Mid-Ohio River Valley residents appear to have PFOA, but not other PFAS, serum concentrations above US population levels. Drinking water from the Ohio River and Ohio River Aquifer, primarily contaminated by industrial discharges 209-666 km upstream, is likely the primary exposure source. GAC treatment of drinking water mitigates, but does not eliminate, PFOA exposure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The Use of Radar to Improve Rainfall Estimation over the Tennessee and San Joaquin River Valleys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petersen, Walter A.; Gatlin, Patrick N.; Felix, Mariana; Carey, Lawrence D.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation provides an overview of the collaborative radar rainfall project between the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation (VCSI), NASA MSFC and UAHuntsville. Two systems were used in this project, Advanced Radar for Meteorological & Operational Research (ARMOR) Rainfall Estimation Processing System (AREPS), a demonstration project of real-time radar rainfall using a research radar and NEXRAD Rainfall Estimation Processing System (NREPS). The objectives, methodology, some results and validation, operational experience and lessons learned are reviewed. The presentation. Another project that is using radar to improve rainfall estimations is in California, specifically the San Joaquin River Valley. This is part of a overall project to develop a integrated tool to assist water management within the San Joaquin River Valley. This involves integrating several components: (1) Radar precipitation estimates, (2) Distributed hydro model, (3) Snowfall measurements and Surface temperature / moisture measurements. NREPS was selected to provide precipitation component.

  5. The use of historical maps for reconstructing landforms before river damming. The case of the Swiss Rhone River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reynard, E.; Laigre, L.; Baud, D.

    2012-04-01

    The Swiss Rhone River was systematically embanked during the period 1864-1893. The Swiss Rhone River valley is a glacial valley filled by glaciolacustrine, fluvioglacial and fluvial sediments. Torrential tributaries contribute to a large extent to the sedimentation in the valley and have built large alluvial fans in the main valley. The period before the river damming corresponds to the Little Ice Age, and it is supposed that the torrential behaviour of the river and its tributaries was very active during that period. In parallel to a large hydraulic project (Third Rhone River Correction), aiming at enlarging the river for security and environmental reasons, this project aims at reconstructing the palaeogeomorphology of the river floodplain before and also during the 30-year long embankment project developed during the last decades of the 19th century. The objective is to better know the geomorphological behaviour of the river, and also to localize palaolandforms (meanders, braided patterns, sandstone dunes, wetlands, etc.), present in the floodplain in the first part of the 19th century and that have now totally disappeared. The project is carried out in close collaboration with the Cantonal Archives of Valais and with a group of historians working on the relations between the river and the communities. It should contribute to a better knowledge of the Swiss Rhone River history (Reynard et al., 2009). Both published official maps (Dufour maps, Siegfried maps) and unpublished maps and plans are systematically collected, digitized, and organised in a database managed by a Geographical Information System. Other data are collected (place names, geomorphological, hydrological and hydraulic data, information about land-use and vegetation, paintings and photographs, etc.) and localised. A high-resolution digital terrain model and areal photographs are also used and allow us to map palaeolandforms (meanders, filled oxbow lakes, former channels, etc.). In a second step maps of the palaeogeomorphology of the river floodplain are produced and analysed in collaboration with the historian colleagues. Reference Reynard E., Evéquoz-Dayen M., Dubuis P. (eds) (2009). Le Rhône : dynamique, histoire et société. Sion, Cahiers de Vallesia 21, 238 p.

  6. Water-Resource Trends and Comparisons Between Partial-Development and October 2006 Hydrologic Conditions, Wood River Valley, South-Central Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Skinner, Kenneth D.; Bartolino, James R.; Tranmer, Andrew W.

    2007-01-01

    This report analyzes trends in ground-water and surface-water data, documents 2006 hydrologic conditions, and compares 2006 and historic ground-water data of the Wood River Valley of south-central Idaho. The Wood River Valley extends from Galena Summit southward to the Timmerman Hills. It is comprised of a single unconfined aquifer and an underlying confined aquifer present south of Baseline Road in the southern part of the study area. Streams are well-connected to the shallow unconfined aquifer. Because the entire population of the area depends on ground water for domestic supply, either from domestic or municipal-supply wells, rapid population growth since the 1970s has raised concerns about the continued availability of ground and surface water to support existing uses and streamflow. To help address these concerns, this report evaluates ground- and surface-water conditions in the area before and during the population growth that started in the 1970s. Mean annual water levels in three wells (two completed in the unconfined aquifer and one in the confined aquifer) with more than 50 years of semi-annual measurements showed statistically significant declining trends. Mean annual and monthly streamflow trends were analyzed for three gaging stations in the Wood River Valley. The Big Wood River at Hailey gaging station (13139500) showed a statistically significant trend of a 25-percent increase in mean monthly base flow for March over the 90-year period of record, possibly because of earlier snowpack runoff. Both the 7-day and 30-day low-flow analyses for the Big Wood River near Bellevue gaging station (13141000) show a mean decrease of approximately 15 cubic feet per second since the 1940s, and mean monthly discharge showed statistically significant decreasing trends for December, January, and February. The Silver Creek at Sportsman Access near Picabo gaging station (13150430) also showed statistically significant decreasing trends in annual and mean monthly discharge for July through February and April from 1975 to 2005. Comparisons of partial-development (ground-water conditions from 1952 to 1986) and 2006 ground-water resources in the Wood River Valley using a geographic information system indicate that most ground-water levels for the unconfined aquifer in the study area are either stable or declining. Declines are predominant in the southern part of the study area south of Hailey, and some areas exceed what is expected of natural fluctuations in ground-water levels. Some ground-water levels rose in the northern part of the study area; however, these increases are approximated due to a lack of water-level data in the area. Ground-water level declines in the confined aquifer exceed the range of expected natural fluctuations in large areas of the confined aquifer in the southern part of the study area in the Bellevue fan. However, the results in this area are approximated due to limited available water-level data.

  7. Geology and ground-water hydrology of the Heart River irrigation project and the Dickinson area, North Dakota, with a section on the mineral quality of waters of the Heart River project

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tychsen, Paul C.; Swenson, Herbert A.

    1950-01-01

    The Heart River irrigation project, in southwestern North Dakota, lies in the Missouri Plateau section of the Great Plains physiographic province, which extends from the Missouri escarpment to and beyond the western border of the State. The area ranges in altitude from 1,620 to 2,275 feet and locally has strong relief. The floor of the Heart River Valley is underlain by alluvial deposits of Quaternary age. In the westernmost part of the areas the Fort Union formation of Paleocene (Tertiary) age forms the valley sides, but in a downstream direction the Cannonball and Ludlow formations, here undifferentiated, also of Paleocene age, crop out in the valley sides and underlie progressively broader areas of the upland surface. The Hell Creek formation of Upper Cretaceous age appears above stream level only in the stretch of the valley between the center of T. 136 N., R. 85 W., and the northeastern part of T.. 137 N., R. 84 W. Glacial Drift, which once covered the whole area, now has been almost entirely removed by erosion except for .scattered boulders on the uplands. The Cannonball and Ludlow unit and the Fort Union formation yield, moderate supplies of ground water, and the river alluvium yields more abundant supplies. At the present rate of withdrawal and with normal precipitation there is little danger of seriously depleting the supply. In 1946 the average depth to water in observation wells in the Heart River Valley was 19 feet, whereas the depth to water in observation wells in the upland averaged 30 feet. The Dickinson area is small and is about 45 miles upstream from the Heart River irrigation project. Ground-water levels in the Dickinson municipal well field have declined considerably within recent years, but the impounding of Heart River water is expected to insure a more adequate water supply for the town. Samples of ground water from four wells in the lower Heart River Valley were analyzed to determine the present mineral character of the waters in this region. Waters from shallow and deep wells in the Dickinson area were analyzed to assist in determining the practicability of further utilization of ground water as a public supply. A map showing areas of the least-mineralized ground water in the Dickinson area is presented and the need of further exploratory work is discussed.

  8. The geomorphology and evolution of aeolian landforms within a river valley in a semi-humid environment: A case study from Mainling Valley, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Na; Zhang, Chun-Lai; Wu, Xiao-Xu; Wang, Xun-ming; Kang, Li-qiang

    2014-11-01

    This paper systematically analyzes a valley's aeolian landforms in a semi-humid region and presents a model of its contemporary evolution. Mainling Valley of the Yarlung Zangbo River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was chosen as the case study for the analysis of morphometric characteristics and the evolution sequence of aeolian landforms via field data and remote sensing images. The aeolian landforms were primarily composed of aeolian sand belts on river terraces and dunes (sheets) on hillside slopes. Three types of aeolian sand belts were identified based on their dune types. In type I belts, an erosive air stream combined with relatively high vegetation cover (10%) produced sparsely distributed parabolic dunes with a high variability of dune heights; in type II belts, the continual reworking by the erosive air stream in combination with low vegetation cover (3%) formed more densely distributed barchans and transitional dunes with a moderate variability of dune heights; and in type III belts, the gradual evolution from an erosive sand-laden air stream to a saturated sand-laden air stream in combination with low vegetation cover (2%) produced the densest crescentic dunefields but with the least variability in dune heights. Dune sizes increase, dune shapes become uniform, and dune distribution becomes close from type I to III belts. Lateral linking and merging of the dunes were also observed within the belts. Together this evidence indicates that an evolution sequence may exist. Aeolian dunefields in the belt appear to evolve from embryonic parabolic dunefields to adolescent barchan dunefields and, subsequently, to mature compound crescentic dunefields. As the aeolian sand belt evolves into the mature stage, sand accumulations at the foot of the mountain valley can be steps for sand accumulation on valley-side slopes.

  9. Assessment of historical surface-water quality data in southwestern Colorado, 1990-2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, Lisa D.; Schaffrath, Keelin R.; Linard, Joshua I.

    2013-01-01

    The spatial and temporal distribution of selected physical and chemical surface-water-quality characteristics were analyzed at stream sites throughout the Dolores and San Juan River Basins in southwestern Colorado using historical data collected from 1990 through 2005 by various local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies. Overall, streams throughout the study area were well oxygenated. Values of pH generally were near neutral to slightly alkaline throughout most of the study area with the exception of the upper Animas River Basin near Silverton where acidic conditions existed at some sites because of hydrothermal alteration and(or) historical mining. The highest concentrations of dissolved aluminum, total recoverable iron, dissolved lead, and dissolved zinc were measured at sites located in the upper Animas River Basin. Thirty-two sites throughout the study area had at least one measured concentration of total mercury that exceeded the State chronic aquatic-life criterion of 0.01 μg/L. Concentrations of dissolved selenium at some sites exceeded the State chronic water-quality standard of 4.6 μg/L. Total ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and total phosphorus concentrations generally were low throughout the study area. Overall, results from the trend analyses indicated improvement in water-quality conditions as a result of operation of the Paradox Valley Unit in the Dolores River Basin and irrigation and water-delivery system improvements made in the McElmo Creek Basin (Lower San Juan River Basin) and Mancos River Valley (Upper San Juan River Basin).

  10. Chapter 2: Beginning of water studies in the Central Arizona Highlands

    Treesearch

    Gerald J. Gottfried; Leonard F. DeBano; Malchus B. Baker

    1999-01-01

    Water has been recognized as an important resource in central Arizona and has affected populations occupying the Salt River Valley for centuries. Water related activities have been documented since about 200 before the common era, when Hohokam Indians settled the Valley and constructed canals to irrigate their fields. Europeans began to settle in the Phoenix area in...

  11. Lithologic controls on valley width and strath terrace formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schanz, Sarah A.; Montgomery, David R.

    2016-04-01

    Valley width and the degree of bedrock river terrace development vary with lithology in the Willapa and Nehalem river basins, Pacific Northwest, USA. Here, we present field-based evidence for the mechanisms by which lithology controls floodplain width and bedrock terrace formation in erosion-resistant and easily friable lithologies. We mapped valley surfaces in both basins, dated straths using radiocarbon, compared valley width versus drainage area for basalt and sedimentary bedrock valleys, and constructed slope-area plots. In the friable sedimentary bedrock, valleys are 2 to 3 times wider, host flights of strath terraces, and have concavity values near 1; whereas the erosion-resistant basalt bedrock forms narrow valleys with poorly developed, localized, or no bedrock terraces and a channel steepness index half that of the friable bedrock and an average channel concavity of about 0.5. The oldest dated strath terrace on the Willapa River, T2, was active for nearly 10,000 years, from 11,265 to 2862 calibrated years before present (cal YBP), whereas the youngest terrace, T1, is Anthropocene in age and recently abandoned. Incision rates derived from terrace ages average 0.32 mm y- 1 for T2 and 11.47 mm y- 1 for T1. Our results indicate bedrock weathering properties influence valley width through the creation of a dense fracture network in the friable bedrock that results in high rates of lateral erosion of exposed bedrock banks. Conversely, the erosion-resistant bedrock has concavity values more typical of detachment-limited streams, exhibits a sparse fracture network, and displays evidence for infrequent episodic block erosion and plucking. Lithology thereby plays a direct role on the rates of lateral erosion, influencing valley width and the potential for strath terrace planation and preservation.

  12. Geomorphic response to tectonically-induced ground deformation in the Wabash Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fraser, G.S.; Thompson, T.A.; Olyphant, G.A.; Furer, L.; Bennett, S.W.

    1997-01-01

    Numerous low- to moderate-intensity earthquakes have been recorded in a zone of diffuse modern seismicity in southwest Indiana, southeast Illinois, and northernmost Kentucky. Structural elements within the zone include the Wabash Valley Fault System, the LaSalle Anticlinal Belt in western Illinois, and the Rough Creek-Shawneetown Fault System in northern Kentucky. The presence of seismically-induced liquefaction features in the near-surface alluvial sediments in the region indicates that strong ground motion has occurred in the recent geological past, but because the glacial and alluvial sediments in the Wabash Valley appear to be otherwise undisturbed, post-Paleozoic ground deformation resulting from movement on these structural elements has not yet been documented. Morphometric analysis of the land surface, detailed mapping of geomorphic elements in the valley, reconnaissance drilling of the Holocene and Pleistocene alluvium, and structural analysis of the bedrock underlying the valley were used to determine whether the geomorphology of the valley and the patterns of alluviation of the Wabash River were affected by surface deformation associated with the seismic zone during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Among the observed features in the valley that can be attributed to deformation are: (1) tilting of the modern land surface to the west, (2) preferred channel migration toward the west side of the valley, with concomitant impact on patterns of soil development and sedimentation rate, (3) a convex longitudinal profile of the Wabash River where it crosses the LaSalle Anticlinal Belt, and (4) increased incision of the river into its floodplain downstream from the anticlinal belt.

  13. Ground-water flow directions and estimation of aquifer hydraulic properties in the lower Great Miami River Buried Valley aquifer system, Hamilton Area, Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sheets, Rodney A.; Bossenbroek, Karen E.

    2005-01-01

    The Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System is one of the most productive sources of potable water in the Midwest, yielding as much as 3,000 gallons per minute to wells. Many water-supply wells tapping this aquifer system are purposely placed near rivers to take advantage of induced infiltration from the rivers. The City of Hamilton's North Well Field consists of 10 wells near the Great Miami River, all completed in the lower Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System. A well-drilling program and a multiple-well aquifer test were done to investigate ground-water flow directions and to estimate aquifer hydraulic properties in the lower part of the Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System. Descriptions of lithology from 10 well borings indicate varying amounts and thickness of clay or till, and therefore, varying levels of potential aquifer confinement. Borings also indicate that the aquifer properties can change dramatically over relatively short distances. Grain-size analyses indicate an average bulk hydraulic conductivity value of aquifer materials of 240 feet per day; the geometric mean of hydraulic conductivity values of aquifer material was 89 feet per day. Median grain sizes of aquifer material and clay units were 1.3 millimeters and 0.1 millimeters, respectively. Water levels in the Hamilton North Well Field are affected by stream stage in the Great Miami River and barometric pressure. Bank storage in response to stream stage is evident. Results from a multiple-well aquifer test at the well field indicate, as do the lithologic descriptions, that the aquifer is semiconfined in some areas and unconfined in others. Transmissivity and storage coefficient of the semiconfined part of the aquifer were 50,000 feet squared per day and 5x10-4, respectively. The average hydraulic conductivity (450 feet per day) based on the aquifer test is reasonable for glacial outwash but is higher than calculated from grain-size analyses, implying a scale effect. Although the part of the lower Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System where the Hamilton North Well Field is located is semiconfined, unconfined, or locally confined and not directly connected to the Great Miami River, the discontinuity of the clay/till layers beneath the river indicates that other, deeper parts of the aquifer system may be directly connected to the Great Miami River.

  14. Santa Ana River Design Memorandum Number 1. Phase 2. GDM on the Santa Ana River Mainstem, Including Santiago Creek. Volume 6. Santiago Creek

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-08-01

    requirements of ASTM C 150. 8-10 The Kaiser Cement Company plant in the Lucerne Valley , located approximately 100 miles from the project, produces Type II...land classification of the greater Los Angeles area; Part III Classification of sand and gravel resource areas, Orange County-Temescal Valley Production...Memorandum No. i 4. TITLE (eod Subtitle) 5. TYPE OF REPORT a P ERIOD COVERED Phase II GDM on the Santa Ana River MainstemIncluding Santiago Creek Final

  15. A Literature Review of Archaeological, Historical, and Paleontological Resources of the Sheyenne River Basin in North Dakota

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-01-01

    description of the Red River valley area was derived from Shay (1967: 231-237) and Scoby et. al. (1973). The Red River valley per se is flat except where...it is inter- rupted by the Sheyenne delta escarpment and the glacial Lake Agassiz shorelines ( Scoby et. al. 1973: 16). Surface drainage in the area is...very poor with runoff tending to collect in low lying areas ( Scoby et. al. 1973: 23). Prior to inten- sive drainage the area may have possessed many

  16. Late Cenozoic surficial deposits and valley evolution of unglaciated northern New Jersey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stanford, S.D.

    1993-01-01

    Multiple alluvial, colluvial, and eolian deposits in unglaciated northern New Jersey, and the eroded bedrock surfaces on which they rest, provide evidence of both long-term valley evolution driven by sustained eustatic baselevel lowering and short-term filling and excavation of valleys during glacial and interglacial climate cycles. The long-term changes occur over durations of 106 years, the short-term features evolve over durations of 104 to 105 years. Direct glacial effects, including blockage of valleys by glacial ice and sediment, and valley gradient reversals induced by crustal depression, are relatively sudden changes that account for several major Pleistocene drainage shifts. After deposition of the Beacon Hill fluvial gravel in the Late Miocene, lowering of sea level, perhaps in response to growth of the Antarctic ice sheet, led to almost complete dissection of the gravel. A suite of alluvial, colluvial, and eolian sediments was deposited in the dissected landscape. The fluvial Bridgeton Formation was deposited in the Raritan lowland, in the Amboy-Trenton lowland, and in the Delaware valley. Following southeastward diversion of the main Bridgeton river, perhaps during Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene glaciation, northeastward drainage was established on the inactive Bridgeton fluvial plain. About 30 to 45 m of entrenchment followed, forming narrow, incised valleys within which Late Pleistocene deposits rest. This entrenchment may have occurred in response to lowered sea level caused by growth of ice sheets in the northern hemisphere. Under periglacial conditions in the Middle and Late Pleistocene, valleys were partially filled with alluvium and colluvium. During interglacials slopes were stabilized by vegetation and the alluvial and colluvial valley-fill was excavated by gullying, bank erosion, and spring sapping. During Illinoian and late Wisconsinan glaciation, the lower Raritan River was diverted when glacial deposits blocked its valley, and the Delaware River was partially diverted down the isostatically-steepened lower Millstone valley. ?? 1993.

  17. Hydrological role of large icings within glacierized Sub-Arctic watershed: case study in Upper Duke River valley, Yukon, Canada.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chesnokova, Anna; Baraer, Michel

    2017-04-01

    Sub-Arctic glacierized catchments are complex hydrological systems of paramount importance for water resources management as well as for various ecosystem services. Such systems host many climate-sensitive water sources. Among those, icing is an important component as they provide substantial amount of water during the melt season. Moreover, collecting water of different origins during their formation, icings can be seen as an indicator for different water sources and water pathways that remain active during the freezing period. The present study focuses on genesis and dynamics of large icings within both proglacial field and neighboring alpine meadow in Upper Duke River valley, Yukon, in order to i) provide new insights on water sources and pathways within Sub-Arctic glacierized watersheds, and ii) to quantify contribution of icings to the total runoff of those hydrological systems. A multi-approach technique was applied to cope with the high hydrological complexity met in Sub-Arctic mountainous environments. Time series of positions of large river icings within the study area were obtained using Landsat images for the period 1980-2016. Four time-lapse cameras (TLC) were installed in the watershed targeting two proglacial fields and two alpine meadows in order to monitor icing dynamics all year long. Meteorological data was measured by an Automatic Weather Station in the main valley. In addition air temperature and relative humidity were measured at the location of each TLC. Finally, four icings along the Duke River valley, as well as 2 icings in its main tributary were sampled for stable water isotopes, solutes concentrations and total organic carbon. In addition, samples of freezing exclusion precipitates from icing surfaces were taken. Remote sensing data shows the persistence of large icing complexes in the area during last 30 years: icing within proglacial field appear with almost constant position relative to main glacier tongue on the 30 years long period. Absolute position of icings limits is changing however, and is shifting upstream following glacier retreat. TLC show that appearance and growth of icing is correlated with occurrence of milder but still negative temperature episodes. Hydrochemical analysis suggests that main source of water for icing formation within alpine meadow is groundwater, whereas icing formed within proglacial field are fed by both glacier and possibly buried ice water. Thus the multi-technic approach reveals a tight connection of proglacial and river icing formation in Upper Duke River valley with current and past glacier systems: sub-glacial drainage water as well as water from buried ice are collected in a form of icing during mild winter episodes and then are being redistributed to total runoff during ablation season contributing substantially. Moreover, observed relation between icing formation and air temperature regime in the valley suggests that hydrological role of icings in Sub-Arctic glacierized watershed will be subject to changes under changing climate.

  18. Multiple pathways for woody plant establishment on floodplains at local to regional scales

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cooper, D.J.; Andersen, D.C.; Chimner, Rodney A.

    2003-01-01

    1. The structure and functioning of riverine ecosystems is dependent upon regional setting and the interplay of hydrologic regime and geomorphologic processes. We used a retrospective analysis to study recruitment along broad, alluvial valley segments (parks) and canyon segments of the unregulated Yampa River and the regulated Green River in the upper Colorado River basin, USA. We precisely aged 811 individuals of Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii (native) and Tamarix ramosissima (exotic) from 182 wooded patches and determined the elevation and character of the germination surface for each. We used logistic regression to relate recruitment events (presence or absence of cohort) to five flow and two weather parameters.2. Woody plant establishment occurred via multiple pathways at patch, reach and segment scales. Recruitment occurred through establishment on (1) vertically accreting bars in the unregulated alluvial valley, (2) high alluvial floodplain surfaces during rare large flood events, (3) vertically accreting channel margin deposits in canyon pools and eddies, (4) vertically accreting intermittent/abandoned channels, (5) low elevation gravel bars and debris fans in canyons during multi-year droughts, and (6) bars and channels formed prior to flow regulation on the dammed river during controlled flood events.3. The Yampa River's peak flow was rarely included in models estimating the likelihood that recruitment would occur in any year. Flow variability and the interannual pattern of flows, rather than individual large floods, control most establishment.4. Regulation of the Green River flow since 1962 has had different effects on woody vegetation recruitment in canyons and valleys. The current regime mimics drought in a canyon setting, accelerating Tamarix invasion whereas in valleys the ongoing geomorphic adjustment of the channel, combined with reduced flow variability, has nearly eliminated Populus establishment.5. A single year's flow or a particular pattern of flows over a sequence of years, whether natural or man-made, produces different recruitment opportunities in alluvial and canyon reaches, in diverse landforms within a particular river reach, and for Populus and Tamarix. The design of flows to restore riparian ecosystems must consider these multiple pathways and adjust the seasonal timing, magnitude and interannual frequency of flows to match the desired outcome.

  19. Sediment dynamics of a high gradient stream in the Oi river basin of Japan

    Treesearch

    Hideji Maita

    1991-01-01

    This paper discusses the effects of the valley width for discontinuities of sediment transport in natural stream channels. The results may be summarized as follows: 1)ln torrential rivers. deposition or erosion depend mostly on the sediment supply. not on the magnitude of the flow discharge. 2)Wide valley floors of streams are depositional spaces where the excess...

  20. COHORT OF WOMEN LIVING IN OR NEAR A HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED AREA OF KANAWHA RIVER VALLEY IN WEST VIRGINIA: ENDOMETRIOSIS AND BLOOD LEVELS OF DIOXIN AND DIOXIN-LIKE CHEMICALS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Introduction Historical releases of dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals with subsequent impacts to environmental media in the Kanawha River Valley (KRV) of West Virginia have been well documented.' The bulk of dioxin found in this area appears to be derived from the production of 2,...

  1. A Test of the California Wildlife-Habitat Relationship System for Breeding Birds in Valley-Foothill Riparian Habitat

    Treesearch

    Stephen A. Laymon

    1989-01-01

    The California Wildlife-Habitat Relationship (WHR) system was tested for birds breeding in the Valley-Foothill Riparian habitat along California's Sacramento and South Fork Kern rivers. The model performed poorly with 33 pct and 21 pct correct predictions respectively at the two locations. Changes to the model for 60 species on the Sacramento River and 66 species...

  2. A bill to reauthorize the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, the Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, and the Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA

    2013-06-13

    Senate - 07/31/2013 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-93. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  3. Contribution of local knowledge to understand socio-hydrological dynamics. Examples from a study in Senegal river valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruckmann, Laurent

    2017-04-01

    In developing countries many watersheds are low monitored. However, rivers and its floodplains provides ecosystem services to societies, especially for agriculture, grazing and fishing. This uses of rivers and floodplains offer to communities an important local knowledge about hydrological dynamics. This knowledge can be useful to researchers studying ecological or hydrological processes. This presentation aims to discuss and present the interest of using qualitative data from surveys and interviews to understand relations between society and hydrology in floodplain from developing countries, but also to understand changes in hydrological dynamics. This communication is based on a PhD thesis held on from 2012 and 2016, that analyzes socio-ecological changes in the floodplain of the Senegal river floodplain following thirty years of transboundary water management. The results of this work along Senegal river valley suggest that the use of social data and qualitative study are beneficial in understanding the hydrological dynamics in two dimensions. First, it established the importance of perception of hydrological dynamics, particularly floods, on local water management and socio-agricultural trajectories. This perception of people is strictly derived from ecosystems services provided by river and its floodplain. Second, surveys have enlightened new questions concerning the hydrology of the river that are often cited by people, like a decrease of flood water fertility. This type of socio-hydrological study, combining hydrological and qualitative data, has great potential for guiding water management policies. Using local knowledge in their analyzes, researchers also legitimize river users, who are for the most part forgotten by water policies.

  4. Comparative geomorphic analysis of surficial deposits at three central Appalachian watersheds: Implications for controls on sediment-transport efficiency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, Stephen B.; Steven Kite, J.

    2006-08-01

    Factors that control the routing and storage of sediments in the Appalachian region are poorly understood. This study involves a comparative geomorphic analysis of three watersheds underlain by sandstones and shales of the Acadian clastic wedge. These areas include the Fernow Experimental Forest, Tucker County, West Virginia; the North Fork basin, Pocahontas County, West Virginia; and the Little River basin, Augusta County, Virginia. GIS-based analyses of surficial map units allow first-order approximation of sediment-storage volumes in valley bottoms. Estimates of volumes are examined in tandem with morphometric analyses and the distribution of bedrock channels to make inferences regarding controls on sediment-transport efficiency in the central Appalachians. The Fernow and North Fork areas are characterized by V-shaped valleys with mixed reaches of alluvial-bedrock channels distributed throughout the drainage network. In contrast, the Little River valley is notably wider and gravelly alluvial fill is abundant. Comparator watershed parameters for the Fernow, North Fork and Little River areas include, respectively: (1) basin area = 15.2 km 2, 49.3 km 2, 41.5 km 2; (2) basin relief = 0.586 km, 0.533 km, 0.828 km; (3) drainage density = 4.2 km - 1 , 3.3 km - 1 , 4.7 km - 1 ; (4) ruggedness = 2.5, 1.7, 3.9; (5) Shreve magnitude = 139, 287, 380; (6) total valley-bottom area (km 2) = 0.76 km 2, 1.86 km 2, 3.09 km 2; (7) average hillslope gradients = 17.2°, 18.4°, 22.1°; (8) total debris-fan surface area = 0.113 km 2, 0.165 km 2, 0.486 km 2; and (9) debris-fan frequency = 2.0 km - 2 , 1.0 km - 2 , 2.8 km - 2 . The storage volumes in valley bottoms were estimated using map polygon areas and surface heights above channel grade. The Little River contains significantly higher sediment volumes in floodplain, terrace and fan storage compartments; total volumes of the valley bottoms are approximately twice that of the Fernow and North Fork areas combined. Unit storage volumes for the Fernow, North Fork and Little River are 5.2 × 10 4 m 3 km - 2 , 5.5 × 10 4 m 3 km - 2 and 1.6 × 10 5 m 3 km - 2 , respectively. A conceptual model postulates that valley-width morphometry and style of delivery from hillslopes are the primary factors controlling the efficiency of sediment transport. Steep, debris-flow-prone hillslopes at the Little River deliver high volumes of gravelly sediment at magnitudes greater than transport capacity of the channel. Patterns of stream power are complex, as low-order tributaries are under capacity and high-order tributaries over capacity with respect to sediment load. Aggraded alluvial fill insulates valley-floor bedrock from vertical erosion and valley widening dominates. Expansion of the valley width creates a positive response via increased storage capacity and lower unit stream power. Conversely, the Fernow and North Fork are characterized by diffusive mass movement on hillslopes with incremental bedload transport to higher-order tributaries. Rates of hillslope delivery are balanced by the rate of channel export. Mixed alluvial-bedrock reaches provide the optimal channel configuration for active incision of the valley floor. Low expansion of valley width promotes high unit stream power and processes of vertical erosion. The model implies that the Fernow and North Fork have been more effective at sediment transport during the Late Quaternary. Given similar climatic and tectonic settings, variation in bedrock lithofacies is likely the primary factor modulating the efficiency of sediment transport.

  5. Comparison of Cell Regeneration Mechanisms Between Isolated Cb Clouds Moving Along A Valley and Over Flat Terrain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curic, M.; Janc, D.; Vuckovic, V.; Vujovic, D.

    Cell regeneration mechanism within air-mass Cb cloud moving along the river valley is investigated by three-dimensional mesoscale ARPS model with improved micro- physics. Simulated cloud characteristics are then compared with those performed for the flat terrain conditions. The Western Morava valley area (Serbia) has selected as an important place for formation of such clouds in agreement with observations. Ana- lyzed results suggest that the river valley plays an important role for the cell regenera- tion mechanism in front of the mother cloud. Futher, it contributes to the fast Cb cloud propagation along the valley. In contrast, the front-side cell regeneration mechanism is absent for the flat terrain conditions since the cold air below cloud base deverges in all directions without any restrictions. This investigation gives us more complete insight in cell regeneration mechanisms than classic approach.

  6. Geomorphic Segmentation, Hydraulic Geometry, and Hydraulic Microhabitats of the Niobrara River, Nebraska - Methods and Initial Results

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alexander, Jason S.; Zelt, Ronald B.; Schaepe, Nathaniel J.

    2009-01-01

    The Niobrara River of Nebraska is a geologically, ecologically, and economically significant resource. The State of Nebraska has recognized the need to better manage the surface- and ground-water resources of the Niobrara River so they are sustainable in the long term. In cooperation with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the U.S. Geological Survey is investigating the hydrogeomorphic settings and hydraulic geometry of the Niobrara River to assist in characterizing the types of broad-scale physical habitat attributes that may be of importance to the ecological resources of the river system. This report includes an inventory of surface-water and ground-water hydrology data, surface water-quality data, a longitudinal geomorphic segmentation and characterization of the main channel and its valley, and hydraulic geometry relations for the 330-mile section of the Niobrara River from Dunlap Diversion Dam in western Nebraska to the Missouri River confluence. Hydraulic microhabitats also were analyzed using available data from discharge measurements to demonstrate the potential application of these data and analysis methods. The main channel of the Niobrara was partitioned into three distinct fluvial geomorphic provinces: an upper province characterized by open valleys and a sinuous, equiwidth channel; a central province characterized by mixed valley and channel settings, including several entrenched canyon reaches; and a lower province where the valley is wide, yet restricted, but the river also is wide and persistently braided. Within the three fluvial geomorphic provinces, 36 geomorphic segments were identified using a customized, process-orientated classification scheme, which described the basic physical characteristics of the Niobrara River and its valley. Analysis of the longitudinal slope characteristics indicated that the Niobrara River longitudinal profile may be largely bedrock-controlled, with slope inflections co-located at changes in bedrock type at river level. Hydraulic geometry relations indicated that local (at-a-station) channel adjustments of the Niobrara River to changing discharge are accommodated mainly by changes in velocity, and streamwise adjustments are accommodated through changes in channel width. Downstream hydraulic geometry relations are in general agreement with values previously published for rivers of the Great Plains, but coefficients are likely skewed low because the locations of the streamflow-gaging stations used in this analysis are located at natural or engineered constrictions and may not be accurately representing downstream adjustment processes of the Niobrara River. A demonstration analysis of hydraulic microhabitat attributes at a single station indicated that changes in velocity-related habitat types is the primary microhabitat adjustment over a range of discharges, but the magnitude of that adjustment for any particular discharge is temporally variable.

  7. Valley-fill alluviation during the Little Ice Age (ca. A.D. 1400-1880), Paria River basin and southern Colorado Plateau, United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hereford, R.

    2002-01-01

    Valley-fill alluvium deposited from ca. A.D. 1400 to 1880 is widespread in tributaries of the Paria River and is largely coincident with the Little Ice Age epoch of global climate variability. Previous work showed that alluvium of this age is a mappable stratigraphic unit in many of the larger alluvial valleys of the southern Colorado Plateau. The alluvium is bounded by two disconformities resulting from prehistoric and historic arroyo cutting at ca. A.D. 1200-1400 and 1860-1910, respectively. The fill forms a terrace in the axial valleys of major through-flowing streams. This terrace and underlying deposits are continuous and interfinger with sediment in numerous small tributary valleys that head at the base of hillslopes of sparsely vegetated, weakly consolidated bedrock, suggesting that eroded bedrock was an important source of alluvium along with in-channel and other sources. Paleoclimatic and high-resolution paleoflood studies indicate that valley-fill alluviation occured during a long-term decrease in the frequency of large, destructive floods. Aggradation of the valleys ended about A.D. 1880, if not two decades earlier, with the beginning of historic arroyo cutting. This shift from deposition to valley entrenchment near the close of the Little Ice Age generally coincided with the beginning of an episode of the largest floods in the preceding 400-500 yr, which was probably caused by an increased recurrence and intensity of flood-producing El Nin??o events beginning at ca. A.D. 1870.

  8. The development and adaption of early agriculture in Huanghe River Valley, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.

    2017-12-01

    The expanding and developing of agriculture are the basic of population growth, the expansions of material cultures and civilization. The Huanghe River valley, as the origin center of millet agriculture, lies between the heartlands of wheat and rice, which gestates the flourishing Neolithic culture based on agriculture. Recent work using botanical remains has greatly expanded the knowledge concerning early agriculture. Here, we report the new progress on the development and adaption of early agriculture in Huanghe River valley and the surrounding areas. Based on the analysis of phytolith from 13 sites in middle reaches of Huanghe River and the survey of crop seeds from 5 sites in Guanzhong Basin, the rice have been cultivated around 7600 cal BP in semi-humid regions dominated by rain-fed agriculture. The mixed agriculture of common millet, foxtail millet, and rice continued to exist between 7600-3500 BP. In semi-arid region of Huanghe River valley, the agriculture was dominated by the production of common and foxtail millet and 3 major changes have taken place around 6500 BP, 5500 BP, and 4000 BP during Neolithic. The cultivating ratio of common and foxtail millet was adjusted by farmer for adapting the climate changes during Holocene. Approximately 5000 yr BP, the rain-fed agriculture continues to break geographical boundaries to expand to west and southwest from Huanghe River valley. Millet agriculture appeared in southern Ganshu and north eastern Tibetan Plateau. The common and foxtail millet spread to the arid-area of Hexi corridor, a major crossroad of the famous Silk Road, around 4500 yr BP. Wheat was added as a new crop to the existing millet based agricultural systems around 4100-4000 cal yr BP in Hexi corridor. Between 3800 and 3400 cal yr BP, the proportion of wheat and barley in agriculture was up to 90%,which have replaced the local millet and become the main crops. And now, some new evidences of wheat agriculture from NW Xijiang have been obtained and support that the likely route of wheat into China was via Russia and Mongolia. After 4000 cal BP, Eight crop types of foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, rice, wheat, barley, oats, soybean and buckwheat appeared together in Huanghe River valley, which suggest the earliest complexity agriculture in East Asia.

  9. 78 FR 53666 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Wolf River, Gills Landing and Winneconne, WI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-30

    ... the Upper Fox River. The Wolf River has two drawbridges over the waterway. The Winneconne Highway... the Fox River that connect directly with the Wolf River. This rule will establish consistent operating... by WDOT and Fox River Valley Navigation Authority for the past 10 to 15 years. These agencies, along...

  10. Seismic refraction surveys in the vicinity of Eagle City, Clark County, Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hassemer, Jerry H.; Watkins, Joel S.; Bailey, Norman G.

    1966-01-01

    As part of a continuing program to define the thickness and extent of water-bearing sand and gravel deposits in southwestern Ohio, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Ohio Division of Water, in the summer of 1964 completed a seismic refraction survey in the vicinity of Eagle and Tremont Cities, Ohio (fig. 1). Similar surveys were completed in 1962 of the lower Great Miami River and Whitewater River Valleys (Watkins, 1963); in 1963 of the upper Great Miami River Valley (Watkins and Spieker, 1964) and of the Scioto River Valley (Watkins and Bailey, 1964). The area of the survey includes known or inferred portions of an interglacial drainage system which is deeply entrenched into bedrock. Ohio was covered by glaciers at least twice during the Pleistocene Epoch. As the last glacier retreated from Clark County, floods of meltwater deposited up to 300 ft of sand and gravel, now forming the lowlands of the Mad River Valley. The sand and gravel is highly permeable and saturated with large quantities of water of good quality. The underlying bedrock consists of limestone and dolomite, and limestone interbedded with shale. The limestone and dolomite sequence is the principal source of water along the edges of the buried valley where the sand and gravel thins. The city of Springfield has recently developed wells in the glacial deposits, and many industries in the area rely on wells in these deposits as their principal source of water. The purpose of the present survey is to define the thickness and extent of the important water-bearing sand and gravel deposits. Such information will make possible a more accurate evaluation of the area's water resources than has previously been possible.

  11. Paleovalley fills: Trunk vs. tributary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kvale, E.P.; Archer, A.W.

    2007-01-01

    A late Mississippian-early Pennsylvanian eustatic sea level drop resulted in a complex lowstand drainage network being eroded across the Illinois Basin in the eastern United States. This drainage system was filled during the early part of the Pennsylvanian. Distinct differences can be recognized between the trunk and tributary paleovalley fills. Fills preserved within the trunk systems tend to be fluvially dominated and consist of bed-load deposits of coarse- to medium-grained sandstone and conglomerate. Conversely, the incised valleys of tributary systems tend to be filled with dark mudstone, thinly interbedded sandstones, and mudstones and siltstones. These finer grained facies exhibit marine influences manifested by tidal rhythmites, certain traces fossils, and macro- and microfauna. Examples of tributary and trunk systems, separated by no more than 7 km (4.3 mi) along strike, exhibit these styles of highly contrasting fills. Useful analogs for understanding this Pennsylvanian system include the Quaternary glacial sluiceways present in the lower Ohio, White, and Wabash river valleys of Indiana (United States) and the modern Amazon River (Brazil). Both the Amazon River and the Quaternary rivers of Indiana have (or had) trunk rivers that are (were) dominated by large quantities of bed load relative to their tributaries. The trunk valley systems of these analogs aggraded much more rapidly than their tributary valleys, which evolved into lakes because depositional rates along the trunk are (were) so high that the mouths of the tributaries have been dammed by bed-load deposits. These Holocene systems illustrate that sediment yields can significantly influence the nature of fill successions within incised valleys independent of rates of sea level changes or proximity to highstand coastlines. Copyright ?? 2007. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

  12. Analysis of the inversion monitoring capabilities of a monostatic acoustic radar in complex terrain. [Tennessee River Valley

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koepf, D.; Frost, W.

    1981-01-01

    A qualitative interpretation of the records from a monostatic acoustic radar is presented. This is achieved with the aid of airplane, helicopter, and rawinsonde temperature soundings. The diurnal structure of a mountain valley circulation pattern is studied with the use of two acoustic radars, one located in the valley and one on the downwind ridge. The monostatic acoustic radar was found to be sufficiently accurate in locating the heights of the inversions and the mixed layer depth to warrant use by industry even in complex terrain.

  13. 2. 3/4 VIEW OF NACHES RIVER BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST (BURLINGTON ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. 3/4 VIEW OF NACHES RIVER BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST (BURLINGTON NORTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE ON EXTREME LEFT) - Yakima Valley Transportation Company Interurban Railroad, Naches River Bridge, Yakima, Yakima County, WA

  14. Introduction. [usefulness of modern remote sensing techniques for studying components of California water resources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Colwell, R. N.

    1973-01-01

    Since May 1970, personnel on several campuses of the University of California have been conducting investigations which seek to determine the usefulness of modern remote sensing techniques for studying various components of California's earth resources complex. Emphasis has been given to California's water resources as exemplified by the Feather River project and other aspects of the California Water Plan. This study is designed to consider in detail the supply, demand, and impact relationships. The specific geographic areas studied are the Feather River drainage in northern California, the Chino-Riverside Basin and Imperial Valley areas in southern California, and selected portions of the west side of San Joaquin Valley in central California. An analysis is also given on how an effective benefit-cost study of remote sensing in relation to California's water resources might best be made.

  15. Water Resources of the Ground-Water System in the Unconsolidated Deposits of the Colville River Watershed, Stevens County, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kahle, Sue C.; Longpre, Claire I.; Smith, Raymond R.; Sumioka, Steve S.; Watkins, Anni M.; Kresch, David L.

    2003-01-01

    A study of the water resources of the ground-water system in the unconsolidated deposits of the Colville River Watershed provided the Colville River Watershed Planning Team with an assessment of the hydrogeologic framework, preliminary determinations of how the shallow and deeper parts of the ground-water system interact with each other and the surface-water system, descriptions of water-quantity characteristics including water-use estimates and an estimated water budget for the watershed, and an assessment of further data needs. The 1,007-square-mile watershed, located in Stevens County in northeastern Washington, is closed to further surface-water appropriations throughout most of the basin during most seasons. The information provided by this study will assist local watershed planners in assessing the status of water resources within the Colville River Watershed (Water Resources Inventory Area 59). The hydrogeologic framework consists of glacial and alluvial deposits that overlie bedrock and are more than 700 feet thick in places. Twenty-six hydrogeologic sections were constructed, using a map of the surficial geology and drillers' logs for more than 350 wells. Seven hydrogeologic units were delineated: the Upper outwash aquifer, the Till confining unit, the Older outwash aquifer, the Colville Valley confining unit, the Lower aquifer, the Lower confining unit, and Bedrock. Synoptic stream discharge measurements made in September 2001 identified gaining and losing reaches over the unconsolidated valley deposits. During the September measurement period, the Colville River gained flow from the shallow ground-water system near its headwaters to the town of Valley and lost flow to the shallow ground-water system from Valley to Chewelah. Downstream from Chewelah, the river generally lost flow, but the amounts lost were small and within measurement error. Ground-water levels indicate that the Lower aquifer and the shallow ground-water system may act as fairly independent systems. The presence of flowing wells completed in the Lower aquifer indicates upward head gradients along much of the Colville Valley floor. Total surface- and ground-water withdrawals during 2001 were estimated to be 9,340 million gallons. Water use for 2001, as a percentage of the total, was 75.3 percent for irrigation, 16.3 percent for public supply, 6.5 percent for private wells, and about 1 percent each for industrial and livestock use. An approximate water budget for a typical year in the Colville River Watershed shows that 27 inches of precipitation are balanced by 4.2 inches of streamflow discharge from the basin, 0.3 inch of ground-water discharge from the basin, and 22.5 inches of evapotranspiration.

