Sampling benthic invertebrates in low gradient streams: does method make a difference?

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA's Wadeable Streams Assessment was the first survey ofs tream biological condition throughout the United States. Between 2000 and 2004, USEPA, states and tribes colelcted chemical, physical and biological data at 1,392 wadeable, perennial stream locations throughout t...

Where Did All the Streams Go? Effects of Urbanization on Hydrologic Permanence of Headwater Streams

EPA Science Inventory

Headwater streams represent a majority (up to 70%) of the stream length in the United States; however, these small streams are often piped or filled to accommodate residential, commercial, and industrial development. Legal protection of headwater streams under the Clean Water Ac...

Evaluating Best Management Practices for ephemeral channel protection following forest harvest in the Cumberland Plateau - preliminary findings

Treesearch

Emma L. Witt; Christopher D. Barton; Jeffrey W. Stringer; Daniel W. Bowker; Randall K. Kolka

2011-01-01

Most states in the United States have established forestry best management practices to protect water quality and maintain aquatic habitat in streams. However, guidelines are generally focused on minimizing impacts to perennial streams. Ephemeral channels (or streams), which function as important delivery systems for carbon, nutrients, and sediment to perennial streams...

A synoptic survey of ecosystem services from headwater catchments in the United States

Treesearch

Brian H. Hill; Randall K. Kolka; Frank H. McCormick; Matthew A. Starry

2014-01-01

Ecosystem production functions for water supply, climate regulation, and water purification were estimated for 568 headwater streams and their catchments. Results are reported for nine USA ecoregions. Headwater streams represented 74-80% of total catchment stream length. Water supply per unit catchment area was highest in the Northern Appalachian Mountains ecoregion...

Short-term effects of wildfires on fishes in the southwestern United States, 2002: management implications

Treesearch

John N. Rinne; Codey D. Carter

2008-01-01

Summer 2002 was a season of markedly increased wildfire in the southwestern United States. Four fires affected landscapes that encompassed watersheds and streams containing fishes. Streams affected in three of the four fires were sampled for multiple factors, including fishes, to delineate the impact of fires on aquatic ecosystems in the -Southwest. All fishes were...

Episodic acidification of small streams in the northeastern united states: Effects on fish populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baker, J.P.; Van Sickle, J.; Gagen, C.J.; DeWalle, David R.; Sharpe, W.E.; Carline, R.F.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Murdoch, Peter S.; Bath, D.W.; Kretser, W.A.; Simonin, H.A.; Wigington, P.J.

1996-01-01

As part of the Episodic Response Project (ERP), we studied the effects of episodic acidification on fish in 13 small streams in the northeastern United States: four streams in the Adirondack region of New York, four streams in the Catskills, New York, and five streams in the northern Appalachian Plateau, Pennsylvania. In situ bioassays with brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and a forage fish species (blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus], mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), or slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), depending on the region) measured direct toxicity. Movements of individual brook trout, in relation to stream chemistry, were monitored using radiotelemetry. Electrofishing surveys assessed fish community status and the density and biomass of brook trout in each stream. During low flow, all streams except one had chemical conditions considered suitable for the survival and reproduction of most fish species (median pH 6.0-7.2 during low flow; inorganic Al 100-200 ??g/L. We conclude that episodic acidification can have long-term effects on fish communities in small streams.

COMPARISON OF MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLING METHODS FOR NONWADEABLE STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

The bioassessment of nonwadeable streams in the United States is increasing, but methods for these systems are not as well developed as for wadeable streams. In this study, we compared six benthic macroinvertebrate field sampling methods for nonwadeable streams based on those us...

Similarities in fish-habitat relationships within channelized agricultural headwater streams in Ohio and Indiana

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Channelized agricultural headwater streams are common throughout agricultural watersheds in the Midwestern United States. Understanding the fish-habitat relationships within these streams will provide information that can assist with developing restoration strategies for these degraded streams. We...

Fire Streams. Fire Service Certification Series. Unit FSCS-FF-10-80.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pribyl, Paul F.

This training unit on fire streams is part of a 17-unit course package written to aid instructors in the development, teaching, and evaluation of fire fighters in the Wisconsin Fire Service Certification Series. The purpose stated for the 8-hour unit is to provide the fire fighters with an understanding of the characteristics, use, and application…

Responses of stream nitrate and dissolved organic carbon loadings to hydrological forcing and climate change in an upland forest of the northeast USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sebestyen, Stephen D.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Shanley, James B.

2009-01-01

[1] In coming decades, higher annual temperatures, increased growing season length, and increased dormant season precipitation are expected across the northeastern United States in response to anthropogenic forcing of global climate. We synthesized long-term stream hydrochemical data from the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont, United States, to explore the relationship of catchment wetness to stream nitrate and DOC loadings. We modeled changes in growing season length and precipitation patterns to simulate future climate scenarios and to assess how stream nutrient loadings respond to climate change. Model results for the 2070–2099 time period suggest that stream nutrient loadings during both the dormant and growing seasons will respond to climate change. During a warmer climate, growing season stream fluxes (runoff +20%, nitrate +57%, and DOC +58%) increase as more precipitation (+28%) and quick flow (+39%) occur during a longer growing season (+43 days). During the dormant season, stream water and nutrient loadings decrease. Net annual stream runoff (+8%) and DOC loading (+9%) increases are commensurate with the magnitude of the average increase of net annual precipitation (+7%). Net annual stream water and DOC loadings are primarily affected by increased dormant season precipitation. In contrast, decreased annual loading of stream nitrate (−2%) reflects a larger effect of growing season controls on stream nitrate and the effects of lengthened growing seasons in a warmer climate. Our findings suggest that leaching of nitrate and DOC from catchment soils will be affected by anthropogenic climate forcing, thereby affecting the timing and magnitude of annual stream loadings in the northeastern United States.

Research gaps related to forest management and stream sediment in the United States.

PubMed

Anderson, Christopher J; Lockaby, B Graeme

2011-02-01

Water quality from forested landscapes tends to be very high but can deteriorate during and after silvicultural activities. Practices such as forest harvesting, site preparation, road construction/use, and stream crossings have been shown to contribute sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants to adjacent streams. Although advances in forest management accompanied with Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been very effective at reducing water quality impacts from forest operations, projected increases in demand for forest products may result in unintended environmental degradation. Through a review of the pertinent literature, we identified several research gaps related to water yield, aquatic habitat, sediment source and delivery, and BMP effectiveness that should be addressed for streams in the United States to better understand and address the environmental ramifications of current and future levels of timber production. We explored the current understanding of these topics based on relevant literature and the possible implications of increased demand for forest products in the United States.

Global characteristics of stream flow seasonality and variability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dettinger, M.D.; Diaz, Henry F.

2000-01-01

Monthly stream flow series from 1345 sites around the world are used to characterize geographic differences in the seasonality and year-to-year variability of stream flow. Stream flow seasonality varies regionally, depending on the timing of maximum precipitation, evapotranspiration, and contributions from snow and ice. Lags between peaks of precipitation and stream flow vary smoothly from long delays in high-latitude and mountainous regions to short delays in the warmest sectors. Stream flow is most variable from year to year in dry regions of the southwest United States and Mexico, the Sahel, and southern continents, and it varies more (relatively) than precipitation in the same regions. Tropical rivers have the steadiest flows. El Nin??o variations are correlated with stream flow in many parts of the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Many stream flow series from North America, Europe, and the Tropics reflect North Pacific climate, whereas series from the eastern United States, Europe, and tropical South America and Africa reflect North Atlantic climate variations.

Low Frequencies of Interference to EPA Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) Methods for Microbial Water Quality Monitoring in U.S. Rivers and Streams and Coastal Waters

EPA Science Inventory

In collaboration with U.S States and Tribes, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts periodic and rotating, statistically based surveys of U.S. rivers and streams (National Rivers and Streams Assessment, NRSA), estuarine and Great Lakes nearshore coastal ...

An ecohydrological stream type classification of intermittent and ephemeral streams in the Southwestern United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ephemeral and intermittent streams are the predominant fluvial forms in arid and semi-arid environments. Various studies have shown biological and habitat diversity in these lands to be considerably higher along stream corridors in comparison to adjacent uplands, yet knowledge of how these streams f...

Bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures : experience, selection, and design guidance : third edition. Volume 1

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

This document identifies and provides design guidelines for bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures that have been implemented by various State departments of transportation (DOTs) in the United States. Countermeasure experience, selectio...

Bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures : experience, selection, and design guidance : third edition. Volume 2

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

This document identifies and provides design guidelines for bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures that have been implemented by various State departments of transportation (DOTs) in the United States. Countermeasure experience, selectio...

Protecting and Restoring Streams in an Urbanizing World: Back to Square One

EPA Science Inventory

Headwater streams represent a majority (up to 70%) of the stream length in the United States. Because of their position and prevalence in the landscape, these small streams are often piped or filled to accommodate development, resulting in impaired geomorphology, hydrology, wate...

Public Health Perspectives of Channelized and Unchannelized Headwater Streams in Central Ohio: A Case Study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Headwater streams constitute the majority of watersheds in the United States and many headwater streams in the midwest have been channelized for agricultural drainage. Public health implications of water chemistry and aquatic macroinvertebrates within channelized and unchannelized headwater streams ...

The role of observer variation in determining Rosgen stream types in northeastern Oregon mountain streams

Treesearch

Brett B. Roper; John M. Buffington; Eric Archer; Chris Moyer; Mike Ward

2008-01-01

Consistency in determining Rosgen stream types was evaluated in 12 streams within the John Day Basin, northeastern Oregon. The Rosgen classification system is commonly used in the western United States and is based on the measurement of five stream attributes: entrenchment ratio, width-to-depth ratio, sinuosity, slope, and substrate size. Streams were classified from...

Hydrologic and geomorphic controls on hyporheic exchange during base flow recession in a headwater mountain stream

Treesearch

A.S. Ward; M. Fitzgerald; M.N. Gooseff; A.M. Binley; K. Singha

2012-01-01

Hyporheic hydrodynamics are a control on stream ecosystems, yet we lack a thorough understanding of catchment controls on these flow paths, including valley constraint and hydraulic gradients in the valley bottom. We performed four whole-stream solute tracer injections under steady state flow conditions at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (Oregon, United States)...

Acetochlor in the hydrologic system in the midwestern United States, 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolpin, D.W.; Nations, B.K.; Goolsby, D.A.; Thurman, E.M.

1996-01-01

The herbicide acetochlor [2-chloro-N-(ethoxymethyl)-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)acetamide] was given conditional registration in the United States by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in March 1994. This registration provided a rare opportunity to investigate the occurrence of a pesticide during its first season of extensive use in the midwestern United States. Water samples collected and analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey during 1994 documented the distribution of acetochlor in the hydrologic system; it was detected in 29% of the rain samples from four sites in Iowa, 17% of the stream samples from 51 sites across nine states, and 0% of the groundwater samples from 38 wells across eight states. Acetochlor exhibited concentration increases in rain and streams following its application to corn in the midwestern United States, with 75% of the rainwater and 35% of the stream samples having acetochlor detected during this time period. Acetochlor concentrations in rain decreased as the growing season progressed. Based on the limited data collected for this study, it is anticipated that acetochlor concentrations will have a seasonal pattern in rain and streams similar to those of other acetanilide herbicides examined. Possible explanations for the absence of acetochlor in groundwater for this study include the rapid degradation of acetochlor in the soil zone, insufficient time for this first extensive use of acetochlor to have reached the aquifers sampled, and the possible lack of acetochlor use in the recharge areas for the wells examined.

Phytophthora Species in Rivers and Streams of the Southwestern United States

PubMed Central

Stamler, Rio A.; Sanogo, Soumalia; Goldberg, Natalie P.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Phytophthora species were isolated from rivers and streams in the southwestern United States by leaf baiting and identified by sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The major waterways examined included the Rio Grande River, Gila River, Colorado River, and San Juan River. The most prevalent species identified in rivers and streams were Phytophthora lacustris and P. riparia, both members of Phytophthora ITS clade 6. P. gonapodyides, P. cinnamomi, and an uncharacterized Phytophthora species in clade 9 were also recovered. In addition, six isolates recovered from the Rio Grande River were shown to be hybrids of P. lacustris × P. riparia. Pathogenicity assays using P. riparia and P. lacustris failed to produce any disease symptoms on commonly grown crops in the southwestern United States. Inoculation of Capsicum annuum with P. riparia was shown to inhibit disease symptom development when subsequently challenged with P. capsici, a pathogenic Phytophthora species. IMPORTANCE Many Phytophthora species are significant plant pathogens causing disease on a large variety of crops worldwide. Closer examinations of streams, rivers, and forest soils have also identified numerous Phytophthora species that do not appear to be phytopathogens and likely act as early saprophytes in aquatic and saturated environments. To date, the Phytophthora species composition in rivers and streams of the southwestern United States has not been evaluated. This article details a study to determine the identity and prevalence of Phytophthora species in rivers and streams located in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Texas. Isolated species were evaluated for pathogenicity on crop plants and for their potential to act as biological control agents. PMID:27235435

Southwestern Intermittent and Ephemeral Stream Connectivity

EPA Science Inventory

Ephemeral and intermittent streams are abundant in the arid and semiarid landscapes of the Western and Southwestern United States (U.S.). Connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams to the relatively few perennial reaches through runoff is a major driver of the ecohydrolog...

EFFECTS OF STREAM RESTORATION ON DENITRIFICATION In AN URBANIZING WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

Increased delivery of nitrogen due to urbanization and stream ecosystem degradation is contributing to eutrophication in coastal regions of the eastern United States. We tested whether geomorphic restoration involving hydrologic “reconnection” of a stream to its floodplain could ...

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 Catchments (Version 2.1) for the Conterminous United States: Base Flow Index

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the base flow index values within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds. Attributes of the landscape layer were calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment and accumulated to provide watershed-level metrics. (See Supplementary Info for Glossary of Terms) The base-flow index (BFI) grid for the conterminous United States was developed to estimate (1) BFI values for ungaged streams, and (2) ground-water recharge throughout the conterminous United States (see Source_Information). Estimates of BFI values at ungaged streams and BFI-based ground-water recharge estimates are useful for interpreting relations between land use and water quality in surface and ground water. The bfi (%) was summarized by local catchment and by watershed to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description).

Regional Monitoring Networks (RMN) to Detect Changing Baselines in Freshwater Wadeable Streams (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is working with its regional offices, states, tribes, and other entities to establish Regional Monitoring Networks (RMNs) at which biological, thermal, and hydrologic data are collected from freshwater wadeable streams ...

The paradox of cooling streams in a warming world: regional climate trends do not parallel variable local trends in stream temperature in the Pacific continental United States

Treesearch

Ivan Arismendi; Sherri L. Johnson; Jason B. Dunham; Roy Haggerty

2012-01-01

Temperature is a fundamentally important driver of ecosystem processes in streams. Recent warming of terrestrial climates around the globe has motivated concern about consequent increases in stream temperature. More specifically, observed trends of increasing air temperature and declining stream flow are widely believed to result in corresponding increases in stream...

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

Sources and preparation of data for assessing trends in concentrations of pesticides in streams of the United States, 1992-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Jeffrey D.

2009-01-01

This report provides a water-quality data set of 44 commonly used pesticides and 8 pesticide degradates suitable for a national assessment of trends in pesticide concentrations in streams of the United States. Water-quality samples collected from January 1992 through August 2006 at stream-water sites of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program and the National Stream Quality Accounting Network Program were compiled, reviewed, selected, and prepared for trend analysis as described in this report. Samples analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analytical method were the most extensive in time and space and were selected for national trend analysis. The selection criteria described in the report produced a trend data set of 16,869 pesticide samples at 201 stream and river sites.

Towards a joint national and state partnership in aquatic resource assessment monitoring survey design

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA is currently conducting national assessments of all aquatic resources in the United States. Prior national assessments were completed for coastal waters and wadeable streams. National assessments are now underway for lakes, rivers and streams, coastal waters, and wetl...

DEVELOPMENT OF BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE INDEX FOR MEASURING THE CONDITION OF STREAMS AT A REGIONAL SCALE

EPA Science Inventory

A multimetric macroinvertebrate index of stream condition was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region of the United States. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected from 562 first through third order streams between 1993 and 1995. Macroinvertebrates were collect...

INTERACTIVE HABITAT MODELS FOR MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLAND STREAM FISHES

EPA Science Inventory

In most wadeable streams of the Mid-Atlantic Highland region of the eastern United States, habitat alteration resulting from development in the watershed is the primary stressor for fish. Models that predict the presence of stream fish species based on habitat characteristics ca...

Assessing stream ecosystem condition in the United States

EPA Science Inventory

This article describes EPA-led efforts to monitor wadeable perennial streams, which comprise an estimated 90% of the total length of all perennial flowing waters in the US, and summarizes selected results from the first national survey of these streams, the national Wadeable Stre...

Riparian management in forests of the continental eastern United States

Treesearch

Elon S. Verry; James W. Hornbeck; C. Andrew Dolloff

2000-01-01

As we meditate on the management of stream riparian areas, it is clear that the input of "debris" from terrestrial plants falling into streams is one of the most significant processes occurring at the interface of terrestrial and stream ecosystems. Organic matter - leaves. twigs, branches, and whole trees - provides energy, nutrients, and structure to streams...

Distribution and abundance of nonnative fishes in streams of the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schade, C.B.; Bonar, Scott A.

2005-01-01

This report presents data from one of the largest standardized stream surveys conducted in he western United States, which shows that one of every four individual fish in streams of 12 western states are nonnative. The states surveyed included Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The most widely distributed and abundant nonnative fishes in the western USA were brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, brown trout Salmo trutta, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, common carp Cyprinus carpio, smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, largemouth bass M. salmoides, green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus, fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, yellow perch Percaflavescens, yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis, cutthroat trout O. clarkii, western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis, golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis. The greatest abundance and distribution of nonnative fishes was in interior states, and the most common nonnatives were introduced for angling. Nonnative fishes were widespread in pristine to highly disturbed streams influenced by all types of land use practices. We present ranges in water temperature, flow, stream order, riparian cover, human disturbance, and other environmental conditions where the 10 most common introduced species were found. Of the total western U.S. stream length bearing fish, 50.1% contained nonnative fishes while 17.9% contained physical environment that was ranked highly or moderately disturbed by humans. Introduced fishes can adversely affect stream communities, and they are much more widespread in western U.S. streams than habitat destruction. The widespread distribution and high relative abundance of nonnative fishes and their documented negative effects suggest their management and control should elicit at least as much attention as habitat preservation in the protection of native western U.S. stream biota. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

STABLE GENETIC STRUCTURE OF CENTRAL STONEROLLER POPULATIONS IN A POLLUTED URBAN STREAM

EPA Science Inventory

Mill Creek, which runs through Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of the most severely polluted urban streams in the United States. The creek is threatened by streamside landfills and toxic waste sites along the streams banks (including five designated superfund sites), industrial and res...

Downstream variation in bankfull width of wadeable streams across the conterminous United States

EPA Science Inventory

Bankfull channel width is a fundamental measure of stream size and a key parameter of interest for many applications in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and stream ecology. We developed downstream hydraulic geometry relationships for bankfull channel width w as a function of dra...

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HISTORICAL CONDITIONS IN STREAMS AND RIVERS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Resource managers are often challenged by the lack of adequate benchmarks, or reference conditions, for assessing the biological condition of streams. Increasing human alteration of landscapes reduces the availability of minimally-disturbed stream sites that can be used to repre...

SEDIMENTATION IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST COASTAL STREAMS -- EVIDENCE FROM REGIONAL SURVEY OF BED SUBSTRATE SIZE AND STABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Excessive erosion, transport and deposition of sediment are major problems in streams and rivers throughout the United States. We examined evidence of anthropogenic sedimentation in Oregon and Washington coastal streams using relatively rapid measurements taken from surveys duri...

Presence of Fungicides Used to Control Asian Soybean Rust in Streams in Agricultural Areas in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandstrom, M. W.; Battaglin, W. A.

2007-05-01

Concentrations of 11 fungicides were measured in stream samples during 2 years in agricultural areas in the United States that grow predominantly corn and soybean. The fungicides are registered for control of Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), which entered the United States in 2004. Many of these fungicides were registered under an emergency exemption because evaluation of environmental risks related to their widespread use on soybeans had not been completed. Some of these fungicides are considered moderately to highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. We developed a solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for determining the fungicides at low concentrations (ng/L). Stream samples were collected 2 to 4 times at study areas during the late spring through fall season when fungicides are applied. Six fungicides registered for control of ASR (Phakospora pachyrhizi) in 2005 were measured in streams in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi during August-November, 2005. One or more fungicides were detected in 8 of the 12 streams sampled. Azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, propiconazole, tebuconazole, and myclobutanil were found in at least one of the 40 samples collected, while chlorothalonil was not found. Azoxystrobin was detected most frequently, in 35 percent of the samples. In 2006, five additional fungicides registered for use in control of ASR were included in the analytical method. One or more of the fungicides (azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin, metconazole, propiconazole, tebuconazole, tetraconazole, myclobutanil) were detected in 12 of the 16 streams sampled from areas in the South and Midwest during May-September, 2006. Azoxystrobin was detected most frequently (40 percent of the samples) and the highest concentration was 1.1 μg/L in a small predominantly cotton and soybean watershed. The highest concentrations of azoxystrobin were measured prior to the spread of ASR in 2006, and the detections in streams might be related to use on other crops. Concentrations of the fungicides measured were about 100 times lower than aquatic toxicity levels. These results show that ASR fungicides were found in streams before extensive spread of ASR in the United States.

EnviroAtlas - Percent Stream Buffer Zone As Natural Land Cover for the Conterminous United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset shows the percentage of land area within a 30 meter buffer zone along the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) high resolution stream network, and along water bodies such as lakes and ponds that are connected via flow to the streams, that is classified as forest land cover, modified forest land cover, and natural land cover using the 2006 National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) for each Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) 12-digit hydrological unit (HUC) in the conterminous United States. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Spatial distribution of the largest rainfall-runoff floods from basins between 2.6 and 26,000 km2 in the United States and Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Jim E.; Costa, John E.

2004-01-01

We assess the spatial distribution of the largest rainfall-generated streamflows from a database of 35,663 flow records composed of the largest 10% of annual peak flows from each of 14,815 U.S. Geological Survey stream gaging stations in the United States and Puerto Rico. High unit discharges (peak discharge per unit contributing area) from basins with areas of 2.6 to 26,000 km2 (1-10,000 mi2) are widespread, but streams in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Texas together account for more than 50% of the highest unit discharges. The Appalachians and western flanks of Pacific coastal mountain systems are also regions of high unit discharges, as are several areas in the southern Midwest. By contrast, few exceptional discharges have been recorded in the interior West, northern Midwest, and Atlantic Coastal Plain. Most areas of high unit discharges result from the combination of (1) regional atmospheric conditions that produce large precipitation volumes and (2) steep topography, which enhances precipitation by convective and orographic processes and allows flow to be quickly concentrated into stream channels. Within the conterminous United States, the greatest concentration of exceptional unit discharges is at the Balcones Escarpment of central Texas, where maximum U.S. rainfall amounts apparently coincide with appropriate basin physiography to produce many of the largest measured U.S. floods. Flood-related fatalities broadly correspond to the spatial distribution of high unit discharges, with Texas having nearly twice the average annual flood-related fatalities of any other state.

THE EXTENT OF MINE DRAINAGE INTO STREAMS OF THE CENTRAL APPALACHIAN AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Runoff and drainage from active and inactive mines are contaminating streams throughout the United States with acidic and metal contaminated waters and sediments. The extent of mining impacts on streams of the coal bearing region of the Central Appalachians and the metal bearing...

EMAP SEDIMENTATION INDEX: LAND USE AND NATURAL HYDRAULIC CONTROLS ON STREAM SEDIMENTATION

EPA Science Inventory

Excessive erosion, transport and deposition of sediment in streams and rivers is a major problem in surface waters throughout the United States. It is important to have a reliable measure of stream sedimentation that properly accounts for natural controls on the amount of fine p...

HYDROLOGIC AND STREAM TEMPERATURE MODELING FOR ANADROMOUS FISH HABITAT RESTORATION IN A WILDLAND WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

Reduction or removal of streamside vegetation by logging and grazing can alter stream temperatures by reducing riparian shading. In the Pacific Northwest of the United States and other parts of the world, elevated stream temperatures in summer are a major fish habitat degradatio...

Environmental variability, historical contingency, and the structure of regional fish and macroinvertebrate faunas in Ouachita Mountain stream systems

Treesearch

Lance R. Williams; Christopher M. Taylor; Melvin L. Warren; J. Alan Clingenpeel

2003-01-01

In 1990-1992, the United States Forest Service sampled six hydrologically variable streams paired in three different drainage basins in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, U.S.A. Fishes, macroinvertebrates, and stream environmental variables were quantified for each stream. We used these data to examine the relationship between regional faunas (based on taxonomy and...

Estimates of diffuse phosphorus sources in surface waters of the United States using a spatially referenced watershed model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, R.B.; Smith, R.A.; Schwarz, G.E.

2004-01-01

The statistical watershed model SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) was used to estimate the sources and transport of total phosphorus (TP) in surface waters of the United States. We calibrated the model using stream measurements of TP from 336 watersheds of mixed land use and spatial data on topography, soils, stream hydrography, and land use (agriculture, forest, shrub/grass, urban). The model explained 87% of the spatial variability in log transformed stream TP flux (kg yr-1). Predictions of stream yield (kg ha-1 yr-1) were typically within 45% of the observed values at the monitoring sites. The model identified appreciable effects of soils, streams, and reservoirs on TP transport, The estimated aquatic rates of phosphorus removal declined with increasing stream size and rates of water flushing in reservoirs (i.e. areal hydraulic loads). A phosphorus budget for the 2.9 million km2 Mississippi River Basin provides a detailed accounting of TP delivery to streams, the removal of TP in surface waters, and the stream export of TP from major interior watersheds for sources associated with each land-use type. ?? US Government 2004.

An initial SPARROW model of land use and in-stream controls on total organic carbon in streams of the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shih, Jhih-Shyang; Alexander, Richard B.; Smith, Richard A.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Shwarz, Grogory E.; Chung, Susie

2010-01-01

Watersheds play many important roles in the carbon cycle: (1) they are a site for both terrestrial and aquatic carbon dioxide (CO2) removal through photosynthesis; (2) they transport living and decomposing organic carbon in streams and groundwater; and (3) they store organic carbon for widely varying lengths of time as a function of many biogeochemical factors. Using the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Spatially Referenced Regression on Watershed Attributes (SPARROW) model, along with long-term monitoring data on total organic carbon (TOC), this research quantitatively estimates the sources, transport, and fate of the long-term mean annual load of TOC in streams of the conterminous United States. The model simulations use surrogate measures of the major terrestrial and aquatic sources of organic carbon to estimate the long-term mean annual load of TOC in streams. The estimated carbon sources in the model are associated with four land uses (urban, cultivated, forest, and wetlands) and autochthonous fixation of carbon (stream photosynthesis). Stream photosynthesis is determined by reach-level application of an empirical model of stream chlorophyll based on total phosphorus concentration, and a mechanistic model of photosynthetic rate based on chlorophyll, average daily solar irradiance, water column light attenuation, and reach dimensions. It was found that the estimate of in-stream photosynthesis is a major contributor to the mean annual TOC load per unit of drainage area (that is, yield) in large streams, with a median share of about 60 percent of the total mean annual carbon load in streams with mean flows above 500 cubic feet per second. The interquartile range of the model predictions of TOC from in-stream photosynthesis is from 0.1 to 0.4 grams (g) carbon (C) per square meter (m-2) per day (day-1) for the approximately 62,000 stream reaches in the continental United States, which compares favorably with the reported literature range for net carbon fixation by phytoplankton in lakes and streams. The largest contributors per unit of drainage area to the mean annual stream TOC load among the terrestrial sources are, in descending order: wetlands, urban lands, mixed forests, agricultural lands, evergreen forests, and deciduous forests . It was found that the SPARROW model estimates of TOC contributions to streams associated with these land uses are also consistent with literature estimates. SPARROW model calibration results are used to simulate the delivery of TOC loads to the coastal areas of seven major regional drainages. It was found that stream photosynthesis is the largest source of the TOC yields ( about 50 percent) delivered to the coastal waters in two of the seven regional drainages (the Pacific Northwest and Mississippi-Atchafalaya-Red River basins ), whereas terrestrial sources are dominant (greater than 60 percent) in all other regions (North Atlantic, South Atlantic-Gulf, California, Texas-Gulf, and Great Lakes).

EnviroAtlas - 303(d) Impairments by 12-digit HUC for the Conterminous United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset depicts the total length of stream or river flowlines that have impairments submitted to the EPA by states under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. It also contains the total lengths of streams, rivers, and canals, total waterbody area, and stream density (stream length per area) from the US Geological Survey's high-resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

MERCURY CONCENTRATION IN FISH FROM STREAMS AND RIVERS THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

We collected and analyzed 2,707 large fish from 626 stream/river sites in 12 western U.S. states using a probability design to assess the regional distribution of whole fish mercury (Hg) concentrations. Large (>120 mm total length) fish Hg levels were strongly related to both fis...

Regional interpretation of water-quality monitoring data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Richard A.; Schwarz, Gregory E.; Alexander, Richard B.

1997-01-01

We describe a method for using spatially referenced regressions of contaminant transport on watershed attributes (SPARROW) in regional water-quality assessment. The method is designed to reduce the problems of data interpretation caused by sparse sampling, network bias, and basin heterogeneity. The regression equation relates measured transport rates in streams to spatially referenced descriptors of pollution sources and land-surface and stream-channel characteristics. Regression models of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) transport are constructed for a region defined as the nontidal conterminous United States. Observed TN and TP transport rates are derived from water-quality records for 414 stations in the National Stream Quality Accounting Network. Nutrient sources identified in the equations include point sources, applied fertilizer, livestock waste, nonagricultural land, and atmospheric deposition (TN only). Surface characteristics found to be significant predictors of land-water delivery include soil permeability, stream density, and temperature (TN only). Estimated instream decay coefficients for the two contaminants decrease monotonically with increasing stream size. TP transport is found to be significantly reduced by reservoir retention. Spatial referencing of basin attributes in relation to the stream channel network greatly increases their statistical significance and model accuracy. The method is used to estimate the proportion of watersheds in the conterminous United States (i.e., hydrologic cataloging units) with outflow TP concentrations less than the criterion of 0.1 mg/L, and to classify cataloging units according to local TN yield (kg/km2/yr).

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MACROINVERTEBRATE BENTHOS INTEGRITY INDEX (SBII) FOR BIOASSESSMENT OF STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS REGION

EPA Science Inventory

A multimetric macroinvertebrate index called the Stream Benthos Integrity Index (SBII) was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region of the United States. The SBII was developed for assessing biological conditions of wadeable streams and was based on benthic macroinvertebr...

SEDIMENT MICROBIAL RESPIRATION IN A SYNOPTIC SURVEY OF MID-ATLANTIC REGION STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

l. The rate of microbial respiration on fine-grained stream sediments was measured at 196 first-to third-order sites in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.2. Sample collection took place between April and July in 1993, 1994 and 1995.3. Study streams were randomly sele...

Urban contributions of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA to streams in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolpin, D.W.; Thurman, E.M.; Lee, E.A.; Meyer, M.T.; Furlong, E.T.; Glassmeyer, S.T.

2006-01-01

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world, being routinely applied to control weeds in both agricultural and urban settings. Microbial degradation of glyphosate produces aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA). The high polarity and water-solubility of glyphosate and AMPA has, until recently, made their analysis in water samples problematic. Thus, compared to other herbicides (e.g. atrazine) there are relatively few studies on the environmental occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA. In 2002, treated effluent samples were collected from 10 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to study the occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA. Stream samples were collected upstream and downstream of the 10 WWTPs. Two reference streams were also sampled. The results document the apparent contribution of WWTP effluent to stream concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA, with roughly a two-fold increase in their frequencies of detection between stream samples collected upstream and those collected downstream of the WWTPs. Thus, urban use of glyphosate contributes to glyphosate and AMPA concentrations in streams in the United States. Overall, AMPA was detected much more frequently (67.5%) compared to glyphosate (17.5%).

Surface water supply of the United States, 1907-8, Part III. Ohio River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1910-01-01

This volume contains results of flow measurements made on certain streams in the United States. The work was performed by the water-resources branch of the United States Geological Survey, either independently or in cooperation with organizations mentioned herein. These investigations are authorized by the organic law of the Geological Survey (Stat. L., vol. 20, p. 394)...

Strategies for managing the effects of urban development on streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cappiella, Karen; Stack, William P.; Fraley-McNeal, Lisa; Lane, Cecilia; McMahon, Gerard

2012-01-01

Urban development remains an important agent of environmental change in the United States. The U.S. population grew by 17 percent from 1982 to 1997, while urbanized land area grew by 47 percent, suggesting that urban land consumption far outpaced population growth (Fulton and others, 2001; Sierra Club, 2003; American Farmland Trust, 2009). Eighty percent of Americans now live in metropolitan areas. Each American effectively occupies about 20 percent more developed land (for housing, schools, shopping, roads, and other related services) than 20 years ago (Markham and Steinzor, 2006). Passel and Cohn (2008) predict a dramatic 48 percent increase in the population of the United States from 2005 to 2050. The advantages and challenges of living in these developed areas—convenience, congestion, employment, pollution—are part of the day-to-day realities of most Americans. Nowhere are the environmental changes associated with urban development more evident than in urban streams. The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program investigation of the effects of urban development on stream ecosystems (EUSE) during 1999–2004 provides the most spatially comprehensive analysis of stream impacts of urban development that has been completed in the United States. A nationally consistent study design was used in nine metropolitan areas of the United States—Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Utah; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A summary report published as part of the EUSE study describes several of these impacts on urban streams (Coles and others, 2012).

A simple metric to predict stream water quality from storm runoff in an urban watershed.

PubMed

Easton, Zachary M; Sullivan, Patrick J; Walter, M Todd; Fuka, Daniel R; Petrovic, A Martin; Steenhuis, Tammo S

2010-01-01

The contribution of runoff from various land uses to stream channels in a watershed is often speculated and used to underpin many model predictions. However, these contributions, often based on little or no measurements in the watershed, fail to appropriately consider the influence of the hydrologic location of a particular landscape unit in relation to the stream network. A simple model was developed to predict storm runoff and the phosphorus (P) status of a perennial stream in an urban watershed in New York State using the covariance structure of runoff from different landscape units in the watershed to predict runoff in time. One hundred and twenty-seven storm events were divided into parameterization (n = 85) and forecasting (n = 42) data sets. Runoff, dissolved P (DP), and total P (TP) were measured at nine sites distributed among three land uses (high maintenance, unmaintained, wooded), three positions in the watershed (near the outlet, midwatershed, upper watershed), and in the stream at the watershed outlet. The autocorrelation among runoff and P concentrations from the watershed landscape units (n = 9) and the covariance between measurements from the landscape units and measurements from the stream were calculated and used to predict the stream response. Models, validated using leave-one-out cross-validation and a forecasting method, were able to correctly capture temporal trends in streamflow and stream P chemistry (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiencies, 0.49-0.88). The analysis suggests that the covariance structure was consistent for all models, indicating that the physical processes governing runoff and P loss from these landscape units were stationary in time and that landscapes located in hydraulically active areas have a direct hydraulic link to the stream. This methodology provides insight into the impact of various urban landscape units on stream water quantity and quality.

Effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in nine metropolitan study areas across the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coles, James F.; McMahon, Gerard; Bell, Amanda H.; Brown, Larry R.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Scudder Eikenberry, Barbara C.; Woodside, Michael D.; Cuffney, Thomas F.; Bryant, Wade L.; Cappiella, Karen; Fraley-McNeal, Lisa; Stack, William P.

2012-01-01

Which urban-related stressors are most closely linked to biological community degradation, and how can multiple stressors be managed to protect stream health as a watershed becomes increasingly urbanized?

Streamflow characteristics related to channel geometry of streams in western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hedman, E.R.; Osterkamp, W.R.

1982-01-01

Assessment of surface-mining and reclamation activities generally requires extensive hydrologic data. Adequate streamflow data from instrumented gaging stations rarely are available, and estimates of surface- water discharge based on rainfall-runoff models, drainage area, and basin characteristics sometimes have proven unreliable. Channel-geometry measurements offer an alternative method of quickly and inexpensively estimating stream-flow characteristics for ungaged streams. The method uses the empirical development of equations to yield a discharge value from channel-geometry and channel-material data. The equations are developed by collecting data at numerous streamflow-gaging sites and statistically relating those data to selected discharge characteristics. Mean annual runoff and flood discharges with selected recurrence intervals can be estimated for perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams. The equations were developed from data collected in the western one-half of the conterminous United States. The effect of the channel-material and runoff characteristics are accounted for with the equations.

Data on Mercury in Water, Bed Sediment, and Fish from Streams Across the United States, 1998-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bauch, Nancy J.; Chasar, Lia C.; Scudder, Barbara C.; Moran, Patrick W.; Hitt, Kerie J.; Brigham, Mark E.; Lutz, Michelle A.; Wentz, Dennis A.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) and Toxic Substances Hydrology Programs conducted the National Mercury Pilot Study in 1998 to examine relations of mercury (Hg) in water, bed sediment and fish in streams across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Water and bed-sediment samples were analyzed for total Hg (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and other constituents; fish were analyzed for THg. Similar sampling was conducted at additional streams across the country in 2002 and 2004-05. This report summarizes sample collection and processing protocols, analytical methods, environmental data, and quality-assurance data for stream water, bed sediment, and fish for these national studies. To extend the geographic coverage of the data, this report also includes four regional USGS Hg studies conducted during 1998-2001 and 2004. The environmental data for these national and regional Hg studies are provided in an electronic format.

MERCURY CONCENTRATION IN FISH FROM STREAMS/RIVERS THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

We collected 2,707 fish from 626 stream/river sites in 12 western USA states using a probability design to assess the spatial extent of whole fish mercury (Hg) concentrations. In all large (> 120 mm) fish, Hg concentrations (mean µg¿g-1; SD) in both piscivores (0.260; 0.241) and ...

Best practices for continuous monitoring of temperature and flow in wadeable streams

Treesearch

Jen Stamp; Anna Hamilton; Michelle Craddock; Laila Parker; Allison H. Roy; Daniel J. Isaak; Zach Holden; Margaret Passmore; Britta G. Bierwagen

2014-01-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is working with its regional offices, states, tribes, river basin commissions and other entities to establish Regional Monitoring Networks (RMNs) for freshwater wadeable streams. To the extent possible, uninterrupted, biological, temperature and hydrologic data will be collected on an ongoing basis at RMN...

AQUATIC STREAM INDICATOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR ARIZONA, NEVADA, AND UTAH

EPA Science Inventory

Beginning in 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated a 5-year study of streams and rivers in 12 western States (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, and V;Y) as a component of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The objective of EMA...

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES (NATIONAL STREAM SURVEY: PHASE 1). VOLUME 2. STREAMS SAMPLED, DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, AND COMPENDIUM OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DATA

EPA Science Inventory

National Stream Survey Phase I (NSS-I) field activities were conducted in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. in the spring of 1986 by the U.S. EPA as part of the National Surface Water Survey and the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program. The Survey employed a probab...

Stream Chemistry After An Operational Fertilizer Application in the Ouachita Mountains

Treesearch

Hal O. Liechty; Jami Nettles; Daniel A. Marion; Donald J. Turton

1999-01-01

The amount of forested land annually fertilized in the southern United States has increased rapidly in the past 10 years. Although forest growth responses to fertilizer are fairly well understood, knowledge concerning the effects of fertilization on stream chemistry and health in this region is limited. To better understand the potential changes in stream chemistry...

Predicting cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) abundance in high-elevation streams: revisiting a model of translocation success

Treesearch

Michael K. Young; Paula M. Guenther-Gloss; Ashley D. Ficke

2005-01-01

Assessing viability of stream populations of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) and identifying streams suitable for establishing populations are priorities in the western United States, and a model was recently developed to predict translocation success (as defined by an index of population size) of two subspecies based on mean July water...

Rising stream and river temperatures in the United States

Treesearch

Sujay S. Kaushal; Gene E. Likens; Norbert A. Jaworski; Michael L. Pace; Ashley M. Sides; David Seekell; Kenneth T. Belt; David H. Secor; Rebecca L. Wingate

2010-01-01

Water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the US. We analyzed historical records from 40 sites and found that 20 major streams and rivers have shown statistically significant, long-term warming. Annual mean water temperatures increased by 0.009-0.077°C yr-1, and rates of warming were most rapid in, but not...

Surface water supply of the United States, 1907-8, Part IV. St. Lawrence River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1910-01-01

This volume contains results of flow measurements made on certain streams in the United States. The work was performed by the water-resources branch of the United States Geological Survey, either independently or in cooperation with organizations mentioned herein. These investigations are authorized by the organic law of the Geological Survey (Stat. L., vol. 20, p. 394)...

The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) and USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) will be collaborating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) to assess stream quality across the Midwestern United States. The sites selected for this study are a subset of the larger NRSA, implemented by the EPA, States and Tribes to sample flowing waters across the United States (http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/riverssurvey/index.cfm). The goals are to characterize water-quality stressors—contaminants, nutrients, and sediment—and ecological conditions in streams throughout the Midwest and to determine the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic organisms in the streams. Findings will contribute useful information for communities and policymakers by identifying which human and environmental factors are the most critical in controlling stream quality. This collaborative study enhances information provided to the public and policymakers and minimizes costs by leveraging and sharing data gathered under existing programs. In the spring and early summer, NAWQA will sample streams weekly for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. During the same time period, CERC will test sediment and water samples for toxicity, deploy time-integrating samplers, and measure reproductive effects and biomarkers of contaminant exposure in fish or amphibians. NRSA will sample sites once during the summer to assess ecological and habitat conditions in the streams by collecting data on algal, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities and collecting detailed physical-habitat measurements. Study-team members from all three programs will work in collaboration with USGS Water Science Centers and State agencies on study design, execution of sampling and analysis, and reporting.

Trends in precipitation and stream-water chemistry in the northeastern United States, water years 1984-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, D.W.; Mast, M. Alisa

1999-01-01

Trends in precipitation and stream-water chemistry during water years 1984-96 were examined at eight precipitation monitoring sites and five nearby streams operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in the northeastern United States. The statistical analyses indicate the following: 1)Stream-water sulfate (SO4) concentrations decreased at seven of eight precipitation monitoring sites and in each of five streams. 2)Calcium plus magnesium (Ca + Mg) concentrations decreased at seven of eight precipitation monitoring sites and in three of five streams. 3)Precipitation acidity decreased at five of eight precipitation monitoring sites, but alkalinity increased in only one stream. These results indicate that decreases in atmospheric deposition of SO4 have resulted in decreased precipitation acidity. The chemical response of stream water to changes in precipitation chemistry was complex. Decreases in stream-water SO4 concentrations generally matched decreases of precipitation SO4. In stream water, increases in alkalinity were uncommon because decreases in SO4 concentrations often were accompanied by decreases in Ca + Mg concentrations. The decreases in Ca + Mg concentrations might be related to depletion of base cations from soil caused by long-term exposure to acidic deposition. Increases in streamwater alkalinity might not occur until rates of acidic deposition are reduced to substantially less than the rate of cation resupply by weathering and atmospheric deposition. In areas where forests are aggrading, recovery of stream-water alkalinity will be delayed further because of the acidifying effect of biomass accumulation.

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF LANDUSE/LANDCOVER ON STREAM CHEMISTRY IN MARYLAND

EPA Science Inventory

Spatial and statistical analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between stream chemistry (nitrate, sulfate, dissolved organic carbon, etc.), habitat and satellite-derived landuse maps for the state of Maryland. Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed boundaries (8-...

EnviroAtlas - Percentage of stream and water body shoreline lengths within 30 meters of >= 5% or >= 15% impervious cover by 12-Digit HUC for the Conterminous United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset shows the percentages of stream and water body shoreline lengths within 30 meters of impervious cover by 12-digit Hydrologic Unit (HUC) subwatershed in the contiguous U.S. Impervious cover alters the hydrologic behavior of streams and water bodies, promoting increased storm water runoff and lower stream flow during periods in between rainfall events. Impervious cover also promotes increased pollutant loads in receiving waters and degraded streamside habitat. This dataset shows were impervious cover occurs close to streams and water bodies, where it is likely to have a greater adverse impact on receiving waters. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to the EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Riparian Land Use/Land Cover Data for Three Study Units in Group II of the Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical Study of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Michaela R.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Dickinson, Ross G.; Sanocki, Chris A.; Tranmer, Andrew W.

2009-01-01

This data set was developed as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical (NEET) study. This report is concerned with three of the eight NEET study units distributed across the United States: Ozark Plateaus, Upper Mississippi River Basin, and Upper Snake River Basin, collectively known as Group II of the NEET study. Ninety stream reaches were investigated during 2006-08 in these three study units. Stream segments, with lengths equal to the base-10 logarithm of the basin area, were delineated upstream from the stream reaches through the use of digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangle (DOQQ) imagery. The analysis area for each stream segment was defined by a streamside buffer extending laterally to 250 meters from the stream segment. Delineation of landuse and land-cover (LULC) map units within stream-segment buffers was completed using on-screen digitizing of riparian LULC classes interpreted from the DOQQ. LULC units were classified using a strategy consisting of nine classes. National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data were used to aid in wetland classification. Longitudinal riparian transects (lines offset from the stream segments) were generated digitally, used to sample the LULC maps, and partitioned in accord with the intersected LULC map-unit types. These longitudinal samples yielded the relative linear extent and sequence of each LULC type within the riparian zone at the segment scale. The resulting areal and linear estimates of LULC extent filled in the spatial-scale gap between the 30-meter resolution of the 1990s National Land Cover Dataset and the reach-level habitat assessment data collected onsite routinely for NAWQA ecological sampling. The resulting data consisted of 12 geospatial data sets: LULC within 25 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 100 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 150 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 250 meters of the stream segment (polygon); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation at the reach scale (arc); stream reaches (arc); longitudinal LULC transect sample at the reach scale (arc); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation at the segment scale (arc); stream segments (arc); and longitudinal LULC transect sample at the segment scale (arc).

Surface water supply of the United States, 1907-8, Part II. South Atlantic Coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1909-01-01

This volume contains results of flow measurements made on certain streams in the United States. The work was performed by the water-resources branch of the United States Geological Survey, either independently or in cooperation with organizations mentioned herein. These investigations are authorized by the organic law of the Geological Survey (Stat. L., vol. 20, p. 394)...

Sour streams in appalachia: mapping nature’s buffer against sulfur deposition

Treesearch

Natasha Vizcarra; Nicholas Povak; Paul Hessburg; Keith Reynolds

2015-01-01

Even while emissions are in decline, sulfur released into the air primarily by coal- and oil-burning power plants continues to acidify streams in the eastern United States, stressing vegetation and harming aquatic life. Watersheds rich in base cations—nutrients that attract and bind acidic molecules—naturally buffer streams against acidification. These watersheds can...

Bioassessment of silvicultural impacts in streams and wetlands of the eastern United States

Treesearch

John J. Hutchens; Darold P. Batzer; Elizabeth Reese

2003-01-01

Bioassessment is a useful tool to determine the impact of logging practices on the biological integrity of streams and wetlands. Measuring biota directly has an intuitive appeal for impact assessment, and biota can be superior indicators to physical or chemical characteristics because they can reflect cumulative impacts over time. Logging can affect stream and wetland...

Sulfur and Nitrogen Deposition on Ecosystems in the United States

EPA Science Inventory

The ecological impacts of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition first gained attention in the United States in the early 1970s with reports of "acid rain" falling to earth, causing lakes and streams to become acidic and resulting in conditions that were unsuitable for repro...

Modeled Sources, Transport, and Accumulation of Dissolved Solids in Water Resources of the Southwestern United States.

PubMed

Anning, David W

2011-10-01

Information on important source areas for dissolved solids in streams of the southwestern United States, the relative share of deliveries of dissolved solids to streams from natural and human sources, and the potential for salt accumulation in soil or groundwater was developed using a SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes model. Predicted area-normalized reach-catchment delivery rates of dissolved solids to streams ranged from <10 (kg/year)/km(2) for catchments with little or no natural or human-related solute sources in them to 563,000 (kg/year)/km(2) for catchments that were almost entirely cultivated land. For the region as a whole, geologic units contributed 44% of the dissolved-solids deliveries to streams and the remaining 56% of the deliveries came from the release of solutes through irrigation of cultivated and pasture lands, which comprise only 2.5% of the land area. Dissolved-solids accumulation is manifested as precipitated salts in the soil or underlying sediments, and (or) dissolved salts in soil-pore or sediment-pore water, or groundwater, and therefore represents a potential for aquifer contamination. Accumulation rates were <10,000 (kg/year)/km(2) for many hydrologic accounting units (large river basins), but were more than 40,000 (kg/year)/km(2) for the Middle Gila, Lower Gila-Agua Fria, Lower Gila, Lower Bear, Great Salt Lake accounting units, and 247,000 (kg/year)/km(2) for the Salton Sea accounting unit.

Modeled Sources, Transport, and Accumulation of Dissolved Solids in Water Resources of the Southwestern United States1

PubMed Central

Anning, David W

2011-01-01

Abstract Information on important source areas for dissolved solids in streams of the southwestern United States, the relative share of deliveries of dissolved solids to streams from natural and human sources, and the potential for salt accumulation in soil or groundwater was developed using a SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes model. Predicted area-normalized reach-catchment delivery rates of dissolved solids to streams ranged from <10 (kg/year)/km2 for catchments with little or no natural or human-related solute sources in them to 563,000 (kg/year)/km2 for catchments that were almost entirely cultivated land. For the region as a whole, geologic units contributed 44% of the dissolved-solids deliveries to streams and the remaining 56% of the deliveries came from the release of solutes through irrigation of cultivated and pasture lands, which comprise only 2.5% of the land area. Dissolved-solids accumulation is manifested as precipitated salts in the soil or underlying sediments, and (or) dissolved salts in soil-pore or sediment-pore water, or groundwater, and therefore represents a potential for aquifer contamination. Accumulation rates were <10,000 (kg/year)/km2 for many hydrologic accounting units (large river basins), but were more than 40,000 (kg/year)/km2 for the Middle Gila, Lower Gila-Agua Fria, Lower Gila, Lower Bear, Great Salt Lake accounting units, and 247,000 (kg/year)/km2 for the Salton Sea accounting unit. PMID:22457583

Episodic acidification of small streams in the northeastern united states: episodic response project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wigington, P.J.; Baker, J.P.; DeWalle, David R.; Kretser, W.A.; Murdoch, Peter S.; Simonin, H.A.; Van Sickle, J.; Mcdowell, M.K.; Peck, D.V.; Barchet, W.R.

1996-01-01

The Episodic Response Project (ERP) was an interdisciplinary study designed to address uncertainties about the occurrence, nature, and biological effects of episodic acidification of streams in the northeastern United States. The ERP research consisted of intensive studies of the chemistry and biological effects of episodes in 13 streams draining forested watersheds in the three study regions: the Northern Appalachian region of Pennsylvania and the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains of New York. Wet deposition was measured in each of the three study regions. Using automated instruments and samplers, discharge and chemistry of each stream was monitored intensively from fall 1988 through spring 1990. Biological studies focused on brook trout and native forage fish. Experimental approaches included in situ bioassays, radio transmitter studies of fish movement, and fish population studies. This paper provides an overview of the ERP, describes the methodology used in hydrologic and water chemistry components of the study, and summarizes the characteristics of the study sites, including the climatic and deposition conditions during the ERP and the general chemical characteristics of the study streams.

StreamStats in Oklahoma - Drainage-Basin Characteristics and Peak-Flow Frequency Statistics for Ungaged Streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, S. Jerrod; Esralew, Rachel A.