  16. Highway to the Heartland.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, James S.

    1991-01-01

    Discusses "Always a River," a joint project of six midwestern state humanities councils that focuses on the Ohio River Valley's history, ecology, and development. Highlights exhibitions to be set up on a river barge that will tour Ohio River towns and cities during 1991. Stresses interrelationships between the river and the communities…

  17. Modelling the Effects of Sea-level, Climate Change, Geology, and Tectonism on the Morphology of the Amazon River Valley and its Floodplain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aalto, R. E.; Cremon, E.; Dunne, T.

    2017-12-01

    How continental-scale rivers respond to climate, geology, and sea level change is not well represented in morphodynamic models. Large rivers respond to influences less apparent in the form and deposits of smaller streams, as the huge scales require long time periods for changes in form and behavior. Tectonic deformation and excavation of resistant deposits can affect low gradient continental-scale rivers, thereby changing flow pathways, channel slope and sinuosity, along-stream patterns of sediment transport capacity, channel patterns, floodplain construction, and valley topography. Nowhere are such scales of morphodynamic response grander than the Amazon River, as described in papers by L.A.K. Mertes. Field-based understanding has improved over the intervening decades, but mechanistic models are needed to simulate and synthesize key morphodynamic components relevant to the construction of large river valleys, with a focus on the Amazon. The Landscape-Linked Environmental Model (LLEM) utilizes novel massively parallel computer architectures to simulate multiple-direction flow, sediment transport, deposition, and incision for exceptionally large (30-80 million nodes per compute unit) lowland dispersal systems. LLEM represents key fluvial processes such as bed and bar deposition, lateral and vertical erosion/incision, levee and floodplain construction, floodplain hydrology, `badlands dissection' of weak sedimentary deposits during falling sea level, tectonic and glacial-isostatic deformation, and provides a 3D record of created stratigraphy and underlying bedrock. We used LLEM to simulate the development of the main valley of the Amazon over the last million years, exploring the propagation of incision waves and system dissection during glacial lowstands, followed by rapid valley filling and extreme lateral mobility of channels during interglacials. We present metrics, videos, and 3D fly-throughs characterizing how system development responds to key assumptions, comparing highly detailed model outcomes against field-documented reality.

  18. Do invasive alien plants really threaten river bank vegetation? A case study based on plant communities typical for Chenopodium ficifolium-An indicator of large river valleys.

    PubMed

    Nobis, Agnieszka; Nowak, Arkadiusz; Rola, Kaja

    2018-01-01

    Riparian zones are very rich in species but subjected to strong anthropogenic changes and extremely prone to alien plant invasions, which are considered to be a serious threat to biodiversity. Our aim was to determine the spatial distribution of Chenopodium ficifolium, a species demonstrating strong confinement to large river valleys in Central Europe and an indicator of annual pioneer nitrophilous vegetation developing on river banks, which are considered to be of importance to the European Community. Additionally, the habitat preferences of the species were analysed. Differences in the richness and abundance of species diagnostic for riverside habitats, as well as the contribution of resident and invasive alien species in vegetation plots along three rivers differing in terms of size and anthropogenic impact were also examined. Finally, the effect of invaders on the phytocoenoses typical for C. ficifolium was assessed. The frequency of C. ficifolium clearly decreased with an increasing distance from the river. Among natural habitats, the species mostly preferred the banks of large rivers. The vegetation plots developing on the banks of the three studied rivers differed in total species richness, the number and cover of resident, diagnostic and invasive alien species, as well as in species composition. Our research indicates that abiotic and anthropogenic factors are the most significant drivers of species richness and plant cover of riverbank vegetation, and invasive alien plants affect this type of vegetation to a small extent.

  19. Do invasive alien plants really threaten river bank vegetation? A case study based on plant communities typical for Chenopodium ficifolium—An indicator of large river valleys

    PubMed Central

    Nowak, Arkadiusz; Rola, Kaja

    2018-01-01

    Riparian zones are very rich in species but subjected to strong anthropogenic changes and extremely prone to alien plant invasions, which are considered to be a serious threat to biodiversity. Our aim was to determine the spatial distribution of Chenopodium ficifolium, a species demonstrating strong confinement to large river valleys in Central Europe and an indicator of annual pioneer nitrophilous vegetation developing on river banks, which are considered to be of importance to the European Community. Additionally, the habitat preferences of the species were analysed. Differences in the richness and abundance of species diagnostic for riverside habitats, as well as the contribution of resident and invasive alien species in vegetation plots along three rivers differing in terms of size and anthropogenic impact were also examined. Finally, the effect of invaders on the phytocoenoses typical for C. ficifolium was assessed. The frequency of C. ficifolium clearly decreased with an increasing distance from the river. Among natural habitats, the species mostly preferred the banks of large rivers. The vegetation plots developing on the banks of the three studied rivers differed in total species richness, the number and cover of resident, diagnostic and invasive alien species, as well as in species composition. Our research indicates that abiotic and anthropogenic factors are the most significant drivers of species richness and plant cover of riverbank vegetation, and invasive alien plants affect this type of vegetation to a small extent. PMID:29543919

  20. Sedimentary record and luminescence chronology of palaeoflood events along the Gold Gorge of the upper Hanjiang River, middle Yangtze River basin, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Yongqiang; Huang, Chun Chang; Zhou, Yali; Pang, Jiangli; Zha, Xiaochun; Fan, Longjiang; Mao, Peini

    2018-05-01

    Palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs) along the river banks have important implications for the reconstruction of the past hydro-climatic events. Two palaeoflood SWD beds were identified in the Holocene loess-soil sequences on the cliff river banks along the Gold Gorge of the upper Hanjiang River by field investigation and laboratory analysis. They have recorded two palaeoflood events which were dated by optically stimulated luminescence to 3.2-2.8 ka and 2.1-1.8 ka, respectively. The reliability of the ages obtained for the two events are further confirmed by the presence of archaeological remains and good regional pedostratigraphic correlation. The peak discharges of two palaeoflood events at the studied sites were estimated to be 16,560-17,930 m3/s. A correlation with the palaeoflood events identified in the other reaches shows that great floods occurred frequently during the episodes of 3200-2800 and 2000-1700 a BP along the upper Hanjiang River valley during the last 4000 years. These phases of palaeoflood events in central China are well correlated with the climatic variability identified by δ18O record in the stalagmites from the middle Yangtze River Basin and show apparent global linkages. Palaeoflood studies in a watershed scale also imply that strengthened human activities during the Shang dynasty (BCE 1600-1100) and Han dynasty (BCE206-CE265) may have caused accelerated soil erosion along the upper Hanjiang River valley.

  1. Final Oahe Dam/Lake Oahe Master Plan Missouri River, South Dakota and North Dakota

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    STUDY Recreation Management Opportunities, Inc. "Market Analysis & Feasibility of Recreation & Tourism Development of the Missouri River Basin in...Missouri River between Sioux City, Iowa and the mouth near St. Louis. One of Lake Oahe’s primary water management functions is to provide the extra...slopes tend to flatten toward the stream’s mouth . Generally, the right-bank tributaries have comparatively narrow valleys and are entrenched roughly 100

  2. Geohydrology of the Valley-Fill Aquifer in the Norwich-Oxford-Brisben Area, Chenango County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hetcher, Kari K.; Miller, Todd S.; Garry, James D.; Reynolds, Richard J.

    2003-01-01

    This set of maps and geohydrologic sections depicts the geology and hydrology of aquifers in the 21.9-square-mile reach of the Chenango River valley between Brisben and North Norwich, N.Y. This report depicts the principal geographic features of the study area; locations of domestic, commercial, and municipal wells from which data were obtained to construct water-table and saturated-thickness maps and five geohydrologic sections; surficial geology; water-table altitude; generalized saturated thickness of the unconfined (water-table) aquifer; generalized thickness of the discontinuous series of confined aquifers; and five geohydrologic sections, all of which are in the northern part of the study area.The unconsolidated material in the Chenango River valley consists primarily of three types of deposits: (1) glaciofluvial material consisting of stratified coarse-grained sediment (sand and gravel) that was deposited by meltwater streams flowing above, below, or next to a glacier; (2) glaciolacustrine material consisting of stratified fine-grained sediment (very fine sand, silt, and clay) that was deposited in lakes that formed at the front of a glacier; and (3) recent alluvial material consisting of stratified fine-to-medium grained sediment (fine-to-medium sand and silt) that was deposited on flood plains.The water-table map was compiled from water-level data obtained from wells completed in the unconfined aquifer, and from altitudes of stream and river surfaces indicated on 1:24,000-scale topographic maps. Depth to the water table ranged from less than 5 feet below land surface near major streams to more than 75 feet on some of the kame terraces along the valley walls. Saturated thickness of the unconfined aquifer ranged from less than 1 foot near Norwich to more than 200 feet at a kame delta north of Oxford.A discontinuous series of confined aquifers is present throughout much of the Chenango River valley north of Oxford. These aquifers consist of kame deposits, eskers, and subglacial outwash sand and gravel deposits that are overlain and confined by lacustrine fine sand, silt, and clay. The saturated thickness of these aquifers is as much as 150 feet near North Norwich.

  3. Linking fluvial and aeolian morphodynamics in the Grand Canyon, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasprak, Alan; Bangen, Sara G.; Buscombe, Daniel; Caster, Joshua; East, Amy; Grams, Paul E.; Sankey, Joel B.

    2017-01-01

    In river valleys, fluvial and upland landscapes are intrinsically linked through sediment exchange between the active channel, near-channel fluvial deposits, and higher elevation upland deposits. During floods, sediment is transferred from channels to low-elevation nearchannel deposits [Schmidt and Rubin, 1995]. Particularly in dryland river valleys, subsequent aeolian reworking of these flood deposits redistributes sediment to higher elevation upland sites, thus maintaining naturallyoccurring aeolian landscapes [Draut, 2012].

  4. Preimpoundment water quality of the Wild Rice River, Norman County, Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tornes, L.H.

    1980-01-01

    Water samples have been collected at two sites on the Wild Rice River since September 1974 to establish baseline water-quality characteristics before construction of a reservoir for recreation and flood control near Twin Valley, Minn. A decline in water quality between the sites is shown by mean total phosphorus concentrations, which increase from 0.06 to 0.10 milligram per liter downstream, and mean turbidity, which increases from 12 to 24 units downstream. Phosphorus and ammonia concentrations, as high as 0.31 and 2.7 milligrams per liter, respectively, could be the result of domestic waste input to the river upstream from Hendrum. Biochemical oxygen demand concentrations were significantly higher during spring runoff than during the rest of the year. Four out of 90 bacteria samples taken at Twin Valley indicate the presence of human fecal material, though bacteria densities do not exceed recommendations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for public-water supplies. The dominace of organic-pollution tolerant phytoplankton in 49 out of 78 samples also indicates degradation of the river quality at Twin Valley. Nutrient concentrations at Twin Valley have no apparent effect on phytoplankton concentrations. None of the consitituents sampled were found to exceed recommended concentrations for public-water supplies.

  5. Fuel regulation in inland navigation: reduced soil black carbon and PAH deposition in river valleys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bläsing, M.; Schwark, L.; Amelung, W.; Lehndorff, E.

    2016-12-01

    Inland navigation (IN) is of increasing importance in the transport sector. Most inland waterways and inland ports are located in/near urban regions; hence many people are exposed to emissions from IN. However, its contribution to environmental quality is not yet known. Accordingly, we aimed at identifying IN emissions in the environment, and investigating consequences of the S-reduction in ship diesel (EU regulation 2009/30/EC) on IN emissions. To do so, topsoil samples were taken from vineyards in valley transects (perpendicular to rivers) at two German inland waterways (Rhine, Moselle) and one ship-free reference valley (Ahr) and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and black carbon (BC). To elucidate the effect of fuel regulation (effective since 2011), samplings were performed from 2010 to 2013. Additionally, the potential dispersal of IN emissions was simulated by a Lagrangian stochastic model. Before regulating the S-content of ship diesel by the EU directive soil samples indicated a clear impact of IN emissions on BC and PAH deposits, in at least 200 and 350 m distance to the Moselle and Rhine river, respectively. IN emissions accounted for approximately 30% of total soil BC. However, soils along waterways comprised only slightly more BC than soils in the ship-free Ahr Valley, with BC contents comparable to rural to suburban European soils. Contents of PAHs in river valleys compared to remote to urban pollution load. In the course of the fuel regulation, BC and PAH deposits in soil were reduced within three years by 30-60%, respectively. Also the quality of emissions changed to higher shares of low molecular weight PAHs and smaller proportions of soot-BC, indicating less deposition of IN emissions. The impact of the fuel regulation was more obvious at the Rhine Valley than at the Moselle Valley, likely because of higher ship traffic volume at the former. Overall, fuel regulation was effective in reducing IN emissions along inland waterways.

  6. Development of an Interactive Shoreline Management Tool for the Lower Wood River Valley, Oregon - Phase I: Stage-Volume and Stage-Area Relations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haluska, Tana L.; Snyder, Daniel T.

    2007-01-01

    This report presents the parcel and inundation area geographic information system (GIS) layers for various surface-water stages. It also presents data tables containing the water stage, inundation area, and water volume relations developed from analysis of detailed land surface elevation derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data recently collected for the Wood River Valley at the northern margin of Agency Lake in Klamath County, Oregon. Former shoreline wetlands that have been cut off from Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes by dikes might in the future be reconnected to Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes by breaching the dikes. Issues of interest associated with restoring wetlands in this way include the area that will be inundated, the volume of water that may be stored, the change in wetland habitat, and the variation in these characteristics as surface-water stage is changed. Products from this analysis can assist water managers in assessing the effect of breaching dikes and changing surface-water stage. The study area is in the approximate former northern margins of Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes in the Wood River Valley.

  7. Implications of river morphology response to Dien Bien Phu fault in NW Vietnam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lai, K.; Chen, Y.; Lam, D.

    2007-12-01

    In northern Vietnam, most rivers are flowing southeastward sub- or parallel to the valley of Red River and characterized by long but narrow catchments. The Dien Bien Phu fault is associated with the most seismically active zone in Vietnam and situated in the potential eastern boundary of the rotating southeastern Tibetan block. It cuts the Da River, the largest tributary of Red River in northwest Vietnam and has distorted the drainage basin resulting in complex river patterns. To assess the river morphology response to active Dien Bien Phu fault, we use 1/50,000 topographic data and ASTER images to map the precise river courses and digital elevation model data of SRTM to retrieve and analyze the river profiles. From the mapping results, the N-S striking fault results in three conspicuous north-trending river valleys coincided with the different fault segments to facilitate the measurement and reconstruction of the offsets along the fault. Further combining the longitudinal profile analysis we obtain ca. 10 km offsets by deflected river as the largest left-lateral displacement recorded along the active fault. The restored results show the downstream paleochannel of the Da River had been abandoned and becomes two small tributaries in opposite flow directions at present due to differential crustal uplift. Also the present crisscross valley at the junction of the Da River and the fault is resulted from the capture by another river which has been also deflected by the neotectonics. Based on our observations on river response, the Dien Bien Phu fault is a sinistral dominant fault with an uplift occurring in its eastern block. Furthermore the active Dien Bien Phu fault does not cut through the Red River northward indicating the western block of the fault can not be regarded as a single rigid block. There should be possible to find NW-SE trending faults paralleling to Red River to accommodate the deformation of the western block of the fault.

  8. Implications of river morphology response to Dien Bien Phu fault in NW Vietnam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lai, K.; Chen, Y.; Lam, D.

    2004-12-01

    In northern Vietnam, most rivers are flowing southeastward sub- or parallel to the valley of Red River and characterized by long but narrow catchments. The Dien Bien Phu fault is associated with the most seismically active zone in Vietnam and situated in the potential eastern boundary of the rotating southeastern Tibetan block. It cuts the Da River, the largest tributary of Red River in northwest Vietnam and has distorted the drainage basin resulting in complex river patterns. To assess the river morphology response to active Dien Bien Phu fault, we use 1/50,000 topographic data and ASTER images to map the precise river courses and digital elevation model data of SRTM to retrieve and analyze the river profiles. From the mapping results, the N-S striking fault results in three conspicuous north-trending river valleys coincided with the different fault segments to facilitate the measurement and reconstruction of the offsets along the fault. Further combining the longitudinal profile analysis we obtain ca. 10 km offsets by deflected river as the largest left-lateral displacement recorded along the active fault. The restored results show the downstream paleochannel of the Da River had been abandoned and becomes two small tributaries in opposite flow directions at present due to differential crustal uplift. Also the present crisscross valley at the junction of the Da River and the fault is resulted from the capture by another river which has been also deflected by the neotectonics. Based on our observations on river response, the Dien Bien Phu fault is a sinistral dominant fault with an uplift occurring in its eastern block. Furthermore the active Dien Bien Phu fault does not cut through the Red River northward indicating the western block of the fault can not be regarded as a single rigid block. There should be possible to find NW-SE trending faults paralleling to Red River to accommodate the deformation of the western block of the fault.

  9. Effects of hydrologic infrastructure on flow regimes of California's Central Valley rivers: Implications for fish populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, Larry R.; Bauer, Marissa L.

    2010-01-01

    Alteration of natural flow regimes is generally acknowledged to have negative effects on native biota; however, methods for defining ecologically appropriate flow regimes in managed river systems are only beginning to be developed. Understanding how past and present water management has affected rivers is an important part of developing such tools. In this paper, we evaluate how existing hydrologic infrastructure and management affect streamflow characteristics of rivers in the Central Valley, California and discuss those characteristics in the context of habitat requirements of native and alien fishes. We evaluated the effects of water management by comparing observed discharges with estimated discharges assuming no water management ("full natural runoff"). Rivers in the Sacramento River drainage were characterized by reduced winter–spring discharges and augmented discharges in other months. Rivers in the San Joaquin River drainage were characterized by reduced discharges in all months but particularly in winter and spring. Two largely unaltered streams had hydrographs similar to those based on full natural runoff of the regulated rivers. The reduced discharges in the San Joaquin River drainage streams are favourable for spawning of many alien species, which is consistent with observed patterns of fish distribution and abundance in the Central Valley. However, other factors, such as water temperature, are also important to the relative success of native and alien resident fishes. As water management changes in response to climate change and societal demands, interdisciplinary programs of research and monitoring will be essential for anticipating effects on fishes and to avoid unanticipated ecological outcomes.

  10. Snake River Sockeye Salmon Habitat and Limnological Research; 1995 Annual Report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Teuscher, David; Taki, Doug

    1996-05-01

    This report contains studies which are part of the Bonneville Power Administration`s program to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife affected by the development and operation of hydroelectric facilities on the Columbia River and its tributaries. Attention is focused on population monitoring studies in the Sawtooth Valley Lakes. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

  11. Temporal Variation Analysis on Climate of Dry-Hot Valley Since 1950s in Upper Yangtze River Basin, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, L.; Cai, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Climate of dry-hot valley areas regarding their long term temporal changes are seldom studied. In this paper, climate change in lower reach of Yalongjiang River, a typical dry-hot valley area locating in upper Yangtze River Basin, was analyzed. Ten single meteorological factors were used to investigate basic climatic characteristics, and two integrated index (i.e. relative evapotranspiration(AET/P), standard precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI)) were selected to reflect changes from human activities and gauge climate drought regime. Mann-Kendall mutation test was applied to identify mutation year, and variation trends were diagnosed with linear regression and distance average analysis. Mean values were tested to find if there were significant changes resulting from a large artificial reservoir constructed in 1999. Results of mutation test showed that minimum temperature, relative humidity, and AET/P in two stations changed significantly in 2000s. Temperature increased since 1990s, and other single index fluctuated in recent 50 years. Precipitation decreased and temperature increased in autumn significantly, while precipitation in summer decreased slightly. The variation of SPEI implied that the area was humid from 1980s to 2000s, but drought in 2010s. The results of mean test indicated that 56% meteorological index changed significantly, which might be related to the construction of the large reservoir. This research not only reveals the climate change in a dry-hot valley, but also helps study concerning human activities especially the construction of cascade reservoirs in the future in this area.

  12. Environmental effects of aquifer overexploitation: a case study in the highlands of Mexico.

    PubMed

    Esteller, Maria Vicenta; Diaz-Delgado, Carlos

    2002-02-01

    There are several environmental processes occurring under aquifer overexploitation conditions. These processes include groundwater table decline, subsidence, attenuation and drying of springs, decrease of river flow, and increased pollution vulnerability, among others processes. Some of these effects have been observed on the Upper Basin of the Lerma River. The Lerma River begins in the SE of the Valley of Toluca at 2,600 m asl, in the wetland known as Lagoons of Almoloya del Río. This wetland is made up of a group of lagoons, which are an important aquatic system from an environmental point of view. The water inflow of this wetland is a discharge of springs, which occur between the fractured volcanic material of the mountain range and granular volcanic-continental deposits of the Valley of Toluca aquifer. The intensive exploitation of the Valley of Toluca aquifer to supply urban and industrial water to Mexico City and Toluca began in 1950 and is responsible for a steady decline of piezometric levels of 1-3.5 m/yr. Other effects of this exploitation--the drying of the wetland, the decrease of river flow and the land subsidence--caused serious ecological and social impacts. The authorities declared this aquifer as overexploited in order to reduce the exploitation and preserve the availability of water resources in this important region.

  13. 75 FR 42728 - Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc.; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-22

    ... Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the Silver Lake Hydroelectric Project, located on Silver Lake and Duck River, in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska. The sole purpose of a preliminary...-high roller-compacted concrete dam constructed at the outfall of Silver Lake to Duck River; (2) Silver...

  14. Quaternary fluvial history of the Delaware River, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, USA: The effects of glaciation, glacioisostasy, and eustasy on a proglacial river system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanford, Scott D.; Witte, Ron W.; Braun, Duane D.; Ridge, John C.

    2016-07-01

    Fluvial, glacial, and estuarine deposits in the Delaware Valley record the response of the Delaware River to glaciation, sea-level change, and glacioisostasy during the Quaternary. Incision following an early Pleistocene glaciation created the present valley, which is inset into a Pliocene strath and fluvial plain. Middle and upper Pleistocene and Holocene deposits were laid down in this inset valley. Estuarine terraces in the lower valley and bayshore at + 20 m (probably Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 11), + 8 m (MIS 5e), and + 3 m (MIS 5a or c), and a fluvial deposit that correlates to offshore MIS 3 marine deposits at - 20 m are at elevations consistent with glacioisostatic models. Successive incisions during lowstands in the middle and late Pleistocene lengthened, deepened, and narrowed the channel in the lower valley and shifted the channel westward in Delaware Bay. During MIS 2 glaciation, from 25 to 18 ka, the Delaware was diverted to the Hudson Shelf Valley by glacioisostatic tilting. Most glacial sediment was trapped in fluvial-lacustrine valley fills north of the terminal moraine. Incision of the valley fill was accomplished during the early stage of rebound, between 17 and 12 ka. Drainage to the Delaware shelf was restored between 15 and 13 ka as the forebulge collapsed. During incision, multiple postglacial terraces formed where the valley was perpendicular to rebound contours and so was steepened and elevated northward; and a single terrace formed where the valley paralleled the contours, and there was no differential elevation or steepening. About 65% of the original volume of MIS 2 glacial sediment remains in the main valley, and most of the eroded volume is in the channel in the lower valley beneath Holocene estuarine fill. Little glacial sediment reached the Delaware or Hudson shelf. Overbank deposition on the lower postglacial terrace and modern floodplain spans the Holocene. The volume of Holocene sediment in the estuary and bay yields a basinwide denudation rate of about 20 m/my.

  15. Volcano hazards in the Mount Hood region, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Scott, W.E.; Pierson, T.C.; Schilling, S.P.; Costa, J.E.; Gardner, C.A.; Vallance, J.W.; Major, J.J.

    1997-01-01

    Mount Hood is a potentially active volcano close to rapidly growing communities and recreation areas. The most likely widespread and hazardous consequence of a future eruption will be for lahars (rapidly moving mudflows) to sweep down the entire length of the Sandy (including the Zigzag) and White River valleys. Lahars can be generated by hot volcanic flows that melt snow and ice or by landslides from the steep upper flanks of the volcano. Structures close to river channels are at greatest risk of being destroyed. The degree of hazard decreases as height above a channel increases, but large lahars can affect areas more than 30 vertical meters (100 vertical feet) above river beds. The probability of eruption-generated lahars affecting the Sandy and White River valleys is 1-in-15 to l-in-30 during the next 30 years, whereas the probability of extensive areas in the Hood River Valley being affected by lahars is about ten times less. The accompanying volcano-hazard-zonation map outlines areas potentially at risk and shows that some areas may be too close for a reasonable chance of escape or survival during an eruption. Future eruptions of Mount Hood could seriously disrupt transportation (air, river, and highway), some municipal water supplies, and hydroelectric power generation and transmission in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.

  16. Water circulation within a high-Arctic glaciated valley (Petunia Bay, Central Spitsbergen): Recharge of a glacial river

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marciniak, Marek; Dragon, Krzysztof; Chudziak, Łukasz

    2014-05-01

    This article presents an investigation of the runoff of a glacial river located in the high Arctic region of Spitsbergen. The Ebba River runoff was measured during three melting seasons of 2007, 2008 and 2009. The most important component of the river recharge is the flow of melting water from glaciers (76-82% of total river runoff). However, the other components (surface water and groundwater) also made a significant contribution to the river recharge. The contribution of groundwater flow in total river runoff was estimated by measurements performed in four groups of piezometers located in different parts of the valley. The hydrogeological parameters that characterize shallow aquifer (thickness of the active layer, hydraulic conductivity, groundwater level fluctuations) were recognized by direct field measurements. The groundwater recharging river was the most variable recharge component, and ranged from 1% of the total runoff at the beginning of the melting season to even 27% at the end of summer.

  17. Preliminary Study of the Effect of the Proposed Long Lake Valley Project Operation on the Transport of Larval Suckers in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wood, Tamara M.

    2009-01-01

    A hydrodynamic model of Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon, was used to explore the effects of the operation of proposed offstream storage at Long Lake Valley on transport of larval suckers through the Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes system during May and June, when larval fish leave spawning sites in the Williamson River and springs along the eastern shoreline and become entrained in lake currents. A range in hydrologic conditions was considered, including historically high and low outflows and inflows, lake elevations, and the operation of pumps between Upper Klamath Lake and storage in Long Lake Valley. Two wind-forcing scenarios were considered: one dominated by moderate prevailing winds and another dominated by a strong reversal of winds from the prevailing direction. On the basis of 24 model simulations that used all combinations of hydrology and wind forcing, as well as With Project and No Action scenarios, it was determined that the biggest effect of project operations on larval transport was the result of alterations in project management of the elevation in Upper Klamath Lake and the outflow at the Link River and A Canal, rather than the result of pumping operations. This was because, during the spring time period of interest, the amount of water pumped between Upper Klamath Lake and Long Lake Valley was generally small. The dominant effect was that an increase in lake elevation would result in more larvae in the Williamson River delta and in Agency Lake, an effect that was enhanced under conditions of wind reversal. A decrease in lake elevation accompanied by an increase in the outflow at the Link River had the opposite effect on larval concentration and residence time.

  18. Interdecadal variability of the Afro-Asian summer monsoon system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yi; Ding, Yihui; Li, Weijing

    2017-07-01

    The Afro-Asian summer monsoon is a zonally planetary-scale system, with a large-scale rainbelt covering Africa, South Asia and East Asia on interdecadal timescales both in the past century (1901-2014) and during the last three decades (1979-2014). A recent abrupt change of precipitation occurred in the late 1990s. Since then, the entire rainbelt of the Afro-Asia monsoon system has advanced northwards in a coordinated way. Consistent increases in precipitation over the Huanghe-Huaihe River valley and the Sahel are associated with the teleconnection pattern excited by the warm phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). A teleconnection wave train, with alternating cyclones/anticyclones, is detected in the upper troposphere. Along the teleconnection path, the configuration of circulation anomalies in North Africa is characterized by coupling of the upper-level anticyclone (divergence) with low-level thermal low pressure (convergence), facilitating the initiation and development of ascending motions in the Sahel. Similarly, in East Asia, a coupled circulation pattern also excites ascending motion in the Huanghe-Huaihe River valley. The synchronous increase in precipitation over the Sahel and Huanghe-Huaihe River valley can be attributed to the co-occurrences and in-phase changes of ascending motion. On the other hand, the warm phase of the AMO results in significant warming in the upper troposphere in North Africa and the northern part of East Asia. Such warming contributes to intensification of the tropical easterly jet through increasing the meridional pressure gradient both at the entrance region (East Asia) and the exit region (Africa). Accordingly, precipitation over the Sahel and Huanghe-Huaihe River valley intensifies, owing to ageostrophic secondary cells. The results of this study provide evidence for a consistent and holistic interdecadal change in the Afro-Asian summer monsoon.

  19. New summer areas and mixing of two greater sandhill crane populations in the Intermountain West

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Collins, Daniel P.; Grisham, Blake A.; Conring, Courtenay M.; Knetter, Jeffrey M.; Conway, Warren C.; Carleton, Scott A.; Boggie, Matthew A.

    2016-01-01

    Population delineation throughout the annual life cycle for migratory birds is needed to formulate regional and national management and conservation strategies. Despite being well studied continentally, connectivity of sandhill crane Grus canadensis populations throughout the western portion of their North American range remains poorly described. Our objectives were to 1) use global positioning system satellite transmitter terminals to identify summer distributions for the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of greater sandhill cranes Grus canadensis tabida and 2) determine whether intermingling occurs among any of the western greater sandhill crane populations: Rocky Mountain Population, Lower Colorado River Valley Population, and Central Valley Population. Capture and marking occurred during winter and summer on private lands in California and Idaho as well as on two National Wildlife Refuges: Cibola and Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuges. A majority of marked greater sandhill cranes summered in what is established Lower Colorado River Valley Population breeding areas in northeastern Nevada and southwestern Idaho. A handful of greater sandhill cranes summered outside of traditional breeding areas in west-central Idaho around Cascade Reservoir near Donnelly and Cascade, Idaho. For example, a greater sandhill crane colt captured near Donnelly in July 2014 survived to winter migration and moved south to areas associated with the Rocky Mountain Population. The integration of the greater sandhill crane colt captured near Donnelly provides the first evidence of potential intermingling between the Lower Colorado River Population and Rocky Mountain Population. We suggest continued marking and banding efforts of all three western populations of greater sandhill cranes will accurately delineate population boundaries and connectivity and inform management decisions for the three populations.

  20. East Asian Summer Monsoon Rainfall: A Historical Perspective of the 1998 Flood over Yangtze River

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weng, H.-Y.; Lau, K.-M.

    1999-01-01

    One of the main factors that might have caused the disastrous flood in China during 1998 summer is long-term variations that include a trend indicating increasing monsoon rainfall over the Yangtze River Valley. China's 160-station monthly rainfall anomaly for the summers of 1955-98 is analyzed for exploring such long-term variations. Singular value decomposition (SVD) between the summer rainfall and the global sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies reveals that the rainfall over Yangtze River Valley is closely related to global and regional SST variabilities at both interannual and interdecadal timescales. SVD1 mode links the above normal rainfall condition in central China to an El Nino-like SSTA distribution, varying on interannual timescale modified by a trend during the period. SVD3 mode links positive rainfall anomaly in Yangtze River Valley to the warm SST anomaly in the subtropical western Pacific, varying on interannual timescales modified by interdecadal timescales. This link tends to be stronger when the Nino3 area becomes colder and the western subtropical Pacific becomes warmer. The 1998 summer is a transition season when the 1997/98 El Nino event was in its decaying phase, and the SST in the Nino3 area emerged below normal anomaly while the subtropical western Pacific SST above normal. Thus, the first and third SVD modes become dominant in 1998 summer, favoring more Asian summer monsoon rainfall over the Yangtze River Valley.

  1. River restoration strategies in channelized, low-gradient landscapes of West Tennessee, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, D.P.; Diehl, T.H.; Turrini-Smith, L. A.; Maas-Baldwin, J.; Croyle, Z.

    2009-01-01

    West Tennessee has a complex history of watershed disturbance, including agricultural erosion, channelization, accelerated valley sedimentation, and the removal and reestablishment of beaver. Watershed management has evolved from fl oodplain drainage via pervasive channelization to include local drainage canal maintenance and local river restoration. Many unmaintained canals are undergoing excessive aggradation and complex channel evolution driven by upland erosion and low valley gradient. The locus of aggradation in fully occluded canals (valley plugs) moves up-valley as sediment continues to accumulate in the backwater behind the plug. Valley plugs that cause canal avulsion can lead to redevelopment of meandering channels in less disturbed areas of the fl oodplain, in a process of passive self-restoration. Some valley plugs have brought restored fl oodplain function, reoccupation of extant historic river channels, and formation of a "sediment shadow" that protects downstream reaches from excess sedimentation. Despite the presence of numerous opportunities, there is presently no mechanism for including valley plugs in mitigation projects. In 1997 a survey of 14 reference reach cross sections documented relations between drainage area and bankfull geometry of relatively unmodified streams in West Tennessee. Reassessment of seven of those sites in 2007 showed that one had been dammed by beaver and that two sites could not be analyzed further because of signifi cant vertical or lateral instability. In contrast to other regions of North America, the results suggest that stream channels in this region fl ood more frequently than once each year, and can remain out of banks for several weeks each year. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

  2. Evaluating the role of river-floodplain connectivity in providing beneficial hydrologic services in mountain landscapes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Covino, T. P.; Wegener, P.; Weiss, T.; Wohl, E.; Rhoades, C.

    2017-12-01

    River networks of mountain landscapes tend to be dominated by steep, valley-confined channels that have limited floodplain area and low hydrologic buffering capacity. Interspersed between the narrow segments are wide, low-gradient segments where extensive floodplains, wetlands, and riparian areas can develop. Although they tend to be limited in their frequency relative to the narrow valley segments, the low-gradient, wide portions of mountain channel networks can be particularly important to hydrologic buffering and can be sites of high nutrient retention and ecosystem productivity. Hydrologic buffering along the wide valley segments is dependent on lateral hydrologic connectivity between the river and floodplain, however these connections have been increasingly severed as a result of various land and water management practices. We evaluated the role of river-floodplain connectivity in influencing water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and nutrient flux in river networks of the Colorado Rockies. We found that disconnected segments with limited floodplain/riparian area had limited buffering capacity, while connected segments exhibited variable source-sink dynamics as a function of flow. Specifically, connected segments were typically a sink for water, DOC, and nutrients during high flows, and subsequently became a source as flows decreased. Shifts in river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity across flows related to higher and more variable aquatic ecosystem metabolism rates along connected relative to disconnected segments. Our data suggest that lateral hydrologic connectivity in wide valleys can enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical buffering, and promote high rates of aquatic ecosystem metabolism. While hydrologic disconnection in one river-floodplain system is unlikely to influence water resources at larger scales, the cumulative effects of widespread disconnection may be substantial. Because intact river-floodplain (i.e., connected) systems provide numerous hydrologic and ecologic benefits, understanding the dynamics and cumulative effects of disconnection is an important step toward improved water resource and ecosystem management.

  3. River Sensitivity and Catchment Connectivity: Key Controls on Geomorphic Response and Effectiveness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lisenby, P.; Fryirs, K.; Croke, J.

    2016-12-01

    The sensitivity of river channels to adjustment and the dynamics of sediment connectivity along a channel network are key controls on the capacity (ability) for a river system to adjust, i.e. the severity, distribution, and type of geomorphic response to disturbance events. In turn, the cumulative impact of geomorphic responses compared with event magnitude will determine the geomorphic effectiveness of a single disturbance event. River sensitivity and sediment connectivity can change significantly over space and time, and vary with changes in internal factors such as channel type and geomorphic landform and external factors such as event sequencing and lithological controls. Correspondingly, the capacity for a geomorphic system to respond to disturbance events will also vary, so that geomorphic effectiveness is not definitively characterized by a static relationship between event magnitude and geomorphic response, but rather is a dynamic comparison between geomorphic response and an actively changing capacity for geomorphic adjustment. Herein, we use the Lockyer Valley, Queensland as a case study to illustrate the variability of river sensitivity and sediment connectivity. We relate this variability to the potential and capacity for geomorphic channel response. We find that the sensitivity to and capacity for geomorphic adjustment varies significantly with channel morphometry and valley position. Additionally, the nature of bedload sediment connectivity changes with the distribution of geomorphic landforms and channel weirs that can impede sediment transference through the system. This variability of river sensitivity and sediment connectivity will control the nature of geomorphic response to disturbance events within the Lockyer Valley. Ultimately, determinations of geomorphic effectiveness for disturbance events will depend on comparisons of their geomorphic impacts with the capacity of the Lockyer geomorphic system to respond.

  4. Quantifying flooding regime in floodplain forests to guide river restoration

    Treesearch

    Christian O. Marks; Keith H. Nislow; Francis J. Magilligan

    2014-01-01

    Determining the flooding regime needed to support distinctive floodplain forests is essential for effective river conservation under the ubiquitous human alteration of river flows characteristic of the Anthropocene Era. At over 100 sites throughout the Connecticut River basin, the largest river system in New England, we characterized species composition, valley and...

  5. Water resources of the Big Sioux River Valley near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jorgensen, Donald G.; Ackroyd, Earl A.

    1973-01-01

    Water from the river is generally less mineralized, softer, and easier to treat than ground water. Water pumped from wells near the river is similar in quality to the river water, but does not have the objectionable odors or tastes often present in water from the river.

  6. The Pleistocene rivers of the English Channel region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antoine, Pierre; Coutard, Jean-Pierre; Gibbard, Philip; Hallegouet, Bernard; Lautridou, Jean-Pierre; Ozouf, Jean-Claude

    2003-02-01

    The Pleistocene history of river systems that enter the English Channel from northern France and southern England is reviewed. During periods of low sea-level (cold stages) these streams were tributaries of the Channel River. In southern England the largest, the River Solent, is an axial stream that has drained the Hampshire Basin from the Early Pleistocene or late Pliocene. Other streams of southern England may be of similar antiquity but their records are generally short and their sedimentary history have been destroyed, as in northern Brittany, by coastal erosion and valley deepening as a consequence of tectonic uplift. In northern France, the Seine and Somme rivers have very well developed terrace systems recording incision that began at around 1 Ma. The uplift rate, deduced from the study of these terrace systems, is of 55 to 60 m myr-1 since the end of the Early Pleistocene. Generally the facies and sedimentary structures indicate that the bulk of the deposits in these rivers accumulated in braided river environments under periglacial climates in all the area around the Channel. Evolution of the rivers reflects their responses to climatic change, local geological structure and long-term tectonic activity. In this context the Middle Somme valley is characterised by a regular pattern in which incision occurs at the beginning of each glacial period within a general background of uplift. Nevertheless the response of the different rivers to climatic variations, uplift and sea-level changes is complex and variable according to the different parts of the river courses.

  7. Effect of slope failures on river-network pattern: A river piracy case study from the flysch belt of the Outer Western Carpathians

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baroň, Ivo; Bíl, Michal; Bábek, Ondřej; Smolková, Veronika; Pánek, Tomáš; Macur, Lukáš

    2014-06-01

    Landslides are important geomorphic agents in various mountainous settings. We document here a case of river piracy from the upper part of the Malá Brodská Valley in the Vsetínské Mts., Czech Republic (Rača Unit of the flysch Magura Group of Nappes, flysch belt of the Outer Western Carpathians) controlled by mass movement processes. Based on the field geological, geomorphological and geophysical data, we found out that the landslide accumulations pushed the more active river of out of two subparallel river channels with different erosion activity westwards and forced intensive lateral erosion towards the recently abandoned valley. Apart from the landslide processes, the presence of the N-striking fault, accentuated by higher flow rates of the eastern channel as a result of its larger catchment area, were the most critical factors of the river piracy. As a consequence of the river piracy, intensive retrograde erosion in the elbow of capture and also within the upper portion of the western catchment occurred. Deposits of two landslide dams document recent minimum erosion rates to be 18.8 mm.ky- 1 in the western (captured) catchment, and 3.6 mm.ky- 1 in the eastern catchment respectively. The maximum age of the river piracy is estimated to be of the late Glacial and/or the early Holocene.

  8. Geology and geomorphology of Bear Lake Valley and upper Bear River, Utah and Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reheis, M.C.; Laabs, B.J.C.; Kaufman, D.S.

    2009-01-01

    Bear Lake, on the Idaho-Utah border, lies in a fault-bounded valley through which the Bear River flows en route to the Great Salt Lake. Surficial deposits in the Bear Lake drainage basin provide a geologic context for interpretation of cores from Bear Lake deposits. In addition to groundwater discharge, Bear Lake received water and sediment from its own small drainage basin and sometimes from the Bear River and its glaciated headwaters. The lake basin interacts with the river in complex ways that are modulated by climatically induced lake-level changes, by the distribution of active Quaternary faults, and by the migration of the river across its fluvial fan north of the present lake. The upper Bear River flows northward for ???150 km from its headwaters in the northwestern Uinta Mountains, generally following the strike of regional Laramide and late Cenozoic structures. These structures likely also control the flow paths of groundwater that feeds Bear Lake, and groundwater-fed streams are the largest source of water when the lake is isolated from the Bear River. The present configuration of the Bear River with respect to Bear Lake Valley may not have been established until the late Pliocene. The absence of Uinta Range-derived quartzites in fluvial gravel on the crest of the Bear Lake Plateau east of Bear Lake suggests that the present headwaters were not part of the drainage basin in the late Tertiary. Newly mapped glacial deposits in the Bear River Range west of Bear Lake indicate several advances of valley glaciers that were probably coeval with glaciations in the Uinta Mountains. Much of the meltwater from these glaciers may have reached Bear Lake via groundwater pathways through infiltration in the karst terrain of the Bear River Range. At times during the Pleistocene, the Bear River flowed into Bear Lake and water level rose to the valley threshold at Nounan narrows. This threshold has been modified by aggradation, downcutting, and tectonics. Maximum lake levels have decreased from as high as 1830 m to 1806 m above sea level since the early Pleistocene due to episodic downcutting by the Bear River. The oldest exposed lacustrine sediments in Bear Lake Valley are probably of Pliocene age. Several high-lake phases during the early and middle Pleistocene were separated by episodes of fluvial incision. Threshold incision was not constant, however, because lake highstands of as much as 8 m above bedrock threshold level resulted from aggradation and possibly landsliding at least twice during the late-middle and late Pleistocene. Abandoned stream channels within the low-lying, fault-bounded region between Bear Lake and the modern Bear River show that Bear River progressively shifted northward during the Holocene. Several factors including faulting, location of the fluvial fan, and channel migration across the fluvial fan probably interacted to produce these changes in channel position. Late Quaternary slip rates on the east Bear Lake fault zone are estimated by using the water-level history of Bear Lake, assuming little or no displacement on dated deposits on the west side of the valley. Uplifted lacustrine deposits representing Pliocene to middle Pleistocene highstands of Bear Lake on the footwall block of the east Bear Lake fault zone provide dramatic evidence of long-term slip. Slip rates during the late Pleistocene increased from north to south along the east Bear Lake fault zone, consistent with the tectonic geomorphology. In addition, slip rates on the southern section of the fault zone have apparently decreased over the past 50 k.y. Copyright ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

  9. La Farge Lake, Kickapoo River, Vernon County, Wisconsin, Final Environmental Statement.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1972-02-18

    topography of the river basin is rugged, of steep-walled valleys separated by narrow, rounded divides. U • ommunities of Steuben, Gays Mills, Soldiers...upon the economy and sociology of the Kickapoo Valley. Lasis in the lake area would shift from agriculture to tourism ,r by possible industrial...expected as new businesses develop and existing businesses expand to accommodate tourism . Any business that caters to the recreationist can expect to F

  10. Transformation of a landscape in the upper mid-west, USA: The history of the St. Croix river valley, 1830 to present

    Treesearch

    Osh (Barbara) Andersen; Thomas R. Crow; Sue M. Lietz; Forest Stearns

    1996-01-01

    Learning the history of a landscape is critical to understanding present land-use patterns. We document the history of landscape change in the lower St. Croix River valley from 1830 to the present. Significant changes in land use and cover have occurred during this time. Because of the convergence of prairie, savanna and forest vegetation in this area, and because of...