2010-01-01

The USGS Streamflow Statistics (StreamStats) Program was created to make geographic information systems-based estimation of streamflow statistics easier, faster, and more consistent than previously used manual techniques. The StreamStats user interface is a map-based internet application that allows users to easily obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and other information for user-selected U.S. Geological Survey data-collection stations and ungaged sites of interest. The application relies on the data collected at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, computer aided computations of drainage-basin characteristics, and published regression equations for several geographic regions comprising the United States. The StreamStats application interface allows the user to (1) obtain information on features in selected map layers, (2) delineate drainage basins for ungaged sites, (3) download drainage-basin polygons to a shapefile, (4) compute selected basin characteristics for delineated drainage basins, (5) estimate selected streamflow statistics for ungaged points on a stream, (6) print map views, (7) retrieve information for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, and (8) get help on using StreamStats. StreamStats was designed for national application, with each state, territory, or group of states responsible for creating unique geospatial datasets and regression equations to compute selected streamflow statistics. With the cooperation of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, StreamStats has been implemented for Oklahoma and is available at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/. The Oklahoma StreamStats application covers 69 processed hydrologic units and most of the state of Oklahoma. Basin characteristics available for computation include contributing drainage area, contributing drainage area that is unregulated by Natural Resources Conservation Service floodwater retarding structures, mean-annual precipitation at the drainage-basin outlet for the period 1961-1990, 10-85 channel slope (slope between points located at 10 percent and 85 percent of the longest flow-path length upstream from the outlet), and percent impervious area. The Oklahoma StreamStats application interacts with the National Streamflow Statistics database, which contains the peak-flow regression equations in a previously published report. Fourteen peak-flow (flood) frequency statistics are available for computation in the Oklahoma StreamStats application. These statistics include the peak flow at 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year recurrence intervals for rural, unregulated streams; and the peak flow at 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year recurrence intervals for rural streams that are regulated by Natural Resources Conservation Service floodwater retarding structures. Basin characteristics and streamflow statistics cannot be computed for locations in playa basins (mostly in the Oklahoma Panhandle) and along main stems of the largest river systems in the state, namely the Arkansas, Canadian, Cimarron, Neosho, Red, and Verdigris Rivers, because parts of the drainage areas extend outside of the processed hydrologic units.

Metals Fate And Transport Modelling In Streams And Watersheds: State Of The Science And USEPA Workshop Review

EPA Science Inventory

Metals pollution in surface waters from point and non-point sources (NPS) is a widespread problem in the United States and worldwide (Lofts et al., 2007; USEPA, 2007). In the western United States, metals associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) from hardrock mines in mou...

Nationwide Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Multimetric Indices: Identifying Inconsistencies and Limitations in Reporting Stream Impairment Status, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, J. K.; Lauer, T. E.

2015-07-01

The objective of this study was to identify the current status of stream water-quality assessment and reporting methods for four states in the Ohio River basin (Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia), as required by the 305(b) section of the United States (US) Clean Water Act. Specifically, we clarified the discrepancies that exist among stream-impairment status classified by benthic macroinvertebrate multimetric indices (MMIs) and depicted using Geographic Information Systems shapefiles. In addition, we provided guidance in solving some of the comparability problems that arise when developing state-specific MMIs and depicting stream-impairment status using Geographic Information Systems technology. The MMI variation among states and differences in shapefile formats resulted in a nationwide dataset, which cannot be directly compared. Incorporating the changes suggested in this study allow for a uniform assessment and reporting method nationwide. Successful implementation of these changes would strengthen the US Environmental Protection Agency efforts to identify impaired streams and sources of those impairments without the limitations of state-by-state .developed assessment methods.

Wet and Dry Atmospheric Mercury Deposition Accumulates in Watersheds of the Northeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, E. W.; Grant, C.; Grimm, J.; Drohan, P. J.; Bennett, J.; Lawler, D.

2013-12-01

Mercury emissions to the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants and other sources such as waste incineration can be deposited to landscapes in precipitation and in dry fallout. Some mercury reaches watersheds and streams, where it can accumulate in sediments and biota. Human exposure to mercury occurs primarily through fish consumption, and currently mercury fish eating advisories are in place for many of the streams and lakes in the state. Here, we explored mercury in air, soils, water, and biota. To quantify atmospheric mercury deposition, we measured both wet and dry mercury deposition at over 10 locations in Pennsylvania, from which we present variation in mercury deposition and initial assessments of factors affecting the patterns. Further, we simulated mercury deposition at unmonitored locations in Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States over space and time with a high-resolution modeling technique that reflects storm tracks and air flow patterns. To consider mercury accumulation in watersheds, we collected data on soil mercury concentrations in a set of soil samples, and collected baseline data on mercury in streams draining 35 forested watersheds across Pennsylvania, spanning gradients of atmospheric deposition, climate and geology. Mercury concentrations were measured in stream water under base-flow conditions, in streambed sediments, aquatic mosses, and in fish tissues from brook trout. Results indicate that wet and dry atmospheric deposition is a primary source of mercury that is accumulating in watersheds of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States.

Mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies of streams and marshes of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, USA

PubMed Central

DeWalt, R. Edward; South, Eric J.; Robertson, Desiree R.; Marburger, Joy E.; Smith, Wendy W.; Brinson, Victoria

2016-01-01

Abstract United States National Parks have protected natural communities for one hundred years. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (INDU) is a park unit along the southern boundary of Lake Michigan in Indiana, USA. An inventory of 19 sites, consisting of a seep, 12 streams, four marshes, a bog, and a fen were examined for mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) (EPT taxa). Volunteers and authors collect 35 ultraviolet light traps during summer 2013 and supplementary benthic and adult sampling added species not attracted by lights or that were only present in colder months. Seventy-eight EPT species were recovered: 12 mayflies, two stoneflies, and 64 caddisflies. The EPT richness found at INDU was a low proportion of the number of species known from Indiana: caddisflies contributed only 32.7% of known state fauna, mayflies and stoneflies contributed 8.4% and 2.3%, respectively. Site EPT richness ranged from one for a seep to 34 for an 8 m-wide stream. Richness in streams generally increased with stream size. Seven new state records and rare species are reported. The number of EPT species at INDU is slightly larger than that found at Isle Royale National Park in 2013, and the community composition and evenness between orders were different. PMID:26877693

Fluorspar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, M.

2003-01-01

The United States had a small quantity of fluorspar production from one mine in Utah during 2002. Most of the fluorspar consumed in the United States continued to come from imports or material purchased from the National Defense Stockpile (NDS). In addition, a small amount of synthetic fluorspar (CaF2) was produced from industrial waste streams.

Forecasting fish biomasses, densities, productions, and bioaccumulation potentials of Mid-Atlantic wadeable streams

EPA Science Inventory

Regional fishery conditions of Mid-Atlantic wadeable streams in the eastern United States are estimated using the BASS bioaccumulation and fish community model and data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP)....

Bed Stability and sedimentation associated with human disturbances in Pacific Northwest streams

EPA Science Inventory

To evaluate anthropogenic sedimentation in United States (U.S.) Pacific Northwest coastal streams, we applied an index of relative bed stability (LRBS*) to summer low flow survey data collected using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessme...

Abundance of three bacterial populations in selected streams

Treesearch

O.A. Olapade; X. Gao; L.G. LEff

2005-01-01

The population sizes of three bacterial species, Acinetobacter calcoaceticw, Burkholderia cepacia, and Pseudomonas putida, were examined in water and sediment from nine streams in different parts of the United States using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Population sizes were determined from three sites (upstream,...

Investigation of Pier Scour in Coarse-Bed Streams in Montana, 2001 through 2007

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

Determination of pier-scour potential is an important consideration in the hydraulic analysis and design of highway bridges that cross streams, rivers, and other waterways in the United States. A primary goal of ongoing research in the field of bridg...

The paradox of cooling streams in a warming world: Regional climate trends do not parallel variable local trends in stream temperature in the Pacific continental United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arismendi, Ivan; Johnson, Sherri; Dunham, Jason B.; Haggerty, Roy; Hockman-Wert, David

2012-01-01

Temperature is a fundamentally important driver of ecosystem processes in streams. Recent warming of terrestrial climates around the globe has motivated concern about consequent increases in stream temperature. More specifically, observed trends of increasing air temperature and declining stream flow are widely believed to result in corresponding increases in stream temperature. Here, we examined the evidence for this using long-term stream temperature data from minimally and highly human-impacted sites located across the Pacific continental United States. Based on hypothesized climate impacts, we predicted that we should find warming trends in the maximum, mean and minimum temperatures, as well as increasing variability over time. These predictions were not fully realized. Warming trends were most prevalent in a small subset of locations with longer time series beginning in the 1950s. More recent series of observations (1987-2009) exhibited fewer warming trends and more cooling trends in both minimally and highly human-influenced systems. Trends in variability were much less evident, regardless of the length of time series. Based on these findings, we conclude that our perspective of climate impacts on stream temperatures is clouded considerably by a lack of long-termdata on minimally impacted streams, and biased spatio-temporal representation of existing time series. Overall our results highlight the need to develop more mechanistic, process-based understanding of linkages between climate change, other human impacts and stream temperature, and to deploy sensor networks that will provide better information on trends in stream temperatures in the future.

Metals fate and transport modelling in streams and watersheds: state of the science and USEPA workshop review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caruso, B.S.; Cox, T.J.; Runkel, Robert L.; Velleux, M.L.; Bencala, Kenneth E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Julien, P.Y.; Butler, B.A.; Alpers, Charles N.; Marion, A.; Smith, Kathleen S.

2008-01-01

Metals pollution in surface waters from point and non-point sources (NPS) is a widespread problem in the United States and worldwide (Lofts et al., 2007; USEPA, 2007). In the western United States, metals associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) from hardrock mines in mountainous areas impact aquatic ecosystems and human health (USEPA, 1997a; Caruso and Ward, 1998; Church et al., 2007). Metals fate and transport modelling in streams and watersheds is sometimes needed for assessment and restoration of surface waters, including mining-impacted streams (Runkel and Kimball, 2002; Caruso, 2003; Velleux et al., 2006). The Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP; Wool et al., 2001), developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), is an example of a model used for such analyses. Other approaches exist and appropriate model selection depends on site characteristics, data availability and modelling objectives. However, there are a wide range of assumptions, input parameters, data requirements and gaps, and calibration and validation issues that must be addressed by model developers, users and decision makers. Despite substantial work on model development, their successful application has been more limited because they are not often used by decision makers for stream and watershed assessment and restoration. Bringing together scientists, model developers, users and decision makers should stimulate the development of appropriate models and improve the applicability of their results. To address these issues, the USEPA Office of Research and Development and Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) hosted a workshop in Denver, Colorado on February 13–14, 2007. The workshop brought together approximately 35 experts from government, academia and consulting to address the state of the art for modelling metals fate and transport, knowledge gaps and future directions in metals modelling. It focused on modelling metals in high-altitude streams, rivers and watersheds impacted by mine waste that are common in the western United States and require remediation. For example, there are over 100 000 abandoned or inactive mining sites across the United States, encompassing over 500 000 acres of land that may eventually require characterization and remediation, including the possible application of stream or watershed metals fate and transport modelling (USEPA, 1997a). This article provides a general overview of the state of the science on modelling metals fate and transport in streams and watersheds, including a review of presentations and discussions at the USEPA workshop. It builds on previous summaries of metals fate and transport models in aquatic systems, including USEPA (1997b, 2007), Allen (2002), Paquin et al. (2003), Nordstrom (2004) and Maest et al. (2005).

JPRS Report, China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-26

the United States and the Soviet Union can be seen in each of the postwar Middle East wars or crises. Therefore, Arab- The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and...East. Thus, for many years now the United imously condemning the Iraqi invasion . The crisis also States has supplied Israel with a steady stream of...oppose the Iraqi Israel, it has had to rely closely on the United States in invasion . Egypt, Syria, and other nations even dis- order to ensure its

Convergent Diversity and Trait Composition in Temporary Streams and Ponds

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-19

of aquatic invertebrate diversity. We used invertebrate assemblage data from seven arid- land streams in southeastern Arizona, United States...collected over 2 yr and nine temperate woodland ponds in Ontario, Canada collected over 2 yr. Our results showed that although invertebrate assemblages...from streams and ponds differ taxonomically, hydroperi- od had similar influence on invertebrate trait structure regardless of biogeographic and habitat

The California stream quality assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Egler, Amanda L.; May, Jason T.

2017-03-06

In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project is assessing stream quality in coastal California, United States. The USGS California Stream Quality Assessment (CSQA) will sample streams over most of the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion (modified from Griffith and others, 2016), where rapid urban growth and intensive agriculture in the larger river valleys are raising concerns that stream health is being degraded. Findings will provide the public and policy-makers with information regarding which human and natural factors are the most critical in affecting stream quality and, thus, provide insights about possible approaches to protect the health of streams in the region.

Understanding and managing the effects of groundwater pumping on streamflow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, Stanley A.; Barlow, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Groundwater is a critical resource in the United States because it provides drinking water, irrigates crops, supports industry, and is a source of water for rivers, streams, lakes, and springs. Wells that pump water out of aquifers can reduce the amount of groundwater that flows into rivers and streams, which can have detrimental impacts on aquatic ecosystems and the availability of surface water. Estimation of rates, locations, and timing of streamflow depletion due to groundwater pumping is needed for water-resource managers and users throughout the United States, but the complexity of groundwater and surface-water systems and their interactions presents a major challenge. The understanding of streamflow depletion and evaluation of water-management practices have improved during recent years through the use of computer models that simulate aquifer conditions and the effects of pumping groundwater on streams.

Changing stream temperatures in a changing world: evaluating spatio-temporal patterns and trends across the eastern US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelleher, C.; Archfield, S. A.

2016-12-01

Stream temperatures drive biogeochemical processes and influence ecosystem health and extent, with patterns of stream temperature arising from complex interactions between climate, land cover, and in-stream diversions and dams. While each of these individual drivers may have well-understood implications for changing stream temperatures, considering the concomitant impacts of these drivers along the stream network is much more difficult. This is true especially for the eastern United States, where downstream temperature integrates many different upstream impacts. To begin to decipher the influence of these different drivers on changing stream temperatures and how these impacts may manifest through time, we examined trends for 66 sites with continuous stream temperature measurements across the eastern United States. Stream temperature records were summarized as daily mean, maximum, and mimimum values, and sites consisting of 15 or more years of data were selected for analysis. While annual stream temperatures at 53 locations were warming, a few sites on larger rivers (n = 13) have been cooling. To explore the timing of these changes as well as their implications for aquatic species, we calculated trends for seasonal extremes (average of the five warmest and coolest daily stream temperatures) during spring, summer, and fall. Interestingly, while some streams displayed strong warming trends in peak summer temperatures (n = 43), many streams also displayed cooling trends (n = 23). We also found that peak stream temperatures were warming faster in fall than in summer for many locations (n = 36). Results of this analysis show that warming (and cooling) happens at different times in different places, as a function of climate and anthropogenic impacts. Finally, we explore potential drivers of these different patterns, to determine the relative impacts of climate, land cover, and in-stream water diversions on stream temperature change. Given that the number of regulated stream miles is only increasing, improving our understanding of linkages between landscape drivers and stream temperature variation may have important outcomes for river management in a changing world.

Factors affecting stream nutrient loads: A synthesis of regional SPARROW model results for the continental United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Preston, Stephen D.; Alexander, Richard B.; Schwarz, Gregory E.; Crawford, Charles G.

2011-01-01

We compared the results of 12 recently calibrated regional SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) models covering most of the continental United States to evaluate the consistency and regional differences in factors affecting stream nutrient loads. The models - 6 for total nitrogen and 6 for total phosphorus - all provide similar levels of prediction accuracy, but those for major river basins in the eastern half of the country were somewhat more accurate. The models simulate long-term mean annual stream nutrient loads as a function of a wide range of known sources and climatic (precipitation, temperature), landscape (e.g., soils, geology), and aquatic factors affecting nutrient fate and transport. The results confirm the dominant effects of urban and agricultural sources on stream nutrient loads nationally and regionally, but reveal considerable spatial variability in the specific types of sources that control water quality. These include regional differences in the relative importance of different types of urban (municipal and industrial point vs. diffuse urban runoff) and agriculture (crop cultivation vs. animal waste) sources, as well as the effects of atmospheric deposition, mining, and background (e.g., soil phosphorus) sources on stream nutrients. Overall, we found that the SPARROW model results provide a consistent set of information for identifying the major sources and environmental factors affecting nutrient fate and transport in United States watersheds at regional and subregional scales. ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A synoptic survey of ecosystem services from headwater catchments in the United States

EPA Science Inventory

We combined data collected from 568 headwater streams as a part of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) with catchment attributes related to the production of the ecosystem services of water supply, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphoru...

STREAM FLOW BASIN CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT (MAIA) STUDY AREA

EPA Science Inventory

This data set is a GIS coverage of the stream flow basin characteristics for drainage basins of selected US Geological Survey (USGS) gauging stations the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) Project region. This data se...

THE EFFECTS OF RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT ON DETRITUS PROCESSING AND INVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGES IN COASTAL PLAIN INTERMITTENT STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

Silviculture is the primary land use within many Coastal Plain watersheds of the southeastern United States, where most forested wetlands are found along headwater intermittent streams. Our study compared invertebrate assemblages and breakdown of buried detritus (leaves, wood, a...

A National Assessment of Green Infrastructure and Change for the Conterminous United States Using Morphological Image Processing

EPA Science Inventory

Green infrastructure is a popular framework for conservation planning. The main elements of green infrastructure are hubs and links. Hubs tend to be large areas of ‘natural’ vegetation and links tend to be linear features (e.g., streams) that connect hubs. Within the United State...

Birds of the Southeastern United States: A Historical Perspective

Treesearch

James G. Dickson

1997-01-01

Historic freshwater aquatic and wetland ecosystems of the Southeastern United States were predominantly rivers and streams and associated natural bottomland forests. These systems have been drastically altered through the creation of reservoirs via damming, through other alterations of water courses and their associated forests, and through conversion to other uses. In...

Modeling end-of-life pathways of construction and demolition debris in the United States (poster for LCM 2017)

EPA Science Inventory

In 2013, the United States generated 530 million tons of construction and demolition debris (CDD), 90% of which was related to demolition. Despite this major contribution to national waste streams, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies and product declarations of buildings and buil...

Modeled Sources, Transport, and Accumulation of Dissolved Solids in Water Resources of the Southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, D.W.

2011-01-01

Information on important source areas for dissolved solids in streams of the southwestern United States, the relative share of deliveries of dissolved solids to streams from natural and human sources, and the potential for salt accumulation in soil or groundwater was developed using a SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes model. Predicted area-normalized reach-catchment delivery rates of dissolved solids to streams ranged from <10(kg/year)/km2 for catchments with little or no natural or human-related solute sources in them to 563,000(kg/year)/km2 for catchments that were almost entirely cultivated land. For the region as a whole, geologic units contributed 44% of the dissolved-solids deliveries to streams and the remaining 56% of the deliveries came from the release of solutes through irrigation of cultivated and pasture lands, which comprise only 2.5% of the land area. Dissolved-solids accumulation is manifested as precipitated salts in the soil or underlying sediments, and (or) dissolved salts in soil-pore or sediment-pore water, or groundwater, and therefore represents a potential for aquifer contamination. Accumulation rates were <10,000(kg/year)/km2 for many hydrologic accounting units (large river basins), but were more than 40,000(kg/year)/km2 for the Middle Gila, Lower Gila-Agua Fria, Lower Gila, Lower Bear, Great Salt Lake accounting units, and 247,000(kg/year)/km2 for the Salton Sea accounting unit. ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

DETECTING PERSISTENT CHANGE IN THE HABITAT OF SALMON-BEARING STREAMS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

EPA Science Inventory

In the northwestern United States, there is considerable interest in the recovery of salmon populations listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. A critical component of any salmon recovery effort is the improvement of stream habitat that supports vario...

Predicting synoptic water quality indicators of wadeable streams in the U.S. using National Soil Database

EPA Science Inventory

Nationwide assessment of water quality is a goal of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the EPA’s Wadeable Stream Assessment (WSA) was developed in response to that goal. The observed chemical, physical, and biological water quality indicators (WQI) fro...

A decade of evaluating the ecological effects of grass filter strips on channelized agricultural headwater streams

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grass filter strips are a widely used conservation practice in the Midwestern United States for reducing nutrient, pesticide, and sediment inputs into agricultural streams. Previous studies have documented the effectiveness of grass filter strips in reducing the input of agricultural pollutants, bu...

Predicting synoptic water quality indicators of wadeable streams in the U.S. using national soil database - Shirazi

EPA Science Inventory

Nationwide assessment of water quality is a goal of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the EPA’s Wadeable Stream Assessment (WSA) was developed in response to that goal. The observed chemical, physical, and biological water quality indicators (WQI) fro...

The Rising Clamor about PCB's

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Science and Technology, 1976

1976-01-01

Although designated a long term environmental hazard, polychlorinated biphenyls are still finding their way to certain streams, lakes, stream and lake sediments and fresh-water biota. Useful though they may be, the Environmental Protection Agency will seek a halt to all polychlorinated biphenyls production and use in the United States. (BT)

Headwater fish population responses to planting grass filter strips adjacent to channelized agricultural headwater streams

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grass filter strips are a widely used conservation practice in the Midwestern United States for reducing nutrient, pesticide, and sediment inputs into agricultural streams. Only a limited amount of information is available on the ecological effects of planting grass filter strips adjacent to channe...

Influence of instream habitat and water quality on aggressive behavior in crayfish of channelized headwater streams

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many agricultural drainage ditches that border farm fields of the Midwestern United States are degraded headwater streams that possess communities of crayfish. We hypothesized that crayfish communities at sites with low instream habitat diversity and poor water quality would show greater evidence of...

Supercharged Snails for Stream Ecology & Water-Quality Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Arthur J.; Ryon, Michael G.

2003-01-01

Gill-breathing freshwater snails (Family "Pleuroceridae") are ecologically important, abundant in many streams in the United States, and easy to collect and maintain under classroom conditions. These snails can be used in classroom tests to demonstrate effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms. In more advanced classes, students can cage the…

IMPEDIMENTS AND SOLUTIONS TO SUSTAINABLE, WATERSHED-SCALE URBAN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: LESSONS FROM AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

In urban and exurban areas, stormwater runoff is a primary stressor on surface waters (streams, wetlands, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters). Conventional urban stormwater drainage systems often route runoff directly to streams and rivers, thus exacerbating pollutant inputs a...

Predicting thermal regimes of stream networks across the northeast United States: Natural and anthropogenic influences

EPA Science Inventory

We used STARS (Spatial Tools for the Analysis of River Systems), an ArcGIS geoprocessing toolbox, to create spatial stream networks. We then developed and assessed spatial statistical models for each of these metrics, incorporating spatial autocorrelation based on both distance...

Variation in thermal tolerance and routine metabolism among spring- and stream-dwelling freshwater sculpins (Teleostei: Cottidae) of the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walsh, S.J.; Haney, D.C.; Timmerman, C.M.

1997-01-01

Evolutionary theory predicts that some aquatic organisms may adapt by directional selection to limiting physical environmental conditions, yet empirical data are conflicting. We sought to test the assumption that sculpins (family Cottidae) inhabiting thermally stable springs of the southeastern United States differ in temperature tolerance and metabolism from populations inhabiting more thermally labile stream habitats. Spring populations of pygmy sculpins (Coitus pygmaeus) and Ozark sculpins (C. hypselurus) differed interspecifically in thermal tolerance from populations of stream-dwelling mottled (C. bairdi) and Tallapoosa sculpins (C. tallapoosae), and both stream and spring populations of banded sculpins (C. carolinae). No intra- or interspecific differences in thermal tolerance were found among populations of C. bairdi, C. tallapoosae, or C. carolinae. Coitus pygmaeus acclimated to 15??C differed intraspecifically in routine metabolism from fish acclimated to 20?? and 25??C. Cottus pygmaeus and stream-dwelling C. bairdi and C. carolinae acclimated to temperatures of 20?? and 25??C showed no interspecific differences in routine metabolism. Our results suggest that some spring-adapted populations or species may be more stenothermal than stream-dwelling congeners, but a greater understanding of the interactions of other physical and biological factors is required to better explain micro- and macrohabitat distributions of eastern North American sculpins.

Sensitivity of intermittent streams to climate variations in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eng, K.

2015-12-01

There is growing interest in the effects of climate change on streamflows because of the potential negative effects on aquatic biota and water supplies. Previous studies of climate controls on flows have primarily focused on perennial streams, and few studies have examined the effect of climate variability on intermittent streams. Our objectives in this study were to (1) identify regions showing similar patterns of intermittency, and (2) evaluate the sensitivity of intermittent streams to historical variability in climate in the United States. This study was carried out at 265 intermittent streams by evaluating: (1) correlations among time series of flow metrics (number of zero-flow events, the average of the central 50% and largest 10% of flows) with precipitation (magnitudes, durations and intensity) and temperature, and (2) decadal changes in the seasonality and long-term trends of these flow metrics. Results identified five distinct seasonal patterns of flow intermittency: fall, fall-to-winter, non-seasonal, summer, and summer-to-winter intermittent streams. In addition, strong associations between the low-flow metrics and historical climate variability were found. However, the lack of trends in historical variations in precipitation results in no significant seasonal shifts or decade-to-decade trends in the low-flow metrics over the period of record (1950 to 2013).

ENSO and hydrologic extremes in the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cayan, D.R.; Redmond, K.T.; Riddle, L.G.

1999-01-01

Frequency distributions of daily precipitation in winter and daily stream flow from late winter to early summer, at several hundred sites in the western United States, exhibit strong and systematic responses to the two phases of ENSO. Most of the stream flows considered are driven by snowmelt. The Southern Oscillation index (SOI) is used as the ENSO phase indicator. Both modest (median) and larger (90th percentile) events were considered. In years with negative SOI values (El Nino), days with high daily precipitation and stream flow are more frequent than average over the Southwest and less frequent over the Northwest. During years with positive SOI values (La Nina), a nearly opposite pattern is seen. A more pronounced increase is seen in the number of days exceeding climatological 90th percentile values than in the number exceeding climatological 50th percentile values, for both precipitation and stream flow. Stream flow responses to ENSO extremes are accentuated over precipitation responses. Evidence suggests that the mechanism for this amplification involves ENSO-phase differences in the persistence and duration of wet episodes, affecting the efficiency of the process by which precipitation is converted to runoff. The SOI leads the precipitation events by several months, and hydrologic lags (mostly through snowmelt) dealy the stream flow response by several more months. The combined 6-12 month predictive aspect of this relationship should be of significant benefit in responding to flood (or drought) risk and in improving overall water management in the western states.Frequency distributions of daily precipitation in winter and daily stream flow from late winter to early summer, at several hundred sites in the western United States, exhibit strong and systematic responses to the two phases of ENSO. Most of the stream flows considered are driven by snowmelt. The Southern Oscillation index (SOI) is used as the ENSO phase indicator. Both modest (median) and larger (90th percentile) events were considered. In years with negative SOI values (El Nino), days with high daily precipitation and stream flow are more frequent than average over the Southwest and less frequent over the Northwest. During years with positive SOI values (La Nina), a nearly opposite pattern is seen. A more pronounced increase is seen in the number of days exceeding climatological 90th percentile values than in the number exceeding climatological 50th percentile values, for both precipitation and stream flow. Stream flow responses to ENSO extremes are accentuated over precipitation responses. Evidence suggests that the mechanism for this amplification involves ENSO-phase differences in the persistence and duration of wet episodes, affecting the efficiency of the process by which precipitation is converted to runoff. The SOI leads the precipitation events by several months, and hydrologic lags (mostly through snowmelt) delay the stream flow response by several more months. The combined 6-12-month predictive aspect of this relationship should be of significant benefit in responding to flood (or drought) risk and in improving overall water management in the western states.

Origin and influence of coal mine drainage on streams of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, J.D.

1988-01-01

Degradation of water quality related to oxidation of iron disulfide minerals associated with coal is a naturally occurring process that has been observed since the late seventeenth century, many years before commencement of commercial coal mining in the United States. Disturbing coal strata during mining operations accelerates this natural deterioration of water quality by exposing greater surface areas of reactive minerals to the weathering effects of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Degraded water quality in the temperate eastern half of the United States is readily detected because of the low mineralization of natural water. Maps are presented showing areas in the eastern United States where concentrations of chemical constituents in water affected by coal mining (pH, dissolved sulfate, total iron, total manganese) exceed background values and indicate effects of coal mining. Areas in the East most affected by mine drainage are in western Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, western Maryland, West Virginia, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, northern Missouri, and southern Iowa. Effects of coal mining on water quality in the more arid western half of the United States are more difficult to detect because of the high degree of mineralization of natural water. Normal background concentrations of constituents are not useful in evaluating effects of coal mine drainage on streams in the more arid West. Three approaches to reduce the effects of coal mining on water quality are: (1) exclusion of oxygenated water from reactive minerals, (2) neutralization of the acid produced, (3) retardation of acid-producing bacteria population in spoil material, by application of detergents that do not produce byproducts requiring disposal. These approaches can be used to help prevent further degradation of water quality in streams by future mining. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Baseline assessment of fish communities, benthic macroinvertebrate communities, and stream habitat and land use, Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moring, J. Bruce

2003-01-01

The Big Thicket National Preserve comprises 39,300 hectares in the form of nine preserve units connected by four stream corridor units (with two more corridor units proposed) distributed over the lower Neches and Trinity River Basins of southeastern Texas. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrate data were collected at 15 stream sites (reaches) in the preserve during 1999–2001 for a baseline assessment and a comparison of communities among stream reaches. The fish communities in the preserve were dominated by minnows (family Cyprinidae) and sunfishes (family Centrarchidae). Reaches with smaller channel sizes generally had higher fish species richness than the larger reaches in the Neches River and Pine Island Bayou units of the preserve. Fish communities in geographically adjacent reaches were most similar in overall community structure. The blue sucker, listed by the State as a threatened species, was collected in only one reach—a Neches River reach a few miles downstream from the Steinhagen Lake Dam. Riffle beetles (family Elmidae) and midges (family Chironomidae) dominated the aquatic insect communities at the 14 reaches sampled for aquatic insects in the preserve. The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) Index, an index sensitive to water-quality degradation, was smallest at the Little Pine Island Bayou near Beaumont reach that is in a State 303(d)-listed stream segment on Little Pine Island Bayou. Trophic structure of the aquatic insect communities is consistent with the river continuum concept with shredder and scraper insect taxa more abundant in reaches with smaller stream channels and filter feeders more abundant in reaches with larger channels. Aquatic insect community metrics were not significantly correlated to any of the stream-habitat or land-use explanatory variables. The percentage of 1990s urban land use in the drainage areas upstream from 12 bioassessment reaches were negatively correlated to the reach structure index, which indicates less stable habitat for aquatic biota.

METHOD FOR REMOVING SODIUM OXIDE FROM LIQUID SODIUM

DOEpatents

Bruggeman, W.H.; Voorhees, B.G.

1957-12-01

A method is described for removing sodium oxide from a fluent stream of liquid sodium by coldtrapping the sodium oxide. Apparatus utilizing this method is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,745,552. Sodium will remain in a molten state at temperatures below that at which sodium oxide will crystallize out and form solid deposits, therefore, the contaminated stream of sodium is cooled to a temperature at which the solubility of sodium oxide in sodium is substantially decreased. Thereafter the stream of sodium is passed through a bed of stainless steel wool maintained at a temperature below that of the stream. The stream is kept in contact with the wool until the sodium oxide is removed by crystal growth on the wool, then the stream is reheated and returned to the system. This method is useful in purifying reactor coolants where the sodium oxide would otherwise deposit out on the walls and eventually plug the coolant tubes.

Sensitivity of intermittent streams to climate variations in the western United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eng, K.; Wolock, D.; Dettinger, M. D.

2014-12-01

There is a great deal of interest in streamflow changes caused by climate change because of the potential negative effects on aquatic biota and water supplies. Most previous studies have focused on perennial streams, and only a few studies have examined the effect of climate variability on intermittent streams. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of intermittent streams to historical variability in climate in the semi-arid regions of the western United States. This study was carried out at 45 intermittent streams that had a minimum of 45 years of daily-streamgage record by evaluating: (1) correlations among time series of flow metrics (number of zero-flow events, the average of the central 50% and largest 10% of flows) with climate, and (2) decadal changes in the seasonality and long-term trends of these flow metrics. Results showed strong associations between the low-flow metrics and historical changes in climate. The decadal analysis, in contrast, suggested no significant seasonal shifts or decade-to-decade trends in the low-flow metrics. The lack of trends or changes in seasonality is likely due to unchanged long-term patterns in precipitation over the time period examined.

Summer stream water temperature models for Great Lakes streams: New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Marilyn K.; McKenna, James E.; Butryn, Ryan S.; McDonald, Richard P.

2010-01-01

Temperature is one of the most important environmental influences on aquatic organisms. It is a primary driver of physiological rates and many abiotic processes. However, despite extensive research and measurements, synoptic estimates of water temperature are not available for most regions, limiting our ability to make systemwide and large-scale assessments of aquatic resources or estimates of aquatic species abundance and biodiversity. We used subwatershed averaging of point temperature measurements and associated multiscale landscape habitat conditions from over 3,300 lotic sites throughout New York State to develop and train artificial neural network models. Separate models predicting water temperature (in cold, cool, and warm temperature classes) within small catchment–stream order groups were developed for four modeling units, which together encompassed the entire state. Water temperature predictions were then made for each stream segment in the state. All models explained more than 90% of data variation. Elevation, riparian forest cover, landscape slope, and growing degree-days were among the most important model predictors of water temperature classes. Geological influences varied among regions. Predicted temperature distributions within stream networks displayed patterns of generally increasing temperature downstream but were patchy due to the averaging of water temperatures within stream size-classes of small drainages. Models predicted coldwater streams to be most numerous and warmwater streams to be generally associated with the largest rivers and relatively flat agricultural areas and urban areas. Model predictions provide a complete, georeferenced map of summer daytime mean stream temperature potential throughout New York State that can be used for planning and assessment at spatial scales from the stream segment class to the entire state.

The USGS at Embudo, New Mexico: 125 years of systematic streamgaging in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gunn, Mark A.; Matherne, Anne Marie; Mason, Jr., Robert R.

2014-01-01

John Wesley Powell, second Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, had a vision for the Western United States. In the late 1800s, Powell explored the West as head of the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region. He devoted a large part of “Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States with a more detailed account of the land of Utah with maps,” his 1878 report to the General Land Office on the lands west of the 100th meridian, to the feasibility of “reclaiming” large portions of this arid land. Powell recognized that the availability of water was key to the wise settlement of the region. He proposed to inventory all streams in the West to evaluate the potential for irrigation. The essential first step was to gage the flows of the rivers and streams. A few cities in the Eastern United States had established primitive streamgages as early as the 1870s to acquire data needed for the design of their water supply systems. Their methods generally used constructed channels and dams to enable accurate gaging. These methods were not feasible in the West, and certainly not on the vast scale and extreme range of flows common to western streams. New, more flexible techniques were needed. A site was chosen where these methods could be worked out and developed in a practical setting.

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 Catchments (Version 2.1) for the Conterminous United States: Soil Erodibility (KFFACT)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the adjusted soil erodibility factor within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds. Attributes of the landscape layer were calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment and accumulated to provide watershed-level metrics. (See Supplementary Info for Glossary of Terms) The STATSGO Layer table specifies two soil erodibility factors for each component layer, KFFACT and KFACT. The STATSGO documentation describes KFFACT as a soil erodibility factor which quanitifies the susceptibility of soil particles to detachment and movement by water. This factor is used in the Universal Soil Loss Equation to caluculate soil loss by water. KFACT is described as a soil erodibility factor which is adjusted for the effect of rock fragments. The average value of each of these soil erodibility factors was determined for the top (surface) layer for each map unit of each state.The base-flow index (BFI) grid for the conterminous United States was developed to estimate (1) BFI values for ungaged streams, and (2) ground-water recharge throughout the conterminous United States (see Data Source). Estimates of BFI values at ungaged streams and BFI-based ground-water recharge estimates are useful for interpreting relations between land use and water quality in surface and ground water. The soil erodibility factor was summarized by local catchment and by watershed to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metri

Work plan for determining the occurrence of glyphosate, its transformation product AMPA, other herbicide compounds, and antibiotics in midwestern United States streams, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglin, W.A.; Thurman, E.M.; Kolpin, D.W.; Scribner, E.A.; Sandstrom, M.W.; Kuivila, K.M.

2003-01-01

The objective of this study is to determine the distribution of glyphosate and its primary transformation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in midwestern streams during post-application and harvest-season runoff events. Water samples will be collected in 2002 during two post-herbicide-application runoff events and one harvest-season runoff event from 53 sites on streams in the Midwestern United States. All samples will be analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas, for glyphosate and 20 other herbicides. Samples will also be analyzed for a glyphosate transformation product (AMPA) and 26 other herbicide transformation products, using GC/MS or HPLC/MS. Selected samples will be analyzed for 36 antibiotics or antibiotic transformational products. Results from this study will represent the first broad-scale investigation of glyphosate and AMPA in U.S. water resources.

Water quality impacts of forest fires

Treesearch

Tecle Aregai; Daniel Neary

2015-01-01

Forest fires have been serious menace, many times resulting in tremendous economic, cultural and ecological damage to many parts of the United States. One particular area that has been significantly affected is the water quality of streams and lakes in the water thirsty southwestern United States. This is because the surface water coming off burned areas has resulted...

Stream channel designs for riparian and wet meadow rangelands in the southwestern United States

Treesearch

Roy Jemison; Daniel G. Neary

2000-01-01

Inappropriate land uses have degraded wetland and riparian ecosystems throughout the Southwestern United States. In 1996, the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico implemented a channel relocation project, as part of a road improvement project, to determine the feasibility of restoring wet meadow and riparian ecosystems degraded by inappropriately located roads and...

MIGRATORY FARMWORKERS IN THE MIDCONTINENT STREAMS, PRODUCTION RESEARCH REPORT NUMBER 41.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

METZLER, WILLIAM H.; SARGENT, FREDERIC O.

THE SPANISH-AMERICANS OF SOUTHERN TEXAS PROVIDE ONE OF THE LARGEST RESERVOIRS OF SEASONAL FARM LABOR WHOSE RATE OF MOVEMENT IS AFFECTED BY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO. RECRUITMENT OF WORKERS HAS BECOME HIGHLY ORGANIZED. SINCE MIGRATORY WORKERS HAVE BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY AND HAVE DERIVED SO LITTLE…

Converging Streams of Opportunity for Prison Nursery Programs in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goshin, Lorie Smith; Byrne, Mary Woods

2009-01-01

Prison nursery programs allow departments of correction to positively intervene in the lives of both incarcerated mothers and their infant children. The number of prison nurseries in the United States has risen dramatically in the past decade, yet there remains a significant gap between predominant correctional policy in this area and what is…

Effects of watershed land use and geomorphology on stream low flows during severe drought conditions in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia and North Carolina, United States

Treesearch

Katie Price; C. Jackson; Albert Parker; Trond Reitan; John Dowd; Mike Cyterski

2011-01-01

Land use and physiographic variability influence stream low flows, yet their interactions and relative influence remain unresolved. Our objective was to assess the influence of land use and watershed geomorphic characteristics on low-flow variability in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Ten minute interval discharge data for 35 streams (...

Production of a national 1:1,000,000-scale hydrography dataset for the United States: feature selection, simplification, and refinement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gary, Robin H.; Wilson, Zachary D.; Archuleta, Christy-Ann M.; Thompson, Florence E.; Vrabel, Joseph

2009-01-01

During 2006-09, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Atlas of the United States, produced a 1:1,000,000-scale (1:1M) hydrography dataset comprising streams and waterbodies for the entire United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, for inclusion in the recompiled National Atlas. This report documents the methods used to select, simplify, and refine features in the 1:100,000-scale (1:100K) (1:63,360-scale in Alaska) National Hydrography Dataset to create the national 1:1M hydrography dataset. Custom tools and semi-automated processes were created to facilitate generalization of the 1:100K National Hydrography Dataset (1:63,360-scale in Alaska) to 1:1M on the basis of existing small-scale hydrography datasets. The first step in creating the new 1:1M dataset was to address feature selection and optimal data density in the streams network. Several existing methods were evaluated. The production method that was established for selecting features for inclusion in the 1:1M dataset uses a combination of the existing attributes and network in the National Hydrography Dataset and several of the concepts from the methods evaluated. The process for creating the 1:1M waterbodies dataset required a similar approach to that used for the streams dataset. Geometric simplification of features was the next step. Stream reaches and waterbodies indicated in the feature selection process were exported as new feature classes and then simplified using a geographic information system tool. The final step was refinement of the 1:1M streams and waterbodies. Refinement was done through the use of additional geographic information system tools.

Stream measurement work: Chapter 8 in Seventeenth biennial report of the State Engineer to the governor of Utah: 1929-1930

USGS Publications Warehouse

Purton, A.B.

1930-01-01

General stream measurement work looking toward a comprehensive inventory of the water resources of the state has been continued during the biennium by the United States Geological Survey under the usual cooperative agreement with the State Engineer.Since 1909 Utah in company with many other states has made regular legislative appropriations for the purpose of assisting and hastening the determination of the water supply of the United States by the Geographical Survey. Because of the comparatively small Federal appropriations the scope of this wok in the individual states has been largely influenced by the amount of the state cooperation. The funds contributed by each state have all been expended within that state and matched as far as possible by funds of the Geographical Survey. Up to the present, however, the Federal funds have been insufficient to match the state contributions beyond a very limited amount and in many localities the large amount of work done has been made possible only by correspondingly large unmatched state appropriations.During this period the regular stream gaging work in Utah has been practically limited to that possible with approximately ten thousand dollars annually divided about equally between the state and Geological Survey with the government’s share including the cost at Washington of general supervision, and the review, editing, and publication of the records. This has been the maximum amount that it has been possible to allot any one state to meet state cooperation.

Comparison of benthic bacterial community composition in nine streams

Treesearch

Xueqing Gao; Ola A. Olapade; Laura G. Leff

2005-01-01

In this study, the abundance of major bacterial taxa (based on fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH) and the structure of the bacterial community (based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) were determined in the benthos of 9 streams in the southeastern and midwestern United States and related to differences in environmental...

Camparison of benthic bacterial community composition in nine streams

Treesearch

Xuqing Gao; Ola A. Olapade; Laura G. Leff

2005-01-01

In this study, the abundance of major bacterial taxa (based on fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH) and the structure of the bacterial community (based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) were determined in the benthos of 9 streams in the southeastern and midwestern United States and related to differences in environmental conditions. Taxa examined...

Bioassay of estrogenicity and chemical analyses of estrogens in streams across the United States associated with livestock operations

EPA Science Inventory

Animal manures, used as a nitrogen source for crop production, are often associated with negative impacts on nutrient levels in surface water. The concentration of estrogens in streams from these manures is of concern due to potential endocrine disruption in aquatic species. S...

Methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods for urban and small, rural streams in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, 2011.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-03-01

The central purpose of this report is to present methods : for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods on : urban and small, rural streams in the Southeast United States : with particular focus on Georgia, South Carolina, and North : Carolin...

SPARROW MODELING - Enhancing Understanding of the Nation's Water Quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Preston, Stephen D.; Alexander, Richard B.; Woodside, Michael D.; Hamilton, Pixie A.

2009-01-01

The information provided here is intended to assist water-resources managers with interpretation of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) SPARROW model and its products. SPARROW models can be used to explain spatial patterns in monitored stream-water quality in relation to human activities and natural processes as defined by detailed geospatial information. Previous SPARROW applications have identified the sources and transport of nutrients in the Mississippi River basin, Chesapeake Bay watershed, and other major drainages of the United States. New SPARROW models with improved accuracy and interpretability are now being developed by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program for six major regions of the conterminous United States. These new SPARROW models are based on updated geospatial data and stream-monitoring records from local, State, and other federal agencies.

The Western U.S. Drought: How Bad Is It?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piechota, Thomas; Timilsena, Janek; Tootle, Glenn; Hidalgo, Hugo

2004-08-01

Historical stream flow records and the forecast for 2004 make the current (lpar1999-2004) drought in the southwestern United States the worst one in the past 80 years for portions of the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). For the Colorado River (near Cisco, Utah), the cumulative stream flow deficit (departure from long term mean) for the current drought is almost 11 km3, or approximately 2 years of average stream flow. Although the current drought is the most significant, based on stream flow records, is it the worst ever?

Identifying Critical Ephemeral Streams and Reducing Impacts Associated with Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development in the Southwest United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, B. L.; Carr, A.; Patton, T.; Hamada, Y.

2011-12-01

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Energy are preparing a joint programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) assessing the potential impacts of utility-scale solar energy development on BLM-administered lands in six southwestern states. One of the alternatives considered in the PEIS involves development within identified solar energy zones (SEZs) that individually cover approximately 10 to 1,000 km2, located primarily in desert valleys of the Basin and Range physiographic region. Land-disturbing activities in these alluvium-filled valleys have the potential to adversely affect ephemeral streams with respect to their hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecologic functions. Regulation and management of ephemeral streams typically falls under the spectrum of federal, state, and local programs, but scientifically based guidelines for protecting ephemeral streams with respect to land-development activities are largely nonexistent. The PEIS analysis attempts to identify critical ephemeral streams by evaluating the integral functions of flood conveyance, sediment transport, groundwater recharge, and supporting ecological habitats. The initial approach to classifying critical ephemeral streams involved identifying large, erosional features using available flood hazards mapping, historical peak discharges, and aerial photographs. This approach identified ephemeral features not suitable for development (based primarily on the likelihood of damaging floods and debris flows) to address flood conveyance and sediment transport functions of ephemeral streams. Groundwater recharge and the maintenance of riparian vegetation and wildlife habitats are other functions of ephemeral streams. These functions are typically associated with headwater reaches rather than large-scale erosional features. Recognizing that integral functions of ephemeral streams occur over a range of spatial scales and are driven by varying climatic-hydrologic events, the PEIS analysis assesses ephemeral streams according to their position in the basin, stream order, and the recurrence intervals of runoff events in the basin. A key constraint on this approach is the lack of high-resolution hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological data for ephemeral streams in remote desert basins of the southwest United States. Consultation with stakeholders and management agencies is an additional component to assist with our analysis where data limitations exist. Results from these analyses identify critical ephemeral stream reaches to be avoided during development activities based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures. Long-term monitoring of these systems is needed to assess the avoidance criteria and to help advance development of the tools needed to help manage and protect the integral functions of ephemeral stream networks in arid environments.

Contaminants in stream sediments from seven United States metropolitan areas: part II—sediment toxicity to the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the midge Chironomus dilutus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kemble, Nile E.; Hardesty, Douglas K.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Kunz, James L.; Sibley, Paul K.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Nowell, Lisa H.; Moran, Patrick W.

2013-01-01

Pyrethroids are hydrophobic compounds that have been observed to accumulate in sediments (Laskowski 2002). Toxicity of pyrethroids in field-collected sediment from small urban streams (Weston et al. 2005; Holmes et al. 2008; Ding et al. 2010; Domagalski et al. 2010) or with pyrethroids spiked into sediment (Amweg et al. 2006; Hintzen et al. 2009) have been evaluated primarily in 10 day lethality tests conducted with the amphipod Hyalella azteca. However, the sublethal effects in long-term exposures to pyrethroids in sediment have not been evaluated, and the distribution of pyrethroids sediments has not typically been evaluated in wadeable streams (Gilliom et al. 2006). This article is the second in a series that describe the results of a study of the distribution and toxicity of pyrethroids and other co-occurring trace elements and organic contaminants (PCBs, PAHs, OC pesticides) in stream sediments from 7 metropolitan areas across the United States (Moran et al. 2012). The study evaluated 98 sediment samples collected from streams ranging from undeveloped to highly urban and differs from previous studies by sampling larger wadeable streams and avoiding point sources (such as storm drains) and other inflows (Gilliom et al. 2006). Part 1 of the series characterizes sediment contaminants in relation to urbanization and other factors in the 7 metropolitan study areas (Nowell et al. 2012). Part 2 (this article) evaluates relationships between sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity in 28 day whole-sediment exposures conducted with the amphipod H. azteca and in 10 day whole-sediment exposure conducted with the midge Chironomus dilutus (USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency 2000; ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials International 2012). Toxicity end points evaluated in the amphipod and midge exposures included the effects of these field-collected sediments on survival, weight, or biomass of the test organisms.

Long‐term trends in stream water and precipitation chemistry at five headwater basins in the northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, David W.; Mast, M. Alisa

1999-01-01

Stream water data from five headwater basins in the northeastern United States covering water years 1968–1996 and precipitation data from eight nearby precipitation monitoring sites covering water years 1984‐1996 were analyzed for temporal trends in chemistry using the nonparametric seasonal Kendall test. Concentrations of SO4declined at three of five streams during 1968–1996 (p < 0.1), and all of the streams exhibited downward trends in SO4 over the second half of the period (1984–1996). Concentrations of SO4 in precipitation declined at seven of eight sites from 1984 to 1996, and the magnitudes of the declines (−0.7 to −2.0 µeq L−1 yr−1) generally were similar to those of stream water SO4. These results indicate that changes in precipitation SO4 were of sufficient magnitude to account for changes in stream water SO4. Concentrations of Ca + Mg declined at three of five streams and five of eight precipitation sites from 1984 to 1996. Precipitation acidity decreased at five of eight sites during the same period, but alkalinity increased in only one stream. In most cases the decreases in stream water SO4 were similar in magnitude to declines in stream water Ca + Mg, which is consistent with the theory of leaching by mobile acid anions in soils. In precipitation the magnitudes of SO4 declines were similar to those of hydrogen, and declines in Ca +Mg were much smaller. This indicates that recent decreases in SO4 deposition are now being reflected in reduced precipitation acidity. The lack of widespread increases in stream water alkalinity, despite the prevalence of downward trends in stream water SO4, suggests that at most sites, increases in stream water pH and acid‐neutralizing capacity may be delayed until higher soil base‐saturation levels are achieved.

Techniques for estimating 7-day, 10-year low-flow characteristics for ungaged sites on streams in Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Telis, Pamela A.

1992-01-01

Mississippi State water laws require that the 7-day, 10-year low-flow characteristic (7Q10) of streams be used as a criterion for issuing wastedischarge permits to dischargers to streams and for limiting withdrawals of water from streams. This report presents techniques for estimating the 7Q10 for ungaged sites on streams in Mississippi based on the availability of baseflow discharge measurements at the site, location of nearby gaged sites on the same stream, and drainage area of the ungaged site. These techniques may be used to estimate the 7Q10 at sites on natural, unregulated or partially regulated, and non-tidal streams. Low-flow characteristics for streams in the Mississippi River alluvial plain were not estimated because the annual lowflow data exhibit decreasing trends with time. Also presented are estimates of the 7Q10 for 493 gaged sites on Mississippi streams.Techniques for estimating the 7Q10 have been developed for ungaged sites with base-flow discharge measurements, for ungaged sites on gaged streams, and for ungaged sites on ungaged streams. For an ungaged site with one or more base-flow discharge measurements, base-flow discharge data at the ungaged site are related to concurrent discharge data at a nearby gaged site. For ungaged sites on gaged streams, several methods of transferring the 7Q10 from a gaged site to an ungaged site were developed; the resulting 7Q10 values are based on drainage area prorations for the sites. For ungaged sites on ungaged streams, the 7Q10 is estimated from a map developed for. this study that shows the unit 7Q10 (7Q10 per square mile of drainage area) for ungaged basins in the State. The mapped values were estimated from the unit 7Q10 determined for nearby gaged basins, adjusted on the basis of the geology and topography of the ungaged basins.

Urban development and stream ecosystem health—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reilly, Pamela A.; Szabo, Zoltan; Coles, James F.

2016-04-29

Urban development creates multiple stressors that can degrade stream ecosystems by changing stream hydrology, water quality, and physical habitat. Contaminants, habitat destruction, and increasing streamflow variability resulting from urban development have been associated with the disruption of biological communities, particularly the loss of sensitive aquatic biota. Understanding how algal, invertebrate, and fish communities respond to these physical and chemical stressors can provide important clues as to how streams should be managed to protect stream ecosystems as a watershed becomes increasingly urbanized. The U.S. Geological Survey continues to lead monitoring efforts and scientific studies on the effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in metropolitan areas across the United States.

Gas stream purifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adam, Steven J.

1994-01-01

A gas stream purifier has been developed that is capable of removing corrosive acid, base, solvent, organic, inorganic, and water vapors as well as particulates from an inert mixed gas stream using only solid scrubbing agents. This small, lightweight purifier has demonstrated the ability to remove contaminants from an inert gas stream with a greater than 99 percent removal efficiency. The Gas Stream Purifier has outstanding market and sales potential in manufacturing, laboratory and science industries, medical, automotive, or any commercial industry where pollution, contamination, or gas stream purification is a concern. The purifier was developed under NASA contract NAS9-18200 Schedule A for use in the international Space Station. A patent application for the Gas Stream Purifier is currently on file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Assessing Stream Channel Stability at Bridges in Physiographic Regions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-07-01

The objective of this study was to expand and improve a rapid channel stability assessment method developed previously by Johnson et al. to include additional factors, such as major physiographic units across the United States, a greater range of ban...

Similarities and differences in occurrence and temporal fluctuations in glyphosate and atrazine in small Midwestern streams (USA) during the 2013 growing season

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, Barbara J.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Burley, Thomas E.; Loftin, Keith A.; Meyer, Michael T.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2017-01-01

Glyphosate and atrazine are the most intensively used herbicides in the United States. Although there is abundant spatial and temporal information on atrazine occurrence at regional scales, there are far fewer data for glyphosate, and studies that compare the two herbicides are rare. We investigated temporal patterns in glyphosate and atrazine concentrations measured weekly during the 2013 growing season in 100 small streams in the Midwestern United States. Glyphosate was detected in 44% of samples (method reporting level 0.2 μg/L); atrazine was detected above a threshold of 0.2 μg/L in 54% of samples. Glyphosate was detected more frequently in 12 urban streams than in 88 agricultural streams, and at concentrations similar to those in streams with high agricultural land use (> 40% row crop) in the watershed. In contrast, atrazine was detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in agricultural streams than in urban streams. The maximum concentration of glyphosate measured at most urban sites exceeded the maximum atrazine concentration, whereas at agricultural sites the reverse was true. Measurement at a 2-day interval at 8 sites in northern Missouri revealed that transport of both herbicide compounds appeared to be controlled by spring flush, that peak concentration duration was brief, but that peaks in atrazine concentrations were of longer duration than those of glyphosate. The 2-day sampling also indicated that weekly sampling is unlikely to capture peak concentrations of glyphosate and atrazine.

Onset of snowmelt and streamflow in 2004 in the Western Unites States: How shading may affect spring streamflow timing in a warmer world

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lundquist, J.D.; Flint, A.L.

2006-01-01

Historic streamflow records show that the onset of snowfed streamflow in the western United States has shifted earlier over the past 50 yr, and March 2004 was one of the earliest onsets on record. Record high temperatures occurred throughout the western United States during the second week of March, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauges throughout the area recorded early onsets of streamflow at this time. However, a set of nested subbasins in Yosemite National Park, California, told a more complicated story. In spite of high air temperatures, many streams draining high-elevation basins did not start flowing until later in the spring. Temperatures during early March 2004 were as high as temperatures in late March 2002, when streams at all of the monitored Yosemite basins began flowing at the same time. However, the March 2004 onset occurred before the spring equinox, when the sun was lower in the sky. Thus, shading and solar radiation differences played a much more important role in 2004, leading to differences in streamflow timing. These results suggest that as temperatures warm and spring melt shifts earlier in the season, topographic effects will play an even more important role than at present in determining snowmelt timing. ?? 2006 American Meteorological Society.

Large rivers of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iseri, Kathleen T.; Langbein, Walter Basil

1974-01-01

Information on the flow of the 28 largest rivers in the United States is presented for the base periods 1931-60 and 1941-70. Drainage area, stream length, source, and mouth are included. Table 1 shows the average discharge at downstream gaging stations. Table 2 lists large rivers in order of average discharge at the mouth, based on the period 1941-70.

The influence of attention on value integration.

PubMed

Kunar, Melina A; Watson, Derrick G; Tsetsos, Konstantinos; Chater, Nick

2017-08-01

People often have to make decisions based on many pieces of information. Previous work has found that people are able to integrate values presented in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) stream to make informed judgements on the overall stream value (Tsetsos et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(24), 9659-9664, 2012). It is also well known that attentional mechanisms influence how people process information. However, it is unknown how attentional factors impact value judgements of integrated material. The current study is the first of its kind to investigate whether value judgements are influenced by attentional processes when assimilating information. Experiments 1-3 examined whether the attentional salience of an item within an RSVP stream affected judgements of overall stream value. The results showed that the presence of an irrelevant high or low value salient item biased people to judge the stream as having a higher or lower overall mean value, respectively. Experiments 4-7 directly tested Tsetsos et al.'s (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(24), 9659-9664, 2012) theory examining whether extreme values in an RSVP stream become over-weighted, thereby capturing attention more than other values in the stream. The results showed that the presence of both a high (Experiments 4, 6 and 7) and a low (Experiment 5) value outlier captures attention leading to less accurate report of subsequent items in the stream. Taken together, the results showed that valuations can be influenced by attentional processes, and can lead to less accurate subjective judgements.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payn, R.A.; Gooseff, M.N.; McGlynn, B.L.; Bencala, K.E.; Wondzell, S.M.

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payn, R.A.; Gooseff, M.N.; McGlynn, B.L.; Bencala, K.E.; Wondzell, S.M.

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Critical Concavity of a Drainage Basin for Steady-State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, Jongmin; Paik, Kyungrock

2015-04-01

Longitudinal profiles of natural streams are known to show concave forms. Saying A as drainage area, channel gradient S can be expressed as the power-law, S≈A-θ (Flint, 1974), which is one of the scale-invariant features of drainage basin. According to literature, θ of most natural streams falls into a narrow range (0.4 < θ < 0.7) (Tucker and Whipple, 2002). It leads to fundamental questions: 'Why does θ falls into such narrow range?' and 'How is this related with other power-law scaling relationships reported in natural drainage basins?' To answer above questions, we analytically derive θ for a steady-state drainage basin following Lane's equilibrium (Lane, 1955) throughout the corridor and named this specific case as the 'critical concavity'. In the derivation, sediment transport capacity is estimated by unit stream power model (Yang, 1976), yielding a power function of upstream area. Stability of channel at a local point occurs when incoming flux equals outgoing flux at the point. Therefore, given the drainage at steady-state where all channel beds are stable, the exponent of the power function should be zero. From this, we can determine the critical concavity. Considering ranges of variables associated in this derivation, critical concavity cannot be resolved as a single definite value, rather a range of critical concavity is suggested. This range well agrees with the widely reported range of θ (0.4 < θ < 0.7) in natural streams. In this theoretical study, inter-relationships between power-laws such as hydraulic geometry (Leopold and Maddock, 1953), dominant discharge-drainage area (Knighton et al., 1999), and concavity, are coupled into the power-law framework of stream power sediment transport model. This allows us to explore close relationships between their power-law exponents: their relative roles and sensitivity. Detailed analysis and implications will be presented. References Flint, J. J., 1974, Stream gradient as a function of order, magnitude, and discharge, Water Resources Research, 10, 969-973. Knighton, A. D., 1999, Downstream variation in stream power, Geomorphology, 29, 293-306. Lane, E. W., 1955, The importance of fluvial morphology in hydraulic engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Proceedings, 81, 1-17 Leopold, L. B., Maddock, T., 1953, The hydraulic geometry of stream channels and some physiographic implications, United States Government Printing Office, 1953. Tucker, G. E., Whipple, K. X., 2002, Topographic outcomes predicted by stream erosion models: Sensitivity analysis and intermodel comparison, Journal of Geophysical Research, 107(B9), 2179, doi:10.1029/2001JB000162, 2002. Yang, C. T., 1976, Minimum unit stream power and fluvial hydraulics, Journal of Hydraulics Division, ASCE 102, 919-934.

USING delta15N OF CHIRONOMIDAE TO HELP ASSESS CONDITION AND STRESSORS IN LAKES, RIVERS AND STREAMS OF THE UNITED STATES.

EPA Science Inventory

To assess large-scale ecological conditions efficiently, indicators that can be collected quickly at many sites need to be developed. We explore the utility of delta 15N from basal food chain organisms to provide information on N loading and processing in lakes, rivers and stream...

Stream carbon dynamics in low-gradient headwaters of a forested watershed

Treesearch

April Bryant-Mason; Y. Jun Xu; Johnny M. Grace

2013-01-01

Headwater streams drain more than 70 percent of the total watershed area in the United States. Understanding of carbon dynamics in the headwater systems is of particular relevance for developing best silvicultural practices to reduce carbon export. This study was conducted in a low-gradient, predominantly forested watershed located in the Gulf Coastal Plain region, to...

Quantifying Channel Maintenance Instream Flows: An Approach for Gravel-Bed Streams in the Western United States

Treesearch

Larry J. Schmidt; John P. Potyondy

2004-01-01

This paper discusses one approach for quantifying channel maintenance instream flow necessary to achieve the Forest Service Organic Act purpose of securing favorable conditions of water flows. The approach is appropriate for quantifying channel maintenance flows on perennial, unregulated, snowmelt-dominated, gravel-bed streams with alluvial reaches. The approach...

Reactive Transport Modeling Of Remedial Scenarios To Predict Cadmium, Copper, And Zinc In North Fork of Clear Creek, Colorado

EPA Science Inventory

The North Fork of Clear Creek (NFCC), Colorado is an acid-mine-drainage-impacted stream typical of many mountain surface waters affected by historic metal mining in the western United States. The stream is devoid of fish primarily because of high metal concentrations in the wate...

Vegetative Measures for Streambank Stabilization: Case Studies from Illinois and Missouri

Treesearch

Teri Heyer

1997-01-01

Streambank erosion is a common problem throughout the United States. A stream naturally loses bank material and redeposits it elsewhere. However, sediment carried by the stream can decrease water quality especially for the aquatic population by covering substrate and increasing turbidity. Once begun, streambank erosion can be a chronic problem, causing continual loss...

Increased salinization of fresh water in the northeastern United States

PubMed Central

Kaushal, Sujay S.; Groffman, Peter M.; Likens, Gene E.; Belt, Kenneth T.; Stack, William P.; Kelly, Victoria R.; Band, Lawrence E.; Fisher, Gary T.

2005-01-01

Chloride concentrations are increasing at a rate that threatens the availability of fresh water in the northeastern United States. Increases in roadways and deicer use are now salinizing fresh waters, degrading habitat for aquatic organisms, and impacting large supplies of drinking water for humans throughout the region. We observed chloride concentrations of up to 25% of the concentration of seawater in streams of Maryland, New York, and New Hampshire during winters, and chloride concentrations remaining up to 100 times greater than unimpacted forest streams during summers. Mean annual chloride concentration increased as a function of impervious surface and exceeded tolerance for freshwater life in suburban and urban watersheds. Our analysis shows that if salinity were to continue to increase at its present rate due to changes in impervious surface coverage and current management practices, many surface waters in the northeastern United States would not be potable for human consumption and would become toxic to freshwater life within the next century. PMID:16157871

Increased salinization of fresh water in the Northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaushal, S.S.; Groffman, P.M.; Likens, G.E.; Belt, K.T.; Stack, W.P.; Kelly, V.R.; Band, L.E.; Fisher, G.T.

2005-01-01

Chloride concentrations are increasing at a rate that threatens the availability of fresh water in the northeastern United States. Increases in roadways and deicer use are now salinizing fresh waters, degrading habitat for aquatic organisms, and impacting large supplies of drinking water for humans throughout the region. We observed chloride concentrations of up to 25% of the concentration of seawater in streams of Maryland, New York, and New Hampshire during winters, and chloride concentrations remaining up to 100 times greater than unimpacted forest streams during summers. Mean annual chloride concentration increased as a function of impervious surface and exceeded tolerance for freshwater life in suburban and urban watersheds. Our analysis shows that if salinity were to continue to increase at its present rate due to changes in impervious surface coverage and current management practices, many surface waters in the northeastern United States would not be potable for human consumption and would become toxic to freshwater life within the next century. ?? 2005 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

Mercury dynamics in relation to dissolved organic carbon concentration and quality during high flow events in three northeastern U.S. streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dittman, Jason A.; Shanley, James B.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Aiken, George R.; Chalmers, Ann T.; Towse, Janet E.; Selvendiran, Pranesh

2010-01-01

Mercury (Hg) contamination is widespread in remote areas of the northeastern United States. Forested uplands have accumulated a large reservoir of Hg in soil from decades of elevated anthropogenic deposition that can be released episodically to stream water during high flows. The objective of this study was to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in stream water Hg species and organic matter fractions over a range of hydrologic conditions in three forested upland watersheds (United States). Mercury and organic matter concentrations increased with discharge at all three sites; however, the partitioning of Hg fractions (dissolved versus particulate) differed among sites and seasons. Associated with increased discharge, flow paths shifted from mineral soil under base flow to upper soil horizons. As flow paths shifted, greater concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) richer in aromatic substances were flushed from upper soil horizons to stream water. The hydrophobic organic matter associated with humic material from upper soils appears to have had a greater capacity to bind Hg. Because of the strong correlation between Hg and DOC, we hypothesize that there was a concurrent shift in the source of Hg with DOC from lower mineral soil to upper soil horizons. Our study suggests that stream discharge is an effective predictor of dissolved total Hg flux.

Some floods in the Rocky Mountain region: Chapter G in Contributions to the hydrology of the United States, 1923-1924

USGS Publications Warehouse

Follansbee, Robert; Hodges, Paul V.

1925-01-01

In 1923 severe floods occurred on the larger streams in Wyoming and a number of cloudburst floods on small streams in Wyoming and especially in Colorado. An investigation of the principal floods in each State was made, and the results are given in this paper, together with descriptions of two Colorado floods of 1922. In addition a study was made of all cloudburst floods to determine the areas chiefly subject to them.

Culture Contents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Kevin

2001-01-01

Successful relations between the United States and United Kingdom may require more attention to their internal ethnic and cultural diversity. This political-linguistic culture is subdivided into two contradictory yet complementary streams. The political approach for those favoring an English-speaking union may be greater ecumenism within the…

Streamflow from the United States into the Atlantic Ocean during 1931-1960

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bue, Conrad D.

1970-01-01

Streamflow from the United States into the Atlantic Ocean, between the international stream St. Croix River, inclusive, and Cape Sable, Fla., averaged about 355,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) during the 30-year period 1931-60, or roughly 20 percent of the water that, on the average flows out of the conterminous United States. The area drained by streams flowing into the Atlantic Ocean is about 288,000 square miles, including the Canadian part of the St. Croix and Connecticut River basins, or a little less than 10 percent of the area of the conterminous United States. Hence, the average streamflow into the Atlantic Ocean, in terms of cubic feet per second per square mile, is about twice the national average of the flow that leaves the conterminous United States. Flow from about three-fourths of the area draining into the Atlantic Ocean is gaged at streamflow measuring stations of the U.S. Geological Survey. The remaining one-fourth of the drainage area consists mostly of low-lying coastal areas from which the flow was estimated, largely on the basis of nearby gaging stations. Streamflow, in terms of cubic feet per second per square mile, decreases rather progressively from north to south. It averages nearly 2 cfs along the Maine coast, about 1 cfs along the North Carolina coast, and about 0.9 cfs along the Florida coast.

Riparian Land Use/Land Cover Data for Five Study Units in the Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical Study of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Michaela R.; Buell, Gary R.; Kim, Moon H.; Nardi, Mark R.

2007-01-01

This dataset was developed as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, Nutrient Enrichment Effects Topical (NEET) study for five study units distributed across the United States: Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Central Columbia Plateau-Yakima River Basin, Central Nebraska Basins, Potomac River Basin and Delmarva Peninsula, and White, Great and Little Miami River Basins. One hundred forty-three stream reaches were examined as part of the NEET study conducted 2003-04. Stream segments, with lengths equal to the logarithm of the basin area, were delineated upstream from the downstream ends of the stream reaches with the use of digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles (DOQQ) or selected from the high-resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Use of the NHD was necessary when the stream was not distinguishable in the DOQQ because of dense tree canopy. The analysis area for each stream segment was defined by a buffer beginning at the segment extending to 250 meters lateral to the stream segment. Delineation of land use/land cover (LULC) map units within stream segment buffers was conducted using on-screen digitizing of riparian LULC classes interpreted from the DOQQ. LULC units were mapped using a classification strategy consisting of nine classes. National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data were used to aid in wetland classification. Longitudinal transect sampling lines offset from the stream segments were generated and partitioned into the underlying LULC types. These longitudinal samples yielded the relative linear extent and sequence of each LULC type within the riparian zone at the segment scale. The resulting areal and linear LULC data filled in the spatial-scale gap between the 30-meter resolution of the National Land Cover Dataset and the reach-level habitat assessment data collected onsite routinely for NAWQA ecological sampling. The final data consisted of 12 geospatial datasets: LULC within 25 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream reach (polygon); LULC within 50 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 100 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 150 meters of the stream segment (polygon); LULC within 250 meters of the stream segment (polygon); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation LULC at the reach scale (arc); stream reaches (arc); longitudinal LULC at the reach scale (arc); frequency of gaps in woody vegetation LULC at the segment scale (arc); stream segments (arc); and longitudinal LULC at the segment scale (arc).

Summary of floods in the United States during 1958

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hendricks, E.L.

1964-01-01

This report describes the most outstanding floods that occurred in the United States during 1958.A series of storms from January 23 to February 16 brought large amounts of precipitation to northern California and produced damaging floods, particularly in the Lower Sacramento Valley where losses totaled about \\$12 million.Major floods, notable because of the large area affected, occurred on many small streams in central and south Texas, following heavy general rains in late February. Extensive flooding occurred along the Gulf Coastal plain on the lower reaches of the major streams from the Brazos River to the Nueces River. Two lives were lost, and property damage exceeded \\$1 million.Damaging floods of April 1-7 followed one of the wettest winters in California history. Swollen streams overflowed their banks throughout the central part of the State, and discharge peaks on many streams exceeded those .of the floods of December 1955. Most severely flooded was the San Francisco Bay area. Total flood damage was estimated at \\$23 million.The storms and floods of April-May in Louisiana and adjacent States outranked all other floods in the United States during 1958 with respect to intensity of rain over a large area, number of streams having maximum discharge of record, rare occurrence of peaks, and great amount (\\$21 million) of resultant damage.Heavy rains on June 8-15 caused one of the greatest summer floods of record in central Indiana. Peak discharges were high and of rare occurrences. Failure of numerous levees along the Wabash River caused great damage. Crop damage alone was estimated at \\$48 million.Intense rains of July 1-2 caused record-breaking floods in southwestern Iowa. Rapid rises and the great magnitude of the floods on small streams resulted in 18 deaths and many injuries. Six towns and cities along the East Nishnabotna River and its tributaries were particularly hard hit; rural damage was also high. Total damage was estimated at \\$15 million.Heavy rains (as much as 40 inches during the last 2 weeks in September) from the middle of September to the middle of October caused destructive floods along the Rio Grande in Texas and Mexico. Many communities were isolated by the flood waters, and damage to crops was great.In addition to the 7 floods mentioned above, 21 others of lesser magnitude are reported in this annual summary.

Shallow and Deep Groundwater Contributions to Ephemeral Streamflow Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmer, M. A.; McGlynn, B. L.

2016-12-01

Our understanding of streamflow generation processes in low relief, humid landscapes is limited. To address this, we utilized an ephemeral-to-intermittent drainage network in the Piedmont region of the United States to gain new understanding about the drivers of ephemeral streamflow generation, stream-groundwater interactions, and longitudinal expansion and contraction of the stream network. We used hydrometric and chemical data collected within zero through second order catchments to characterize streamflow and overland, shallow soil, and deep subsurface flow across landscape positions. Results showed bi-directionality in stream-groundwater gradients that were dependent on catchment storage state. This led to annual groundwater recharge magnitudes that were similar to annual streamflow. Perched shallow and deep water table contributions shifted dominance with changes in catchment storage state, producing distinct stream hydrograph recession constants. Active channel length versus runoff followed a consistent relationship independent of storage state, but exhibited varying discharge-solute hysteresis directions. Together, our results suggest that temporary streams can act as both important groundwater recharge and discharge locations across the landscape, especially in this region where ephemeral drainage densities are among the highest recorded. Our results also highlight that the internal catchment dynamics that generate temporary streams play an important role in dictating biogeochemical fluxes at the landscape scale.

Simulating stream transport of nutrients in the eastern United States, 2002, using a spatially-referenced regression model and 1:100,000-scale hydrography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoos, Anne B.; Moore, Richard B.; Garcia, Ana Maria; Noe, Gregory B.; Terziotti, Silvia E.; Johnston, Craig M.; Dennis, Robin L.

2013-01-01

Existing Spatially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes (SPARROW) nutrient models for the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States were recalibrated to achieve a hydrographically consistent model with which to assess nutrient sources and stream transport and investigate specific management questions about the effects of wetlands and atmospheric deposition on nutrient transport. Recalibrated nitrogen models for the northeast and southeast were sufficiently similar to be merged into a single nitrogen model for the eastern United States. The atmospheric deposition source in the nitrogen model has been improved to account for individual components of atmospheric input, derived from emissions from agricultural manure, agricultural livestock, vehicles, power plants, other industry, and background sources. This accounting makes it possible to simulate the effects of altering an individual component of atmospheric deposition, such as nitrate emissions from vehicles or power plants. Regional differences in transport of phosphorus through wetlands and reservoirs were investigated and resulted in two distinct phosphorus models for the northeast and southeast. The recalibrated nitrogen and phosphorus models account explicitly for the influence of wetlands on regional-scale land-phase and aqueous-phase transport of nutrients and therefore allow comparison of the water-quality functions of different wetland systems over large spatial scales. Seven wetland systems were associated with enhanced transport of either nitrogen or phosphorus in streams, probably because of the export of dissolved organic nitrogen and bank erosion. Six wetland systems were associated with mitigating the delivery of either nitrogen or phosphorus to streams, probably because of sedimentation, phosphate sorption, and ground water infiltration.

The Northeast Stream Quality Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Riva-Murray, Karen; Coles, James F.

2016-04-22

In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) is assessing stream quality in the northeastern United States. The goal of the Northeast Stream Quality Assessment (NESQA) is to assess the quality of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life and evaluating the relation between these stressors and biological communities. The focus of NESQA in 2016 will be on the effects of urbanization and agriculture on stream quality in all or parts of eight states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.Findings will provide the public and policymakers with information about the most critical factors affecting stream quality, thus providing insights about possible approaches to protect the health of streams in the region. The NESQA study will be the fourth regional study conducted as part of NAWQA and will be of similar design and scope to the first three, in the Midwest in 2013, the Southeast in 2014, and the Pacific Northwest in 2015 (http://txpub.usgs.gov/RSQA/).

A national assessment of green infrastructure and change for the conterminous United States using morphological image processing

Treesearch

J.D Wickham; Kurt H. Riitters; T.G. Wade; P. Vogt

2010-01-01

Green infrastructure is a popular framework for conservation planning. The main elements of green infrastructure are hubs and links. Hubs tend to be large areas of ‘natural’ vegetation and links tend to be linear features (e.g., streams) that connect hubs. Within the United States, green infrastructure projects can be characterized as: (...

Evaluating the accotink creek restoration project for improving water quality, in-stream habitat, and bank stability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Struck, S.D.; Selvakumar, A.; Hyer, K.; O'Connor, T.

2007-01-01

Increased urbanization results in a larger percentage of connected impervious areas and can contribute large quantities of stormwater runoff and significant quantities of debris and pollutants (e.g., litter, oils, microorganisms, sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and heavy metals) to receiving waters. To improve water quality in urban and suburban areas, watershed managers often incorporate best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the quantity of runoff as well as to minimize pollutants and other stressors contained in stormwater runoff. It is well known that land-use practices directly impact urban streams. Stream flows in urbanized watersheds increase in magnitude as a function of impervious area and can result in degradation of the natural stream channel morphology affecting the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the stream. Stream bank erosion, which also increases with increased stream flows, can lead to bank instability, property loss, infrastructure damage, and increased sediment loading to the stream. Increased sediment loads may lead to water quality degradation downstream and have negative impacts on fish, benthic invertebrates, and other aquatic life. Accotink Creek is in the greater Chesapeake Bay and Potomac watersheds, which have strict sediment criteria. The USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and USGS (United States Geological Survey) are investigating the effectiveness of stream restoration techniques as a BMP to decrease sediment load and improve bank stability, biological integrity, and in-stream water quality in an impaired urban watershed in Fairfax, Virginia. This multi-year project continuously monitors turbidity, specific conductance, pH, and water temperature, as well as biological and chemical water quality parameters. In addition, physical parameters (e.g., pebble counts, longitudinal and cross sectional stream surveys) were measured to assess geomorphic changes associated with the restoration. Data from the pre-construction and initial post-construction phases are presented in this report. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Factoring stream turbulence into global assessments of nitrogen pollution.

PubMed

Grant, Stanley B; Azizian, Morvarid; Cook, Perran; Boano, Fulvio; Rippy, Megan A

2018-03-16

The discharge of excess nitrogen to streams and rivers poses an existential threat to both humans and ecosystems. A seminal study of headwater streams across the United States concluded that in-stream removal of nitrate is controlled primarily by stream chemistry and biology. Reanalysis of these data reveals that stream turbulence (in particular, turbulent mass transfer across the concentration boundary layer) imposes a previously unrecognized upper limit on the rate at which nitrate is removed from streams. The upper limit closely approximates measured nitrate removal rates in streams with low concentrations of this pollutant, a discovery that should inform stream restoration designs and efforts to assess the effects of nitrogen pollution on receiving water quality and the global nitrogen cycle. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Linking social and ecological systems

Treesearch

Wayne Zipperer; Wayde Morse; Cassandra Gaither

2011-01-01

On 16 November 2005 a water sample was taken from an urban stream in a metropolitan area in the southern United States and tested for the presence of E. coli. Although water samples from this and other streams in the metropolitan area frequently registered over 15,000 colonies/100 ml, this particular sample is unique in that it registered a reading of 70,000 colonies/...

The National Riparian Core Protocol: A riparian vegetation monitoring protocol for wadeable streams of the conterminous United States

Treesearch

David M. Merritt; Mary E. Manning; Nate Hough-Snee

2017-01-01

Riparian areas are hotspots of biological diversity that may serve as high quality habitat for fish and wildlife. The National Riparian Core Protocol (NRCP) provides tools and methods to assist natural resource professionals in sampling riparian vegetation and physical characteristics along wadeable streams. Guidance is provided for collecting basic information on...

Microhabitat estimation of an imperiled headwater fish, the Yazoo darter (Etheostoma raneyi), in Coastal Plain streams

Treesearch

Ken A. Sterling; Melvin L. Warren

2017-01-01

Headwater fishes in the southeastern United States make up much of the fish biodiversity of the region yet many are imperiled. Despite this, the specific habitat requirements of imperiled headwater fishes in lowland Coastal Plain streams have rarely been quantified. Using data collected over three years of seasonal sampling we provide estimates of the microhabitat...

The transition from riparian to upland forest plant communities on headwater streams in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, United States

Treesearch

Christopher R. Dolanc; Carolyn T. Hunsaker

2017-01-01

Abstract. Fixed-width buffer zones on rivers and streams are designed to protect the diverse riparian community and its important function in the ecosystem. However, recent data suggest that riparian areas of some western forests have become more fire prone because of restrictions on fuel reduction treatments within buffer zones....

Soil and water characteristics in restored canebrake and forest riparian zones

Treesearch

Danielle M. Andrews; Christopher D. Barton; Randy Kolka; Charles C. Rhoades; Adam J. Dattilo

2011-01-01

The degradation of streams has been widespread in the United States. In Kentucky, for instance, almost all of its large streams have been impounded or channelized. A restoration project was initiated in a channelized section of Wilson Creek (Nelson Co., Kentucky) to return its predisturbance meandering configuration. A goal of the project was to restore the native...

Effects of Watershed Land Use and Geomorphology on Stream Low Flows During Severe Drought Conditions in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia and North Carolina, United States

EPA Science Inventory

Land use and physiographic variability influence stream low flows, yet their interactions and relative influence remain unresolved. Our objective was to assess the influence of land use and watershed geomorphic characteristics on low-flow variability in the southern Blue Ridge Mo...

Dissolved solids in basin-fill aquifers and streams in the southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, David W.; Bauch, Nancy J.; Gerner, Steven J.; Flynn, Marilyn E.; Hamlin, Scott N.; Moore, Stephanie J.; Schaefer, Donald H.; Anderholm, Scott K.; Spangler, Lawrence E.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program performed a regional study in the Southwestern United States (Southwest) to describe the status and trends of dissolved solids in basin-fill aquifers and streams and to determine the natural and human factors that affect dissolved solids. Basin-fill aquifers, which include the Rio Grande aquifer system, Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers, and California Coastal Basin aquifers, are the most extensively used ground-water supplies in the Southwest. Rivers, such as the Colorado, the Rio Grande, and their tributaries, are also important water supplies, as are several smaller river systems that drain internally within the Southwest, or drain externally to the Pacific Ocean in southern California. The study included four components that characterize (1) the spatial distribution of dissolved-solids concentrations in basin-fill aquifers, and dissolved-solids concentrations, loads, and yields in streams; (2) natural and human factors that affect dissolved-solids concentrations; (3) major sources and areas of accumulation of dissolved solids; and (4) trends in dissolved-solids concentrations over time in basin-fill aquifers and streams, and the relation of trends to natural or human factors.

Innovative Remote Sensors for Streamflow Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourley, J. J.; Fulton, J. W.; Daniel, W.

2016-12-01

The United States Geological Survey operates and maintains over 7000 streamgages across the United States., Conventional streamgages have several important limitations: annual maintenance cost of approximately $15k makes gaging smaller basins uneconomical, manual updating of stage-discharge rating curves is inefficient and can be hazardous to operators, and instruments in contact with the water are sometimes damaged or lost during flood events. A suite of new, non-contact sensors is proposed to address these limitations and add new, previously unmeasured variables. First, a commercially available radar system has been fielded in a very dynamic stream environment and successfully used to measure stage height and stream velocity at high temporal resolution, on the order of a few minutes. Second, a custom water-penetrating lidar has been developed and demonstrated to map 1-D bathymetry (cross-section) in clear streams. Combined with stage and velocity measurements from the radar, this will allow for computation of discharge using non-contact methods without the need to update and maintain an empirical rating curve. Once mature, these technologies promise to reduce cost and manual intervention, allow proliferation of measurements to smaller streams, and introduce previously unmeasured variables to the hydrological scientist's toolbox.

Spatial and temporal variation in microcystins occurrence in wadeable streams in the southeastern USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loftin, Keith A.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Journey, Celeste A.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bradley, Paul M.

2016-01-01

Despite historical observations of potential microcystin-producing cyanobacteria (including Leptolyngbya,Phormidium, Pseudoanabaena, and Anabaena species) in 74% of headwater streams in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina (USA) from 1993 to 2011, fluvial cyanotoxin occurrence has not been systematically assessed in the southeastern United States. To begin to address this data gap, a spatial reconnaissance of fluvial microcystin concentrations was conducted in 75 wadeable streams in the Piedmont region (southeastern USA) during June 2014. Microcystins were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (limit = 0.10 µg/L) in 39% of the streams with mean, median, and maximum detected concentrations of 0.29 µg/L, 0.11 µg/L, and 3.2 µg/L, respectively. Significant (α = 0.05) correlations were observed between June 2014 microcystin concentrations and stream flow, total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratio, and water temperature; but each of these factors explained 38% or less of the variability in fluvial microcystins across the region. Temporal microcystin variability was assessed monthly through October 2014 in 5 of the streams where microcystins were observed in June and in 1 reference location; microcystins were repeatedly detected in all but the reference stream. Although microcystin concentrations in the present study did not exceed World Health Organization recreational guidance thresholds, their widespread occurrence demonstrates the need for further investigation of possible in-stream environmental health effects as well as potential impacts on downstream lakes and reservoirs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;9999:1–7. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

A synoptic survey of ecosystem services from headwater catchments in the United States (presentation)

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem production functions for water supply, climate regulation, and water purification were estimated for 568 headwater streams and their catchments. Water supply per unit catchment area was highest in the Northern Appalachian Mountains and lowest in the Northern Plains. C, ...

A synoptic survey of ecosystem services from headwater catchments in the United States- webinar

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem production functions for water supply, climate regulation, and water purification were estimated for 568 headwater streams and their catchments. Water supply per unit catchment area was highest in the Northern Appalachian Mountains and lowest in the Northern Plains. C, ...

New Stream-reach Development: A Comprehensive Assessment of Hydropower Energy Potential in the United States

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

Kao, Shih-Chieh; McManamay, Ryan A; Stewart, Kevin M

2014-04-01

The rapid development of multiple national geospatial datasets related to topography, hydrology, and environmental characteristics in the past decade have provided new opportunities for the refinement of hydropower resource potential from undeveloped stream-reaches. Through 2011 to 2013, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was tasked by the Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Program to evaluate the new stream-reach development (NSD) resource potential for more than 3 million US streams. A methodology was designed that contains three main components: (1) identification of stream-reaches with high energy density, (2) topographical analysis of stream-reaches to estimate inundated surface area and reservoir storage,more » and (3) environmental attribution to spatially join information related to the natural ecological systems, social and cultural settings, policies, management, and legal constraints to stream-reaches of energy potential. An initial report on methodology (Hadjerioua et al., 2013) was later reviewed and revised based on the comments gathered from two peer review workshops. After implementing the assessment across the entire United States, major findings were summarized in this final report. The estimated NSD capacity and generation, including both higher-energy-density (>1 MW per reach) and lower-energy-density (<1 MW per reach) stream-reaches is 84.7 GW, around the same size as the existing US conventional hydropower nameplate capacity (79.5 GW; NHAAP, 2013). In terms of energy, the total undeveloped NSD generation is estimated to be 460 TWh/year, around 169% of average 2002 2011 net annual generation from existing conventional hydropower plants (272 TWh/year; EIA, 2013). Given the run-of-river assumption, NSD stream-reaches have higher capacity factors (53 71%), especially compared with conventional larger-storage peaking-operation projects that usually have capacity factors of around 30%. The highest potential is identified in the Pacific Northwest Region (32%), followed by Missouri Region (15%) and California Region (9%). In terms of states, the highest potential is found in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, the three states in the Pacific Northwest, followed by California, Alaska, Montana, and Colorado. In addition to the resource potential, abundant environmental attributes were also organized and attributed to the identified stream-reaches to support further hydropower market analysis. The prevalence of environmental variables and proportion of capacity from stream-reaches intersecting environmental variables varied according to hydrologic region. Detailed NSD findings are organized by hydrologic regions and presented in each chapter of this report.« less

Methods used to characterize the chemical composition and biological activity of environmental waters throughout the United States, 2012-14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Romanok, Kristin M.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Barber, Larry B.; Boone, J. Scott; Buxton, Herbert T.; Foreman, William T.; Furlong, Edward T.; Hladik, Michelle; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Journey, Celeste A.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Loftin, Keith A.; Mills, Marc A.; Meyer, Michael T.; Orlando, James L.; Smalling, Kelly L.; Villeneuve, Daniel L.; Bradley, Paul M.

2017-03-22

A vast array of chemical compounds are in wide commercial use in the United States, and the potential ecological and human-health effect of exposure to chemical mixtures has been identified as a high priority in environment health science. Awareness of the potential effects of low-level chemical exposures is rising. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conducted a study in which samples were collected from 38 streams in 25 States to provide an overview of contaminants found in stream water across the Nation. Additionally, biological screening assays were used to help determine any potential ecological and human-health effects of these chemical mixtures and to prioritize target chemicals for future toxicological studies. This report describes the site locations and the sampling and analytical methods and quality-assurance procedures used in the study.

Temperature of the Gulf Stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The Gulf Stream is one of the strong ocean currents that carries warm water from the sunny tropics to higher latitudes. The current stretches from the Gulf of Mexico up the East Coast of the United States, departs from North America south of the Chesapeake Bay, and heads across the Atlantic to the British Isles. The water within the Gulf Stream moves at the stately pace of 4 miles per hour. Even though the current cools as the water travels thousands of miles, it remains strong enough to moderate the Northern European climate. The image above was derived from the infrared measurements of the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on a nearly cloud-free day over the east coast of the United States. The coldest waters are shown as purple, with blue, green, yellow, and red representing progressively warmer water. Temperatures range from about 7 to 22 degrees Celsius. The core of the Gulf Stream is very apparent as the warmest water, dark red. It departs from the coast at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The cool, shelf water from the north entrains the warmer outflows from the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. The north wall of the Gulf Stream reveals very complex structure associated with frontal instabilities that lead to exchanges between the Gulf Stream and inshore waters. Several clockwise-rotating warm core eddies are evident north of the core of the Gulf Stream, which enhance the exchange of heat and water between the coastal and deep ocean. Cold core eddies, which rotate counter clockwise, are seen south of the Gulf Stream. The one closest to Cape Hatteras is entraining very warm Gulf Stream waters on its northwest circumference. Near the coast, shallower waters have warmed due to solar heating, while the deeper waters offshore are markedly cooler (dark blue). MODIS made this observation on May 8, 2000, at 11:45 a.m. EDT. For more information, see the MODIS-Ocean web page. The sea surface temperature image was created at the University of Miami using the 11- and 12-micron bands, by Bob Evans, Peter Minnett, and co-workers.

Using Stream Chemistry Measurements by Scientists and Nonscientists to Assess Leakage from Oil and Gas Wells in Pennsylvania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brantley, S. L.; Wendt, A.; Sowers, T. A.

2016-12-01

The recent controversies concerning the role of hydraulic fracturing in impacting water quality in the United States document that decision-making must include both scientists and nonscientists. The most common water quality problem documented in Pennsylvania with respect to shale gas well development is the occasional migration of methane into private groundwater wells. Assessing the rate of migration is difficult and has led to controversial estimates. We explore the use of nonscientists in helping to collect data from streams for comparison to groundwater data collected by government and academic scientists. Stream waters in upland landscapes generally act as collectors for upwelling groundwater, including both natural and anthropogenic methane. Collection of stream water for methane analysis is simple and robust and can be completed by nonscientists throughout the state. We have discovered several locations in the state where new or legacy gas or oil wells are leaking methane into aquifers and into streams. Methane also seeps out of landfills and from natural sources. We present stream methane data from across the oil and gas development region in Pennsylvania, including sites of release of biogenic gas, natural thermogenic gas, legacy oil/gas well leakage, shale gas well leakage, and landfill leakage, and we assess the natural background of methane in stream water in the state. In some locations we compare methane in streams to methane in groundwater. As the state with the oldest oil wells in the U.S.A., Pennsylvania is a natural laboratory to understand not only the science of methane migration but also how to incorporate citizens into strategies to understand water quality impacts related to hydrocarbon development.

Forest landscape restoration: linkages with stream fishes of the southern United States

Treesearch

Melvin L. Warren

2012-01-01

With well over 600 native species, the southern United States supports one of the richest temperate freshwater fish faunas on Earth (Fig. 10.1 ). Unfortunately, an expert review revealed that 27% (188 taxa) of southern fishes are endangered, threatened, or vulnerable (Warren et al. 2000 ) and that 16–18% of native fishes are imperiled in 45 of 51 major southern river...

Acidification and Prognosis for Future Recovery of Acid-Sensitive Streams in the Southern Blue Ridge Province

Treesearch

Timothy Sullivan; Bernard Cosby; William Jackson; Kai Snyder; Alan Herlihy

2011-01-01

This study applied the Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments (MAGIC) to estimate the sensitivity of 66 watersheds in the Southern Blue Ridge Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, United States, to changes in atmospheric sulfur (S) deposition. MAGIC predicted that stream acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) values were above 20 μeq/L in all modeled...

Coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes controlling variability of nitrogen species in streamflow during autumn in an upland forest

Treesearch

Stephen D. Sebestyen; James B. Shanley; Elizabeth W. Boyer; Carol Kendall; Daniel H. Doctor

2014-01-01

Autumn is a season of dynamic change in forest streams of the northeastern United States due to effects of leaf fall on both hydrology and biogeochemistry. Few studies have explored how interactions of biogeochemical transformations, various nitrogen sources, and catchment flow paths affect stream nitrogen variation during autumn. To provide more information on this...

STC synthesis of research results for water quality management at construction sites : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists sediment as the most common pollutant in U.S. streams, rivers, lakes, and : reservoirs. This is of significant importance to state Departments of Transportation (DOT) due to the large amou...

Developing a national stream morphology data exchange: needs, challenges, and opportunities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, Mathias J.; Gray, John R.; Peppler, Marie C.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Schubauer-Berigan, Joseph P.

2012-01-01

Stream morphology data, primarily consisting of channel and foodplain geometry and bed material size measurements, historically have had a wide range of applications and uses including culvert/ bridge design, rainfall- runoff modeling, food inundation mapping (e.g., U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency food insurance studies), climate change studies, channel stability/sediment source investigations, navigation studies, habitat assessments, and landscape change research. The need for stream morphology data in the United States, and thus the quantity of data collected, has grown substantially over the past 2 decades because of the expanded interests of resource management agencies in watershed management and restoration. The quantity of stream morphology data collected has also increased because of state-of-the-art technologies capable of rapidly collecting high-resolution data over large areas with heretofore unprecedented precision. Despite increasing needs for and the expanding quantity of stream morphology data, neither common reporting standards nor a central data archive exist for storing and serving these often large and spatially complex data sets. We are proposing an open- access data exchange for archiving and disseminating stream morphology data.

Developing a national stream morphology data exchange: Needs, challenges, and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Mathias J.; Gray, John R.; Peppler, Marie C.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Schubauer-Berigan, Joseph P.

2012-05-01

Stream morphology data, primarily consisting of channel and foodplain geometry and bed material size measurements, historically have had a wide range of applications and uses including culvert/ bridge design, rainfall- runoff modeling, food inundation mapping (e.g., U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency food insurance studies), climate change studies, channel stability/sediment source investigations, navigation studies, habitat assessments, and landscape change research. The need for stream morphology data in the United States, and thus the quantity of data collected, has grown substantially over the past 2 decades because of the expanded interests of resource management agencies in watershed management and restoration. The quantity of stream morphology data collected has also increased because of state-of-the-art technologies capable of rapidly collecting high-resolution data over large areas with heretofore unprecedented precision. Despite increasing needs for and the expanding quantity of stream morphology data, neither common reporting standards nor a central data archive exist for storing and serving these often large and spatially complex data sets. We are proposing an open- access data exchange for archiving and disseminating stream morphology data.

Selected Physical, Chemical, and Biological Data Used to Study Urbanizing Streams in Nine Metropolitan Areas of the United States, 1999-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Giddings, Elise M.P.; Bell, Amanda H.; Beaulieu, Karen M.; Cuffney, Thomas F.; Coles, James F.; Brown, Larry R.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Falcone, James A.; Sprague, Lori A.; Bryant, Wade L.; Peppler, Marie C.; Stephens, Cory; McMahon, Gerard

2009-01-01

This report documents and summarizes physical, chemical, and biological data collected during 1999-2004 in a study titled Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems, undertaken as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Data-collection methods and data processing are described in this report for streamflow; stream temperature; instream chemistry; instream aquatic habitat; and algal, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities. Data summaries prepared for analytical use are presented in downloadable data tables.

Should the Clean Water Act Follow Stream Water Underground? Managing Beyond the Stream Banks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taptich, M. N.; Gooseff, M. N.

2010-12-01

The Clean Water Act was designed to protect the integrity of surface waters of the United States. Originally limited to solely waters that were traditionally navigable, the jurisdictional bounds of the Clean Water Act have been expanded to include many other ‘waters of the United States,’ some of which are in fact unnavigable. This expansion of the definition of ‘navigable waters’ has brought many litigative challenges to the true jurisdictional limits of the Act. The recent Supreme Court opinions in Rapanos v. United States (2006) and the subsequent interpretation by lower federal courts have set the precedent for a new approach to jurisdictional determinations, where considerations of function and effect act as gatekeepers for inclusion under the CWA. Justice Kennedy’s significant nexus standard from Rapanos (2006) limits jurisdictional coverage under the Clean Water Act to ‘waters that have a significant nexus with traditional navigable waters.’ Thus, establishing a ‘significant nexus’ between a water body in question and traditionally navigable waters satisfies the requisites needed for inclusion within the scope of the Clean Water Act. By and large there has been a lack of consideration for the near subsurface components of streams when discussing the application of the significant nexus standard. We propose that hyporheic zones, a volume of alluvial aquifer that hosts the exchange of stream water, should be covered under the Clean Water Act, since these zones are intimately connected with their adjoining surface waters and facilitate many processes that are key to supporting healthy stream ecosystems and good water quality. Given the opinions rendered in Rapanos (2006) and the guidance offered by the EPA and Corps following the decision, we demonstrate that the hyporheic zone fulfills each of the functional and ecological example factors used to establish a significant nexus. The implications of this argument include the conversion of our conceptual image of a stream to move beyond the channel banks and bed and to recognize that streams are only one part of a larger hydrologic and ecological system. Under this paradigm of thought, future considerations for establishing water quality standards could include activities preformed and enjoyed just beyond a stream’s ordinary high water mark.

Classifying the health of Connecticut streams using benthic macroinvertebrates with implications for water management.

PubMed

Bellucci, Christopher J; Becker, Mary E; Beauchene, Mike; Dunbar, Lee

2013-06-01

Bioassessments have formed the foundation of many water quality monitoring programs throughout the United States. Like many state water quality programs, Connecticut has developed a relational database containing information about species richness, species composition, relative abundance, and feeding relationships among macroinvertebrates present in stream and river systems. Geographic Information Systems can provide estimates of landscape condition and watershed characteristics and when combined with measurements of stream biology, provide a useful visual display of information that is useful in a management context. The objective of our study was to estimate the stream health for all wadeable stream kilometers in Connecticut using a combination of macroinvertebrate metrics and landscape variables. We developed and evaluated models using an information theoretic approach to predict stream health as measured by macroinvertebrate multimetric index (MMI) and identified the best fitting model as a three variable model, including percent impervious land cover, a wetlands metric, and catchment slope that best fit the MMI scores (adj-R (2) = 0.56, SE = 11.73). We then provide examples of how modeling can augment existing programs to support water management policies under the Federal Clean Water Act such as stream assessments and anti-degradation.

Regional Monitoring Networks to Detect Climate Change Effects in Stream Ecosystems (External Review Draft)

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is working with its regional offices, states, tribes, and other entities to establish Regional Monitoring Networks (RMNs) at which biological, thermal, and hydrologic data will be collected from freshwater wadeable stre...

Percentile Distributions of Median Nitrite Plus Nitrate as Nitrogen, Total Nitrogen, and Total Phosphorus Concentrations in Oklahoma Streams, 1973-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haggard, Brian E.; Masoner, Jason R.; Becker, Carol J.

2003-01-01

Nutrients are one of the primary causes of water-quality impairments in streams, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed regional-based nutrient criteria using ecoregions to protect streams in the United States from impairment. However, nutrient criteria were based on nutrient concentrations measured in large aggregated nutrient ecoregions with little relevance to local environmental conditions in states. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board is using a dichotomous process known as Use Support Assessment Protocols to define nutrient criteria in Oklahoma streams. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board is modifying the Use Support Assessment Protocols to reflect nutrient informa-tion and environmental characteristics relevant to Oklahoma streams, while considering nutrient information grouped by geographic regions based on level III ecoregions and state boundaries. Percentile distributions of median nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorous concentrations were calculated from 563 sites in Oklahoma and 4 sites in Arkansas near the Oklahoma and Arkansas border to facilitate development of nutrient criteria for Oklahoma streams. Sites were grouped into four geographic regions and were categorized into eight stream categories by stream slope and stream order. The 50th percentiles of median nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations were greater in the Ozark Highland ecoregion and were less in the Ouachita Mountains ecoregion when compared to other geographic areas used to group sites. The 50th percentiles of median concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were least in first, second, and third order streams. The 50th percentiles of median nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in the Ozark Highland and Ouachita Mountains ecoregions were least in first, second, and third order streams with streams slopes greater than 17 feet per mile. Nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen and total nitrogen criteria determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Ozark Highland ecoregion were less than the 25th percentiles of median nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations in the Ozark Highland ecoregion calculated for this report. Nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen and total nitrogen criteria developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Ouachita Mountains ecoregion were similar to the 25th percentiles of median nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen and total nitrogen concentrations in the Ouachita Mountains ecoregion calculated for this report. Nitrate as nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations currently (2002) used in the Use Support Assessment Protocols for Oklahoma were greater than the 75th percentiles of median nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations calculated for this report.

Main steam-line break core shroud loading calculations for BWRs

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

Shoop, U.; Feltus, M.A.; Baratta, A.J.

1995-12-31

In July 1994, the U.S. Nuclear regulatory Commission sent out Generic Letter 94-03 to all boiling water reactors in the United States, informing them of intergranular stress corrosion cracking of core shrouds found in 2 reactors. The letter directed all to perform safety analysis of the BWR units. Penn State performed scoping calculations to determine the forces experienced by the core shroud during a main-stream line break transient.

American moralism and the origin of bioethics in the United States.

PubMed

Jonsen, A R

1991-02-01

The theology of John Calvin has deeply affected the American mentality through two streams of thought, Puritanism and Jansenism. These traditions formulate moral problems in terms of absolute, clear principles and avoid casuistic analysis of moral problems. This approach is designated American moralism. This article suggests that the bioethics movement in the United States was stimulated by the moralistic mentality but that the work of the bioethics has departed from this viewpoint.

Change in the Magnitude of River Flooding in the United States, 1965-2015

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This figure shows changes in the size and frequency of flooding events in rivers and streams in the United States between 1965 and 2015. Blue upward-pointing symbols show locations where floods have become larger; brown downward-pointing symbols show locations where floods have become smaller. Data were analyzed by Louise Slater and Gabriele Villarini at the University of Iowa. For more information: www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators

Impacts of urbanization on stream water quantity and quality in the United States

Treesearch

Ge Sun; Peter Caldwell

2015-01-01

Since the 1950s, the world’s urban population has grown more than 400% to 3.9 billion today. About 60% of the total population is expected to live in urban areas by the year 2025. For the United States (U.S.), 80% of the population lives in urban areas. The Earth has entered into the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch dominated by urbanization and people.

Legacy Nitrate Impacts on Groundwater and Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesoriero, A. J.; Juckem, P. F.; Miller, M. P.

2017-12-01

Decades of recharge of high-nitrate groundwater have created a legacy—a mass of high-nitrate groundwater—that has implications for future nitrate concentrations in groundwater and in streams. In the United States, inorganic nitrogen fertilizer applications to the land surface have increased ten-fold since 1950, resulting in sharp increases in nitrate concentrations in recharging groundwater, which pose a risk to deeper groundwater and streams. This study assesses the factors that control time lags and eventual concentrations of legacy nitrate in groundwater and streams. Results from the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Project are presented which elucidate nitrate trends in recharging groundwater, delineate redox zones and assess groundwater and stream vulnerability to legacy nitrate sources on a regional scale. This study evaluated trends and transformations of agricultural chemicals based on groundwater age and water chemistry data along flow paths from recharge areas to streams at 20 study sites across the United States. Median nitrate recharge concentrations in these agricultural areas have increased markedly over the last 50 years, from 4 to 7.5 mg N/L. The effect that nitrate accumulation in shallow aquifers will have on drinking water quality and stream ecosystems is dependent on the redox zones encountered along flow paths and on the age distribution of nitrate discharging to supply wells and streams. Delineating redox zones on a regional scale is complicated by the spatial variability of reaction rates. To overcome this limitation, we applied logistic regression and machine learning techniques to predict the probability of a specific redox condition in groundwater in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Fox-Wolf-Peshtigo study area in Wisconsin. By relating redox-active constituent concentrations in groundwater samples to indicators of residence time and/or electron donor availability, we were able to delineate redox zones on a regional scale - an important indicator of groundwater vulnerability and the vulnerability of streams to legacy nitrate sources.