  11. Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, 2007-California GAMA Priority Basin Project

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burton, Carmen A.; Montrella, Joseph; Landon, Matthew K.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    Groundwater quality in the approximately 460-square-mile Santa Clara River Valley study unit was investigated from April through June 2007 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the California State Water Resources Control Board and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Santa Clara River Valley study unit contains eight groundwater basins located in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties and is within the Transverse and Selected Peninsular Ranges hydrogeologic province. The Santa Clara River Valley study unit was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of the quality of untreated (raw) groundwater in the primary aquifer system. The assessment is based on water-quality and ancillary data collected in 2007 by the USGS from 42 wells on a spatially distributed grid, and on water-quality data from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database. The primary aquifer system was defined as that part of the aquifer system corresponding to the perforation intervals of wells listed in the CDPH database for the Santa Clara River Valley study unit. The quality of groundwater in the primary aquifer system may differ from that in shallow or deep water-bearing zones; for example, shallow groundwater may be more vulnerable to surficial contamination. Eleven additional wells were sampled by the USGS to improve understanding of factors affecting water quality.The status assessment of the quality of the groundwater used data from samples analyzed for anthropogenic constituents, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides, as well as naturally occurring inorganic constituents, such as major ions and trace elements. The status assessment is intended to characterize the quality of untreated groundwater resources in the primary aquifers of the Santa Clara River Valley study unit, not the quality of treated drinking water delivered to consumers. Relative-concentrations (sample concentration divided by health- or aesthetic-based benchmark concentration) were used for evaluating groundwater quality for those constituents that have Federal and (or) California benchmarks. A relative-concentration greater than 1.0 indicates a concentration greater than a benchmark. For organic and special interest constituents, relative-concentrations were classified as high (greater than 1.0); moderate (greater than 0.1 and less than or equal to 1.0); and low (less than or equal to 0.1). For inorganic constituents, relative-concentrations were classified as high (greater than 1.0); moderate (greater than 0.5 and less than or equal to 1.0); and low (less than or equal to 0.5). Aquifer-scale proportion was used as the primary metric in the status assessment for evaluating regional-scale groundwater quality. High aquifer-scale proportion is defined as the areal percentage of the primary aquifer system with relative-concentrations greater than 1.0. Moderate and low aquifer-scale proportions are defined as the areal percentage of the primary aquifer system with moderate and low relative-concentrations, respectively. Two statistical approaches, grid-based and spatially weighted, were used to evaluate aquifer-scale proportions for individual constituents and classes of constituents. Grid-based and spatially weighted estimates were comparable in the Santa Clara River Valley study unit (within 90 percent confidence intervals). The status assessment showed that inorganic constituents were more prevalent and relative-concentrations were higher than for organic constituents. For inorganic constituents with human-health benchmarks, relative-concentrations (of one or more constituents) were high in 21 percent of the primary aquifer system areally, moderate in 30 percent, and low or not detected in 49 percent. Inorganic constituents with human-health benchmarks with high aquifer-scale proportions were nitrate (15 percent of the primary aquifer system), gross alpha radioactivity (14 percent), vanadium (3.4 percent), boron (3.2 percent), and arsenic (2.3 percent). For inorganic constituents with aesthetic benchmarks, relative-concentrations (of one or more constituents) were high in 54 percent of the primary aquifer system, moderate in 41 percent, and low or not detected in 4 percent. The inorganic constituents with aesthetic benchmarks with high aquifer-scale proportions were total dissolved solids (35 percent), sulfate (22 percent), manganese (38 percent), and iron (22 percent). In contrast, the results of the status assessment for organic constituents with human-health benchmarks showed that relative-concentrations were high in 0 percent (not detected above benchmarks) of the primary aquifer system, moderate in 2.4 percent, and low or not detected in 97 percent. Relative-concentrations of the special interest constituent, perchlorate, were moderate in 12 percent of the primary aquifer system and low or not detected in 88 percent. Relative-concentrations of two VOCs-carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethene (TCE)-were moderate in 2.4 percent of the primary aquifer system. One VOC-chloroform (water disinfection byproduct)-was detected in more than 10 percent of the primary aquifer system but at low relative-concentrations. Of the 88 VOCs and gasoline oxygenates analyzed, 71 were not detected. Pesticides were low or not detected in 100 percent of the primary aquifer system. Of the 118 pesticides and pesticide degradates analyzed, 13 were detected and 5 of those had human-health benchmarks. Two of these five pesticides-simazine and atrazine-were detected in more than 10 percent of the primary aquifer system. The second component of this study, the understanding assessment, was to identify the natural and human factors that affect groundwater quality on the basis of the evaluation of land use, physical characteristics of the wells, and geochemical conditions of the aquifer. Results from these analyses are used to explain the occurrence and distribution of selected constituents in the primary aquifer system of the Santa Clara River Valley study unit. The understanding assessment indicated that water quality varied spatially primarily in relation to depth, groundwater age, reduction-oxidation conditions, pH, and location in the regional groundwater flow system. High and moderate relative-concentrations of nitrate and low relative-concentrations of pesticides were correlated with shallow depths to top-of-perforation, and with high dissolved oxygen. Groundwater of modern and mixed ages had higher nitrate than pre-modern-age groundwater. Decreases in concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and sulfate were correlated with increases in pH. This relationship probably indicates relations of these constituents with increasing depth across most of the Santa Clara River Valley study unit. Previous studies have indicated multiple sources of high concentrations of TDS and sulfate and multiple geochemical processes affecting these constituents in the Santa Clara River Valley study unit. Manganese and iron concentrations were highest in pre-modern-age groundwater at depth and in the downgradient area of the Santa Clara River Valley study unit (closest to the coastline), indicating the prevalence of reducing groundwater conditions in these aquifer zones.

  12. Early Holocene pecan, Carya illinoensis, in the Mississippi River Valley near Muscatine, Iowa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bettis, E. Arthur; Baker, R.G.; Nations, B.K.; Benn, D.W.

    1990-01-01

    A fossil pecan, Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch, from floodplain sediments of the Mississippi River near Muscatine, Iowa, was accelerator-dated at 7280 ?? 120 yr B.P. This discovery indicates that pecan was at or near its present northern limit by that time. Carya pollen profiles from the Mississippi River Trench indicate that hickory pollen percentages were much higher in the valley than at upland locations during the early Holocene. Pecan, the hickory with the most restricted riparian habitat, is the likely candidate for producing these peaks in Carya pollen percentages. Therefore, pecan may have reached its northern limit as early as 10,300 yr B.P. Its abundance in Early Archaic archaeological sites and the co-occurrence of early Holocene Carya pollen peaks with the arrival of the Dalton artifact complex in the Upper Mississippi Valley suggest that humans may have played a role in the early dispersal of pecan. ?? 1990.

  13. Early Holocene pecan, Carya illinoensis, in the Mississippi River Valley near Muscatine, Iowa*1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bettis, E. Arthur; Baker, Richard G.; Nations, Brenda K.; Benn, David W.

    1990-01-01

    A fossil pecan, Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch, from floodplain sediments of the Mississippi River near Muscatine, Iowa, was accelerator-dated at 7280 ± 120 yr B.P. This discovery indicates that pecan was at or near its present northern limit by that time. Carya pollen profiles from the Mississippi River Trench indicate that hickory pollen percentages were much higher in the valley than at upland locations during the early Holocene. Pecan, the hickory with the most restricted riparian habitat, is the likely candidate for producing these peaks in Carya pollen percentages. Therefore, pecan may have reached its northern limit as early as 10,300 yr B.P. Its abundance in Early Archaic archaeological sites and the co-occurrence of early Holocene Carya pollen peaks with the arrival of the Dalton artifact complex in the Upper Mississippi Valley suggest that humans may have played a role in the early dispersal of pecan.

  14. The Wichita Valley irrigation project: Joseph Kemp, boosterism, and conservation in northwest Texas, 1886-1939.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Jahue

    2011-01-01

    This is the story of failure: in this case, an irrigation project that never met its boosters' expectations. Between 1880 and 1930, Wichita Falls entrepreneur Joseph Kemp dreamed of an agrarian Eden on the Texas rolling plains. Kemp promoted reclamation and conservation and envisioned the Big Wichita River Valley as the "Irrigated Valley." But the process of bringing dams and irrigation ditches to the Big Wichita River ignored knowledge of the river and local environment, which ultimately was key to making these complex systems work. The boosters faced serious ecological limitations and political obstacles in their efforts to conquer water, accomplishing only parts of the grandiose vision. Ultimately, salty waters and poor drainage doomed the project. While the livestock industry survived and the oil business thrived in the subsequent decades, the dream of idyllic irrigated farmsteads slowly disappeared.

  15. Summary of public water-supply withdrawals and geohydrologic data for the lower Connecticut River valley from Windsor to Vernon, Vermont

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ayotte, Joseph

    1989-01-01

    Public water supply withdrawal data and geohydrologic data were collected along a 50 mile segment of the Connecticut River valley from Windsor to Vernon, Vermont. An inventory of wells indicates that domestic groundwater supplies come primarily from bedrock, whereas public water supplies are derived from discontinuous, glacial sand and gravel deposits. Self supplied industries generally use surface water supplies. Data from eight seismic-refraction surveys, and from a seismic-reflection survey along this 50-mile reach of the Connecticut River, were compared with stratigraphic information from 217 drillers ' logs. Stratified-drift deposits range from 0 to 270 ft and average about 65 ft. Stratigraphic information from drillers ' logs and seismic-reflection records show that predominantly fine-grained stratified drift fills the valley and that coarse sand and gravel deposits exist discontinuously within this area. (USGS)

  16. Preliminary report on geophysics of the Verde River headwaters region, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langenheim, V.E.; Duval, J.S.; Wirt, Laurie; DeWitt, Ed

    2000-01-01

    This report summarizes the acquisition, data processing, and preliminary interpretation of a high-resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric survey near the confluence of the Big and Little Chino basins in the headwaters of the Verde River, Arizona. The goal of the aeromagnetic study is to improve understanding of the geologic framework as it affects groundwater flow, particularly in relation to the occurrence of springs in the upper Verde River headwaters region. Radiometric data were also collected to map surficial rocks and soils, thus aiding geologic mapping of the basin fill. Additional gravity data were collected to enhance existing coverage. Both aeromagnetic and gravity data indicate a large gradient along the Big Chino fault, a fault with Quaternary movement. Filtered aeromagnetic data show other possible faults within the basin fill and areas where volcanic rocks are shallowly buried. Gravity lows associated with Big Chino and Williamson Valleys indicate potentially significant accumulations of low-density basin fill. The absence of a gravity low associated with Little Chino Valley indicates that high-density rocks are shallow. The radiometric maps show higher radioactivity associated with the Tertiary latites and with the sediments derived from them. The surficial materials on the eastern side of the Big Chino Valley are significantly lower in radioactivity and reflect the materials derived from the limestone and basalt east of the valley. The dividing line between the low radioactivity materials to the east and the higher radioactiviy materials to the west coincides approximately with the major drainage system of the valley, locally known as Big Chino Wash. This feature is remarkably straight and is approximately parallel to the Big Chino Fault. The uranium map shows large areas with concentrations greater than 5 ppm eU, and we expect that these areas will have a significantly higher risk potential for indoor radon.

  17. Hydrogeology and ground-water/surface water interactions in the Des Moines River valley, southwestern Minnesota, 1997-2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cowdery, Timothy K.

    2005-01-01

    Long-term withdrawals of water for public supplies may cause a net decrease in ground-water discharge to surface water. Water that does not evaporate, or that is not exported, is discharged to the Des Moines River but with changed water quality. Because ground-water and surface-water qualities in the study area are similar, the ground-water discharge probably has little effect on river water quality.

  18. Hydrologic Setting and Conceptual Hydrologic Model of the Walker River Basin, West-Central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lopes, Thomas J.; Allander, Kip K.

    2009-01-01

    The Walker River is the main source of inflow to Walker Lake, a closed-basin lake in west-central Nevada. Between 1882 and 2008, agricultural diversions resulted in a lake-level decline of more than 150 feet and storage loss of 7,400,000 acre-ft. Evaporative concentration increased dissolved solids from 2,500 to 17,000 milligrams per liter. The increase in salinity threatens the survival of the Lahontan cutthroat trout, a native species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This report describes the hydrologic setting of the Walker River basin and a conceptual hydrologic model of the relations among streams, groundwater, and Walker Lake with emphasis on the lower Walker River basin from Wabuska to Hawthorne, Nevada. The Walker River basin is about 3,950 square miles and straddles the California-Nevada border. Most streamflow originates as snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada. Spring runoff from the Sierra Nevada typically reaches its peak during late May to early June with as much as 2,800 cubic feet per second in the Walker River near Wabuska. Typically, 3 to 4 consecutive years of below average streamflow are followed by 1 or 2 years of average or above average streamflow. Mountain ranges are comprised of consolidated rocks with low hydraulic conductivities, but consolidated rocks transmit water where fractured. Unconsolidated sediments include fluvial deposits along the active channel of the Walker River, valley floors, alluvial slopes, and a playa. Sand and gravel deposited by the Walker River likely are discontinuous strata throughout the valley floor. Thick clay strata likely were deposited in Pleistocene Lake Lahontan and are horizontally continuous, except where strata have been eroded by the Walker River. At Walker Lake, sediments mostly are clay interbedded with alluvial slope, fluvial, and deltaic deposits along the lake margins. Coarse sediments form a multilayered, confined-aquifer system that could extend several miles from the shoreline. Depth to bedrock in the lower Walker River basin ranges from about 900 to 2,000 feet. The average hydraulic conductivity of the alluvial aquifer in the lower Walker River basin is 10-30 feet per day, except where comprised of fluvial sediments. Fluvial sediments along the Walker River have an average hydraulic conductivity of 70 feet per day. Subsurface flow was estimated to be 2,700 acre-feet per year through Double Spring. Subsurface discharge to Walker Lake was estimated to be 4,400 acre-feet per year from the south and 10,400 acre-feet per year from the north. Groundwater levels and groundwater storage have declined steadily in most of Smith and Mason Valleys since 1960. Groundwater levels around Schurz, Nevada, have changed little during the past 50 years. In the Whisky Flat area south of Hawthorne, Nevada, agricultural and municipal pumpage has lowered groundwater levels since 1956. The water-level decline in Walker Lake since 1882 has caused the surrounding alluvial aquifer to drain and groundwater levels to decline. The Wabuska streamflow-gaging station in northern Mason Valley demarcates the upper and lower Walker River basin. The hydrology of the lower Walker River basin is considerably different than the upper basin. The upper basin consists of valleys separated by consolidated-rock mountains. The alluvial aquifer in each valley thins or pinches out at the downstream end, forcing most groundwater to discharge along the river near where the river is gaged. The lower Walker River basin is one surface-water/groundwater system of losing and gaining reaches from Wabuska to Walker Lake, which makes determining stream losses and the direction and amount of subsurface flow difficult. Isotopic data indicate surface water and groundwater in the lower Walker River basin are from two sources of precipitation that have evaporated. The Walker River, groundwater along the Wassuk Range, and Walker Lake plot along one evaporation line. Groundwater along th

  19. Ecotoxicity in the Reconquista River, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina: a preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Herkovits, J; Perez-Coll, C S; Herkovits, F D

    1996-02-01

    The Reconquista River in Argentina is considered a "supercritical" river basin due to environmental degradation. Within its valley of 1.547 km2, there are more than 3 million inhabitants and 12,000 industries. Using early-life-stage toxicity tests with Bufo arenarum embryos (the most sensitive of three native species), we determined the water quality at six sampling stations of the river valley and expressed the results as acute and chronic toxicity units. Along most of the river, the toxicity was higher than the allowable level of whole industrial effluent toxicity recommended by U.S. EPA. In a tributary stream, Arroyo Moron, the water was about 10 times more toxic than the criteria maximum concentration (CMC) recommended by U.S. EPA for industrial effluents. Similar degradation of the water quality was found taking as a reference value an upstream sampling station. In all places where the water quality was worse than the CMC, no macroorganisms were found, and in one of these places, a large number of dead fishes was observed. Our study points out that amphibian early-life-stage toxicity tests could be appropriate for assessing water contamination and water quality, which is essential for diagnosis, protection of environmental services, monitoring, and restoration purposes.

  20. Use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) in the analysis of historical landslide occurred in 1885 in the Rječina River Valley, Croatia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dugonjić Jovančević, Sanja; Peranić, Josip; Ružić, Igor; Arbanas, Željko; Kalajžić, Duje; Benac, Čedomir

    2016-04-01

    Numerous instability phenomena have been recorded in the Rječina River Valley, near the City of Rijeka, in the past 250 years. Large landslides triggered by rainfall and floods, were registered on both sides of the Valley. Landslide inventory in the Valley was established based on recorded historical events and LiDAR imagery. The Rječina River is a typical karstic river 18.7km long, originating from the Gorski Kotar Mountains. The central part of the Valley, belongs to the dominant morphostructural unit that strikes in the northwest-southeast direction along the Rječina River. Karstified limestone rock mass is visible on the top of the slopes, while the flysch rock mass is present on the lower slopes and at the bottom of the Valley. Different types of movements can be distinguished in the area, such as the sliding of slope deposits over the flysch bedrock, rockfalls from limestone cliffs, sliding of huge rocky blocks, and active landslide on the north-eastern slope. The paper presents investigation of the dormant landslide located on the south-western slope of the Valley, which was recorded in 1870 in numerous historical descriptions. Due to intense and long-term rainfall, the landslide was reactivated in 1885, destroying and damaging houses in the eastern part of the Grohovo Village. To predict possible reactivation of the dormant landslide on the south-western side of the Valley, 2D stability back analyses were performed on the basis of landslide features, in order to approximate the position of sliding surface and landslide dimensions. The landslide topography is very steep, and the slope is covered by unstable debris material, so therefore hard to perform any terrestrial geodetic survey. Consumer-grade DJI Phantom 2 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) was used to provide the data about the present slope topography. The landslide 3D point cloud was derived from approximately 200 photographs taken with RPAS, using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry. Images were processed using the online Autodesk service "ReCap". Ground control points (GCP) collected with Total Station are identified on photorealistic point cloud and used for geo-referencing. Cloud Compare software was used for the point cloud processing. This study compared georeferenced landslide point cloud delivered from images with data acquired from laser scanning. RAPS and SfM application produced high accuracy landslide 3D point cloud, characterized by safe and quick data acquisition. Based on the adopted rock mass strength parameters, obtained from the back analysis, a stability analysis of the present slope situation was performed, and the present stability of the landslide body is determined. The unfavourable conditions and possible triggering factors such as saturation of the slope, caused by heavy rain and earthquake, were included in the analyses what enabled estimation of future landslide hazard and risk.

  1. Middle Palaeolithic toolstone procurement behaviors at Lusakert Cave 1, Hrazdan valley, Armenia.

    PubMed

    Frahm, Ellery; Feinberg, Joshua M; Schmidt-Magee, Beverly A; Wilkinson, Keith N; Gasparyan, Boris; Yeritsyan, Benik; Adler, Daniel S

    2016-02-01

    Strategies employed by Middle Palaeolithic hominins to acquire lithic raw materials often play key roles in assessing their movements through the landscape, relationships with neighboring groups, and cognitive abilities. It has been argued that a dependence on local resources is a widespread characteristic of the Middle Palaeolithic, but how such behaviors were manifested on the landscape remains unclear. Does an abundance of local toolstone reflect frequent encounters with different outcrops while foraging, or was a particular outcrop favored and preferentially quarried? This study examines such behaviors at a finer geospatial scale than is usually possible, allowing us to investigate hominin movements through the landscape surrounding Lusakert Cave 1 in Armenia. Using our newly developed approach to obsidian magnetic characterization, we test a series of hypotheses regarding the locations where hominins procured toolstone from a volcanic complex adjacent to the site. Our goal is to establish whether the cave's occupants procured local obsidian from preferred outcrops or quarries, secondary deposits of obsidian nodules along a river, or a variety of exposures as encountered while moving through the river valley or across the wider volcanic landscape during the course of foraging activities. As we demonstrate here, it is not the case that one particular outcrop or deposit attracted the cave occupants during the studied time intervals. Nor did they acquire obsidian at random across the landscape. Instead, our analyses support the hypothesis that these hominins collected obsidian from outcrops and exposures throughout the adjacent river valley, reflecting the spatial scale of their day-to-day foraging activities. The coincidence of such behaviors within the resource-rich river valley suggests efficient exploitation of a diverse biome during a time interval immediately preceding the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic "transition," the nature and timing of which has yet to be determined for the region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Two new species of Japalura (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Hengduan Mountain Range, China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Kai; Jiang, Ke; Zou, Da-Hu; Yan, Fang; Siler, Cameron D; Che, Jing

    2016-01-18

    Until recently, the agamid species, Japalura flaviceps, was recognized to have the widest geographic distribution among members of the genus occurring in China, from eastern Tibet to Shaanxi Province. However, recent studies restricted the distribution of J. flaviceps to the Dadu River valley only in northwestern Sichuan Province, suggesting that records of J. flaviceps outside the Dadu River valley likely represent undescribed diversity. During two herpetofaunal surveys in 2013 and 2015, eight and 12 specimens of lizards of the genus Japalura were collected from the upper Nujiang (=Salween) Valley in eastern Tibet, China, and upper Lancang (=Mekong) Valley in northwestern Yunnan, China, respectively. These specimens display a unique suite of diagnostic morphological characters. Our robust comparisons of phenotype reveal that these populations can be distinguished readily from J. flaviceps and all other recognized congeners. Herein, we describe the two Japalura lineages as new species, Japalura laeviventris sp. nov. and Japalura iadina sp. nov.. In addition, we provide updated conservation assessments for the new species as well as imperiled congeners according to the IUCN criteria for classification, discuss the importance of color patterns in the diagnosis and description of species in the genus Japalura, and discuss directions for future taxonomic studies of the group.

  3. Two new species of Japalura (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Hengduan Mountain Range, China

    PubMed Central

    WANG, Kai; JIANG, Ke; ZOU, Da-Hu; YAN, Fang; ZOU, Da-Hu; Cameron, D.SILER; CHE, Jing

    2016-01-01

    Until recently, the agamid species, Japalura flaviceps, was recognized to have the widest geographic distribution among members of the genus occurring in China, from eastern Tibet to Shaanxi Province. However, recent studies restricted the distribution of J. flaviceps to the Dadu River valley only in northwestern Sichuan Province, suggesting that records of J. flaviceps outside the Dadu River valley likely represent undescribed diversity. During two herpetofaunal surveys in 2013 and 2015, eight and 12 specimens of lizards of the genus Japalura were collected from the upper Nujiang (=Salween) Valley in eastern Tibet, China, and upper Lancang (=Mekong) Valley in northwestern Yunnan, China, respectively. These specimens display a unique suite of diagnostic morphological characters. Our robust comparisons of phenotype reveal that these populations can be distinguished readily from J. flaviceps and all other recognized congeners. Herein, we describe the two Japalura lineages as new species, Japalura laeviventris sp. nov. and Japalura iadina sp. nov.. In addition, we provide updated conservation assessments for the new species as well as imperiled congeners according to the IUCN criteria for classification, discuss the importance of color patterns in the diagnosis and description of species in the genus Japalura, and discuss directions for future taxonomic studies of the group. PMID:26828033

  4. Early Mars Climate Revisited With a Global Probability Map of Martian Valley Network Origin and Distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grau Galofre, A.; Jellinek, M.; Osinski, G. R.

    2016-12-01

    Valley networks are among the most arresting features on the surface of Mars. Their provocative morphologic resemblance to river valleys on Earth has lead many scientists to argue for Martian river valleys in a "warm and wet" climate scenario, with conditions similar to the terrestrial mid-to-low latitudes. However, this warm scenario is difficult to reconcile with climate models for an Early Mars receiving radiation from a fainter young Sun. Moreover, recent models suggest a colder scenario, with conditions more similar to present day Greenland or Antarctica. Here we use three independent characterization schemes to show quantitative evidence for fluvial, glacial, groundwater sapping and subglacial meltwater channels to build the first global probability map of Martian valley networks. We distinguish a SW-NE corridor of fluvial drainage networks spanning latitudes from 30ºS to 30ºN. We identify additional widespread patterns related to glaciation, subglacial drainage and channels incised by groundwater springs. This global characterization of Martian valleys has profound implications for the average climate of early Mars as well as its variability in space and time.

  5. Timing and origin for sand dunes in the Green River Lowland of Illinois, upper Mississippi River Valley, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miao, X.; Hanson, P.R.; Wang, Hongfang; Young, A.R.

    2010-01-01

    The recent increase in dune studies in North America has been heavily focused in the Great Plains, while less attention has historically been given to the dune fields east of the Mississippi River. Here we report ages and suggest a potential sediment source for sand dunes in the Green River Lowland, Illinois, which may provide a better understanding of the dynamic interactions between eolian, glacial, lacustrine and fluvial processes that shaped the landscapes of the upper Midwest. Seven coherent optically stimulated luminescence ages (OSL, or optical ages) obtained from four sites suggest that major dune construction in the Green River Lowland occurred within a narrow time window around 17,500 ago. This implies either an enhanced aridity or an episodic increase of sediment supply at 17,500 years ago, or combination of the both. Contrary to previous assertions that dune sand was sourced from the deflation of the underlying outwash sand deposited when the Lake Michigan Lobe retreated from the area, we propose that Green River Lowland dunes sand originated from the Green Bay Lobe through the Rock River. Specifically, sediment supply increased in the Rock River valley during drainage of Glacial Lake Scuppernong, which formed between ???18,000 and 17,000 years ago, when the Green Bay Lobe retreated from its terminal moraine. The lake drained catastrophically through the Rock River valley, providing glacial sediment and water to erode the preexisting sandy sediments. Throughout the remainder of the late Pleistocene, the Laurentide Ice Sheet drained into larger more northerly glacial lakes that in turn drained through other river valleys. Therefore, the dunes in the Green River Lowland formed only during the catastrophic drainage of Glacial Lake Scuppernong, but were stabilized through the remainder of the Pleistocene. This scenario explains the abrupt dune construction around 17,500 years ago, and explains the lack of later dune activity up to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. OSL and radiocarbon ages also indicate that dunes were reactivated during the early, middle and late Holocene. Some eolian activation occurred within well-defined dry intervals in the upper Midwest, suggesting that increased aridity may have been the primary driver in mobilizing sand. However, many ages do not correspond to drier periods. In contrast to the relative coherency of the Pleistocene OSL ages from multiple study sites, the Holocene OSL ages do not overlap from one site to another, suggesting that increased aridity alone cannot explain the multiple phases of dune reactivation in the Holocene. Therefore, we conclude that the combined effect of localized disturbances and greater aridity acted in concert to increase eolian sand activity in the Holocene. The multiple periods of eolian activity during the Holocene suggest a high potential for future sand activation in the region, and these results are informative for environmental prediction and potential future mitigation.

  6. Ground-Water Budgets for the Wood River Valley Aquifer System, South-Central Idaho, 1995-2004

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bartolino, James R.

    2009-01-01

    The Wood River Valley contains most of the population of Blaine County and the cities of Sun Valley, Ketchum, Haley, and Bellevue. This mountain valley is underlain by the alluvial Wood River Valley aquifer system which consists of a single unconfined aquifer that underlies the entire valley, an underlying confined aquifer that is present only in the southernmost valley, and the confining unit that separates them. The entire population of the area depends on ground water for domestic supply, either from domestic or municipal-supply wells, and rapid population growth since the 1970s has caused concern about the long-term sustainability of the ground-water resource. To help address these concerns this report describes a ground-water budget developed for the Wood River Valley aquifer system for three selected time periods: average conditions for the 10-year period 1995-2004, and the single years of 1995 and 2001. The 10-year period 1995-2004 represents a range of conditions in the recent past for which measured data exist. Water years 1995 and 2001 represent the wettest and driest years, respectively, within the 10-year period based on precipitation at the Ketchum Ranger Station. Recharge or inflow to the Wood River Valley aquifer system occurs through seven main sources (from largest to smallest): infiltration from tributary canyons, streamflow loss from the Big Wood River, areal recharge from precipitation and applied irrigation water, seepage from canals and recharge pits, leakage from municipal pipes, percolation from septic systems, and subsurface inflow beneath the Big Wood River in the northern end of the valley. Total estimated mean annual inflow or recharge to the aquifer system for 1995-2004 is 270,000 acre-ft/yr (370 ft3/s). Total recharge for the wet year 1995 and the dry year 2001 is estimated to be 270,000 acre-ft/yr (370 ft3/s) and 220,000 acre-ft/yr (300 ft3/s), respectively. Discharge or outflow from the Wood River Valley aquifer system occurs through five main sources (from largest to smallest): Silver Creek streamflow gain, ground-water pumpage, Big Wood River streamflow gain, direct evapotranspiration from riparian vegetation, and subsurface outflow (treated separately). Total estimated mean 1995-2004 annual outflow or discharge from the aquifer system is 250,000 acre-ft/yr (350 ft3/s). Estimated total discharge is 240,000 acre-ft/yr (330 ft3/s) for both the wet year 1995 and the dry year 2001. The budget residual is the difference between estimated ground-water inflow and outflow and encompasses subsurface outflow, ground-water storage change, and budget error. For 1995-2004, mean annual inflow exceeded outflow by 20,000 acre-ft/yr (28 ft3/s); for the wet year 1995, mean annual inflow exceeded outflow by 30,000 acre-ft/yr (41 ft3/s); for the dry year 2001, mean annual outflow exceeded inflow by 20,000 acre-ft/yr (28 ft3/s). These values represent 8, 13, and 8 percent, respectively, of total outflows for the same periods. It is difficult to differentiate the relative contributions of the three residual components, although the estimated fluctuations between the wet and dry year budgets likely are primarily caused by changes in ground-water storage. The individual components in the wet and dry year ground-water budgets responded in a consistent manner to changes in precipitation and temperature. Although the ground-water budgets for the three periods indicated that ground-water storage is replenished in wet years, statistical analyses by Skinner and others (2007) suggest that such replenishment is not complete and over the long term more water is removed from storage than is replaced. In other words, despite restoration of water to ground-water storage in wet years, changes have occurred in either recharge and (or) discharge to cause ground-water storage to decline over time. Such changes may include, but are not limited to: lining or abandoning canals and ditches, conversion of surface-water irriga

  7. Geochemistry and mineralogy of late Quaternary loess in the upper Mississippi River valley, USA: Provenance and correlation with Laurentide Ice Sheet history

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Muhs, Daniel; Bettis, E. Arthur; Skipp, Gary L.

    2018-01-01

    The midcontinent of North America contains some of the thickest and most extensive last-glacial loess deposits in the world, known as Peoria Loess. Peoria Loess of the upper Mississippi River valley region is thought to have had temporally varying glaciogenic sources resulting from inputs of sediment to the Mississippi River from different lobes of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Here, we explore a new method of determining loess provenance using K/Rb and K/Ba values (in K-feldspars and micas) in loess from a number of different regions in North America. Results indicate that K/Rb and K/Ba values can distinguish loess originating from diverse geologic terrains in North America. Further, different loess bodies that are known to have had the same source sediments (using other criteria) have similar K/Rb and K/Ba values. We also studied three thick loess sections in the upper Mississippi River valley region. At each site, the primary composition of the loess changed over the course of the last glacial period, and K/Rb and K/Ba values parallel changes in carbonate mineral content and clay mineralogy. We thus confirm conclusions of earlier investigators that loess composition changed as a result of the shifting dominance of different lobes of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and the changing course of the Mississippi River. We conclude that K/Rb and K/Ba values are effective, robust, and rapid indicators of loess provenance that can be applied to many regions of the world.

  8. Geochemistry and mineralogy of late Quaternary loess in the upper Mississippi River valley, USA: Provenance and correlation with Laurentide Ice Sheet history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muhs, Daniel R.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Skipp, Gary L.

    2018-05-01

    The midcontinent of North America contains some of the thickest and most extensive last-glacial loess deposits in the world, known as Peoria Loess. Peoria Loess of the upper Mississippi River valley region is thought to have had temporally varying glaciogenic sources resulting from inputs of sediment to the Mississippi River from different lobes of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Here, we explore a new method of determining loess provenance using K/Rb and K/Ba values (in K-feldspars and micas) in loess from a number of different regions in North America. Results indicate that K/Rb and K/Ba values can distinguish loess originating from diverse geologic terrains in North America. Further, different loess bodies that are known to have had the same source sediments (using other criteria) have similar K/Rb and K/Ba values. We also studied three thick loess sections in the upper Mississippi River valley region. At each site, the primary composition of the loess changed over the course of the last glacial period, and K/Rb and K/Ba values parallel changes in carbonate mineral content and clay mineralogy. We thus confirm conclusions of earlier investigators that loess composition changed as a result of the shifting dominance of different lobes of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and the changing course of the Mississippi River. We conclude that K/Rb and K/Ba values are effective, robust, and rapid indicators of loess provenance that can be applied to many regions of the world.

  9. The potential impact of green agendas on historic river landscapes: Numerical modelling of multiple weir removal in the Derwent Valley Mills world heritage site, UK

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard, A. J.; Coulthard, T. J.; Knight, D.

    2017-09-01

    The exploitation of river systems for power and navigation has commonly been achieved through the installation of a variety of in-channel obstacles of which weirs in Britain are amongst the most common. In the UK, the historic value of many of these features is recognised by planning designations and protection more commonly associated with historic buildings and other major monuments. Their construction, particularly in the north and west of Britain, has often been associated with industries such as textiles, chemicals, and mining, which have polluted waterways with heavy metals and other contaminants. The construction of weirs altered local channel gradients resulting in sedimentation upstream with the potential as well for elevated levels of contamination in sediments deposited there. For centuries these weirs have remained largely undisturbed, but as a result of the growth in hydropower and the drive to improve water quality under the European Union's Water Framework Directive, these structures are under increasing pressure to be modified or removed altogether. At present, weir modifications appear to be considered largely on an individual basis, with little focus on the wider impacts this might have on valley floor environments. Using a numerical modelling approach, this paper simulates the removal of major weirs along a 24-km stretch of the river Derwent, Derbyshire, UK, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The results suggest that although removal would not result in significant changes to the valley morphology, localised erosion would occur upstream of structures as the river readjusts its base level to new boundary conditions. Modelling indicates that sediment would also be evacuated away from the study area. In the context of the Derwent valley, this raises the potential for the remobilisation of contaminants (legacy sediments) within the wider floodplain system, which could have detrimental, long-term health and environmental implications for the river system. Worldwide, rivers have a common association with industry - being the focus of settlement and development since the earliest civilisations with channel engineering a common practice. Therefore, the conceptual issues raised by this study have global resonance and are particularly important where heritage protection is less robust and structures can be removed with little consideration of the environmental consequences.

  10. Space Radar Image of Colorado River

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1999-04-15

    This space radar image illustrates the recent rapid urban development occurring along the lower Colorado River at the Nevada/Arizona state line. Lake Mojave is the dark feature that occupies the river valley in the upper half of the image.

  11. Simulation of an urban ground-water-flow system in the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin using analytic element modeling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dunning, C.P.; Feinstein, D.T.

    2004-01-01

    A single-layer, steady-state analytic element model was constructed to simulate shallow ground-water flow in the Menomonee Valley, an old industrial center southwest of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Project objectives were to develop an understanding of the shallow ground-water flow system and identify primary receptors of recharge to the valley. The analytic element model simulates flow in a 18.3 m (60 ft) thick layer of estuarine and alluvial sediments and man-made fill that comprises the shallow aquifer across the valley. The thin, laterally extensive nature of the shallow aquifer suggests horizontal-flow predominates, thus the system can appropriately be modeled with the Dupuit-Forchheimer approximation in an analytic element model. The model was calibrated to the measured baseflow increase between two USGS gages on the Menomonee River, 90 head measurements taken in and around the valley during December 1999, and vertical gradients measured at five locations under the river and estuary in the valley. Recent construction of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District Inline Storage System (ISS) in the Silurian dolomite under the Menomonee Valley has locally lowered heads in the dolomite appreciably, below levels caused by historic pumping. The ISS is a regional hydraulic sink which removes water from the bedrock even during dry weather. The potential effect on flow directions in the shallow aquifer of dry-weather infiltration to the ISS was evaluated by adjusting the resistance of the line-sink strings representing the ISS in the model to allow infiltration from 0 to 100% of the reported 9,500 m3/d. The best fit to calibration targets was found between 60% (5,700 m3/d) and 80% (7,600 m3/d) of the reported dry-weather infiltration. At 60% infiltration, 65% of the recharge falling on the valley terminates at the ISS and 35% at the Menomonee River and estuary. At 80% infiltration, 73% of the recharge terminates at the ISS, and 27% at the river and estuary. Model simulations suggest that the ISS has an greater influence on the shallow ground-water flow in the eastern half of valley as compared to the western half. Preliminary three-dimensional simulations using the numerical MODFLOW code show good agreement with the single-layer simulation and supports its use in evaluating the shallow system. Copyright ASCE 2004.

  12. Resolving Large Pre-glacial Valleys Buried by Glacial Sediment Using Electric Resistivity Imaging (ERI)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmitt, D. R.; Welz, M.; Rokosh, C. D.; Pontbriand, M.-C.; Smith, D. G.

    2004-05-01

    Two-dimensional electric resistivity imaging (ERI) is the most exciting and promising geological tool in geomorphology and stratigraphy since development of ground-penetrating radar. Recent innovations in 2-D ERI provides a non-intrusive mean of efficiently resolving complex shallow subsurface structures under a number of different geological scenarios. In this paper, we test the capacity of ERI to image two large pre-late Wisconsinan-aged valley-fills in central Alberta and north-central Montana. Valley-fills record the history of pre-glacial and glacial sedimentary deposits. These fills are of considerable economical value as groundwater aquifers, aggregate resources (sand and gravel), placers (gold, diamond) and sometime gas reservoirs in Alberta. Although the approximate locations of pre-glacial valley-fills have been mapped, the scarcity of borehole (well log) information and sediment exposures make accurate reconstruction of their stratigraphy and cross-section profiles difficult. When coupled with borehole information, ERI successfully imaged three large pre-glacial valley-fills representing three contrasting geological settings. The Sand Coulee segment of the ancestral Missouri River, which has never been glaciated, is filled by electrically conductive pro-glacial lacustrine deposits over resistive sandstone bedrock. By comparison, the Big Sandy segment of the ancestral Missouri River valley has a complex valley-fill composed of till units interbedded with glaciofluvial gravel and varved clays over conductive shale. The fill is capped by floodplain, paludal and low alluvial fan deposits. The pre-glacial Onoway Valley (the ancestral North Saskatchewan River valley) is filled with thick, resistive fluvial gravel over conductive shale and capped with conductive till. The cross-sectional profile of each surveyed pre-glacial valley exhibits discrete benches (terraces) connected by steep drops, features that are hard to map using only boreholes. Best quality ERI results were obtained along the Sand Coulee and Onoway transects where the contrast between the bedrock and valley-fill was large and the surficial sediment was homogeneous. The effects of decreasing reliability with depth, 3-D anomalies, principles of equivalence and suppression, and surface inhomogeneity on the image quality are discussed.

  13. Hillslope failure and paraglacial reworking of sediments in response to glacier retreat, Fox Valley, New Zealand.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McColl, Samuel T.; Fuller, Ian C.; Anderson, Brian; Tate, Rosie

    2017-04-01

    Climate and glacier fluctuations influence sediment supply to glacier forelands, which in turn influences down-valley hazards to infrastructure and tourism within glacier forelands. At Fox Glacier, one of New Zealand's most iconic and popular glaciers, rapid retreat has initiated a range of hillslope and valley floor responses, that present a cascade of hazards and changes that need to be carefully managed. Fox Glacier has retreated many kilometres historically, with 2.6 km of retreat since the mid-20th century, and a phase of rapid retreat of 50-340 m per year since 2009. To study the system response to past and ongoing glacial retreat at the Fox valley, morphological changes are being observed using time-lapse photography and the annual collection of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophoto mosaics. The DEMs are being produced using Structure from Motion photogrammetry from UAV/RPAS and helicopter platforms, and are being used, along with manual ground surveying, to produce ground surface change models (DoDs; DEMs of Difference) and sediment budgets for the valley. Results from time-lapse photography and DoDs show that glacial retreat has initiated destabilisation and (mostly chronic) mass movement of surficial glacial sediments on the valley slopes near the glacier terminus. Alluvial fans farther down valley are actively growing, reworking glacial and landslide sediments from tributary catchments. These paraglacial sediments being delivered to the proglacial river from the glacier terminus and alluvial fans are driving aggradation of the valley floor of decimetres to metres per year and maintaining a highly dynamic braid plain. Valley floor changes also include the melting of buried dead ice, which are causing localised subsidence at the carpark and one of the alluvial fans. The unstable slopes and active debris fans, aggrading and highly active river channel, ground subsidence, add to the spectacle but also the hazards of the Fox valley, and require constant attention from land managers and tourism providers.

  14. Infilling and flooding of the Mekong River incised valley during deglacial sea-level rise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tjallingii, Rik; Stattegger, Karl; Wetzel, Andreas; Van Phach, Phung

    2010-06-01

    The abrupt transition from fluvial to marine deposition of incised-valley-fill sediments retrieved from the southeast Vietnamese shelf, accurately records the postglacial transgression after 14 ka before present (BP). Valley-filling sediments consist of fluvial mud, whereas sedimentation after the transgression is characterized by shallow-marine carbonate sands. This change in sediment composition is accurately marked in high-resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning records. Rapid aggradation of fluvial sediments at the river mouth nearly completely filled the Mekong incised valley prior to flooding. However, accumulation rates strongly reduced in the valley after the river-mouth system flooded and stepped back. This also affected the sediment supply to deeper parts of the southeast Vietnamese shelf. Comparison of the Mekong valley-filling with the East Asian sea-level history of sub- and inter-tidal sediment records shows that the transgressive surface preserved in the incised-valley-fill records is a robust sea-level indicator. The valley was nearly completely filled with fluvial sediments between 13.0 and 9.5 ka BP when sea-level rose rather constantly with approximately 10 mm/yr, as indicated by the East Asian sea-level record. At shallower parts of the shelf, significant sediment reworking and the establishment of estuarine conditions at the final stage of infilling complicates accurate dating of the transgressive surface. Nevertheless, incised-valley-fill records and land-based drill sites indicate a vast and rapid flooding of the shelf from the location of the modern Vietnamese coastline to the Cambodian lowlands between 9.5 ka and 8.5 ka BP. Fast flooding of this part of the shelf is related with the low shelf gradient and a strong acceleration of the East Asian sea-level rise from 34 to 9 meter below modern sea level (mbsl) corresponding to the sea-level jump of melt water pulse (MWP) 1C.

  15. Progress Toward Remediation of Uranium Tailings in Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buckley, P B; Ranville, J; Honeyman, B D

    2003-07-09

    The town of Mailuu-Suu in Kyrgyzstan inherited 23 distinct tailings deposits from Soviet-Era uranium mining operations. Mailuu-Suu is located in the narrow landslide-prone valley of the Mailuu-Suu River about 25 km from the Uzbekistan border. Large-scale release of the radioactive tailings, as a result of landslides, could lead to irreversible contamination of the river and downstream areas. The Mailuu-Suu River is a tributary to the Syr-Darya River, the Fergana valley's main source of irrigation water. The Fergana Valley is a key agricultural region and major population center that spans Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The trans-boundary nature of the Mailuu-Suu tailingsmore » issue presents an opportunity for collaboration among these Central Asian states. A cooperative approach to addressing environmental issues such as Mailuu-Suu may contribute to the region's stability by facilitating peaceful associations. Experience from remediation of sites in the US under the Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation Action Project (UMTRA) will be useful in progressing toward remediation at Mailuu-Suu.« less

  16. Hydrogeologic for the Saco River valley glacial aquifer from Bartlett, New Hampshire to Fryeburg, Maine; October 1983 through January 1986

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, C.D.; Tepper, D.H.; Morrissey, D.J.