Improving the Prediction of Baseflows in the Driftless Area of the Upper Midwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuster, Z.; Potter, K. W.

2014-12-01

The Driftless Area of the Upper Midwestern United States is a unique region that was not glaciated during the Quaternary Period. Groundwater discharges in the hilly landscape support over 4,000 miles of coldwater, high-class trout streams that are a destination for anglers across the Midwest. Temperature increases due to anthropogenic climate change are predicted to have a negative impact on the cold water thermal regimes that support species such as brook and brown trout. Previous work has concluded that the hillslopes in the region play an important role in producing the recharge that supports cool groundwater discharges concentrated in the headwaters of these streams. In this study, we used a set of baseflow measurements recorded by Potter and Gaffield (2001) in the headwaters of a Driftless Area stream and a simple Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis to assess the relationship between the percentage of hillslope in a watershed and average unit baseflow. We found that there is a strong correlation between the hillslope percentage and the unit baseflow values from the Potter and Gaffield (2001) study. Further work is needed to verify the findings of this study and to assess the impacts of the underlying geological layers on the production of baseflow, but these results provide a first step in understanding the conditions that produce spatial variability in baseflow conditions in the Driftless Area. Agencies such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are beginning to plan for climate change adaptation in the region to protect the coldwater fisheries, so understanding the hydrology of headwater streams will be important in helping to identify areas with high, coldwater baseflow discharges that can provided refugia for coldwater species.

Differences in ecological structure, function, and native species abundance between native and invaded Hawaiian streams

Treesearch

Tara Holitzki; Richard A. MacKenzie; Tracy N. Wiegner; Karla J. McDermid

2013-01-01

Poeciliids, one of the most invasive species worldwide, are found on almost every continent and have been identified as an ‘‘invasive species of concern’’ in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. Despite their global prevalence, few studies have quantified their impacts on tropical stream ecosystem structure, function, and biodiversity. Utilizing Hawaiian...

Herbicides and transformation products in surface waters of the Midwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglin, W.A.; Thurman, E.M.; Kalkhoff, S.J.; Porter, S.D.

2003-01-01

Most herbicides applied to crops are adsorbed by plants or transformed (degraded) in the soil, but small fractions are lost from fields and either move to streams in overland runoff, near surface flow, or subsurface drains, or they infiltrate slowly to ground water. Herbicide transformation products (TPs) can be more or less mobile and more or less toxic in the environment than their source herbicides. To obtain information on the concentrations of selected herbicides and TPs in surface waters of the Midwestern United States, 151 water samples were collected from 71 streams and five reservoir outflows in 1998. These samples were analyzed for 13 herbicides and 10 herbicide TPs. Herbicide TPs were found to occur as frequently or more frequently than source herbicides and at concentrations that were often larger than their source herbicides. Most samples contained a mixture of more than 10 different herbicides or TPs. The ratios of TPs to herbicide concentrations can be used to determine the source of herbicides in streams. Results of a two-component mixing model suggest that on average 90 percent or more of the herbicide mass in Midwestern streams during early summer runoff events originates from the runoff and 10 percent or less comes from increased ground water discharge.

Spatially Explicit Predictors of Indicators of Water Quality: Example from Wadeable Streams in the U.S

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in collaboration with the States is assessing and reporting on the condition of surface waters in the United States using synoptic surveys and consistent field collections of water quality indicators (WQI). The survey is a probability-b...

78 FR 69374 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

...-managed forest lands in the state of Washington. The purpose of the research is to conduct surveys to... Snohomish River estuary. The purpose of the study is to measure restored habitat functionality in the wake... of Natural Resources, Snohomish County, and United States Forest Service stream classifications and...

Multi-scale Landscape Factors Influencing Stream Water Quality in the State of Oregon

EPA Science Inventory

Enterococci bacteria are used to indicate the presence of human and/or animal fecal materials in surface water. In addition to human influences on the quality of surface water, a cattle grazing is a widespread and persistent ecological stressor in the Western United States. Cattl...

Converging Streams of Opportunity for Prison Nursery Programs in the United States

PubMed Central

GOSHIN, LORIE SMITH; BYRNE, MARY WOODS

2009-01-01

Prison nursery programs allow departments of correction to positively intervene in the lives of both incarcerated mothers and their infant children. The number of prison nurseries in the United States has risen dramatically in the past decade, yet there remains a significant gap between predominant correctional policy in this area and what is known about parenting and infant development. Using Kingdon’s streams metaphor, this article examines the recent convergence of problem, policy, and political events related to incarcerated women with infant children and argues that this has created a window of opportunity for development of prison nursery programs. Aday’s policy analysis criteria are also used to analyze available evidence regarding the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of prison nursery programs as policy alternatives for incarcerated women with infant children. PMID:19865610

Regional assessments of the Nation's water quality—Improved understanding of stream nutrient sources through enhanced modeling capabilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Preston, Stephen D.; Alexander, Richard B.; Woodside, Michael D.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed assessments of stream nutrients in six major regions extending over much of the conterminous United States. SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) models were developed for each region to explain spatial patterns in monitored stream nutrient loads in relation to human activities and natural resources and processes. The model information, reported by stream reach and catchment, provides contrasting views of the spatial patterns of nutrient source contributions, including those from urban (wastewater effluent and diffuse runoff from developed land), agricultural (farm fertilizers and animal manure), and specific background sources (atmospheric nitrogen deposition, soil phosphorus, forest nitrogen fixation, and channel erosion).

Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 – 2013

PubMed Central

Ribic, Christine A.; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987–2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997–2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs. PMID:28081271

Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 - 2013.

PubMed

Ribic, Christine A; Donner, Deahn M; Beck, Albert J; Rugg, David J; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987-2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997-2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs.

Environmental Characteristics and Geographic Information System Applications for the Development of Nutrient Thresholds in Oklahoma Streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masoner, Jason R.; Haggard, Brian E.; Rea, Alan

2002-01-01

The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency has developed nutrient criteria using ecoregions to manage and protect rivers and streams in the United States. Individual states and tribes are encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to modify or improve upon the ecoregion approach. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board uses a dichotomous process that stratifies streams using environmental characteristics such as stream order and stream slope. This process is called the Use Support Assessment Protocols, subchapter15. The Use Support Assessment Protocols can be used to identify streams threatened by excessive amounts of nutrients, dependant upon a beneficial use designation for each stream. The Use Support Assessment Protocols, subchapter 15 uses nutrient and environmental characteristic thresholds developed from a study conducted in the Netherlands, but the Oklahoma Water Resources Board wants to modify the thresholds to reflect hydrologic and ecological conditions relevant to Oklahoma streams and rivers. Environmental characteristics thought to affect impairment from nutrient concentrations in Oklahoma streams and rivers were determined for 798 water-quality sites in Oklahoma. Nutrient, chlorophyll, water-properties, and location data were retrieved from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency STORET database including data from the U.S. Geological Survey, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Drainage-basin area, stream order, stream slope, and land-use proportions were determined for each site using a Geographic Information System. The methods, procedures, and data sets used to determine the environmental characteristics are described.

Beaver colony density trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 – 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ribic, Christine; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Rugg, David J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987–2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997–2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs.

Prediction of episodic acidification in North-eastern USA: An empirical/mechanistic approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davies, T.D.; Tranter, M.; Wigington, P.J.; Eshleman, K.N.; Peters, N.E.; Van Sickle, J.; DeWalle, David R.; Murdoch, Peter S.

1999-01-01

Observations from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Episodic Response Project (ERP) in the North-eastern United States are used to develop an empirical/mechanistic scheme for prediction of the minimum values of acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) during episodes. An acidification episode is defined as a hydrological event during which ANC decreases. The pre-episode ANC is used to index the antecedent condition, and the stream flow increase reflects how much the relative contributions of sources of waters change during the episode. As much as 92% of the total variation in the minimum ANC in individual catchments can be explained (with levels of explanation >70% for nine of the 13 streams) by a multiple linear regression model that includes pre-episode ANC and change in discharge as independent variable. The predictive scheme is demonstrated to be regionally robust, with the regional variance explained ranging from 77 to 83%. The scheme is not successful for each ERP stream, and reasons are suggested for the individual failures. The potential for applying the predictive scheme to other watersheds is demonstrated by testing the model with data from the Panola Mountain Research Watershed in the South-eastern United States, where the variance explained by the model was 74%. The model can also be utilized to assess 'chemically new' and 'chemically old' water sources during acidification episodes.Observations from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Episodic Response Project (ERP) in the Northeastern United States are used to develop an empirical/mechanistic scheme for prediction of the minimum values of acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) during episodes. An acidification episode is defined as a hydrological event during which ANC decreases. The pre-episode ANC is used to index the antecedent condition, and the stream flow increase reflects how much the relative contributions of sources of waters change during the episode. As much as 92% of the total variation in the minimum ANC in individual catchments can be explained (with levels of explanation >70% for nine of the 13 streams) by a multiple linear regression model that includes pre-episode ANC and change in discharge as independent variables. The predictive scheme is demonstrated to be regionally robust, with the regional variance explained ranging from 77 to 83%. The scheme is not successful for each ERP stream, and reasons are suggested for the individual failures. The potential for applying the predictive scheme to other watersheds is demonstrated by testing the model with data from the Panola Mountain Research Watershed in the South-eastern United States, where the variance explained by the model was 74%. The model can also be utilized to assess `chemically new' and `chemically old' water sources during acidification episodes.

Landforms of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hack, John T.

1969-01-01

The United States contains a great variety of landforms which offer dramatic contrasts to a crosscountry traveler. Mountains and desert areas, tropical jungles and areas of permanently frozen subsoil, deep canyons and broad plains are examples of the Nation's varied surface. The present-day landforms the features that make up the face of the earth are products of the slow, sculpturing actions of streams and geologic processes that have been at work throughout the ages since the earth's beginning.

Landforms of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hack, John T.

1988-01-01

The United States contains a great variety of landforms which offer dramatic contrasts to a cross-country traveler. Mountains and desert areas, tropical jungles and areas of permanently frozen subsoil, and deep canyons and broad plains are examples of the Nation's varied surface. The presentday landforms the features that make up the face of the Earth are products of the slow sculpturing actions of streams and geologic processes that have been at work throughout the ages since the Earth's beginning.

Global energy and water cycle experiment (GEWEX) continental-scale international project (GCIP); reference data sets CD-ROM

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rea, Alan; Cederstrand, Joel R.

1994-01-01

The data sets on this compact disc are a compilation of several geographic reference data sets of interest to the global-change research community. The data sets were chosen with input from the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP) Data Committee and the GCIP Hydrometeorology and Atmospheric Subpanels. The data sets include: locations and periods of record for stream gages, reservoir gages, and meteorological stations; a 500-meter-resolution digital elevation model; grid-node locations for the Eta numerical weather-prediction model; and digital map data sets of geology, land use, streams, large reservoirs, average annual runoff, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, average annual heating and cooling degree days, hydrologic units, and state and county boundaries. Also included are digital index maps for LANDSAT scenes, and for the U.S. Geological Survey 1:250,000, 1:100,000, and 1:24,000-scale map series. Most of the data sets cover the conterminous United States; the digital elevation model also includes part of southern Canada. The stream and reservoir gage and meteorological station files cover all states having area within the Mississippi River Basin plus that part of the Mississippi River Basin lying within Canada. Several data-base retrievals were processed by state, therefore many sites outside the Mississippi River Basin are included.

A regional modeling framework of phosphorus sources and transport in streams of the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, Ana Maria.; Hoos, Anne B.; Terziotti, Silvia

2011-01-01

We applied the SPARROW model to estimate phosphorus transport from catchments to stream reaches and subsequent delivery to major receiving water bodies in the Southeastern United States (U.S.). We show that six source variables and five land-to-water transport variables are significant (p < 0.05) in explaining 67% of the variability in long-term log-transformed mean annual phosphorus yields. Three land-to-water variables are a subset of landscape characteristics that have been used as transport factors in phosphorus indices developed by state agencies and are identified through experimental research as influencing land-to-water phosphorus transport at field and plot scales. Two land-to-water variables – soil organic matter and soil pH – are associated with phosphorus sorption, a significant finding given that most state-developed phosphorus indices do not explicitly contain variables for sorption processes. Our findings for Southeastern U.S. streams emphasize the importance of accounting for phosphorus present in the soil profile to predict attainable instream water quality. Regional estimates of phosphorus associated with soil-parent rock were highly significant in explaining instream phosphorus yield variability. Model predictions associate 31% of phosphorus delivered to receiving water bodies to geology and the highest total phosphorus yields in the Southeast were catchments with already high background levels that have been impacted by human activity.

Nonpoint and Point Sources of Nitrogen in Major Watersheds of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puckett, Larry J.

1994-01-01

Estimates of nonpoint and point sources of nitrogen were made for 107 watersheds located in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program study units throughout the conterminous United States. The proportions of nitrogen originating from fertilizer, manure, atmospheric deposition, sewage, and industrial sources were found to vary with climate, hydrologic conditions, land use, population, and physiography. Fertilizer sources of nitrogen are proportionally greater in agricultural areas of the West and the Midwest than in other parts of the Nation. Animal manure contributes large proportions of nitrogen in the South and parts of the Northeast. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen is generally greatest in areas of greatest precipitation, such as the Northeast. Point sources (sewage and industrial) generally are predominant in watersheds near cities, where they may account for large proportions of the nitrogen in streams. The transport of nitrogen in streams increases as amounts of precipitation and runoff increase and is greatest in the Northeastern United States. Because no single nonpoint nitrogen source is dominant everywhere, approaches to control nitrogen must vary throughout the Nation. Watershed-based approaches to understanding nonpoint and point sources of contamination, as used by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, will aid water-quality and environmental managers to devise methods to reduce nitrogen pollution.

Comparison of episodic acidification of Mid-Atlantic Upland and Coastal Plain streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Brien, Anne K.; Rice, Karen C.; Kennedy, Margaret M.; Bricker, Owen P.

1993-01-01

Episodic acidification was examined in five mid-Atlantic watersheds representing three physiographic provinces: Coastal Plain, Valley and Ridge, and Blue Ridge. Each of the watersheds receives a similar loading of atmospheric pollutants (SO42− and NO3−) and is underlain by different bedrock type. The purpose of this research was to quantify and compare the episodic variability in storm flow chemistry in Reedy Creek, Virginia (Coastal Plain), Mill Run and Shelter Run, Virginia (Valley and Ridge), and Fishing Creek Tributary and Hunting Creek, Maryland (Blue Ridge). Because episodic responses were similar from storm to storm in each of the watersheds, a representative storm from each watershed was discussed. Acidification, defined as the loss of acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC), was observed in all streams except Mill Run. Mill Run chemistry showed little episodic variability. During storms in the other streams, pH decreased while SO42−, NO3−, and K+ concentrations increased. Concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ increased in Reedy Creek and Fishing Creek Tributary, but decreased in Shelter Run and Hunting Creek. Therefore the net effect of episodic changes on the acid-base status differed among the streams. In general, greater losses of ANC were observed during storms at Shelter Run and Hunting Creek, watersheds underlain by reactive bedrock (carbonate, metabasalt); comparatively smaller losses in ANC were observed at Reedy Creek and Fishing Creek Tributary, watersheds underlain by quartzites and unconsolidated quartz sands and cobbles. Increased SO42− concentrations were most important during storms at Reedy Creek and Fishing Creek Tributary, but organic anions (inferred by anion deficit) were also a factor in causing the loss of ANC. Dilution of base cations was the most important factor in the loss of ANC at Shelter Run. Both increased sulfate and dilution of base flow were important in causing the episodic acidification at Hunting Creek. The role of SO42− in contributing to episodic acidification in these watersheds is similar to that documented in studies conducted in other regions of the United States, Scandinavia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The importance of SO42− in mid-Atlantic United States streams contrasts with northeastern United States streams, in which increased NO3- derived from snowpack is more important in causing episodic acidification. Results support the importance of shallow subsurface processes in determining storm flow chemistry, regional climatic characteristics in determining the different sources of acidity during episodes, and the importance of bedrock geology in determining the amount of ANC loss.

An Ecohydrological Approach to Managing Intermittent and Ephemeral Streams on Department of Defense Lands in the Southwestern United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-30

habitat metric. We narrowed the riparian-associated bird list (see Species Richness Analysis Methods section below) to species that...Significantly higher overall species richness than any other stream types, potential habitat for 2 migrant bird species , significantly lower amphibian...the Tularosa Basin had habitat for the fewest species . Bird TER-S richness was correlated with mammal (r = 0.66) TER-S richness .

An Ecohydrological Approach to Managing Intermittent and Ephemeral Streams on Department of Defense Lands in the Southwestern United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

habitat metric. We narrowed the riparian-associated bird list (see Species Richness Analysis Methods section below) to species that...Significantly higher overall species richness than any other stream types, potential habitat for 2 migrant bird species , significantly lower amphibian...the Tularosa Basin had habitat for the fewest species . Bird TER-S richness was correlated with mammal (r = 0.66) TER-S richness .

33 CFR 329.10 - Existence of obstructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... DEFENSE DEFINITION OF NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES § 329.10 Existence of obstructions. A stream... obstruction by means of artificial chutes. However, the question is ultimately a matter of degree, and it must...

Principles of Wetland Restoration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

the return of a degraded ecosystem to a close approximation of its remaining natural potential - is experiencing a groundswell of support across the United States. The number of stream, river, lake, wetland and estuary restoration projects grows yearly

Chemical characteristics and temporal trends in eight streams of the Catskill Mountains, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murdoch, Peter S.; Stoddard, J.L.

1993-01-01

Discharge to concentration relationships for eight streams studied by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Long-Term Monitoring Project (1983-89) indicate acidification of some streams by H2SO4 and HNO3 in atmospheric deposition and by organic acids in soils. Concentrations of major ions in precipitation were similar to those reported at other sites in the northeastern United States. Average concentrations of SO42- and NO3- were similar among streams, but base cation concentrations differed widely, and these differences paralleled the differences in acid neutralizing capacity (ANC). Baseflow ANC is not a reliable predictor of stream acidity at high flow; some streams with high baseflow ANC (> 150 ??eq L-1) declined to near zero ANC at high flow, and one stream with low baseflow ANC (< 50 ??eq L-1) did not approach zero ANC as flow increased. Episodic decreases in ANC and pH during peak flows were associated with increased concentrations of NO3- and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Aluminum concentrations exceeding 300 ??g L-1 were observed during peak flows in headwater streams of the Neversink River and Rondout Creek. Seasonal Kendall Tau tests for temporal trends indicate that SO42- concentrations in streamwater generally decreased and NO3- concentrations increased during the period 1983-1989. Combined acid anion concentrations (SO42- + NO3-) were generally unchanged throughout the period of record, indicating both that the status of these streams with respect to acidic deposition is unchanged, and that NO3- is gradually replacing SO42- as the dominant acid anion in the Catskill streams.Discharge to concentration relationships for eight streams studied by the US Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (US EPA) Long-term monitoring project (19831-89) indicate acidification of some streams by H2SO4 and HNO3 in atmospheric deposition and by organic acids in soils. Concentrations of major ions in precipitations were similar to those reported at other sites in the northeastern United States. Average concentrations of SO42- and No3- were similar among streams, but base cation concentrations differed widely, and these differences parallelel the differences in acid neutralizing capacity (ANC).

Diel stream temperature regimes of Bukovsky regions of the conterminous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferencz, Stephen B.; Cardenas, M. Bayani

2017-03-01

Stream temperature which varies over daily to seasonal timescales is a primary control on myriad ecological, biogeochemical, and physical processes. Yet geographic patterns of its diel variations have not been fully characterized. Using daily temperature records spanning 15 years (2000-2014), monthly averaged mean daily temperature and diel temperature range were calculated for streams distributed across six Bukovsky regions of the conterminous U.S. Across all six regions, diel temperature fluctuations were lowest during the winter, around 1-2°C. During the summer there was wide distribution in diel temperatures (2°C-12°C). The regions revealed distinct differences in diel patterns for small and medium streams, but not for large streams. Small and medium streams exhibited notable hysteresis in their annual progression of diel temperature ranges, with larger diel temperature fluctuations in the spring than in the fall.

Nutrients in the Nation?s streams and groundwater: National Findings and Implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Hamilton, Pixie A.

2010-01-01

A comprehensive national analysis of the distribution and trends of nutrient concentrations in streams and groundwater from 1992 through 2004 is provided by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Findings describe the distribution and causes of varying nutrient concentrations in streams and groundwater throughout the Nation and examine the primary sources that contribute to elevated concentrations. Results show that excessive nutrient enrichment is a widespread cause of ecological degradation in streams and that nitrate contamination of groundwater used for drinking water, particularly shallow domestic wells in agricultural areas, is a continuing human-health concern. Finally, despite major Federal, State and local nonpoint-source nutrient control efforts for streams and watersheds across the Nation, USGS trend analyses for 1993?2003 suggest limited national progress to reduce the impacts of nonpoint sources of nutrients during this period. Instead, concentrations have remained the same or increased in many streams and aquifers across the Nation, and continue to pose risks to aquatic life and human health. This Fact Sheet highlights selected national findings and their implications, and serves as a companion product to the complete analysis reported in the USGS Circular titled ?The Quality of Our Nation?s Waters?Nutrients in the Nation?s Streams and Groundwater, 1992?2004.?

Preliminary Assessment of the Flow of Used Electronics, In Selected States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin

EPA Science Inventory

Electronic waste (e-waste) is the largest growing municipal waste stream in the United States. The improper disposal of e-waste has environmental, economic, and social impacts, thus there is a need for sustainable stewardship of electronics. EPA/ORD has been working to improve ...

GRAZING POTENTIAL INDEX (GPI) AND SURFACE WATER QUALITY IN THE STATE OF OREGON: I. LIKELIHOOD OF ANIMAL PATHOGENIC PRESENCE USING ENTEROCOCCI

EPA Science Inventory

Cattle grazing is a widespread and persistent ecological stressor in the Western United States. Cattle impact surface water quality by introducing nutrients and bacteria and indirectly damaging stream banks or removing vegetation cover leading to increased sediment loads and incr...

Watersheds and fisheries relationships: State of knowledge, southwestern United States

Treesearch

John N. Rinne; Daniel G. Neary

2000-01-01

The relationships and interactions of stream courses, their watersheds, and their aquatic biota have become a contemporary paradigm. Principles and practices of these relationships are generally understood, however, understanding their implications at a landscape scale is embryonic. Because of the threatened and declining status of the native fish fauna of the...

Trace-Element Concentrations in Tissues of Aquatic Organisms from Rivers and Streams of the United States, 1992-1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWeese, Lawrence R.; Stephens, Verlin C.; Short, Terry M.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program collected tissue samples from a variety of aquatic organisms during 1992-1999 within 47 study units across the United States. These tissue samples were collected to determine the occurrence and distribution of 20 major and minor trace elements in aquatic organisms. This report presents the tissue trace-element concentration data, sample summaries, and concentration statistics for 1,457 tissue samples representing 76 species or groups of fish, aquatic invertebrates, and plants were collected at 824 sampling sites.

Climate Change Impacts on Stream Temperature in Regulated River Systems: A Case Study in the Southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Y.; Niemeyer, R. J.; Zhang, X.; Yearsley, J. R.; Voisin, N.; Nijssen, B.

2017-12-01

Climate change and associated changes in air temperature and precipitation are projected to impact natural water resources quantity, quality and timing. In the past century, over 280 major dams were built in the Southeastern United States (SEUS) (GRanD database). Regulation of the river system greatly alters natural streamflow as well as stream temperature. Understanding the impacts of climate change on regulated systems, particularly within the context of the Clean Water Act, can inform stakeholders how to maintain and adapt water operations (e.g. regulation, withdrawals). In this study, we use a new modeling framework to study climate change impacts on stream temperatures of a regulated river system. We simulate runoff with the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrological model, regulated streamflow and reservoir operations with a large-scale river routing-reservoir model (MOSART-WM), and stream temperature using the River Basin Model (RBM). We enhanced RBM with a two-layer thermal stratification reservoir module. This modeling framework captures both the impact of reservoir regulation on streamflow and the reservoir stratification effects on downstream temperatures. We evaluate changes in flow and stream temperatures based on climate projections from two representative concentration pathways (RCPs; RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). We simulate river temperature with meteorological forcings that have been downscaled with the Multivariate Constructed Analogs (MACA) method. We are specifically interested in analyzing extreme periods during which stream temperature exceeds water quality standards. In this study, we focus on identifying whether these extreme temperature periods coincide with low flows, and whether the frequency and duration of these operationally-relevant periods will increase under future climate change.

Dissolved Solids in Streams of the Conterminous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anning, D. W.; Flynn, M.

2014-12-01

Studies have shown that excessive dissolved-solids concentrations in water can have adverse effects on the environment and on agricultural, municipal, and industrial water users. Such effects motivated the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program to develop a SPAtially-Referenced Regression on Watershed Attributes (SPARROW) model to improve the understanding of dissolved solids in streams of the United States. Using the SPARROW model, annual dissolved-solids loads from 2,560 water-quality monitoring stations were statistically related to several spatial datasets serving as surrogates for dissolved-solids sources and transport processes. Sources investigated in the model included geologic materials, road de-icers, urban lands, cultivated lands, and pasture lands. Factors affecting transport from these sources to streams in the model included climate, soil, vegetation, terrain, population, irrigation, and artificial-drainage characteristics. The SPARROW model was used to predict long-term mean annual conditions for dissolved-solids sources, loads, yields, and concentrations in about 66,000 stream reaches and corresponding incremental catchments nationwide. The estimated total amount of dissolved solids delivered to the Nation's streams is 272 million metric tons (Mt) annually, of which 194 million Mt (71%) are from geologic sources, 38 million Mt (14%) are from road de-icers, 18 million Mt (7%) are from pasture lands, 14 million Mt (5 %) are from urban lands, and 8 million Mt (3%) are from cultivated lands. The median incremental-catchment yield delivered to local streams is 26 metric tons per year per square kilometer [(Mt/yr)/km2]. Ten percent of the incremental catchments yield less than 4 (Mt/yr)/km2, and 10 percent yield more than 90 (Mt/yr)/km2. In 13% of the reaches, predicted flow-weighted concentrations exceed 500 mg/L—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary non-enforceable drinking-water standard.

A technique for estimating time of concentration and storage coefficient values for Illinois streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graf, Julia B.; Garklavs, George; Oberg, Kevin A.

1982-01-01

Values of the unit hydrograph parameters time of concentration (TC) and storage coefficient (R) can be estimated for streams in Illinois by a two-step technique developed from data for 98 gaged basins in the State. The sum of TC and R is related to stream length (L) and main channel slope (S) by the relation (TC + R)e = 35.2L0.39S-0.78. The variable R/(TC + R) is not significantly correlated with drainage area, slope, or length, but does exhibit a regional trend. Regional values of R/(TC + R) are used with the computed values of (TC + R)e to solve for estimated values of time of concentration (TCe) and storage coefficient (Re). The use of the variable R/(TC + R) is thought to account for variations in unit hydrograph parameters caused by physiographic variables such as basin topography, flood-plain development, and basin storage characteristics. (USGS)

BACTERIAL SOURCE TRACKING

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal contamination of surface waters used for recreation, drinking water and aquaculture are a continuous environmental problem and pose significant human health risks. An alarming amount of the United States rivers/streams (39%), lakes (45%), and estuaries (51%) are not safe f...

Application of a hierarchical habitat unit classification system: stream habitat and salmonid distribution in Ward Creek, southeast Alaska.

Treesearch

M.D. Bryant; B.E. Wright; B.J. Davies

1992-01-01

A hierarchical classification system separating stream habitat into habitat units defined by stream morphology and hydrology was used in a pre-enhancement stream survey. The system separates habitat units into macrounits, mesounits, and micro- units and includes a separate evaluation of instream cover that also uses the hierarchical scheme. This paper presents an...

Miscellaneous streamflow measurements in the State of Washington, January 1961 to September 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, John R.; Riis, S.A.

1989-01-01

This report is a compilation of previously published miscellaneous streamflow measurements made in Washington State by the U.S. Geological Survey between January 1961 and September 1985. It is a supplement to a volume of similar data for the period 1890 to January 1961. The data include stream name and stream to which it is tributary, latitude and longitude, county code, hydrologic unit code, land-line location, drainage area, and measurement dates and discharges. In general, the data sites are not at gaging stations; however, some data are given for gaging station sites during periods when the stations were not in operation. All data in this report have been entered into a computerized data base that includes the data for the period 1890 to January 1961. The data can be retrieved in a variety of ways, such as by county, by hydrologic unit code, by river basin , or by size of drainage area. (USGS)

GAGES: A stream gage database for evaluating natural and alteredflow conditions in the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falcone, James A.; Carlisle, Daren M.; Wolock, David M.; Meador, Michael R.

2010-01-01

In addition, watersheds were assessed for their reference quality within nine broad regions for use in studies intended to characterize stream flows under conditions minimally influenced by human activities. Three primary criteria were used to assess reference quality: (1) a quantitative index of anthropogenic modification within the watershed based on GIS-derived variables, (2) visual inspection of every stream gage and drainage basin from recent high-resolution imagery and topographic maps, and (3) information about man-made influences from USGS Annual Water Data Reports. From the set of 6785 sites, we identified 1512 as reference-quality stream gages. All data derived for these watersheds as well as the reference condition evaluation are provided as an online data set termed GAGES (geospatial attributes of gages for evaluating stream flow).

Data from selected U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Water-Quality Networks (WQN)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, Richard B.; Slack, J.R.; Ludtke, A.S.; Fitzgerald, K.K.; Schertz, T.L.; Briel, L.I.; Buttleman, K.P.

1996-01-01

This CD-ROM set contains data from two USGS national stream water-quality networks, the Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) and the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN), operated during the past 30 years. These networks were established to provide national and regional descriptions of stream water-quality conditions and trends, based on uniform monitoring of selected watersheds throughout the United States, and to improve our understanding of the effects of the natural environment and human activities on water quality. The HBN, consisting of 63 relatively small, minimally disturbed watersheds, provides data for investigating naturally induced changes in streamflow and water quality and the effects of airborne substances on water quality. NASQAN, consisting of 618 larger, more culturally influenced watersheds, provides information for tracking water-quality conditions in major U.S. rivers and streams.

Mercury in Fish, Bed Sediment, and Water from Streams Across the United States, 1998-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scudder, Barbara C.; Chasar, Lia C.; Wentz, Dennis A.; Bauch, Nancy J.; Brigham, Mark E.; Moran, Patrick W.; Krabbenhoft, David P.

2009-01-01

Mercury (Hg) was examined in top-predator fish, bed sediment, and water from streams that spanned regional and national gradients of Hg source strength and other factors thought to influence methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation. Sampled settings include stream basins that were agricultural, urbanized, undeveloped (forested, grassland, shrubland, and wetland land cover), and mined (for gold and Hg). Each site was sampled one time during seasonal low flow. Predator fish were targeted for collection, and composited samples of fish (primarily skin-off fillets) were analyzed for total Hg (THg), as most of the Hg found in fish tissue (95-99 percent) is MeHg. Samples of bed sediment and stream water were analyzed for THg, MeHg, and characteristics thought to affect Hg methylation, such as loss-on-ignition (LOI, a measure of organic matter content) and acid-volatile sulfide in bed sediment, and pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved sulfate in water. Fish-Hg concentrations at 27 percent of sampled sites exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency human-health criterion of 0.3 micrograms per gram wet weight. Exceedances were geographically widespread, although the study design targeted specific sites and fish species and sizes, so results do not represent a true nationwide percentage of exceedances. The highest THg concentrations in fish were from blackwater coastal-plain streams draining forests or wetlands in the eastern and southeastern United States, as well as from streams draining gold- or Hg-mined basins in the western United States (1.80 and 1.95 micrograms THg per gram wet weight, respectively). For unmined basins, length-normalized Hg concentrations in largemouth bass were significantly higher in fish from predominantly undeveloped or mixed-land-use basins compared to urban basins. Hg concentrations in largemouth bass from unmined basins were correlated positively with basin percentages of evergreen forest and also woody wetland, especially with increasing proximity of these two land-cover types to the sampling site; this underscores the greater likelihood for Hg bioaccumulation to occur in these types of settings. Increasing concentrations of MeHg in unfiltered stream water, and of bed-sediment MeHg normalized by LOI, and decreasing pH and dissolved sulfate were also important in explaining increasing Hg concentrations in largemouth bass. MeHg concentrations in bed sediment correlated positively with THg, LOI, and acid-volatile sulfide. Concentrations of MeHg in water correlated positively with DOC, ultraviolet absorbance, and THg in water, the percentage of MeHg in bed sediment, and the percentage of wetland in the basin.

Recovery from chronic and snowmelt acidification: Long-term trends in stream and soil water chemistry at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA

Treesearch

Colin B. Fuss; Charles T. Driscoll; John L. Campbell

2015-01-01

Atmospheric acid deposition of sulfate and nitrate has declined markedly in the northeastern United States due to emissions controls. We investigated long-term trends in soil water (1984–2011) and stream water (1982–2011) chemistry along an elevation gradient of a forested watershed to evaluate the progress of recovery of drainage waters from acidic deposition at the...

Simulating mercury and methyl mercury stream concentrations at multiple scales in a wetland influenced coastal plain watershed (McTier Creek, SC, USA)

Treesearch

Chris Knightes; G.M. Davis; H.E. Golden; P.A. Conrads; P.M. Bradley; C.A. Journey

2016-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is the toxicant responsible for the most fish advisories across the United States, with 1.1 million river miles under advisory. The processes governing fate, transport, and transformation of mercury in streams and rivers are not well understood, in large part, because these systems are intimately linked with their surrounding watersheds and are often...

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States1

PubMed Central

Rebich, Richard A; Houston, Natalie A; Mize, Scott V; Pearson, Daniel K; Ging, Patricia B; Evan Hornig, C

2011-01-01

Abstract SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two-thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%). PMID:22457582

Linking urbanization to the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) for stream ecosystems in the Northeastern United States using a Bayesian network approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kashuba, Roxolana; McMahon, Gerard; Cuffney, Thomas F.; Qian, Song; Reckhow, Kenneth; Gerritsen, Jeroen; Davies, Susan

2012-01-01

In realization of the aforementioned advantages, a Bayesian network model was constructed to characterize the effect of urban development on aquatic macroinvertebrate stream communities through three simultaneous, interacting ecological pathways affecting stream hydrology, habitat, and water quality across watersheds in the Northeastern United States. This model incorporates both empirical data and expert knowledge to calculate the probabilities of attaining desired aquatic ecosystem conditions under different urban stress levels, environmental conditions, and management options. Ecosystem conditions are characterized in terms of standardized Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) management endpoints. This approach to evaluating urban development-induced perturbations in watersheds integrates statistical and mechanistic perspectives, different information sources, and several ecological processes into a comprehensive description of the system that can be used to support decision making. The completed model can be used to infer which management actions would lead to the highest likelihood of desired BCG tier achievement. For example, if best management practices (BMP) were implemented in a highly urbanized watershed to reduce flashiness to medium levels and specific conductance to low levels, the stream would have a 70-percent chance of achieving BCG Tier 3 or better, relative to a 24-percent achievement likelihood for unmanaged high urban land cover. Results are reported probabilistically to account for modeling uncertainty that is inherent in sources such as natural variability and model simplification error.

Empowered: Renewable energy, western states and the Bureau of Land Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buthman, James Douglas

Renewable Energy (RE) increasingly influences electrical markets throughout the United States. The public lands, those lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are being used for the placement of utility-scale (20+ Megawatts) RE facilities, particularly solar, wind, and geothermal power plants. This dissertation uses Kingdon's (1984) multiple streams theory (MS) as a framework to examine state influence on the implementation phase of the federal policy process. This is a comparative case study of four western states (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah). Three theories guide the examination of the three streams of governmental action: problems = new institutionalism; policies = cooperative federalism; and politics = networks. The research question asks: How do state governments affect the implementation phase of the federal policy process concerning the use of the public lands for utility-scale RE?

Quantifying tolerance indicator values for common stream fish species of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meador, M.R.; Carlisle, D.M.

2007-01-01

The classification of fish species tolerance to environmental disturbance is often used as a means to assess ecosystem conditions. Its use, however, may be problematic because the approach to tolerance classification is based on subjective judgment. We analyzed fish and physicochemical data from 773 stream sites collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program to calculate tolerance indicator values for 10 physicochemical variables using weighted averaging. Tolerance indicator values (TIVs) for ammonia, chloride, dissolved oxygen, nitrite plus nitrate, pH, phosphorus, specific conductance, sulfate, suspended sediment, and water temperature were calculated for 105 common fish species of the United States. Tolerance indicator values for specific conductance and sulfate were correlated (rho = 0.87), and thus, fish species may be co-tolerant to these water-quality variables. We integrated TIVs for each species into an overall tolerance classification for comparisons with judgment-based tolerance classifications. Principal components analysis indicated that the distinction between tolerant and intolerant classifications was determined largely by tolerance to suspended sediment, specific conductance, chloride, and total phosphorus. Factors such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH may not be as important in distinguishing between tolerant and intolerant classifications, but may help to segregate species classified as moderate. Empirically derived tolerance classifications were 58.8% in agreement with judgment-derived tolerance classifications. Canonical discriminant analysis revealed that few TIVs, primarily chloride, could discriminate among judgment-derived tolerance classifications of tolerant, moderate, and intolerant. To our knowledge, this is the first empirically based understanding of fish species tolerance for stream fishes in the United States.

Invertebrate response to changes in streamflow hydraulics in two urban areas in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knight, Rodney R.; Cuffney, Thomas F.

2012-01-01

Stream hydrology is foundational to aquatic ecosystems and has been shown to be a structuring element for fish and invertebrates. The relations among urbanization, hydraulics, and invertebrate communities were investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment Program by using measures of stream hydraulics in two areas of the United States. Specifically, the hypothesis that the effects of urbanization on streamflow and aquatic biota are transferable across geographic regions was tested. Data from sites in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Milwaukee–Green Bay, Wisconsin, were compared and indicate that increasing urbanization has an effect on hydraulic characteristics (Reynolds number, shear stress, and stream power for example) in each metropolitan area, though limited commonality of significant correlations was noted between areas. Correspondence of significant correlations between invertebrate and hydraulic metrics between study areas also was limited. The links between urbanization, hydraulics, and invertebrates could be seen only in the Raleigh data. Connections among these three elements in the Milwaukee–Green Bay data were not clear and likely were obscured by antecedent land cover. Observed biotic differences due to hydrology and urbanization characteristics are not similar between geographic regions.

MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING - 2005

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal contamination of surface waters used for recreation, drinking water and aquaculture are a continuous environmental problem and pose significant human health risks. An alarming amount of the United States rivers/streams (39%), lakes (45%), and estuaries (51%) are not safe f...

MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING GUIDE

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal contamination of surface waters used for recreation, drinking water and aquaculture are a continuous environmental problem and pose significant human health risks. An alarming amount of the United States rivers/streams (39%), lakes (45%), and estuaries (51%) are not safe f...

MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING - 101

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal contamination of surface waters used for recreation, drinking water and aquaculture are a continuous environmental problem and pose significant human health risks. Today, a large portion of the United States rivers/streams (39%), lakes (45%), and estuaries (51%) are not saf...

Habitat suitability criteria for assessment of instream flow needs of fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crance, Johnie H.

1989-01-01

In the western portion of the United States, competition for stream water gas often been fierce. Water resource management agencies in the southeastern United States, where water has been relatively abundant, are not being faced with similar competing demands for water, and with increasing pressures to develop and defend recommendations for protecting fish and invertebrates in streams. Streamflow depletion at any time can result in severe long-term effects on fish populations(Peters, 1982). The allocation of stream water to any numerous instream or offstream uses is tied to the issues of water quantity, quality, and timing, which center on two critical questions: (1)when and how much water of an acceptable quality should be left in a stream, and (2) what happens if flow regimes are changed? Answers to these questions will probably be complex, but reliable answers are needed to protect instream and offstream values. If instream flow interests expect to compete with offstream uses for limited water supplies, they must be able to determine reliable and defensible methods for determining instream flow needs and demonstrate the environmental consequences of altered flow regimes. My objectives in this paper are: (a) to present an overview of the need, development, and use of stream habitat suitability criteria, and the use of these criteria for the assessment of instream flow needs; (b) to give a status report on the plan of the National Ecology Research Center (NERC) for expansion of instream flow research in the Southeast; and (c) to discuss the relevancy of the research to river corridor management.

Riparian shrub buffers reduce surface water pollutant loads

Treesearch

W. A. Geyer; C. Barden; K. Mankin; D. Devlin

2003-01-01

Surface water resources in Kansas often contain concentrations of pesticides, nutrients, and sediments that are of concern to local citizens. The United States Geological Survey reported in 1999 that 97 percent of streams and 82 percent of lakes in Kansas would not fully support all uses as designated by state statutes (U.S. Geological Survey 1999). Bacteria and...

MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES: IMPLICATIONS OF SELENIUM INTERACTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

We collected 2,707 fish from 626 stream/river sites in 12 western USA states using a probability design to assess the spatial extent of whole fish mercury (Hg) concentrations. In all large (> 120 mm) fish, total Hg concentrations (mean µg·g-1; SD; n) in both piscivores (0.26...

Relative Linkages of Stream Dissolved Oxygen with the Hydroclimatic and Biogeochemical Drivers across the Gulf Coast of U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebreslase, A. K.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2017-12-01

Dynamics of coastal stream water quality is influenced by a multitude of interacting environmental drivers. A systematic data analytics approach was employed to determine the relative linkages of stream dissolved oxygen (DO) with the hydroclimatic and biogeochemical variables across the Gulf Coast of U.S.A. Multivariate pattern recognition techniques of PCA and FA, alongside Pearson's correlation matrix, were utilized to examine the interrelation of variables at 36 water quality monitoring stations from USGS NWIS and EPA STORET databases. Power-law based partial least square regression models with a bootstrap Monte Carlo procedure (1000 iterations) were developed to estimate the relative linkages of dissolved oxygen with the hydroclimatic and biogeochemical variables by appropriately resolving multicollinearity (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency = 0.58-0.94). Based on the dominant drivers, stations were divided into four environmental regimes. Water temperature was the dominant driver of DO in the majority of streams, representing most the northern part of Gulf Coast states. However, streams in the southern part of Texas and Florida showed a dominant pH control on stream DO. Further, streams representing the transition zone of the two environmental regimes showed notable controls of multiple drivers (i.e., water temperature, stream flow, and specific conductance) on the stream DO. The data analytics research provided profound insight to understand the dynamics of stream DO with the hydroclimatic and biogeochemical variables. The knowledge can help water quality managers in formulating plans for effective stream water quality and watershed management in the U.S. Gulf Coast. Keywords Data analytics, coastal streams, relative linkages, dissolved oxygen, environmental regimes, Gulf Coast, United States.

A Regional Modeling Framework of Phosphorus Sources and Transport in Streams of the Southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, A.M.; Hoos, A.B.; Terziotti, S.

2011-01-01

We applied the SPARROW model to estimate phosphorus transport from catchments to stream reaches and subsequent delivery to major receiving water bodies in the Southeastern United States (U.S.). We show that six source variables and five land-to-water transport variables are significant (p<0.05) in explaining 67% of the variability in long-term log-transformed mean annual phosphorus yields. Three land-to-water variables are a subset of landscape characteristics that have been used as transport factors in phosphorus indices developed by state agencies and are identified through experimental research as influencing land-to-water phosphorus transport at field and plot scales. Two land-to-water variables - soil organic matter and soil pH - are associated with phosphorus sorption, a significant finding given that most state-developed phosphorus indices do not explicitly contain variables for sorption processes. Our findings for Southeastern U.S. streams emphasize the importance of accounting for phosphorus present in the soil profile to predict attainable instream water quality. Regional estimates of phosphorus associated with soil-parent rock were highly significant in explaining instream phosphorus yield variability. Model predictions associate 31% of phosphorus delivered to receiving water bodies to geology and the highest total phosphorus yields in the Southeast were catchments with already high background levels that have been impacted by human activity. ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Estimation of monthly water yields and flows for 1951-2012 for the United States portion of the Great Lakes Basin with AFINCH

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luukkonen, Carol L.; Holtschlag, David J.; Reeves, Howard W.; Hoard, Christopher J.; Fuller, Lori M.

2015-01-01

Monthly water yields from 105,829 catchments and corresponding flows in 107,691 stream segments were estimated for water years 1951–2012 in the Great Lakes Basin in the United States. Both sets of estimates were computed by using the Analysis of Flows In Networks of CHannels (AFINCH) application within the NHDPlus geospatial data framework. AFINCH provides an environment to develop constrained regression models to integrate monthly streamflow and water-use data with monthly climatic data and fixed basin characteristics data available within NHDPlus or supplied by the user. For this study, the U.S. Great Lakes Basin was partitioned into seven study areas by grouping selected hydrologic subregions and adjoining cataloguing units. This report documents the regression models and data used to estimate monthly water yields and flows in each study area. Estimates of monthly water yields and flows are presented in a Web-based mapper application. Monthly flow time series for individual stream segments can be retrieved from the Web application and used to approximate monthly flow-duration characteristics and to identify possible trends.

A Compilation of Provisional Karst Geospatial Data for the Interior Low Plateaus Physiographic Region, Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Charles J.; Nelson, Hugh L.

2008-01-01

Geospatial data needed to visualize and evaluate the hydrogeologic framework and distribution of karst features in the Interior Low Plateaus physiographic region of the central United States were compiled during 2004-2007 as part of the Ground-Water Resources Program Karst Hydrology Initiative (KHI) project. Because of the potential usefulness to environmental and water-resources regulators, private consultants, academic researchers, and others, the geospatial data files created during the KHI project are being made available to the public as a provisional regional karst dataset. To enhance accessibility and visualization, the geospatial data files have been compiled as ESRI ArcReader data folders and user interactive Published Map Files (.pmf files), all of which are catalogued by the boundaries of surface watersheds using U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) eight-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUC-8s). Specific karst features included in the dataset include mapped sinkhole locations, sinking (or disappearing) streams, internally drained catchments, karst springs inventoried in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database, relic stream valleys, and karst flow paths obtained from results of previously reported water-tracer tests.

Sources and preparation of data for assessing trends in concentrations of pesticides in streams of the United States, 1992–2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Jeffrey D.; Eberle, Michael; Nakagaki, Naomi

2011-01-01

This report updates a previously published water-quality dataset of 44 commonly used pesticides and 8 pesticide degradates suitable for a national assessment of trends in pesticide concentrations in streams of the United States. Water-quality samples collected from January 1992 through September 2010 at stream-water sites of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program and the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) were compiled, reviewed, selected, and prepared for trend analysis. The principal steps in data review for trend analysis were to (1) identify analytical schedule, (2) verify sample-level coding, (3) exclude inappropriate samples or results, (4) review pesticide detections per sample, (5) review high pesticide concentrations, and (6) review the spatial and temporal extent of NAWQA pesticide data and selection of analytical methods for trend analysis. The principal steps in data preparation for trend analysis were to (1) select stream-water sites for trend analysis, (2) round concentrations to a consistent level of precision for the concentration range, (3) identify routine reporting levels used to report nondetections unaffected by matrix interference, (4) reassign the concentration value for routine nondetections to the maximum value of the long-term method detection level (maxLT-MDL), (5) adjust concentrations to compensate for temporal changes in bias of recovery of the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) analytical method, and (6) identify samples considered inappropriate for trend analysis. Samples analyzed at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) by the GCMS analytical method were the most extensive in time and space and, consequently, were selected for trend analysis. Stream-water sites with 3 or more water years of data with six or more samples per year were selected for pesticide trend analysis. The selection criteria described in the report produced a dataset of 21,988 pesticide samples at 212 stream-water sites. Only 21,144 pesticide samples, however, are considered appropriate for trend analysis.

Stream classification of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System to support modeling of aquatic habitat response to climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliott, Caroline M.; Jacobson, Robert B.; Freeman, Mary C.

2014-01-01

A stream classification and associated datasets were developed for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin to support biological modeling of species response to climate change in the southeastern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of the Interior’s National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center established the Southeast Regional Assessment Project (SERAP) which used downscaled general circulation models to develop landscape-scale assessments of climate change and subsequent effects on land cover, ecosystems, and priority species in the southeastern United States. The SERAP aquatic and hydrologic dynamics modeling efforts involve multiscale watershed hydrology, stream-temperature, and fish-occupancy models, which all are based on the same stream network. Models were developed for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and subbasins in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, and for the Upper Roanoke River Basin in Virginia. The stream network was used as the spatial scheme through which information was shared across the various models within SERAP. Because these models operate at different scales, coordinated pair versions of the network were delineated, characterized, and parameterized for coarse- and fine-scale hydrologic and biologic modeling. The stream network used for the SERAP aquatic models was extracted from a 30-meter (m) scale digital elevation model (DEM) using standard topographic analysis of flow accumulation. At the finer scale, reaches were delineated to represent lengths of stream channel with fairly homogenous physical characteristics (mean reach length = 350 m). Every reach in the network is designated with geomorphic attributes including upstream drainage basin area, channel gradient, channel width, valley width, Strahler and Shreve stream order, stream power, and measures of stream confinement. The reach network was aggregated from tributary junction to tributary junction to define segments for the benefit of hydrological, soil erosion, and coarser ecological modeling. Reach attributes are summarized for each segment. In six subbasins segments are assigned additional attributes about barriers (usually impoundments) to fish migration and stream isolation. Segments in the six sub-basins are also attributed with percent urban area for the watershed upstream from the stream segment for each decade from 2010–2100 from models of urban growth. On a broader scale, for application in a coarse-scale species-response model, the stream-network information is aggregated and summarized by 256 drainage subbasins (Hydrologic Response Units) used for watershed hydrologic and stream-temperature models. A model of soil erodibility based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation also was developed at this scale to parameterize a model to evaluate stream condition. The reach-scale network was classified using multivariate clustering based on modeled channel width, valley width, and mean reach gradient as variables. The resulting classification consists of a 6-cluster and a 12-cluster classification for every reach in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin. We present an example of the utility of the classification that was tested using the occurrence of two species of darters and two species of minnows in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, the blackbanded darter and Halloween darter, and the bluestripe shiner and blacktail shiner.

Methods and Sources of Data Used to Develop Selected Water-Quality Indicators for Streams and Ground Water for the 2007 Edition of The State of the Nation's Ecosystems Report with Comparisons to the 2002 Edition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, John T.; Baker, Nancy T.; Moran, Michael J.; Crawford, Charles G.; Nowell, Lisa H.; Toccalino, Patricia L.; Wilber, William G.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was one of numerous governmental, private, and academic entities that provided input to the report The State of the Nation?s Ecosystems published periodically by the Heinz Center. This report describes the sources of data and methods used by the USGS to develop selected water?quality indicators for the 2007 edition of the Heinz Center report and documents modifications in the data sources and interpretations between the 2002 and 2007 editions of the Heinz Center report. Stream and ground?water quality data collected nationally as part of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program were used to develop the ecosystem indicators for the Heinz Center report, including Core National indicators for the Movement of Nitrogen and Chemical Contamination and for selected ecosystems classified as Farmlands, Forest, Grasslands and Shrublands, Freshwater, and Urban and Suburban. In addition, the USGS provided water?quality and streamflow data collected as part of the National Stream Water Quality Accounting Network and the Federal?State Cooperative Program. The documentation provided herein serves not only as a reference for current and future editions of The State of the Nation?s Ecosystems but also provides critical information for future assessments of changes in contaminant occurrence in streams and ground water of the United States.

Earth Observations taken by the STS-109 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-05

STS109-719-076 (1-12 March 2002) --- The astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Columbia took this 70mm picture featuring part of the eastern sea board. The oblique view looks northward from South Florida to the southern Appalachians. Most of the southeastern United States appears in crisp, clear air in the wake of a cold front that has pushed well off the mainland. Only a few jet stream and low-level clouds remain over South Florida and Gulf Stream.

A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report adapts the standard U.S. EPA methodology for deriving ambient water quality criteria. Rather than use toxicity test results, the adaptation uses field data to determine the loss of 5% of genera from streams. The method is applied to derive effect benchmarks for dissolved salts as measured by conductivity in Central Appalachian streams using data from West Virginia and Kentucky. This report provides scientific evidence for a conductivity benchmark in a specific region rather than for the entire United States.

Regional flood-frequency relations for streams with many years of no flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hjalmarson, Hjalmar W.; Thomas, Blakemore E.; ,

1990-01-01

In the southwestern United States, flood-frequency relations for streams that drain small arid basins are difficult to estimate, largely because of the extreme temporal and spatial variability of floods and the many years of no flow. A method is proposed that is based on the station-year method. The new method produces regional flood-frequency relations using all available annual peak-discharge data. The prediction errors for the relations are directly assessed using randomly selected subsamples of the annual peak discharges.

Restoring a stream, restoring a community-urban watershed restoration fosters community improvement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Catherine Cullinane; Myrick, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The Anacostia Watershed lies within the Chesapeake By drainage basin, and is one of the most urban watersheds within the basin. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the watershed spans over 175 square miles\tbetween Maryland and the District of Columbia and is considered by many to be one of the most\tdegraded waterways in the United States. Watts Branch is a tributary stream\tof the Anacostia River, and flows\tinto the Potomac River which eventually\tempties into the Chesapeake Bay

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Southwest). Steelhead.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

planning, trout in the Lemhi River, Idaho . The and acquisition of interests in ecological requirements of the two streams threatened with adverse devel...and its effects on insects and fish. B. C., Inst. of Fish., Vancouver. Univ. Idaho Coop. Fish. Res. Unit Bull. 17. Completion Rep. Proj. Anderson, H.W...J. Morris, ed. Symposium, Idaho . Coll. of Forestry, Wildl., ForesT Land Uses and Stream and Range Sciences, Univ. of Idaho , Environment. Oregon State

MANAGING WATERBORNE PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Pathogenic microorganisms of fecal origin are the leading cause of river and stream impairments in the United States. Runoff from agricultural operations, particularly animal agricultural, can be a major contributor of fecal microbial pollution in a watershed. Several management...

An evaluation of a bed instability index as an indicator of habitat quality in mountain streams of the northwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kusnierz, Paul C.; Holbrook, Christopher; Feldman, David L.

2015-01-01

Managers of aquatic resources benefit from indices of habitat quality that are reproducible and easy to measure, demonstrate a link between habitat quality and biota health, and differ between human-impacted (i.e., managed) and reference (i.e., nonimpacted or minimally impacted) conditions. The instability index (ISI) is an easily measured index that describes the instability of a streambed by relating the tractive force of a stream at bankfull discharge to the median substrate size. Previous studies have linked ISI to biological condition but have been limited to comparisons of sites within a single stream or among a small number of streams. We tested ISI as an indicator of human impact to habitat and biota in mountain streams of the northwestern USA. Among 1428 sites in six northwestern states, ISI was correlated with other habitat measures (e.g., residual pool depth, percent fine sediment) and indices of biotic health (e.g., number of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa, fine sediment biotic index) and differed between managed and reference sites across a range of stream types and ecoregions. While ISI could be useful in mountain streams throughout the world, this index may be of particular interest to aquatic resource managers in the northwestern USA where a large dataset, from which ISI can be calculated, exists.

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Office of Research and Development has finalized the report Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence. The report reviews more than 1,200 peer-reviewed publications and summarizes current scientific understanding about the connectivity and mechanisms by which streams and wetlands, singly or in aggregate, affect the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of downstream waters. The focus of the report is on surface and shallow subsurface connections by which small or temporary streams, nontidal wetlands, and open waters affect larger waters such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries. This report represents the state-of-the-science on the connectivity and isolation of waters in the United States. It makes five major conclusions, summarized below, that are drawn from a broad range of peer reviewed scientific literature. The scientific literature unequivocally demonstrates that streams, regardless of their size or frequency of flow, are connected to downstream waters and strongly influence their function. The scientific literature clearly shows that wetlands and open waters in riparian areas (transitional areas between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems) and floodplains are physically, chemically, and biologically integrated with rivers via functions that improve downstream water quality. These system

New streams and springs after the 2014 Mw6.0 South Napa earthquake.

PubMed

Wang, Chi-Yuen; Manga, Michael

2015-07-09

Many streams and springs, which were dry or nearly dry before the 2014 Mw6.0 South Napa earthquake, started to flow after the earthquake. A United States Geological Survey stream gauge also registered a coseismic increase in discharge. Public interest was heightened by a state of extreme drought in California. Since the new flows were not contaminated by pre-existing surface water, their composition allowed unambiguous identification of their origin. Following the earthquake we repeatedly surveyed the new flows, collecting data to test hypotheses about their origin. We show that the new flows originated from groundwater in nearby mountains released by the earthquake. The estimated total amount of new water is ∼ 10(6) m(3), about 1/40 of the annual water use in the Napa-Sonoma area. Our model also makes a testable prediction of a post-seismic decrease of seismic velocity in the shallow crust of the affected region.

Comparison of pesticides in eight U.S. urban streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, R.S.; Capel, P.D.; Larson, S.J.

2000-01-01

Little is known of the occurrence of pesticides in urban streams compared to streams draining agricultural areas. Water samples from eight urban streams from across the United States were analyzed for 75 pesticides and seven transformation products. For six of the eight urban streams, paired agricultural streams were used for comparisons. The herbicides detected most frequently in the urban streams were prometon, simazine, atrazine, tebuthiuron, and metolachlor, and the insecticides detected most frequently were diazinon, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, and malathion. In contrast to similar-sized agricultural streams, total insecticide concentrations commonly exceeded total herbicide concentrations in these urban streams. In general, the temporal concentration patterns in the urban streams were consistent with the characteristics of the local growing season. The insecticides carbaryl and diazinon exceeded criteria for the protection of aquatic life in many of the urban streams in the spring and summer. When the country as a whole is considered, the estimated mass of herbicides contributed by urban areas to streams is dwarfed by the estimated contribution from agricultural areas, but for insecticides, contributions from urban and agricultural areas may be similar. The results of this study suggest that urban areas should not be overlooked when assessing sources and monitoring the occurrence of pesticides in surface waters.

Dissolved Solids in Basin-Fill Aquifers and Streams in the Southwestern United States - Executive Summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, David W.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed a regional study in the Southwestern United States to characterize dissolved-solids conditions in major water supplies, including important rivers and aquifers. High concentrations of dissolved solids can degrade a water supply's suitability for important uses, such as drinking water or crop irrigation. In an effort to ensure the continued availability of clean surface and groundwater, USGS scientists identified areas where there have been both increasing and decreasing trends in dissolved-solids concentrations.

Germanium recycling in the United States in 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jorgenson, John D.

2006-01-01

This report describes the recycling flow of germanium in the United States in 2000, as well as other germanium material flow streams. Germanium was recycled mostly from new scrap that was generated during the manufacture of germanium-containing fiber optic cables and from new and old scrap products of germanium-containing infrared imaging devices. In 2000, about 11.5 metric tons of germanium was recycled, about 40 percent of which was derived from old scrap. The germanium recycling rate was estimated to be 50 percent, and germanium scrap recycling efficiency, 76 percent.

Use of remote-sensing techniques to survey the physical habitat of large rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edsall, Thomas A.; Behrendt, Thomas E.; Cholwek, Gary; Frey, Jeffery W.; Kennedy, Gregory W.; Smith, Stephen B.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Behrendt, Thomas E.; Cholwek, Gary; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Kennedy, Gregory W.; Smith, Stephen B.

1997-01-01

Remote-sensing techniques that can be used to quantitatively characterize the physical habitat in large rivers in the United States where traditional survey approaches typically used in small- and medium-sized streams and rivers would be ineffective or impossible to apply. The state-of-the-art remote-sensing technologies that we discuss here include side-scan sonar, RoxAnn, acoustic Doppler current profiler, remotely operated vehicles and camera systems, global positioning systems, and laser level survey systems. The use of these technologies will permit the collection of information needed to create computer visualizations and hard copy maps and generate quantitative databases that can be used in real-time mode in the field to characterize the physical habitat at a study location of interest and to guide the distribution of sampling effort needed to address other habitat-related study objectives. This report augments habitat sampling and characterization guidance provided by Meador et al. (1993) and is intended for use primarily by U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment program managers and scientists who are documenting water quality in streams and rivers of the United States.

Comparison of hydromorphological assessment methods: Application to the Boise River, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjankar, Rohan; Koenig, Frauke; Tonina, Daniele

2013-06-01

Recent national and international legislation (e.g., the European Water Framework Directive) identified the need to quantify the ecological condition of river systems as a critical component for an integrated river management approach. An important defining driver of ecological condition is stream hydromorphology. Several methodologies have been proposed from simple table-based approaches to complex hydraulics-based models. In this paper, three different methods for river hydromorphological assessment are applied to the Boise River, United States of America (USA): (1) the German LAWA overview method (Bund/Laender Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser/German Working Group on water issues of the Federal States and the Federal Government represented by the Federal Environment Ministry), (2) a special approach for a hydromorphological assessment of urban rivers and (3) a hydraulic-based method. The hydraulic-based method assessed stream conditions from a statistical analysis of flow properties predicted with hydrodynamic modeling. The investigation focuses on comparing the three methods and defining the transferability of the methods among different contexts, Europe and West United States. It also provides comparison of the hydromorphological conditions of an urban and a rural reaches of the Boise River.

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 Catchments (Version 2.1) for the Conterminous United States: Road and Stream Intersections

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the density of road and stream crossings within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds. Attributes of the landscape layer were calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment and then accumulated to provide watershed-level metrics. (see Data Sources for links to NHDPlusV2 data and metadata) The landscape layer (raster) was developed by James Falcone of the USGS. US Census TIGER 2000 line files of roads and the NHDPlusV1 line files of all streams were converted to 30-meter grids where the presence of a street or stream was a 1 and everything else a 0. These were intersected and anything that was a 1 in both grids is the result. The density of road and stream crossings (crossings / square kilometer) were summarized to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description).

Use of an urban intensity index to assess urban effects on streams in three contrasting environmental settings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tate, C.M.; Cuffney, T.F.; McMahon, G.; Giddings, E.M.P.; Coles, J.F.; Zappia, H.

2005-01-01

To assess the effects of urbanization on assemblages (fish, invertebrate, and algal), physical habitat, and water chemistry, we investigated the relations among varying intensities of basin urbanization and stream ecology in three metropolitan areas: the humid northeastern United States around Boston, Massachusetts; the humid southeastern United States around Birmingham, Alabama; and the semiarid western United States around Salt Lake City, Utah. A consistent process was used to develop a multimetric urban intensity index (UII) based on locally important variables (land-use/land-cover, infrastructure, and socioeconomic variables) in each study area and a common urban intensity index (CUII) based on a subset of five variables common to all study areas. The UII was used to characterize 30 basins along an urban gradient in each metropolitan area. Study basins were located within a single ecoregion in each of the metropolitan areas. The UII, ecoregions, and site characteristics provided a method for limiting the variability of natural landscape characteristics while assessing the magnitude of urban effects. Conditions in Salt Lake City (semiarid climate and water diversions) and Birmingham (topography) required nesting sites within the same basin. The UII and CUII facilitated comparisons of aquatic assemblages response to urbanization across different environmental settings. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

Response of vegetation, soil nitrogen, and sediment transport to a prescribed fire in semiarid grasslands

Treesearch

Carleton S. White; Samuel R. Loftin; Steven Hofstad

1999-01-01

Shrubs and trees have invaded semiarid grasslands throughout much of the Southwestern United States. This invasion not only has decreased grass cover, but also increased runoff and erosion. In fact, sediment from rangelands constitutes the single largest source of nonpoint stream pollutants within the state of New Mexico. Fire, which was a natural factor that shaped...

MONITORING STREAM CONDITION IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is a national research program to develop the tools necessary to monitor and assess the- status and trends of ecological resources. EMAP's goal is to develop the scientific underst...

SESSION: EMERGING POLLUTANT ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES TITLE: BACTERIAL SOURCE TRACKING

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal contamination of surface waters used for recreation, drinking water and aquaculture are a continuous environmental problem and pose significant human health risks. An alarming amount of the United States rivers/streams (39%), lakes (45%), and estuaries (51%) are not safe f...

Oregon Hydrologic Landscapes: An Approach for Broadscale Hydrologic Classification

EPA Science Inventory

Gaged streams represent only a small percentage of watershed hydrologic conditions throughout the Unites States and globe, but there is a growing need for hydrologic classification systems that can serve as the foundation for broad-scale assessments of the hydrologic functions of...

MONITORING THE ACCOTINK CREEK STREAM RESTORATION

EPA Science Inventory

Since the inception of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972, the United States has made great efforts in restoring and preserving the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. However, nearly half of the nation’s assessed surface water resource...

PHARMACEUTICALS IN WASTE STREAMS AND SURFACE WATERS OF THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

A number of pharmaceuticals have been detected in surface waters across the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of selected pharmaceuticals (macrolidic antibiotics and pseudoephedrine) and illicit drugs (methamphetamine and Ecstasy) in surface ...

Part 1: Laboratory Culture of Centroptilum triangulifer (Ephemeroptera: BAETIDAE) Using a Standardized Diet of Three Diatoms.

EPA Science Inventory

Development of methods for assessing exposure and effects of waterborne toxicants on stream invertebrate species is important to elucidate environmentally relevant information. United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) laboratory protocols for invertebrate toxicity te...

Polychannel Systems for Mass Digital Communication

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

years additional systems similar to ours have become operational, including X*Press, Main- stream Data, and Stargate . X*Press Information Services...cities in the United States, and Stargate uses the satellite TV station WTBS to transmit electronic bulletin boards to remote com- puter sites

SHOULD ECOLOGICAL REGIONS OR LAND-COVER COMPOSITION GUIDE ESTABLISHMENT OF NUTRIENT CRITERIA?

EPA Science Inventory

The continuing expansion of anthropogenic influence across the continental United States has motivated the establishment of nutrient criteria for streams, lakes, and estuaries as a means to promote the protection of aquatic resources. Nutrient criteria have been established based...

COMPARING RESPONSES OF MACROINVERTEBRATE METRICS TO INCREASING STRESS

EPA Science Inventory

Metrics characterizing the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in wadeable streams in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States were analyzed to explore the relative responses of the metrics to different types of anthropogenic stress. The data used in our study were collecte...

Summary of records of surface waters of Texas, 1898-1937

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellsworth, Clarence E.

1939-01-01

The first gaging station In Texas urns established on the Rio Grande at El Paso on May 10, 1889, under the provisions of the Act of Congress of October 2, 1888, which authorized the organization of the Irrigation Survey by the United States Geological Survey. A few miscellaneous measurements of streams In central Texas, between Del Rio and Austin, were made, by C. C. Babb of the Geological Survey in 1894, 1895, and 1896. In 1897 T. U. Taylor, professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas, at Austin, began a systematic study for the Geological Survey of as many of the principal streams as the limited funds would permit. In the same year the American section of the International Water Commission began collecting records of flow of the Rio Grande in Texas. Records for the Rio Grande and some of its tributaries from 1897 to 1913, inclusive, collected by that commission under the immediate direction of W. W. Follett, United States consulting engineer, are contained in Geological Survey Water-supply Paper 358. It was not until 1915, when the State Legislature appropriated funds for stream measurement investigations by the Texas Board of Water Engineers, that a substantial beginning toward the systematic collection of stream-flow records was made. The work has been continued and enlarged gradually so that records have been collected at about 230 stations in Texas. In September 1937 86 gaging stations were being maintained in Texas by the Geological Survey and the cooperating agencies. Many miscellaneous discharge measurements have been made at other points. The records collected by the Geological Survey from 1889 to 1937 are now scattered through more than 50 reports, many of which are out of print.

Influence of grazing and land use on stream-channel characteristics among small dairy farms in the Eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Genevieve; Vondracek, Bruce C.; Jordan, Nicholas R.

2015-01-01

Rotational grazing (RG) is a livestock management practice that rotates grazing cattle on a scale of hours to days among small pastures termed paddocks. It may beneficially affect stream channels, relative to other livestock management practices. Such effects and other beneficial effects on hydrology are important to RG's potential to provide a highly multifunctional mode of livestock farming. Previous comparisons of effects of RG and confinement dairy (CD) on adjoining streams have been restricted in scale and scope. We examined 11 stream-channel characteristics on a representative sample of 37 small dairy farms that used either RG or CD production methods. Our objectives were: (1) to compare channel characteristics on RG and CD farms, as these production methods are implemented in practice, in New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, USA; and (2) to examine land use on these farms that may affect stream-channel characteristics. To help interpret channel characteristic findings, we examined on-farm land use in riparian areas 50 m in width along both sides of stream reaches and whole-farm land use. In all states, stream-channel characteristics on RG and CD farms did not differ. Whole-farm land use differed significantly between farm types; CD farms allocated more land to annual row crops, whereas RG farms allocated more land to pasture and grassland. However, land cover in 50 m riparian areas was not different between farm types within states; in particular, many RG and CD farms had continuously grazed pastures in riparian areas, typically occupied by juvenile and non-lactating cows, which may have contributed sediment and nutrients to streams. This similarity in riparian management practices may explain the observed similarity of farm types with respect to stream-channel characteristics. To realize the potential benefits of RG on streams, best management practices that affect stream-channel characteristics, such as protection of riparian areas, may improve aggregate effects of RG on stream quality and also enhance other environment, economic and social benefits of RG.

Larval aquatic insect responses to cadmium and zinc in experimental streams.

PubMed

Mebane, Christopher A; Schmidt, Travis S; Balistrieri, Laurie S

2017-03-01

To evaluate the risks of metal mixture effects to natural stream communities under ecologically relevant conditions, the authors conducted 30-d tests with benthic macroinvertebrates exposed to cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) in experimental streams. The simultaneous exposures were with Cd and Zn singly and with Cd+Zn mixtures at environmentally relevant ratios. The tests produced concentration-response patterns that for individual taxa were interpreted in the same manner as classic single-species toxicity tests and for community metrics such as taxa richness and mayfly (Ephemeroptera) abundance were interpreted in the same manner as with stream survey data. Effect concentrations from the experimental stream exposures were usually 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than those from classic single-species tests. Relative to a response addition model, which assumes that the joint toxicity of the mixtures can be predicted from the product of their responses to individual toxicants, the Cd+Zn mixtures generally showed slightly less than additive toxicity. The authors applied a modeling approach called Tox to explore the mixture toxicity results and to relate the experimental stream results to field data. The approach predicts the accumulation of toxicants (hydrogen, Cd, and Zn) on organisms using a 2-pK a bidentate model that defines interactions between dissolved cations and biological receptors (biotic ligands) and relates that accumulation through a logistic equation to biological response. The Tox modeling was able to predict Cd+Zn mixture responses from the single-metal exposures as well as responses from field data. The similarity of response patterns between the 30-d experimental stream tests and field data supports the environmental relevance of testing aquatic insects in experimental streams. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:749-762. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

Dominance of organic nitrogen from headwater streams to large rivers across the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, D.; Harvey, J.; Alexander, R.; Schwarz, G.

2007-01-01

The frequency and magnitude of hypoxic areas in coastal waterbodies are increasing across the globe, partially in response to the increase in nitrogen delivery from the landscape (Diaz, 2001; Rabalais et al., 2002). Although studies of annual total nitrogen and nitrate yields have greatly improved understanding of the contaminant sources that contribute to riverine nitrogen loads (Alexander et al., 2000; Caraco and Cole, 1999), the emphasis of these studies on annual timescales and selected nitrogen forms is not sufficient to understand the factors that control the cycling, transport, and fate of reactive nitrogen. Here we use data from 850 river stations to calculate long-term mean-annual and interannual loads of organic, ammonia, and nitrate-nitrite nitrogen suitable for spatial analysis. We find that organic nitrogen is the dominant nitrogen pool within rivers across most of the United States and is significant even in basins with high anthropogenic sources of nitrogen. Downstream organic nitrogen patterns illustrate that organic nitrogen is an abundant fraction of the nitrogen loads in all regions. Although the longitudinal patterns are not consistent across regions, these patterns are suggestive of cycling between ON and NO3- on seasonal timescales influenced by land use, stream morphology, and riparian connectivity with active floodplains. Future regional studies need to incorporate multinitrogen species at intraannual timescales, as well as stream characteristics beyond channel depth, to elucidate the roles of nitrogen sources and in-stream transformations on the fate and reactivity of riverine nitrogen transported to coastal seas.

Dominance of organic nitrogen from headwater streams to large rivers across the conterminous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Durelle; Harvey, Judson; Alexander, Richard; Schwarz, Gregory

2007-03-01

The frequency and magnitude of hypoxic areas in coastal waterbodies are increasing across the globe, partially in response to the increase in nitrogen delivery from the landscape (Diaz, 2001; Rabalais et al., 2002). Although studies of annual total nitrogen and nitrate yields have greatly improved understanding of the contaminant sources that contribute to riverine nitrogen loads (Alexander et al., 2000; Caraco and Cole, 1999), the emphasis of these studies on annual timescales and selected nitrogen forms is not sufficient to understand the factors that control the cycling, transport, and fate of reactive nitrogen. Here we use data from 850 river stations to calculate long-term mean-annual and interannual loads of organic, ammonia, and nitrate-nitrite nitrogen suitable for spatial analysis. We find that organic nitrogen is the dominant nitrogen pool within rivers across most of the United States and is significant even in basins with high anthropogenic sources of nitrogen. Downstream organic nitrogen patterns illustrate that organic nitrogen is an abundant fraction of the nitrogen loads in all regions. Although the longitudinal patterns are not consistent across regions, these patterns are suggestive of cycling between ON and NO3- on seasonal timescales influenced by land use, stream morphology, and riparian connectivity with active floodplains. Future regional studies need to incorporate multinitrogen species at intraannual timescales, as well as stream characteristics beyond channel depth, to elucidate the roles of nitrogen sources and in-stream transformations on the fate and reactivity of riverine nitrogen transported to coastal seas.

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rebich, R.A.; Houston, N.A.; Mize, S.V.; Pearson, D.K.; Ging, P.B.; Evan, Hornig C.

2011-01-01

SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two-thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%). ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Best practices for continuous monitoring of temperature and flow in wadeable streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamp, Jen; Hamilton, Anna; Craddock, Michelle; Parker, Laila; Roy, Allison; Isaak, Daniel J.; Holden, Zachary; Passmore, Margaret; Bierwagen, Britta

2014-01-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is working with its regional offices, states, tribes, river basin commissions and other entities to establish Regional Monitoring Networks (RMNs) for freshwater wadeable streams. To the extent possible, uninterrupted, biological, temperature and hydrologic data will be collected on an ongoing basis at RMN sites, which are primarily located on smaller, minimally disturbed forested streams. The primary purpose of this document is to provide guidance on how to collect accurate, year-round temperature and hydrologic data at ungaged wadeable stream sites. It addresses questions related to equipment needs, sensor configuration, sensor placement, installation techniques, data retrieval, and data processing. This guidance is intended to increase comparability of continuous temperature and hydrologic data collection at RMN sites and to ensure that the data are of sufficient quality to be used in future analyses. It also addresses challenges posed by year-round deployments. These data will be used for detecting temporal trends; providing information that will allow for a better understanding of relationships between biological, thermal, and hydrologic data; predicting and analyzing climate change impacts and quantifying natural variability.

Mapping watershed potential to contribute phosphorus from geologic materials to receiving streams, southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Terziotti, Silvia; Hoos, Anne B.; Harned, Douglas; Garcia, Ana Maria

2010-01-01

As part of the southeastern United States SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) water-quality model implementation, the U.S. Geological Survey created a dataset to characterize the contribution of phosphorus to streams from weathering and erosion of surficial geologic materials. SPARROW provides estimates of total nitrogen and phosphorus loads in surface waters from point and nonpoint sources. The characterization of the contribution of phosphorus from geologic materials is important to help separate the effects of natural or background sources of phosphorus from anthropogenic sources of phosphorus, such as municipal wastewater or agricultural practices. The potential of a watershed to contribute phosphorus from naturally occurring geologic materials to streams was characterized by using geochemical data from bed-sediment samples collected from first-order streams in relatively undisturbed watersheds as part of the multiyear U.S. Geological Survey National Geochemical Survey. The spatial pattern of bed-sediment phosphorus concentration is offered as a tool to represent the best available information at the regional scale. One issue may weaken the use of bed-sediment phosphorus concentration as a surrogate for the potential for geologic materials in the watershed to contribute to instream levels of phosphorus-an unknown part of the variability in bed-sediment phosphorus concentration may be due to the rates of net deposition and processing of phosphorus in the streambed rather than to variability in the potential of the watershed's geologic materials to contribute phosphorus to the stream. Two additional datasets were created to represent the potential of a watershed to contribute phosphorus from geologic materials disturbed by mining activities from active mines and inactive mines.

A biological assessment of streams in the eastern United States using a predictive model for macroinvertebrate assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlisle, D.M.; Meador, M.R.

2007-01-01

A predictive model (RIVPACS-type) for benthic macroinvertebrates was constructed to assess the biological condition of 1,087 streams sampled throughout the eastern United States from 1993-2003 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. A subset of 338 sites was designated as reference quality, 28 of which were withheld from model calibration and used to independently evaluate model precision and accuracy. The ratio of observed (O) to expected (E) taxa richness was used as a continuous measure of biological condition, and sites with O/E values <0.8 were classified as biologically degraded. Spatiotemporal variability of O/E values was evaluated with repeated annual and within-site samples at reference sites. Values of O/E were regressed on a measure of urbanization in three regions and compared among streams in different land-use settings. The model accurately predicted the expected taxa at validation sites with high precision (SD = 0.11). Within-site spatial variability in O/E values was much larger than annual and among-site variation at reference sites and was likely caused by environmental differences among sampled reaches. Values of O/E were significantly correlated with basin road density in the Boston, Massachusetts (p < 0.001), Birmingham, Alabama (p = 0.002), and Green Bay, Wisconsin (p = 0.034) metropolitan areas, but the strength of the relations varied among regions. Urban streams were more depleted of taxa than streams in other land-use settings, but larger networks of riparian forest appeared to mediate biological degradation. Taxa that occurred less frequently than predicted by the model were those known to be generally intolerant of a variety of anthropogenic stressors. ?? 2007 American Water Resources Association.

Hydrology and Geomorphology of Tallgrass Prairie Intermittent Headwater Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniels, M. D.; Grudzinski, B.

2011-12-01

The arid to semi-arid Great Plains region of the United States covers more than 1 million km2, yet virtually nothing is known about the geomorphology of its intermittent headwater streams. These streams and the perennial rivers they feed support a unique and increasingly endangered assemblage of endemic fish species. While human impacts in the region are not at first glace significant, the reality is that the Great Plains are an intensively managed landscape, with pervasive cattle grazing, channelization, and groundwater over-pumping affecting these systems. These stresses will only increase with potential climate and related land use changes. Few natural remnants of native grassland remain today, limiting opportunities to study the natural dynamics of these systems in contrast to the anthropogenically modified systems. This paper presents a review of the existing geomorphological and hydrological knowledge of Great Plains headwater streams and presents the initial analysis of an 18 year intermittent headwater stream record from the tallgrass Konza Prairie LTER, Kansas. Results suggest that fire frequency and grazing and the resultant riparian vegetation composition strongly influence stream flow dynamics as well as stream geomorphology.

Analysis of trends in climate, streamflow, and stream temperature in north coastal California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madej, Mary Ann; Medley, C. Nicholas; Patterson, Glenn; Parker, Melanie J.

2011-01-01

As part of a broader project analyzing trends in climate, streamflow, vegetation, salmon, and ocean conditions in northern California national park units, we compiled average monthly air temperature and precipitation data from 73 climate stations, streamflow data from 21 river gaging stations, and limited stream temperature data from salmon-bearing rivers in north coastal California. Many climate stations show a statistically significant increase in both average maximum and average minimum air temperature in early fall and midwinter during the last century. Concurrently, average September precipitation has decreased. In many coastal rivers, summer low flow has decreased and summer stream temperatures have increased, which affects summer rearing habitat for salmonids. Nevertheless, because vegetative cover has also changed during this time period, we cannot ascribe streamflow changes to climate change without first assessing water budgets. Although shifts in the timing of the centroid of runoff have been documented in snowmelt-dominated watersheds in the western United States, this was not the case in lower elevation coastal rivers analyzed in this study.

The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment—Influences of human activities on streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Mahler, Barbara J.; Carlisle, Daren M.; Coles, James F.

2018-04-16

Healthy streams and the fish and other organisms that live in them contribute to our quality of life. Extensive modification of the landscape in the Midwestern United States, however, has profoundly affected the condition of streams. Row crops and pavement have replaced grasslands and woodlands, streams have been straightened, and wetlands and fields have been drained. Runoff from agricultural and urban land brings sediment and chemicals to streams. What is the chemical, physical, and biological condition of Midwestern streams? Which physical and chemical stressors are adversely affecting biological communities, what are their origins, and how might we lessen or avoid their adverse effects?In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment to evaluate how human activities affect the biological condition of Midwestern streams. In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Rivers and Streams Assessment, the USGS sampled 100 streams, chosen to be representative of the different types of watersheds in the region. Biological condition was evaluated based on the number and diversity of fish, algae, and invertebrates in the streams. Changes to the physical habitat and chemical characteristics of the streams—“stressors”—were assessed, and their relation to landscape factors and biological condition was explored by using mathematical models. The data and models help us to better understand how the human activities on the landscape are affecting streams in the region.

A synthesis and comparative evaluation of drainage water management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Viable large-scale crop production in the United States requires artificial drainage in humid and poorly drained agricultural regions. Excess water removal is generally achieved by installing tile drains that export water to open ditches that eventually flow into streams. Drainage water management...

COMMUNICATION: SHOULD ECOLOGICAL REGIONS OR LAND-COVER COMPOSITION GUIDE ESTABLISHMENT OF NUTRIENT CRITERIA

EPA Science Inventory

The continuing expansion of anthropogenic influence across the continental United States has motivated the establishment of nutrient criteria for streams, lakes, and estuaries as a means to promote the protection of aquatic resources. Nutrient criteria have been established base...

COMMUNICATION: SHOULD ECOLOGICAL REGIONS OR LAND-COVER COMPOSITION GUIDE ESTABLISHMENT OF NUTRIENT CRITERIA?

EPA Science Inventory

The continuing expansion of anthropogenic influence across the continental United States has motivated the establishment of nutrient criteria for streams, lakes, and estuaries as a means to promote the protection of aquatic resources. Nutrient criteria have been established based...

Biotic, water-quality, and hydrologic metrics calculated for the analysis of temporal trends in National Water Quality Assessment Program Data in the Western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiele, Stephen M.; Brasher, Anne M.D.; Miller, Matthew P.; May, Jason T.; Carpenter, Kurt D.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program was established by Congress in 1991 to collect long-term, nationally consistent information on the quality of the Nation's streams and groundwater. The NAWQA Program utilizes interdisciplinary and dynamic studies that link the chemical and physical conditions of streams (such as flow and habitat) with ecosystem health and the biologic condition of algae, aquatic invertebrates, and fish communities. This report presents metrics derived from NAWQA data and the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging network for sampling sites in the Western United States, as well as associated chemical, habitat, and streamflow properties. The metrics characterize the conditions of algae, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. In addition, we have compiled climate records and basin characteristics related to the NAWQA sampling sites. The calculated metrics and compiled data can be used to analyze ecohydrologic trends over time.

SIGAR Quarterly Report to the United States Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-30

electricity from sources such as mini-hydro turbines in streams, solar panels with battery storage, and wind turbines , but these are still a negligible...power, solar PV [photo-voltaic units], and wind turbines , is the most promising option for feasible, sustainable decentralized rural electrification...informed SIGAR that the installation of a third power-generating turbine at Kajaki Dam should be complete in September 2016—security conditions permitting

Surface-water nutrient conditions and sources in the United States Pacific Northwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wise, D.R.; Johnson, H.M.

2011-01-01

The SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model was used to perform an assessment of surface-water nutrient conditions and to identify important nutrient sources in watersheds of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States (U.S.) for the year 2002. Our models included variables representing nutrient sources as well as landscape characteristics that affect nutrient delivery to streams. Annual nutrient yields were higher in watersheds on the wetter, west side of the Cascade Range compared to watersheds on the drier, east side. High nutrient enrichment (relative to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended nutrient criteria) was estimated in watersheds throughout the region. Forest land was generally the largest source of total nitrogen stream load and geologic material was generally the largest source of total phosphorus stream load generated within the 12,039 modeled watersheds. These results reflected the prevalence of these two natural sources and the low input from other nutrient sources across the region. However, the combined input from agriculture, point sources, and developed land, rather than natural nutrient sources, was responsible for most of the nutrient load discharged from many of the largest watersheds. Our results provided an understanding of the regional patterns in surface-water nutrient conditions and should be useful to environmental managers in future water-quality planning efforts.

Application of the SPARROW model to assess surface-water nutrient conditions and sources in the United States Pacific Northwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wise, Daniel R.; Johnson, Henry M.

2013-01-01

The watershed model SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed attributes) was used to estimate mean annual surface-water nutrient conditions (total nitrogen and total phosphorus) and to identify important nutrient sources in catchments of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States for 2002. Model-estimated nutrient yields were generally higher in catchments on the wetter, western side of the Cascade Range than in catchments on the drier, eastern side. The largest source of locally generated total nitrogen stream load in most catchments was runoff from forestland, whereas the largest source of locally generated total phosphorus stream load in most catchments was either geologic material or livestock manure (primarily from grazing livestock). However, the highest total nitrogen and total phosphorus yields were predicted in the relatively small number of catchments where urban sources were the largest contributor to local stream load. Two examples are presented that show how SPARROW results can be applied to large rivers—the relative contribution of different nutrient sources to the total nitrogen load in the Willamette River and the total phosphorus load in the Snake River. The results from this study provided an understanding of the regional patterns in surface-water nutrient conditions and should be useful to researchers and water-quality managers performing local nutrient assessments.

Modeling summer month hydrological drought probabilities in the United States using antecedent flow conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Austin, Samuel H.; Nelms, David L.

2017-01-01

Climate change raises concern that risks of hydrological drought may be increasing. We estimate hydrological drought probabilities for rivers and streams in the United States (U.S.) using maximum likelihood logistic regression (MLLR). Streamflow data from winter months are used to estimate the chance of hydrological drought during summer months. Daily streamflow data collected from 9,144 stream gages from January 1, 1884 through January 9, 2014 provide hydrological drought streamflow probabilities for July, August, and September as functions of streamflows during October, November, December, January, and February, estimating outcomes 5-11 months ahead of their occurrence. Few drought prediction methods exploit temporal links among streamflows. We find MLLR modeling of drought streamflow probabilities exploits the explanatory power of temporally linked water flows. MLLR models with strong correct classification rates were produced for streams throughout the U.S. One ad hoc test of correct prediction rates of September 2013 hydrological droughts exceeded 90% correct classification. Some of the best-performing models coincide with areas of high concern including the West, the Midwest, Texas, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic. Using hydrological drought MLLR probability estimates in a water management context can inform understanding of drought streamflow conditions, provide warning of future drought conditions, and aid water management decision making.

Landscape characteristics of a stream and wetland mitigation banking program.

PubMed

BenDor, Todd; Sholtes, Joel; Doyle, Martin W

2009-12-01

In the United States, stream restoration is an increasing part of environmental and land management programs, particularly under the auspices of compensatory mitigation regulations. Markets and regulations surrounding stream mitigation are beginning to mirror those of the well-established wetland mitigation industry. Recent studies have shown that wetland mitigation programs commonly shift wetlands across space from urban to rural areas, thereby changing the functional characteristics and benefits of wetlands in the landscape. However, it is not yet known if stream mitigation mirrors this behavior, and if so, what effects this may have on landscape-scale ecological and hydrological processes. This project addresses three primary research questions. (1) What are the spatial relationships between stream and wetland impact and compensation sites as a result of regulations requiring stream and wetland mitigation in the State of North Carolina? (2) How do stream impacts come about due to the actions of different types of developers, and how do the characteristics of impacts sites compare with compensation sites? (3) To what extent does stream compensation relocate high-quality streams within the river network, and how does this affect localized (intrawatershed) loss or gain of aquatic resources? Using geospatial data collected from the North Carolina Division of Water Quality and the Army Corps of Engineers' Wilmington District, we analyzed the behavior of the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program in providing stream and wetland mitigation for the State of North Carolina. Our results suggest that this program provides mitigation (1) in different ways for different types of permittees; (2) at great distances (both Euclidean and within the stream network) from original impacts; (3) in significantly different places than impacts within watersheds; and (4) in many cases, in different watersheds from original impacts. Our analysis also reveals problems with regulator data collection, storage, and quality control. These results have significant implications given new federal requirements for ecological consistency within mitigation programs. Our results also indicate some of the landscape-scale implications of using market-based approaches to ecological restoration in general.

Evaporative cooling enhanced cold storage system

DOEpatents

Carr, Peter

1991-01-01

The invention provides an evaporatively enhanced cold storage system wherein a warm air stream is cooled and the cooled air stream is thereafter passed into contact with a cold storage unit. Moisture is added to the cooled air stream prior to or during contact of the cooled air stream with the cold storage unit to effect enhanced cooling of the cold storage unit due to evaporation of all or a portion of the added moisture. Preferably at least a portion of the added moisture comprises water condensed during the cooling of the warm air stream.

Evaporative cooling enhanced cold storage system

DOEpatents

Carr, P.

1991-10-15

The invention provides an evaporatively enhanced cold storage system wherein a warm air stream is cooled and the cooled air stream is thereafter passed into contact with a cold storage unit. Moisture is added to the cooled air stream prior to or during contact of the cooled air stream with the cold storage unit to effect enhanced cooling of the cold storage unit due to evaporation of all or a portion of the added moisture. Preferably at least a portion of the added moisture comprises water condensed during the cooling of the warm air stream. 3 figures.

Analyzing indicators of stream health for Minnesota streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singh, U.; Kocian, M.; Wilson, B.; Bolton, A.; Nieber, J.; Vondracek, B.; Perry, J.; Magner, J.

2005-01-01

Recent research has emphasized the importance of using physical, chemical, and biological indicators of stream health for diagnosing impaired watersheds and their receiving water bodies. A multidisciplinary team at the University of Minnesota is carrying out research to develop a stream classification system for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessment. Funding for this research is provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. One objective of the research study involves investigating the relationships between indicators of stream health and localized stream characteristics. Measured data from Minnesota streams collected by various government and non-government agencies and research institutions have been obtained for the research study. Innovative Geographic Information Systems tools developed by the Environmental Science Research Institute and the University of Texas are being utilized to combine and organize the data. Simple linear relationships between index of biological integrity (IBI) and channel slope, two-year stream flow, and drainage area are presented for the Redwood River and the Snake River Basins. Results suggest that more rigorous techniques are needed to successfully capture trends in IBI scores. Additional analyses will be done using multiple regression, principal component analysis, and clustering techniques. Uncovering key independent variables and understanding how they fit together to influence stream health are critical in the development of a stream classification for TMDL assessment.

Design tradeoffs in long-term research for stream salamanders

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Adrianne B,; Grant, Evan H. Campbell

2017-01-01

Long-term research programs can benefit from early and periodic evaluation of their ability to meet stated objectives. In particular, consideration of the spatial allocation of effort is key. We sampled 4 species of stream salamanders intensively for 2 years (2010–2011) in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland, USA to evaluate alternative distributions of sampling locations within stream networks, and then evaluated via simulation the ability of multiple survey designs to detect declines in occupancy and to estimate dynamic parameters (colonization, extinction) over 5 years for 2 species. We expected that fine-scale microhabitat variables (e.g., cobble, detritus) would be the strongest determinants of occupancy for each of the 4 species; however, we found greater support for all species for models including variables describing position within the stream network, stream size, or stream microhabitat. A monitoring design focused on headwater sections had greater power to detect changes in occupancy and the dynamic parameters in each of 3 scenarios for the dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) and red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber). Results for transect length were more variable, but across all species and scenarios, 25-m transects are most suitable as a balance between maximizing detection probability and describing colonization and extinction. These results inform sampling design and provide a general framework for setting appropriate goals, effort, and duration in the initial planning stages of research programs on stream salamanders in the eastern United States.

Do freshwater mussel shells record road-salt pollution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neil, Dane D.; Gillikin, David P.

2014-11-01

Road-salt pollution in streams in the Northeastern United States has become a major concern, but historical data are scarce. Freshwater bivalve shells have the ability to record past environmental information, and may act as archives of road-salt pollution. We sampled Elliptio complanata shells from four streams, as well as specimens collected in 1877. Average [Na/Ca]shell was highest in modern shells from the stream with the highest sodium concentrations, and low in shells collected from this same stream in 1877 as well as in the shells from other streams, suggesting that [Na/Ca]shell serves as a proxy for road-salt pollution. We expected higher [Na/Ca]shell in winter and spring. However, high-resolution [Na/Ca]shell analyses along the growth axis of one shell did not reveal any clear subannual patterns, which could be the result of shell growth cessation in winter and/or during periods of high stream sodium concentrations. Therefore, bulk [Na/Ca]shell analysis from multiple shells can be used as a proxy of large changes in stream sodium concentrations, but high-resolution variations in stream sodium concentrations do not seem to be recorded in the shells.

Assessing the Vulnerability of Streams to Increased Frequency and Severity of Low Flows in the Southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konrad, C. P.

2014-12-01

A changing climate poses risks to the availability and quality of water resources. Among the risks, increased frequency and severity of low flow periods in streams would be significant for many in-stream and out-of-stream uses of water. While down-scaled climate projections serve as the basis for understanding impacts of climate change on hydrologic systems, a robust framework for risk assessment incorporates multiple dimensions of risks including the vulnerability of hydrologic systems to climate change impacts. Streamflow records from the southeastern US were examined to assess the vulnerability of streams to increased frequency and severity of low flows. Long-term (>50 years) records provide evidence of more frequent and severe low flows in more streams than would be expected from random chance. Trends in low flows appear to be a result of changes in the temporal distribution rather than the annual amount of preciptation and/or in evaporation. Base flow recession provides an indicator of a stream's vulnerability to such changes. Linkages between streamflow patterns across temporal scales can be used for understanding and asessing stream responses to the various possible expressions of a changing climate.

Do freshwater mussel shells record road-salt pollution?

PubMed Central

O'Neil, Dane D.; Gillikin, David P.

2014-01-01

Road-salt pollution in streams in the Northeastern United States has become a major concern, but historical data are scarce. Freshwater bivalve shells have the ability to record past environmental information, and may act as archives of road-salt pollution. We sampled Elliptio complanata shells from four streams, as well as specimens collected in 1877. Average [Na/Ca]shell was highest in modern shells from the stream with the highest sodium concentrations, and low in shells collected from this same stream in 1877 as well as in the shells from other streams, suggesting that [Na/Ca]shell serves as a proxy for road-salt pollution. We expected higher [Na/Ca]shell in winter and spring. However, high-resolution [Na/Ca]shell analyses along the growth axis of one shell did not reveal any clear subannual patterns, which could be the result of shell growth cessation in winter and/or during periods of high stream sodium concentrations. Therefore, bulk [Na/Ca]shell analysis from multiple shells can be used as a proxy of large changes in stream sodium concentrations, but high-resolution variations in stream sodium concentrations do not seem to be recorded in the shells. PMID:25418687

Deflate decompressor

DOEpatents

Hamlet, Jason R [Albuquerque, NM; Robertson, Perry J [Albuquerque, NM; Pierson, Lyndon G [Albuquerque, NM; Olsberg, Ronald R [Albuquerque, NM

2012-02-28

A deflate decompressor includes at least one decompressor unit, a memory access controller, a feedback path, and an output buffer unit. The memory access controller is coupled to the decompressor unit via a data path and includes a data buffer to receive the data stream and temporarily buffer a first portion the data stream. The memory access controller transfers fixed length data units of the data stream from the data buffer to the decompressor unit with reference to a memory pointer pointing into the memory buffer. The feedback path couples the decompressor unit to the memory access controller to feed back decrement values to the memory access controller for updating the memory pointer. The decrement values each indicate a number of bits unused by the decompressor unit when decoding the fixed length data units. The output buffer unit buffers a second portion of the data stream after decompression.

Real-time streamflow conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graczyk, David J.; Gebert, Warren A.

1996-01-01

Would you like to know streamflow conditions before you go fishing in Wisconsin or in more distant locations? Real-time streamflow data throughout Wisconsin and the United States are available on the Internet from the U.S. Geological Survey. You can see if the stream you are interested in fishing is high due to recent rain or low because of an extended dry spell. Flow conditions at more than 100 stream-gaging stations located throughout Wisconsin can be viewed by accessing the Wisconsin District Home Page at: http://wwwdwimdn.er.usgs.gov

Seven-Day Low Streamflows in the United States, 1940-2014

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This map shows percentage changes in the minimum annual rate of water carried by rivers and streams across the country, based on the long-term rate of change from 1940 to 2014. Minimum streamflow is based on the consecutive seven-day period with the lowest average flow during a given year. Blue triangles represent an increase in low stream flow volumes, and brown triangles represent a decrease. Streamflow data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. For more information: www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators

Hydrologic trade-offs in conjunctive use management.

PubMed

Bredehoeft, John

2011-01-01

An aquifer, in a stream/aquifer system, acts as a storage reservoir for groundwater. Groundwater pumping creates stream depletion that recharges the aquifer. As wells in the aquifer are moved away from the stream, the aquifer acts to filter out annual fluctuations in pumping; with distance the stream depletion tends to become equal to the total pumping averaged as an annual rate, with only a small fluctuation. This is true for both a single well and an ensemble of wells. A typical growing season in much of the western United States is 3 to 4 months. An ensemble of irrigation wells spread more or less uniformly across an aquifer several miles wide, pumping during the growing season, will deplete the stream by approximately one-third of the total amount of water pumped during the growing season. The remaining two-thirds of stream depletion occurs outside the growing season. Furthermore, it takes more than a decade of pumping for an ensemble of wells to reach a steady-state condition in which the impact on the stream is the same in succeeding years. After a decade or more of pumping, the depletion is nearly constant through the year, with only a small seasonal fluctuation: ±10%. Conversely, stream depletion following shutting down the pumping from an ensemble of wells takes more than a decade to fully recover from the prior pumping. Effectively managing a conjunctive groundwater and surface water system requires integrating the entire system into a single management institution with a long-term outlook. Copyright © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Snow Cover, Snowmelt Timing and Stream Power in the Wind River Range, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Foster, James L.; DiGirolamo, Nicolo E.; Riggs, George A.

2011-01-01

Earlier onset of springtime weather, including earlier snowmelt, has been documented in the western United States over at least the last 50 years. Because the majority (is greater than 70%) of the water supply in the western U.S. comes from snowmelt, analysis of the declining spring snowpack (and shrinking glaciers) has important implications for the management of streamflow. The amount of water in a snowpack influences stream discharge which can also influence erosion and sediment transport by changing stream power, or the rate at which a stream can do work, such as move sediment and erode the stream bed. The focus of this work is the Wind River Range (WRR) in west-central Wyoming. Ten years of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow-cover, cloud-gap-filled (CGF) map products and 30 years of discharge and meteorological station data are studied. Streamflow data from streams in WRR drainage basins show lower annual discharge and earlier snowmelt in the decade of the 2000s than in the previous three decades, though no trend of either lower streamflow or earlier snowmelt was observed within the decade of the 2000s. Results show a statistically-significant trend at the 95% confidence level (or higher) of increasing weekly maximum air temperature (for three out of the five meteorological stations studied) in the decade of the 1970s, and also for the 40-year study period as a whole. The extent of snow-cover (percent of basin covered) derived from the lowest elevation zone (2500-3000 m) of the WRR, using MODIS CGF snow-cover maps, is strongly correlated with maximum monthly discharge on 30 April, where Spearman's Rank correlation, rs,=0.89 for the decade of the 2000s. We also investigated stream power for Bull Lake Creek above Bull Lake; and found a trend (significant at the 90% confidence level) toward reduced stream power from 1970 to 2009. Observed changes in streamflow and stream power may be related to increasing weekly maximum air temperature measured during the 40-year study period, possibly contributing to a reduction in snow cover. In addition, the strong relationship between percent of basin that was snow covered, and maximum monthly streamflow indicates that MODIS snow-cover maps are useful for predicting streamflow, and can be used to improve management of water resources in the drought-prone western United States.

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

Not Available

Prior to 1978, the Wilsonville Advanced Coal Liquefaction facility material balance surrounded only the thermal liquefaction unit and involved analyses of only the slurry stream and individual gas streams. The distillate solvent yield was determined by difference. Subsequently, several modifications and additional process units were introduced to this single unit system. With the inclusion of the deashing unit in 1978 and the catalytic hydrogenation unit in 1981, the process has evolved into a sophisticated two-stage coal liquefaction process and has the potential for various modes of integration. This report presents an elemental balancing procedure and a simplified presentation format thatmore » is sufficiently flexible to meet current and future needs. The development of the elemental balancing technique and the relevant computer programs to handle the calculations have been addressed. This will be useful in modelling individual unit performance as well as determining the impact of each unit on the overall liquefaction system, provided the units are on a steady-state basis. Five different material balance envelopes are defined. Three of these envelopes pertain to the individual units (the thermal liquefaction or TL unit, the Critical Solvent Deashing or CSD unit and the H-Oil Ebullated Bed Hydrotreating or HTR unit). The fourth or single stage material balance envelope combines the TL and CSD units. The fifth envelope is the two-stage configuration combining all three units. 3 references.« less

In vitro assessment of estrogen, androgen, and glucocorticoid bioactivity in a nationwide screen of United States stream waters

EPA Science Inventory

In vitro bioassays can identify environmental samples contaminated with bioactive chemicals that interact with steroid receptors and provide a cumulative, effect-based measurement of contamination. We measured in vitro estrogen (ER), androgen (AR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR...

PisCES: Pis(cine) Community Estimation Software

EPA Science Inventory

PisCES predicts a fish community for any NHD-Plus stream reach in the conterminous United States. PisCES utilizes HUC-based distributional information for over 1,000 nature and non-native species obtained from NatureServe, the USGS, and Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes o...

Accepted into Education City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asquith, Christina

2006-01-01

Qatar's Education City, perhaps the world's most diverse campus, is almost entirely unknown in the United States, but represents the next step in the globalization of American higher education--international franchising. Aided by technology such as online libraries, distance learning and streaming video, U.S. universities offer--and charge tuition…

Review of Ordinary High Water Mark Indicators for Delineating Arid Streams in the Southwestern United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

water levels. For example, “hydromesic ruderals” (e.g., Xanthium strumarium , Polygonum lapathifolium, Polypogon monspeliensus) are disturbance-adapted...River, AZ Stromberg et al. (1997a) Annual herbs: Hydromesic ruderals dominant (All, HM) L HM Xanthium strumarium , Polypogon monspeliensis

Assessing the condition of riverine systems using multimetric indices: An example from Oregon's Calapooia basin

EPA Science Inventory

Streams and rivers of the Western United States are susceptible to the combined influences of climate change and an expanding human population. Empirical tools for assessing instream conditions play a critical role in monitoring change, preventing degradation, and mitigating imp...

URBAN CONTRIBUTIONS OF GLYSPHOSATE AND ITS DEGRADATE AMPA TO STREAMS IN THE UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world, being routinely applied to control weeds in both agricultural and urban settings. Microbial degradation of glyphosate produces aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA). The high polarity and water-solubility of glyphosate and A...

Fluorspar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, M.

2002-01-01

In 2001, one mine in Utah produced a small quantity of fluorspar. The majority of fluorspar consumed in the United States continued to come from imports or material purchased from the US National Defense Stockpile (NDS). In addition, a small amount of synthetic fluorspar (CaF2) was produced from industrial waste streams.

Chapter 5: Surface water quality sampling in streams and canals

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surface water sampling and water quality assessments have greatly evolved in the United States since the 1970s establishment of the Clean Water Act. Traditionally, water quality referred to only the chemical characteristics of the water and its toxicological properties related to drinking water or ...