    1987-01-01

    Hydrogeologic data was collected for a study of the Saco River valley glacial aquifer. The study area extends along the Saco River from Bartlett, New Hampshire to Fryeburg, Maine. The study was done in cooperation with the Maine Geological Survey (Department of Conservation), the New Hampshire Water Supply and Pollution Control Commission, the New Hampshire Water Resources Board, and the Town of Conway, New Hampshire. The data include information on 54 well-inventory sites, 69 exploration-hole logs , analyses of grain-size distribution in 130 samples of glacial sediments, monthly water-table measurements in 100 wells, and continuous water-table measurements in 7 wells. Discharge data are presented from 6 stream-gaging stations operated for this study during the 1984 and 1985 water years. Data from 50 sets of seepage runs and 15 miscellaneous discharge measurements conducted on the mainstream of the Saco River and on 7 tributary streams during the 1984 and 1985 water years are also presented. Water quality analyses of groundwater samples from 92 sites and surface water samples from 12 sites are presented. Field determinations include pH, temperature, and specific conductance. Laboratory determinations include nutrients, common inorganic anions and cations, selected volatile organic compounds, and detergents. Maps show the locations of data-collection sites. (USGS)

  17. Evaluating the impacts of crop rotations on groundwater storage and recharge in an agricultural watershed

    Treesearch

    Abdullah O. Dakhlalla; Prem B. Parajuli; Ying Ouyang; Darrel W. Schmitz

    2016-01-01

    The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer, which underlies the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW),is the most heavily used aquifer in Mississippi. Because the aquifer is primarily used for irrigating cropssuch as corn, cotton, soybean, and rice, the water levels have been declining rapidly over the past fewdecades. The objectives of this study are to...

  18. Thermal history determined by fission-track dating for three sedimentary basins in California and Wyoming

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Naeser, Nancy D.

    1984-01-01

    The use of fission-tracks is demonstrated in studies of time-temperature relationships in three sedimentary basins in the western United States; in the Tejon Oil Field area of the southern San Joaquin Valley, California; in the northeastern Green River basin, Wyoming, and in drill holes in the southern Powder River Basin, Wyoming.

  19. 75 FR 54378 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Stehekin River Corridor Implementation Plan; Lake Chelan...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-07

    .... While the COE failed to secure funds to do a detailed five-year study, its emergency management team recommended extensive bank hardening with rock, and dredging of the river channel. Estimated one-time cost is... floods. Until now, the NPS has addressed problems on a case-by-case basis throughout the valley with the...

  20. A multiscale investigation of habitat use and within-river distribution of sympatric sand darter species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thompson, Patricia A.; Welsh, Stuart A.; Strager, Michael P.; Rizzo, Austin A.

    2018-01-01

    The western sand darter Ammocrypta clara, and eastern sand darter Ammocrypta pellucida, are sand-dwelling fishes of conservation concern. Past research has emphasized the importance of studying individual populations of conservation concern, while recent research has revealed the importance of incorporating landscape scale processes that structure habitat mosaics and local populations. We examined habitat use and distributions of western and eastern sand darters in the lower Elk River of West Virginia. At the sandbar habitat use scale, western sand darters were detected in sandbars with greater area, higher proportions of coarse grain sand and faster bottom current velocity, while the eastern sand darter used a wider range of sandbar habitats. The landscape scale analysis revealed that contributing drainage area was an important predictor for both species, while sinuosity, which presumably represents valley type, also contributed to the western sand darter’s habitat suitability. Sandbar quality (area, grain size, and velocity) and fluvial geomorphic variables (drainage area and valley type) are likely key driving factors structuring sand darter distributions in the Elk River. This multiscale study of within-river species distribution and habitat use is unique, given that only a few sympatric populations are known of western and eastern sand darters.

  1. Investigating the landscape of Arroyo Seco—Decoding the past—A teaching guide to climate-controlled landscape evolution in a tectonically active region

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Taylor, Emily M.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; Havens, Jeremy C.

    2017-05-19

    IntroductionArroyo Seco is a river that flows eastward out of the Santa Lucia Range in Monterey County, California. The Santa Lucia Range is considered part of the central California Coast Range. Arroyo Seco flows out of the Santa Lucia Range into the Salinas River valley, near the town of Greenfield, where it joins the Salinas River. The Salinas River flows north into Monterey Bay about 40 miles from where it merges with Arroyo Seco. In the mountain range, Arroyo Seco has cut or eroded a broad and deep valley. This valley preserves a geologic story in the landscape that is influenced by both fault-controlled mountain building (tectonics) and sea level fluctuations (regional climate).Broad flat surfaces called river terraces, once eroded by Arroyo Seco, can be observed along the modern drainage. In the valley, terraces are also preserved like climbing stairs up to 1,800 feet above Arroyo Seco today. These terraces mark where Arroyo Seco once flowed.The terraces were formed by the river because no matter how high they are, the terraces are covered by gravel deposits exactly like those that can be observed in the river today. The Santa Lucia Range, Arroyo Seco, and the Salinas River valley must have looked very different when the highest and oldest terraces were forming. The Santa Lucia Range may have been lower, the Arroyo Seco may have been steeper and wider, and the Salinas River valley may have been much smaller.Arroyo Seco, like all rivers, is always changing. Some-times rivers flow very straight, and sometimes they are curvy. Sometimes rivers are cutting down or eroding the landscape, and sometimes they are not eroding but depositing material. Sometimes rivers are neither eroding nor transporting material. The influences that change the behavior of Arroyo Seco are mountain uplift caused by fault moment and sea level changes driven by regional climate change. When a stream is affected by one or both of these influences, the stream accommodates the change by eroding, depositing, and (or) changing its shape.In the vicinity of Arroyo Seco, the geologically young faulting history is relatively well understood. Geologists have some sense of the most recent faulting event and of the faulting in the recent geologic past. The timing of regional climate changes is also well accepted. In this area, warm climate cycles tend to cause the sea level to rise, and cool climate cycles tend to cause the sea level to fall. If we understand the way the terraces form and their ages in Arroyo Seco, we can draw conclusions about whether faulting and (or) climate contributed to their formation.This publication serves as a descriptive companion to the formal geologic map of Arroyo Seco (Taylor and Sweetkind, 2014) and is intended for use by nonscientists and students. Included is a discussion of the processes that controlled the evolution of the drainage and the formation of the terraces in Arroyo Seco. The reader is guided to well-exposed landscape features in an easily accessible environment that will help nonscientists gain an understanding of how features on a geologic map are interpreted in terms of earth processes.

  2. Tracking sediment through the Holocene: Determining anthropogenic contributions to a sediment-rich agricultural system, north-central USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gran, Karen; Belmont, Patrick; Finnegan, Noah

    2013-04-01

    Management and restoration of sediment-impaired streams requires quantification of sediment sources and pathways of transport. Addressing the role of humans in altering the magnitude and sources of sediment supplied to a catchment is notoriously challenging. Here, we explore how humans have amplified erosion in geomorphically-sensitive portions of the predominantly-agricultural Minnesota River basin in north-central USA. In the Minnesota River basin, the primary sources of sediment are classified generally as upland agricultural field vs. near-channel sources, with near-channel sources including stream banks, bluffs, and ravines. Using aerial lidar data, repeat terrestrial lidar scans of bluffs, ravine monitoring, historic air photo analyses, and sediment fingerprinting, we have developed a sediment budget to determine the relative importance of each source in a tributary to the Minnesota River, the Le Sueur River. We then investigate how these sources have changed through time, from changes evident over the past few decades to changes associated with valley evolution over the past 13,400 years. The Minnesota River valley was carved ~13,400 years ago through catastrophic drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz. As the Minnesota River valley incised, knickpoints have migrated upstream into tributaries, carving out deep valleys where the most actively eroding near-channel sediment sources occur. The modern sediment budget, closed for the time period 2000 to 2010, shows that the majority of the fine sediment load in the Le Sueur River comes from bluffs and other near-channel sources in the deeply-incised knick zone. Numerical modeling of valley evolution constrained by mapped and dated strath terraces cut into the glacial till presents an opportunity to compare the modern sediment budget to that of the river prior to anthropogenic modification. This comparison reveals a natural background or "pre-agriculture" rate of erosion from near-channel sources to be 3-5 times lower than modern near-channel erosion rates. Notably, depositional records from a naturally-dammed lake downstream on the upper Mississippi River show a more dramatic 10-fold increase in deposition rates from pre-agricultural times to the present. Sediment fingerprinting shows that pre-agriculture sediment loads were dominated by near-channel sediment sources. As deposition rates rose in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the sources shifted increasingly to agricultural soil erosion. In the past few decades, deposition rates have remained high, but sediment fingerprinting indicates yet another significant shift back to near-channel sources. On-going changes in basin hydrology, from both installation of agricultural drainage systems and on-going climate change have put more water in the rivers, increasing rates of near-channel bank and bluff erosion. This most recent shift in sediment sources has significant implications for turbidity management in the Minnesota River basin.

  3. A regional soil and sediment geochemical study in northern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Goldhaber, M.B.; Morrison, J.M.; Holloway, J.M.; Wanty, R.B.; Helsel, D.R.; Smith, D.B.

    2009-01-01

    Regional-scale variations in soil geochemistry were investigated in a 20,000-km2 study area in northern California that includes the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, the southern Sacramento Valley and the northern Coast Ranges. Over 1300 archival soil samples collected from the late 1970s to 1980 in El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties were analyzed for 42 elements by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry following a near-total dissolution. These data were supplemented by analysis of more than 500 stream-sediment samples from higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada from the same study site. The relatively high-density data (1 sample per 15 km2 for much of the study area) allows the delineation of regional geochemical patterns and the identification of processes that produced these patterns. The geochemical results segregate broadly into distinct element groupings whose distribution reflects the interplay of geologic, hydrologic, geomorphic and anthropogenic factors. One such group includes elements associated with mafic and ultramafic rocks including Cr, Ni, V, Co, Cu and Mg. Using Cr as an example, elevated concentrations occur in soils overlying ultramafic rocks in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada (median Cr = 160 mg/kg) as well as in the northern Coast Ranges. Low concentrations of these elements occur in soils located further upslope in the Sierra Nevada overlying Tertiary volcanic, metasedimentary and plutonic rocks (granodiorite and diorite). Eastern Sacramento Valley soil samples, defined as those located east of the Sacramento River, are lower in Cr (median Cr = 84 mg/kg), and are systematically lower in this suite compared to soils from the west side of the Sacramento Valley (median Cr = 130 mg/kg). A second group of elements showing a coherent pattern, including Ca, K, Sr and REE, is derived from relatively silicic rocks types. This group occurs at elevated concentrations in soils overlying volcanic and plutonic rocks at higher elevations in the Sierras (e.g. median La = 28 mg/kg) and the east side of the Sacramento Valley (median 20 mg/kg) compared to soils overlying ultramafic rocks in the Sierra Nevada foothills (median 15 mg/kg) and the western Sacramento Valley (median 14 mg/kg). The segregation of soil geochemistry into distinctive groupings across the Sacramento River arises from the former presence of a natural levee (now replaced by an artificial one) along the banks of the river. This levee has been a barrier to sediment transport. Sediment transport to the Valley by glacial outwash from higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada and, more recently, debris from placer Au mining has dominated sediment transport to the eastern Valley. High content of mafic elements (and low content of silicic elements) in surface soil in the west side of the valley is due to a combination of lack of silicic source rocks, transport of ultramafic rock material from the Coast Ranges, and input of sediment from the late Mesozoic Great Valley Group, which is itself enriched in mafic elements. A third group of elements (Zn, Cd, As and Cu) reflect the impact of mining activity. Soil with elevated content of these elements occurs along the Sacramento River in both levee and adjacent flood basin settings. It is interpreted that transport of sediment down the Sacramento River from massive sulfide mines in the Klamath Mountains to the north has caused this pattern. The Pb, and to some extent Zn, distribution patterns are strongly impacted by anthropogenic inputs. Elevated Pb content is localized in major cites and along major highways due to inputs from leaded gasoline. Zinc has a similar distribution pattern but the source is tire wear.

  4. Influence of deposition of fine plant debris in river floodplain shrubs on flood flow conditions - The Warta River case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazur, Robert; Kałuża, Tomasz; Chmist, Joanna; Walczak, Natalia; Laks, Ireneusz; Strzeliński, Paweł

    2016-08-01

    This paper presents problems caused by organic material transported by flowing water. This material is usually referred to as plant debris or organic debris. Its composition depends on the characteristic of the watercourse. For lowland rivers, the share of the so-called small organic matter in plant debris is considerable. This includes both various parts of water plants and floodplain vegetation (leaves, stems, blades of grass, twigs, etc.). During floods, larger woody debris poses a significant risk to bridges or other water engineering structures. It may cause river jams and may lead to damming of the flowing water. This, in turn, affects flood safety and increases flood risk in river valleys, both directly and indirectly. The importance of fine plant debris for the phenomenon being studied comes down to the hydrodynamic aspect (plant elements carried by water end up on trees and shrubs, increase hydraulic flow resistance and contribute to the nature of flow through vegetated areas changed from micro-to macro-structural). The key part of the research problem under analysis was to determine qualitative and quantitative debris parameters and to establish the relationship between the type of debris and the type of land use of river valleys (crop fields, meadows and forested river sections). Another problem was to identify parameters of plant debris for various flow conditions (e.g. for low, medium and flood flows). The research also included an analysis of the materials deposited on the structure of shrubs under flood flow conditions during the 2010 flood on the Warta River.

  5. French Alps, Mont Blanc, French/Italian Border

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1992-04-02

    In this southeast looking view, Mont Blanc, on the French/Italian border, (48.0N, 4.5E) the highest mountain peak in all of Europe, is just below and right of center (below the end of the prominent valley of the Aosta River, in the center of the photo. The rivers flow out of the Alps into Italy toward Turin. Chamonix, the famous resort town and center of Alpine mountain climbing, lies in the valley just below Mont Blanc.

  6. Carbon Storage of bottomland hardwood afforestation in the Lower Mississippi Valley, U.S.A.

    Treesearch

    David T. Shoch; Gary Kaster; Aaron Hohl; Ray Souter

    2009-01-01

    The emerging carbon market is an increasingly important source of finance for bottomland hardwood afforestation in the Lower Mississippi River Valley (LMV). Notwithstanding, there is a scarcity of empirical...

  7. Looking southeast down the Turtle Creek Valley at the Edgar ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Looking southeast down the Turtle Creek Valley at the Edgar Thomson works from a bluff at North Braddock (Martin Stupich) - U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Works, Along Monongahela River, Braddock, Allegheny County, PA

  8. Fault tectonics and earthquake hazards in the Peninsular Ranges, Southern California. [including San Diego River, Otay Mts., Japatul Valley, Barrett Lake, Horsethief Canyon, Pine Valley Creek, Pine Creek, and Mojave Desert

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Merifield, P. M. (Principal Investigator)

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Thin sections of rock exposed along the San Diego River linear were prepared and determined to be fault breccia. Single band and ratio images of the western Mojave Desert were prepared from the multispectral scanner digital tapes. Subtle differences in color of soil and rock are enhanced on the ratio images. Two north-northeast trending linears (Horsethief Canyon and Pine Valley Creek) and an east-west linear (Pine Creek) were concluded to have resulted from erosion along well-developed foliation in crystalline basement rocks.

  9. Comparison of peak discharges among sites with and without valley fills for the July 8-9, 2001 flood in the headwaters of Clear Fork, Coal River basin, mountaintop coal-mining region, southern West Virginia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiley, Jeffrey B.; Brogan, Freddie D.

    2003-01-01

    The effects of mountaintop-removal mining practices on the peak discharges of streams were investigated in six small drainage basins within a 7-square-mile area in southern West Virginia. Two of the small basins had reclaimed valley fills, one basin had reclaimed and unreclaimed valley fills, and three basins did not have valley fills. Indirect measurements of peak discharge for the flood of July 8-9, 2001, were made at six sites on streams draining the small basins. The sites without valley fills had peak discharges with 10- to 25-year recurrence intervals, indicating that rainfall intensities and totals varied among the study basins. The flood-recurrence intervals for the three basins with valley fills were determined as though the peak discharges were those from rural streams without the influence of valley fills, and ranged from less than 2 years to more than 100 years.

  10. Development of communication networks and water quality early warning detection systems at drinking water utilities in the Ohio River Valley Basin.

    PubMed

    Schulte, J G; Vicory, A H

    2005-01-01

    Source water quality is of major concern to all drinking water utilities. The accidental introduction of contaminants to their source water is a constant threat to utilities withdrawing water from navigable or industrialized rivers. The events of 11 September, 2001 in the United States have heightened concern for drinking water utility security as their source water and finished water may be targets for terrorist acts. Efforts are underway in several parts of the United States to strengthen early warning capabilities. This paper will focus on those efforts in the Ohio River Valley Basin.

  11. Ground-water resources of the South Platte River Basin in western Adams and southwestern Weld Counties, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Rex O.; Schneider, P.A.; Petri, Lester R.

    1964-01-01

    The area described in this report consists of about 970 square miles in western Adams and southwestern Weld Counties in northeastern Colorado. It includes that part of the South Platte River valley between Denver and Kuner, Colo., all of Beebe Draw, and the lower part of the valley of Box Elder Creek. The stream-valley lowlands are separated by rolling uplands. The climate is semiarid, the normal annual precipitation being about 13 inches; thus, irrigation is essential for stable agricultural development. The area contains about 220,000 acres of irrigated land in the stream valleys. Most of the remaining 400,000 acres of land is used for dry farming or grazing because it lacks irrigation water. Most of the lowlands were brought under irrigation with surface water during the early 1900's, and now nearly all the surface water in the area is appropriated for irrigation within and downstream from the area. Because the natural flow of the streams is sometimes less than the demand for water, ground water is used to supplement the surface-water supply. Wells, drilled chiefly since 1930, supply the supplemental water and in some places are the sole supply for irrigation use. Rocks exposed in the area are of sedimentary origin and range in age from Lato Cretaceous to Recent. Those that are consolidated, called 'bedrock' in this report, consist of the Fox Hills sandstone and the Laramie and Arapahoe formations, all of Late Cretaceous age, and the Denver formation and Dawson arkose of Late Cretaceous and Tertiary age. The surface of the bedrock was shaped by ancestral streams, the valleys of which are reflected by the present surface topography. Dune sand, slope wash, and thin upland deposits of Quaternary age mantle the bedrock in the divide areas, and stream deposits ranging in thickness from 0 to about 125 feet partly fill the ancestral valleys. The valley-fill deposits consist of beds and lenses of clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles, and boulders. Abundant supplies of ground water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial use are obtained in the principal stream valleys from wells tapping valley-fill deposits beneath the flood plain and bordering terraces. Many domestic and stock wells obtain water from the unconsolidated deposits both on the uplands and in the valleys. The ground water in the valley-fill deposits generally is unconfined but in a few places is under slight artesian pressure. The bedrock formations yield small to moderate supplies of water to municipal, industrial, domestic, and stock wells, but the yields are not sufficient for irrigation. Ground water in the South Platte River valley moves downstream and toward the river and is discharged into the river. The direction of ground-water movement in Beebe Draw and Box Elder Creek valley is nearly parallel to the streams. Beebe Seep, the stream in Beebe Draw, gains water from the groundwater reservoir in some reaches and loses water in others, but Box Elder Creek loses water to the ground-water reservoir throughout its course especially during floods. The shape and slope of the water table are affected chiefly by the permeability of the valley-fill deposits, the location and altitude of the areas of recharge and discharge, and the configuration of the underlying bedrock floor. The depth to water in the South Platte River valley ranges from less than 1 foot beneath the flood plain to as much as 80 feet beneath the terraces. In Beebe Draw the depth to water ranges from less than 1 foot to about 60 feet and in Box Elder Creek valley from about 5 feet to about 40 feet. During the period of record the annual fluctuation of water levels in wells in the area has ranged from 2 to 13 feet. Precipitation within the area and infiltrating water from irrigated tracts, reservoirs, canals, and streams are the principal sources of recharge to the ground-water reservoir; some recharge results from underflow from outside the area. Ground water is discharged by evapotranspiratio

  12. A Real Options Method for Estimating the Adoption Potential of Forestry and Agroforestry Systems on Private Lands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA

    Treesearch

    Gregory E. Frey; D. Evan Mercer; Frederick W. Cubbage; Robert C. Abt

    2010-01-01

    The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV), once was the largest forested bottom-land area in the continental United States, but has undergone widespread loss of forest through conversion to farmland. Restoration of forest functions and values has been a key conservation goal in the LMAV since the 1970s. This study utilizes a partial differential real options...

  13. The Ohio River Valley CO2 Storage Project AEP Mountaineer Plan, West Virginia

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neeraj Gupta

    2009-01-07

    This report includes an evaluation of deep rock formations with the objective of providing practical maps, data, and some of the issues considered for carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) storage projects in the Ohio River Valley. Injection and storage of CO{sub 2} into deep rock formations represents a feasible option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-burning power plants concentrated along the Ohio River Valley area. This study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), American Electric Power (AEP), BP, Ohio Coal Development Office, Schlumberger, and Battelle along with its Pacific Northwest Division. Anmore » extensive program of drilling, sampling, and testing of a deep well combined with a seismic survey was used to characterize the local and regional geologic features at AEP's 1300-megawatt (MW) Mountaineer Power Plant. Site characterization information has been used as part of a systematic design feasibility assessment for a first-of-a-kind integrated capture and storage facility at an existing coal-fired power plant in the Ohio River Valley region--an area with a large concentration of power plants and other emission sources. Subsurface characterization data have been used for reservoir simulations and to support the review of the issues relating to injection, monitoring, strategy, risk assessment, and regulatory permitting. The high-sulfur coal samples from the region have been tested in a capture test facility to evaluate and optimize basic design for a small-scale capture system and eventually to prepare a detailed design for a capture, local transport, and injection facility. The Ohio River Valley CO{sub 2} Storage Project was conducted in phases with the ultimate objectives of demonstrating both the technical aspects of CO{sub 2} storage and the testing, logistical, regulatory, and outreach issues related to conducting such a project at a large point source under realistic constraints. The site characterization phase was completed, laying the groundwork for moving the project towards a potential injection phase. Feasibility and design assessment activities included an assessment of the CO{sub 2} source options (a slip-stream capture system or transported CO{sub 2}); development of the injection and monitoring system design; preparation of regulatory permits; and continued stakeholder outreach.« less

  14. Meltwater palaeohydrology of the Baker River basin (Chile/Argentina) during Late Pleistocene deglaciation of the Northern Patagonia Icefield

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thorndycraft, Varyl; Bendle, Jacob; Benito, Gerardo; Sancho, Carlos; Palmer, Adrian; Rodríguez, Xavier

    2016-04-01

    The Late Pleistocene deglaciation of the Northern Patagonia Icefield (NPI) was characterised by rapid ice sheet thinning and retreat, and the development of large proglacial lake systems characterised by continental scale drainage reversals. In this region, research has focused primarily on the identification of former ice-limits (e.g. moraine ridges) for geochronological analyses, with little attention given to the meltwater palaeohydrology of major river valleys. The Baker River catchment drains the majority of the eastern ice shed of the NPI, with a basin area of 29,000 km2 that includes the large transboundary lakes of General Carrera/Buenos Aires and Cochrane/Puerreydón. The Baker River valley is aligned north to south, crossing the east-west valleys of the main NPI outflow glaciers, and thus represents an important aspect of regional Late Pleistocene palaeogeography. The Baker River valley therefore has the potential to refine regional models of deglaciation through better understanding of relationships between glacier dynamics, ice dammed lakes and meltwater pathways. Here we present geomorphological mapping from the Atlantic-Pacific drainage divide (over 150 km east of the Cordillera) to the lower Baker valley, in order to reconstruct Late Pleistocene palaeohydrology. We provide new mapping of palaeolake shoreline elevations and evidence for glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) pathways that require a re-evaluation of the currently accepted palaeogeographic models. For example, the palaeohydrological evidence does not support existing models of a unified Buenos Aires/Puerreydón mega-lake at ca. 400m elevation. We propose a relative chronology of palaeohydrological events that help refine the published moraine chronology derived from cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating. Controls on Late Pleistocene meltwater palaeohydrology of the Baker catchment are discussed, including the interplay of glacial processes and regional tectonics, in particular, dynamic topography.

  15. Seismic local site effects characterization in the Andarax River Valley (SE Spain) from ambient seismic noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carmona, Enrique; García-Jerez, Antonio; Luzón, Francisco; Sánchez-Martos, Francisco; Sánchez-Sesma, Francisco J.; Piña, José

    2014-05-01

    This work is focused on the characterization of seismic local effects in the Low Andarax River Valley (SE Spain). The Low Andarax River valley is located in an active seismic region, with the higher seismic hazard values in Spain. The landform is composed mainly by sedimentary materials which increase its seismic hazard due to the amplification of the seismic inputs and spectral resonances. We study seismic local effects in the Low Andarax River by analyzing the Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) of ambient noise records. The noise data were recorded during two field campaigns in 2012 and 2013. There have been a total of 374 noise measurements with 15 and 30 minutes duration. The acquisition was performed with a Digital Broadband Seismometer Guralp CMG-6TD. The distance between measurements was about 200 meters, covering an area around 40 km2. There have been 6 significant peak frequencies between 0.3 Hz and 5 Hz. It was possible to find interesting areas with similar spectral peaks that coincide with zones with similar microgravimetric anomalies at the alluvial valley. It is also observed a decrease in the frequency peaks from West to East suggesting increased sediment layer. We also compute the soil models at those sites where geotechnical information is available, assuming that the seismic noise is diffuse. We invert the HVSR for these places using horizontally layered models and in the imaginary part the Green functions at the source. It is observed that the S wave velocity inverted models are consistent with the known geotechnical information obtained from drilled boreholes. We identify the elastodynamic properties of the limestone-dolomite materials with a formation of phyllites and quartzite that form the basement of the depression, and those properties of the Miocene and Pliocene detrital deposits (marls, sandy silts, sands and conglomerates) that fill the valley. These results together with the observed resonant frequencies along the Andarax valley allow the construction of microzonation maps, which are very useful for public administrations and private geotechnical companies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. This research has been partially supported by the MINECO research project CGL2010-16250, Spain, by the EU with FEDER, by DGAPA-UNAM under Project IN104712, and the AXA Research Fund.

  16. Inventory and Comparison of Floodplain Embankment along Large Rivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hudson, Paul

    2016-04-01

    Flood control is a fundamental human response to flood risk, and floodplain embankment by dike (levee) construction is among the oldest forms of societal impacts to natural systems. Large lowland alluvial valleys are some of Earth's most distinctive environments and represent high levels of geodiversity and biodiversity. Embankment of large lowland alluvial river valleys alters fundamental processes related to floodplain hydrology, sedimentation, and ecology and eventually results in a transformation of the embanked floodplain environment. Since embankment, many large lowland floodplains have been heaviliy modified for floodplain agriculture and include high population densities, increasing flood risk. While there is much discussion about the pros and cons of dike construction and the impact to floodplain environments there is no systematic inventory which documents the magnitude and intensity of floodplain embankment to lowland rivers. In this study we characterize and inventory floodplain embankment along large lowland alluvial valleys. The review includes some of Earth's largest embanked fluvial systems, and primarilly focuses on northern hemisphere rivers in the United States, Europe and Asia. Data sources includes the U.S. National Levee Database, SRTM DEM, recently obtained high resolution satellite imagery, various national topographic map series, and hydrologic data from the published literature. These data are integrated into a GIS framework to facilitate the measurement and characterisation of floodplain embankment. Spatial indices of floodplain embankment are constructed, including the intensity of embankment and how it relates to the natural floodplain and constriction of flooding.

  17. COMPARISON OF RANDOM SITE SELECTION AT MULTIPLE INTENSITIES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE OHIO RIVER FISH COMMUNITY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is a compact of eight states representing interests in the Ohio River basin that has been instrumental in the development of biological monitoring of the Ohio River. In the past, ORSANCO has conducted intensive surveys by samp...

  18. Processing of airborne laser scanning data to generate accurate DTM for floodplain wetland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szporak-Wasilewska, Sylwia; Mirosław-Świątek, Dorota; Grygoruk, Mateusz; Michałowski, Robert; Kardel, Ignacy

    2015-10-01

    Structure of the floodplain, especially its topography and vegetation, influences the overland flow and dynamics of floods which are key factors shaping ecosystems in surface water-fed wetlands. Therefore elaboration of the digital terrain model (DTM) of a high spatial accuracy is crucial in hydrodynamic flow modelling in river valleys. In this study the research was conducted in the unique Central European complex of fens and marshes - the Lower Biebrza river valley. The area is represented mainly by peat ecosystems which according to EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) are called "water-dependent ecosystems". Development of accurate DTM in these areas which are overgrown by dense wetland vegetation consisting of alder forest, willow shrubs, reed, sedges and grass is very difficult, therefore to represent terrain in high accuracy the airborne laser scanning data (ALS) with scanning density of 4 points/m2 was used and the correction of the "vegetation effect" on DTM was executed. This correction was performed utilizing remotely sensed images, topographical survey using the Real Time Kinematic positioning and vegetation height measurements. In order to classify different types of vegetation within research area the object based image analysis (OBIA) was used. OBIA allowed partitioning remotely sensed imagery into meaningful image-objects, and assessing their characteristics through spatial and spectral scale. The final maps of vegetation patches that include attributes of vegetation height and vegetation spectral properties, utilized both the laser scanning data and the vegetation indices developed on the basis of airborne and satellite imagery. This data was used in process of segmentation, attribution and classification. Several different vegetation indices were tested to distinguish different types of vegetation in wetland area. The OBIA classification allowed correction of the "vegetation effect" on DTM. The final digital terrain model was compared and examined within distinguished land cover classes (formed mainly by natural vegetation of the river valley) with archival height models developed through interpolation of ground points measured with GPS RTK and also with elevation models from the ASTER-GDEM and SRTM programs. The research presented in this paper allowed improving quality of hydrodynamic modelling in the surface water-fed wetlands protected within Biebrza National Park. Additionally, the comparison with other digital terrain models allowed to demonstrate the importance of accurate topography products in such modelling. The ALS data also significantly improved the accuracy and actuality of the river Biebrza course, its tributaries and location of numerous oxbows typical in this part of the river valley in comparison to previously available data. This type of data also helped to refine the river valley cross-sections, designate river banks and to develop the slope map of the research area.

  19. Rainfall-Runoff and Water-Balance Models for Management of the Fena Valley Reservoir, Guam

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yeung, Chiu W.

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and a generalized water-balance model were calibrated and verified for use in estimating future availability of water in the Fena Valley Reservoir in response to various combinations of water withdrawal rates and rainfall conditions. Application of PRMS provides a physically based method for estimating runoff from the Fena Valley Watershed during the annual dry season, which extends from January through May. Runoff estimates from the PRMS are used as input to the water-balance model to estimate change in water levels and storage in the reservoir. A previously published model was calibrated for the Maulap and Imong River watersheds using rainfall data collected outside of the watershed. That model was applied to the Almagosa River watershed by transferring calibrated parameters and coefficients because information on daily diversions at the Almagosa Springs upstream of the gaging station was not available at the time. Runoff from the ungaged land area was not modeled. For this study, the availability of Almagosa Springs diversion data allowed the calibration of PRMS for the Almagosa River watershed. Rainfall data collected at the Almagosa rain gage since 1992 also provided better estimates of rainfall distribution in the watershed. In addition, the discontinuation of pan-evaporation data collection in 1998 required a change in the evapotranspiration estimation method used in the PRMS model. These reasons prompted the update of the PRMS for the Fena Valley Watershed. Simulated runoff volume from the PRMS compared reasonably with measured values for gaging stations on Maulap, Almagosa, and Imong Rivers, tributaries to the Fena Valley Reservoir. On the basis of monthly runoff simulation for the dry seasons included in the entire simulation period (1992-2001), the total volume of runoff can be predicted within -3.66 percent at Maulap River, within 5.37 percent at Almagosa River, and within 10.74 percent at Imong River. Month-end reservoir volumes simulated by the reservoir water-balance model for both calibration and verification periods compared closely with measured reservoir volumes. Errors for the calibration periods ranged from 4.51 percent [208.7 acre-feet (acre-ft) or 68.0 million gallons (Mgal)] to -5.90 percent (-317.8 acre-ft or -103.6 Mgal). For the verification periods, errors ranged from 1.69 percent (103.5 acre-ft or 33.7 Mgal) to -4.60 percent (-178.7 acre-ft or -58.2 Mgal). Monthly simulation bias ranged from -0.19 percent for the calibration period to -0.98 percent for the verification period; relative error ranged from -0.37 to -1.12 percent, respectively. Relatively small bias indicated that the model did not consistently overestimate or underestimate reservoir volume.

  20. Community-driven Environmental Solutions in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This fact sheet describes accomplishments in community-driven environmental Solutions in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region, including Imperial Valley (CA), American Samoa, Las Vegas Valley (NV), Gila River Indian Community (AZ) and Gilroy (CA).

  1. Siphateles (Gila) sp. and Catostomus sp. from the Pleistocene OIS-6 Lake Gale, Panamint Valley, Owens River system, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayko, A. S.; Forester, R. M.; Smith, G. R.

    2014-12-01

    Panamint Valley lies within the Owens River system which linked southeastern Sierra Nevada basins between Mono Lake and Death Valley during glacial-pluvial times. Previous work indicates that late Pleistocene glacial-pluvial Lake Gale, Panamint Valley was an open system during OIS-6, a closed ground water supported shallow lake during OIS-4, and the terminal lake basin for the Owens River system during OIS-2. We here report the first occurrence of fossil fish from the Plio-Pleistocene Panamint basin. Fish remains are present in late Pleistocene OIS-6 nearshore deposits associated with a highstand that was spillway limited at Wingate Wash. The deposits contain small minnow-sized remains from both Siphateles or Gila sp. (chubs) and Catostomus sp. (suckers) from at least four locations widely dispersed in the basin. Siphateles or Gila sp. and Catostomus are indigenous to the Pleistocene and modern Owens River system, in particular to the historic Owens Lake area. Cyprinodon (pupfish) and Rhinichthys (dace) are known from the modern Amargosa River and from Plio-Pleistocene deposits in Death Valley to the east. The late Pleistocene OIS-6 to OIS-2 lacustrine and paleohydrologic record in Panamint basin is interpreted from ostracod assemblages, relative abundance of Artemia sp. pellets, shallow water indicators including tufa fragments, ruppia sp. fragments and the relative abundance of charophyte gyrogonites obtained from archived core, as well as faunal assemblages from paleoshoreline and nearshore deposits. The OIS-4 groundwater supported shallow saline lake had sufficiently low ratios of alkalinity to calcium (alk/Ca) to support the occurrence of exotic Elphidium sp. (?) foraminfera which are not observed in either OIS-2 or OIS-6 lacustrine deposits. The arrival of Owens River surface water into Panamint Basin during OIS-2 is recorded by the first appearance of the ostracod Limnocythere sappaensis at ~27 m depth in an ~100 m archived core (Smith and Pratt, 1957) which extends between OIS-5 and post OIS-2 based on based on proxy correlation with the marine oxygen isotope record.

  2. Morphologic characteristics of upland bluffs east and west of Crowley's Ridge in the New Madrid area

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Church, A.; Mayer, L.

    1993-03-01

    Although presumed to be purely erosional in origin, the development of the bluffs bounding the Mississippi River may be ultimately influenced by tectonic processes. Quantitative morphologic characterization of the bluffs may provide insights to their erosional history and possible tectonic impacts on their evolution. Characterization consists of digitizing topographic planforms of the bluffs, valley floor morphology, and calculation of such parameters as sinuosity (S), valley floor/valley height ratios (Vf) and stream gradient indices for streams cutting the bluffs. Bluff planforms vary in sinuosity from nearly straight, S = 1.3, to highly sinuous, S = 8.2. Sinuosity appears to primarily reflectmore » the size of the streams that dissect the bluffs. On the west side of the river, sinuosities are systematically higher than on the east side, reflecting the consequences of larger streams which effectively embay the bluffs. Interestingly, the lowest sinuosities in the area studied are geographically juxtaposed to the highest ones, both found on the east side of the river. The low sinuosities are due to the near coincidence of the drainage divide with the bluffs themselves resulting in east flowing drainage away from the bluffs. Vf ratios show a geographic pattern similar to that of sinuosity.« less

  3. Fena Valley Reservoir watershed and water-balance model updates and expansion of watershed modeling to southern Guam

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rosa, Sarah N.; Hay, Lauren E.

    2017-12-01

    In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, initiated a project to evaluate the potential impacts of projected climate-change on Department of Defense installations that rely on Guam’s water resources. A major task of that project was to develop a watershed model of southern Guam and a water-balance model for the Fena Valley Reservoir. The southern Guam watershed model provides a physically based tool to estimate surface-water availability in southern Guam. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Precipitation Runoff Modeling System, PRMS-IV, was used to construct the watershed model. The PRMS-IV code simulates different parts of the hydrologic cycle based on a set of user-defined modules. The southern Guam watershed model was constructed by updating a watershed model for the Fena Valley watersheds, and expanding the modeled area to include all of southern Guam. The Fena Valley watershed model was combined with a previously developed, but recently updated and recalibrated Fena Valley Reservoir water-balance model.Two important surface-water resources for the U.S. Navy and the citizens of Guam were modeled in this study; the extended model now includes the Ugum River watershed and improves upon the previous model of the Fena Valley watersheds. Surface water from the Ugum River watershed is diverted and treated for drinking water, and the Fena Valley watersheds feed the largest surface-water reservoir on Guam. The southern Guam watershed model performed “very good,” according to the criteria of Moriasi and others (2007), in the Ugum River watershed above Talofofo Falls with monthly Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency statistic values of 0.97 for the calibration period and 0.93 for the verification period (a value of 1.0 represents perfect model fit). In the Fena Valley watershed, monthly simulated streamflow volumes from the watershed model compared reasonably well with the measured values for the gaging stations on the Almagosa, Maulap, and Imong Rivers—tributaries to the Fena Valley Reservoir—with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values of 0.87 or higher. The southern Guam watershed model simulated the total volume of the critical dry season (January to May) streamflow for the entire simulation period within –0.54 percent at the Almagosa River, within 6.39 percent at the Maulap River, and within 6.06 percent at the Imong River.The recalibrated water-balance model of the Fena Valley Reservoir generally simulated monthly reservoir storage volume with reasonable accuracy. For the calibration and verification periods, errors in end-of-month reservoir-storage volume ranged from 6.04 percent (284.6 acre-feet or 92.7 million gallons) to –5.70 percent (–240.8 acre-feet or –78.5 million gallons). Monthly simulation bias ranged from –0.48 percent for the calibration period to 0.87 percent for the verification period; relative error ranged from –0.60 to 0.88 percent for the calibration and verification periods, respectively. The small bias indicated that the model did not consistently overestimate or underestimate reservoir storage volume.In the entirety of southern Guam, the watershed model has a “satisfactory” to “very good” rating when simulating monthly mean streamflow for all but one of the gaged watersheds during the verification period. The southern Guam watershed model uses a more sophisticated climate-distribution scheme than the older model to make use of the sparse climate data, as well as includes updated land-cover parameters and the capability to simulate closed depression areas.The new Fena Valley Reservoir water-balance model is useful as an updated tool to forecast short-term changes in the surface-water resources of Guam. Furthermore, the now spatially complete southern Guam watershed model can be used to evaluate changes in streamflow and recharge owing to climate or land-cover changes. These are substantial improvements to the previous models of the Fena Valley watershed and Reservoir. Datasets associated with this report are available as a U.S. Geological Survey data release (Rosa and Hay, 2017; DOI:10.5066/F7HH6HV4).

  4. Detailed study of selenium and other constituents in water, bottom sediment, soil, alfalfa, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the Uncompahgre Project area and in the Grand Valley, west-central Colorado, 1991-93

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Butler, D.L.; Wright, W.G.; Stewart, K.C.; Osmundson, B.C.; Krueger, R.P.; Crabtree, D.W.

    1996-01-01

    In 1985, the U.S. Department of the Interior began a program to study the effects of irrigation drainage in the Western United States. These studies were done to determine whether irrigation drainage was causing problems related to human health, water quality, and fish and wildlife resources. Results of a study in 1991-93 of irrigation drainage associated with the Uncompahgre Project area, located in the lower Gunnison River Basin, and of the Grand Valley, located along the Colorado River, are described in this report. The focus of the report is on the sources, distribution, movement, and fate of selenium in the hydrologic and biological systems and the effects on biota. Generally, other trace- constituent concentrations in water and biota were not elevated or were not at levels of concern. Soils in the Uncompahgre Project area that primarily were derived from Mancos Shale contained the highest concentrations of total and watrer-extractable selenium. Only 5 of 128\\x11alfalfa samples had selenium concentrations that exceeded a recommended dietary limit for livestock. Selenium data for soil and alfalfa indicate that irrigation might be mobilizing and redistributing selenium in the Uncompahgre Project area. Distribution of dissolved selenium in ground water is affected by the aqueous geochemical environment of the shallow ground- water system. Selenium concentrations were as high as 1,300\\x11micrograms per liter in water from shallow wells. The highest concentrations of dissolved selenium were in water from wells completed in alluvium overlying the Mancos Shale of Cretaceous age; selenium concentrations were lower in water from wells completed in Mancos Shale residuum. Selenium in the study area could be mobilized by oxidation of reduced selenium, desorption from aquifer sediments, ion exchange, and dissolution. Infiltration of irrigation water and, perhaps nitrate, provide oxidizing conditions for mobilization of selenium from alluvium and shale residuum and for transport to streams and irrigation drains that are tributary to the Gunnison, Uncompahgre, and Colorado Rivers. Selenium concentrations in about 64\\x11percent of water samples collected from the lower Gunnison River and about 50 percent of samples from the Colorado River near the Colorado-Utah State line exceeded the U.S.\\x11Environmental Protection Agency criterion of 5\\x11micrograms per liter for protection of aquatic life. Almost all selenium concentrations in samples collected during the nonirrigation season from Mancos Shale areas exceeded the aquatic-life criterion. The maximum selenium concentrations in surface-water samples were 600\\x11micrograms per liter in the Uncompahgre Project area and 380\\x11micrograms per liter in the Grand Valley. Irrigation drainage from the Uncompahgre Project and the Grand Valley might account for as much as 75 percent of the selenium load in the Colorado River near the Colorado-Utah State line. The primary source areas of selenium were the eastern side of the Uncompahgre Project and the western one-half of the Grand Valley, where there is extensive irrigation on soils derived from Mancos Shale. The largest mean selenium loads from tributary drainages were 14.0 pounds per day from Loutsenhizer Arroyo in the Uncompahgre Project and 12.8 pounds per day from Reed Wash in the Grand Valley. Positive correlations between selenium loads and dissolved-solids loads could indicate that salinity-control projects designed to decrease dissolved-solids loads also could decrease selenium loads from the irrigated areas. Selenium concentrations in irrigation drainage in the Grand Valley were much higher than concentrations predicted by simple evaporative concentration of irrigation source water. Selenium probably is removed from pond water by chemical and biological processes and incorporated into bottom sediment. The maximum selenium concentration in bottom sediment was 47 micrograms per gram from a pond on the eastern side of the

  5. Hydrologic Conditions Viewed by the Nimbus Meteorological Satellites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rabchevsky, G. A.

    1971-01-01

    The unexploited value of the Nimbus meteorological sensor data relates to the satellites' ability for global, temporal, repetitive and uniform tonal and spatial coverage of the earth's surface. Examples are presented illustrating how synoptic views of large areas increase interpretive capability and enable focusing on large targets of interest. The effect of resolution of the Nimbus imaging systems on these observations is discussed, together with the assessment of the areal and temporal magnitude of changes observed by these systems. Two case studies are presented exemplifying the satellites' ability for repetitive observations enabling phenomena to be monitored under special conditions. One study deals with changes observed in the Antarctic ice conditions utilizing the Nimbus 2 and 3 television picture data. The other study deals with terrestrial changes in the Mississippi River Valley and the Niger River Valley (Africa), observed primarily in the 0.7 to 1.3 micron spectral band.