A Customized DNA Microarray for Microbial Source Tracking in Environmental Systems

EPA Science Inventory

It is estimated that more than 160, 000 miles of rivers and streams in the United States are impaired due to the presence of waterborne pathogens. These pathogens typically originate from human and other animal fecal pollution sources; therefore, a rapid microbial source tracking...

Evaluation of catchment delineation methods for the medium-resolution National Hydrography Dataset

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnston, Craig M.; Dewald, Thomas G.; Bondelid, Timothy R.; Worstell, Bruce B.; McKay, Lucinda D.; Rea, Alan; Moore, Richard B.; Goodall, Jonathan L.

2009-01-01

Different methods for determining catchments (incremental drainage areas) for stream segments of the medium-resolution (1:100,000-scale) National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) were evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The NHD is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data that contains information about surface-water features (such as lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers) of the United States. The need for NHD catchments was driven primarily by the goal to estimate NHD streamflow and velocity to support water-quality modeling. The application of catchments for this purpose also demonstrates the broader value of NHD catchments for supporting landscape characterization and analysis. Five catchment delineation methods were evaluated. Four of the methods use topographic information for the delineation of the NHD catchments. These methods include the Raster Seeding Method; two variants of a method first used in a USGS New England study-one used the Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) and the other did not-termed the 'New England Methods'; and the Outlet Matching Method. For these topographically based methods, the elevation data source was the 30-meter (m) resolution National Elevation Dataset (NED), as this was the highest resolution available for the conterminous United States and Hawaii. The fifth method evaluated, the Thiessen Polygon Method, uses distance to the nearest NHD stream segments to determine catchment boundaries. Catchments were generated using each method for NHD stream segments within six hydrologically and geographically distinct Subbasins to evaluate the applicability of the method across the United States. The five methods were evaluated by comparing the resulting catchments with the boundaries and the computed area measurements available from several verification datasets that were developed independently using manual methods. The results of the evaluation indicated that the two New England Methods provided the most accurate catchment boundaries. The New England Method with the WBD provided the most accurate results. The time and cost to implement and apply these automated methods were also considered in ultimately selecting the methods used to produce NHD catchments for the conterminous United States and Hawaii. This study was conducted by a joint USGS-USEPA team during the 2-year period that ended in September 2004. During the following 2-year period ending in the fall of 2006, the New England Methods were used to produce NHD catchments as part of a multiagency effort to generate the NHD streamflow and velocity estimates for a suite of integrated geospatial products known as 'NHDPlus.'

Comparison of current meters used for stream gaging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fulford, Janice M.; Thibodeaux, Kirk G.; Kaehrle, William R.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is field and laboratory testing the performance of several current meters used throughout the world for stream gaging. Meters tested include horizontal-axis current meters from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China, and vertical-axis and electromagnetic current meters from the United States. Summarized are laboratory test results for meter repeatability, linearity, and response to oblique flow angles and preliminary field testing results. All current meters tested were found to under- and over-register velocities; errors usually increased as the velocity and angle of the flow increased. Repeatability and linearity of all meters tested were good. In the field tests, horizontal-axis meters, except for the two meters from the People's Republic of China, registered higher velocity than did the vertical-axis meters.

Stream restoration in dynamic fluvial systems: Scientific approaches, analyses, and tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2012-04-01

In the United States the average annual investment in river restoration programs is approximately $1 billion. Despite this burgeoning industry, the National Water Quality Inventory, which tracks the health of the nation's rivers, has shown no serious improvement in cumulative river health since the early 1990s. In the AGU monographStream Restoration in Dynamic Fluvial Systems: Scientific Approaches, Analyses, and Tools, editors Andrew Simon, Sean J. Bennett, and Janine M. Castro pull together the latest evidence-based understanding of stream restoration practices, with an aim of guiding the further development of the field and helping to right its apparently unsuccessful course. In this interview, Eos talks to Sean J. Bennett, University of Buffalo, about the culture, practice, and promise of restoring rivers.

Regional nutrient trends in streams and rivers of the United States, 1993-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sprague, Lori A.; Lorenz, David L.

2009-01-01

Trends in flow-adjusted concentrations (indicators of anthropogenic changes) and observed concentrations (indicators of natural and anthropogenic changes) of total phosphorus and total nitrogen from 1993 to 2003 were evaluated in the eastern, central, and western United States by adapting the Regional Kendall trend test to account for seasonality and spatial correlation. The only significant regional trend was an increase in flow-adjusted concentrations of total phosphorus in the central United States, which corresponded to increases in phosphorus inputs from fertilizer in the region, particularly west of the Mississippi River. A similar upward regional trend in observed total phosphorus concentrations in the central United States was not found, likely because precipitation and runoff decreased during drought conditions in the region, offsetting the increased source loading on the land surface. A greater number of regional trends would have been significant if spatial correlation had been disregarded, indicating the importance of spatial correlation modifications in regional trend assessments when sites are not spatially independent.

Spatial variability in the response of surface-water extent to climate extremes across the Prairie Pothole Region and adjacent Northern Prairie, United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderhoof, M.; Lane, C.; McManus, M.; Alexander, L. C.; Christensen, J.

2017-12-01

Surface-water extent, duration and movement will depend not only on climatic inputs but also the relative importance of different hydrologic pathways (e.g., surface storage, infiltration, evapotranspiration, stream outflows). We mapped surface-water extent from historic drought years to historic wet years spanning 1985 - 2015 across eleven Landsat path/rows representing the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) and adjacent Northern Prairie of the United States. The PPR not only experienced a greater surface water extent under median conditions (2.6 times more) relative to the adjacent Northern Prairie, but showed a greater difference between drought and deluge conditions as well (range averaged 8.5 ha surface water km-2 relative to 2.5 ha surface water km-2 for the PPR and Northern Prairie, respectively). To explain the spatial variability in the amount of surface water expansion and contraction we used a two-stage modeling approach. First, surface-water extent was regressed on accumulated water availability (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration). The slope of surface-water extent to climate inputs (per watershed) was our dependent variable in the second stage. That slope was regressed against independent variables representing hydrology-related landscape characteristics (e.g., infiltration capacity, surface storage capacity, stream density). Stream-connected surface water can leave via stream flow, influencing the rate at which surface-water may leave a location, therefore stream-connected and disconnected surface water were analyzed separately. Stream-connected surface water responded more strongly to wetter climatic conditions (i.e., accumulated) in landscapes with more lakes and less artificial drainage (e.g., ditching, tile drainage). Disconnected surface water responded more strongly to wetter climatic conditions when landscapes contained greater wetland density, fewer streams and a lower predicted rate of infiltration. From these findings, we can expect that the relationship between upstream and downstream waters will require consideration of hydrology-related landscape characteristics, and that climate-change related shifts in precipitation and evaporative demand will have an uneven effect on surface water expansion and contraction across the landscape.

Estimates of long-term mean-annual nutrient loads considered for use in SPARROW models of the Midcontinental region of Canada and the United States, 2002 base year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saad, David A.; Benoy, Glenn A.; Robertson, Dale M.

2018-05-11

Streamflow and nutrient concentration data needed to compute nitrogen and phosphorus loads were compiled from Federal, State, Provincial, and local agency databases and also from selected university databases. The nitrogen and phosphorus loads are necessary inputs to Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes (SPARROW) models. SPARROW models are a way to estimate the distribution, sources, and transport of nutrients in streams throughout the Midcontinental region of Canada and the United States. After screening the data, approximately 1,500 sites sampled by 34 agencies were identified as having suitable data for calculating the long-term mean-annual nutrient loads required for SPARROW model calibration. These final sites represent a wide range in watershed sizes, types of nutrient sources, and land-use and watershed characteristics in the Midcontinental region of Canada and the United States.

Riparian area management: themes and recommendations

Treesearch

David J. Welsch; James W. Hornbeck; Elon S. Verry; Andrew Dolloff; John G. Greis

2000-01-01

The end results of most of our management actions are reflected by the health of our rivers, streams, and lakes." Michael Dombeck, Chief, USDA Forest ServiceIn this final chapter [of Riparian Management in Forests of the Continental Eastern United States], we consider the overriding themes of riparian area management and list...

THE CONCENTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ESTERS (PBDES) IN FISH FROM STREAMS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

EPA Science Inventory

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used in the United States as flame-retardants in a wide range of products including paints, plastics, textiles, and electronics. In contrast to other persistent organic pollutants such as such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organo...

ASSESSING RELATIVE BED STABILITY AND EXCESS FINE SEDIMENTS IN STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

Excess fine sedimentation is recognized as a leading cause of water quality impairment in surface waters in the United States. We developed an index of Relative Bed Stability (RBS) that factors out natural controls on streambed particle size to allow evaluation of the role of hu...

MERCURY IN CRUDE OIL PROCESSED IN THE UNITED STATES (2004)

EPA Science Inventory

The mean and range of concentrations of mercury in crude oil processed in the U.S. were investigated using two analytical methods. The sample ensemble consisted of 329 samples from 170 separate crude oil streams that are processed by U.S. refineries. Samples were retrieved imme...

Monitoring the effects of knickpoint erosion on bridge pier and abutment structural damage due to scour.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

The goal of this study was to conduct a field-oriented evaluation, coupled with advanced laboratory techniques, of channel : degradation in a stream of the Deep Loess Region of western Iowa, namely Mud Creek. The Midwestern United States is : an idea...

SEPARATIONS RESEARCH AT THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - TOWARDS RECOVERY OF VOCS AND METALS USING MEMBRANES AND ADSORPTION PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory is investigating new separations materials and processes for removal and recovery of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxic metals from wastestreams and industrial process streams. Research applying membrane-based perv...

Simulating Multi-Scale Mercury Fate and Transport in a Coastal Plain Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Mercury is the toxicant responsible for the largest number of fish advisories across the United States, with 1.1 million river miles under advisory. The processes governing fate, transport, and transformation of mercury in streams and rivers are not well understood, in large part...

Managing farmed closed depressional areas using blind inlets to minimize phosphorus and nitrogen losses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Through watershed scale research in the St. Joseph River watershed in the United States, farmed potholes have been identified as contributing to nutrient loading of streams. Most farmed potholes are drained with tile risers, which are direct conduits for runoff water and associated contaminants dire...

Coordinated responses to honey bee decline in the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In response to successive years of high honey bee mortality, the United States Congress mandated the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase funding for research and education directed at reducing honey bee decline. The funding followed two administrative streams within USDA – one through the USD...

SPATIAL PATTERN OF FUTURE VULNERABILITY OF STREAM EUTROPHICATION IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION OF THE UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Spatially explicit identification of changes in ecological conditions over large areas is key to targeting and prioritizing areas for environmental protection and restoration by managers at watershed, basin, and regional scales. A critical limitation to this point has been the d...

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S STRESSOR IDENTIFICATION GUIDANCE: A PROCESS FOR DETERMINING THE PROBABLE CAUSES OF BIOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has ongoing programs to encourage the evaluation of stream condition based on biological indicators. Bioassessments reveal impairments but do not identify causes of impairments, a necessary step in the restoration of aqua...

Evaluation of in vitro bioactivity of surface waters from a nationwide assessment of United States streams

EPA Science Inventory

Bioassays can be used to evaluate the integrated effects of complex mixtures of both known and unidentified contaminants present in environmental samples. Most bio-monitoring approaches have historically focused only on one or a few pathways (e.g. estrogen receptor, androgen rece...

A National Assessment of Change in Green Infrastructure Using Mathematical Morphology

EPA Science Inventory

Green infrastructure is a popular framework for conservation planning. The main elements of green infrastructure are hubs and links. Hubs tend to be large areas of natural vegetation and links tend to be linear features (e.g., streams) that connect hubs. Within the United States...

EVALUATING THE RELATIVE ROLES OF ECOLOGICAL REGIONS AND LAND-COVER COMPOSITION FOR GUIDING ESTABLISHMENT OF NUTRIENT CRITERIA

EPA Science Inventory

The continuing expansion of anthropogenic influence across the continental United States has motivated the establishment of nutrient criteria for streams, lakes, and estuaries as a means to promote the protection of aquatic resources. Nutrient criteria have been established base...

Response of DOC in acid-sensitive Maine lakes to decreasing sulfur deposition (1993 - 2009)

EPA Science Inventory

In response to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, sulfur deposition has decreased across the northeastern United States. As a result, sulfate concentrations in lakes and streams have also decreased and many surface waters have become less acidic. Over the same time period, th...

Evaluation of USEPA method 1622 for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in stream waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simmons, O. D.; Sobsey, M.D.; Schaefer, F. W.; Francy, D.S.; Nally, R.A.; Heaney, C.D.

2001-01-01

To improve surveillance for Cryptosporidium oocysts in water, the US Environmental Protection Agency developed method 1622, which consists of filtration, concentration, immunomagnetic separation, fluorescent antibody and 4, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) counter-staining, and microscopic evaluation. Two filters were compared for analysis of 11 stream water samples collected throughout the United States. Replicate 10-L stream water samples (unspiked and spiked with 100-250 oocysts) were tested to evaluate matrix effects. Oocyst recoveries from the stream water samples averaged 22% (standard deviation [SD] = ??17%) with a membrane disk and 12% (SD = ??6%) with a capsule filter. Oocyst recoveries from reagent water precision and recovery samples averaged 39% (SD = ??13%) with a membrane disk and 47% (SD = ??19%) with a capsule filter. These results demonstrate that Cryptosporidium oocysts can be recovered from stream waters using method 1622, but recoveries are lower than those from reagent-grade water. This research also evaluated concentrations of indicator bacteria in the stream water samples. Because few samples were oocyst-positive, relationships between detections of oocysts and concentrations of indicator organisms could not be determined.

Contribution of large-scale midlatitude disturbances to hourly precipitation extremes in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbero, Renaud; Abatzoglou, John T.; Fowler, Hayley J.

2018-02-01

Midlatitude synoptic weather regimes account for a substantial portion of annual precipitation accumulation as well as multi-day precipitation extremes across parts of the United States (US). However, little attention has been devoted to understanding how synoptic-scale patterns contribute to hourly precipitation extremes. A majority of 1-h annual maximum precipitation (AMP) across the western US were found to be linked to two coherent midlatitude synoptic patterns: disturbances propagating along the jet stream, and cutoff upper-level lows. The influence of these two patterns on 1-h AMP varies geographically. Over 95% of 1-h AMP along the western coastal US were coincident with progressive midlatitude waves embedded within the jet stream, while over 30% of 1-h AMP across the interior western US were coincident with cutoff lows. Between 30-60% of 1-h AMP were coincident with the jet stream across the Ohio River Valley and southeastern US, whereas a a majority of 1-h AMP over the rest of central and eastern US were not found to be associated with either midlatitude synoptic features. Composite analyses for 1-h AMP days coincident to cutoff lows and jet stream show that an anomalous moisture flux and upper-level dynamics are responsible for initiating instability and setting up an environment conducive to 1-h AMP events. While hourly precipitation extremes are generally thought to be purely convective in nature, this study shows that large-scale dynamics and baroclinic disturbances may also contribute to precipitation extremes on sub-daily timescales.

Changing Snow Cover and Stream Discharge in the Western United States - Wind River Range, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Foster, James L.; DiGirolamo, Nicolo E.; Barton, Jonathan S.; Riggs, George A.

2011-01-01

Earlier onset of springtime weather has been documented in the western United States over at least the last 50 years. Because the majority (>70%) of the water supply in the western U.S. comes from snowmelt, analysis of the declining spring snowpack has important implications for the management of water resources. We studied ten years of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow-cover products, 40 years of stream discharge and meteorological station data and 30 years of snow-water equivalent (SWE) SNOw Telemetry (SNOTEL) data in the Wind River Range (WRR), Wyoming. Results show increasing air temperatures for.the 40-year study period. Discharge from streams in WRR drainage basins show lower annual discharge and earlier snowmelt in the decade of the 2000s than in the previous three decades. Changes in streamflow may be related to increasing air temperatures which are probably contributing to a reduction in snow cover, although no trend of either increasingly lower streamflow or earlier snowmelt was observed within the decade of the 2000s. And SWE on 1 April does not show an expected downward trend from 1980 to 2009. The extent of snow cover derived from the lowest-elevation zone of the WRR study area is strongly correlated (r=0.91) with stream discharge on 1 May during the decade of the 2000s. The strong relationship between snow cover and streamflow indicates that MODIS snow-cover maps can be used to improve management of water resources in the drought-prone western U.S.

Temporal trends in algae, benthic invertebrate, and fish assemblages in streams and rivers draining basins of varying land use in the south-central United States, 1993-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Matthew P.; Kennen, Jonathan G.; Mabe, Jeffrey A.; Mize, Scott V.

2012-01-01

Site-specific temporal trends in algae, benthic invertebrate, and fish assemblages were investigated in 15 streams and rivers draining basins of varying land use in the south-central United States from 1993–2007. A multivariate approach was used to identify sites with statistically significant trends in aquatic assemblages which were then tested for correlations with assemblage metrics and abiotic environmental variables (climate, water quality, streamflow, and physical habitat). Significant temporal trends in one or more of the aquatic assemblages were identified at more than half (eight of 15) of the streams in the study. Assemblage metrics and abiotic environmental variables found to be significantly correlated with aquatic assemblages differed between land use categories. For example, algal assemblages at undeveloped sites were associated with physical habitat, while algal assemblages at more anthropogenically altered sites (agricultural and urban) were associated with nutrient and streamflow metrics. In urban stream sites results indicate that streamflow metrics may act as important controls on water quality conditions, as represented by aquatic assemblage metrics. The site-specific identification of biotic trends and abiotic–biotic relations presented here will provide valuable information that can inform interpretation of continued monitoring data and the design of future studies. In addition, the subsets of abiotic variables identified as potentially important drivers of change in aquatic assemblages provide policy makers and resource managers with information that will assist in the design and implementation of monitoring programs aimed at the protection of aquatic resources.

High nitrate concentrations in some Midwest United States streams in 2013 after the 2012 drought

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Nakagaki, Naomi; Qi, Sharon L.; Mahler, Barbara J.; Wieczorek, Michael; Button, Daniel T.

2016-01-01

Nitrogen sources in the Mississippi River basin have been linked to degradation of stream ecology and to Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. In 2013, the USGS and the USEPA characterized water quality stressors and ecological conditions in 100 wadeable streams across the midwestern United States. Wet conditions in 2013 followed a severe drought in 2012, a weather pattern associated with elevated nitrogen concentrations and loads in streams. Nitrate concentrations during the May to August 2013 sampling period ranged from <0.04 to 41.8 mg L−1 as N (mean, 5.31 mg L−1). Observed mean May to June nitrate concentrations at the 100 sites were compared with May to June concentrations predicted from a regression model developed using historical nitrate data. Observed concentrations for 17 sites, centered on Iowa and southern Minnesota, were outside the 95% confidence interval of the regression-predicted mean, indicating that they were anomalously high. The sites with a nitrate anomaly had significantly higher May to June nitrate concentrations than sites without an anomaly (means, 19.8 and 3.6 mg L−1, respectively) and had higher antecedent precipitation indices, a measure of the departure from normal precipitation, in 2012 and 2013. Correlations between nitrate concentrations and watershed characteristics and nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate indicated that fertilizer and manure used in crop production, principally corn, were the dominant sources of nitrate. The anomalously high nitrate levels in parts of the Midwest in 2013 coincide with reported higher-than-normal nitrate loads in the Mississippi River.

Leaf breakdown in streams differing in catchment land use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paul, M.J.; Meyer, J.L.; Couch, C.A.

2006-01-01

1. The impact of changes in land use on stream ecosystem function is poorly understood. We studied leaf breakdown, a fundamental process of stream ecosystems, in streams that represent a range of catchment land use in the Piedmont physiographic province of the south-eastern United States. 2. We placed bags of chalk maple (Acer barbatum) leaves in similar-sized streams in 12 catchments of differing dominant land use: four forested, three agricultural, two suburban and three urban catchments. We measured leaf mass, invertebrate abundance and fungal biomass in leaf bags over time. 3. Leaves decayed significantly faster in agricultural (0.0465 day-1) and urban (0.0474 day-1) streams than in suburban (0.0173 day-1) and forested (0.0100 day-1) streams. Additionally, breakdown rates in the agricultural and urban streams were among the fastest reported for deciduous leaves in any stream. Nutrient concentrations in agricultural streams were significantly higher than in any other land-use type. Fungal biomass associated with leaves was significantly lower in urban streams; while shredder abundance in leaf bags was significantly higher in forested and agricultural streams than in suburban and urban streams. Storm runoff was significantly higher in urban and suburban catchments that had higher impervious surface cover than forested or agricultural catchments. 4. We propose that processes accelerating leaf breakdown in agricultural and urban streams were not the same: faster breakdown in agricultural streams was due to increased biological activity as a result of nutrient enrichment, whereas faster breakdown in urban streams was a result of physical fragmentation resulting from higher storm runoff. ?? 2006 The Authors.

New streams and springs after the 2014 Mw6.0 South Napa earthquake

PubMed Central

Wang, Chi-Yuen; Manga, Michael

2015-01-01

Many streams and springs, which were dry or nearly dry before the 2014 Mw6.0 South Napa earthquake, started to flow after the earthquake. A United States Geological Survey stream gauge also registered a coseismic increase in discharge. Public interest was heightened by a state of extreme drought in California. Since the new flows were not contaminated by pre-existing surface water, their composition allowed unambiguous identification of their origin. Following the earthquake we repeatedly surveyed the new flows, collecting data to test hypotheses about their origin. We show that the new flows originated from groundwater in nearby mountains released by the earthquake. The estimated total amount of new water is ∼106 m3, about 1/40 of the annual water use in the Napa–Sonoma area. Our model also makes a testable prediction of a post-seismic decrease of seismic velocity in the shallow crust of the affected region. PMID:26158898

Organic Waste Diversion Guidance for U.S. Army Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

Windrow temperature ; Windrow moisture content (lab test) stated as a percentage; Windrow pH level; Windrow oxygen content stated as a percentage...much higher turbidity (>999 nephelometric turbidity units [NTU] versus 30 NTU), less dis- solved oxygen (6.32 mg/L versus 7.59 mg/L), higher temperature ... effective ." A Net Zero Waste installation is an installation that reduces, reuses, and recovers waste streams, converting them to valuable

Toward disentangling the effect of hydrologic and nitrogen source changes from 1992 to 2001 on incremental nitrogen yield in the contiguous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Md Jahangir; Goodall, Jonathan L.

2012-04-01

The goal of this research was to quantify the relative impact of hydrologic and nitrogen source changes on incremental nitrogen yield in the contiguous United States. Using nitrogen source estimates from various federal data bases, remotely sensed land use data from the National Land Cover Data program, and observed instream loadings from the United States Geological Survey National Stream Quality Accounting Network program, we calibrated and applied the spatially referenced regression model SPARROW to estimate incremental nitrogen yield for the contiguous United States. We ran different model scenarios to separate the effects of changes in source contributions from hydrologic changes for the years 1992 and 2001, assuming that only state conditions changed and that model coefficients describing the stream water-quality response to changes in state conditions remained constant between 1992 and 2001. Model results show a decrease of 8.2% in the median incremental nitrogen yield over the period of analysis with the vast majority of this decrease due to changes in hydrologic conditions rather than decreases in nitrogen sources. For example, when we changed the 1992 version of the model to have nitrogen source data from 2001, the model results showed only a small increase in median incremental nitrogen yield (0.12%). However, when we changed the 1992 version of the model to have hydrologic conditions from 2001, model results showed a decrease of approximately 8.7% in median incremental nitrogen yield. We did, however, find notable differences in incremental yield estimates for different sources of nitrogen after controlling for hydrologic changes, particularly for population related sources. For example, the median incremental yield for population related sources increased by 8.4% after controlling for hydrologic changes. This is in contrast to a 2.8% decrease in population related sources when hydrologic changes are included in the analysis. Likewise we found that median incremental yield from urban watersheds increased by 6.8% after controlling for hydrologic changes—in contrast to the median incremental nitrogen yield from cropland watersheds, which decreased by 2.1% over the same time period. These results suggest that, after accounting for hydrologic changes, population related sources became a more significant contributor of nitrogen yield to streams in the contiguous United States over the period of analysis. However, this study was not able to account for the influence of human management practices such as improvements in wastewater treatment plants or Best Management Practices that likely improved water quality, due to a lack of data for quantifying the impact of these practices for the study area.

Distinctive channel geometry and riparian vegetation: A geomorphic classification for arid ephemeral streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutfin, N.; Shaw, J. R.; Wohl, E. E.; Cooper, D.

2012-12-01

Interactions between hydrology, channel form, and riparian vegetation along arid ephemeral streams are not thoroughly understood and current stream classifications do not adequately represent variability in channel geometry and associated riparian communities. Relatively infrequent hydrologic disturbances in dryland environments are responsible for creation and maintenance of channel form that supports riparian communities. To investigate the influence of channel characteristics on riparian vegetation in the arid southwestern United States, we develop a geomorphic classification for arid ephemeral streams based on the degree of confinement and the composition of confining material that provide constraints on available moisture. Our conceptual model includes five stream types: 1) bedrock channels entirely confined by exposed bedrock and devoid of persistent alluvium; 2) bedrock with alluvium channels at least partially confined by bedrock but containing enough alluvium to create bedforms that persist through time; 3) incised alluvium channels bound only by unconsolidated alluvial material into which they are incised; 4) braided washes that exhibit multi-thread, braided characteristics regardless of the composition of confining material; and 5) piedmont headwater 0-2nd order streams (Strahler) confined only by unconsolidated alluvium and which initiate as secondary channels on piedmont surfaces. Eighty-six study reaches representing the five stream types were surveyed on the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. Non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) indicates significant differences between the five stream types with regards to channel geometry (i.e., stream gradient, width-to-depth ratio, the ratio between valley width and channel width (Wv/Wc), shear stress, and unit stream power) and riparian vegetation (i.e., presence and canopy coverage by species, canopy stratum, and life form). Discriminant analysis of the physical driving variables is being conducted to produce a model that predicts stream type and resulting riparian vegetation communities based on channel geometry. This model will be tested on a separate set of 15 study reaches surveyed on the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range in southern Arizona. The resulting classification will provide a basis for examining relationships between hydrology, channel and watershed characteristics, riparian vegetation and ecosystem sensitivity of ephemeral streams in arid regions of the American Southwest.

Thirty-eighth annual report of the Director of the United States Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, George Otis

1917-01-01

The appropriations for the work of the United States Geological Survey for the fiscal year 1916-17 comprised items amounting to $1,605,520. The plan of operations as approved by the Secretary of the Interior included geologic surveys in the United States and Alaska, reconnaissance and detailed, of 40,937 square miles, topographic surveys of 32,245 square miles, stream gaging at 1,197 stations, the classification of public lands to an amount of more than 18,000,000 acres, and the collection of statistics of production and consumption from more than 90,000 producers, covering more than 75 mineral products. During the year 203 scientific and economic reports were published, and at the end of the year the Survey members holding appointments from the Secretary numbered 934, an increase of 62.

Procedural Guide for International Gauging Stations on Boundary Waters Between Canada and the United States of America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huberman, S.; Slater, James; Condes, A.

1985-01-01

INTRODUCTION Since 1909, the United States of America (U.S.A.) and Canada have employed a system of monitoring stream-flow and water levels for shared waters based upon professionalism, trust and goodwill. This document has been prepared in considerable detail for use by managers and field officers at all levels of government in Canada and the United States. Its purpose is to serve as a guide in attaining uniform procedures in the designation and operation of International Gauging Stations. For special situations where these procedures do not apply, specific mention is made in appropriate sections of the guide. This guide supersedes that of November 4, 1969, and the guide entitled 'The Procedural Guide for Operation of International Gauging Stations, St. Mary- Milk Rivers,' dated March 12, 1979.

Channel unit use by Smallmouth Bass: Do land-use constraints or quantity of habitat matter?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brewer, Shannon K.

2013-01-01

I examined how land use influenced the distribution of Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in channel units (discrete morphological features—e.g., pools) of streams in the Midwestern USA. Stream segments (n = 36), from four clusters of different soil and runoff conditions, were identified that had the highest percent of forest (n = 12), pasture (n = 12), and urban land use (n = 12) within each cluster. Channel units within each stream were delineated and independently sampled once using multiple gears in summer 2006. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model procedure with a binomial distribution and odds ratio statistics. Land use and channel unit were strong predictors of age-0, age-1, and age->1 Smallmouth Bass presence. Each age-class was more likely to be present in streams within watersheds dominated by forest land use than in those with pasture or urban land uses. The interaction between land use and channel unit was not significant in any of the models, indicating channel unit use by Smallmouth Bass did not depend on watershed land use. Each of the three age-classes was more likely to use pools than other channel units. However, streams with high densities of Smallmouth Bass age >1 had lower proportions of pools suggesting a variety of channel units is important even though habitat needs exist at the channel-unit scale. Management may benefit from future research addressing the significance of channel-unit quality as a possible mechanism for how land use impacts Smallmouth Bass populations. Further, management efforts aimed at improving stream habitat would likely be more beneficial if focused at the stream segment or landscape scale, where a variety of quality habitats might be supported.

Movement between Mexico and Canada: Analysis of a New Migration Stream

PubMed Central

Massey, Douglas; Brown, Amelia E.

2011-01-01

In this analysis we use data from the Mexican Migration Project to contrast processes of Mexican migration to Canada and the United States. All migrants to Canada entered through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and consistent with program criteria, migration there is strongly predicted by marital status and number of dependents, yielding a migrant population that is made up of males of prime labor-force age who are married and have multiple children at home. In contrast, the vast majority of migrants to the United States are undocumented and thus self-selected without regard to marital status or parenthood. Migration to the United States is strongly predicted by age, and migration probabilities display the age curve classically associated with labor migration. Within countries of destination, migrants to Canada enjoy superior labor market outcomes compared with those to the United States, with higher wages and more compact work schedules that yield higher earnings and shorter periods away from families compared with undocumented migrants to the United States. Labor migration to Canada also tends to operate as a circular flow with considerable repeat migration whereas undocumented migrants to the United States do not come and go so regularly, as crossing the Mexico-U.S. border has become increasingly difficult and costly. PMID:24347678

A historical review of additives and modifiers used in paving asphalt refining processes in the United States.

PubMed

Mundt, Diane J; Adams, Robert C; Marano, Kristin M

2009-11-01

The U.S. asphalt paving industry has evolved over time to meet various performance specifications for liquid petroleum asphalt binder (known as bitumen outside the United States). Additives to liquid petroleum asphalt produced in the refinery may affect exposures to workers in the hot mix paving industry. This investigation documented the changes in the composition and distribution of the liquid petroleum asphalt products produced from petroleum refining in the United States since World War II. This assessment was accomplished by reviewing documents and interviewing individual experts in the industry to identify current and historical practices. Individuals from 18 facilities were surveyed; the number of facilities reporting use of any material within a particular class ranged from none to more than half the respondents. Materials such as products of the process stream, polymers, elastomers, and anti-strip compounds have been added to liquid petroleum asphalt in the United States over the past 50 years, but modification has not been generally consistent by geography or time. Modifications made to liquid petroleum asphalt were made generally to improve performance and were dictated by state specifications.

Steady-state sulfur critical loads and exceedances for protection of aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. Southern Appalachian Mountains.

PubMed

McDonnell, Todd C; Sullivan, Timothy J; Hessburg, Paul F; Reynolds, Keith M; Povak, Nicholas A; Cosby, Bernard J; Jackson, William; Salter, R Brion

2014-12-15

Atmospherically deposited sulfur (S) causes stream water acidification throughout the eastern U.S. Southern Appalachian Mountain (SAM) region. Acidification has been linked with reduced fitness and richness of aquatic species and changes to benthic communities. Maintaining acid-base chemistry that supports native biota depends largely on balancing acidic deposition with the natural resupply of base cations. Stream water acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) is maintained by base cations that mostly originate from weathering of surrounding lithologies. When ambient atmospheric S deposition exceeds the critical load (CL) an ecosystem can tolerate, stream water chemistry may become lethal to biota. This work links statistical predictions of ANC and base cation weathering for streams and watersheds of the SAM region with a steady-state model to estimate CLs and exceedances. Results showed that 20.1% of the total length of study region streams displayed ANC <100 μeq∙L(-1), a level at which effects to biota may be anticipated; most were 4th or lower order streams. Nearly one-third of the stream length within the study region exhibited CLs of S deposition <50 meq∙m(-2)∙yr(-1), which is less than the regional average S deposition of 60 meq∙m(-2)∙yr(-1). Owing to their geologic substrates, relatively high elevation, and cool and moist forested conditions, the percentage of stream length in exceedance was highest for mountain wilderness areas and in national parks, and lowest for privately owned valley bottom land. Exceedance results were summarized by 12-digit hydrologic unit code (subwatershed) for use in developing management goals and policy objectives, and for long-term monitoring. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface-Water Nutrient Conditions and Sources in the United States Pacific Northwest1

PubMed Central

Wise, Daniel R; Johnson, Henry M

2011-01-01

Abstract The SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model was used to perform an assessment of surface-water nutrient conditions and to identify important nutrient sources in watersheds of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States (U.S.) for the year 2002. Our models included variables representing nutrient sources as well as landscape characteristics that affect nutrient delivery to streams. Annual nutrient yields were higher in watersheds on the wetter, west side of the Cascade Range compared to watersheds on the drier, east side. High nutrient enrichment (relative to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended nutrient criteria) was estimated in watersheds throughout the region. Forest land was generally the largest source of total nitrogen stream load and geologic material was generally the largest source of total phosphorus stream load generated within the 12,039 modeled watersheds. These results reflected the prevalence of these two natural sources and the low input from other nutrient sources across the region. However, the combined input from agriculture, point sources, and developed land, rather than natural nutrient sources, was responsible for most of the nutrient load discharged from many of the largest watersheds. Our results provided an understanding of the regional patterns in surface-water nutrient conditions and should be useful to environmental managers in future water-quality planning efforts. PMID:22457584

Live Streaming of the Moon's Shadow from the Edge of Space across the United States during the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzik, T. G.

2017-12-01

On August 21, 2017 approximately 55 teams across the path of totality of the eclipse across America will use sounding balloon platforms to transmit, in real-time from an altitude of 90,000 feet, HD video of the moon's shadow as it crosses the U.S. from Oregon to South Carolina. This unprecedented activity was originally organized by the Montana Space Grant Consortium in order to 1) use the rare total eclipse event to captivate the imagination of students and encourage the development of new ballooning teams across the United States, 2) provide an inexpensive high bandwidth data telemetry system for real-time video streaming, and 3) establish the basic infrastructure at multiple institutions enabling advanced "new generation" student ballooning projects following the eclipse event. A ballooning leadership group consisting of Space Grant Consortia in Montana, Colorado, Louisiana, and Minnesota was established to support further development and testing of the systems, as well as to assist in training the ballooning teams. This presentation will describe the high bandwidth telemetry system used for the never before attempted live streaming of HD video from the edge of space, the results of this highly collaborative science campaign stretching from coast-to-coast, potential uses of the data telemetry system for other student science projects, and lessons learned that can be applied to the 2024 total solar eclipse.

Occurrence and potential sources of pyrethroid insecticides in stream sediments from seven U.S. metropolitan areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuivila, Kathryn; Hladik, Michelle; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Kemble, Nile E.; Moran, Patrick W.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Nowell, Lisa H.; Gilliom, Robert J.

2012-01-01

A nationally consistent approach was used to assess the occurrence and potential sources of pyrethroid insecticides in stream bed sediments from seven metropolitan areas across the United States. One or more pyrethroids were detected in almost half of the samples, with bifenthrin detected the most frequently (41%) and in each metropolitan area. Cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, permethrin, and resmethrin were detected much less frequently. Pyrethroid concentrations and Hyalella azteca mortality in 28-d tests were lower than in most urban stream studies. Log-transformed total pyrethroid toxic units (TUs) were significantly correlated with survival and bifenthrin was likely responsible for the majority of the observed toxicity. Sampling sites spanned a wide range of urbanization and log-transformed total pyrethroid concentrations were significantly correlated with urban land use. Dallas/Fort Worth had the highest pyrethroid detection frequency (89%), the greatest number of pyrethroids (4), and some of the highest concentrations. Salt Lake City had a similar percentage of detections but only bifenthrin was detected and at lower concentrations. The variation in pyrethroid concentrations among metropolitan areas suggests regional differences in pyrethroid use and transport processes. This study shows that pyrethroids commonly occur in urban stream sediments and may be contributing to sediment toxicity across the country.

Recent changes in stream flashiness and flooding, and effects of flood management in North Carolina and Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mogollón, Beatriz; Frimpong, Emmanuel A.; Hoegh, Andrew B.; Angermeier, Paul L.

2016-01-01

The southeastern United States has undergone anthropogenic changes in landscape structure, with the potential to increase (e.g., urbanization) and decrease (e.g., reservoir construction) stream flashiness and flooding. Assessment of the outcome of such change can provide insight into the efficacy of current strategies and policies to manage water resources. We (1) examined trends in precipitation, floods, and stream flashiness and (2) assessed the relative influence of land cover and flow-regulating features (e.g., best management practices and artificial water bodies) on stream flashiness from 1991 to 2013. We found mean annual precipitation decreased, which coincided with decreasing trends in floods. In contrast, stream flashiness, overall, showed an increasing trend during the period of study. However, upon closer examination, 20 watersheds showed stable stream flashiness, whereas 5 increased and 6 decreased in flashiness. Urban watersheds were among those that increased or decreased in flashiness. Watersheds that increased in stream flashiness gained more urban cover, lost more forested cover and had fewer best management practices installed than urban watersheds that decreased in stream flashiness. We found best management practices are more effective than artificial water bodies in regulating flashy floods. Flashiness index is a valuable and straightforward metric to characterize changes in streamflow and help to assess the efficacy of management interventions.

Relationship Between Satellite-Derived Snow Cover and Snowmelt-Runoff Timing in the Wind River Range, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Foster, James L.; DiGirolamo, Nicolo E.; Riggs, George A.

2010-01-01

MODIS-derived snow cover measured on 30 April in any given year explains approximately 89 % of the variance in stream discharge for maximum monthly streamflow in that year. Observed changes in streamflow appear to be related to increasing maximum air temperatures over the last four decades causing lower spring snow-cover extent. The majority (>70%) of the water supply in the western United States comes from snowmelt, thus analysis of the declining spring snowpack (and resulting declining stream discharge) has important implications for streamflow management in the drought-prone western U.S.

Impacts of Low-Flow and Stream-Temperature Changes on Endangered Atlantic Salmon - Current Research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dudley, Robert W.; Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Letcher, Benjamin H.

2008-01-01

Recent climate studies in New England and the northeastern United States have shown evidence of physical changes over time, including trends toward earlier snowmelt runoff, decreasing river ice, and increasing spring water temperatures. A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study funded by the National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center will be investigating changes in summer low streamflows and stream temperatures and the potential effects of those changes on endangered Atlantic salmon populations. The study also will evaluate management options that would be most likely to mitigate the effects of any changes in streamflow and temperature.

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prekins, Joshuah S.; Gido, Keith B.; Falke, Jeffrey A.; Fausch, Kurt D.; Crockett, Harry; Johnson, Eric R.; Sanderson, John

2017-01-01

Groundwater pumping for agriculture is a major driver causing declines of global freshwater ecosystems, yet the ecological consequences for stream fish assemblages are rarely quantified. We combined retrospective (1950–2010) and prospective (2011–2060) modeling approaches within a multiscale framework to predict change in Great Plains stream fish assemblages associated with groundwater pumping from the United States High Plains Aquifer. We modeled the relationship between the length of stream receiving water from the High Plains Aquifer and the occurrence of fishes characteristic of small and large streams in the western Great Plains at a regional scale and for six subwatersheds nested within the region. Water development at the regional scale was associated with construction of 154 barriers that fragment stream habitats, increased depth to groundwater and loss of 558 km of stream, and transformation of fish assemblage structure from dominance by large-stream to small-stream fishes. Scaling down to subwatersheds revealed consistent transformations in fish assemblage structure among western subwatersheds with increasing depths to groundwater. Although transformations occurred in the absence of barriers, barriers along mainstem rivers isolate depauperate western fish assemblages from relatively intact eastern fish assemblages. Projections to 2060 indicate loss of an additional 286 km of stream across the region, as well as continued replacement of large-stream fishes by small-stream fishes where groundwater pumping has increased depth to groundwater. Our work illustrates the shrinking of streams and homogenization of Great Plains stream fish assemblages related to groundwater pumping, and we predict similar transformations worldwide where local and regional aquifer depletions occur.

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages.

PubMed

Perkin, Joshuah S; Gido, Keith B; Falke, Jeffrey A; Fausch, Kurt D; Crockett, Harry; Johnson, Eric R; Sanderson, John

2017-07-11

Groundwater pumping for agriculture is a major driver causing declines of global freshwater ecosystems, yet the ecological consequences for stream fish assemblages are rarely quantified. We combined retrospective (1950-2010) and prospective (2011-2060) modeling approaches within a multiscale framework to predict change in Great Plains stream fish assemblages associated with groundwater pumping from the United States High Plains Aquifer. We modeled the relationship between the length of stream receiving water from the High Plains Aquifer and the occurrence of fishes characteristic of small and large streams in the western Great Plains at a regional scale and for six subwatersheds nested within the region. Water development at the regional scale was associated with construction of 154 barriers that fragment stream habitats, increased depth to groundwater and loss of 558 km of stream, and transformation of fish assemblage structure from dominance by large-stream to small-stream fishes. Scaling down to subwatersheds revealed consistent transformations in fish assemblage structure among western subwatersheds with increasing depths to groundwater. Although transformations occurred in the absence of barriers, barriers along mainstem rivers isolate depauperate western fish assemblages from relatively intact eastern fish assemblages. Projections to 2060 indicate loss of an additional 286 km of stream across the region, as well as continued replacement of large-stream fishes by small-stream fishes where groundwater pumping has increased depth to groundwater. Our work illustrates the shrinking of streams and homogenization of Great Plains stream fish assemblages related to groundwater pumping, and we predict similar transformations worldwide where local and regional aquifer depletions occur.

Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages

PubMed Central

Perkin, Joshuah S.; Gido, Keith B.; Falke, Jeffrey A.; Fausch, Kurt D.; Crockett, Harry; Johnson, Eric R.; Sanderson, John

2017-01-01

Groundwater pumping for agriculture is a major driver causing declines of global freshwater ecosystems, yet the ecological consequences for stream fish assemblages are rarely quantified. We combined retrospective (1950–2010) and prospective (2011–2060) modeling approaches within a multiscale framework to predict change in Great Plains stream fish assemblages associated with groundwater pumping from the United States High Plains Aquifer. We modeled the relationship between the length of stream receiving water from the High Plains Aquifer and the occurrence of fishes characteristic of small and large streams in the western Great Plains at a regional scale and for six subwatersheds nested within the region. Water development at the regional scale was associated with construction of 154 barriers that fragment stream habitats, increased depth to groundwater and loss of 558 km of stream, and transformation of fish assemblage structure from dominance by large-stream to small-stream fishes. Scaling down to subwatersheds revealed consistent transformations in fish assemblage structure among western subwatersheds with increasing depths to groundwater. Although transformations occurred in the absence of barriers, barriers along mainstem rivers isolate depauperate western fish assemblages from relatively intact eastern fish assemblages. Projections to 2060 indicate loss of an additional 286 km of stream across the region, as well as continued replacement of large-stream fishes by small-stream fishes where groundwater pumping has increased depth to groundwater. Our work illustrates the shrinking of streams and homogenization of Great Plains stream fish assemblages related to groundwater pumping, and we predict similar transformations worldwide where local and regional aquifer depletions occur. PMID:28652354

Application of geologic map information to water quality issues in the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Maryland and Virginia, eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCartan, L.; Peper, J.D.; Bachman, L.J.; Horton, J. Wright

1999-01-01

Geologic map units contain much information about the mineralogy, chemistry, and physical attributes of the rocks mapped. This paper presents information from regional-scale geologic maps in Maryland and Virginia, which are in the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the eastern United States. The geologic map information is discussed and analyzed in relation to water chemistry data from shallow wells and stream reaches in the area. Two environmental problems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are used as test examples. The problems, high acidity and high nitrate concentrations in streams and rivers, tend to be mitigated by some rock and sediment types and not by others. Carbonate rocks (limestone, dolomite, and carbonate-cemented rocks) have the greatest capacity to neutralize acidic ground water and surface water in contact with them. Rocks and sediments having high carbon or sulfur contents (such as peat and black shale) potentially contribute the most toward denitrification of ground water and surface water in contact with them. Rocks and sediments that are composed mostly of quartz, feldspar, and light-colored clay (rocks such as granite and sandstone, sediments such as sand and gravel) tend not to alter the chemistry of waters that are in contact with them. The testing of relationships between regionally mapped geologic units and water chemistry is in a preliminary stage, and initial results are encouraging.Geologic map units contain much information about the mineralogy, chemistry, and physical attributes of the rocks mapped. This paper presents information from regional-scale geologic maps in Maryland and Virginia, which are in the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the eastern United States. The geologic map information is discussed and analyzed in relation to water chemistry data from shallow wells and stream reaches in the area. Two environmental problems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are used as test examples. The problems, high acidity and high nitrate concentrations in streams and rivers, tend to be mitigated by some rock and sediment types and not by others. Carbonate rocks (limestone, dolomite, and carbonate-cemented rocks) have the greatest capacity to neutralize acidic ground water and surface water in contact with them. Rocks and sediments having high carbon or sulfur contents (such as peat and black shale) potentially contribute the most toward denitrification of ground water and surface water in contact with them. Rocks and sediments that are composed mostly of quartz, feldspar, and light-colored clay (rocks such as granite and sandstone, sediments such as sand and gravel) tend not to alter the chemistry of waters that are in contact with them. The testing of relationships between regionally mapped geologic units and water chemistry is in a preliminary stage, and initial results are encouraging.

Conceptual model of the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston and Powder River structural basins, United States and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, Andrew J.; Aurand, Katherine R.; Bednar, Jennifer M.; Davis, Kyle W.; McKaskey, Jonathan D.R.G.; Thamke, Joanna N.

2014-01-01

The three uppermost principal aquifer systems of the Northern Great Plains—the glacial, lower Tertiary, and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems—are described in this report and provide water for irrigation, mining, public and domestic supply, livestock, and industrial uses. These aquifer systems primarily are present in two nationally important fossil-fuelproducing areas: the Williston and Powder River structural basins in the United States and Canada. The glacial aquifer system is contained within glacial deposits that overlie the lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems in the northeastern part of the Williston structural basin. Productive sand and gravel aquifers exist within this aquifer system. The Upper Cretaceous aquifer system is contained within bedrock lithostratigraphic units as deep as 2,850 and 8,500 feet below land surface in the Williston and Powder River structural basins, respectively. Petroleum extraction from much deeper formations, such as the Bakken Formation, is rapidly increasing because of recently improved hydraulic fracturing methods that require large volumes of relatively freshwater from shallow aquifers or surface water. Extraction of coalbed natural gas from within the lower Tertiary aquifer system requires removal of large volumes of groundwater to allow degasification. Recognizing the importance of understanding water resources in these energy-rich basins, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Groundwater Resources Program (http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/gwrp/) began a groundwater study of the Williston and Powder River structural basins in 2011 to quantify this groundwater resource, the results of which are described in this report. The overall objective of this study was to characterize, quantify, and provide an improved conceptual understanding of the three uppermost and principal aquifer systems in energy-resource areas of the Northern Great Plains to assist in groundwater-resource management for multiple uses. The study area includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming in the United States and Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. The glacial aquifer system is contained within glacial drift consisting primarily of till, with smaller amounts of glacial outwash sand and gravel deposits. The lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems are contained within several formations of the Tertiary and Cretaceous geologic systems, which are hydraulically separated from underlying aquifers by a basal confining unit. The lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems each were divided into three hydrogeologic units that correspond to one or more lithostratigraphic units. The period prior to 1960 is defined as the predevelopment period when little groundwater was extracted. From 1960 through 1990, numerous flowing wells were installed near the Yellowstone, Little Missouri and Knife Rivers, resulting in local groundwater declines. Recently developed technologies for the extraction of petroleum resources, which largely have been applied in the study area since about 2005, require millions of gallons of water for construction of each well, with additional water needed for long-term operation; therefore, the potential for an increase in groundwater extraction is high. In this study, groundwater recharge and discharge components were estimated for the period 1981–2005. Groundwater recharge primarily occurs from infiltration of rainfall and snowmelt (precipitation recharge) and infiltration of streams into the ground (stream infiltration). Total estimated recharge to the Williston and Powder River control volumes is 4,560 and 1,500 cubic feet per second, respectively. Estimated precipitation recharge is 26 and 15 percent of total recharge for the Williston and Powder River control volumes, respectively. Estimated stream infiltration is 71 and 80 percent of total recharge for the Williston and Powder River control volumes, respectively. Groundwater discharge primarily is to streams and springs and is estimated to be about 97 and 92 percent of total discharge for the Williston and Powder River control volumes, respectively. Most of the remaining discharge results from pumped and flowing wells. Groundwater flow in the Williston structural basin generally is from the west and southwest toward the east, where discharge to streams occurs. Locally, in the uppermost hydrogeologic units, groundwater generally is unconfined and flows from topographically high to low areas, where discharge to streams occurs. Groundwater flow in the Powder River structural basin generally is toward the north, with local variations, particularly in the upper Fort Union aquifer, where flow is toward streams.

National water summary 1983: Hydrologic events and issues

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1984-01-01

The United States as a Nation possesses abundant water resources and has developed and used those resources extensively. The national renewable supply of water is about 1,400 billion gallons per day (for the conterminous 48 States). Approximately 380 billion gallons per day of freshwater is withdrawn for use by the Nation's homes, farms, and industries, and about 280 billion gallons per day is returned to streams. Although a large percentage of the Nation's waste is carried in this return flow, the quality of water in streams has improved in many respects as a result of the pollution-control pro- grams of recent years. However, much remains to be learned about water quality particularly the extent of contamination by synthetic organic chemicals and heavy metals, and the effects of these contaminants on human health.

Quantifying the sensitivity of ephemeral streams to land disturbance activities in arid ecosystems at the watershed scale.

PubMed

O'Connor, Ben L; Hamada, Yuki; Bowen, Esther E; Grippo, Mark A; Hartmann, Heidi M; Patton, Terri L; Van Lonkhuyzen, Robert A; Carr, Adrianne E

2014-11-01

Large areas of public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and located in arid regions of the southwestern United States are being considered for the development of utility-scale solar energy facilities. Land-disturbing activities in these desert, alluvium-filled valleys have the potential to adversely affect the hydrologic and ecologic functions of ephemeral streams. Regulation and management of ephemeral streams typically falls under a spectrum of federal, state, and local programs, but scientifically based guidelines for protecting ephemeral streams with respect to land-development activities are largely nonexistent. This study developed an assessment approach for quantifying the sensitivity to land disturbance of ephemeral stream reaches located in proposed solar energy zones (SEZs). The ephemeral stream assessment approach used publicly-available geospatial data on hydrology, topography, surficial geology, and soil characteristics, as well as high-resolution aerial imagery. These datasets were used to inform a professional judgment-based score index of potential land disturbance impacts on selected critical functions of ephemeral streams, including flow and sediment conveyance, ecological habitat value, and groundwater recharge. The total sensitivity scores (sum of scores for the critical stream functions of flow and sediment conveyance, ecological habitats, and groundwater recharge) were used to identify highly sensitive stream reaches to inform decisions on developable areas in SEZs. Total sensitivity scores typically reflected the scores of the individual stream functions; some exceptions pertain to groundwater recharge and ecological habitats. The primary limitations of this assessment approach were the lack of high-resolution identification of ephemeral stream channels in the existing National Hydrography Dataset, and the lack of mechanistic processes describing potential impacts on ephemeral stream functions at the watershed scale. The primary strength of this assessment approach is that it allows watershed-scale planning for low-impact development in arid ecosystems; the qualitative scoring of potential impacts can also be adjusted to accommodate new geospatial data, and to allow for expert and stakeholder input into decisions regarding the identification and potential avoidance of highly sensitive stream reaches.

Quantifying the sensitivity of ephemeral streams to land disturbance activities in arid ecosystems at the watershed scale

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

O’Connor, Ben L.; Hamada, Yuki; Bowen, Esther E.

2014-08-17

Large areas of public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and located in arid regions of the southwestern United States are being considered for the development of utility-scale solar energy facilities. Land-disturbing activities in these desert, alluvium-filled valleys have the potential to adversely affect the hydrologic and ecologic functions of ephemeral streams. Regulation and management of ephemeral streams typically falls under a spectrum of federal, state, and local programs, but scientifically based guidelines for protecting ephemeral streams with respect to land-development activities are largely nonexistent. This study developed an assessment approach for quantifying the sensitivity to land disturbancemore » of ephemeral stream reaches located in proposed solar energy zones (SEZs). The ephemeral stream assessment approach used publicly-available geospatial data on hydrology, topography, surficial geology, and soil characteristics, as well as highresolution aerial imagery. These datasets were used to inform a professional judgment-based score index of potential land disturbance impacts on selected critical functions of ephemeral streams, including flow and sediment conveyance, ecological habitat value, and groundwater recharge. The total sensitivity scores (sum of scores for the critical stream functions of flow and sediment conveyance, ecological habitats, and groundwater recharge) were used to identify highly sensitive stream reaches to inform decisions on developable areas in SEZs. Total sensitivity scores typically reflected the scores of the individual stream functions; some exceptions pertain to groundwater recharge and ecological habitats. The primary limitations of this assessment approach were the lack of high-resolution identification of ephemeral stream channels in the existing National Hydrography Dataset, and the lack of mechanistic processes describing potential impacts on ephemeral stream functions at the watershed scale.The primary strength of this assessment approach is that it allows watershed-scale planning for low-impact development in arid ecosystems; the qualitative scoring of potential impacts can also be adjusted to accommodate new geospatial data, and to allow for expert and stakeholder input into decisions regarding the identification and potential avoidance of highly sensitive stream reaches.« less

Occurrence and in vitro bioactivity of estrogen, androgen, and glucocorticoid compounds in a nationwide screen of United States stream waters

EPA Science Inventory

In vitro bioassays are sensitive, effect-based tools used to quantitatively screen for chemicals with nuclear receptor activity in environmental samples. We measured in vitro estrogen (ER), androgen (AR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity, along with a suite of chemical a...

78 FR 17930 - National Rivers and Streams Assessment 2008-009 Draft Report

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-25

... Using a statistical survey design, sites were selected at random to represent the condition of the... describes the results of the nationwide probabilistic survey that was conducted in the summers of 2008 and... conterminous United States. The draft NRSA 2008-2009 report includes information on how the survey was...

National rivers and streams assessment survey: evaluating the extent of selected human prescription pharmaceuticals in United States surface waters

EPA Science Inventory

The Ecological Exposure Research Division (EERD) has prioritized a list of the most prescribed active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in the U.S. based on the potential of their wastewater residues to cause biological effects. A method using selective solid phase extraction and...

Surface waters of Kansas, 1919-1924

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnison, H.B.

1926-01-01

From 1906 to 1916 no stream-gaging investigations were made in Kansas, and the only records available for this period are those of river stages taken by the United States Weather Bureau, at a few selected stations, for use by the river forcast service. The floods of 1908, 1909 and 1915 occurred during this period.

Keeping Sediment and Nutrients out of Streams in Arid/Semi-Arid United States: Application of Low Impact Development/Green Infrastructure Practices

EPA Science Inventory

Climatic and hydrological characteristics in the arid/semi-arid areas create unique challenges to soil, water and biodiversity conservation. These areas are environmentally sensitive, but very valuable for the ecosystems services they provide to society. Some of these areas are...

Science You Can Use Bulletin: Our forests in the [water] balance

Treesearch

Megan Matonis; Charles Luce; Zack Holden; Penny Morgan; Emily Heyerdahl

2013-01-01

Climate change is not only causing temperatures to rise, it is also altering the amount and type of precipitation that falls across the western United States. Research shows a trend of increasingly dry "dry years," meaning droughts are becoming more severe and streams are flowing lower during these periods.

Collecting Planarians: A Good Choice for a Field Trip.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cha, Heeyoung

2001-01-01

Describes a field trip to collect planarians as successful in generating interest in the sciences. This activity is suitable for all grade levels as a field trip or biology lab. Planarians can be easily collected from streams across the United States. Once in the classroom, planaria are easily fed and cared for. (SAH)

Fluorspar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, M.

2012-01-01

World fluorspar demand continued to show signs of recovery from 2008-2009 recession. In 2011, nearly all fluorspar (CaF2) consumed in the United States was imported. Hastie Mining and Trucking Co. produced some fluorspar as a byproduct from its limestone quarry operations in Illinois. In addition, a small amount of usable synthetic fluorspar was produced from industrial waste streams.

Development of bankfull hydraulic geometry relationships for the physiographic divisions of the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bankfull hydraulic geometry relationships are used to estimate channel dimensions for stream flow simulation models, which require channel geometry data as input parameters. Often, one nationwide curve is used across the entire U.S. (e.g. in SWAT), even though studies have shown that the use of reg...

Desired future condition: Fish habitat in southwestern riparian-stream habitats

Treesearch

John N. Rinne

1996-01-01

Riparian ecosystems in the southwestern United States provide valuable habitats for many living organisms including native fishes. An analysis of habitat components important to native fishes was made based on the literature, case histories, and unpublished and observational data. Results suggest a natural, surface water hydrograph and lack of introduced species of...

A LANDSCAPE MODEL TO PREDICT TOTAL NITROGEN LEVELS IN SURFACE WATERS OF THE WILLAMETTE AND CENTRAL VALLEYS ECOREGION OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Excess nutrients are a leading cause of impairment to streams, rivers, lakes and the coastal ecosystems. Excessive nutrient loadings result in increased primary productivity of plant and algal communities leading to eutrophication and other impacts to aquatic resources. Nitrogen ...

Pallets: A Growing Source of Recycled Wood

Treesearch

Robert J. Bush; Vijay S. Reddy; Philip A. Araman

1997-01-01

Considerable volumes of solid hardwoods, solid softwoods, and wood panels are used to manufacture pallets and containers in the United States. Increasing quantities of these materials are recovered from the waste stream for reuse and recycling. Two important groups involved in this recovery and recycling are firms in the pallet industry (SIC 2448) and landfill...

FUTURE WATER ALLOCATION AND IN-STREAM VALUES IN THE WILLAMETTE RIVER BASIN: A BASIN-WIDE ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Our research investigated the impact on surface water resources of three different scenarios for the future development of the Willamette River Basin in Oregon (USA). Water rights in the basin, and in the western United States in general, are based on a system of law that binds ...

Tropospheric Waves, Jet Streams, and United States Weather Patterns. Resource Paper No. 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, Jay R.

Intended as a supplement to undergraduate college geography courses, this resource paper reviews the mechanism by which surface weather features are linked with the mid-atmospheric circulation within the westerly wind belt. Specifically, vertical atmospheric motions associated with certain aspects of the upper tropospheric flow, including jet…

GENETIC DIVERSITY AS AN INDICATOR OF ECOSYSTEM CONDITION AND SUSTAINABILITY: UTILITY FOR REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF STREAM CONDITION IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

This report documents research undertaken to determine if the theoretical promise of genetic diversity as an ecological indicator is realized in real-world applications. Results of two case studies confirm that genetic diversity is a useful indicator of environmental condition. ...

Riparian fuel treatments in the western USA: Challenges and considerations

Treesearch

Kathleen A. Dwire; Kristen E. Meyer; Gregg Riegel; Timothy Burton

2016-01-01

Fuel reduction treatments are being conducted throughout watersheds of the western United States to reduce hazardous fuels in efforts to decrease the risk of high-severity fire. The number of fuel reduction projects that include near-stream environments is increasing, bringing new challenges to riparian management. Riparian areas are protected by administrative...

Kinetic energy budget during strong jet stream activity over the eastern United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuelberg, H. E.; Scoggins, J. R.

1980-01-01

Kinetic energy budgets are computed during a cold air outbreak in association with strong jet stream activity over the eastern United States. The period is characterized by large generation of kinetic energy due to cross-contour flow. Horizontal export and dissipation of energy to subgrid scales of motion constitute the important energy sinks. Rawinsonde data at 3 and 6 h intervals during a 36 h period are used in the analysis and reveal that energy fluctuations on a time scale of less than 12 h are generally small even though the overall energy balance does change considerably during the period in conjunction with an upper level trough which moves through the region. An error analysis of the energy budget terms suggests that this major change in the budget is not due to random errors in the input data but is caused by the changing synoptic situation. The study illustrates the need to consider the time and space scales of associated weather phenomena in interpreting energy budgets obtained through use of higher frequency data.

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

Aalund, L.R

Lost in the controversy over project cost overruns during the late 1980s was the fact that Statoil, Norway's state-owned oil company, was turning its Mongstad plant into one of Europe's most modern refiners. The expansion and revamp project was completed and put on stream during the last half of 1989. The author reports how the modernized refinery's output of top quality products has implications for markets not only throughout Scandinavia but also in northwestern Europe and the United States.

Quality of rivers of the United States, 1975 water year; based on the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Briggs, John C.; Ficke, John F.

1977-01-01

The National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) was established by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide a nationally uniform basis for continuously assessing the quality of U.S. rivers. Stations generally are at the downstream end of hydrologic accounting units in order to measure the quantity and quality of water flowing from the units. The 1975 water year was the first year of operation of the network that represents essentially all of the accounting units and thereby describes the water- quality of the entire country. Data are available on a large number of water-quality constituents measured at 345 stations during the 1975 water year. Temperature data (usually continuous or daily measurements) from NASQAN stations were fitted to a first order harmonic equation and the parameters for the harmonic function are reported for each station. Mean temperatures generally range from 5°-10°C in the North to more than 20°C along the southern border of the continental United States and in Hawaii and Puerto Rico; means were less than 10°C at 63 stations and greater than 25°C at only 7 stations. Amplitudes of the temperature curves are greatest (greater than 12°C) for the streams at midlatitudes and in the Great and Central Plains, and they are smallest for the subtropical and cold-climate streams. Considering chemical and biological characteristics of U.S. streams as described by NASQAN data, water quality is best (by many standards) in the Northeast, Southeast, and Northwest. Waters there generally are low in dissolved solids and major and minor chemical constituents, generally are soft (except in Florida), and carry relatively small amounts of sediment. These conditions mainly reflect the geology of the regions and the relatively large amounts of precipitation. However, many of these waters show the effects of pollution and carry moderate or high levels of major nutrients and have correspondingly high populations of attached and floating plants. High counts of indicator bacteria also show signs of local pollution, particularly in regions of the country with large human and animal populations. In the Northeast, some heavy metals are at moderate levels, but not above most water-quality criteria.Rivers of most of the Mid-Continent and Southwest reflect the arid or semi-arid climate, erodible soils, and agricultural activities. They are characterized by moderate to high levels of dissolved major and minor constituents, sediment, major nutrients, and biota (floating and attached aquatic plants and indicator bacteria). In addition, the most incidences of pesticides in stream and bottom sediments were found in these regions. A special analysis was made to study the patterns of dissolved solids, major nutrients, phytoplankton, and zinc in the Mississippi River above Memphis, Tennessee. It was found that flow volume is an important factor in influencing river quality, and that stations with low concentration of major nutrients generally had low phytoplankton populations as well.

Methods for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods in Montana based on data through 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Parrett, Charles; Hull, J.A.

1986-01-01

Equations are presented for estimating flood magnitudes for ungaged sites in Montana based on data through 1983. The State was divided into eight regions based on hydrologic conditions, and separate multiple regression equations were developed for each region. These equations relate annual flood magnitudes and frequencies to basin characteristics and are applicable only to natural flow streams. In three of the regions, equations also were developed relating flood magnitudes and frequencies to basin characteristics and channel geometry measurements. The standard errors of estimate for an exceedance probability of 1% ranged from 39% to 87%. Techniques are described for estimating annual flood magnitude and flood frequency information at ungaged sites based on data from gaged sites on the same stream. Included are curves relating flood frequency information to drainage area for eight major streams in the State. Maximum known flood magnitudes in Montana are compared with estimated 1 %-chance flood magnitudes and with maximum known floods in the United States. Values of flood magnitudes for selected exceedance probabilities and values of significant basin characteristics and channel geometry measurements for all gaging stations used in the analysis are tabulated. Included are 375 stations in Montana and 28 nearby stations in Canada and adjoining States. (Author 's abstract)

Applying value stream mapping techniques to eliminate non-value-added waste for the procurement of endovascular stents.

PubMed

Teichgräber, Ulf K; de Bucourt, Maximilian

2012-01-01

OJECTIVES: To eliminate non-value-adding (NVA) waste for the procurement of endovascular stents in interventional radiology services by applying value stream mapping (VSM). The Lean manufacturing technique was used to analyze the process of material and information flow currently required to direct endovascular stents from external suppliers to patients. Based on a decision point analysis for the procurement of stents in the hospital, a present state VSM was drawn. After assessment of the current status VSM and progressive elimination of unnecessary NVA waste, a future state VSM was drawn. The current state VSM demonstrated that out of 13 processes for the procurement of stents only 2 processes were value-adding. Out of the NVA processes 5 processes were unnecessary NVA activities, which could be eliminated. The decision point analysis demonstrated that the procurement of stents was mainly a forecast driven push system. The future state VSM applies a pull inventory control system to trigger the movement of a unit after withdrawal by using a consignment stock. VSM is a visualization tool for the supply chain and value stream, based on the Toyota Production System and greatly assists in successfully implementing a Lean system. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Dunnigan, James L.; Marotz, Brian L.; DeShazer, Jay

Libby Reservoir was created under an International Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada for cooperative water development of the Columbia River Basin (Columbia River Treaty 1964). Libby Reservoir inundated 109 stream miles of the mainstem Kootenai River in the United States and Canada, and 40 miles of tributary streams in the U.S. that provided habitat for spawning, juvenile rearing, and migratory passage (Figure 1). The authorized purpose of the dam is to provide power (91.5%), flood control (8.3%), and navigation and other benefits (0.2%; Storm et al. 1982). The Pacific Northwest Power Act of 1980 recognized possiblemore » conflicts stemming from hydroelectric projects in the northwest and directed Bonneville Power Administration to ''protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife to the extent affected by the development and operation of any hydroelectric project of the Columbia River and its tributaries...'' (4(h)(10)(A)). Under the Act, the Northwest Power Planning Council was created and recommendations for a comprehensive fish and wildlife program were solicited from the region's federal, state, and tribal fish and wildlife agencies. Among Montana's recommendations was the proposal that research be initiated to quantify acceptable seasonal minimum pool elevations to maintain or enhance the existing fisheries (Graham et al. 1982). Research to determine how operations of Libby Dam affect the reservoir and river fishery and to suggest ways to lessen these effects began in May, 1983. The framework for the Libby Reservoir Model (LRMOD) was completed in 1989. Development of Integrated Rule Curves (IRCs) for Libby Dam operation was completed in 1996 (Marotz et al. 1996). The Libby Reservoir Model and the IRCs continue to be refined (Marotz et al 1999). Initiation of mitigation projects such as lake rehabilitation and stream restoration began in 1996. The primary focus of the Libby Mitigation project now is to redevelop fisheries and fisheries habitat in basin streams and lakes.« less

Ambient groundwater flow diminishes nitrogen cycling in streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizian, M.; Grant, S. B.; Rippy, M.; Detwiler, R. L.; Boano, F.; Cook, P. L. M.

2017-12-01

Modeling and experimental studies demonstrate that ambient groundwater reduces hyporheic exchange, but the implications of this observation for stream N-cycling is not yet clear. We utilized a simple process-based model (the Pumping and Streamline Segregation or PASS model) to evaluate N- cycling over two scales of hyporheic exchange (fluvial ripples and riffle-pool sequences), ten ambient groundwater and stream flow scenarios (five gaining and losing conditions and two stream discharges), and three biogeochemical settings (identified based on a principal component analysis of previously published measurements in streams throughout the United States). Model-data comparisons indicate that our model provides realistic estimates for direct denitrification of stream nitrate, but overpredicts nitrification and coupled nitrification-denitrification. Riffle-pool sequences are responsible for most of the N-processing, despite the fact that fluvial ripples generate 3-11 times more hyporheic exchange flux. Across all scenarios, hyporheic exchange flux and the Damkohler Number emerge as primary controls on stream N-cycling; the former regulates trafficking of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface, while the latter quantifies the relative rates of organic carbon mineralization and advective transport in streambed sediments. Vertical groundwater flux modulates both of these master variables in ways that tend to diminish stream N-cycling. Thus, anthropogenic perturbations of ambient groundwater flows (e.g., by urbanization, agricultural activities, groundwater mining, and/or climate change) may compromise some of the key ecosystem services provided by streams.

Temporal trends in the acidity of precipitation and surface waters of New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, Norman E.; Schroeder, Roy A.; Troutman, David E.

1982-01-01

Statistical analyses of precipitation data from a nine-station monitoring network indicate little change in pH from 1965-78 within New York State as a whole but suggest that pH of bulk precipitation has decreased in the western part of the State by approximately 0.2 pH units since 1965 and increased in the eastern part by a similar amount. This trend is equivalent to an annual change in hydrogen-ion concentration of 0.2 microequivalents per liter. An average annual increase in precipitation quantity of 2 to 3 percent since 1965 has resulted in an increased acid load in the western and central parts of the State. During 1965-78, sulfate concentration in precipitation decreased an average of 1-4 percent annually. In general, no trend in nitrate was detected. Calculated trends in hydrogen-ion concentration do not correlate with measured trends of sulfate and nitrate, which suggests variable neutralization of hydrogen ion, possibly by particles from dry deposition. Neutralization has produced an increase of about 0.3 pH units in nonurban areas and 0.7 pH units in urban areas. Statistical analyses of chemical data from several streams throughout New York suggest that sulfate concentrations decreased an average of 1 to 4 percent per year. This decrease is comparable to the sulfate decrease in precipitation during the same period. In most areas of the State, chemical contributions from urbanization and farming, as well as the neutralizing effect of carbonate soils, conceal whatever effects acid precipitation may have on pH of streams.

Eradication of invasive Tamarix ramosissima along a desert stream increases native fish density

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, T.A.; Finlay, J.C.; Hobbie, S.E.

2005-01-01

Spring ecosystems of the western United States have high conservation value, particularly because of the highly endemic, and often endangered, fauna that they support. Refuges now protect these habitats from many of the human impacts that once threatened them, but invasive species often persist. Invasive saltcedar is ubiquitous along streams, rivers, and spring ecosystems of the western United States, yet the impact of saltcedar invasion on these ecosystems, or ecosystem response to its removal, have rarely been quantified. Along Jackrabbit Spring, a springbrook in Nevada that supports populations of two endangered fish (Ash Meadows pupfish and Ash Meadows speckled dace) as well as several exotic aquatic consumers, we quantified the response of aquatic consumers to largescale saltcedar removal and identified the mechanism underlying consumer response to the removal. Clearing saltcedar from the riparian zone increased densities of native pupfish and exotic screw snails, but decreased the density of exotic crayfish. Positive effects of saltcedar removal on pupfish and snails occurred because saltcedar heavily shades the stream, greatly reducing the availability of algae for herbivores. This was confirmed by analyses of potential organic matter sources and consumer 13C: pupfish and snails, along with native dace and exotic mosquitofish, relied heavily on algae-derived carbon and not saltcedar-derived carbon. By contrast, crayfish ??13C values mirrored algae ??13C during summer, but in winter indicated reliance on allochthonous saltcedar litter that dominated organic inputs in saltcedar reaches and on algae-derived carbon where saltcedar was absent. The seasonal use of saltcedar by crayfish likely explains its negative response to saltcedar removal. Clearing saltcedar effectively restored the springbrook of Jackrabbit Spring to the conditions characteristic of native vegetation sites. Given the high conservation value of spring ecosystems and the potential conservation benefits of saltcedar removal that this research highlights, eradicating saltcedar from spring ecosystems of the western United States should clearly be a management priority. ?? 2005 by the Ecological Society of America.

Concentration of selected sulfonylurea, sulfonamide, and imidazolinone herbicides, other pesticides, and nutrients in 71 streams, 5 reservoir outflows, and 25 wells in the Midwestern United States, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglin, William A.; Furlong, Edward T.; Burkhardt, Mark R.

2001-01-01

Sulfonylurea (SU), sulfonamide (SA), and imidazolinone (IMI) herbicides are recently developed herbicides that function by inhibiting the action of a key plant enzyme, stopping plant growth, and eventually killing the plant. These compounds generally have low mammalian toxicity, but crop and non-crop plants demonstrate a wide range in sensitivity to SUs, SAs, and IMIs, with over a 10,000-fold difference in observed toxicity levels for some compounds. SUs, SAs, and IMIs are applied either pre- or post-emergence to crops commonly at 1/50th or less of the rate of other herbicides. Little is known about their occurrence, fate, or transport in surface water or ground water in the United States. To obtain information on the occurrence of SU, SA, and IMI herbicides in the Midwestern United States, 214 water samples were collected from 76 surface-water and 25 ground-water sites in 1998. These samples were analyzed for 16 SU, SA, and IMI herbicides by using highperformance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Samples also were analyzed for 46 pesticides and pesticide degradation products and 13 herbicides and 10 herbicide degradates. At least 1 of the 16 SUs, SAs, or IMIs was detected at or above the method reporting limit of 0.010 microgram per liter (ug/L) in 83 percent of 133 stream samples. Imazethapyr was detected most frequently (69 percent of samples), followed by flumetsulam (65 percent of samples) and nicosulfuron (53 percent of samples). At least one SU, SA, or IMI herbicide was detected at or above the method reporting limit in 6 of 8 reservoir samples and 5 of 25 ground-water samples. SU, SA, and IMI herbicides occurred less frequently and at a fraction (often 1/50th or less) of the concentrations of other herbicides such as atrazine. Acetochlor, atrazine, cyanazine, and metolachlor were all detected in 95 percent or more of 136 stream samples.

Estimates of Median Flows for Streams on the 1999 Kansas Surface Water Register

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Charles A.; Wolock, David M.; Artman, Joshua C.

2004-01-01

The Kansas State Legislature, by enacting Kansas Statute KSA 82a?2001 et. seq., mandated the criteria for determining which Kansas stream segments would be subject to classification by the State. One criterion for the selection as a classified stream segment is based on the statistic of median flow being equal to or greater than 1 cubic foot per second. As specified by KSA 82a?2001 et. seq., median flows were determined from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging-station data by using the most-recent 10 years of gaged data (KSA) for each streamflow-gaging station. Median flows also were determined by using gaged data from the entire period of record (all-available hydrology, AAH). Least-squares multiple regression techniques were used, along with Tobit analyses, to develop equations for estimating median flows for uncontrolled stream segments. The drainage area of the gaging stations on uncontrolled stream segments used in the regression analyses ranged from 2.06 to 12,004 square miles. A logarithmic transformation of the data was needed to develop the best linear relation for computing median flows. In the regression analyses, the significant climatic and basin characteristics, in order of importance, were drainage area, mean annual precipitation, mean basin permeability, and mean basin slope. Tobit analyses of KSA data yielded a model standard error of prediction of 0.285 logarithmic units, and the best equations using Tobit analyses of AAH data had a model standard error of prediction of 0.250 logarithmic units. These regression equations and an interpolation procedure were used to compute median flows for the uncontrolled stream segments on the 1999 Kansas Surface Water Register. Measured median flows from gaging stations were incorporated into the regression-estimated median flows along the stream segments where available. The segments that were uncontrolled were interpolated using gaged data weighted according to the drainage area and the bias between the regression-estimated and gaged flow information. On controlled segments of Kansas streams, the median flow information was interpolated between gaging stations using only gaged data weighted by drainage area. Of the 2,232 total stream segments on the Kansas Surface Water Register, 34.5 percent of the segments had an estimated median streamflow of less than 1 cubic foot per second when the KSA analysis was used. When the AAH analysis was used, 36.2 percent of the segments had an estimated median streamflow of less than 1 cubic foot per second. This report supercedes U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02?4292.

Spatial patterns of soil nitrification and nitrate export from forested headwaters in the northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, D.S.; Shanley, J.B.; Campbell, J.L.; Lawrence, G.B.; Bailey, S.W.; Likens, G.E.; Wemple, B.C.; Fredriksen, G.; Jamison, A.E.

2012-01-01

Nitrogen export from small forested watersheds is known to be affected by N deposition but with high regional variability. We studied 10 headwater catchments in the northeastern United States across a gradient of N deposition (5.4 - 9.4 kg ha -1 yr -1) to determine if soil nitrification rates could explain differences in stream water NO 3 - export. Average annual export of two years (October 2002 through September 2004) varied from 0.1 kg NO 3 --N ha -1 yr -1 at Cone Pond watershed in New Hampshire to 5.1 kg ha -1 yr -1 at Buck Creek South in the western Adirondack Mountains of New York. Potential net nitrification rates and relative nitrification (fraction of inorganic N as NO 3 -) were measured in Oa or A soil horizons at 21-130 sampling points throughout each watershed. Stream NO 3 - export was positively related to nitrification rates (r 2 = 0.34, p = 0.04) and the relative nitrification (r 2 = 0.37, p = 0.04). These relationships were much improved by restricting consideration to the 6 watersheds with a higher number of rate measurements (59-130) taken in transects parallel to the streams (r 2 of 0.84 and 0.70 for the nitrification rate and relative nitrification, respectively). Potential nitrification rates were also a better predictor of NO 3 - export when data were limited to either the 6 sampling points closest to the watershed outlet (r 2 = 0.75) or sampling points <250 m from the watershed outlet (r 2 = 0.68). The basal area of conifer species at the sampling plots was negatively related to NO 3 - export. These spatial relationships found here suggest a strong influence of near-stream and near-watershed-outlet soils on measured stream NO 3 - export. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.

State Models to Incentivize and Streamline Small Hydropower Development

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

Curtis, Taylor; Levine, Aaron; Johnson, Kurt

In 2016, the hydropower fleet in the United States produced more than 6 percent (approximately 265,829 gigawatt-hours [GWh]) of the total net electricity generation. The median-size hydroelectric facility in the United States is 1.6 MW and 75 percent of total facilities have a nameplate capacity of 10 MW or less. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydropower Vision study identified approximately 79 GW hydroelectric potential beyond what is already developed. Much of the potential identified is at low-impact new stream-reaches, existing conduits, and non-powered dams with a median project size of 10 MW or less. To optimize the potential andmore » value of small hydropower development, state governments are crafting policies that provide financial assistance and expedite state and federal review processes for small hydroelectric projects. This report analyzes state-led initiatives and programs that incentivize and streamline small hydroelectric development.« less

Geologic map of the Sherbrooke-Lewiston area, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, United States, and Quebec, Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moench, R.H.; Boone, G.M.; Bothner, Wallace A.; Boudette, E.L.; Hatch, N.L.; Hussey, A. M.; Marvinney, R.G.

1995-01-01

This map is part of a folio of maps of the Lewiston 1° x 2° quadrangle, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and part of the Sherbrooke 1° x 2° quadrangle, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, United States, and Quebec, Canada, prepared under the Conterminous United States Mineral Assessment Program (CUSMAP). Adjacent areas in Quebec are shown, in order to illustrate the geologic continuity between northwestern Maine and northern Vermont and New Hampshire. Other results of the project are contained in reports by Nowlan and others (1990a,b,c; stream sediment geochemistry), and Cox (1990; potential tin resources related to the White Mountain Plutonic-Volcanic Suite), Bothner and others (in press; complete Bouguer gravity and aeromagnetic maps), Moench and Boudette (in press, geologic synthesis and mineral occurrence map), and Moench (in press; metallic mineral resources).

CARS Temperature and Species Measurements For Air Vehicle Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danehy, Paul M.; Gord, James R.; Grisch, Frederic; Klimenko, Dmitry; Clauss, Walter

2005-01-01

The coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) method has recently been used in the United States and Europe to probe several different types of propulsion systems for air vehicles. At NASA Langley Research Center in the United States, CARS has been used to simultaneously measure temperature and the mole fractions of N2, O2 and H2 in a supersonic combustor, representative of a scramjet engine. At Wright- Patterson Air Force Base in the United States, CARS has been used to simultaneously measure temperature and mole fractions of N2, O2 and CO2, in the exhaust stream of a liquid-fueled, gas-turbine combustor. At ONERA in France and the DLR in Germany researchers have used CARS to measure temperature and species concentrations in cryogenic LOX-H2 rocket combustion chambers. The primary aim of these measurements has been to provide detailed flowfield information for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code validation.

Baseline and projected future carbon storage and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Zhi-Liang; Reed, Bradley C.; Zhu, Zhi-Liang; Reed, Bradley C.

2014-01-01

This assessment was conducted to fulfill the requirements of section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and to conduct a comprehensive national assessment of storage and flux (flow) of carbon and the fluxes of other greenhouse gases in ecosystems of the Eastern United States. These carbon and greenhouse gas variables were examined for major terrestrial ecosystems (forests, grasslands/shrublands, agricultural lands, and wetlands) and aquatic ecosystems (rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters) in the Eastern United States in two time periods: baseline (from 2001 through 2005) and future (projections from the end of the baseline through 2050). The Great Lakes were not included in this assessment due to a lack of input data. The assessment was based on measured and observed data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and many other agencies and organizations and used remote sensing, statistical methods, and simulation models.

Stream Classification Tool User Manual: For Use in Applications in Hydropower-Related Evironmental Mitigation

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

McManamay, Ryan A.; Troia, Matthew J.; DeRolph, Christopher R.

Stream classifications are an inventory of different types of streams. Classifications help us explore similarities and differences among different types of streams, make inferences regarding stream ecosystem behavior, and communicate the complexities of ecosystems. We developed a nested, layered, and spatially contiguous stream classification to characterize the biophysical settings of stream reaches within the Eastern United States (~ 900,000 reaches). The classification is composed of five natural characteristics (hydrology, temperature, size, confinement, and substrate) along with several disturbance regime layers, and each was selected because of their relevance to hydropower mitigation. We developed the classification at the stream reach levelmore » using the National Hydrography Dataset Plus Version 1 (1:100k scale). The stream classification is useful to environmental mitigation for hydropower dams in multiple ways. First, it creates efficiency in the regulatory process by creating an objective and data-rich means to address meaningful mitigation actions. Secondly, the SCT addresses data gaps as it quickly provides an inventory of hydrology, temperature, morphology, and ecological communities for the immediate project area, but also surrounding streams. This includes identifying potential reference streams as those that are proximate to the hydropower facility and fall within the same class. These streams can potentially be used to identify ideal environmental conditions or identify desired ecological communities. In doing so, the stream provides some context for how streams may function, respond to dam regulation, and an overview of specific mitigation needs. Herein, we describe the methodology in developing each stream classification layer and provide a tutorial to guide applications of the classification (and associated data) in regulatory settings, such as hydropower (re)licensing.« less

A field-based characterization of conductivity in areas of minimal alteration: A case example in the Cascades of northwestern United States.

PubMed

Cormier, Susan M; Zheng, Lei; Hayslip, Gretchen; Flaherty, Colleen M

2018-08-15

The concentration of salts in streams is increasing world-wide making freshwater a declining resource. Developing thresholds for freshwater with low specific conductivity (SC), a measure of dissolved ions in water, may protect high quality resources that are refugia for aquatic life and that dilute downstream waters. In this case example, methods are illustrated for estimating protective levels for streams with low SC. The Cascades in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America was selected for the case study because a geophysical model indicated that the SC of freshwater streams was likely to be very low. Also, there was an insufficient range in the SC data to accurately derive a criterion using the 2011, US Environmental Protection Agency field-based extirpation concentration distribution method. Instead, background and a regression model was used to estimate chronic and acute SC levels that could extirpate 5% of benthic invertebrate genera. Background SC was estimated at the 25th centile (33μS/cm) of the measured data and used as the independent variable in a least squares empirical background-to-criteria (B-C) model. Because no comparison could be made with effect levels estimated from a paired SC and biological data set from the Cascades, the lower 50% prediction limit (PL) was identified as an example chronic water quality criterion (97μS/cm). The maximum exposure threshold was estimated at the 90th centile SC of streams meeting the chronic SC level. The example acute SC level was 190μS/cm. Because paired aquatic life and SC data are often sparse, the B-C method is useful for developing SC criteria for other systems with limited data. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bioassay of estrogenicity and chemical analyses of estrogens in streams across the United States associated with livestock operations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alvarez, David A.; Shappell, Nancy W.; Billey, L.O.; Bermudez, Dietrich S.; Wilson, Vickie S.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Perkins, Stephanie D.; Evans, Nicola; Foreman, William T.; Gray, James L.; Shipitalo, J.M.; Meyer, Michael T.

2013-01-01

Animal manures, used as a nitrogen source for crop production, are often associated with negative impacts on nutrient levels in surface water. The concentrations of estrogens in streams from these manures also are of concern due to potential endocrine disruption in aquatic species. Streams associated with livestock operations were sampled by discrete samples (n = 38) or by time-integrated polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS,n = 19). Samples were analyzed for estrogens by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MSM2) and estrogenic activity was assessed by three bioassays: Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES), T47D-KBluc Assay, MCF-7 Estrogenicity Screen (E-Screen). Samples were collected from 19 streams within small (∼1-30 km2) watersheds in 12 U.S. states representing a range of hydrogeologic conditions, dominated by: dairy (3), grazing beef (3), feedlot cattle (1); swine (5); poultry (3); and 4 areas where no livestock were raised or manure was applied. Water samples were consistently below the United Kingdom proposed Lowest Observable Effect Concentration for 17b-estradiol in fish (10 ng/L) in all watersheds, regardless of land use. Estrogenic activity was often higher in samples during runoff conditions following a period of manure application. Estrone was the most commonly detected estrogen (13 of 38 water samples, mean 1.9, maximum 8.3 ng/L). Because of the T47D-KBluc assay’s sensitivity towards estrone (1.4 times 17β-estradiol) it was the most sensitive method for detecting estrogens, followed by the E-Screen, GC-MS2, and YES. POCIS resulted in more frequent detections of estrogens than discrete water samples across all sites, even when applying the less-sensitive YES bioassay to the POCIS extracts.

Climate Change Impacts on River Temperature in the Southeastern United States: A Case Study of the Tennessee River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Y.; Niemeyer, R. J.; Mao, Y.; Yearsley, J. R.; Nijssen, B.

2016-12-01

In the coming decades, climate change and population growth are expected to affect water and energy supply as well as demand in the southeastern United States. Changes in temperature and precipitation impact river flow and stream temperature with implications for hydropower generation, industrial and municipal water supply, cooling for thermo-electric power plants, agricultural irrigation, ecosystem functions and flood control. At the same time, water and energy demand are expected to change in response to temperature increase, population growth and changing crop water requirements. As part of a multi-institution study of the food-energy-water nexus in the southeastern U.S., we are developing coupled hydrological and stream temperature models that will be linked to water resources, power systems and crop models at a later stage. Here we evaluate the ability of our system to simulate water supply and stream temperature in the Tennessee River Basin using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrology model coupled to the River Basin Model (RBM), a 1-D semi-Lagrangian river temperature model, which has recently been expanded with a two-layer reservoir temperature model. Simulations with VIC-RBM were performed for the Tennessee River Basin at 1/8-degree spatial resolution and a temporal resolution of 1 day or less. Reservoir releases were prescribed based on historic operating rules. In future iterations, these releases will be modeled directly by a water resources model that incorporates flood control, and power and agricultural water demands. We compare simulated flows, as well as stream and reservoir temperatures with observed flows and temperatures throughout the basin. In preparation for later stages of the project, we also perform a set of climate change sensitivity experiments to evaluate how changes in climate may impact river and reservoir temperature.

A geochemical atlas of North Carolina, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reid, J.C.

1993-01-01

A geochemical atlas of North Carolina, U.S.A., was prepared using National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) stream-sediment data. Before termination of the NURE program, sampling of nearly the entire state (48,666 square miles of land area) was completed and geochemical analyses were obtained. The NURE data are applicable to mineral exploration, agriculture, waste disposal siting issues, health, and environmental studies. Applications in state government include resource surveys to assist mineral exploration by identifying geochemical anomalies and areas of mineralization. Agriculture seeks to identify areas with favorable (or unfavorable) conditions for plant growth, disease, and crop productivity. Trace elements such as cobalt, copper, chromium, iron, manganese, zinc, and molybdenum must be present within narrow ranges in soils for optimum growth and productivity. Trace elements as a contributing factor to disease are of concern to health professionals. Industry can use pH and conductivity data for water samples to site facilities which require specific water quality. The North Carolina NURE database consists of stream-sediment samples, groundwater samples, and stream-water analyses. The statewide database consists of 6,744 stream-sediment sites, 5,778 groundwater sample sites, and 295 stream-water sites. Neutron activation analyses were provided for U, Br, Cl, F, Mn, Na, Al, V, Dy in groundwater and stream water, and for U, Th, Hf, Ce, Fe, Mn, Na, Sc, Ti, V, Al, Dy, Eu, La, Sm, Yb, and Lu in stream sediments. Supplemental analyses by other techniques were reported on U (extractable), Ag, As, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, K, Li, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Se, Sn, Sr, W, Y, and Zn for 4,619 stream-sediment samples. A small subset of 334 stream samples was analyzed for gold. The goal of the atlas was to make available the statewide NURE data with minimal interpretation to enable prospective users to modify and manipulate the data for their end use. The atlas provides only very general indication of geochemical distribution patterns and should not be used for site specific studies. The atlas maps for each element were computer-generated at the state's geographic information system (Center for Geographic Information and Analysis [CGIA]). The Division of Statistics and Information Services provided input files. The maps in the atlas are point maps. Each sample is represented by a symbol generally corresponding to a quartile class. Other reports will transmit sample and analytical data for state regions. Data are tentatively planned to be available on disks in spreadsheet format for personal computers. During the second phase of this project, stream-sediment samples are being assigned to state geologic map unit names using a GIS system to determine background and anomaly values. Subsequent publications will make this geochemical data and accompanying interpretations available to a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary users. ?? 1993.

Status and conservation of interior Redband Trout in the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Albeke, Shannon E.; Gunckel, Stephanie L; Writer, Benjamin J; Shepard, Bradley B.; May, Bruce E

2015-01-01

In this article we describe the current status and conservation of interior (potamodromous) Redband Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss sspp. throughout its range in the western United States using extant data and expert opinion provided by fish managers. Redband Trout historically occupied 60,295 km of stream habitat and 152 natural lakes. Currently, Redband Trout occupy 25,417 km of stream habitat (42% of their historical range) and 124 lakes or reservoirs. Nonhybridized populations are assumed to occupy 11,695 km (46%) of currently occupied streams; however, fish from only 4,473 km (18%) have been genetically tested. Approximately 47% of the streams occupied by Redband Trout occur on private land, 45% on government lands, and 8% in protected areas. A total of 210 Redband Trout populations, occupying 15,252 km of stream habitat (60% of the current distribution) and 95,158 ha of lake habitat (52%), are being managed as “conservation populations.” Most conservation populations have been designated as weakly to strongly connected metapopulations (125; 60%) and occupy much more stream length (14,112 km; 93%) than isolated conservation populations (1,141 km; 7%). The primary threats to Redband Trout include invasive species, habitat degradation and fragmentation, and climate change. Although the historical distribution of interior Redband Trout has declined dramatically, we conclude that the species is not currently at imminent risk of extinction because it is still widely distributed with many populations isolated by physical barriers and active conservation efforts are occurring for many populations. However, the hybridization status of many populations has not been well quantified, and introgression may be more prevalent than documented here. We recommend (1) collecting additional genetic data and estimating distribution and abundance by means of a more rigorous spatial sampling design to reduce uncertainties, (2) collecting additional information to assess and predict the impacts of climate on populations, and (3) continuing to use this database to evaluate the status of Redband Trout and inform conservation efforts through time.

Units of analysis and kinetic structure of behavioral repertoires

PubMed Central

Thompson, Travis; Lubinski, David

1986-01-01

It is suggested that molar streams of behavior are constructed of various arrangements of three elementary constituents (elicited, evoked, and emitted response classes). An eight-cell taxonomy is elaborated as a framework for analyzing and synthesizing complex behavioral repertoires based on these functional units. It is proposed that the local force binding functional units into a smoothly articulated kinetic sequence arises from temporally arranged relative response probability relationships. Behavioral integration is thought to reflect the joint influence of the organism's hierarchy of relative response probabilities, fluctuating biological states, and the arrangement of environmental and behavioral events in time. PMID:16812461

Mitigating the effects of landscape development on streams in urbanizing watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hogan, Dianna M.; Jarnagin, S. Taylor; Loperfido, John V.; Van Ness, Keith

2013-01-01

This collaborative study examined urbanization and impacts on area streams while using the best available sediment and erosion control (S&EC) practices in developing watersheds in Maryland, United States. During conversion of the agricultural and forested watersheds to urban land use, land surface topography was graded and vegetation was removed creating a high potential for sediment generation and release during storm events. The currently best available S&EC facilities were used during the development process to mitigate storm runoff water quality, quantity, and timing before entering area streams. Detailed Geographic Information System (GIS) maps were created to visualize changing land use and S&EC practices, five temporal collections of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) imagery were used to map the changing landscape topography, and streamflow, physical geomorphology, and habitat data were used to assess the ability of the S&EC facilities to protect receiving streams during development. Despite the use of the best available S&EC facilities, receiving streams experienced altered flow, geomorphology, and decreased biotic community health. These impacts on small streams during watershed development affect sediment and nutrient loads to larger downstream aquatic ecosystems such as the Chesapeake Bay.

Southern Laurentide ice lobes were created by ice streams: Des Moines Lobe in Minnesota, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patterson, C.J.

1997-01-01

Regional mapping in southern Minnesota has illuminated a suite of landforms developed by the Des Moines Lobe that delimit the position of the lobe at its maximum and at lesser readvances. The ice lobe repeatedly advanced, discharged its subglacial water, and subsequently stagnated. Recent glaciological research on Antarctic ice streams has led some glacial geologists to postulate that ice streams drained parts of the marine-based areas of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. I postulate that such ice streams may develop in land-based areas of an ice sheet as well, and that the Des Moines Lobe, 200 km wide and 900 km long, was an outlet glacier of an ice stream. It appears to have been able to advance beyond the Laurentide Ice Sheet as long as adequate water pressure was maintained. However, the outer part of the lobe stagnated because subglacial water that facilitated the flow was able to drain away through tunnel valleys. Stagnation of the lobe is not equivalent to stoppage of the ice stream, because ice repeatedly advanced into and onto the stagnant margins, stacking ice and debris. Similar landforms are also seen in other lobes of the upper midwestern United States.

Deep-Sea Research Submarine 'Ben Franklin' at the East Coast of the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

In this photograph, the deep-sea Research Submarine 'Ben Franklin' drifts off the East Coast of the United States (U.S.) prior to submerging into the ocean. Named for American patriot and inventor Ben Franklin, who discovered the Gulf Steam, the 50-foot Ben Franklin was built between 1966 and 1968 in Switzerland for deep-ocean explorer Jacques Piccard and the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. The submersible made a famous 30-day drift dive off the East Coast of the United States and Canada in 1969 mapping the Gulf Stream's currents and sea life, and also made space exploration history by studying the behavior of aquanauts in a sealed, self-contained, self-sufficient capsule for NASA. On July 14, 1969, the Ben Franklin was towed to the high-velocity center of the Stream off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida. With a NASA observer on board, the sub descended to 1,000 feet off of Riviera Beach, Florida and drifted 1,400 miles north with the current for more than four weeks, reemerging near Maine. During the course of the dive, NASA conducted exhaustive analyses of virtually every aspect of onboard life. They measured sleep quality and patterns, sense of humor and behavioral shifts, physical reflexes, and the effects of a long-term routine on the crew. The submarine's record-shattering dive influenced the design of Apollo and Skylab missions and continued to guide NASA scientists as they devised future marned space-flight missions.

Occurrence of antibiotics in water from fish hatcheries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thurman, Earl M.; Dietze, Julie E.; Scribner, Elisabeth A.

2002-01-01

The recent discovery of pharmaceuticals in streams across the United States (Kolpin and others, 2002) has raised the visibility and need for monitoring of antibiotics in the environment. Possible sources of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals in streams may include fish hatcheries. This fact sheet presents the results from a preliminary study of fish hatcheries across the United States for the occurrence and concentration of antibiotics present in fish hatchery water. The study examines both sufonamides and tetracyclines. Sulfonamides are synthetic compounds, and tetracyclines are naturally occurring compounds. The use of antibiotics added to specially formulated feed is a common practice in fish hatcheries to treat and prevent bacterial infections in large fish populations. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antibiotics are oxytetracycline-HCI, sulfamerazine, and a combination drug containing ormetoprim and sulfadiamethoxine (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2003). During January 2001?June 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL), Lawrence, Kansas, cooperatively collected water samples from 13 fish hatcheries across the United States (fig. 1) with the assistance of hatchery operators. A method for the analysis of antibiotics was developed and used to identify and quantify these compounds in fish hatchery water (Lindsey and others, 2001). This study was completed to determine if trace levels of antibiotics [approximately 1 microgram per liter (?g/L) or 1 part per billion or greater occurred] in which water associated with fish hatcheries, which are a potential source of these compounds in surface water.

HydroClim: a Continental-Scale Database of Contemporary and Future Streamflow and Stream Temperature Estimates for Aquatic Ecosystem Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knouft, J.; Ficklin, D. L.; Bart, H. L.; Rios, N. E.

2017-12-01

Streamflow and water temperature are primary factors influencing the traits, distribution, and diversity of freshwater species. Ongoing changes in climate are causing directional alteration of these environmental conditions, which can impact local ecological processes. Accurate estimation of these variables is critical for predicting the responses of species to ongoing changes in freshwater habitat, yet ecologically relevant high-resolution data describing variation in streamflow and water temperature across North America are not available. Considering the vast amount of web-accessible freshwater biodiversity data, development and application of appropriate hydrologic data are critical to the advancement of our understanding of freshwater systems. To address this issue, we are developing the "HydroClim" database, which will provide web-accessible (www.hydroclim.org) historical and projected monthly streamflow and water temperature data for stream sections in all major watersheds across the United States and Canada from 1950-2099. These data will also be integrated with FishNet 2 (www.fishnet2.net), an online biodiversity database that provides open access to over 2 million localities of freshwater fish species in the United States and Canada, thus allowing for the characterization of the habitat requirements of freshwater species across this region. HydroClim should provide a vast array of opportunities for a greater understanding of water resources as well as information for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity in the United States and Canada in the coming century.

A modelling study of hyporheic exchange pattern and the sequence, size, and spacing of stream bedforms in mountain stream networks, Oregon, USA.

Treesearch

Michael N. Gooseff; Justin K. Anderson; Steven M. Wondzell; Justin LaNier; Roy Haggerty

2005-01-01

Studies of hyporheic exchange flows have identified physical features of channels that control exchange flow at the channel unit scale, namely slope breaks in the longitudinal profile of streams that generate subsurface head distributions. We recently completed a field study that suggested channel unit spacing in stream longitudinal profiles can be used to predict the...

Attributes for NHDPlus Catchments (Version 1.1): Basin Characteristics, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This data set represents basin characteristics, compiled for every catchment in NHDPlus for the conterminous United States. These characteristics are basin shape index, stream density, sinuosity, mean elevation, mean slope, and number of road-stream crossings. The source data sets are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's NHDPlus and the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line Files. The NHDPlus Version 1.1 is an integrated suite of application-ready geospatial datasets that incorporates many of the best features of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and the National Elevation Dataset (NED). The NHDPlus includes a stream network (based on the 1:100,00-scale NHD), improved networking, naming, and value-added attributes (VAAs). NHDPlus also includes elevation-derived catchments (drainage areas) produced using a drainage enforcement technique first widely used in New England, and thus referred to as "the New England Method." This technique involves "burning in" the 1:100,000-scale NHD and when available building "walls" using the National Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). The resulting modified digital elevation model (HydroDEM) is used to produce hydrologic derivatives that agree with the NHD and WBD. Over the past two years, an interdisciplinary team from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and contractors, found that this method produces the best quality NHD catchments using an automated process (USEPA, 2007). The NHDPlus dataset is organized by 18 Production Units that cover the conterminous United States. The NHDPlus version 1.1 data are grouped by the U.S. Geologic Survey's Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). MRB1, covering the New England and Mid-Atlantic River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 1 and 2. MRB2, covering the South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 3 and 6. MRB3, covering the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 4, 5, 7 and 9. MRB4, covering the Missouri River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 10-lower and 10-upper. MRB5, covering the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 8, 11 and 12. MRB6, covering the Rio Grande, Colorado and Great Basin River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 13, 14, 15 and 16. MRB7, covering the Pacific Northwest River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Unit 17. MRB8, covering California River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Unit 18.

Prediction of pesticide toxicity in Midwest streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shoda, Megan E.; Stone, Wesley W.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2016-01-01

The occurrence of pesticide mixtures is common in stream waters of the United States, and the impact of multiple compounds on aquatic organisms is not well understood. Watershed Regressions for Pesticides (WARP) models were developed to predict Pesticide Toxicity Index (PTI) values in unmonitored streams in the Midwest and are referred to as WARP-PTI models. The PTI is a tool for assessing the relative toxicity of pesticide mixtures to fish, benthic invertebrates, and cladocera in stream water. One hundred stream sites in the Midwest were sampled weekly in May through August 2013, and the highest calculated PTI for each site was used as the WARP-PTI model response variable. Watershed characteristics that represent pesticide sources and transport were used as the WARP-PTI model explanatory variables. Three WARP-PTI models—fish, benthic invertebrates, and cladocera—were developed that include watershed characteristics describing toxicity-weighted agricultural use intensity, land use, agricultural management practices, soil properties, precipitation, and hydrologic properties. The models explained between 41 and 48% of the variability in the measured PTI values. WARP-PTI model evaluation with independent data showed reasonable performance with no clear bias. The models were applied to streams in the Midwest to demonstrate extrapolation for a regional assessment to indicate vulnerable streams and to guide more intensive monitoring.

Quantification and probabilistic modeling of CRT obsolescence for the State of Delaware

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

Schumacher, Kelsea A., E-mail: kschum@udel.edu; Schumacher, Thomas, E-mail: schumact@udel.edu; Agbemabiese, Lawrence, E-mail: agbe@udel.edu

2014-11-15

Highlights: • We modeled the obsolescence of cathode ray tube devices in the State of Delaware. • 411,654 CRT units or ∼16,500 metric tons have been recycled in Delaware since 2002. • The peak of the CRT obsolescence in Delaware passed by 2012. • The Delaware average CRT recycling rate between 2002 and 13 was approximately 27.5%. • CRTs will continue to infiltrate the system likely until 2033. - Abstract: The cessation of production and replacement of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays with flat screen displays have resulted in the proliferation of CRTs in the electronic waste (e-waste) recycle stream.more » However, due to the nature of the technology and presence of hazardous components such as lead, CRTs are the most challenging of electronic components to recycle. In the State of Delaware it is due to this challenge and the resulting expense combined with the large quantities of CRTs in the recycle stream that electronic recyclers now charge to accept Delaware’s e-waste. Therefore it is imperative that the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) understand future quantities of CRTs entering the waste stream. This study presents the results of an assessment of CRT obsolescence in the State of Delaware. A prediction model was created utilizing publicized sales data, a variety of lifespan data as well as historic Delaware CRT collection rates. Both a deterministic and a probabilistic approach using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) were performed to forecast rates of CRT obsolescence to be anticipated in the State of Delaware. Results indicate that the peak of CRT obsolescence in Delaware has already passed, although CRTs are anticipated to enter the waste stream likely until 2033.« less

Ecological Status of Wyoming Streams, 2000-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, David A.; Hargett, Eric G.; Wright, Peter R.; Zumberge, Jeremy R.