  6. Duck Valley Habitat Enhancement and Protection, 2001-2002 Progress Report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Allen, Mattie H.; Sellman, Jake

    The Duck Valley Indian Reservation's Habitat Enhancement project is an ongoing project designed to enhance and protect critical riparian areas, natural springs, the Owhyee River and its tributaries, and native fish spawning areas on the Reservation. The project commenced in 1997 and addresses the Northwest Power Planning Council's measures 10.8C.2, 10.8C.3, and 10.8C.5 of the 1994 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The performance period covers dates from April 2001 through August 2002.

  7. INEL Geothermal Environmental Program. 1979 annual report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thurow, T.L.; Sullivan, J.F.

    1980-04-01

    The Raft River Geothermal Environmental Program is designed to assess beneficial and detrimental impacts to the ecosystem resulting from the development of moderate temperature geothermal resources in the valley. The results of this research contribute to developing an understanding of Raft River Valley ecology and provide a basis for making management decisions to reduce potential long-term detrimental impacts on the environment. The environmental monitoring and research efforts conducted during the past six years of geothermal development and planned future research are summarized.

  8. Progress report on the geology and ground-water hydrology of the lower Platte River Valley, Nebraska, with a section on the chemical quality of the ground water

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Waite, Herbert A.; Swenson, Herbert A.

    1949-01-01

    The occurrence of abundant ground-water supplies in the lower Platte River Valley has made possible the present agricultural and industrial economy of the area. Likewise, the future development of the area is dependent on the wise use of this important resource. The current investigation, on which this report is based, is a necessary step in the planning for the greatest ultimate utilization of the water resources in the lower Platte River Valley.The area covered by this study is the floor of the lower Platte River Valley between North Platte and Fremont and embraces about 2,500 square miles. The entire valley floor is underlain by unconsolidated Pleistocene sediments which consist of clay, silt, sand and gravel and range in thickness from less than 20 feet to nearly 200 feet. Westward from Cozad these sediments were deposited in a valley entrenched in bedrock, but east of Cozad they are continuous with similar deposits which underlie the adjacent uplands. Bedrock formations of Tertiary age are in contact with the basal Pleistocene sediments from the west end of the area to about Central City. From Central City eastward, formations of Cretaceous age immediately underlie the Pleistocene deposits.The Pleistocene sediments and underlying pervious formations are water saturated below depths which range from less than 1 foot to about 90 feet below the surface. In general, the configuration of the water table is similar to the topography of the land surface, but the relief on the water table is considerably less by comparison. Movement of ground water is either toward the river or parallel to it. Based on present information, movement of ground water out of the valley is not indicated but additional water-level control is needed south of the valley between Grand Island and Columbus to determine the possibility of ground-water loss in this stretch of the valley.Periodic observations of water-table fluctuations have constituted an important phase of ground-water studies in the lower Platte River Valley. Examination of water-level data collected by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Conservation and Survey Division of the University of Nebraska indicates that water levels throughout most of the valley between Gothenburg and Grand Island declined during the 9-year period, December 1930 to December 1939. The maximum net declines observed during this period were a little greater than 4 feet. During the period December 1939 to December 1946, water levels recovered throughout much of the same area; in local areas on the south side of the Platte River between North Platte and Overton water levels rose in excess of 10 feet as a result of seepage losses tram canals and irrigated lands. However, north of Wood River in western Hall County water levels continued to decline to the extent that in at least 3 observation wells water levels in December 1946 were more than 5 feet lower than in December 1930.Water levels were measured monthly in 1946 and bimonthly in 1947 in observation wells located throughout the area covered by this report. During this period water levels fluctuated through a range of about 3 feet, the lowest levels being reached in September 1946 and the highest levels being reached in July 1947. Average fluctuations between successive measurements were a little less than 0.4 foot. The amount of ground-water discharge in the summer months of 1947 was approximately double that of the previous summer. However, replenishment to groundwater storage during the fall of 1946 and the spring of 1947 was sufficiently great that the amount of water in storage in the valley as a whole at the end of the 2-year period was essentially equal to the amount in storage at the beginning of the period. At the end of 1947 the Dawson and Buffalo County areas showed gains to storage whereas the remainder of the valley suffered vary slight losses during the same 2 years.The quantity of ground water that a water-bearing material will yield is dependent upon the hydrologic properties of the material. Two hydrologic properties of greatest importance are permeability and specific yield. During the course of the present investigation 5 pumping tests were conducted to determine the coefficients of permeability and storage of the Pleistocene deposits. The values of the former range from 955 to 4,925 and the latter tram 0.007. to 0.236 attar 24 hours of pumping.The mineral character of the ground water has been determined from analyses of samples, of which 15 represented municipal supplies and 3 were irrigation waters. Ground waters analyzed for this report contained variable amounts of dissolved solids ranging from 240 to 1,060 parts per million, with hardness values above limits considered desirable tor public supplies. The increased concentration of dissolved solids for ground waters in the western part of the valley as a result of return flow conditions, is noted. Ground waters in the valley are discussed as to suitability for municipal and irrigation uses, and analyses of samples do not reveal any serious condition that would adversely affect the use of these waters for the purposes intended. As irrigation increases, periodic chemical analyses of ground waters in this area will be required to evaluate the effects of the re-use of drainage waters and to provide information for salinity control.Ground-water supplies are drawn upon extensively for irrigation purposes, for municipal supplies, and for rural, domestic and stock supplies. Nearly 4,000 irrigation wells are known to exist in the area, the greatest concentrations of these being in Dawson, Buffalo, and Hall Counties.

  9. Geochemistry of waters in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes region, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keith, T.E.C.; Thompson, J.M.; Hutchinson, R.A.; White, L.D.

    1992-01-01

    Meteoric waters from cold springs and streams outside of the 1912 eruptive deposits filling the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS) and in the upper parts of the two major rivers draining the 1912 deposits have similar chemical trends. Thermal springs issue in the mid-valley area along a 300-m lateral section of ash-flow tuff, and range in temperature from 21 to 29.8??C in early summer and from 15 to 17??C in mid-summer. Concentrations of major and minor chemical constituents in the thermal waters are nearly identical regardless of temperature. Waters in the downvalley parts of the rivers draining the 1912 deposits are mainly mixtures of cold meteoric waters and thermal waters of which the mid-valley thermal spring waters are representative. The weathering reactions of cold waters with the 1912 deposits appear to have stabilized and add only subordinate amounts of chemical constituents to the rivers relative to those contributed by the thermal waters. Isotopic data indicate that the mid-valley thermal spring waters are meteoric, but data is inconclusive regarding the heat source. The thermal waters could be either from a shallow part of a hydrothermal system beneath the 1912 vent region or from an incompletely cooled, welded tuff lens deep in the 1912 ash-flow sheet of the upper River Lethe area. Bicarbonate-sulfate waters resulting from interaction of near-surface waters and the cooling 1953-1968 southwest Trident plug issue from thermal springs south of Katmai Pass and near Mageik Creek, although the Mageik Creek spring waters are from a well-established, more deeply circulating hydrothermal system. Katmai caldera lake waters are a result of acid gases from vigorous drowned fumaroles dissolving in lake waters composed of snowmelt and precipitation. ?? 1992.

  10. Mount St. Helens, Washington Decision Document

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-10-01

    The social, economic, and environmental impacts in the Toutle and Cowlitz valleys and in the State of Washington are less for the ...interests, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. In view of the above, I conclude that the plan identified as the NED plan provides the best... the Columbia River by implementing emergency measures along the three rivers impacted by the eruption and by studying future

  11. Lidar quantification of bank erosion in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.

    PubMed

    Kessler, A C; Gupta, S C; Dolliver, H A S; Thoma, D P

    2012-01-01

    Sediment and phosphorus (P) transport from the Minnesota River Basin to Lake Pepin on the upper Mississippi River has garnered much attention in recent years. However, there is lack of data on the extent of sediment and P contributions from riverbanks vis-à-vis uplands and ravines. Using two light detection and ranging (lidar) data sets taken in 2005 and 2009, a study was undertaken to quantify sediment and associated P losses from riverbanks in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Volume change in river valleys as a result of bank erosion amounted to 1.71 million m over 4 yr. Volume change closely followed the trend: the Blue Earth River > the Minnesota River at the county's northern edge > the Le Sueur River > the Maple River > the Watonwan River > the Big Cobb River > Perch Creek > Little Cobb River. Using fine sediment content (silt + clay) and bulk density of 37 bank samples representing three parent materials, we estimate bank erosion contributions of 48 to 79% of the measured total suspended solids at the mouth of the Blue Earth and the Le Sueur rivers. Corresponding soluble P and total P contributions ranged from 0.13 to 0.20% and 40 to 49%, respectively. Although tall banks (>3 m high) accounted for 33% of the total length and 63% of the total area, they accounted for 75% of the volume change in river valleys. We conclude that multitemporal lidar data sets are useful in estimating bank erosion and associated P contributions over large scales, and for riverbanks that are not readily accessible for conventional surveying equipment. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  12. Modern geomorphology in a post-glacial landscape and implications for river restoration, eastern Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minear, J. T.; Wright, S. A.; Roche, J. W.

    2011-12-01

    Yosemite National Park, USA, is one of the most popular national parks in the country with over 3.9 million visitors annually. The majority of tourists visit a relatively small area around the Merced River in scenic eastern Yosemite Valley, which has resulted in degradation to the river and streambanks. The National Park Service is updating the long-term management plan for the Merced River which includes river restoration. A key component determining the success of future river restoration efforts is the transport and supply of sediment. For this study, we investigate the modern geomorphology of the eastern Yosemite Valley region. For the watershed and reach analyses, we draw from a variety of topographic and hydrologic records, including 20-years of data from permanent cross sections, aerial and ground-based LiDAR surveys, and a nearly 100-year hydrologic record. In addition, we utilize hydraulic and sediment transport models to investigate channel velocities, bed shear stress and sediment transport at the reach scale. From the watershed-scale analysis, it is likely that large-scale remnant glacial features exert a primary control on the sediment supply to the study area with relatively small volumes of both suspended and bedload sediment being contributed to the study site. Two of the three major watersheds, Tenaya Creek and the upper Merced River, likely contribute only small amounts of bedload downstream due to low-gradient depositional reaches. Though little-known, the third major watershed, Illilouette Creek, is the only watershed capable of contributing larger amounts of bedload material, though the bedload material is likely contributed only during high flow events. High flows in the Yosemite Valley region have two different distributions: large early winter storm events above the 20-year return interval, and moderate snowmelt flows at and below the 20-year return interval. Sediment transport analyses indicate that bedload transport is dominated by relatively frequent (<2 year) snowmelt flow events and that the coarsest material in the reach (>110 mm) is mobile during these flows. The permanent cross sections record large topographic changes, including infilling at key bars, associated with the 1997 flood, the largest recorded early winter event (100-year return interval). Following snowmelt events post-1997, cross sections are returning to near pre-1997 levels. The cross section data suggest there is likely a disconnect between sediment supplied to the reach and sediment transport, with the majority of sediment supply occurring during large early winter events while the majority of sediment transport occurs during snowmelt events. An implication of our findings for river restoration in this area of the Merced River is that the ability of the channel to rebuild streambanks is relatively low, given the low suspended sediment supply. In contrast, bedload transport is relatively frequent and occurs in significant quantities, suggesting that river restoration involving bed recovery (e.g. recovery of pools formed by riprap or bridges) should be relatively rapid if obstructions are removed.

  13. Implications of the miocene(?) crooked ridge river of northern arizona for the evolution of the colorado river and grand canyon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lucchitta, Ivo; Holm, Richard F.; Lucchitta, Baerbel K.

    2013-01-01

    The southwesterly course of the probably pre–early Miocene and possibly Oligocene Crooked Ridge River can be traced continuously for 48 km and discontinuously for 91 km in northern Arizona (United States). The course is visible today in inverted relief. Pebbles in the river gravel came from at least as far northeast as the San Juan Mountains (Colorado). The river valley was carved out of easily eroded Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks whose debris overloaded the river with abundant detritus, probably steepening the gradient. After the river became inactive, the regional drainage network was rearranged three times, and the nearby Four Corners region was lowered 1–2 km by erosion. The river provides constraints on the early evolution of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon. Continuation of this river into lakes in Arizona or Utah is unlikely, as is integration through Grand Canyon by lake spillover. The downstream course of the river probably was across the Kaibab arch in a valley roughly coincident with the present eastern Grand Canyon. Beyond this point, the course may have continued to the drainage basin of the Sacramento River, or to the proto–Snake River drainage. Crooked Ridge River was beheaded by the developing San Juan River, which pirated its waters and probably was tributary to a proto–Colorado River, flowing roughly along its present course west of the Monument upwarp.

  14. DETECTION OF TEMPORAL TRENDS IN OHIO RIVER FISH ASSEMBLAGES BASED ON LOCKCHAMBER SURVEYS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), along with cooperating state and federal agencies, sampled fish assemblages from the lockchambers of Ohio River navigational dams from 1957 to 2001. To date, 377 lockchamber rotenone events have been conducted, resulti...

  15. Aquifer depletion in the Lower Mississippi River Basin: challenges and solutions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB) is an internationally-important region of intensive agricultural crop production that relies heavily on the underlying Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) for irrigation. Extensive irrigation coupled with the region’s geology have led to signifi...

  16. Terrebonne Parish-Wide Forced Drainage System, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-08-01

    Gibson, Louisiana show Bayou Lafourche deposits at the surface capping Red River deposits, in turn overlying Teche Mississippi levees. There are five...eastern side of the alluvial *valley. Following the diversion of the Mississippi River from the Teche channel, the Red River continued to flow within...the Mississippi River and Red River . These alluvial sediments were left by the distributary streams of several deltas of the Mississippi River . The

  17. Geologic map and database of the Salem East and Turner 7.5-minute quadrangles, Marion County, Oregon: a digital database

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tolan, Terry L.; Beeson, Marvin H.; Digital Database by DuRoss, Christopher B.

    2000-01-01

    The Salem East and Turner 7.5-minute quadrangles are situated in the center of the Willamette Valley near the western margin of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) distribution. The terrain within the area is of low to moderate relief, ranging from about 150 to almost 1,100-ft elevation. Mill Creek flows northward from the Stayton basin (Turner quadrangle) to the northern Willamette Valley (Salem East quadrangle) through a low that dissects the Columbia River basalt that forms the Salem Hills on the west and the Waldo Hills to the east. Approximately eight flows of CRBG form a thickness of up to 700� in these two quadrangles. The Ginkgo intracanyon flow that extends from east to west through the south half of the Turner quadrangle is exposed in the hills along the southeast part of the quadrangle. Previous geologic mapping by Thayer (1939) and Bela (1981) while providing the general geologic framework did not subdivide the CRBG which limited their ability to delineate structural elements. Reconnaissance mapping of the CRBG units in the Willamette Valley indicated that these stratigraphic units could serve as a series of unique reference horizons for identifying post-Miocene folding and faulting (Beeson and others, 1985,1989; Beeson and Tolan, 1990). Crenna, et al. (1994) compiled previous mapping in the Willamette Valley in a study of the tectonics of the Salem area. The major emphasis of this study was to identify and map CRBG units within the Salem East and Turner Quadrangles and to utilize this detailed CRBG stratigraphy to identify and characterize structural features. Water well logs were used to provide better subsurface stratigraphic control. Three other quadrangles (Scotts Mills, Silverton, and Stayton NE) in the Willamette Valley have been mapped in this way (Tolan and Beeson, 1999). This area was a lowland area of weathered and eroded marine sedimentary when the Columbia River basalts encroached on this area approximately 15-16 m.y. ago. An incipient Coast Range apparently stopped or diverted the fluid lava flows from moving much farther westward toward the coast at this latitude. It is assumed also that an ancestral Willamette River flowed northward through this low-lying area so that water was present as streams and ponds along the flood plain.

  18. 78 FR 65701 - Notice of Availability of the Nevada and Northeastern California Greater Sage-Grouse Draft Land...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-01

    .../White Pine, Clan Alpine, Cortez; Desatoya, Desert, East Valley, Fish Creek, Gollaher, Islands, Lincoln, Lone Willow, Massacre, Monitor, North Fork, O'Neil Basin, Pine Forest, Reese River, Ruby Valley, Santa...

  19. Water Budgets of the Walker River Basin and Walker Lake, California and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lopes, Thomas J.; Allander, Kip K.

    2009-01-01

    The Walker River is the main source of inflow to Walker Lake, a closed-basin lake in west-central Nevada. The only outflow from Walker Lake is evaporation from the lake surface. Between 1882 and 2008, upstream agricultural diversions resulted in a lake-level decline of more than 150 feet and storage loss of 7,400,000 acre-feet. Evaporative concentration increased dissolved solids from 2,500 to 17,000 milligrams per liter. The increase in salinity threatens the survival of the Lahontan cutthroat trout, a native species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This report describes streamflow in the Walker River basin and an updated water budget of Walker Lake with emphasis on the lower Walker River basin downstream from Wabuska, Nevada. Water budgets are based on average annual flows for a 30-year period (1971-2000). Total surface-water inflow to the upper Walker River basin upstream from Wabuska was estimated to be 387,000 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr). About 223,000 acre-ft/yr (58 percent) is from the West Fork of the Walker River; 145,000 acre-ft/yr (37 percent) is from the East Fork of the Walker River; 17,000 acre-ft/yr (4 percent) is from the Sweetwater Range; and 2,000 acre-ft/yr (less than 1 percent) is from the Bodie Mountains, Pine Grove Hills, and western Wassuk Range. Outflow from the upper Walker River basin is 138,000 acre-ft/yr at Wabuska. About 249,000 acre-ft/yr (64 percent) of inflow is diverted for irrigation, transpired by riparian vegetation, evaporates from lakes and reservoirs, and recharges alluvial aquifers. Stream losses in Antelope, Smith, and Bridgeport Valleys are due to evaporation from reservoirs and agricultural diversions with negligible stream infiltration or riparian evapotranspiration. Diversion rates in Antelope and Smith Valleys were estimated to be 3.0 feet per year (ft/yr) in each valley. Irrigated fields receive an additional 0.8 ft of precipitation, groundwater pumpage, or both for a total applied-water rate of 3.8 ft/yr. The average corrected total evapotranspiration rate for alfalfa is 3.2 ft/yr so about 0.6 ft/yr (15 percent) flushes salts from the soil. The diversion rate in Bridgeport Valley was estimated to be 1.1 ft/yr and precipitation is 1.3 ft/yr. The total applied-water rate of 2.4 ft/yr is used to irrigate pasture grass. The total applied water rate in the East Fork of the Walker River and Mason Valley was estimated to be 4.8 ft/yr in each valley. The higher rate likely is due to appreciable infiltration, riparian evapotranspiration, or both. Assuming a diversion rate of 3.0 ft/yr, stream loss due to infiltration and riparian evapotranspiration is about 3,000 acre-ft/yr along the East Fork of the Walker River and 14,000 acre-ft/yr in Mason Valley. In the lower Walker River basin, overall and groundwater budgets were calculated for Wabuska to Schurz, Nev., and Schurz to Walker Lake. An overall water budget was calculated for the combined reaches. Imbalances in the water budgets range from 1 to 7 percent, which are insignificant statistically, so the water budgets balance. Total inflow to the Wabuska-Walker Lake reach from the river and others sources is 140,000 acre-ft/yr. Stream and subsurface discharge into the northern end of Walker Lake totals 110,000 acre-ft/yr. About 30,000 acre-ft/yr is lost on the Walker River Indian Reservation from agricultural evapotranspiration, evapotranspiration by native and invasive vegetation, domestic pumpage, and subsurface outflow from the basin through Double Spring and the Wabuska lineament. Alfalfa fields in the upper Walker River basin are lush and have an average corrected total evapotranspiration rate of 3.2 ft/yr. Alfalfa fields on the Walker River Indian Reservation are not as lush and have a total corrected evapotranspiration rate of 1.6-2.1 ft/yr, which partly could be due to alkaline soils that were submerged by Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. The total applied-water rate is 7.0 ft/yr, almost twice the

  20. Groundwater Quality, Age, and Probability of Contamination, Eagle River Watershed Valley-Fill Aquifer, North-Central Colorado, 2006-2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rupert, Michael G.; Plummer, Niel

    2009-01-01

    The Eagle River watershed is located near the destination resort town of Vail, Colorado. The area has a fastgrowing permanent population, and the resort industry is rapidly expanding. A large percentage of the land undergoing development to support that growth overlies the Eagle River watershed valley-fill aquifer (ERWVFA), which likely has a high predisposition to groundwater contamination. As development continues, local organizations need tools to evaluate potential land-development effects on ground- and surface-water resources so that informed land-use and water management decisions can be made. To help develop these tools, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Eagle County, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, the Town of Eagle, the Town of Gypsum, and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority, conducted a study in 2006-2007 of the groundwater quality, age, and probability of contamination in the ERWVFA, north-central Colorado. Ground- and surface-water quality samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water, tritium, dissolved gases, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) determined with very low-level laboratory methods. The major-ion data indicate that groundwaters in the ERWVFA can be classified into two major groups: groundwater that was recharged by infiltration of surface water, and groundwater that had less immediate recharge from surface water and had elevated sulfate concentrations. Sulfate concentrations exceeded the USEPA National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (250 milligrams per liter) in many wells near Eagle, Gypsum, and Dotsero. The predominant source of sulfate to groundwater in the Eagle River watershed is the Eagle Valley Evaporite, which is a gypsum deposit of Pennsylvanian age located predominantly in the western one-half of Eagle County.

  1. Geomorphic controls on Pleistocene knickpoint migration in Alpine valleys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leith, Kerry; Fox, Matt; Moore, Jeffrey R.; Brosda, Julian; Krautblatter, Michael; Loew, Simon

    2014-05-01

    Recent insights into sub-glacial bedrock stress conditions suggest that the erosional efficiency of glaciers may reduce markedly following a major erosional cycle [Leith et al., 2013]. This implies that the formation of large glacial valleys within the Alps is likely to have occurred shortly after the onset of 100 ky glacial-interglacial cycles (at the mid-Pleistocene Revolution (MPR)). The majority of landscape change since this time may have therefore been driven by sub-aerial processes. This hypothesis is supported by observations of hillslope and channel morphology within Canton Valais (Switzerland), where major tributary valleys display a common morphology along their length, hinting at a shared geomorphic history. Glaciers currently occupy the headwaters of many catchments, while the upper reaches of rivers flow across extensive alluvial planes before abruptly transitioning to steep channels consisting of mixed bedrock and talus fan deposits. The rivers then converge to flow out over the alluvial plane of the Rhone Valley. Characteristically rough topographies within the region are suggested to mark the progressive transition from a glacial to fluvially-dominated landscape, and correlate well with steepened river channel sections determined from a 2.5 m resolution LiDAR DEM. We envisage a landscape in which ongoing tectonic uplift drives the emergence of Alpine bedrock through massive sedimentary valley infills (currently concentrated in the Rhone Valley), whose elevation is fixed by the consistent fluvial baselevel at Lake Geneva. As fluvial incision ceases at the onset of glaciation, continued uplift causes the formation of knickpoints at the former transition from bedrock to sedimentary infill. These knickpoints will then propagate upstream during subsequent interglacial periods. By investigating channel morphologies using an approach based on the steady-state form of the stream power equation, we can correlate steepened channel reaches (degraded knickpoints) across most major tributaries south of the Rhone River. The timing of apparent uplift events correlates well with that of cool Marine Isotope Stages derived from global oxygen isotope data up to the beginning of MIS 12. A weak correlation up to the beginning of MIS 18 suggests initial glacial incision may have occurred some time during MIS 14 - 20, and valley development has since been driven by fluvial processes. Leith, K., J. R. Moore, F. Amann, and S. Loew (2013), Sub-glacial extensional fracture development and implications for Alpine valley evolution, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., doi:10.1002/2012JF002691.

  2. The Cumberland River Flood of 2010 and Corps Reservoir Operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Charley, W.; Hanbali, F.; Rohrbach, B.

    2010-12-01

    On Saturday, May 1, 2010, heavy rain began falling in the Cumberland River Valley and continued through the following day. 13.5 inches was measured at Nashville, an unprecedented amount that doubled the previous 2-day record, and exceeded the May monthly total record of 11 inches. Elsewhere in the valley, amounts of over 19 inches were measured. The frequency of this storm was estimated to exceed the one-thousand year event. This historic rainfall brought large scale flooding to the Cumberland-Ohio-Tennessee River Valleys, and caused over 2 billion dollars in damages, despite the numerous flood control projects in the area, including eight U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects. The vast majority of rainfall occurred in drainage areas that are uncontrolled by Corps flood control projects, which lead to the wide area flooding. However, preliminary analysis indicates that operations of the Corps projects reduced the Cumberland River flood crest in Nashville by approximately five feet. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, hydrologic, hydraulic and reservoir simulation models have just been completed for the Cumberland-Ohio-Tennessee River Valleys. These models are being implemented in the Corps Water Management System (CWMS), a comprehensive data acquisition and hydrologic modeling system for short-term decision support of water control operations in real time. The CWMS modeling component uses observed rainfall and forecasted rainfall to compute forecasts of river flows into and downstream of reservoirs, using HEC-HMS. Simulation of reservoir operations, utilizing either the HEC-ResSim or CADSWES RiverWare program, uses these flow scenarios to provide operational decision information for the engineer. The river hydraulics program, HEC-RAS, computes river stages and water surface profiles for these scenarios. An inundation boundary and depth map of water in the flood plain can be calculated from the HEC-RAS results using ArcInfo. The economic impacts of the different inundation depths are computed by HEC-FIA. The user-configurable sequence of modeling software allows engineers to evaluate operational decisions for reservoirs and other control structures, and view and compare hydraulic and economic impacts for various “what if?” scenarios. This paper reviews the Cumberland River May 2010 event, the impact of Corps reservoirs and reservoir operations and the expected future benefits and effects of the ARRA funded models and CWMS on future events for this area.

  3. Ecotoxicity in the Reconquista River, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina: a preliminary study.

    PubMed Central

    Herkovits, J; Perez-Coll, C S; Herkovits, F D

    1996-01-01

    The Reconquista River in Argentina is considered a "supercritical" river basin due to environmental degradation. Within its valley of 1.547 km2, there are more than 3 million inhabitants and 12,000 industries. Using early-life-stage toxicity tests with Bufo arenarum embryos (the most sensitive of three native species), we determined the water quality at six sampling stations of the river valley and expressed the results as acute and chronic toxicity units. Along most of the river, the toxicity was higher than the allowable level of whole industrial effluent toxicity recommended by U.S. EPA. In a tributary stream, Arroyo Moron, the water was about 10 times more toxic than the criteria maximum concentration (CMC) recommended by U.S. EPA for industrial effluents. Similar degradation of the water quality was found taking as a reference value an upstream sampling station. In all places where the water quality was worse than the CMC, no macroorganisms were found, and in one of these places, a large number of dead fishes was observed. Our study points out that amphibian early-life-stage toxicity tests could be appropriate for assessing water contamination and water quality, which is essential for diagnosis, protection of environmental services, monitoring, and restoration purposes. Images Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. PMID:8820587

  4. Morphotectonic study of the Brahmaputra basin using geoinformatics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nath Sarma, Jogendra; Acharjee, Shukla; murgante, Beniamino

    2013-04-01

    The Brahmaputra River basin occupies an area of 580,000 km2 lying in Tibet (China), Bhutan, India and Bangladesh. It is bounded on the north by the Nyen-Chen-Tanghla mountains, on the east by the Salween River basin and Patkari range of hills, on the south by Nepal Himalayas and the Naga Hills and on the west by the Ganga sub-basin. Brahmaputra river originates at an elevation of about 5150 m in south-west Tibet and flows for about 2900 km through Tibet (China), India and Bangladesh to join the Ganga.. The Brahmaputra River basin is investigated to examine the influence of active structures by applying an integrated study on geomorphology, morphotectonics, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) using topographic map, satellite data, SRTM, and seismic data. The indices for morphotectonic analysis, viz. basin elongation ratio (Re) indicated tectonically active, transverse topographic symmetry (T = 0.018-0.664) indicated asymmetric nature, asymmetric factor (AF=33) suggested tilt, valley floor width to valley height ratio (Vf = 0.0013-2.945) indicated active incision and mountain-front sinuosity (Smf = 1.11-1.68) values indicated active tectonics in the area. A great or major earthquake in the modern times, in this region may create havoc with huge loss of life and property due to high population density and rapidly developing infrastructure. Keywords: .Morphotectonic, Brahmaputra river, earthquake

  5. Transient river response, captured by channel steepness and its concavity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanacker, Veerle; von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm; Govers, Gerard; Molina, Armando; Campforts, Benjamin; Kubik, Peter W.

    2015-01-01

    Mountain rivers draining tropical regions are known to be great conveyor belts carrying efficiently more than half of the global sediment flux to the oceans. Many tropical mountain areas are located in tectonically active belts where the hillslope and stream channel morphology are rapidly evolving in response to changes in base level. Here, we report basin-wide denudation rates for an east-west transect through the tropical Andes. Hillslope and channel morphology vary systematically from east to west, reflecting the transition from high relief, strongly dissected topography in the escarpment zones into relatively low relief topography in the inter-Andean valley. The spatial pattern of differential denudation rates reflects the transient adjustment of the landscape to rapid river incision following tectonic uplift and river diversion. In the inter-Andean valley, upstream of the wave of incision, slopes and river channels display a relatively smooth, concave-up morphology and denudation rates (time scale of 104-105 a) are consistently low (3 to 200 mm/ka). In contrast, slopes and river channels of rejuvenated basins draining the eastern cordillera are steep to very steep; and the studied drainage basins show a wide range of denudation rate values (60 to 400 mm/ka) that increase systematically with increasing basin mean slope gradient, channel steepness, and channel convexity. Drainage basins that are characterised by strong convexities in their river longitudinal profiles systematically have higher denudation rates. As such, this is one of the first studies that provides field-based evidence of a correlation between channel concavity and basin mean denudation rates, consistent with process-based fluvial incision models.

  6. Preliminary report on the ground-water resources of the Klamath River basin, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Newcomb, Reuben Clair; Hart, D.H.

    1958-01-01

    The Klamath River basin, including the adjacent Lost River basin, includes about 5,500 square miles of plateaus, mountain-slopes and valley plains in south-central Oregon. The valley plains range in altitude from about 4,100 feet in the south to more than 4,500 feet at the northern end; the mountain and plateau lands rise to an average altitude of 6,000 feet at the drainage divide, some peaks rising above 9,000 feet. The western quarter of the basin is on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range and the remainder consists of plateaus, mountains, and valleys of the basin-and-range type. The rocks of the Klamath River basin range in age from Recent to Mesozoic. At the southwest side of the basin in Oregon, pre-Tertiary metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks, which form extensive areas farther west, are overlain by sedimentary rocks of Eocene age and volcanic rocks of Eocene and Oligocene age. These early Tertiary rocks dip east toward the central part of the Klamath River basin. The complex volcanic rocks of high Cascades include three units: the lowest unit consists of a sequence of basaltic lava flows about 800 feet thick; the medial unit is composed of volcanic-sedimentary and sedimentary rocksthe Yonna formation200 to 2,000 feet thick; the uppermost unit is a sequence of basaltic lava flows commonly about 200 feet thick. These rocks dip east from the Cascade Range and are the main bedrock formations beneath most of the basin. Extensive pumice deposits, which emanated from ancestral Mount Mazama, cover large areas in the northwestern part of the basin. The basin has an overall synclinal structure open to the south at the California boundary where it continues as the Klamath Lake basin in California. The older rocks dip into the basin in monoclinal fashion from the adjoining drainage basins. The rocks are broken along rudely rectangular nets of closely spaced normal faults, the most prominent set of which trends northwest. The network of fault displacements includes two main grabens, the Klamath and the Langell, which were downthrown approximately 50 and 1,000 feet, respectively. The average annual precipitation varies with the altitude, the higher parts of the Cascade Range getting more than 60 inches, and the semiarid valley plains receive as little as 13 inches in some places. Most precipitation occurs in the winter. The principal tributaries, Williamson and Sprague Rivers, rise near the higher parts of the eastern rim of the basin, flow through narrow valley plains to the western part, and discharge into Upper Klamath Lake. Wood River and associated creeks also empty into Upper Klamath Lake after draining southward along along the eastern foot of the Cascade Range. The Klamath River receives the outflow from Upper Klamath Lake, via Link River and Lake Ewauna, and flows southwestward through Keno Gap and hance through a youthful canyon, to its lower valley in California. The ground water occurs largely in an unconfined, or water-table, condition, though areas of local confinement are present. The regional water table is graded to a base level about equal to that of the major drainage on the valley plains. The slop of the water table, where water is confined, or the piezometric surface is downstream at about the same grade as that of the surface drainage in each of the larger valleys, and ground-water divides occur between the upper parts of adjacent major valleys. The principal water-bearing units are the lower lava rocks and upper lava rocks of the volcanic rocks of high Cascades, the pumice of Quaternary age, and the alluvium. In places layers of coarse fragmental material in the Yonna formation (Newcomb, 1958) also transmit water. The water-bearing units, especially the breccia layers of the lava rocks and the pumice, yield large amounts of water to wells and provide natural discharge outlets for the ground water. The spring outflows to the Williamson and Wood Rivers-Crooked Creek drainage, mea

  7. Paleodrainage insights into the fluvial and glacial history of the western Chukchi margin, Arctic Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stockmaster, B. A.; Hill, J. C.; Klotsko, S.; Driscoll, N. W.

    2016-12-01

    CHIRP subbottom data collected from the Chukchi shelf offshore of northwest Alaska reveal extensive paleodrainage networks that incised the margin during sea level lowstands. These features are cut into folded Cretaceous bedrock strata and likely represent multiple sea level cycles. Several large incised valleys, 10s of km wide and up to 50m deep, as well as numerous smaller, individual channels have been identified. Possible sources of fluvial input include drainage from the Hope Valley to the south, as well as several smaller rivers on the northwest Alaskan coast such as the Utukok, Kokolik, Kukpowruk, and Kuk Rivers. Correlation of sediment infill patterns provides insight to paleochannels and paleovalleys as well as outlining potential drainage networks. This new data will be used to examine sediment infill and erosion patterns to assess whether some of the valleys were formed by non-fluvial (i.e. glacial) processes. Preliminary results indicate the presence of six paleodrainage networks across the eastern Chukchi shelf, based on shape, size and infill of the paleovalleys: Incised Valley, Middle Valley, Northern Valley, Borderlands Valley, the Hanna Bank Valley and the Barrow Valley. All of the paleodrainage valleys are oriented perpendicular to the coast except for Barrow Valley, which follows the northwest coastline, and the Hanna Bank Valley, which is oriented parallel. The Barrow Valley also displays several interesting features in the subsurface. In all of the profiles across this paleovalley, the fluvial infill is overlain by high amplitude, acoustically laminated reflectors that appear to represent hemipelagic marine sediment, indicating rapid sea level rise flooded the shelf. There also appears to be 1 m erosional relief on the transgressive surface, which suggests there may have been an additional source of erosion within the Barrow Valley during sea level rise, possibly from an ice shelf or other glacial features. The presence of ice could also possibly explain the occupation of Barrow Canyon that would have diverted the Barrow Valley drainage.

  8. Use Of limestone resources in flue-gas desulfurization power plants in the Ohio River Valley

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Foose, M.P.; Barsotti, A.F.

    1999-01-01

    In 1994, more than 41 of the approximately 160 coal-fired, electrical- power plants within the six-state Ohio River Valley region used flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) units to desulfurize their emissions, an approximately 100% increase over the number of plants using FGD units in 1989. This increase represents a trend that may continue with greater efforts to meet Federal Clean Air Act standards. Abundant limestone resources exist in the Ohio River Valley and are accessed by approximately 975 quarries. However, only 35 of these are believed to have supplied limestone for FGD electrical generating facilities. The locations of these limestone suppliers do not show a simple spatial correlation with FGD facilities, and the closest quarries are not being used in most cases. Thus, reduction in transportation costs may be possible in some cases. Most waste generated by FGD electrical-generating plants is not recycled. However, many FGD sites are relatively close to gypsum wallboard producers that may be able to process some of their waste.

  9. Groundwater quality in the Southern Sierra Nevada, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California's drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State's groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Tehachapi-Cummings Valley and Kern River Valley basins and surrounding watersheds in the Southern Sierra Nevada constitute one of the study units being evaluated.

  10. Geologic features of the Connecticut Valley, Massachusetts, as related to recent floods

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jahns, Richard Henry

    1947-01-01

    This report gives the results of a geologic study of certain features that bear upon the recent flood behavior of rivers flowing in the Massachusetts part of the Connecticut Valley. It is in part an outline of the physiographic history of the Connecticut River, a 'history that is treated in progressively greater detail as it concerns events occurring from Mesozoic time to the present, and in part a discussion of erosional and depositional processes associated with the extraordinary floods of March 1936 and September 1938. The Connecticut River flows southward through Massachusetts in a broad lowland area of more than 400 square miles and is joined in this area by four large tributaries, the Deerfield and Westfield Rivers from the west and the Millers and Chicopee Rivers from the east. The lowland area, or :Connecticut Valley province, is flanked on the west by the Berkshire Hills, a, deeply incised uplifted plateau, and on the east by the central upland, or Worcester .County plateau, a lower upland marked by rolling topography. Most of the broad, relatively flat valley floor is underlain by Triassic sedimentary rocks. Rising above it, however, are the prominent Holyoke-Mount Tom and Deerfield Ranges, which consist in large part of dark-colored igneous rocks, also of Triassic age. There is evidence of several cycles of erosion in central western Massachusetts, the last two of which are of Tertiary age and appear to have reached nature and very youthful stages of topographic development, respectively. Immediately prior to the glacial epoch, therefore, the Connecticut River flowed in a fairly narrow, deep gorge, which it had incised in the rather flat 5ottom of the valley that it had formed at an earlier stage. A Pleistocene crustal subsidence probably of several hundred feet, for which there has been only partial compensation in postglacial time, was responsible for the present position of much of this gorge below sea level. That an estuary does not now occupy the gorge is due to a filling by glacial debris, notably by sediments deposited in late glacial lakes. Following disappearance of the last ice sheet and draining of the associated, lakes, the Connecticut River resumed existence and began a new chapter in its history. In those areas where the river regained its preglacial course, it now flows on sediments considerably above the rock floor of the old gorge. Where the gorge was narrow and deep, the upper parts of its walls have confined the postglacial river within rather narrow limits, as in the northern part of the state. Where it was sufficiently wide to be filled by glacial sediments over large areas, the postglacial river has meandered broadly, as in the area north of the Holyoke-Mount Tom Range. In two areas in Massachusetts and in one immediately south in Connecticut, however, the river was forced from its preglacial gorge, and its new channel has been superimposed on bedrock, with development of rapids and falls. Each of these postglacial rock channels acts as a spillway whose level controls the local base level of the river as far upstream as the next spillway. These spillways are not to be confused with other, more spectacular gorges, which are of preglacial origin and in which the present river does not flow on bedrock. The Recent Connecticut has formed extensive flood plains and terraces through repeated sequences of erosion by lateral corrosion and downward scour, followed by deposition of .silt and sand veneers. These features, although irregular in detail, appear to be assignable to five general levels, whose means are approximately 49, 37, 30, 18, and 10 feet above present mean river level. In addition, an 80-foot terrace in the northern part of the valley was left perched, in its present position when the Connecticut abandoned its course over. a rock barrier near Turners Falls in favor of an adjacent much lower gap. The normal terraces and flood plains, slope very gently away from their riverw

  11. The role of bedrock in creating habitat in temperate watercourses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Entwistle, N. S.; Heritage, G. L.; Milan, D. J.

    2016-12-01

    Bedrock influenced rivers are a relatively common yet little studied river type across temperate regions, occurring predominantly in upland areas and in areas where isostatic rebound has promoted rapid watercourse downcutting through resistant bedrock. The presence of bedrock in the bed and banks exerts a major influence on channel development, controlling local flow hydraulics and subsequently influencing in-channel and valley bottom sedimentary feature development. This paper summarises extensive field audit evidence of bedrock influenced features on watercourses in the UK to characterise the diverse morphology of bedrock influenced channels and reviews the bedrock induced hydraulic influences on their development and maintenance. Such features include bedrock waterfalls, steps, rapids and cascades and associated alluvial deposits forming lee bars, bedrock obstruction bars, plunge pool bars and fine sediment drapes and veneers. Bedrock influence on valley bottom features is also reviewed and a functional typology is developed for this river type based on the feature assemblage and degree of bedrock/alluvial influence.

  12. Mechanisms of carbon storage in mountainous headwater rivers

    Treesearch

    Ellen Wohl; Kathleen Dwire; Nicholas Sutfin; Lina Polvi; Roberto Bazan

    2012-01-01

    Published research emphasizes rapid downstream export of terrestrial carbon from mountainous headwater rivers, but little work focuses on mechanisms that create carbon storage along these rivers, or on the volume of carbon storage. Here we estimate organic carbon stored in diverse valley types of headwater rivers in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. We show that...

  13. Using Mechanistic Studies to Model Riparian Tree Establishment Under Environmental Flow Scenarios on Regulated Rivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stella, J. C.; Battles, J. J.; McBride, J. R.; Orr, B. K.

    2007-12-01

    In the Central Valley of California, pioneer cottonwood and willow species dominate the near-river forests. Historically, seedling recruitment for these disturbance-adapted species coincided with spring floods. Changes in flow timing and magnitude due to river regulation have decreased the success of seedling cohorts and contributed to the decline of these riparian tree populations. In order to address gaps in our understanding of these species and potential restoration strategies, we field-calibrated a conceptual model of seedling recruitment for the dominant pioneer woody species, Populus fremontii, Salix gooddingii, and S. exigua. We conducted experiments to identify seedling desiccation thresholds and seed longevity, used field studies to measure seedling competition and seasonal seed release patterns, and modeled interannual differences in dispersal timing using a degree-day model. These studies were integrated into a recruitment model that generates annual estimates of seedling density and bank elevation based on inputs of seasonal river discharge, seed dispersal timing, and seedling mortality from desiccation. The model predictions successfully captured interannual and species-level patterns in recruitment observed independently throughout a 20-km reach of the lower Tuolumne River from 2002-04. The model correctly predicted that seedling densities were highest in 2004 and lowest in 2003, and that S. exigua recruitment would be less extensive than for the two tree species. This work shows promise as both a quantitative approach linking hydrology, climate and plant community dynamics, and as a process-based framework for guiding flow releases and other management actions to restore riparian tree population along Central Valley rivers.

  14. Satellite radar altimetry water elevations performance over a 200 m wide river: Evaluation over the Garonne River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biancamaria, S.; Frappart, F.; Leleu, A.-S.; Marieu, V.; Blumstein, D.; Desjonquères, Jean-Damien; Boy, F.; Sottolichio, A.; Valle-Levinson, A.