2007-01-01

The ecological status of perennial streams in Wyoming was determined and compared with the status of perennial streams throughout 12 States in the western United States, using data collected as part of the Western Pilot Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP-West). Results for Wyoming are compared and contrasted in the context of the entire EMAP-West study area (west-wide) and climatic regions (based on aggregated ecoregions) within Wyoming. In Wyoming, ecological status, estimated as the proportion of the perennial stream length in least disturbed, most disturbed, and intermediate disturbance condition, based on ecological indicators of vertebrate and invertebrate assemblages was similar, in many cases, to the status of those assemblages determined for EMAP-West. Ecological status based on chemical and physical habitat stressors also was similar in Wyoming to west-wide proportions in many cases. Riparian disturbance was one of the most common physical stressors west-wide and in Wyoming. The estimates of riparian disturbance indicated about 90 percent of the stream length in the xeric climatic region in Wyoming was rated most disturbed, compared to about 30 percent rated most disturbed in the mountain climatic region in Wyoming. Results from analyses using a macroinvertebrate multi-metric index (MMI) and macroinvertebrate ratio of observed to expected taxa (O/E) developed specifically for the west-wide EMAP study were compared to results using a macroinvertebrate MMI and O/E developed for Wyoming. Proportions of perennial stream length in various condition categories determined from macroinvertebrate MMIs often were similar in Wyoming to proportions observed west-wide. Differences were larger, but not extreme, between west-wide and Wyoming O/E models. An aquatic life use support decision matrix developed for interpreting the Wyoming MMI and O/E model data indicated about one-half of the stream length statewide achieves the State's narrative aquatic life use criteria, and the remainder of the stream length either exceeds the criteria, indicating partial or non-support of aquatic life Wyominguses, or is undetermined. These results provide initial estimates of aquatic life use support at a statewide basis as required for 305(b) reporting, and coupled with current and future State-level probability survey designs, a foundation for tracking conditions over time at multiple scales.

Differences in ecological structure, function, and native species abundance between native and invaded Hawaiian streams.

PubMed

Holitzki, Tara M; MacKenzie, Richard A; Wiegner, Tracy N; McDermid, Karla J

2013-09-01

Poeciliids, one of the most invasive species worldwide, are found on almost every continent and have been identified as an "invasive species of concern" in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. Despite their global prevalence, few studies have quantified their impacts on tropical stream ecosystem structure, function, and biodiversity. Utilizing Hawaiian streams as model ecosystems, we documented how ecological structure, function, and native species abundance differed between poeciliid-free and poeciliid-invaded tropical streams. Stream nutrient yields, benthic biofilm biomass, densities of macroinvertebrates and fish, and community structures of benthic algae, macroinvertebrates, and fish were compared between streams with and without established poeciliid populations on the island of Hawai'i, Hawaii, USA. Sum nitrate (sigmaNO3(-) = NO3(-) + NO2(-)), total nitrogen, and total organic carbon yields were eight times, six times, and five times higher, respectively, in poeciliid streams than in poeciliid-free streams. Benthic biofilm ash-free dry mass was 1.5x higher in poeciliid streams than in poeciliid-free streams. Percentage contributions of chironomids and hydroptilid caddisflies to macroinvertebrate densities were lower in poeciliid streams compared to poeciliid-free streams, while percentage contributions of Cheumatopsyche analis caddisflies, Dugesia sp. flatworms, and oligochaetes were higher. Additionally, mean densities of native gobies were two times lower in poeciliid streams than in poeciliid-free ones, with poeciliid densities being approximately eight times higher than native fish densities. Our results, coupled with the wide distribution of invasive poeciliids across Hawaii and elsewhere in the tropics, suggest that poeciliids may negatively impact the ecosystem structure, function, and native species abundance of tropical streams they invade. This underscores the need for increased public awareness to prevent future introductions and for developing and implementing effective eradication and restoration strategies.

Attributes for NHDPlus Catchments (Version 1.1) for the Conterminous United States: Base-Flow Index

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the mean base-flow index expressed as a percent, compiled for every catchment in NHDPlus for the conterminous United States. Base flow is the component of streamflow that can be attributed to ground-water discharge into streams. The source data set is Base-Flow Index for the Conterminous United States (Wolock, 2003). The NHDPlus Version 1.1 is an integrated suite of application-ready geospatial datasets that incorporates many of the best features of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and the National Elevation Dataset (NED). The NHDPlus includes a stream network (based on the 1:100,00-scale NHD), improved networking, naming, and value-added attributes (VAAs). NHDPlus also includes elevation-derived catchments (drainage areas) produced using a drainage enforcement technique first widely used in New England, and thus referred to as "the New England Method." This technique involves "burning in" the 1:100,000-scale NHD and when available building "walls" using the National Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). The resulting modified digital elevation model (HydroDEM) is used to produce hydrologic derivatives that agree with the NHD and WBD. Over the past two years, an interdisciplinary team from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and contractors, found that this method produces the best quality NHD catchments using an automated process (USEPA, 2007). The NHDPlus dataset is organized by 18 Production Units that cover the conterminous United States. The NHDPlus version 1.1 data are grouped by the U.S. Geologic Survey's Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). MRB1, covering the New England and Mid-Atlantic River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 1 and 2. MRB2, covering the South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 3 and 6. MRB3, covering the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 4, 5, 7 and 9. MRB4, covering the Missouri River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 10-lower and 10-upper. MRB5, covering the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 8, 11 and 12. MRB6, covering the Rio Grande, Colorado and Great Basin River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Units 13, 14, 15 and 16. MRB7, covering the Pacific Northwest River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Unit 17. MRB8, covering California River basins, contains NHDPlus Production Unit 18.

New insights into the source of decadal increases of dissolved organic matter in acid-sensitive lakes of the Northeastern U.S.

EPA Science Inventory

The last several decades have seen decreases in SO42- deposition across the northeastern United States. As a result, SO42- concentrations in lakes and streams have also decreased and many surface water bodies have become less acidic. During the same time period, there has been ...

Accelerated Instruction and Parent Involvement: The Impact on 3rd and 5th Grade Mathematics Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramb, Amy D.

2014-01-01

The public school system in the United States is facing severe criticism. There exists today, a constant stream of negative messages through media coverage, news articles and charter school marketing campaigns claiming the failing of the public school system specifically in the content area of mathematics. Current research exposes alarming…

Structural and functional characteristics of natural and constructed channels draining a reclaimed mountaintop removal and valley fill coal mine

EPA Science Inventory

Mountaintop removal and valley fill (MTR/VF) coal mining has altered the landscape of the Central Appalachian region in the United States. The goals of this study were to 1) compare the structure and function of natural and constructed stream channels in forested and MTR/VF catch...

Soil erosion and management activities on forested slopes

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer

1986-01-01

Some of the most productive forests in the Western United States grow on marginally stable mountainous slopes, where disturbance increases the likelihood of erosion. Much of the public's concern about, and, consequently, most of the research on, erosion from these forested areas is related more to the degradation of stream resources by eroded material than to the...

Riparian Forest Buffers - Function for Protection and Enhancement of Water Resources

Treesearch

David J. Welsch

1991-01-01

Streamside forests are crucial to the protection and enhancement of the water resources of the Eastern United States. They are extremely complex ecosystems that help provide optimum food and habitat for stream communities as well as being useful in mitigating or controlling nonpoint source pollution (NPS). Used as a component of an integrated management system...

Vegetation treatments and hydrologic responses at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire

Treesearch

John L. Campbell; Amey S. Bailey; Christopher Eagar; Mark B. Green; John J. Battles

2013-01-01

By the late 19th and early 20th century, extensive forest harvesting was occurring throughout the United States, often with little regard for natural resources. The effects of logging on the environment were relatively unknown, which contributed to rising environmental concerns. Relationships between forests and stream water yield were of particular interest, because...

Transpirational water loss in invaded and restored semiarid riparian forests

Treesearch

Georgianne W. Moore; M. Keith Owens

2011-01-01

The invasive tree, Tamarix sp., was introduced to the United States in the 1800s to stabilize stream banks. The riparian ecosystem adjacent to the middle Rio Grande River in central NewMexico consists of mature cottonwood (Populus fremontii ) gallery forests with a dense Tamarix understory. We hypothesized that Populus would compensate for reduced competition by...

The demography of a small population of yellow columbines in the Organ Mountains

Treesearch

Chris J. Stubben; Brook G. Milligan

2001-01-01

Yellow-flowered columbines (Aquilegia chrysantha Gray) are usually found in small, isolated populations near streams and pools in mountain ranges throughout the southwestern United States. To study the long-term dynamics of these populations, which are vulnerable to extinction, we have monitored the demography of a population in Fillmore Canyon in the Organ Mountains...

Balancing Interests: Rethinking U.S. Selection of Skilled Immigrants. International Migration Policy Program 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papademetriou, Demetrios G.; Yale-Loehr, Stephen

The Carnegie Endowment's International Migration Policy Program convened a study group to review and develop alternative approaches to the way foreign workers gain access to the United States through the employment-based immigration stream. This study, a product of that effort, focuses on the selection of people admitted under work-related…

ASSOCIATIONS AMONG CATCHMENT- AND SITE-SCALE DISTURBANCE INDICATORS AND BIOLOGICAL ASSEMBLAGES AT LEAST- AND MOST-DISTURBED STREAM AND RIVER SITES IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

At broad scales, the types and intensities of human disturbances to ecosystems vary along natural gradients. Biological assemblages also vary with natural and human disturbance gradients. We defined least-disturbed conditions for a set of water chemistry, catchment, and site-sc...

Patterns of streamwater acidity in Lye Brook Wilderness, Vermont, USA

Treesearch

John L. Campbell; Christopher Eagar; William H. McDowell

2002-01-01

Under the United States Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977, a class I designation safeguards wilderness areas from the negative effects of new sources of air pollution. We monitored streamwater chemistry in the class I Lye Brook Wilderness in southwestern Vermont from May 1994 through August 1995. Stream samples were collected biweekly at nine sampling locations...

The Development of improved willow clones for eastern North America

Treesearch

R. F. Kopp; L. B. Smart; C. A. Maynard; J. G. Isebrands; G. A. Tuskan; L. P. Abrahamson

2001-01-01

Efforts aimed at genetic improvement of Salix are increasing in North America.Most of these are directed towards developing improved clones for biomass production, phytoremediation, nutrient filters, and stream bank stabilization in the Northeast and North-central United States. Native species are of primary interest, but a small number of clones containing non-native...

Survey of United States Commercial Satellites in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

248 a. Imaging Sensors ...... ............ 248 (1) Return Beam Vidicon Camera . ... 249 (2) Scanners. ...... ............ 249 b. Nonimaging ...251 a. Imaging Microwave Sensors ......... .. 251 (1) Synthetic Aperture Radar . ... 251 b. Nonimaging Microwave Sensors ..... .. 252 (1) Radar...The stream of electrons travels alonq the axis oa the tube, constrained by focusing magnets, until it reaches the collector . Surrounding this electron

Public Policy Implications of the Transition to a Subscription-Based Economic Structure for the Television Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Thomas F.; Wirth, Michael O.

This paper argues that the United States television industry is in a transitional period between the dominance of an advertiser-supported system and an advertiser-subscription system, and that a "dual revenue stream" system of subscription and advertising will eventually relegate the advertiser-only support system to a secondary role.…

Evaluating the relative roles of ecological regions and land-cover composition for guiding establishment of nutrient criteria

Treesearch

James D. Wickham; Kurt H. Riitters; Timothy G. Wade; K. Bruce Jones

2005-01-01

The continuing degradation of United States surface waters by excessive nutrient loads has motivated the establishment of nutrient criteria for streams, lakes, and estuaries as a means to protect aquatic resources. Nutrient criteria have been established based on ecoregional differences, recognizing that geographic variation in climate, topography, geology, and land...

Seasonal movement of brown trout in a southern Appalachian river

Treesearch

Kyle H. Burrell; J. Jeffery Isely; David B. Bunnell; David H. Van Lear; C. Andrew Dolloff

2000-01-01

Radio telemetry was used to evaluate the seasonal movement, activity level, and home range size of adult brown trout Salmo trutta in the Chattooga River watershed, one of the southernmost coldwater stream systems in the United States. In all, 27 adult brown trout (262-452 mm total length) were successfully monitored from 16 November 1995 to 15...

Taking inventory of woody residuals

Treesearch

David McKeever

2003-01-01

USDA Forest Service analysis finds 104 million tons of woody residuals available for recovery in the U.S., with wood in MSW and C&D debris streams comprising 28 million tons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service conducts a variety of analyses to estimate the quantity of woody residuals in the United States. Its Forest Products Laboratory in Madison,...

Veneer cutting and drying properties of tupelo

Treesearch

Forest Products Laboratory (U.S.).

1963-01-01

There are three commercially important tupelo species: Water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), black tupelo (N. sylvatica), and swamp tupelo (N. sylvatica var. biflora). Water tupelo and swamp tupelo, as the names indicate, are water-loving trees and grow principally in the fresh-water swamps and along the edges of streams and ponds in southeastern United States. Black tupelo,...

PREDICTING NUTRIENT AND SEDIMENT LOADINGS TO STREAMS FROM LANDSCAPE METRICS: A MULTIPLE WATERSHED STUDY FROM THE UNITED STATES MID-ATLANTIC REGION

EPA Science Inventory

There has been an increasing interest in evaluating the relative condition or health of water resources at regional and national scales. Of particular interest is an ability to identify those areas where surface and ground waters have the greatest potential for high levels of ...

Understanding Social Capital Development and Academic Attainment of Mobile Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaddie, Julie A.

2010-01-01

The United States has a long history of searching for utopian possibilities of public school, amidst a steady stream of population mobility. Horace Mann proclaimed that schools would be able to assimilate the millions of immigrants arriving during the late 1700s. He promised that schools could end poverty, crime and social injustice. Today, public…

DayCent-Chem Simulations of Ecological and Biogeochemical Processes of Eight Mountain Ecosystems in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartman, Melannie D.; Baron, Jill S.; Clow, David W.; Creed, Irena F.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Ewing, Holly A.; Haines, Bruce D.; Knoepp, Jennifer; Lajtha, Kate; Ojima, Dennis S.; Parton, William J.; Renfro, Jim; Robinson, R. Bruce; Van Miegroet, Helga; Weathers, Kathleen C.; Williams, Mark W.

2009-01-01

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) cause complex responses in ecosystems, from fertilization to forest ecosystem decline, freshwater eutrophication to acidification, loss of soil base cations, and alterations of disturbance regimes. DayCent-Chem, an ecosystem simulation model that combines ecosystem nutrient cycling and plant dynamics with aqueous geochemical equilibrium calculations, was developed to address ecosystem responses to combined atmospheric N and S deposition. It is unique among geochemically-based models in its dynamic biological cycling of N and its daily timestep for investigating ecosystem and surface water chemical response to episodic events. The model was applied to eight mountainous watersheds in the United States. The sites represent a gradient of N deposition across locales, from relatively pristine to N-saturated, and a variety of ecosystem types and climates. Overall, the model performed best in predicting stream chemistry for snowmelt-dominated sites. It was more difficult to predict daily stream chemistry for watersheds with deep soils, high amounts of atmospheric deposition, and a large degree of spatial heterogeneity. DayCent-Chem did well in representing plant and soil carbon and nitrogen pools and fluxes. Modeled stream nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) concentrations compared well with measurements at all sites, with few exceptions. Simulated daily stream sulfate (SO42-) concentrations compared well to measured values for sites where SO42- deposition has been low and where SO42- adsorption/desorption reactions did not seem to be important. The concentrations of base cations and silica in streams are highly dependent on the geochemistry and weathering rates of minerals in each catchment, yet these were rarely, if ever, known. Thus, DayCent-Chem could not accurately predict weathering products for some catchments. Additionally, few data were available for exchangeable soil cations or the magnitude of base cation deposition as a result of dry and fog inputs. The uncertainties related to weathering reactions, deposition, soil cation exchange capacity, and groundwater contributions influenced how well the simulated acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) and pH estimates compared to observed values. Daily discharge was well represented by the model for most sites. The chapters of this report describe the parameterization for each site and summarize model results for ecosystem variables, stream discharge, and stream chemistry. This intersite comparison exercise provided insight about important and possibly not well understood processes.

Predicting Brook Trout occurrence in stream reaches throughout their native range in the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWeber, Jefferson Tyrell; Wagner, Tyler

2015-01-01

The Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis is an important species of conservation concern in the eastern USA. We developed a model to predict Brook Trout population status within individual stream reaches throughout the species’ native range in the eastern USA. We utilized hierarchical logistic regression with Bayesian estimation to predict Brook Trout occurrence probability, and we allowed slopes and intercepts to vary among ecological drainage units (EDUs). Model performance was similar for 7,327 training samples and 1,832 validation samples based on the area under the receiver operating curve (∼0.78) and Cohen's kappa statistic (0.44). Predicted water temperature had a strong negative effect on Brook Trout occurrence probability at the stream reach scale and was also negatively associated with the EDU average probability of Brook Trout occurrence (i.e., EDU-specific intercepts). The effect of soil permeability was positive but decreased as EDU mean soil permeability increased. Brook Trout were less likely to occur in stream reaches surrounded by agricultural or developed land cover, and an interaction suggested that agricultural land cover also resulted in an increased sensitivity to water temperature. Our model provides a further understanding of how Brook Trout are shaped by habitat characteristics in the region and yields maps of stream-reach-scale predictions, which together can be used to support ongoing conservation and management efforts. These decision support tools can be used to identify the extent of potentially suitable habitat, estimate historic habitat losses, and prioritize conservation efforts by selecting suitable stream reaches for a given action. Future work could extend the model to account for additional landscape or habitat characteristics, include biotic interactions, or estimate potential Brook Trout responses to climate and land use changes.

Denitrification potential in stream sediments impacted by acid mine drainage: Effects of pH, various electron donors, and iron

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baeseman, J.L.; Smith, R.L.; Silverstein, J.

2006-01-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) contaminates thousands of kilometers of stream in the western United States. At the same time, nitrogen loading to many mountain watersheds is increasing because of atmospheric deposition of nitrate and increased human use. Relatively little is known about nitrogen cycling in acidic, heavy-metal-laden streams; however, it has been reported that one key process, denitrification, is inhibited under low pH conditions. The objective of this research was to investigate the capacity for denitrification in acidified streams. Denitrification potential was assessed in sediments from several Colorado AMD-impacted streams, ranging from pH 2.60 to 4.54, using microcosm incubations with fresh sediment. Added nitrate was immediately reduced to nitrogen gas without a lag period, indicating that denitrification enzymes were expressed and functional in these systems. First-order denitrification potential rate constants varied from 0.046 to 2.964 day-1. The pH of the microcosm water increased between 0.23 and 1.49 pH units during denitrification. Additional microcosm studies were conducted to examine the effects of initial pH, various electron donors, and iron (added as ferrous and ferric iron). Decreasing initial pH decreased denitrification; however, increasing pH had little effect on denitrification rates. The addition of ferric and ferrous iron decreased observed denitrification potential rate constants. The addition of glucose and natural organic matter stimulated denitrification potential. The addition of hydrogen had little effect, however, and denitrification activity in the microcosms decreased after acetate addition. These results suggest that denitrification can occur in AMD streams, and if stimulated within the environment, denitrification might reduce acidity. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006.

Recovery from chronic and snowmelt acidification: Long-term trends in stream and soil water chemistry at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuss, Colin B.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Campbell, John L.

2015-11-01

Atmospheric acid deposition of sulfate and nitrate has declined markedly in the northeastern United States due to emissions controls. We investigated long-term trends in soil water (1984-2011) and stream water (1982-2011) chemistry along an elevation gradient of a forested watershed to evaluate the progress of recovery of drainage waters from acidic deposition at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA. We found slowed losses of base cations from soil and decreased mobilization of dissolved inorganic aluminum. Stream water pH at the watershed outlet increased at a rate of 0.01 units yr-1, and the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) gained 0.88 µeq L-1 yr-1. Dissolved organic carbon generally decreased in stream water and soil solutions, contrary to trends observed at many North American and European sites. We compared whole-year hydrochemical trends with those during snowmelt, which is the highest-flow and lowest ANC period of the year, indicative of episodic acidification. Stream water during snowmelt had long-term trends of increasing ANC and pH at a rate very similar to the whole-year record, with closely related steady decreases in sulfate. A more rapid decline in stream water nitrate during snowmelt compared with the whole-year trend may be due, in part, to the marked decrease in atmospheric nitrate deposition during the last decade. The similarity between the whole-year trends and those of the snowmelt period is an important finding that demonstrates a consistency between recovery from chronic acidification during base flow and abatement of snowmelt acidification.

Legacy source of mercury in an urban stream-wetland ecosystem in central North Carolina, USA.

PubMed

Deonarine, Amrika; Hsu-Kim, Heileen; Zhang, Tong; Cai, Yong; Richardson, Curtis J

2015-11-01

In the United States, aquatic mercury contamination originates from point and non-point sources to watersheds. Here, we studied the contribution of mercury in urban runoff derived from historically contaminated soils and the subsequent production of methylmercury in a stream-wetland complex (Durham, North Carolina), the receiving water of this runoff. Our results demonstrated that the mercury originated from the leachate of grass-covered athletic fields. A fraction of mercury in this soil existed as phenylmercury, suggesting that mercurial anti-fungal compounds were historically applied to this soil. Further downstream in the anaerobic sediments of the stream-wetland complex, a fraction (up to 9%) of mercury was converted to methylmercury, the bioaccumulative form of the metal. Importantly, the concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury were reduced to background levels within the stream-wetland complex. Overall, this work provides an example of a legacy source of mercury that should be considered in urban watershed models and watershed management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conjunctive-management models for sustained yield of stream-aquifer systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barlow, P.M.; Ahlfeld, D.P.; Dickerman, D.C.

2003-01-01

Conjunctive-management models that couple numerical simulation with linear optimization were developed to evaluate trade-offs between groundwater withdrawals and streamflow depletions for alluvial-valley stream-aquifer systems representative of those of the northeastern United States. A conjunctive-management model developed for a hypothetical stream-aquifer system was used to assess the effect of interannual hydrologic variability on minimum monthly streamflow requirements. The conjunctive-management model was applied to the Hunt-Annaquatucket-Pettaquamscutt stream-aquifer system of central Rhode Island. Results show that it is possible to increase the amount of current withdrawal from the aquifer by as much as 50% by modifying current withdrawal schedules, modifying the number and configuration of wells in the supply-well network, or allowing increased streamflow depletion in the Annaquatucket and Pettaquamscutt rivers. Alternatively, it is possible to reduce current rates of streamflow depletion in the Hunt River by as much as 35% during the summer, but such reductions would result increases in groundwater withdrawals.

Manufacturing Enhancement through Reduction of Cycle Time using Different Lean Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suganthini Rekha, R.; Periyasamy, P.; Nallusamy, S.

2017-08-01

In recent manufacturing system the most important parameters in production line are work in process, TAKT time and line balancing. In this article lean tools and techniques were implemented to reduce the cycle time. The aim is to enhance the productivity of the water pump pipe by identifying the bottleneck stations and non value added activities. From the initial time study the bottleneck processes were identified and then necessary expanding processes were also identified for the bottleneck process. Subsequently the improvement actions have been established and implemented using different lean tools like value stream mapping, 5S and line balancing. The current state value stream mapping was developed to describe the existing status and to identify various problem areas. 5S was used to implement the steps to reduce the process cycle time and unnecessary movements of man and material. The improvement activities were implemented with required suggested and the future state value stream mapping was developed. From the results it was concluded that the total cycle time was reduced about 290.41 seconds and the customer demand has been increased about 760 units.

Linking Stream Dissolved Oxygen with the Dynamic Environmental Drivers across the Pacific Coast of U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araya, F. Z.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2017-12-01

This study utilized a systematic data analytics approach to determine the relative linkages of stream dissolved oxygen (DO) with the hydro-climatic and biogeochemical drivers across the U.S. Pacific Coast. Multivariate statistical techniques of Pearson correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and factor analysis were applied to a complex water quality dataset (1998-2015) at 35 water quality monitoring stations of USGS NWIS and EPA STORET. Power-law based partial least squares regression (PLSR) models with a bootstrap Monte Carlo procedure (1000 iterations) were developed to reliably estimate the relative linkages by resolving multicollinearity (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency, NSE = 0.50-0.94). Based on the dominant drivers, four environmental regimes have been identified and adequately described the system-data variances. In Pacific North West and Southern California, water temperature was the most dominant driver of DO in majority of the streams. However, in Central and Northern California, stream DO was controlled by multiple drivers (i.e., water temperature, pH, stream flow, and total phosphorus), exhibiting a transitional environmental regime. Further, total phosphorus (TP) appeared to be the limiting nutrient for most streams. The estimated linkages and insights would be useful to identify management priorities to achieve healthy coastal stream ecosystems across the Pacific Coast of U.S.A. and similar regions around the world. Keywords: Data analytics, water quality, coastal streams, dissolved oxygen, environmental regimes, Pacific Coast, United States.

Large-Scale Effects of Timber Harvesting on Stream Systems in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Lance R.; Taylor, Christopher M.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr.; Clingenpeel, J. Alan

2002-01-01

Using Basin Area Stream Survey (BASS) data from the United States Forest Service, we evaluated how timber harvesting influenced patterns of variation in physical stream features and regional fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Data were collected for three years (1990-1992) from six hydrologically variable streams in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA that were paired by management regime within three drainage basins. Specifically, we used multivariate techniques to partition variability in assemblage structure (taxonomic and trophic) that could be explained by timber harvesting, drainage basin differences, year-to-year variability, and their shared variance components. Most of the variation in fish assemblages was explained by drainage basin differences, and both basin and year-of-sampling influenced macroinvertebrate assemblages. All three factors modeled, including interactions between drainage basins and timber harvesting, influenced variability in physical stream features. Interactions between timber harvesting and drainage basins indicated that differences in physical stream features were important in determining the effects of logging within a basin. The lack of a logging effect on the biota contradicts predictions for these small, hydrologically variable streams. We believe this pattern is related to the large scale of this study and the high levels of natural variability in the streams. Alternatively, there may be time-specific effects we were unable to detect with our sampling design and analyses.

Sensitivity of salmonid freshwater life history in western US streams to future climate conditions.

PubMed

Beer, W Nicholas; Anderson, James J

2013-08-01

We projected effects of mid-21st century climate on the early life growth of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) in western United States streams. Air temperature and snowpack trends projected from observed 20th century trends were used to predict future seasonal stream temperatures. Fish growth from winter to summer was projected with temperature-dependent models of egg development and juvenile growth. Based on temperature data from 115 sites, by mid-21st century, the effects of climate change are projected to be mixed. Fish in warm-region streams that are currently cooled by snow melt will grow less, and fish in suboptimally cool streams will grow more. Relative to 20th century conditions, by mid-21st century juvenile salmonids' weights are expected to be lower in the Columbia Basin and California Central Valley, but unchanged or greater in coastal and mountain streams. Because fish weight affects fish survival, the predicted changes in weight could impact population fitness depending on other factors such as density effects, food quality and quantity changes, habitat alterations, etc. The level of year-to-year variability in stream temperatures is high and our analysis suggests that identifying effects of climate change over the natural variability will be difficult except in a few streams. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Generation of useful energy from process fluids using the biphase turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helgeson, N. L.

1981-01-01

The six largest energy consuming industries in the United States were surveyed to determine the energy savings that could result from applying the Biphase turbine to industrial process streams. A national potential energy savings of 58 million barrels of oil per year (technical market) was identified. This energy is recoverable from flashing gas liquid process streams and is separate and distinct from exhaust gas waste heat recovery. The industries surveyed in this program were the petroleum chemical, primary metals, paper and pulp, stone-clay-glass, and food. It was required to determine the applicability of the Biphase turbine to flashing operations connected with process streams, to determine the energy changes associated with these flashes if carried out in a Biphase turbine, and to determine the suitability (technical and economical feasibility) of applying the Biphase turbine to these processes.

Effects of habitat fragmentation on a stream-dwelling species, the flattened musk turtle Sternotherus depressus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodd, C.K.

1990-01-01

The flattened musk turtle Sternotherus depressus has disappeared from more than half of its former range because of habitat modifications to stream and river channels in the Warrior River Basin, Alabama. Only 6·9% of its probable historic range contains relatively healthy populations, and most populations are fragmented by extensive areas of unsuitable habitat. Turtles in the best remaining habitats continue to be vulnerable to disease and human-related disturbance, collecting and habitat modification. These factors lead to population declines and abnormal population structure. Habitat fragmentation, especially in small populations, increases vulnerability to human-caused catastrophes and demographic accidents, and could lead to eventual extinction. The threats facing fragmented populations of this turtle probably parallel those affecting many other stream-dwelling species throughout the southeastern United States.

Persistent episodic acidification of streams linked to acid rain effects on soil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lawrence, G.B.

2002-01-01

Episodic acidification of streams, identified in the late 1980s as one of the most significant environmental problems caused by acidic deposition, had not been evaluated since the early 1990s despite decreasing levels of acidic deposition over the past decade. This analysis indicates that episodic acidification of streams in upland regions in the northeastern United States persists, and is likely to be much more widespread than chronic acidification. Depletion of exchangeable Ca in the mineral soil has decreased the neutralization capacity of soils and increased the role of the surface organic horizon in the neutralization of acidic soil water during episodes. Increased accumulation of N and S in the forest floor from decades of acidic deposition will delay the recovery of soil base status, and therefore, the elimination of acidic episodes, which is anticipated from decreasing emissions.

A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA announced the availability of the final report, A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in Central Appalachian Streams. This report describes a method to characterize the relationship between the extirpation (the effective extinction) of invertebrate genera and salinity (measured as conductivity) and from that relationship derives a freshwater aquatic life benchmark. This benchmark of 300 µS/cm may be applied to waters in Appalachian streams that are dominated by calcium and magnesium salts of sulfate and bicarbonate at circum-neutral to mildly alkaline pH. This report provides scientific evidence for a conductivity benchmark in a specific region rather than for the entire United States.

Contributions of Phosphorus from Groundwater to Streams in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge Physiographic Provinces, Eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denver, Judith M.; Cravotta,, Charles A.; Ator, Scott W.; Lindsey, Bruce D.

2011-01-01

Phosphorus from natural and human sources is likely to be discharged from groundwater to streams in certain geochemical environments. Water-quality data collected from 1991 through 2007 in paired networks of groundwater and streams in different hydrogeologic and land-use settings of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge Physiographic Provinces in the eastern United States were compiled and analyzed to evaluate the sources, fate, and transport of phosphorus. The median concentrations of phosphate in groundwater from the crystalline and siliciclastic bedrock settings (0.017 and 0.020 milligrams per liter, respectively) generally were greater than the median for the carbonate setting (less than 0.01 milligrams per liter). In contrast, the median concentrations of dissolved phosphate in stream base flow from the crystalline and siliciclastic bedrock settings (0.010 and 0.014 milligrams per liter, respectively) were less than the median concentration for base-flow samples from the carbonate setting (0.020 milligrams per liter). Concentrations of phosphorus in many of the stream base-flow and groundwater samples exceeded ecological criteria for streams in the region. Mineral dissolution was identified as the dominant source of phosphorus in the groundwater and stream base flow draining crystalline or siliciclastic bedrock in the study area. Low concentrations of dissolved phosphorus in groundwater from carbonate bedrock result from the precipitation of minerals and (or) from sorption to mineral surfaces along groundwater flow paths. Phosphorus concentrations are commonly elevated in stream base flow in areas underlain by carbonate bedrock, however, presumably derived from in-stream sources or from upland anthropogenic sources and transported along short, shallow groundwater flow paths. Dissolved phosphate concentrations in groundwater were correlated positively with concentrations of silica and sodium, and negatively with alkalinity and concentrations of calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, iron, and aluminum. These associations can result from the dissolution of alkali feldspars containing phosphorus; the precipitation of apatite; the precipitation of calcite, iron hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxide with associated sorption of phosphate ions; and the potential for release of phosphate from iron-hydroxide and other iron minerals under reducing conditions. Anthropogenic sources of phosphate such as fertilizer and manure and processes such as biological uptake, evapotranspiration, and dilution also affect phosphorus concentrations. The phosphate concentrations in surface water were not correlated with the silica concentration, but were positively correlated with concentrations of major cations and anions, including chloride and nitrate, which could indicate anthropogenic sources and effects of evapotranspiration on surface-water quality. Mixing of older, mineralized groundwater with younger, less mineralized, but contaminated groundwater was identified as a critical factor affecting the quality of stream base flow. In-stream processing of nutrients by biological processes also likely increases the phosphorus concentration in surface waters. Potential geologic contributions of phosphorus to groundwater and streams may be an important watershed-management consideration in certain hydrogeologic and geochemical environments. Geochemical controls effectively limit phosphorus transport through groundwater to streams in areas underlain by carbonate rocks; however, in crystalline and siliciclastic settings, phosphorus from mineral or human sources may be effectively transported by groundwater and contribute a substantial fraction to base-flow stream loads.

Nutrients in Streams and Rivers Across the Nation -- 1992-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, David K.; Spahr, Norman E.

2006-01-01

Nutrient compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus were investigated in streams and rivers sampled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Nutrient data were collected in 20 NAWQA study units during 1992-95, 16 study units during 1996-98, and 15 study units during 1999-2001. To facilitate comparisons among sampling sites with variable sampling frequency, daily loads were determined by using regression models that relate constituent transport to streamflow and time. Model results were used to compute mean annual loads, yields, and concentrations of ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus, which were compared among stream and river sampling sites. Variations in the occurrence and distribution of nutrients in streams and rivers on a broad national scale reflect differences in the sources of nutrient inputs to the upstream watersheds and in watershed characteristics that affect movement of those nutrients. Sites were classified by watershed size and by land use in the upstream watershed: agriculture, urban, and undeveloped (forest or rangeland). Selection of NAWQA urban sites was intended to avoid effects of major wastewater-treatment plants and other point sources, but in some locations this was not feasible. Nutrient concentrations and yields generally increased with anthropogenic development in the watershed. Median concentrations and yields for all constituents at sites downstream from undeveloped areas were less than at sites downstream from agricultural or urban areas. Concentrations of ammonia, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus at agricultural and urban sites were not significantly different; however, concentrations of nitrate and total nitrogen were higher at agricultural than at urban sites. Total nitrogen concentrations at agricultural sites were higher in areas of high nitrogen input or enhanced transport, such as irrigation or artificial drainage that can rapidly move water from cropland to streams (Midwest, Northern Plains, and western areas of the United States). Concentrations were lower in the Southeast, where more denitrification occurs during transport of nitrogen compounds in shallow ground water. At urban sites, high concentrations of ammonia and orthophosphate were more prevalent downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. At sites with large watersheds and high mean-annual streamflow ('large-watershed' sites), concentrations of most nutrients were significantly less than at sites downstream from agricultural or urban areas. Total nitrogen concentrations at large-watershed sites were higher in Midwest agricultural areas and lower in the Western United States, where agricultural and urban development is less extensive. Total phosphorus concentrations at large-watershed sites were higher in areas of greater potential erosion and low overall runoff such as the arid areas in the West. Although not as distinct as seasonal patterns of streamflow, geographic patterns of seasonally high and low concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were identified in the data. Seasonal patterns in concentrations of total nitrogen generally mirror seasonal patterns in streamflow in the humid Eastern United States but are inverse to seasonal patterns in streamflow in the semiarid interior West. Total phosphorus concentrations typically have the opposite regional relation with streamflow; high concentrations coincide with high streamflows in the interior West. In the NAWQA Program, sites downstream from relatively undeveloped areas were selected to provide a baseline for comparison to sites with potential effects of urban development and agriculture. Concentrations of nitrate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus at NAWQA undeveloped sites were found to be greater than values reported by other studies for conditions of essentially no development (background conditions). Concentrations at NAWQA undeveloped sites represent conditions

The Association of State Legal Mandates for Data Submission of Central Line-associated Blood Stream Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Units with Process and Outcome Measures

PubMed Central

Zachariah, Philip; Reagan, Julie; Furuya, E. Yoko; Dick, Andrew; Liu, Hangsheng; Herzig, Carolyn T.A; Pogorzelska-Maziarz, Monika; Stone, Patricia W.; Saiman, Lisa

2014-01-01

Objective To determine the association between state legal mandates for data submission of central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with process/outcome measures. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants National sample of level II/III and III NICUs participating in National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance. Methods State mandates for data submission of CLABSIs in NICUs in place by 2011 were compiled and verified with state healthcare-associated infection coordinators. A web-based survey of infection control departments in October 2011 assessed CLABSI prevention practices i.e. compliance with checklist and bundle components (process measures) in ICUs including NICUs. Corresponding 2011 NHSN NICU CLABSI rates (outcome measures) were used to calculate Standardized Infection Ratios (SIR). The association between mandates and process/outcome measures was assessed by multivariable logistic regression. Results Among 190 study NICUs, 107 (56.3%) NICUs were located in states with mandates, with mandates in place for 3 or more years for half. More NICUs in states with mandates reported ≥95% compliance to at least one CLABSI prevention practice (52.3% – 66.4%) than NICUs in states without mandates (28.9% – 48.2%). Mandates were predictors of ≥95% compliance with all practices (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.4–6.1). NICUs in states with mandates reported lower mean CLABSI rates in the <750gm birth-weight group (2.4 vs. 5.7 CLABSIs/1000 CL-days) but not in others. Mandates were not associated with SIR <1. Conclusions State mandates for NICU CLABSI data submission were significantly associated with ≥95% compliance with CLABSI prevention practices but not with lower CLABSI rates. PMID:25111921

SOA approach to battle command: simulation interoperability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayott, Gregory; Self, Mid; Miller, Gordon J.; McDonnell, Joseph S.

2010-04-01

NVESD is developing a Sensor Data and Management Services (SDMS) Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) that provides an innovative approach to achieve seamless application functionality across simulation and battle command systems. In 2010, CERDEC will conduct a SDMS Battle Command demonstration that will highlight the SDMS SOA capability to couple simulation applications to existing Battle Command systems. The demonstration will leverage RDECOM MATREX simulation tools and TRADOC Maneuver Support Battle Laboratory Virtual Base Defense Operations Center facilities. The battle command systems are those specific to the operation of a base defense operations center in support of force protection missions. The SDMS SOA consists of four components that will be discussed. An Asset Management Service (AMS) will automatically discover the existence, state, and interface definition required to interact with a named asset (sensor or a sensor platform, a process such as level-1 fusion, or an interface to a sensor or other network endpoint). A Streaming Video Service (SVS) will automatically discover the existence, state, and interfaces required to interact with a named video stream, and abstract the consumers of the video stream from the originating device. A Task Manager Service (TMS) will be used to automatically discover the existence of a named mission task, and will interpret, translate and transmit a mission command for the blue force unit(s) described in a mission order. JC3IEDM data objects, and software development kit (SDK), will be utilized as the basic data object definition for implemented web services.

Nutrient load summaries for major lakes and estuaries of the Eastern United States, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moorman, Michelle C.; Hoos, Anne B.; Bricker, Suzanne B.; Moore, Richard B.; García, Ana María; Ator, Scott W.

2014-01-01

Nutrient enrichment of lakes and estuaries across the Nation is widespread. Nutrient enrichment can stimulate excessive plant and algal growth and cause a number of undesirable effects that impair aquatic life and recreational activities and can also result in economic effects. Understanding the amount of nutrients entering lakes and estuaries, the physical characteristics affecting the nutrient processing within these receiving waterbodies, and the natural and manmade sources of nutrients is fundamental to the development of effective nutrient reduction strategies. To improve this understanding, sources and stream transport of nutrients to 255 major lakes and 64 estuaries in the Eastern United States were estimated using Spatially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes (SPARROW) nutrient models.

Advances in Understanding the Fate and Effects of Oil from Accidental Spills in the United States Beginning with the Exxon Valdez.

PubMed

Short, Jeffrey W

2017-07-01

Scientific studies of the environmental effects of oil spills in the United States have produced a steady stream of unexpected discoveries countering prior and often simplistic assumptions. In this brief review, I present how major discoveries from scientific studies of oil spill effects on marine ecosystems and environments, beginning with the 1989 Exxon Valdez, have led to a more informed appreciation for the complexity and the severity of the damage that major spills can do to marine ecosystems and to an increasing recognition that our ability to evaluate those damages is very limited, resulting in a structural bias toward underestimation of adverse environmental effects.

Regional variability in the accuracy of statistical reproductions of historical time series of daily streamflow at ungaged locations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmer, W. H.; Archfield, S. A.; Over, T. M.; Kiang, J. E.

2015-12-01

In the United States and across the globe, the majority of stream reaches and rivers are substantially impacted by water use or remain ungaged. The result is large gaps in the availability of natural streamflow records from which to infer hydrologic understanding and inform water resources management. From basin-specific to continent-wide scales, many efforts have been undertaken to develop methods to estimate ungaged streamflow. This work applies and contrasts several statistical models of daily streamflow to more than 1,700 reference-quality streamgages across the conterminous United States using a cross-validation methodology. The variability of streamflow simulation performance across the country exhibits a pattern familiar to other continental scale modeling efforts performed for the United States. For portions of the West Coast and the dense, relatively homogeneous and humid regions of the eastern United States models produce reliable estimates of daily streamflow using many different prediction methods. Model performance for the middle portion of the United States, marked by more heterogeneous and arid conditions, and with larger contributing areas and sparser networks of streamgages, is consistently poor. A discussion of the difficulty of statistical interpolation and regionalization in these regions raises additional questions of data availability and quality, hydrologic process representation and dominance, and intrinsic variability.

Reconnaissance data for glyphosate, other selected herbicides, their degradation products, and antibiotics in 51 streams in nine midwestern states, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scribner, Elisabeth A.; Battaglin, William A.; Dietze, Julie E.; Thurman, E.M.

2003-01-01

Since 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted periodic reconnaissance studies of streams in the Midwestern United States to determine the geographic and seasonal distribution of herbicide compounds. These studies have documented that large amounts of acetochlor, alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, and their degradation products are flushed into streams during post-application runoff. Additional studies show that peak herbicide concentrations tend to occur during the first runoff after herbicide application and that herbicide flushes can occur during runoff for several weeks to months following application. Since the first stream study conducted in 1989, several significant changes in herbicide use have occurred. The most substantial change is the tripling in the use of glyphosate during the past 5 years. Over this same time period (1997-2001), usage of acetochlor and atrazine increased slightly, whereas alachlor, cyanazine, and metolachlor usage decreased. During 2002, 154 samples were collected from 51 streams in nine Midwestern States during three periods of runoff. This report provides a compilation of the analytical results of five laboratory methods. Results show that glyphosate was detected in 55 (36 percent) of the samples, and aminomethylphosphonic acid (a degradation product of glyphosate) was detected in 107 (69 percent) of the samples. Atrazine, the most frequently detected herbicide, was found in 93 percent of the samples, followed by metolachlor, found in 73 percent of the samples; metolachlor ethanesulfonic acid (ESA) and oxanilic acid (OXA) were the most frequently detected herbicide degradation products, both being found in more than 95 percent of the samples. The data presented here are valuable for comparison with results from the earlier reconnaissance studies.

Partially pre-calculated weights for the backpropagation learning regime and high accuracy function mapping using continuous input RAM-based sigma-pi nets.

PubMed

Neville, R S; Stonham, T J; Glover, R J

2000-01-01

In this article we present a methodology that partially pre-calculates the weight updates of the backpropagation learning regime and obtains high accuracy function mapping. The paper shows how to implement neural units in a digital formulation which enables the weights to be quantised to 8-bits and the activations to 9-bits. A novel methodology is introduced to enable the accuracy of sigma-pi units to be increased by expanding their internal state space. We, also, introduce a novel means of implementing bit-streams in ring memories instead of utilising shift registers. The investigation utilises digital "Higher Order" sigma-pi nodes and studies continuous input RAM-based sigma-pi units. The units are trained with the backpropagation learning regime to learn functions to a high accuracy. The neural model is the sigma-pi units which can be implemented in digital microelectronic technology. The ability to perform tasks that require the input of real-valued information, is one of the central requirements of any cognitive system that utilises artificial neural network methodologies. In this article we present recent research which investigates a technique that can be used for mapping accurate real-valued functions to RAM-nets. One of our goals was to achieve accuracies of better than 1% for target output functions in the range Y epsilon [0,1], this is equivalent to an average Mean Square Error (MSE) over all training vectors of 0.0001 or an error modulus of 0.01. We present a development of the sigma-pi node which enables the provision of high accuracy outputs. The sigma-pi neural model was initially developed by Gurney (Learning in nets of structured hypercubes. PhD Thesis, Department of Electrical Engineering, Brunel University, Middlessex, UK, 1989; available as Technical Memo CN/R/144). Gurney's neuron models, the Time Integration Node (TIN), utilises an activation that was derived from a bit-stream. In this article we present a new methodology for storing sigma-pi node's activations as single values which are averages. In the course of the article we state what we define as a real number; how we represent real numbers and input of continuous values in our neural system. We show how to utilise the bounded quantised site-values (weights) of sigma-pi nodes to make training of these neurocomputing systems simple, using pre-calculated look-up tables to train the nets. In order to meet our accuracy goal, we introduce a means of increasing the bandwidth capability of sigma-pi units by expanding their internal state-space. In our implementation we utilise bit-streams when we calculate the real-valued outputs of the net. To simplify the hardware implementation of bit-streams we present a method of mapping them to RAM-based hardware using 'ring memories'. Finally, we study the sigma-pi units' ability to generalise once they are trained to map real-valued, high accuracy, continuous functions. We use sigma-pi units as they have been shown to have shorter training times than their analogue counterparts and can also overcome some of the drawbacks of semi-linear units (Gurney, 1992. Neural Networks, 5, 289-303).

Forecasting fish biomasses, densities, productions, and bioaccumulation potentials of mid-atlantic wadeable streams.

PubMed

Barber, M Craig; Rashleigh, Brenda; Cyterski, Michael J

2016-01-01

Regional fishery conditions of Mid-Atlantic wadeable streams in the eastern United States are estimated using the Bioaccumulation and Aquatic System Simulator (BASS) bioaccumulation and fish community model and data collected by the US Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). Average annual biomasses and population densities and annual productions are estimated for 352 randomly selected streams. Realized bioaccumulation factors (BAF) and biomagnification factors (BMF), which are dependent on these forecasted biomasses, population densities, and productions, are also estimated by assuming constant water exposures to methylmercury and tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and hepta-chlorinated biphenyls. Using observed biomasses, observed densities, and estimated annual productions of total fish from 3 regions assumed to support healthy fisheries as benchmarks (eastern Tennessee and Catskill Mountain trout streams and Ozark Mountains smallmouth bass streams), 58% of the region's wadeable streams are estimated to be in marginal or poor condition (i.e., not healthy). Using simulated BAFs and EMAP Hg fish concentrations, we also estimate that approximately 24% of the game fish and subsistence fishing species that are found in streams having detectable Hg concentrations would exceed an acceptable human consumption criterion of 0.185 μg/g wet wt. Importantly, such streams have been estimated to represent 78.2% to 84.4% of the Mid-Atlantic's wadeable stream lengths. Our results demonstrate how a dynamic simulation model can support regional assessment and trends analysis for fisheries. © 2015 SETAC.

Ambient groundwater flow diminishes nitrate processing in the hyporheic zone of streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizian, Morvarid; Boano, Fulvio; Cook, Perran L. M.; Detwiler, Russell L.; Rippy, Megan A.; Grant, Stanley B.

2017-05-01

Modeling and experimental studies demonstrate that ambient groundwater reduces hyporheic exchange, but the implications of this observation for stream N-cycling is not yet clear. Here we utilize a simple process-based model (the Pumping and Streamline Segregation or PASS model) to evaluate N-cycling over two scales of hyporheic exchange (fluvial ripples and riffle-pool sequences), ten ambient groundwater and stream flow scenarios (five gaining and losing conditions and two stream discharges), and three biogeochemical settings (identified based on a principal component analysis of previously published measurements in streams throughout the United States). Model-data comparisons indicate that our model provides realistic estimates for direct denitrification of stream nitrate, but overpredicts nitrification and coupled nitrification-denitrification. Riffle-pool sequences are responsible for most of the N-processing, despite the fact that fluvial ripples generate 3-11 times more hyporheic exchange flux. Across all scenarios, hyporheic exchange flux and the Damköhler Number emerge as primary controls on stream N-cycling; the former regulates trafficking of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface, while the latter quantifies the relative rates of organic carbon mineralization and advective transport in streambed sediments. Vertical groundwater flux modulates both of these master variables in ways that tend to diminish stream N-cycling. Thus, anthropogenic perturbations of ambient groundwater flows (e.g., by urbanization, agricultural activities, groundwater mining, and/or climate change) may compromise some of the key ecosystem services provided by streams.

The quality of our Nation’s waters--ecological health in the Nation's streams, 1993-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlisle, Daren M.; Meador, Michael R.; Short, Terry M.; Tate, Cathy M.; Gurtz, Martin E.; Bryant, Wade L.; Falcone, James A.; Woodside, Michael D.

2013-01-01

This report summarizes a national assessment of the ecological health of streams done by the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). Healthy functioning stream ecosystems provide society with many benefits, including water purification, flood control, nutrient recycling, waste decomposition, fisheries, and aesthetics. The value to society of many of these benefits is substantial; for example, sportfishing in the United States generates an estimated annual economic output of $125 billion, including more than 1 million jobs (National Research Council, 2005; American Sportfishing Association, 2008). Continued monitoring and assessment of the Nation’s streams is needed to support informed decisions that will safeguard this important natural and economic resource. The quality of streams and rivers is often assessed with measures of the chemical or physical properties of water. However, a more comprehensive perspective is obtained if resident biological communities are also assessed. Guidelines to protect human health and aquatic life have been established for specific physical and chemical properties of water and have become useful yardsticks with which to assess water quality. Biological communities provide additional crucial information because they live within streams for weeks to years and therefore integrate through time the effects of changes to their chemical or physical environment. In addition, biological communities are a direct measure of stream health—an indicator of the ability of a stream to support aquatic life. Thus, the condition of biological communities, integrated with key physical and chemical properties, provides a comprehensive assessment of stream health.

Rapid Assessment of Logging-Associated Sediment-Delivery Pathways in an Intensively-Managed Forested Watershed in the Southern Cascades, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coe, D. B.; Wopat, M. A.; Lindsay, D.; Stanish, S.; Boone, M.; Beck, B.; Wyman, A.; Bull, J.

2012-12-01

The potential for water-quality impacts in intensively-managed forested watersheds depends partly upon the frequency of overland flow paths linking logging-related hillslope sediment sources to the channel network, as well as the volume of sediment delivered along these flow paths. In response to public concerns over perceived water-quality impacts from clearcut timber harvesting, the Battle Creek Task Force, composed of subject-matter experts from 4 different state agencies, performed a rapid assessment for visible evidence of sediment delivery pathways from multiple logging-associated features in the upper Battle Creek watershed - an area underlain predominantly by Holocene- and Late Pleistocene-aged volcanic rock types, with highly permeable soils, and relatively few streams. Logging-associated features were selected for assessment based on erosion potential and proximity to stream channels. Identified sediment-delivery pathways were then characterized by dominant erosion process and the relative magnitude of sediment delivery (i.e., low, moderate, and high) was estimated. Approximately 26 km of stream buffers adjacent to 55 clearcut harvest units were assessed, and the single detected instance of sediment delivery was found to be of low magnitude and the result of illegal encroachment by logging equipment into a 5-m wide stream-adjacent equipment-limitation zone. The proportion of sampled sites delivering sediment was found to be highest for tractor-stream crossings, followed by road-stream crossings, stream-adjacent road segments, stream-adjacent landings, and clearcut harvest units, respectively. All 5 tractor-stream crossings delivered sediment, but were generally delivering a low magnitude of sediment derived from sheetwash and rilling. Road-stream crossings (n=39) and stream-adjacent road segments (n=24) delivered observable sediment 69 and 67 percent of the time, respectively. The highest magnitudes of sediment delivery from roads were associated with substandard design or maintenance practices (e.g., poor road drainage) and/or poor location (e.g., roads less than 15 m from a stream), but the magnitude of sediment delivery was generally low or unobservable where Best Management Practices (BMPs) had been implemented. Conceptually, water-quality impacts are limited by the low density of streams in the watershed, relatively low hillslope gradients, relatively high permeability of the soils, and the implementation of BMPs. Assessment results suggest that direct water-quality impacts from overland flow paths in these types of watersheds are best minimized by disconnecting flow paths linking roads to streams, and by implementing BMPs.