    2017-01-01

    For at least 20 years, nadir altimetry satellite missions have been successfully used to first monitor the surface elevation of oceans and, shortly after, of large rivers and lakes. For the last 5-10 years, few studies have demonstrated the possibility to also observe smaller water bodies than previously thought feasible (river smaller than 500 m wide and lake below 10 km2). The present study aims at quantifying the nadir altimetry performance over a medium river (200 m or lower wide) with a pluvio-nival regime in a temperate climate (the Garonne River, France). Three altimetry missions have been considered: ENVISAT (from 2002 to 2010), Jason-2 (from 2008 to 2014) and SARAL (from 2013 to 2014). Compared to nearby in situ gages, ENVISAT and Jason-2 observations over the lower Garonne River mainstream (110 km upstream of the estuary) have the smallest errors, with water elevation anomalies root mean square errors (RMSE) around 50 cm and 20 cm, respectively. The few ENVISAT upstream measurements have RMSE ranging from 80 cm to 160 cm. Over the estuary, ENVISAT and SARAL water elevation anomalies RMSE are around 30 cm and 10 cm, respectively. The most recent altimetry mission, SARAL, does not provide river elevation measurements for most satellite overflights of the river mainstream. The altimeter remains "locked" on the top of surrounding hilly areas and does not observe the steep-sided river valley, which could be 50-100 m lower. This phenomenon is also observed, for fewer dates, on Jason-2 and ENVISAT measurements. In these cases, the measurement is not "erroneous", it just does not correspond to water elevation of the river that is covered by the satellite. ENVISAT is less prone to get 'locked' on the top of the topography due to some differences in the instrument measurement parameters, trading lower accuracy for more useful measurements. Such problems are specific to continental surfaces (or near the coasts), but are not observed over the open oceans, which are flatter. To overcome this issue, an experimental instrument operating mode, called the DIODE/DEM tracking mode, has been developed by CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and has been tested during few Jason-2 cycles and during the first SARAL/AltiKA cycle. This tracking mode "forces" the instrument to observe a target of interest, i.e. water bodies. The example of the Garonne River shows, for one SARAL ground track, the benefit of the DIODE/DEM tracking mode for a steep-sided river reach, which is not detected using the nominal instrument operating mode. Yet, this mode relies on ancillary datasets (a priori global DEM and global land/water mask), which are critical to obtain river valley observation. The ultimately computed elevations along the satellite tracks, loaded on board, should have an absolute vertical accuracy around 10 m (or better). This case also shows, when the instrument is correctly observing the river valley, that the altimeter can detect water bodies narrower than 100 m (like an artificial canal). In agreement with recent studies, this work shows that altimeter missions can provide useful water elevation measurements over a 200 m wide river with RMSE as low as 50 cm and 20 cm, for ENVISAT and Jason-2 respectively. The seasonal cycle can be observed with the temporal sampling of these missions (35 days and 10 days, respectively), but short term events, like flood events, are most of the time not observed. It also illustrates that altimeter capability to observe a river is highly dependent of the surrounding topography, the observation configuration, previous measurements and the instrument design. Therefore, it is not possible to generalize at global scale the minimum river width that could be seen by altimeters. This study analyzes, for the first time, the potential of the experimental DIODE/DEM tracking mode to observe steep-sided narrow river valleys, which are frequently missed with nominal tracking mode. For such case, using the DIODE/DEM mode could provide water elevation measurements, as long as the on board DEM is accurate enough. This mode should provide many more valid measurements over steep-sided rivers than currently observed.

  15. A micro case study of the legal and administrative arrangements for river health in the Kangaroo River (NSW).

    PubMed

    Mooney, C; Farrier, D

    2002-01-01

    Kangaroo Valley is a drinking water supply catchment for Kangaroo Valley village, parts of the Southern Highlands and Sydney. It is also a popular recreation area both for swimming and canoeing. Land use has traditionally been dominated by dairy farming but there has been significant and continuing development of land for hobby farms and rural residential subdivision. Dairy industry restructuring has affected the viability of some farms in the Valley and created additional pressure for subdivision. River health is a function of flows, water quality, riparian vegetation, geomorphology and aquatic habitat and riverine biota. River flows in the Kangaroo River are affected by water extraction and storage for urban water supply and extraction by commercial irrigators and riparian land holders which have a significant impact at low flows. Current water quality often does not meet ANZECC Guidelines for primary contact and recreation and the river is a poor source of raw drinking water. Key sources of contaminants are wastewater runoff from agriculture, and poorly performing on-site sewage management systems. Riparian vegetation, which is critical to the maintenance of in-stream ecosystems suffers from uncontrolled stock access and weed infestation. The management of land use and resulting diffuse pollution sources is critical to the long term health of the river. The Healthy Rivers Commission of New South Wales Independent Inquiry into the Shoalhaven River System Final Report July, 1999 found that the longer term protection of the health of the Kangaroo River is contingent upon achievement of patterns of land use that have regard to land capability and also to the capability of the river to withstand the impacts of inappropriate or poorly managed land uses. This micro case study of Kangaroo Valley examines the complex legal and administrative arrangements with particular reference to the management of diffuse pollution for river health. In the past, diffuse pollution has fallen through the gaps in legislation and its administration. Although water pollution legislation is broad enough to embrace diffuse pollution, in practice the Environment Protection Authority has focused on regulating point sources. Water legislation has traditionally been concerned with issues of water quantity rather than water quality. Legislation which allows agency intervention in relation to land degradation has grown from soil conservation roots, neglecting the flow-on effects upon water quality. Under the land use planning system existing land uses are protected from new regulatory requirements. A number of recent developments in NSW law and its administration have set the scene for addressing this past neglect. Water planning provisions in the Water Management Act 2000 have the potential to enable community based Water Management Committees to move away from a narrow focus on water quantity to the broader issues of river health, including water quality. Improved management of on-site sewage management systems is expected as a result of the Local Government (Approvals) Amendment (Sewage Management Regulation) 1998. A draft Regional Environmental Plan prepared for the Sydney Catchment Authority aims to improve the assessment of new development in terms of its impact on drinking water quality. It also moves away from an exclusive concern with controlling new development towards grappling with existing uses. Proposed amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 as detailed in the White Paper, Plan First (2001) include the integration of imperatives derived from catchment strategies and water management plans into local land use plans.

  16. Use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for monitoring and modelling of geomorphic processes and phenomena at a small and medium spatial scale in Polar environment (Scott River — Spitsbergen)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kociuba, Waldemar; Kubisz, Waldemar; Zagórski, Piotr

    2014-05-01

    The application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) for precise modelling of land relief and quantitative estimation of spatial and temporal transformations can contribute to better understanding of catchment-forming processes. Experimental field measurements utilising the 3D laser scanning technology were carried out within the Scott River catchment located in the NW part of the Wedel Jarlsberg Land (Spitsbergen). The measurements concerned the glacier-free part of the Scott River valley floor with a length of 3.5 km and width from 0.3 to 1.5 km and were conducted with a state-of-the-art medium-range stationary laser scanner, a Leica Scan Station C10. A complex set of measurements of the valley floor were carried out from 86 measurement sites interrelated by the application of 82 common 'target points'. During scanning, from 5 to 19 million measurements were performed at each of the sites, and a point-cloud constituting a 'model space' was obtained. By merging individual 'model spaces', a Digital Surface Model (DSM) of the Scott River valley was obtained, with a co-registration error not exceeding ± 9 mm. The accuracy of the model permitted precise measurements of dimensions of landforms of varied scales on the main valley floor and slopes and in selected sub-catchments. The analyses verified the efficiency of the measurement system in Polar meteorological conditions of Spitsbergen in mid-summer.

  17. Boundary of the Eagle River Watershed Valley-Fill Aquifer, Eagle County, North-Central Colorado, 2006-2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rupert, Michael G.; Plummer, Niel

    2009-01-01

    This vector data set delineates the approximate boundary of the Eagle River watershed valley-fill aquifer (ERWVFA). This data set was developed by a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey, Eagle County, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, the Town of Eagle, the Town of Gypsum, and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority. This project was designed to evaluate potential land-development effects on groundwater and surface-water resources so that informed land-use and water management decisions can be made. The boundary of the ERWVFA was developed by combining information from two data sources. The first data source was a 1:250,000-scale geologic map of the Leadville quadrangle developed by Day and others (1999). The location of Quaternary sediments was used as a first approximation of the ERWVFA. The boundary of the ERWVFA was further refined by overlaying the geologic map with Digital Raster Graphic (DRG) scanned images of 1:24,000 topographic maps (U.S. Geological Survey, 2001). Where appropriate, the boundary of the ERWVFA was remapped to correspond with the edge of the valley-fill aquifer marked by an abrupt change in topography at the edge of the valley floor throughout the Eagle River watershed. The boundary of the ERWVFA more closely resembles a hydrogeomorphic region presented by Rupert (2003, p. 8) because it is based upon general geographic extents of geologic materials and not on an actual aquifer location as would be determined through a rigorous hydrogeologic investigation.

  18. Optical luminosity of the transient luminous phenomena in Hessdalen, Norway

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gitle Hauge, Bjørn; Kjøniksen, Anna-Lena; Petter Strand, Erling

    2017-04-01

    Transient luminous phenomena has been observed in the low atmosphere over Hessdalen valley for several decades, first report is claimed to be 200 years old. The area is scattered with old copper, zinc, sulphur and iron mines. The river Hesja divides the valley, running south to north. The river descends from 800 m altitude to 600m. In the middle of the valley, an old copper and sulphur mine feeds the river with its acidic sulphur pollution. Eyewitnesses have reported lights emerging from the river, but most reports are of lights suddenly emerging in low altitudes over the valley, 1000m - 2000m altitude. Common colours are white, yellow, orange and blue. Green is absent. The optical spectrum of the white lights has been obtained several times, indicating a continuous spectrum. The luminosity of the Hessdalen lights has been debated, some speculating that the phenomenońs radiant power reaches up to 1MW. A more moderate calculation done by Teodorani in 2004 suggests 19KW. The cause of the huge difference is due to uncertainty in establishing correct distance to the phenomenon. Recent discoveries done by this team, indicates that the radiant power is usually much lower. For the first time in Hessdalen, pictures with optical spectrums was obtained at a distance not more than 500m. Two similar observations were done from the same position, indicating a possible birthplace. Atmospheric data and spectrum analysis was also coinciding. Data from this short distance observation will be presented.

  19. Hydrogeology of Valley-Fill Aquifers and Adjacent Areas in Eastern Chemung County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heisig, Paul M.

    2015-10-19

    Water-resource potential is greatest within saturated sand and gravel in the Chemung River valley (nearly 1 mile wide), especially where induced infiltration of additional water from the Chemung River is possible. The second most favorable area is the Newtown Creek valley at the confluence of Newtown Creek with North Branch Newtown Creek east of Horseheads, N.Y. Extensive sand and gravel deposits within the Breesport, N.Y., area are largely unsaturated but may have greater saturation along the east side of Jackson Creek immediately north of Breesport. Till deposits confine sand and gravel along Newtown Creek at Erin, N.Y., and along much of the upper reach of North Branch Newtown Creek; this confining unit may limit recharge and potential well yield. The north-south oriented valleys of Baldwin and Wynkoop Creeks end at notched divides that imply input of glacial meltwater and limited sediment from outside of the present watersheds. These two valleys are relatively narrow but contain variably sorted sand and gravel, which, in places, may be capable of supplying modest-size community water systems.

  20. Late Cenozoic regional collapse due to evaporite flow and Dissolution in the Carbondale Collapse Center, West-Central Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kirkham, R.M.; Streufert, R.K.; Budahn, J.R.; Kunk, Michael J.; Perry, W.J.

    2001-01-01

    Dissolution and flow of Pennsylvanian evaporitic rocks in west-central Colorado created the Carbondale Collapse Center, a 450 mi2 structural depression with about 4,000 ft of vertical collapse during the late Cenozoic. This paper describes evidence of collapse in the lower Roaring Fork River valley. Both the lateral extent and amount of vertical collapse is constrained by deformed upper Cenozoic volcanic rocks that have been correlated using field mapping, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, geochemistry, and paleomagnetism. The Carbondale Collapse Center is one of at least two contiguous areas that have experienced major evaporite tectonism during the late Cenozoic. Historic sinkholes, deformed Holocene deposits, and modern high-salinity loads in the rivers and thermal springs indicate the collapse process continues today. Flow of evaporitic rocks is an important element in the collapse process, and during initial stages of collapse it was probably the primary causative mechanism. Dissolution, however, is the ultimate means by which evaporite is removed from the collapse area. As the Roaring Fork River began to rapidly down-cut through a broad volcanic plateau during the late Miocene, the underlying evaporite beds were subjected to differential overburden pressures. The evaporitic rocks flowed from beneath the upland areas where overburden pressures remained high, toward the Roaring Fork River Valley where the pressures were much lower. Along the valley the evaporitic rocks rose upward, sometimes as diapirs, forming or enhancing a valley anticline in bedrock and locally upwarping Pleistocene terraces. Wherever the evaporites encountered relatively fresh ground water, they were dissolved, forming underground voids into which overlying bedrock and surficial deposits subsided. The saline ground water eventually discharged to streams and rivers through thermal springs and by seepage into alluvial aquifers.

  1. Don't Fence Me In: Free Meanders in a Confined River Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eke, E. C.; Wilcock, P. R.

    2015-12-01

    The interaction between meandering river channels and inerodible valley walls provides a useful test of our ability to understand meander dynamics. In some cases, river meanders confined between valley walls display distinctive angular bends in a dynamic equilibrium such that their size and shape persist as the meander migrates. In other cases, meander geometry is more varied and changes as the meander migrates. The ratio of channel to valley width has been identified as a useful parameter for defining confined meanders, but is not sufficient to distinguish cases in which sharp angular bends are able to migrate with little change in geometry. Here, we examine the effect of water and sediment supply on the geometry of confined rivers in order to identify conditions under which meander geometry reaches a persistent dynamic equilibrium. Because channel width and meander geometry are closely related, we use a numerical meander model that allows for independent migration of both banks, thereby allowing channel width to vary in space and time. We hypothesize that confined meanders with persistent angular bends have smaller transport rates of bed material and that their migration is driven by erosion of the cutbank (bank-pull migration). When bed material supply is sufficiently large that point bar deposition drives meander migration (bar-push migration), confined meander bends have a larger radius of curvature and a geometry that varies as the meander migrates. We test this hypothesis using historical patterns of confined meander migration for rivers with different rates of sediment supply and bed material transport. Interpretation of the meander migration pattern is provided by the free-width meander migration model.

  2. Pyrethroid insecticide concentrations and toxicity in streambed sediments and loads in surface waters of the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.; Weston, Donald P.; Zhang, Minghua; Hladik, Michelle L.

    2010-01-01

    Pyrethroid insecticide use in California, USA, is growing, and there is a need to understand the fate of these compounds in the environment. Concentrations and toxicity were assessed in streambed sediment of the San Joaquin Valley of California, one of the most productive agricultural regions of the United States. Concentrations were also measured in the suspended sediment associated with irrigation or storm‐water runoff, and mass loads during storms were calculated. Western valley streambed sediments were frequently toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, with most of the toxicity attributable to bifenthrin and cyhalothrin. Up to 100% mortality was observed in some locations with concentrations of some pyrethroids up to 20 ng/g. The western San Joaquin Valley streams are mostly small watersheds with clay soils, and sediment‐laden irrigation runoff transports pyrethroid insecticides throughout the growing season. In contrast, eastern tributaries and the San Joaquin River had low bed sediment concentrations (<1 ng/g) and little or no toxicity because of the preponderance of sandy soils and sediments. Bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, and permethrin were the most frequently detected pyrethroids in irrigation and storm water runoff. Esfenvalerate, fenpropathrin, and resmethrin were also detected. All sampled streams contributed to the insecticide load of the San Joaquin River during storms, but some compounds detected in the smaller creeks were not detected in the San Joaquin River. The two smallest streams, Ingram and Hospital Creeks, which had high sediment toxicity during the irrigation season, accounted for less than 5% of the total discharge of the San Joaquin River during storm conditions, and as a result their contribution to the pyrethroid mass load of the larger river was minimal. 

  3. 47. VIEW NORTH OF LITTLE PATUXENT VALLEY: PARKWAY CROSSES LITTLE ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    47. VIEW NORTH OF LITTLE PATUXENT VALLEY: PARKWAY CROSSES LITTLE PATUXENT RIVER BRIDGE, WITH ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION ROAD UNDERPASS IN DISTANCE (COMPARE WITH MD-129-33). (NPS/NCR (cn) 2104-V) - Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Greenbelt, Prince George's County, MD

  4. 2. View looking south from Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge showing ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. View looking south from Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge showing Neshanic Station Bridge in elevation. Jet Lowe, photographer, 1983 - Neshanic Station Lenticular Truss Bridge, State Route 567, spanning South Branch of Raritan River, Neshanic Station, Somerset County, NJ

  5. 1. ONLY SURVIVING BUILDING OF WHAT ONCE WAS AN EXTENSIVE ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. ONLY SURVIVING BUILDING OF WHAT ONCE WAS AN EXTENSIVE COMPLEX OF FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR SHOPS, (GENERAL VIEW) - Lehigh Valley Railroad, Packerton Shops, Between Packerton Yards of Lehigh Valley Railroad & Lehigh River, Packerton, Carbon County, PA

  6. Modeling groundwater/surface-water interactions in an Alpine valley (the Aosta Plain, NW Italy): the effect of groundwater abstraction on surface-water resources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stefania, Gennaro A.; Rotiroti, Marco; Fumagalli, Letizia; Simonetto, Fulvio; Capodaglio, Pietro; Zanotti, Chiara; Bonomi, Tullia

    2018-02-01

    A groundwater flow model of the Alpine valley aquifer in the Aosta Plain (NW Italy) showed that well pumping can induce river streamflow depletions as a function of well location. Analysis of the water budget showed that ˜80% of the water pumped during 2 years by a selected well in the downstream area comes from the baseflow of the main river discharge. Alluvial aquifers hosted in Alpine valleys fall within a particular hydrogeological context where groundwater/surface-water relationships change from upstream to downstream as well as seasonally. A transient groundwater model using MODFLOW2005 and the Streamflow-Routing (SFR2) Package is here presented, aimed at investigating water exchanges between the main regional river (Dora Baltea River, a left-hand tributary of the Po River), its tributaries and the underlying shallow aquifer, which is affected by seasonal oscillations. The three-dimensional distribution of the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer was obtained by means of a specific coding system within the database TANGRAM. Both head and flux targets were used to perform the model calibration using PEST. Results showed that the fluctuations of the water table play an important role in groundwater/surface-water interconnections. In upstream areas, groundwater is recharged by water leaking through the riverbed and the well abstraction component of the water budget changes as a function of the hydraulic conditions of the aquifer. In downstream areas, groundwater is drained by the river and most of the water pumped by wells comes from the base flow component of the river discharge.

  7. Groundwater quality in the Owens Valley, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, Barbara J. Milby; Belitz, Kenneth

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Owens Valley is one of the study areas being evaluated. The Owens study area is approximately 1,030 square miles (2,668 square kilometers) and includes the Owens Valley groundwater basin (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). Owens Valley has a semiarid to arid climate, with average annual rainfall of about 6 inches (15 centimeters). The study area has internal drainage, with runoff primarily from the Sierra Nevada draining east to the Owens River, which flows south to Owens Lake dry lakebed at the southern end of the valley. Beginning in the early 1900s, the City of Los Angeles began diverting the flow of the Owens River to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, resulting in the evaporation of Owens Lake and the formation of the current Owens Lake dry lakebed. Land use in the study area is approximately 94 percent (%) natural, 5% agricultural, and 1% urban. The primary natural land cover is shrubland. The largest urban area is the city of Bishop (2010 population of 4,000). Groundwater in this basin is used for public and domestic water supply and for irrigation. The main water-bearing units are gravel, sand, silt, and clay derived from surrounding mountains. Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily runoff from the Sierra Nevada, and by direct infiltration of irrigation. The primary sources of discharge are pumping wells, evapotranspiration, and underflow to the Owens Lake dry lakebed. The primary aquifers in Owens Valley are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells in Owens Valley are completed to depths between 210 and 480 feet (64 to 146 meters), consist of solid casing from the land surface to a depth of 50 to 80 feet (15 to 24 meters), and are screened or perforated below the solid casing.

  8. Late Quaternary Glaciation of the Naches River Drainage Basin, Washington Cascades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheffer, H. B.; Goss, L.; Shimer, G.; Carson, R. J.

    2014-12-01

    The Naches River drainage basin east of Mount Rainer includes tributary valleys of the Little Naches, American, Bumping, and Tieton rivers. An investigation of surface boulder frequency, weathering rind thicknesses, and soil development on moraines in these valleys identified two stages of Pleistocene glaciations in the American, Bumping, and Tieton drainages, followed by Neoglaciation. These stages include a more extensive early glaciation (Hayden Creek?), and the later Evans Creek Glaciation (25-15 ka). Thick forest cover, limited road cuts, and widespread post-glacial mass wasting hamper efforts to determine the maximum extent of glaciation. However, glacial striations at Chinook Pass, moraine complexes in the vicinity of Goose Egg Mountain, ice-transported boulders and striations on Pinegrass Ridge, and a boulder field possibly derived from an Evans Creek jökulhaup in the Tieton River valley, all point to extensive Pleistocene ice in the central tributaries of the Naches River. Lowest observed ice elevations in the Tieton (780 m), Bumping (850 m), and American (920 m) drainages increase towards the north, while glacial lengths decrease from 40 to 28 km. The Little Naches is the northernmost drainage in the study, but despite a maximum elevation (1810 m) that exceeds the floor of ice caps to the south, glacially-derived sediments are not evident and the surrounding peaks lack cirques. The absence of ice in the Little Naches drainage, along with the systematic northward change in glacial length and lowest observed ice elevations in the other drainages, are likely due to a precipitation shadow northeast of Mount Rainier. In contrast, the source of glacial ice in the Tieton drainage to the southeast was the Goat Rocks peaks. Ground-based study of neoglacial moraines and analysis of 112 years of topographic maps and satellite imagery point to rapid retreat of the remaining Goat Rocks glaciers following the Little Ice Age.

  9. Socio-Economic Appraisal of Flood Hazard among the Riparian Communities: Case Study of Brahmaputra Valley in Assam; India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, Nikhil; Wasini Pandey, Bindhy

    2017-04-01

    Brahmaputra valley of Assam is one of the most hazard prone areas of the Indian subcontinent. Recurring floods have severely affected the riparian communities of the region since time immemorial. But, the frequency of the problem has been intensified after the great earthquakes of 1897 and 1950. These two extreme earthquakes have disturbed the geological setting of the basin and the channel morphology has been altered henceforth. The impact of floods on riparian communities in Brahmaputra valley has been abysmal. During the monsoon season almost 30 per cent of the valley has been inundated with floods and the riparian communities are mostly affected. Large chunk of people have been uprooted from their native lands due to recurring floods in the low lying areas of the region. Although it is impossible to quantify the human tragedy during the natural disasters, but one can easily understand the situation by the facts that about 1.8 million people and 200,000 hectares of farmland were affected in the 2016 floods of Assam. In the present study, an attempt has been made to assess the spatio-temporal changes of the morphology of Brahmaputra River and its impact on the livelihood of the riparian communities. For that, LANDSAT and SENTINEL imageries have been used to examine the shifting of bank lines of three decades. CARTOSAT DEM has been used to prepare the FLOOD HAZARD ZONATION map of the Brahmaputra valley to examine the flood vulnerable areas of the region. The present study also tries to explain the livelihood condition of the Internally Displaced Persons and their social cohesion. Keywords: Brahmaputra River, Flood, LANDSAT, CARTOSAT DEM, FLOOD HAZARD ZONATION, Riparian Communities

  10. Phylogeography of the Mekong mud snake (Enhydris subtaeniata): the biogeographic importance of dynamic river drainages and fluctuating sea levels for semiaquatic taxa in Indochina

    PubMed Central

    Lukoschek, Vimoksalehi; Osterhage, Jennifer L; Karns, Daryl R; Murphy, John C; Voris, Harold K

    2011-01-01

    During the Cenozoic, Southeast Asia was profoundly affected by plate tectonic events, dynamic river systems, fluctuating sea levels, shifting coastlines, and climatic variation, which have influenced the ecological and evolutionary trajectories of the Southeast Asian flora and fauna. We examined the role of these paleogeographic factors on shaping phylogeographic patterns focusing on a species of semiaquatic snake, Enhydris subtaeniata (Serpentes: Homalopsidae) using sequence data from three mitochondrial fragments (cytochrome b, ND4, and ATPase—2785 bp). We sampled E. subtaeniata from seven locations in three river drainage basins that encompassed most of this species’ range. Genetic diversities were typically low within locations but high across locations. Moreover, each location had a unique suite of haplotypes not shared among locations, and pairwise φST values (0.713–0.998) were highly significant between all location pairs. Relationships among phylogroups were well resolved and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed strong geographical partitioning of genetic variance among the three river drainage basins surveyed. The genetic differences observed among the populations of E. subtaeniata were likely shaped by the Quaternary landscapes of Indochina and the Sunda Shelf. Historically, the middle and lower Mekong consisted of strongly dissected river valleys separated by low mountain ranges and much of the Sunda Shelf consisted of lowland river valleys that served to connect faunas associated with major regional rivers. It is thus likely that the contemporary genetic patterns observed among populations of E. subtaeniata are the result of their histories in a complex terrain that created abundant opportunities for genetic isolation and divergence yet also provided lowland connections across now drowned river valleys. PMID:22393504

  11. Geomorphic record of historical ferrous metallurgy in Mała Panew and Czarna River valleys (Poland) - Analysis of DEM from airborne LiDAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rutkiewicz, Paweł; Malik, Ireneusz; Gawior, Daniel; Woskowicz-Ślezak, Beata; Kryszczuk, Paweł

    2017-11-01

    Ferrous metallurgy, through the centuries of its activity contributed the transformation of the natural landscape. We can find information on the time of functioning of iron works in historical sources. Among historians, there is an opinion that the traces of iron works activity are not visible in the field, but using GIS methods we can identify different types of objects related to ferrous metallurgy like dams, canals, smelter ponds and charcoal kilns. The aim of the study was to identify imprints of ferrous metallurgy in relief of two valleys in Southern Poland. The study was conducted in Mała Panew and Czarna River valleys where ferrous metallurgy, based on historical sources, has started in the 14th century and declined in the end of the 19th century. The tools used for identification objects related to ferrous metallurgy were standard shaded relief visualization techniques. We created models of terrain elevation with hillshading and spatial density of 0.2 m. During the analysis of DEM images we detected objects interpreted as traces of smelter ponds with accompanying dams and canals, and oval objects recognized as remnants of charcoal kilns. Large number and vast distribution of relief features related to ferrous metallurgy, charcoal kilns in particular, clearly indicate that the historical smelting and ironwork activity natural environment of studied areas was transformed. Relief of valley floors, in particular, was a subject of change.

  12. Mountain rivers may need centuries to adjust to earthquake-triggered sediment pulses, Pokhara, Nepal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stolle, Amelie; Korup, Oliver; Schwanghart, Wolfgang; Bernhardt, Anne; Adhikari, Basanta Raj; Andermann, Christoff; Wittmann, Hella; Merchel, Silke

    2017-04-01

    Mountain rivers respond to strong earthquakes by not only adjusting to changes in local base level, but also by rapidly aggrading to accommodate excess sediment delivered by co- and post-seismic landslides. A growing number of detailed sediment budgets suggests that it takes rivers several years to decades to recover from such seismic disturbances, depending on how recovery is defined. We test this notion and study how rivers adjusted to catastrophic sedimentation triggered by at least three medieval earthquakes in the central Nepal Himalaya. In the vicinity of Pokhara, the nation's second largest city, rapid aggradation formed a large fan covering 150 km2 of mountainous terrain over a length of some 70 km. The fan prograded into several tributary valleys, rapidly infilling their lower reaches with several tens of meters of sediment from a major point source tens of kilometers away. A robust radiocarbon chronology of these valley fills provides an ideal framework for gauging average rates of fluvial incision and adjustment. We use high-resolution digital elevation data, geodetic field surveys, aerial photos documenting historic channel changes, and several re-exhumed tree trunks in growth position to define dated geomorphic marker surfaces. We compare various methods of computing the volumes lost from these surfaces to arrive at net sediment yields averaged over decades to centuries. We find that contemporary rates of river incision into the medieval earthquake debris are between 160 and 220 mm yr-1, with corresponding sediment yields of 103 to 105 t km-2 yr-1, several hundred years after the last traceable seismic disturbance. These rates greatly exceed the density-adjusted background rates of catchment-wide denudation inferred from concentrations of cosmogenic 10Be in river sands sampled in different tributaries. The lithological composition of active channel-bed load differs largely from local bedrock and confirms that rivers are still busy with excavating medieval valley fills. Pronounced knickpoints and epigenetic gorges at tributary junctions add to the picture of a drawn-out fluvial response, while the re-exhumed tree trunks indicate that some distal portions of the earthquake-derived sediment wedge have been incised to near their base. Our results challenge the notion that mountain rivers recover within years or even decades following earthquake disturbance. We caution against generalizing the spectrum of fluvial response in this context, as the valley fills around Pokhara document the possibility of a more protracted fluvial response that may have been ongoing for as long as 900 years despite the high and aggressive erosion that characterizes Himalayan rivers. Beyond the scientific community, our results may motivate some rethinking of post-seismic hazard appraisals and infrastructural planning during the rehabilitation phase in earthquake-struck regions.

  13. Hydrologic Evaluation of the Jungo Area, Southern Desert Valley, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lopes, Thomas J.

    2010-01-01

    RecologyTM, the primary San Francisco waste-disposal entity, is proposing to develop a Class 1 landfill near Jungo, Nevada. The proposal calls for the landfill to receive by rail about 20,000 tons of waste per week for up to 50 years. On September 22, 2009, the Interior Appropriation (S.A. 2494) was amended to require the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate the proposed Jungo landfill site for: (1) potential water-quality impacts on nearby surface-water resources, including Rye Patch Reservoir and the Humboldt River; (2) potential impacts on municipal water resources of Winnemucca, Nevada; (3) locations and altitudes of aquifers; (4) how long it will take waste seepage from the site to contaminate local aquifers; and (5) the direction and distance that contaminated groundwater would travel at 95 and 190 years. This evaluation was based on review of existing data and information. Desert Valley is tributary to the Black Rock Desert via the Quinn River in northern Desert Valley. The Humboldt River and Rye Patch Reservoir would not be affected by surface releases from the proposed Jungo landfill site because they are in the Humboldt basin. Winnemucca, on the Humboldt River, is 30 miles east of the Jungo landfill site and in the Humboldt basin. Groundwater-flow directions indicate that subsurface flow near the proposed Jungo landfill site is toward the south-southwest. Therefore, municipal water resources of Winnemucca would not be affected by surface or subsurface releases from the proposed Jungo landfill site. Basin-fill aquifers underlie the 680-square-mile valley floor in Desert Valley. Altitudes around the proposed Jungo landfill site range from 4,162 to 4,175 feet. Depth to groundwater is fairly shallow in southern Desert Valley and is about 60 feet below land surface at the proposed Jungo landfill site. A groundwater divide exists about 7 miles north of the proposed Jungo landfill site. Groundwater north of the divide flows north towards the Quinn River. South of the divide and near the proposed Jungo landfill site, groundwater flows in a south-southwesterly direction. Data are insufficient to determine whether groundwater eventually flows into Rye Patch Reservoir or other adjacent valleys. Estimates indicate that contaminants would travel about 0.02 mile and a maximum of 2.5 miles in 95 years and about 0.04 mile and a maximum of 5.0 miles in 190 years. The closest supply wells that could be impacted by contaminants are 5 to 6 miles downgradient and are used for industry, irrigation, and stock watering.

  14. The Mojave River from sink to source: The 2018 Desert Symposium Field Trip Road Log

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, David; Reynolds, R.E.; Groover, Krishangi D.; Buesch, David C.; Brown, H. J.; Cromwell, Geoffrey; Densmore-Judy, Jill; Garcia, A.L.; Hughson, D.; Knott, J.R.; Lovich, Jeffrey E.

    2018-01-01

    The Mojave River evolved over the past few million years by “fill and spill” from upper basins near its source in the Transverse Ranges to lower basins. Each newly “spilled into” basin in the series? sustained a long-lived lake but gradually filled with Mojave River sediment, leading to spill to a yet lower elevation? basin. The Mojave River currently terminates at Silver Lake, near Baker, CA, but previously overflowed this terminus onward to Lake Manly in Death Valley during the last glacial cycle. The river’s origin and evolution are intricately interwoven with tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic processes through time, beginning with San Andreas fault interactions that created a mountain range across a former externally draining river. We will see and discuss the Mojave River’s predecessor streams and basins, its evolution as it lengthened to reach the central Mojave Desert, local and regional tectonic controls, groundwater flow, flood history, and support of isolated perennial stream reaches that host endemic species. In association with these subjects are supporting studies such as paleoclimate records, location and timing for groundwater and wetlands in the central Mojave Desert, and effects of modern water usage. The trip introduces new findings for the groundwater basin of Hinkley Valley, including an ongoing remediation project that provides a wealth of information on past and present river flow and associated development of the groundwater system.

  15. Helicopter Electromagnetic Surveys for Hydrological Framework Studies in Nebraska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, B. D.; Abraham, J. A.; Cannia, J. C.; Steele, G. V.; Peterson, S. M.

    2008-12-01

    Management and allocation of water resources in Nebraska is based in part on understanding the relation between surface-water and ground-water systems. To help understand these complex relations, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted airborne resistivity and magnetic (frequency domain helicopter electromagnetic, HEM) surveys in Eastern (2007) and Western (2008) Nebraska. These surveys were integrated with hydrologic studies (aquifer characteristics and modeling), and ground and borehole geophysical surveys to characterize and map the hydrogeologic framework in three-dimensions. The three study areas selected in Eastern Nebraska (Ashland, Firth, and Oakland) have glacial terrains and bedrock that typify different hydrogeologic settings for surface and ground water. The Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment is a joint State of Nebraska and USGS study including the Conservation and Survey Division (University of Nebraska) and the following Natural Resources Districts (NRD): Lower Platte South, Lower Platte North, Lower Elkhorn, Lewis and Clark, Nemaha, and Papio-Missouri River. Approximately 600 line km were flown with HEM in each of the three glacial terrains with a line spacing of approximately 270 m and samples every three meters. One dimensional imaging was done along the flight lines for the HEM in each area. Models were compared to ground resistivity and time domain electromagnetic soundings and to borehole lithologic and geophysical logs. The map of the subsurface hydrogeologic properties inferred from the HEM modeling significantly improves the resolution of hydrologic models and understanding of ground-water resources. Surveys in western Nebraska panhandle, were done along the North Platte River and Lodgepole Creek Valleys. The geology consists of Quaternary alluvium, and interbeded Tertiary sandstones and siltstones above Cretaceous shale. The Quaternary alluvium comprises the primary aquifer in the North Platte River Valley, whereas thin alluvial sediments and Tertiary sandstone channels comprise the primary aquifers in Lodgepole Creek Valley. Locally, Tertiary Siltstone and Cretaceous shale is weathered and incised. A prominent factor in the hydrologic setting of the North Platte River Valley is recharge through un-lined irrigation canals. Surveys in western Nebraska were funded by the North Platte and South Platte NRDs. These NRDS have employed the best in science-based integrated water resources management. The ground-water flow modeling study in western Nebraska will use the HEM data as part of model datasets, to create a tool used to evaluate implications of water management options over most of the surface-water irrigated area.

  16. Influence of hydrologic modifications on Fraxinus pennsylvanica in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gee, Hugo K.W.; King, Sammy L.; Keim, Richard F.

    2015-01-01

    We used tree-ring analysis to examine radial growth response of a common, moderately flood-tolerant species (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) to hydrologic and climatic variability for > 40 years before and after hydrologic modifications affecting two forest stands in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (USA): a stand without levees below dams and a stand within a ring levee. At the stand without levees below dams, spring flood stages decreased and overall growth increased after dam construction, which we attribute to a reduction in flood stress. At the stand within a ring levee, growth responded to the elimination of overbank flooding by shifting from being positively correlated with river stage to not being correlated with river stage. In general, growth in swales was positively correlated with river stage and Palmer Drought Severity Index (an index of soil moisture) for longer periods than flats. Growth decreased after levee construction, but swales were less impacted than flats likely because of differences in elevation and soils provide higher soil moisture. Results of this study indicate that broad-scale hydrologic processes differ in their effects on the flood regime, and the effects on growth of moderately flood-tolerant species such as F. pennsylvanica can be mediated by local-scale factors such as topographic position, which affects soil moisture.

  17. Installation Development Environmental Assessment Travis Air Force Base, California

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-11-01

    United States Code USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States...kilometers) north to south, its northern half referred to as the Sacramento Valley and its southern half as the San Joaquin Valley . This area is...Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, fans and floodplains of tributary streams, and terraces and foothills around the edge of the valleys . Elevation

  18. Sediment Budgeting in Dam-Affected Rivers: Assessing the Influence of Damming, Tributaries, and Alluvial Valley Sediment Storage on Sediment Regimes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilcox, A. C.; Dekker, F. J.; Riebe, C. S.

    2014-12-01

    Although sediment supply is recognized as a fundamental driver of fluvial processes, measuring how dams affect sediment regimes and incorporating such knowledge into management strategies remains challenging. To determine the influences of damming, tributary supply, and valley morphology and sediment storage on downstream sediment supply in a dryland river, the Bill Williams River (BWR) in western Arizona, we measured basin erosion rates using cosmogenic nuclide analysis of beryllium-10 (10Be) at sites upstream and downstream of a dam along the BWR, as well as from tributaries downstream of the dam. Riverbed sediment mixing calculations were used to test if the dam, which blocks sediment supply from the upper 85% of the basin's drainage area, increases the proportion of tributary sediment to residual upstream sediment in mainstem samples downstream of the dam. Erosion rates in the BWR watershed are more than twice as large in the upper catchment (136 t km-2 yr-1) than in tributaries downstream of Alamo Dam (61 t km-2 yr-1). Tributaries downstream of the dam have little influence on mainstem sediment dynamics. The effect of the dam on reducing sediment supply is limited, however, because of the presence of large alluvial valleys along the mainstem BWR downstream of the dam that store substantial sediment and mitigate supply reductions from the upper watershed. These inferences, from our 10Be derived erosion rates and mixing calculations, are consistent with field observations of downstream changes in bed material size, which suggest that sediment-deficit conditions are restricted to a 10 km reach downstream of the dam, and limited reservoir bathymetry data. Many studies have suggested that tributary sediment inputs downstream of dams play a key role in mitigating dam-induced sediment deficits, but here we show that in a dryland river with ephemeral tributaries, sediment stored in alluvial valleys can also play a key role and in some cases trumps the role of tributaries.

  19. Surface complexation modeling for predicting solid phase arsenic concentrations in the sediments of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, Arkansas, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sharif, M.S.U.; Davis, R.K.; Steele, K.F.; Kim, B.; Hays, P.D.; Kresse, T.M.; Fazio, J.A.

    2011-01-01

    The potential health impact of As in drinking water supply systems in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in the state of Arkansas, USA is significant. In this context it is important to understand the occurrence, distribution and mobilization of As in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer. Application of surface complexation models (SCMs) to predict the sorption behavior of As and hydrous Fe oxides (HFO) in the laboratory has increased in the last decade. However, the application of SCMs to predict the sorption of As in natural sediments has not often been reported, and such applications are greatly constrained by the lack of site-specific model parameters. Attempts have been made to use SCMs considering a component additivity (CA) approach which accounts for relative abundances of pure phases in natural sediments, followed by the addition of SCM parameters individually for each phase. Although few reliable and internally consistent sorption databases related to HFO exist, the use of SCMs using laboratory-derived sorption databases to predict the mobility of As in natural sediments has increased. This study is an attempt to evaluate the ability of the SCMs using the geochemical code PHREEQC to predict solid phase As in the sediments of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in Arkansas. The SCM option of the double-layer model (DLM) was simulated using ferrihydrite and goethite as sorbents quantified from chemical extractions, calculated surface-site densities, published surface properties, and published laboratory-derived sorption constants for the sorbents. The model results are satisfactory for shallow wells (10.6. m below ground surface), where the redox condition is relatively oxic or mildly suboxic. However, for the deep alluvial aquifer (21-36.6. m below ground surface) where the redox condition is suboxic to anoxic, the model results are unsatisfactory. ?? 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

  20. River-damming, late-Quaternary rockslides in the Ötz Valley region (Tyrol, Austria)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dufresne, A.; Ostermann, M.; Preusser, F.

    2018-06-01

    The Ötz Valley and adjacent regions in Tyrol (Austria) have been repeatedly affected by large rockslope failures following deglaciation. Six rockslides, each over 107 m3 in volume, were emplaced into the Ötz and Inn valleys, five of which formed persistent rockslide dams. Even though catastrophic rockslope failures are short-lived events (commonly minutes) they can have long-lasting impacts on the landscape. For example, large fans have built in the Ötz Valley and knickpoints persist at the former dam sites even though the Ötz River has eroded through the deposits during the past thousands of years; exact age-constraints of rockslide dam failure, however, are still scarce. Empirical, geomorphic stability indices from the literature successfully identified the least and the most stable dams of this group, whereas the rest remain inconclusive with some indices variably placing the dams in the stable, unstable, and uncertain categories. This shows (a) that further index calibrations and (b) better age constraints on dam formation and failure are needed, and (c) that the exact processes of dam failure are not always trivial to pinpoint for ancient (partially) breached dams. This study is a contribution towards better constraining the nature and landscape impact of dam formation following large rockslope failures.

  1. 27 CFR 9.60 - Shenandoah Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... boundary line starts at the point of the intersection of the Potomac River and the Virginia-West Virginia... Little North Mountain to its intersection with the Potomac River in Fort Frederick State Park. (13) Then the boundary continues approximately 47.4 miles southeasterly along the Potomac River to the beginning...

  2. 27 CFR 9.60 - Shenandoah Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... boundary line starts at the point of the intersection of the Potomac River and the Virginia-West Virginia... Little North Mountain to its intersection with the Potomac River in Fort Frederick State Park. (13) Then the boundary continues approximately 47.4 miles southeasterly along the Potomac River to the beginning...

  3. 27 CFR 9.105 - Cumberland Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park and the confluence of the Potomac River and... perimeter of the park on the northeastern bank of the Potomac River to the confluence of Antitam Creek and the Potomac River; (2) Then southeast of Limekiln Road which runs along the perimeter of the park from...

  4. 27 CFR 9.60 - Shenandoah Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... boundary line starts at the point of the intersection of the Potomac River and the Virginia-West Virginia... Little North Mountain to its intersection with the Potomac River in Fort Frederick State Park. (13) Then the boundary continues approximately 47.4 miles southeasterly along the Potomac River to the beginning...

  5. 27 CFR 9.105 - Cumberland Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park and the confluence of the Potomac River and... perimeter of the park on the northeastern bank of the Potomac River to the confluence of Antitam Creek and the Potomac River; (2) Then southeast of Limekiln Road which runs along the perimeter of the park from...

  6. 27 CFR 9.105 - Cumberland Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park and the confluence of the Potomac River and... perimeter of the park on the northeastern bank of the Potomac River to the confluence of Antitam Creek and the Potomac River; (2) Then southeast of Limekiln Road which runs along the perimeter of the park from...

  7. 27 CFR 9.105 - Cumberland Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park and the confluence of the Potomac River and... perimeter of the park on the northeastern bank of the Potomac River to the confluence of Antitam Creek and the Potomac River; (2) Then southeast of Limekiln Road which runs along the perimeter of the park from...

  8. 27 CFR 9.105 - Cumberland Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park and the confluence of the Potomac River and... perimeter of the park on the northeastern bank of the Potomac River to the confluence of Antitam Creek and the Potomac River; (2) Then southeast of Limekiln Road which runs along the perimeter of the park from...

  9. 27 CFR 9.60 - Shenandoah Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... boundary line starts at the point of the intersection of the Potomac River and the Virginia-West Virginia... Little North Mountain to its intersection with the Potomac River in Fort Frederick State Park. (13) Then the boundary continues approximately 47.4 miles southeasterly along the Potomac River to the beginning...

  10. 27 CFR 9.60 - Shenandoah Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... boundary line starts at the point of the intersection of the Potomac River and the Virginia-West Virginia... Little North Mountain to its intersection with the Potomac River in Fort Frederick State Park. (13) Then the boundary continues approximately 47.4 miles southeasterly along the Potomac River to the beginning...

  11. Changes in channel morphology over human time scales [Chapter 32

    Treesearch

    John M. Buffington

    2012-01-01

    Rivers are exposed to changing environmental conditions over multiple spatial and temporal scales, with the imposed environmental conditions and response potential of the river modulated to varying degrees by human activity and our exploitation of natural resources. Watershed features that control river morphology include topography (valley slope and channel...

  12. 27 CFR 9.210 - Lehigh Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Lehigh River in the city of Jim Thorpe; then (8) Proceed east-northeasterly in a straight line to the... along Interstate 80 through Stroudsburg to the west bank of the Delaware River; then (15) Proceed south (downstream) along the west bank of the Delaware River, and, crossing onto the Northampton County map...

  13. 40 CFR 81.331 - New Jersey.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Area Somerset County (part) Borough of Somerville 2/5/96 Attainment Toms River Area Ocean County (part) City of Toms River 2/5/96 Attainment Trenton Area Mercer County (part) City of Trenton 2/5/96... Ocean County (part) Area outside Toms River AQCR 151 NE PA—Upper Delaware Valley Unclassifiable...

  14. Early and abrupt retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet margin from the Mackenzie River valley, southern Northwest Territories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Margold, Martin; Froese, Duane G.; Gosse, John C.; Yang, Guang; McKenna, Jillian; Hidy, Alan J.

    2017-04-01

    The detachment of the Laurentide Ice Sheet margin from the Canadian Cordillera opened the present-day drainage route of the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean and an ice-free corridor that allowed for migration of species between Beringia and the mid-latitudes of North America. The existing ice-margin chronology depicts the southern reach of the Mackenzie River between 61 and 63° N as glaciated until about 13 ka, representing the last portion of the Laurentide Ice Sheet margin abutting the eastern foot of the Cordillera. A substantial retreat of the ice sheet margin in this region has been suggested to have occurred during the subsequent Younger Dryas cold period, despite the fact that in many other regions ice masses stabilised or even re-grew at this time. However, until now, deglacial chronometry for this region and the western LIS margin is sparse and consists mostly of minimum-limiting macrofossil and bulk C-14 ages from organics materials overlying glacial sediment. With the aim to bring new data on the deglaciation history of the Mackenzie River valley, we collected samples for Be-10 exposure dating from glacial erratic boulders in the southern Franklin Mountains that bound the Mackenzie River valley from the east. The sampling elevations ranged between 1480 and 800 m a.s.l., however, the measured ages show only a weak correlation with elevation. Instead, 10 out of 12 measured samples cluster tightly around 15 ka, with the remaining two samples likely containing Be-10 inherited from previous periods of exposure. Our results thus indicate a pre-Younger Dryas rapid down-wasting of the ice sheet surface, which we infer was accompanied by an ice margin retreat to the southeast. The southern reach of the Mackenzie River valley at the eastern foot of the Cordillera was, according to our results, ice free shortly after 15 ka, with the prospect that the ice-free corridor might have opened significantly earlier than hitherto anticipated. Further research is required in the region south of our study area to establish a firm chronological control on the separation of the Cordilleran and Laurentide ice sheets and the opening of the ice free corridor.

  15. Hydrogeologic framework, groundwater movement, and water budget in the Puyallup River Watershed and vicinity, Pierce and King Counties, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Welch, Wendy B.; Johnson, Kenneth H.; Savoca, Mark E.; Lane, Ron C.; Fasser, Elisabeth T.; Gendaszek, Andrew S.; Marshall, Cameron; Clothier, Burt G.; Knoedler, Eric N.

    2015-01-01

    The water-budget area received about 1,428,000 acre-feet or about 52 inches of precipitation per year (January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2012). About 41 percent of precipitation enters the groundwater system as recharge. Seven percent of this recharge is withdrawn from wells and the remainder leaves the groundwater system as discharge to rivers, discharge to springs, or submarine discharge to Puget Sound, or exits the study area through subsurface flow in the Green River valley.

  16. Digital Map of Surficial Geology, Wetlands, and Deepwater Habitats, Coeur d'Alene River Valley, Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bookstrom, Arthur A.; Box, Stephen E.; Jackson, Berne L.; Brandt, Theodore R.; Derkey, Pamela D.; Munts, Steven R.

    1999-01-01

    The Coeur d'Alene (CdA) River channel and its floodplain in north Idaho are mostly covered by metal-enriched sediments, partially derived from upstream mining, milling and smelting wastes. Relative to uncontaminated sediments of the region, metal-enriched sediments are highly enriched in silver, lead, zinc, arsenic, antimony and mercury, copper, cadmium, manganese, and iron. Widespread distribution of metal-enriched sediments has resulted from over a century of mining in the CdA mining district (upstream), poor mine-waste containment practices during the first 80 years of mining, and an ongoing series of over-bank floods. Previously deposited metal-enriched sediments continue to be eroded and transported down-valley and onto the floodplain during floods. The centerpiece of this report is a Digital Map Surficial Geology, Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the Coeur d'Alene (CdA) River valley (sheets 1 and 2). The map covers the river, its floodplain, and adjacent hills, from the confluence of the North and South Forks of the CdA River to its mouth and delta front on CdA Lake, 43 linear km (26 mi) to the southwest (river distance 58 km or 36 mi). Also included are the following derivative theme maps: 1. Wetland System Map; 2. Wetland Class Map; 3. Wetland Subclass Map; 4. Floodplain Map; 5. Water Regime Map; 6. Sediment-Type Map; 7. Redox Map; 8. pH Map; and 9. Agricultural Land Map. The CdA River is braided and has a cobble-gravel bottom from the confluence to Cataldo Flats, 8 linear km (5 mi) down-valley. Erosional remnants of up to four alluvial terraces are present locally, and all are within the floodplain, as defined by the area flooded in February of 1996. High-water (overflow) channels and partly filled channel scars braid across some alluvial terraces, toward down-valley marshes and (or) oxbow ponds, which drain back to the river. Near Cataldo Flats, the river gradient flattens, and the river coalesces into a single channel with a large friction-dominated central sand bar at Cataldo Landing. Metal-enriched sediments that were dredged from the central sand bar were deposited on Cataldo Flats, to form extensive dredge-spoil deposits. From the central sand bar to CdA Lake, thick deposits of metal-enriched sand partially fill the middle of the pre-mining-era channel along straight reaches, and form point-bars along the inside margins of meander bends. Metal-enriched sand and silt form oxidized bank-wedge deposits along riverside margins of pre-mining-era levees of gray silty mud. Metal-enriched levee sand deposits extend across bank wedges and natural levees, generally thinning and fining away from the river, toward lateral marshes and lakes, where dark gray metal-enriched silt and mud overlie silty peat, deposited before the mining era. Distributary streams and man-made canals locally diverge from the river, connecting it to lateral marshes and lakes, and metal-enriched sand splays locally fan out across the floodplain. At the mouth of the river, a bouyancy-dominated river-mouth bar crests beyond the ends of the emergent levees. Thick delta-front deposits of metal-enriched sand slope from the river-mouth bar to the bottom of CdA Lake.

  17. Precipitation and runoff simulations of select perennial and ephemeral watersheds in the middle Carson River basin, Eagle, Dayton, and Churchill Valleys, west-central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jeton, Anne E.; Maurer, Douglas K.

    2011-01-01

    The effect that land use may have on streamflow in the Carson River, and ultimately its impact on downstream users can be evaluated by simulating precipitation-runoff processes and estimating groundwater inflow in the middle Carson River in west-central Nevada. To address these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, began a study in 2008 to evaluate groundwater flow in the Carson River basin extending from Eagle Valley to Churchill Valley, called the middle Carson River basin in this report. This report documents the development and calibration of 12 watershed models and presents model results and the estimated mean annual water budgets for the modeled watersheds. This part of the larger middle Carson River study will provide estimates of runoff tributary to the Carson River and the potential for groundwater inflow (defined here as that component of recharge derived from percolation of excess water from the soil zone to the groundwater reservoir). The model used for the study was the U.S. Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System, a physically based, distributed-parameter model designed to simulate precipitation and snowmelt runoff as well as snowpack accumulation and snowmelt processes. Models were developed for 2 perennial watersheds in Eagle Valley having gaged daily mean runoff, Ash Canyon Creek and Clear Creek, and for 10 ephemeral watersheds in the Dayton Valley and Churchill Valley hydrologic areas. Model calibration was constrained by daily mean runoff for the 2 perennial watersheds and for the 10 ephemeral watersheds by limited indirect runoff estimates and by mean annual runoff estimates derived from empirical methods. The models were further constrained by limited climate data adjusted for altitude differences using annual precipitation volumes estimated in a previous study. The calibration periods were water years 1980-2007 for Ash Canyon Creek, and water years 1991-2007 for Clear Creek. To allow for water budget comparisons to the ephemeral models, the two perennial models were then run from 1980 to 2007, the time period constrained somewhat by the later record for the high-altitude climate station used in the simulation. The daily mean values of precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration, and groundwater inflow simulated from the watershed models were summed to provide mean annual rates and volumes derived from each year of the simulation. Mean annual bias for the calibration period for Ash Canyon Creek and Clear Creek watersheds was within 6 and 3 percent, and relative errors were about 18 and -2 percent, respectively. For the 1980-2007 period of record, mean recharge efficiency and runoff efficiency (percentage of precipitation as groundwater inflow and runoff) averaged 7 and 39 percent, respectively, for Ash Canyon Creek, and 8 and 31 percent, respectively, for Clear Creek. For this same period, groundwater inflow volumes averaged about 500 acre-feet for Ash Canyon and 1,200 acre-feet for Clear Creek. The simulation period for the ephemeral watersheds ranged from water years 1978 to 2007. Mean annual simulated precipitation ranged from 6 to 11 inches. Estimates of recharge efficiency for the ephemeral watersheds ranged from 3 percent for Eureka Canyon to 7 percent for Eldorado Canyon. Runoff efficiency ranged from 7 percent for Eureka Canyon and 15 percent at Brunswick Canyon. For the 1978-2007 period, mean annual groundwater inflow volumes ranged from about 40 acre-feet for Eureka Canyon to just under 5,000 acre-feet for Churchill Canyon watershed. Watershed model results indicate significant interannual variability in the volumes of groundwater inflow caused by climate variations. For most of the modeled watersheds, little to no groundwater inflow was simulated for years with less than 8 inches of precipitation, unless those years were preceded by abnormally high precipitation years with significant subsurface storage carryover.

  18. Mass wasting deposits in the upper Sehonghong valley, eastern Lesotho: Late Pleistocene climate implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mills, S. C.; Grab, S. W.

    2009-04-01

    Despite considerable research attention on apparent periglacial, glacial and sedimentary phenomena in the Maluti-Drakensberg alpine environment, knowledge on the Quaternary environmental history of this important watershed and climate-divide is still rather rudimentary. The dearth of Quaternary environmental indicators (proxy data) in the high Drakensberg is partly owing to the harsh climate (e.g. high wind speeds and high seasonal precipitation), which offers a poor preservation of past biological remains (e.g. bones, dung, middens, pollen). Possibly the best opportunity to reconstruct high Drakensberg palaeoenvironments is from sedimentary sequences exposed along fluvially-incised valley fills. The upper Sehonghong River (3000 to 3200 m a.s.l.) flows in a westerly direction and is flanked by north- and south-facing slopes reaching 3465 m a.s.l. Sediment is exposed on both the north- and south-facing slopes along the river. Despite uniform regional environmental conditions (geology, topography, climate, vegetation), there is a notable absence of similar north-facing deposits in adjacent upper valley catchments to the north and south of Sehonghong Valley. The upper Sehonghong Valley thus presents somewhat ‘unique' evidence for palaeo-slope mass movement in this alpine region. Thick colluvial deposits are most prominent on the south-facing slopes along the Sehonghong River and occur at altitudes between 3100 m a.s.l. and 3150 m a.s.l. The colluvial mantles are approximately 7 m in thickness, however reach up to 13 m in some areas. Although the north-facing lower valley side-slopes are generally absent of deposits, the notable exception is the thick stratified deposit located a few kilometres upstream. Whilst the south-facing deposits are relatively uniform in nature, the north-facing deposits consist of alternating units of gravel and organic sediment, dated to 36 600 ± 1400 14C yrs BP, and reflecting environmental changes during the Late Pleistocene. Mass wasting deposits support enhanced periglacial activity during the Late Pleistocene, particularly on south-facing slopes, and also where conditions were conducive to enhanced sediment transport on the adjacent north-facing slope of the Sehonghong River. Recent published work has suggested evidence for marginal glaciation in the high Drakensberg within 10 km of the Sehonghong Valley, suggesting that whilst particular environmental settings host deposits classified as glacial moraine, adjacent valleys are occupied by deep (~8 m) valley deposits flanking south-facing slopes. We demonstrate that the variable nature of adjacent valley slope deposits at similar altitudes is a product of a past climate that was within the glacial/periglacial equilibrium zone, and influenced by specific topographic and associated micro-climatic thresholds.

  19. Investigating extreme flood response to Holocene palaeoclimate in the Chinese monsoonal zone: A palaeoflood case study from the Hanjiang River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Yongqiang; Huang, Chun Chang; Pang, Jiangli; Zha, Xiaochun; Zhou, Yali; Wang, Longsheng; Zhang, Yuzhu; Hu, Guiming

    2015-06-01

    Palaeoflood events recorded by slackwater deposits (SWDs) were investigated extensively by sedimentological criteria of palaeohydrology along the upper Hanjiang River valley. Modern flood SWDs were collected for comparison with palaeoflood SWD in the same reaches. Three typical palaeoflood SWDs were observed within Holocene loess-soil blanket on the first river terrace land. The grain size distributions of palaeoflood SWDs are similar to modern flood SWDs, whereas they are different from eolian loess and soil. Palaeoflood SWD lies in three major pedo-stratigraphic boundaries (TS/L0, L0/S0, and S0/Lt) in the Holocene loess-soil profiles. The chronology of three palaeoflood episodes was established by OSL dating and pedo-stratigraphic correlation with the well-dated Holocene loess-soil profiles in the upper Hanjiang River basin. Holocene palaeoflood events were dated to 9500-8500, 3200-2800, and 1800-1700 a B.P., respectively. Palaeoflood discharges were estimated by the palaeoflood model (i.e., slope-area method and step-backwater method). The highest discharges are 51,680-53,950 m3 s- 1 at the 11,500-time scale in the Xunyang reach of the upper Hanjiang River valley. Holocene extraordinary hydroclimatic events in the Hanjiang River often result from abnormal atmospheric circulations from Southwest monsoons in the Chinese monsoonal zone. These results provide a regional expression of extreme flood response to Holocene palaeoclimate to understand the effects of global climatic variations on the river system dynamics.

  20. Transverse and longitudinal variation in woody riparian vegetation along a montane river

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Friedman, J.M.; Auble, G.T.; Andrews, E.D.; Kittel, G.; Madole, R.F.; Griffin, E.R.; Allred, Tyler M.

    2006-01-01

    This study explores how the relationship between flow and riparian vegetation varies along a montane river. We mapped occurrence of woody riparian plant communities along 58 km of the San Miguel River in southwestern Colorado. We determined the recurrence interval of inundation for each plant community by combining step-backwater hydraulic modeling at 4 representative reaches with Log-Pearson analysis of 4 stream gaging stations. Finally, we mapped bottomland surficial geology and used a Geographic Information System to overlay the coverages of geology and vegetation. Plant communities were distinctly arrayed along the hydrologic gradient. The Salix exigua Nuttall (sand-bar willow) community occurred mostly on surfaces with a recurrence interval of inundation shorter than 2.2 years; the Betula occidentalis Hooker (river birch) community peaked on sites with recurrence intervals of inundation between 2.2 and 4.6 years. The hydrologic position occupied by communities dominated by Populus angustifolia James (narrowleaf cottonwood) was strongly related to age of trees and species composition of understory shrubs. The fraction of riparian vegetation on surfaces historically inundated by the river decreased in the upstream direction from almost 100% near Uravan to <50% along the South Fork of the San Miguel River. In upstream reaches much of the physical disturbance necessary to maintain riparian vegetation is provided by valley-side processes including debris flows, floods from minor tributaries, landslides, and beaver activity. Where valley-side processes are important, prediction of riparian vegetation change based on alterations of river flow will be incomplete.

  1. Historic (1940 to present) changes in Lillooet River planform (BC, Canada)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zei, Caterina

    2017-04-01

    Historic (1940 to present) changes in Lillooet River planform (BC, Canada) Zei C.*, Giardino M.*, Perotti L.*, Roberti G.***, **Ward B.C.**, Clague J.J.** *Department of Earth Sciences, Geositlab, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italia; **Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada ***Université Blaise Pascal - Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans Clermont-Ferrand, France We conducted a geomorphological study of changes in the planform of Lillooet River (Coast Mountain, British Columbia, Canada) over the past 75 years. The study involved identification and interpretations of channel changes in the reach of the river between Mount Meager (the source of the landslide) and Pemberton Meadows. Lillooet River flows about 95 km southeast from its headwaters at Lillooet Glacier to Lillooet Lake near Pemberton, the largest community in the valley. Between the mouth of Meager Creek and Pemberton Meadows, the river is unregulated and has a braided planform resulting from the very high delivery of sediment due to frequent landslides and debris flows sourced on the Mount Meager volcanic complex. Below Pemberton Meadows, the river occupies a single channel confined between dikes. A rich archive of historical vertical aerial photographs exists for the study area, In addition, a high-resolution digital elevation model was produced from LiDAR data acquired in 2015. We processed each set of photos dating back to 1940 with the software Agisoft Photoscan to produce high resolution orthophotos. Analysis of these datasets, complemented with field investigation, showed that the river channel in the braided reach shifted laterally up to 550 m between 1981 and 2010; likely caused in part by five floods with peak discharges of more than 800 m^3/s and four landslides on the flanks of Mount Meager massif with volumes up to 13 x 106 m^3. Channel avulsions were probably triggered by accumulation of in-channel rafts of coarse woody debris and are particularly evident in photos taken soon after floods. We conclude that significant changes in river morphology and sediment supply are episodic and related to large landslides and floods. This study is providing information that is relevant for managing flood hazards in the Lillooet River valley.

  2. Concentrations, fluxes, and yields of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment in the Illinois River basin, 1996-2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Terrio, Paul J.

    2006-01-01

    Concentrations, spatial and temporal variations, and fluxes of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment were determined for 16 streams in the Illinois River Basin, Illinois from October 1996 through September 2000. Water samples were collected through the National Water-Quality Assessment's Lower Illinois River Basin (LIRB) and Upper Illinois River Basin (UIRB) Study Units on a monthly to weekly frequency from watersheds representing predominantly agricultural and urban land, as well as areas of mixed land-use. Streams in agricultural watersheds had high concentrations and fluxes of nitrate nitrogen, whereas streams in predominantly urban watersheds had high concentrations (above background levels) of ammonia nitrogen, organic nitrogen, and phosphorus. Median concentrations of nitrate nitrogen and total phosphorus were similar at the two Illinois River sampling stations (Illinois River at Ottawa, Ill. and Illinois River at Valley City, Ill.) that represented the downstream points of the UIRB and LIRB Study Units, respectively, and integrated multiple land-use areas. Concentrations of nitrogen were typically highest in the spring and lowest in the fall in agricultural watersheds, but highest in the winter in urban watersheds. Phosphorus concentrations in urban watersheds were highest in the fall and winter, but there was minimal seasonal variation in phosphorus concentrations in agricultural watersheds. Concentrations of nitrate and total nitrogen were affected primarily by non-point sources and hydrologic factors such as streamflow, storm intensity, watershed configuration, and soil permeability, whereas concentrations of phosphorus were affected largely by point-source contributions that typically have little seasonal variation. Seasonal variation in hydrologic conditions was an important factor for seasonal variation in nutrient concentration. Fluxes and yields of nitrogen and phosphorus forms varied substantially throughout the Illinois River Basin, and yields of specific nutrient forms were determined primarily by upstream land uses. Yields of nitrate nitrogen were highest in predominantly agricultural watersheds, whereas yields of phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen were highest in urban watersheds with wastewater effluent contributions. Yields of both total nitrogen and total phosphorus were similar at the two Illinois River stations representing the integrated UIRB and LIRB Study Units. Concentrations of suspended sediment ranged from 1 to 3,110 milligrams per liter (mg/L), with median concentrations generally higher in the UIRB. Suspended-sediment concentrations were highest and most variable in the LaMoine River Basin. The median concentration of suspended sediment in the Illinois River at Valley City, Ill. (155 mg/L) was twice as high as that at Ottawa, Ill. (80 mg/L). Fluxes of suspended sediment generally corresponded to watershed size and yields from agricultural watersheds were larger than yields from urban watersheds. The flux in the Illinois River at Valley City, Ill. (4,880,000 tons per year) was approximately four times the flux in the Illinois River at Ottawa, Ill. (1,060,000 tons per year).

  3. Potential for aquifer compaction, land subsidence, and earth fissures in Avra Valley, Pima and Pinal counties, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anderson, S.R.

    1987-01-01

    Avra Valley is a large north-trending alluvial basin about 15 mi west of Tucson in Pima and Pinal Counties, Arizona. The climate of Avra Valley is semiarid, and the average annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 in. Two major ephemeral streams, the Santa Cruz River and Brawley Wash, drain the area. These streams and their tributaries provide a source of recharge to an extensive alluvial aquifer that underlies the valley floor. The aquifer consists of interbedded gravel, sand, silt, and clay and contains a vast quantity of groundwater. The physiography, fertile soil, and mild climate of Avra Valley make it an ideal environment for agriculture and urban development. Although the aquifer is replenished by natural recharge and underflow, rates of recharge and underflow have not kept pace with the rate of pumping. Pumping has exceeded recharge for several decades, resulting in a lowering of groundwater levels throughout most of the valley. In places, water level declines have resulted in small amounts of aquifer compaction and land subsidence. Earth fissures, some of which may be the result of localized differential subsidence, also have been observed in the valley. Geohydrologic characteristics of Avra Valley that may contribute to potential aquifer compaction, land subsidence, and earth fissures are described. The quantitative evaluation of potential land subsidence in this report is presented as an interim land- and water-use planning tool pending acquisition and study of additional data. Because of data limitations, the evaluation is made on the assumption that future rates of compaction and subsidence in Avra Valley will be similar to those in the Eloy-Picacho area. The evaluation also assumes that water level declines in the aquifer will continue. Several factors that may reduce groundwater withdrawals, and thus the potential for compaction and subsidence in Avra Valley, were not evaluated. These factors include the enactment of the 1980 Arizona Ground-Water Management Act, the planned importation of Colorado River water by the Central Arizona Project, the increased reuse and reclamation of effluent, and the probable long-term decrease in pumping by agricultural and some industrial users. (Lantz-PTT)

  4. Identifying sources of dissolved organic carbon in agriculturally dominated rivers using radiocarbon age dating: Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sickman, James O.; DiGiorgio, Carol L.; Davisson, M. Lee; Lucero, Delores M.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

    2010-01-01

    We used radiocarbon measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to resolve sources of riverine carbon within agriculturally dominated landscapes in California. During 2003 and 2004, average Δ14C for DOC was −254‰ in agricultural drains in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, −218‰ in the San Joaquin River, −175‰ in the California State Water Project and −152‰ in the Sacramento River. The age of bulk DOC transiting the rivers of California’s Central Valley is the oldest reported for large rivers and suggests wide-spread loss of soil organic matter caused by agriculture and urbanization. Using DAX 8 adsorbent, we isolated and measured 14C concentrations in hydrophobic acid fractions (HPOA); river samples showed evidence of bomb-pulse carbon with average Δ14C of 91 and 76‰ for the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, respectively, with older HPOA, −204‰, observed in agricultural drains. An operationally defined non-HPOA fraction of DOC was observed in the San Joaquin River with seasonally computed Δ14C values of between −275 and −687‰; the source of this aged material was hypothesized to be physically protected organic-matter in high clay-content soils and agrochemicals (i.e., radiocarbon-dead material) applied to farmlands. Mixing models suggest that the Sacramento River contributes about 50% of the DOC load in the California State Water Project, and agricultural drains contribute approximately one-third of the load. In contrast to studies showing stabilization of soil carbon pools within one or two decades following land conversion, sustained loss of soil organic matter, occurring many decades after the initial agricultural-land conversion, was observed in California’s Central Valley.

  5. The Wind River Arboretum 1912-1956.

    Treesearch

    Roy R. Silen; Leonard R. Woike

    1959-01-01

    Wind River Arboretum, located in the Wind River valley near Carson, Wash., was established in 1912 with the planting of a few species of introduced trees on stump land adjacent to the Wind River Nursery. It is the oldest arboretum in the Northwest and ranks among the earliest forestry projects of an experimental nature still in existence in the region. The initial...

  6. Providing an Authentic Research Experience for University of the Fraser Valley Undergraduate Students by Investigating and Documenting Seasonal and Longterm Changes in Fraser Valley Stream Water Chemistry.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gillies, S. L.; Marsh, S. J.; Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B.; Janmaat, A.; Bourdages, M.; Paulson, D.; Groeneweg, A.; Bogaerts, P.; Robertson, K.; Clemence, E.; Smith, S.; Yakemchuk, A.; Faber, A.

    2017-12-01

    Undergraduate students in the Geography and Biology Departments at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) have been provided the opportunity to participate in the time series sampling of the Fraser River at Fort Langley and Fraser Valley tributaries as part of the Global Rivers Observatory (GRO, www.globalrivers.org) which is coordinated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Woods Hole Research Center. Student research has focussed on Clayburn, Willband and Stoney Creeks that flow from Sumas Mountain northwards to the Fraser River. These watercourses are increasingly being impacted by anthropogenic activity including residential developments, industrial activity, and agricultural landuse. Students are instructed in field sampling protocols and the collection of water chemistry data and the care and maintenance of the field equipment. Students develop their own research projects and work in support of each other as teams in the field to collect the data and water samples. Students present their findings as research posters at local academic conferences and at UFV's Student Research Day. Through their involvement in our field research our students have become more aware of the state of our local streams, the methods used to monitor water chemistry and how water chemistry varies seasonally.

  7. Hydrogeochemical characteristics and sources of salinity of the springs near Wenquanzhen in the eastern Sichuan Basin, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Juan; Zhou, Xun; Wang, Lidong; Zhang, Yuqi; Shen, Xiaowei; Zhou, Haiyan; Ye, Shen; Fang, Bin

    2018-06-01

    Natural springs have the potential to provide important information on hydrogeochemical processes within aquifers. This study used traditional and classic technical methods and procedures to determine the characteristics and evolution of springs to gain further knowledge on the differences between hot saline springs and cold fresh springs. In a short river segment near Wenquanzhen in the eastern Sichuan Basin, southwest China, several natural springs coexist with total dissolved solids (TDS) ranging from less than 1 to 15 g/L and temperatures from 15 to 40 °C. The springs emanate from the outcropping Lower and Middle Triassic carbonates in the river valley cutting the core of an anticline. The cold springs are of Cl·HCO3-Na·Ca and Cl·SO4-Na types, and the hot saline springs are mainly of Cl-Na type. The chemistry of the springs has undergone some changes with time. The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate that the spring waters are of a meteoric origin. The salinity of the springs originates from dissolution of minerals, including halite, gypsum, calcite and dolomite. The evolution of the springs involves the following mechanisms: the groundwater receives recharge from infiltration of precipitation, then undergoes deep circulation in the core of the anticline (incongruent dissolution of the salt-bearing strata occurs), and emerges in the river valley in the form of hot springs with high TDS. Groundwater also undergoes shallow circulation in the northern and southern flanks of the anticline and appears in the river valley in the form of cold springs with low TDS.

  8. Hydrogeochemical characteristics and sources of salinity of the springs near Wenquanzhen in the eastern Sichuan Basin, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Juan; Zhou, Xun; Wang, Lidong; Zhang, Yuqi; Shen, Xiaowei; Zhou, Haiyan; Ye, Shen; Fang, Bin

    2017-12-01

    Natural springs have the potential to provide important information on hydrogeochemical processes within aquifers. This study used traditional and classic technical methods and procedures to determine the characteristics and evolution of springs to gain further knowledge on the differences between hot saline springs and cold fresh springs. In a short river segment near Wenquanzhen in the eastern Sichuan Basin, southwest China, several natural springs coexist with total dissolved solids (TDS) ranging from less than 1 to 15 g/L and temperatures from 15 to 40 °C. The springs emanate from the outcropping Lower and Middle Triassic carbonates in the river valley cutting the core of an anticline. The cold springs are of Cl·HCO3-Na·Ca and Cl·SO4-Na types, and the hot saline springs are mainly of Cl-Na type. The chemistry of the springs has undergone some changes with time. The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate that the spring waters are of a meteoric origin. The salinity of the springs originates from dissolution of minerals, including halite, gypsum, calcite and dolomite. The evolution of the springs involves the following mechanisms: the groundwater receives recharge from infiltration of precipitation, then undergoes deep circulation in the core of the anticline (incongruent dissolution of the salt-bearing strata occurs), and emerges in the river valley in the form of hot springs with high TDS. Groundwater also undergoes shallow circulation in the northern and southern flanks of the anticline and appears in the river valley in the form of cold springs with low TDS.

  9. Local farmers' perceptions of climate change and local adaptive strategies: a case study from the Middle Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, Tibet, China.

    PubMed

    Li, Chunyan; Tang, Ya; Luo, Han; Di, Baofeng; Zhang, Liyun

    2013-10-01

    Climate change affects the productivity of agricultural ecosystems. Farmers cope with climate change based on their perceptions of changing climate patterns. Using a case study from the Middle Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, we present a new research framework that uses questionnaire and interview methods to compare local farmers' perceptions of climate change with the adaptive farming strategies they adopt. Most farmers in the valley believed that temperatures had increased in the last 30 years but did not note any changes in precipitation. Most farmers also reported sowing and harvesting hulless barley 10-15 days earlier than they were 20 years ago. In addition, farmers observed that plants were flowering and river ice was melting earlier in the season, but they did not perceive changes in plant germination, herbaceous vegetation growth, or other spring seasonal events. Most farmers noticed an extended fall season signified by delays in the freezing of rivers and an extended growing season for grassland vegetation. The study results showed that agricultural practices in the study area are still traditional; that is, local farmers' perceptions of climate change and their strategies to mitigate its impacts were based on indigenous knowledge and their own experiences. Adaptive strategies included adjusting planting and harvesting dates, changing crop species, and improving irrigation infrastructure. However, the farmers' decisions could not be fully attributed to their concerns about climate change. Local farming systems exhibit high adaptability to climate variability. Additionally, off-farm income has reduced the dependence of the farmers on agriculture, and an agricultural subsidy from the Chinese Central Government has mitigated the farmers' vulnerability. Nevertheless, it remains necessary for local farmers to build a system of adaptive climate change strategies that combines traditional experience and indigenous knowledge with scientific research and government polices as key factors.

  10. Local Farmers' Perceptions of Climate Change and Local Adaptive Strategies: A Case Study from the Middle Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, Tibet, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Chunyan; Tang, Ya; Luo, Han; Di, Baofeng; Zhang, Liyun

    2013-10-01

    Climate change affects the productivity of agricultural ecosystems. Farmers cope with climate change based on their perceptions of changing climate patterns. Using a case study from the Middle Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, we present a new research framework that uses questionnaire and interview methods to compare local farmers' perceptions of climate change with the adaptive farming strategies they adopt. Most farmers in the valley believed that temperatures had increased in the last 30 years but did not note any changes in precipitation. Most farmers also reported sowing and harvesting hulless barley 10-15 days earlier than they were 20 years ago. In addition, farmers observed that plants were flowering and river ice was melting earlier in the season, but they did not perceive changes in plant germination, herbaceous vegetation growth, or other spring seasonal events. Most farmers noticed an extended fall season signified by delays in the freezing of rivers and an extended growing season for grassland vegetation. The study results showed that agricultural practices in the study area are still traditional; that is, local farmers' perceptions of climate change and their strategies to mitigate its impacts were based on indigenous knowledge and their own experiences. Adaptive strategies included adjusting planting and harvesting dates, changing crop species, and improving irrigation infrastructure. However, the farmers' decisions could not be fully attributed to their concerns about climate change. Local farming systems exhibit high adaptability to climate variability. Additionally, off-farm income has reduced the dependence of the farmers on agriculture, and an agricultural subsidy from the Chinese Central Government has mitigated the farmers' vulnerability. Nevertheless, it remains necessary for local farmers to build a system of adaptive climate change strategies that combines traditional experience and indigenous knowledge with scientific research and government polices as key factors.

  11. Tectonic controls upon Kaveri River drainage, cratonic Peninsular India: Inferences from longitudinal profiles, morphotectonic indices, hanging valleys and fluvial records

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kale, Vishwas S.; Sengupta, Somasis; Achyuthan, Hema; Jaiswal, Manoj K.

    2014-12-01

    The Indian Peninsula is generally considered as a tectonically stable region, where ancient rocks, rivers and land surfaces predominate. In some parts of this ancient landscape, however, the role of tectonic landsculpting is strongly indicated by the presence of youthful topography and historical seismic activity. The present study is primarily focused on the middle domain of the Kaveri River, which displays such youthful features. The tectonic controls on this cratonic river were evaluated on the basis of the investigations of the longitudinal profiles, morphotectonic indices of active tectonics, and fluvial records. The presence of steep channel gradients, prominent knickpoints, hanging valleys, narrow bedrock gorges, and channel-in-channel morphology imply rapid erosion rates in the middle domain of the basin in response to active deformation, particularly in the reach defined by two major active faults - the Kollegal-Sivasamudram Fault and the Mekedatu Fault. Further, considering the remarkably low modern and long-term denudation rates and OSL ages of the alluvial deposits (30-40 ka), the tectonically-driven rejuvenation does not appear to be geologically recent as postulated by earlier workers.

  12. Spatial reasoning to determine stream network from LANDSAT imagery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haralick, R. M.; Wang, S.; Elliott, D. B.

    1983-01-01

    In LANDSAT imagery, spectral and spatial information can be used to detect the drainage network as well as the relative elevation model in mountainous terrain. To do this, mixed information of material reflectance in the original LANDSAT imagery must be separated. From the material reflectance information, big visible rivers can be detected. From the topographic modulation information, ridges and valleys can be detected and assigned relative elevations. A complete elevation model can be generated by interpolating values for nonridge and non-valley pixels. The small streams not detectable from material reflectance information can be located in the valleys with flow direction known from the elevation model. Finally, the flow directions of big visible rivers can be inferred by solving a consistent labeling problem based on a set of spatial reasoning constraints.

  13. STS-42 Earth observation of the Rhone River / Lake Geneva in Switzerland

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    STS-42 Earth observation taken aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, shows the Rhone River flowing into Lake Geneva in western Switzerland (46.0N, 7.0E). The sharp change in the valley's orientation is a feature of this view. Several times during cold periods of the Earth's history (the geologically recent Ice Ages of the last 1.5 million years or so), this valley has been filled with ice flowing off the mountain ranges. Ice erosion has widened and lowered the valley. The surrounding mountain chains include the highest peak in Europe, Mont Blanc (15,781 feet) on the French-Italian border, and the well-known Matterhorn (14,130) feet on the Swiss-Italian border. Ice-sculpting has generated the characteristically sharp ridges and pointed peaks of the Alps.

  14. The response of source-bordering aeolian dunefields to sediment-supply changes 1: Effects of wind variability and river-valley morphodynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sankey, Joel B.; Kasprak, Alan; Caster, Joshua; East, Amy; Fairley, Helen C.

    2018-01-01

    Source-bordering dunefields (SBDs), which are primarily built and maintained with river-derived sediment, are found in many large river valleys and are currently impacted by changes in sediment supply due to climate change, land use changes, and river regulation. Despite their importance, a physically based, applied approach for quantifying the response of SBDs to changes in sediment supply does not exist. To address this knowledge gap, here we develop an approach for quantifying the geomorphic responses to sediment-supply alteration based on the interpretation of dunefield morphodynamics from geomorphic change detection and wind characteristics. We use the approach to test hypotheses about the response of individual dunefields to variability in sediment supply at three SBDs along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA during the 11 years between 2002 and 2013 when several river floods rebuilt some river sandbars and channel margin deposits that serve as sediment source areas for the SBDs. We demonstrate that resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment occurred at one of the SBDs, but not at the other two, and attribute this differential response to site-specific variability in geomorphology, wind, and sediment source areas. The approach we present is applied in a companion study to shorter time periods with high-resolution topographic data that bracket individual floods in order to infer the resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment to SBDs by managed river flows. Such an applied methodology could also be useful for measuring sediment connectivity and anthropogenic alterations of connectivity in other coupled fluvial-aeolian environments.

  15. The response of source-bordering aeolian dunefields to sediment-supply changes 1: Effects of wind variability and river-valley morphodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sankey, Joel B.; Kasprak, Alan; Caster, Joshua; East, Amy E.; Fairley, Helen C.

    2018-06-01

    Source-bordering dunefields (SBDs), which are primarily built and maintained with river-derived sediment, are found in many large river valleys and are currently impacted by changes in sediment supply due to climate change, land use changes, and river regulation. Despite their importance, a physically based, applied approach for quantifying the response of SBDs to changes in sediment supply does not exist. To address this knowledge gap, here we develop an approach for quantifying the geomorphic responses to sediment-supply alteration based on the interpretation of dunefield morphodynamics from geomorphic change detection and wind characteristics. We use the approach to test hypotheses about the response of individual dunefields to variability in sediment supply at three SBDs along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA during the 11 years between 2002 and 2013 when several river floods rebuilt some river sandbars and channel margin deposits that serve as sediment source areas for the SBDs. We demonstrate that resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment occurred at one of the SBDs, but not at the other two, and attribute this differential response to site-specific variability in geomorphology, wind, and sediment source areas. The approach we present is applied in a companion study to shorter time periods with high-resolution topographic data that bracket individual floods in order to infer the resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment to SBDs by managed river flows. Such an applied methodology could also be useful for measuring sediment connectivity and anthropogenic alterations of connectivity in other coupled fluvial-aeolian environments.

  16. Severe storms forecast systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaplan, M.; Zack, J.

    1980-01-01

    Two research tasks are described: (1) the improvement and enhancement of an existing mesoscale numerical simulation system, and (2) numerical diagnostic studies associated with an individual case of severe storm development (April 10, 1979 in the Red River Valley of Texas and Oklahoma).

  17. Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22

    2009-11-03

    Senate - 03/22/2010 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  18. D GIS for Flood Modelling in River Valleys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tymkow, P.; Karpina, M.; Borkowski, A.

    2016-06-01

    The objective of this study is implementation of system architecture for collecting and analysing data as well as visualizing results for hydrodynamic modelling of flood flows in river valleys using remote sensing methods, tree-dimensional geometry of spatial objects and GPU multithread processing. The proposed solution includes: spatial data acquisition segment, data processing and transformation, mathematical modelling of flow phenomena and results visualization. Data acquisition segment was based on aerial laser scanning supplemented by images in visible range. Vector data creation was based on automatic and semiautomatic algorithms of DTM and 3D spatial features modelling. Algorithms for buildings and vegetation geometry modelling were proposed or adopted from literature. The implementation of the framework was designed as modular software using open specifications and partially reusing open source projects. The database structure for gathering and sharing vector data, including flood modelling results, was created using PostgreSQL. For the internal structure of feature classes of spatial objects in a database, the CityGML standard was used. For the hydrodynamic modelling the solutions of Navier-Stokes equations in two-dimensional version was implemented. Visualization of geospatial data and flow model results was transferred to the client side application. This gave the independence from server hardware platform. A real-world case in Poland, which is a part of Widawa River valley near Wroclaw city, was selected to demonstrate the applicability of proposed system.

  19. Geology and ground-water resources of Rock County, Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    LeRoux, E.F.

    1964-01-01

    Rock County is in south-central Wisconsin adjacent to the Illinois State line. The county has an area of about 723 square miles and had a population of about 113,000 in 1957 ; it is one of the leading agricultural and industrial counties in the State. The total annual precipitation averages about 32 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 48 ? F. Land-surface altitudes are generally between 800 and 00 feet, but range from 731 feet, where the Rock River flows into Illinois, to above 1,080 feet, at several places in the northwestern part of the county. The northern part of Rock County consists of the hills and kettles of a terminal moraine which slopes southward to a flat, undissected outwash plain. The southeastern part of the county is an area of gentle slopes, whereas the southwestern part consists of steep-sided valleys and ridges. Rock County is within the drainage basin of the Rock River, which flows southward through the center of the county. The western and southwestern parts of ,the county are drained by the Sugar River und Coon Creek, both of which flow into the Pecatonica River in Illinois and thence into the Rock River. The southeastern part of the county is drained by Turtle Creek, which also flows into Illinois before joining the Rock River. Nearly all the lakes and ponds are in the northern one-third of the county, the area of most recent glaciation. The aquifers in Rock County are of sedimentary origin and include deeply buried sandstones, shales, and dolomites of the Upper Cambrian series. This series overlies crystalline rocks of Precambrian age and supplies water to all the cities and villages in the county. The St. Peter sandstone of Ordovician age underlies all Rock County except where the formation has been removed by erosion in the Rock and Sugar River valleys, and perhaps in Coon Creek valley. The St. Peter sandstone is the principal source of water for domestic, stock, and small industrial wells in the western half of the county. This sandstone also yields some water to uncased wells that tap the deeper rocks of the Upper Cambrian series. East of the Rock River the Platteville, Decorah, and Galena formations undifferentiated, or Platteville-Galena unit, is the principal source of water for domestic and stock wells. Unconsolidated deposits of glacial origin cover most of Rock County and supply water to many small wells. In the outwash deposits along the Rock River, wells of extremely high capacity have been developed for industrial and municipal use. The most significant feature of the bedrock surface in Rock County is the ancestral Rock River valley, which has been filled with glacial outwash to a depth of at least 396 feet below the present land surface. East of the buried valley the bedrock has a fiat, relatively undissected surface. West of the valley the bedrock surface is rugged and greatly dissected. Ground water in Rock County occurs under both water-table and artesian conditions; however, because of the interconnection and close relation of all ground water in the county, the entire system is considered to be a single groundwater body whose surface may be represented by one piezometric map. Recharge occurs locally, throughout the county. Nearly all recharge is derived directly from precipitation that percolates downward to become a part of the groundwater body. Natural movement of water in the consolidated water-bearing units is generally toward the buried Rock and Sugar River valleys. Movement of water in the sandstones of Cambrian age was calculated to be about 44 million gallons a day toward the Rock River. Discharge from wells in Rock County in 1957 was about 23 million gallons a day. Nearly 90 percent of this water was drawn from the area along the Rock River. Drilled wells, most of which were drilled by the cable-tool method, range in diameter from 3 to 26 inches, and in depth from 46 to 1,225 feet. Driven wells in alluvium and glacial drift are usually 1? to 2? in

  20. Geomorphic Classification and Evaluation of Channel Width and Emergent Sandbar Habitat Relations on the Lower Platte River, Nebraska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Elliott, Caroline M.

    2011-01-01

    This report presents a summary of geomorphic characteristics extracted from aerial imagery for three broad segments of the Lower Platte River. This report includes a summary of the longitudinal multivariate classification in Elliott and others (2009) and presents a new analysis of total channel width and habitat variables. Three segments on the lower 102.8 miles of the Lower Platte River are addressed in this report: the Loup River to the Elkhorn River (70 miles long), the Elkhorn River to Salt Creek (6.9 miles long), and Salt Creek to the Missouri River (25.9 miles long). The locations of these segments were determined by the locations of tributaries potentially significant to the hydrology or sediment supply of the Lower Platte River. This report summarizes channel characteristics as mapped from July 2006 aerial imagery including river width, valley width, channel curvature, and in-channel habitat features. In-channel habitat measurements were not made under consistent hydrologic conditions and must be considered general estimates of channel condition in late July 2006. Longitudinal patterns in these features are explored and are summarized in the context of the longitudinal multivariate classification in Elliott and others (2009) for the three Lower Platte River segments. Detailed descriptions of data collection and classification methods are described in Elliott and others (2009). Nesting data for the endangered interior least tern (Sternula antillarum) and threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus) from 2006 through 2009 are examined within the context of the multivariate classification and Lower Platte River segments. The widest reaches of the Lower Platte River are located in the segment downstream from the Loup River to the Elkhorn River. This segment also has the widest valley and highest degree of braiding of the three segments and many large vegetated islands. The short segment of river between the Elkhorn River and Salt Creek has a fairly low valley width and high channel sinuosities at larger scales. The segment from Salt Creek to the Missouri River has narrow valleys and generally low channel sinuosity. Tern and plover nest sites from 2006 through 2009 in the multi-scale multivariate classification indicated relative nesting selection of cluster 2 reaches among the four-cluster classification and reaches containing clusters 2, 3, and 6 from the seven-cluster classification. These classes, with the exception of cluster 6 are common downstream from the Elkhorn River. Trends in total channel width indicated that reaches dominated by dark vegetation (islands) are the widest on the Lower Platte River. Reaches with high percentages of dry sand and dry sand plus light vegetation were the narrowest reaches. This suggests that narrow channel reaches have sufficient transport capacity to maintain sandbars under recent (2006) flow regimes and are likely to be most amenable to maintaining tern and plover habitat in the Lower Platte River. Further investigations into the dynamics of emergent sandbar habitat and the effects of bank stabilization on in-channel habitats will require the collection and analysis of new data, particularly detailed elevation information and an assessment of existing bank stabilization structures.

  1. Seismic stability of the Duwamish River Delta, Seattle, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kayen, Robert E.; Barnhardt, Walter A.

    2007-01-01

    The delta front of the Duwamish River valley near Elliott Bay and Harbor Island is founded on young Holocene deposits shaped by sea-level rise, episodic volcanism, and seismicity. These river-mouth deposits are highly susceptible to seismic soil liquefaction and are potentially prone to submarine landsliding and disintegrative flow failure. A highly developed commercial-industrial corridor, extending from the City of Kent to the Elliott Bay/Harbor Island marine terminal facilities, is founded on the young Holocene deposits of the Duwamish River valley. The deposits of this Holocene delta have been shaped not only by relative sea-level rise but also by episodic volcanism and seismicity. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), cores, in situ testing, and outcrops are being used to examine the delta stratigraphy and to infer how these deposits will respond to future volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in the region. A geotechnical investigation of these river-mouth deposits indicates high initial liquefaction susceptibility during earthquakes, and possibly the potential for unlimited-strain disintegrative flow failure of the delta front.

  2. 12. Damage from 14 May 1941 landslide. Virgin River has ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    12. Damage from 14 May 1941 landslide. Virgin River has cut through roadway. Zion NP negative no 2029. - Floor of the Valley Road, Between Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway & Temple of Sinawava, Springdale, Washington County, UT

  3. 2. VIEW OF POND B, LOOKING NORTHEAST FROM THE WEST ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. VIEW OF POND B, LOOKING NORTHEAST FROM THE WEST SIDE OF THE SOURIS RIVER VALLEY, DUE SOUTH OF THE LOOKOUT TOWER - Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge Dams, Souris River Basin, Foxholm, Surrey (England), ND

  4. 11. Detail of sway braces, struts and top lateral braces' ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    11. Detail of sway braces, struts and top lateral braces' view to north-northwest - Milk River Bridge, Spanning Milk River approximately one mile north of Tampico on Tampico North Road, Tampico, Valley County, MT

  5. Groundwater-flow model for the Wood River Valley aquifer system, south-central Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fisher, Jason C.; Bartolino, James R.; Wylie, Allan H.; Sukow, Jennifer; McVay, Michael

    2016-06-27

    Subsurface outflow beneath the Big Wood River near Stanton Crossing. Temporal changes in aquifer storage are most affected by areal recharge and groundwater pumping, and also contribute to changes in streamflow gains.

  6. Plugs or flood-makers? The unstable landslide dams of eastern Oregon

    Treesearch

    E.B. Safran; J.E. O' Connor; L.L. Ely; P.K. House; Gordon Grant; K. Harrity; K. Croall; E. Jones

    2015-01-01

    Landslides into valley bottoms can affect longitudinal profiles of rivers, thereby influencing landscape evolution through base-level changes. Large landslides can hinder river incision by temporarily damming rivers, but catastrophic failure of landslide dams may generate large floods that could promote incision. Dam stability therefore strongly modulates the effects...

  7. 77 FR 10503 - Fall River Community Hydro Project; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 14216-000] Fall River Community Hydro Project; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Competing Applications On June 27, 2011, Fall River Valley Community Service District, California, filed an...

  8. An Ecological Characterization and Landscape Assessment of the Muddy-Virgin River Project Area

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Muddy-Virgin River Project Area covers a large part of southern Nevada. Very little is known about the water quality of the entire Basin. The Muddy and Virgin Rivers drain into Lake Mead which provides drinking water for communities located in the Las Vegas Valley. The are...

  9. Magma mixing and the generation of isotopically juvenile silicic magma at Yellowstone caldera inferred from coupling 238U–230Th ages with trace elements and Hf and O isotopes in zircon and Pb isotopes in sanidine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stelten, Mark E.; Cooper, Kari M.; Vazquez, Jorge A.; Reid, Mary R.; Barfod, Gry H.; Wimpenny, Josh; Yin, Qing-Zhu

    2013-01-01

    The nature of compositional heterogeneity within large silicic magma bodies has important implications for how silicic reservoirs are assembled and evolve through time. We examine compositional heterogeneity in the youngest (~170 to 70 ka) post-caldera volcanism at Yellowstone caldera, the Central Plateau Member (CPM) rhyolites, as a case study. We compare 238U–230Th age, trace-element, and Hf isotopic data from zircons, and major-element, Ba, and Pb isotopic data from sanidines hosted in two CPM rhyolites (Hayden Valley and Solfatara Plateau flows) and one extracaldera rhyolite (Gibbon River flow), all of which erupted near the caldera margin ca. 100 ka. The Hayden Valley flow hosts two zircon populations and one sanidine population that are consistent with residence in the CPM reservoir. The Gibbon River flow hosts one zircon population that is compositionally distinct from Hayden Valley flow zircons. The Solfatara Plateau flow contains multiple sanidine populations and all three zircon populations found in the Hayden Valley and Gibbon River flows, demonstrating that the Solfatara Plateau flow formed by mixing extracaldera magma with the margin of the CPM reservoir. This process highlights the dynamic nature of magmatic interactions at the margins of large silicic reservoirs. More generally, Hf isotopic data from the CPM zircons provide the first direct evidence for isotopically juvenile magmas contributing mass to the youngest post-caldera magmatic system and demonstrate that the sources contributing magma to the CPM reservoir were heterogeneous in 176Hf/177Hf at ca. 100 ka. Thus, the limited compositional variability of CPM glasses reflects homogenization occurring within the CPM reservoir, not a homogeneous source.

  10. Inter-population differences in salinity tolerance and osmoregulation of juvenile wild and hatchery-born Sacramento splittail

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Verhille, Christine E.; Dabruzzi, Theresa F.; Cocherell, Dennis E.; Mahardja, Brian; Feyrer, Frederick V.; Foin, Theodore C.; Baerwald, Melinda R.; Fangue, Nann A.

    2016-01-01

    The Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) is a minnow endemic to the highly modified San Francisco Estuary of California, USA and its associated rivers and tributaries. This species is composed of two genetically distinct populations, which, according to field observations and otolith strontium signatures, show largely allopatric distribution patterns as recently hatched juveniles. Juvenile Central Valley splittail are found primarily in the nearly fresh waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries, whereas San Pablo juveniles are found in the typically higher-salinity waters (i.e. up to 10‰) of the Napa and Petaluma Rivers. As the large salinity differences between young-of-year habitats may indicate population-specific differences in salinity tolerance, we hypothesized that juvenile San Pablo and Central Valley splittail populations differ in their response to salinity. In hatchery-born and wild-caught juvenile San Pablo splittail, we found upper salinity tolerances, where mortalities occurred within 336 h of exposure to 16‰ or higher, which was higher than the upper salinity tolerance of 14‰ for wild-caught juvenile Central Valley splittail. This, in conjunction with slower recovery of plasma osmolality, but not ion levels, muscle moisture or gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, in Central Valley relative to San Pablo splittail during osmoregulatory disturbance provides some support for our hypothesis of inter-population variation in salinity tolerance and osmoregulation. The modestly improved salinity tolerance of San Pablo splittail is consistent with its use of higher-salinity habitats. Although confirmation of the putative adaptive difference through further studies is recommended, this may highlight the need for population-specific management considerations.

  11. Inter-population differences in salinity tolerance and osmoregulation of juvenile wild and hatchery-born Sacramento splittail

    PubMed Central

    Verhille, Christine E; Dabruzzi, Theresa F; Cocherell, Dennis E; Mahardja, Brian; Feyrer, Frederick; Foin, Theodore C; Baerwald, Melinda R; Fangue, Nann A

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) is a minnow endemic to the highly modified San Francisco Estuary of California, USA and its associated rivers and tributaries. This species is composed of two genetically distinct populations, which, according to field observations and otolith strontium signatures, show largely allopatric distribution patterns as recently hatched juveniles. Juvenile Central Valley splittail are found primarily in the nearly fresh waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries, whereas San Pablo juveniles are found in the typically higher-salinity waters (i.e. up to 10‰) of the Napa and Petaluma Rivers. As the large salinity differences between young-of-year habitats may indicate population-specific differences in salinity tolerance, we hypothesized that juvenile San Pablo and Central Valley splittail populations differ in their response to salinity. In hatchery-born and wild-caught juvenile San Pablo splittail, we found upper salinity tolerances, where mortalities occurred within 336 h of exposure to 16‰ or higher, which was higher than the upper salinity tolerance of 14‰ for wild-caught juvenile Central Valley splittail. This, in conjunction with slower recovery of plasma osmolality, but not ion levels, muscle moisture or gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, in Central Valley relative to San Pablo splittail during osmoregulatory disturbance provides some support for our hypothesis of inter-population variation in salinity tolerance and osmoregulation. The modestly improved salinity tolerance of San Pablo splittail is consistent with its use of higher-salinity habitats. Although confirmation of the putative adaptive difference through further studies is recommended, this may highlight the need for population-specific management considerations. PMID:27293743

  12. Flood hazard assessment of the Hoh River at Olympic National Park ranger station, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kresch, D.L.; Pierson, T.C.

    1987-01-01

    Federal regulations require buildings and public facilities on Federal land to be located beyond or protected from inundation by a 100-year flood. Flood elevations, velocities and boundaries were determined for the occurrence of a 100-year flood through a reach, approximately 1-mi-long, of the Hoh River at the ranger station complex in Olympic National Park. Flood elevations, estimated by step-backwater analysis of the 100-year flood discharge through 14 channel and flood-plain cross sections of the Hoh River, indicate that the extent of flooding in the vicinity of buildings or public facilities at the ranger station complex is likely to be limited mostly to two historic meander channels that lie partly within loop A of the public campground and that average flood depths of about 2 feet or less would be anticipated in these channels. Mean flow velocities at the cross sections, corresponding to the passage of a 100-year flood, ranged from about 5 to over 11 ft/sec. Flooding in the vicinity of either the visitors center or the residential and maintenance areas is unlikely unless the small earthen dam at the upstream end of Taft Creek were to fail. Debris flows with volumes on the order of 100 to 1,000 cu yards could be expected to occur in the small creeks that drain the steep valley wall north of the ranger station complex. Historic debris flows in these creeks have generally traveled no more than about 100 yards out onto the valley floor. The potential risk that future debris flows in these creeks might reach developed areas within the ranger station complex is considered to be small because most of the developed areas within the complex are situated more than 100 yards from the base of the valley wall. Landslides or rock avalanches originating from the north valley wall with volumes potentially much larger than those for debris flows could have a significant impact on the ranger station complex. The probability that such landslides or avalanches may occur is unknown. Inspection of aerial photographs of the Hoh River valley revealed the apparent presence, along the ridge crest of the north valley wall, of ridge-top depressions--geologic features that are sometimes associated with the onset of deep-seated slope failures. However, evaluation of the potential landslide hazard associated with these depressions would require an onsite examination of the area by trained personnel. Such an effort was outside the scope of this study. (Author 's abstract)

  13. Quality of Shallow Groundwater and Drinking Water in the Mississippi Embayment-Texas Coastal Uplands Aquifer System and the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer, South-Central United States, 1994-2004

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Welch, Heather L.; Kingsbury, James A.; Tollett, Roland W.; Seanor, Ronald C.

    2009-01-01

    The Mississippi embayment-Texas coastal uplands aquifer system is an important source of drinking water, providing about 724 million gallons per day to about 8.9 million people in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Alabama. The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer ranks third in the Nation for total withdrawals of which more than 98 percent is used for irrigation. From 1994 through 2004, water-quality samples were collected from 169 domestic, monitoring, irrigation, and public-supply wells in the Mississippi embayment-Texas coastal uplands aquifer system and the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in various land-use settings and of varying well capacities as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Groundwater samples were analyzed for physical properties and about 200 water-quality constituents, including total dissolved solids, major inorganic ions, trace elements, radon, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides, pesticide degradates, and volatile organic compounds. The occurrence of nutrients and pesticides differed among four groups of the 114 shallow wells (less than or equal to 200 feet deep) in the study area. Tritium concentrations in samples from the Holocene alluvium, Pleistocene valley trains, and shallow Tertiary wells indicated a smaller component of recent groundwater than samples from the Pleistocene terrace deposits. Although the amount of agricultural land overlying the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer was considerably greater than areas overlying parts of the shallow Tertiary and Pleistocene terrace deposits wells, nitrate was rarely detected and the number of pesticides detected was lower than other shallow wells. Nearly all samples from the Holocene alluvium and Pleistocene valley trains were anoxic, and the reducing conditions in these aquifers likely result in denitrification of nitrate. In contrast, most samples from the Pleistocene terrace deposits in Memphis, Tennessee, were oxic, and the maximum nitrate concentration measured was 6.2 milligrams per liter. Additionally, soils overlying the Holocene alluvium and Pleistocene valley trains, generally in areas near the wells, had lower infiltration rates and higher percentages of clay than soils overlying the shallow Tertiary and Pleistocene terrace deposits wells. Differences in these soil properties were associated with differences in the occurrence of pesticides. Pesticides were most commonly detected in samples from wells in the Pleistocene terrace deposits, which generally had the highest infiltration rates and lowest clay content. Median dissolved phosphorus concentrations were 0.07, 0.11, and 0.65 milligram per liter in samples from the shallow Tertiary, Pleistocene valley trains, and Holocene alluvium, respectively. The widespread occurrence of dissolved phosphorus at concentrations greater than 0.02 milligram per liter suggests either a natural source in the soils or aquifer sediments, or nonpoint sources such as fertilizer and animal waste or a combination of natural and human sources. Although phosphorus concentrations in samples from the Holocene alluvium were weakly correlated to concentrations of several inorganic constituents, elevated concentrations of phosphorus could not be attributed to a specific source. Phosphorus concentrations generally were highest where samples indicated anoxic and reducing conditions in the aquifers. Elevated dissolved phosphorus concentrations in base-flow samples from two streams in the study area suggest that transport of phosphorus with groundwater is a potential source contributing to high yields of phosphorus in the lower Mississippi River basin. Water from 55 deep wells (greater than 200 feet deep) completed in regional aquifers of Tertiary age represent a sample of the principal aquifers used for drinking-water supply in the study area. The wells were screened in both confined and

  14. Integration of environmental and spectral data for sunflower stress determination. [Red River Valley, Minnesota

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lillesand, T.; Seeley, M.

    1983-01-01

    Stress in sunflowers was assessed in western and northwestern Minnesota. Weekly ground observations (acquired in 1980 and 1981) were analyzed in concert with large scale aerial photography and concurrent LANDSAT data. Using multidate supervised and unsupervised classification procedures, it was found that all crops grown in association with sunflowers in the study area are spectrally separable from one another. Under conditions of extreme drought, severely stressed plants were differentiable from those not severely stressed, but between-crop separation was not possible. Initial regression analyses to estimate sunflower seed yield showed a sensitivity to environmental stress during the flowering and seed development stages. One of the most important biological factors related to sunflower production in the Red River Valley area was found to be the extent and severity of insect infestations.

  15. Glacier lake outburst floods caused by glacier shrinkage: case study of Ala-Archa valley, Kyrgyz Ala Too, northern Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrakov, D.; Erochin, S. A.; Harbor, J.; Ivanov, M.; Rogozhina, I.; Stroeven, A. P.; Usubaliev, R.

    2012-12-01

    Changes in glacier extent and runoff in Central Asia increase socio-economic stress and may result in political conflict between donors of freshwater (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and recipients of freshwater (Uzbekistan, China). Glaciers in the Pamir and Tian Shan regions have experienced an unprecedented downwasting due to regional climate changes over the past decades. This is because air temperature increases are in some areas accompanied by a decrease in precipitation. Such conditions have already resulted in a reduction of glacier runoff, especially in the northern and western Tian Shan, and an increase of the number and area of glacial lakes in Kyrgyzstan. Even though glacial lakes in the mountains are in general relatively small and located far from densely populated areas, their outbursts often produce destructive debris flows. Such debris flows are especially common in Kyrgyzstan because of its steep river channels and abundance of Holocene and Quaternary glacier deposits that can be remobilized. The glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in the Shakhimardan river catchment in 1999, for example, resulted in 100 fatalities in Uzbekistan, and the GLOF from the Zyndan glacial lake led to substantial economic losses in 2009. According to the latest inventory, there are more than 350 glacial lakes in Kyrgyzstan of which about 70 occur in the Kyrgyz Ala Too. The Ala-Archa valley is among the most important glacierized catchments in Kyrgyzstan. Despite the presence of a relatively small glacier-covered area of 36 km2, the Ala-Archa river is of critical importance to the Bishkek area, its agriculture, and its population which currently exceeds one million. GLOFs are therefore a threat to both numerous settlements of touristic value in the Ala-Archa headwaters and to Bishkek. The Teztor lake in the Adygene catchment of the Ala-Archa river system experienced an outburst during 1988 and 2005. On the early morning of July 31, 2012, this lake began draining through a dam composed of stagnant ice and debris. With the water discharge being merely a few m3/s, the GLOF transformed into a debris flow beyond a steep front of rock glacier, which is within 150 m downstream of the lake. After rushing through the ca. 7 km-long Adygene valley, the debris flow formed a fan in the Ala-Archa valley and transformed into a flood. The flood wave reached Bishkek located more than 40 km downstream. This led to a panic amongst local dwellers and Bishkek residents. The maximum discharge of the debris flow in the lower part of the Adygene valley was assessed as 300 m3/s and the discharge of the flood in Bishkek as 35 m3/s. The latter exceeds the standard discharge of the Ala-Archa river substantially. Although no fatalities resulted from this event, economic losses as a consequence of a destroyed mineral water factory could possibly amount to USD 200000, which is a substantial sum by Kyrgyz standards. Because of the prior history, it is expected that GLOFs from the Teztor valley will recur in the upcoming years. We conclude that installation of an early warning system in lower Adygene valley is needed to prevent further damage in the study area.

  16. Geology and ground water of the Tualatin Valley, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hart, D.H.; Newcomb, R.C.

    1965-01-01

    The Tualatin Valley proper consists of broad valley plains, ranging in altitude from 100 to 300 feet, and the lower mountain slopes of the drainage basin of the Tualatin River, a tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon. The valley is almost entirely farmed. Its population is increasing rapidly, partly because of the expansion of metropolitan Portland. Structurally, the bedrock of the basin is a saucer-shaped syncline almost bisected lengthwise by a ridge. The bedrock basin has been partly filled by alluvium, which underlies the valley plains. Ground water occurs in the Columbia River basalt, a lava unit that forms the top several hundred feet of the bedrock, and also in the zones of fine sand in the upper part of the alluvial fill. It occurs under unconfined, confined, and perched conditions. Graphs of the observed water levels in wells show that the ground water is replenished each year by precipitation. The graphs show also that the amount and time of recharge vary in different aquifers and for different modes of ground-water occurrence. The shallower alluvial aquifers are refilled each year to a level where further infiltration recharge is retarded and water drains away as surface runoff. No occurrences of undue depletion of the ground water by pumping are known. The facts indicate that there is a great quantity of additional water available for future development. The ground water is developed for use by some spring works and by thousands of wells, most of which are of small yield. Improvements are now being made in the design of the wells in basalt and in the use of sand or gravel envelopes for wells penetrating the fine-sand aquifers. The ground water in the basalt and the valley fill is in general of good quality, only slightly or moderately hard and of low salinity. Saline and mineralized water is present in the rocks of Tertiary age below the Columbia River basalt. Under certain structural and stratigraphic conditions this water of poor quality contaminates the fresh-water aquifers. Detailed hydrologic and geologic conditions are presented in 5 tables, 7 pictures, and 17 graphic figures and plates.

  17. Effects of Source-Apportioned Coarse Particulate Matter (PM) on Allergic Responses in Mice

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Cleveland Multiple Air Pollutant Study (CMAPS) is one of the first comprehensive studies conducted to evaluate particulate matter (PM) over local and regional scales. Cleveland and the nearby Ohio River Valley impart significant regional sources of air pollution including coa...

  18. Groundwater quality in the Colorado River basins, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, Barbara J. Milby; Belitz, Kenneth

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Four groundwater basins along the Colorado River make up one of the study areas being evaluated. The Colorado River study area is approximately 884 square miles (2,290 square kilometers) and includes the Needles, Palo Verde Mesa, Palo Verde Valley, and Yuma groundwater basins (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). The Colorado River study area has an arid climate and is part of the Sonoran Desert. Average annual rainfall is about 3 inches (8 centimeters). Land use in the study area is approximately 47 percent (%) natural (mostly shrubland), 47% agricultural, and 6% urban. The primary crops are pasture and hay. The largest urban area is the city of Blythe (2010 population of 21,000). Groundwater in these basins is used for public and domestic water supply and for irrigation. The main water-bearing units are gravel, sand, silt, and clay deposited by the Colorado River or derived from surrounding mountains. The primary aquifers in the Colorado River study area are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells in the Colorado River basins are completed to depths between 230 and 460 feet (70 to 140 meters), consist of solid casing from the land surface to a depth of 130 of 390 feet (39 to 119 meters), and are screened or perforated below the solid casing. The main source of recharge to the groundwater systems in the Needles, Palo Verde Mesa, and Palo Verde Valley basins is the Colorado River; in the Yuma basin, the main source of recharge is from subsurface flow from the groundwater basins to the west. Groundwater discharge is primarily to pumping wells, evapotranspiration, and, locally, to the Colorado River.

  19. 76 FR 51929 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To Delist the Valley...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-19

    ... shrub component of riparian forests and adjacent uplands along river corridors of the Central Valley... elderberry shrubs (Barr 1991, p. 4). The larvae hatch in a few days and bore into living stems that are at...

  20. 7 CFR 30.40 - Class 5; cigar-binder types and groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types...-leaf tobacco commonly known as Connecticut Valley Broadleaf or Connecticut Broadleaf, produced principally in the Connecticut River Valley. (b) Type 52. That type of cigar-leaf tobacco commonly known as...

  1. 7 CFR 30.40 - Class 5; cigar-binder types and groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types...-leaf tobacco commonly known as Connecticut Valley Broadleaf or Connecticut Broadleaf, produced principally in the Connecticut River Valley. (b) Type 52. That type of cigar-leaf tobacco commonly known as...

  2. 7 CFR 30.40 - Class 5; cigar-binder types and groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types...-leaf tobacco commonly known as Connecticut Valley Broadleaf or Connecticut Broadleaf, produced principally in the Connecticut River Valley. (b) Type 52. That type of cigar-leaf tobacco commonly known as...

  3. 7 CFR 30.40 - Class 5; cigar-binder types and groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types...-leaf tobacco commonly known as Connecticut Valley Broadleaf or Connecticut Broadleaf, produced principally in the Connecticut River Valley. (b) Type 52. That type of cigar-leaf tobacco commonly known as...

  4. 7 CFR 30.40 - Class 5; cigar-binder types and groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types...-leaf tobacco commonly known as Connecticut Valley Broadleaf or Connecticut Broadleaf, produced principally in the Connecticut River Valley. (b) Type 52. That type of cigar-leaf tobacco commonly known as...

  5. ATMOSPHERIC TRACER EXPERIMENTS IN A DEEP NARROW VALLEY

    EPA Science Inventory

    A set of three atmospheric tracer experiments was conducted in the Brush Creek Valley of western Colorado in the summer of 1982 as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green River Ambient Model Assessment (GRAMA) program in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Ener...

  6. Geology and hydrology of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alverson, Douglas C.

    1965-01-01

    The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation includes an area of 970 square miles in north-central Montana. At its north edge is the Milk River valley, which is underlain by Recent alluvium of the Milk River, glacial deposits, and alluvial deposits of the preglacial Missouri River, which carved and occupied this valley before the Pleistocene Epoch. Rising gently to the south is an undulating glaciated plain broken only by three small syenite porphyry intrusions. Underlying the glacial till of the plain are Upper Cretaceous shale and sandstone of the Bearpaw and Judith River Formations. At the south end of the reservation, 40 miles from the Milk River, an intrusion of syenite porphyry in Tertiary time uplifted, tilted, and exposed the succession of sedimentary rocks overlying the Precambrian metamorphic basement. The sedimentary rocks include 1,000 feet of sandstone and shale of Cambrian age; 2,000 feet of limestone and dolomite of Ordovician, Devonian, and Mississippian age; 400 feet of shale and limestone of Jurassic age; and 3,500 feet of sandstone, siltstone, and shale of Cretaceous age. Extensive gravel terraces of Tertiary and Quaternary age bevel the upturned bedrock formations exposed around the Little Rocky Mountains. Ground water under water-table conditions is obtained at present from alluvium, glaciofluvial deposits, and the Judith River Formation. The water table ranges in depth from a few feet beneath the surface in the Milk River valley alluvium to more than 100 feet deep in the Judith River Formation. Yields to wells are generally low but adequate for domestic and stock-watering use. Quality of the water ranges from highly mineralized and unusable to excellent; many wells in the Milk River valley have been abandoned because of the alkalinity of their water. Potential sources of additional ground-water supplies are the alluvial gravel of creeks issuing from the Little Rocky Mountains and some extensive areas of terrace gravel. The uplift and tilting of the sedimentary sequence around the Little Rocky Mountains and the minor intrusions in the central plain have created artesian conditions within aquifers. Wells obtain artesian water from sandstone aquifers in the Judith River, Eagle, and Kootenai Formations. Other potential aquifers, near their outcrop areas, are the Ellis Group and the Mission Canyon Limestone. Most wells that flow at the surface have small yields, but discharges of as much as 150 gallons per minute have been noted. Quality of artesian water ranges from poor to good. Well depths range from less than 50 to more than 300 feet.

  7. Naugatuck River Valley National Heritage Area Study Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT

    2011-06-14

    Senate - 03/07/2012 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-401. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Geohydrology of the Valley-Fill Aquifers between the Village of Greene, Chenango County and Chenango Valley State Park, Broome County, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hetcher-Aguila, Kari K.; Miller, Todd S.

    2005-01-01

    The confined aquifer is widely used by people living and working in the Chenango River valley. The confined aquifer consists of ice-contact sand and gravel, typically overlies bedrock, and underlies a confining unit consisting of lacustrine fine sand, silt, and clay. The confining unit is typically more than 100 feet thick in the central parts of the valley between Greene Landing Field and along the northern edge of the Chenango Valley State Park. The thickness of the confined aquifer is more than 40 feet near the Greene Landing Field.

  9. Crustal Uplift In The Alps and Why The Drainage Pattern Matters: An Alternative Way To Interpret Geodetic Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlunegger, F.; Hinderer, M.

    The Alpine drainage system comprises two large orogen-parallel drainage basins in the core of the Alps (the Rhone and Rhein valleys), and smaller orogen-normal ori- ented systems. Discharge of the large rivers is ca. 5-10 higher than that of the small ones. Also, the courses of the Rhone and Rhein Rivers are trapped by faults and thrusts that display lower erosional resistance than the neighbouring lithologies. Enhanced discharge of these rivers and low erosional resistance of bedrocks potentially enhances surface erosion. Indeed, present-day and glacial sediment yields have been ca. 1.6-1.7 times higher in these valleys than in the orogen-normal systems. Interestingly, geode- tic measurements indicate that rates of crustal uplift are also enhanced in the Rhein and Rhone valleys, where rates of ca. 1.4-1.6 mm/yr are currently measured. We inter- pret the spatial coincidence between the location of enhanced erosion and maximum crustal uplift rates to reflect a positive feedback between surface erosion and tectonic forcing.

  10. "U.S. Reclamation Service, Grand River Dam, details of piers 'C' ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    "U.S. Reclamation Service, Grand River Dam, details of piers 'C' & 'E,' Oct. 10, 1914." - Grand Valley Diversion Dam, Half a mile north of intersection of I-70 & Colorado State Route 65, Cameo, Mesa County, CO

  11. East African Rift Valley, Kenya

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    This rare, cloud free view of the East African Rift Valley, Kenya (1.5N, 35.5E) shows a clear view of the Turkwell River Valley, an offshoot of the African REift System. The East African Rift is part of a vast plate fracture which extends from southern Turkey, through the Red Sea, East Africa and into Mozambique. Dark green patches of forests are seen along the rift margin and tea plantations occupy the cooler higher ground.

  12. Geological Carbon Sequestration in the Ohio River Valley: An Evaluation of Possible Target Formations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalton, T. A.; Daniels, J. J.

    2009-12-01

    The development of geological carbon sequestration within the Ohio River Valley is of major interest to the national electricity and coal industries because the Valley is home to a heavy concentration of coal-burning electricity generation plants and the infrastructure is impossible to eliminate in the short-term. It has been determined by Ohio's politicians and citizenry that the continued use of coal in this region until alternative energy supplies are available will be necessary over the next few years. Geologic sequestration is the only possible means of keeping the CO2 out of the atmosphere in the region. The cost of the sequestration effort greatly decreases CO2 emissions by sequestering CO2 directly on site of these plants, or by minimizing the distance between fossil-fueled generation and sequestration (i.e., by eliminating the cost of transportation of supercritical CO2 from plant to sequestration site). Thus, the practicality of CO2 geologic sequestration within the Ohio River Valley is central to the development of such a commercial effort. Though extensive work has been done by the Regional Partnerships of the DOE/NETL in the characterization of general areas for carbon sequestration throughout the nation, few projects have narrowed their focus into a single geologic region in order to evaluate the sites of greatest commercial potential. As an undergraduate of the Earth Sciences at Ohio State, I have engaged in thorough research to obtain a detailed understanding of the geology of the Ohio River Valley and its potential for commercial-scale carbon sequestration. Through this research, I have been able to offer an estimate of the areas of greatest interest for CO2 geologic sequestration. This research has involved petrological, mineralogical, geochemical, and geophysical analyses of four major reservoir formations within Ohio—the Rose Run, the Copper Ridge, the Clinton, and the Oriskany—along with an evaluation of the possible effects of injection into these saline reservoirs.

  13. Environmental setting of the San Joaquin-Tulare basins, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gronberg, JoAnn A.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Kratzer, Charles R.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Brown, Larry R.; Burow, Karen R.

    1998-01-01

    The National Water-Quality Assessment Program for the San Joaquin- Tulare Basins began in 1991 to study the effects of natural and anthropogenic influences on the quality of ground water, surface water, biology, and ecology. The San Joaquin-Tulare Basins study unit, which covers approximately 31,200 square miles in central California, is made up of the San Joaquin Valley, the eastern slope of the Coast Ranges to the west, and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada to the east. The sediments of the San Joaquin Valley can be divided into alluvial fans and basin deposits. The San Joaquin River receives water from tributaries draining the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, and except for streams discharging directly to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is the only surface- water outlet from the study unit. The surface-water hydrology of the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins study unit has been significantly modified by development of water resources. Almost every major river entering the valley from the Sierra Nevada has one or more reservoirs. Almost every tributary and drainage into the San Joaquin River has been altered by a network of canals, drains, and wasteways. The Sierra Nevada is predominantly forested, and the Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are predominately rangeland. The San Joaquin Valley is dominated by agriculture, which utilized approximately 14.7 million acre-feet of water and 597 million pounds active ingredient of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in 1990, and 88 million pounds active ingredient of pesticides in 1991. In addition, the livestock industry contributed 318 million pounds active ingredient of nitrogen and phosphorus from manure in 1987. This report provides the background information to assess the influence of these and other factors on water quality and to provide the foundation for the design and interpretation of all spatial data. These characterizations provide a basis for comparing the influences of human activities among basins and specific land use settings, as well as within and among study units at the national level.

  14. Hydrology and simulation of ground-water flow in Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brooks, L.E.; Stolp, B.J.; Spangler, L.E.

    2003-01-01

    Kamas Valley, Utah, is located about 50 miles east of Salt Lake City and is undergoing residential development. The increasing number of wells and septic systems raised concerns of water managers and prompted this hydrologic study. About 350,000 acre-feet per year of surface water flows through Kamas Valley in the Weber River, Beaver Creek, and Provo River, which originate in the Uinta Mountains east of the study area. The ground-water system in this area consists of water in unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock; water budgets indicate very little interaction between consolidated rock and unconsolidated deposits. Most recharge to consolidated rock occurs at higher altitudes in the mountains and discharges to streams and springs upgradient of Kamas Valley. About 38,000 acre-feet per year of water flows through the unconsolidated deposits in Kamas Valley. Most recharge is from irrigation and seepage from major streams; most discharge is to Beaver Creek in the middle part of the valley. Long-term water-level fluctuations range from about 3 to 17 feet. Seasonal fluctuations exceed 50 feet. Transmissivity varies over four orders of magnitude in both the unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock and is typically 1,000 to 10,000 feet squared per day in unconsolidated deposits and 100 feet squared per day in consolidated rock as determined from specific capacity. Water samples collected from wells, streams, and springs had nitrate plus nitrite concentrations (as N) substantially less than 10 mg/L. Total and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in some surface-water samples and probably originate from livestock. Septic systems do not appear to be degrading water quality. A numerical ground-water flow model developed to test the conceptual understanding of the ground-water system adequately simulates water levels and flow in the unconsolidated deposits. Analyses of model fit and sensitivity were used to refine the conceptual and numerical models.

  15. Hydroclimatic signal and LBK cultural activity in the Upper and Lower Rhine, inferred from abandoned channel fill deposits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, J. F.; Salvador, P. G.; Erkens, G.; Toonen, W. H. J.; Purdue, L.; Barra, A.; Houben, P.

    2012-04-01

    The Linear Band Ceramic (LBK) culture represents a major event in the spread of agriculture in Europe. Occupation particularly occurred in river valleys, with largest densities found along the rivers Danube, Elbe and Rhine. The interaction between the emergence of this culture and the dominant climatic and hydrological conditions is not yet fully established. As part of the ANR OBRESOC project, in which LBK activity is investigated in a transect from France (Marne river) to the catchment of the Danube river (Tisza), we studied palaeo-environmental changes in the Rhine valley between 7600-6600 cal. yrs. BP. Focus is on the Upper Rhine Graben and the Lower Rhine valley near the Rhine Delta apex, which is thought to be a peripheral region of LBK-activity. In these regions, a total of five cores from abandoned channels were analysed to reconstruct palaeo-environmental dynamics in vegetation and fluvial activity during the period of LBK development. Abandoned channel fills are excellent sites to perform detailed studies of palaeo-environmental dynamics, as they (i) form proximal locations to occupation sites of the LBK culture, (ii) act as efficient traps of sediments in which different environmental proxies are well preserved, (iii) contain well-datable material for the construction of detailed age-depth models, and (iv) provide a long proxy record, potentially over more than a millennium at a single site. On all cores, high resolution analysis of channel fill deposits (grain size and geophysical properties) and biotic proxies (micro-charcoal fluxes and pollen assemblages) were preformed to reconstruct palaeo-environmental signals, such as changes in fluvial activity, forest fires, and vegetation evolution, which may be related to agricultural activity, and climatic and hydrogeomorphic changes in the region. In this contribution we compare the results of the high-resolution core analyses (1,5 to 5m sequences for the studied timeframe) derived from the more densely populated Upper Rhine Graben with those from the more peripheral Lower Rhine valley to decipher anthropogenic impacts from natural environmental circumstances. Moreover, we try to discriminate the local to the regional signals recorded in the fluvial archives, by comparing the proxy data with the pedo-sedimentary context. The ultimate goal is to model socio-environmental interactions during the LBK culture progression to Western Europe with MMA.

  16. Geology and ground-water resources of upper Grande Ronde River Basin, Union County, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hampton, E.R.; Brown, S.G.

    1964-01-01

    The upper Grande Ronde River basin is a 1,400-square-mile area in northeastern Oregon, between the Blue Mountains to the west and the Wallowa Mountains to the east. The area is drained by the Grande Ronde River, which flows northeast through this region and is tributary to the Snake River. The climate is generally moderate; temperature extremes recorded at La Grande are 22?F. below zero and 108?F. above. The average annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 20 inches in the Grande Ronde Valley to . more than 35 inches in the mountain highlands surrounding the valley. The topography of. the area is strongly controlled by the geologic structures, principally those related to block faulting. The terrain ranges from the nearly flat floors of the Grande Ronde and Indian Valleys, whose elevations are 2,600 to about 2,750 feet, to the mountainous uplands, whose average elevations are about 5,000 feet and which have local prominences exceeding 6,500 feet. The rocks in the upper Grande Ronde River basin, from oldest to youngest, are metamorphic rocks of pre-Tertiary age; igneous masses of diorite and granodiorite that intruded the metamorphic rocks; tuff-breccia, welded and silicified tuff, and andesite and dacite flows, of Tertiary age; the Columbia River basalt of Miocene and possibly early Pliocene age; fanglomerate and lacustrine deposits of Pliocene and Pleistocene age; and younger deposits . of alluvium, colluvium, and welded tuff. In the graben known as the Grande Ronde Valley, which is the principal populated district in the area, the valley fill deposits are as thick as 2,000 feet. The valley is bordered by the scarps of faults, the largest of which have displacements of more than 4.000 feet. Most of the wells in the area obtain small to moderate supplies of water from unconfined aquifers in the val1ey fill and alluvial fan deposits. Moderate to large quantities of water are obtained from aquifers carrying artesian water in the fan alluvium and the Columbia River basalt. The available supplies of ground water greatly exceed the relatively small amounts that are being used, and the natural supplies are ..adequate for foreseeable domestic, industrial, irrigation, and municipal. requirements. Yields of future wells probably could be improved appreciably over those of present wells by exercising close attention to subsurface conditions during construction, and by greater use of well screens, gravel envelopes, and well development techniques. The chemical quality of the ground water in general is excellent. All waters sampled are potable and are within the desired ranges of hardness and salinity for most public, industrial, and irrigation uses. The average temperature of shallow ground water drawn from, the alluvial fill was 3?F. above the mean annual air temperature. That of water obtained from the basalt is 6?F. above the temperatures computed from the 'normal' gradient of 1.8?F. per 100 feet of increased depth.

  17. Hydrochemistry and land cover in the upper Naryn river basin, Kyrgyzstan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, K.; Dernedde, Y.; Breuer, L.; Frede, H. G.

    2009-04-01

    Economic and social changes at the end of the 20th century affected land use decisions and land management in the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. Amongst others, land tenure changed from mainly collectivized to private land, and in consequence, land management (e.g. soil treatment and fertilization practices) altered. Apart from agricultural pollutants and the impact of irrigation management, water resources are threatened by waste dumps remaining from mining activities. However, recent studies on the effect of land use changes on ecohydrology in Central Asia remain scarce. In a preliminary study, current land use and hydrochemistry in the upper Naryn Valley (Kyrgyzstan) was analyzed in 2008. Climate is semi-arid, and annual precipitation is approximately 300 mm. Precipitation peak occurs in early summer, while the rest of the year is rather dry. Crop and hay production prevail in the valley bottom. Environmental conditions in the mountains support pastoralism with a shift between summer and winter pastures. Agriculture depends on irrigation to a great deal as precipitation is seasonal and the vegetation period usually is the dry period. Today, production is mainly for subsistence purposes or local markets. The Naryn river is the headwater of the of the Syrdarya river which is one of the major sources of irrigation water in the Aral Sea basin. Hence, the ecohydrological condition of the contributing rivers is of major importance for the irrigation management downstream. Nevertheless, information on current ecohydrological conditions and land use which may affect the distribution and chemical composition of the rivers is lacking. In the presented study, basic hydrochemical measurements in the Naryn river and its tributaries were made. In situ measurements comprised electrical conductivity, ammonia and nitrate measurements, among others. While electrical conductivity varies greatly between the Naryn river and its tributaries, ammonia and nitrate concentrations remain below detection limit for the most part. The study shows that tributaries of high electrical conductivity do not affect hydrochemistry of the main river during summer because glacier and snow melt dominates runoff generation. Daily cycles of increased runoff due to snow and ice melt in the afternoon could be observed along the tributaries in the upper parts of the study area. Effects of agricultural production on ecohydrology remain weak as application of fertilizers and pesticides is currently low due to financial constraints. The data will be linked to land use data derived from satellite image products in order to analyse the effect of land cover and land cover changes on ecohydrological processes. Former observation of remote sensing data and related literature showed evidence for a change in land use management in the Naryn Valley. In 2008 training areas of land use classes for a supervised classification of 2008 remote sensing data have been recorded. A land use classification of the Naryn Valley on the base of Landsat ETM+ Data of 2008 and 1993 was done to get information on land use change on a regional scale. The classification uses spectral and spatial data in a hard classifier and object oriented combined approach. Comparing the two datasets with respect to changes in pattern of irrigated area and pasture area, change in cultivated crops and the change of agricultural cell sizes gives further information for hydrological modeling and land use monitoring purposes.

  18. Against the current— The Mojave River from sink to source: The 2018 Desert Symposium field trip road log

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, David; Reynolds, R.E.; Groover, Krishangi D.; Buesch, David C.; Brown, H. J.; Cromwell, Geoffrey; Densmore-Judy, Jill; Garcia, A.L.; Hughson, D.; Knott, J.R.; Lovich, Jeffrey E.

    2018-01-01

    The Mojave River evolved over the past few million years by “fill and spill” from upper basins near its source in the Transverse Ranges to lower basins. Each newly “spilled into” basin in the series? sustained a long-lived lake but gradually filled with Mojave River sediment, leading to spill to a yet lower elevation? basin. The Mojave River currently terminates at Silver Lake, near Baker, CA, but previously overflowed this terminus onward to Lake Manly in Death Valley during the last glacial cycle. The river’s origin and evolution are intricately interwoven with tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic processes through time, beginning with San Andreas fault interactions that created a mountain range across a former externally draining river. We will see and discuss the Mojave River’s predecessor streams and basins, its evolution as it lengthened to reach the central Mojave Desert, local and regional tectonic controls, groundwater flow, flood history, and support of isolated perennial stream reaches that host endemic species. In association with these subjects are supporting studies such as paleoclimate records, location and timing for groundwater and wetlands in the central Mojave Desert, and effects of modern water usage. The trip introduces new findings for the groundwater basin of Hinkley Valley, including an ongoing remediation project that provides a wealth of information on past and present river flow and associated development of the groundwater system.

  19. Ground-water conditions in Avra Valley, Pima and Pinal Counties, Arizona -1985

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cuff, Melinda K.; Anderson, S.R.

    1987-01-01

    Avra Valley is a north-trending alluvial basin about 15 mi west of Tucson in Pima and Pinal Counties in south-central Arizona. The valley includes about 520 sq mi of which about 100 sq mi is in the San Xavier Indian Reservation. The basin is bounded on the east by the Tortolita, Tucson, and Sierrita Mountains and on the west by the Picacho, Silverbell, and Roskruge Mountains. The climate of the valley is semiarid, the average annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 in., and the average annual lake evaporation ranges from 58 to 62 in. Two major ephemeral streams--Santa Cruz River and Brawley Wash--drain the area. Santa Cruz River and Brawley Wash and their tributaries provide a source of recharge to an extensive alluvial aquifer that underlies the valley floor. Since 1940, the amount of groundwater pumped from the aquifer has been greater than the amount of natural recharge from infiltration and underflow. Overdraft of the aquifer resulted in substantial water level declines throughout the valley. Until 1969, use of groundwater in Avra Valley was for irrigation. Since 1969, the city of Tucson has pumped and transported groundwater for municipal use in the adjacent Tucson basin from lands that were purchased and retired from agriculture. The purpose of this report is to describe groundwater conditions in Avra Valley as of 1985. A brief discussion of the geohydrologic setting and history of groundwater development are given to define aquifer characteristics, changes in groundwater levels, and groundwater pumpage since 1940. (Lantz-PTT)

  20. Evidences of early aqueous Mars: Implications on the origin of branched valleys in the Ius Chasma, Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martha, Tapas R.; Jain, Nirmala; Vamshi, Gasiganti T.; Vinod Kumar, K.

    2017-11-01

    This study shows results of morphological and spectroscopic analyses of Ius Chasma and its southern branched valleys using Orbiter datasets such as Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)-Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (MRO-HiRISE) and digital terrain model (HRSC-DTM). Result of the spectral analysis reveals presence of hydrated minerals such as opal, nontronite and vermiculite in the floor and wall rock areas Ius Chasma indicating alteration of parent rock in an water rich environment of early Mars. Topographic gradient and morphological evidences such as V-shaped valleys with theatre shaped stubby channels, dendritic drainage and river piracy indicate that these valleys were initially developed by surface runoff due to episodic floods and further expanded due to groundwater sapping controlled by faults and fractures. Minerals formed by aqueous alteration during valley formation and their intricate association with different morphological domains suggest that surface runoff played a key role in the development of branched valleys south of Ius Chasma on Mars.

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